Books of the year: 2025’s best offerings that highlight political strife, pain, and injustice

JP O’Malley reveals his picks for books that tell true stories of those who lived in difficult and challenging times, both in the present day and the past

Donald Trump declared ‘a national emergency at our southern border’ at his inauguration in January. File picture: Evan Vucci/ AP

The third Monday of January is officially the most depressing day of the year. It was fitting that Donald Trump’s inauguration fell on Blue Monday 2025. 

The pleasantries inside the US Capitol rotunda in Washington DC didn’t last long.