QUIZ: Which 2025 Shortlisted Book Should You Read Next?

Take our quiz and discover your perfect match from this year's incredible shortlist.

Answer these 10 questions and count up your As, Bs, Cs, and Ds to discover your new favourite book.

1. How are you feeling right now?

• A) Ready for an emotional journey that'll stay with me
• B) In need of a proper page-turner I can't put down
• C) Curious and ready to learn something new
• D) Looking for comfort and a bit of escape

2. What's your ideal reading setting?

• A) Curled up in bed with a cup of tea and tissues nearby
• B) On the edge of my seat, reading late into the night
• C) In a cosy chair, taking notes and reflecting
• D) Anywhere I can lose myself in another world

3. When it comes to stories, you're drawn to:

• A) Real lives, honest truths, and deeply personal journeys
• B) Mysteries, secrets, and shocking twists
• C) Big ideas, fascinating facts, and new perspectives
• D) Beautiful writing that transports you somewhere else

4. Your perfect book makes you feel:

• A) Deeply moved and emotionally connected
• B) On edge, unable to predict what happens next
• C) Inspired and enlightened
• D) Completely absorbed in another time or place

5. You'd describe your reading taste as:

• A) Heart-centred – I read for emotional resonance
• B) Thrill-seeking – I love suspense and drama
• C) Knowledge-hungry – I want to understand the world better
• D) Escapist – I read to travel without leaving home

6. What draws you to pick up a book?

• A) A powerful personal story or memoir
• B) A gripping plot that promises twists
• C) Learning about a topic that fascinates me
• D) Gorgeous prose and immersive storytelling

7. Your ideal weekend read would be:

• A) Something that makes me reflect on my own life
• B) A book I genuinely can't put down
• C) A fascinating deep-dive into a subject I love
• D) Pure literary escapism with beautiful language

8. When recommending books to friends, you suggest:

• A) Stories that moved you to tears or changed your perspective
• B) Books that kept you up all night reading
• C) Non-fiction that taught you something incredible
• D) Novels with stunning writing and rich worlds

9. The best books are ones that:

• A) Feel honest, raw, and emotionally true
• B) Keep you guessing until the very last page
• C) Make you see the world differently
• D) Transport you completely into their universe

10. Right now, you're in the mood for:

• A) A deeply personal, moving story
• B) An unputdownable thriller or mystery
• C) Something thought-provoking and enriching
• D) Literary fiction that sweeps you away

Your Results

Mostly As: The Truth Seeker

Your Perfect Match: The Bass Player by Stephen Travers

You're drawn to real stories, honest voices, and deeply personal journeys. The Bass Player: Surviving the Miami Showband Massacre is your perfect match.

Stephen Travers's memoir is a survivor's account of one of the darkest nights in Irish history and his decades-long search for justice that followed. It's raw, powerful, and deeply moving – exactly the kind of honest, emotionally true story that resonates with you.

This is the biography that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

[Discover the full Biography shortlist]

Mostly Bs: The Thrill Chaser

Your Perfect Match: Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

You live for the twist you didn't see coming. You need a book that keeps you up reading "just one more chapter" until suddenly it's 3am. Two Kinds of Stranger is calling your name.

Steve Cavanagh delivers another courtroom thriller that's impossible to put down. Irish crime fiction is amongst the best in the world, and this page-turner proves exactly why. Gripping, clever, and utterly unputdownable.

This is the book that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

[Discover the full Crime Fiction shortlist]

Mostly Cs: The Knowledge Seeker

Your Perfect Match: The Walking Effect by Karl Henry

You're curious and ready to learn something that could genuinely change your life. The Walking Effect is your perfect match.

Ireland's leading personal trainer invites you to take a step towards a healthier, happier life. This book explores how something as simple as walking can transform your physical and mental wellbeing, one stride at a time. It's practical wisdom that's beautifully presented and backed by science.

This is the book that will inspire you to see the world – and yourself – differently.

[Discover the full Lifestyle shortlist]

Mostly Ds: The Literary Escapist

Your Perfect Match: The Ghosts of Rome by Joseph O'Connor

You want literary fiction that transports you completely – gorgeous prose, rich worlds, and masterful storytelling. The Ghosts of Rome is your perfect match.

Joseph O'Connor brings his characteristic historical insight and beautiful writing to Italy's liberation. This is Irish literature at its finest: ambitious, immersive, and unforgettable. You'll lose yourself completely in its pages.

This is the novel that defines why Irish storytelling resonates around the world.

[Discover the full Novel of the Year shortlist]