Two of Our Books Named Best Books of the Year 2025

Two titles represented internationally by the Book Smugglers Agency were named Best Books of the Year at last week’s awards ceremony.

HOLY SMOKES, GRANDPA! (written by Aušrinė Tilindė, illustrated by Greta Alice, and published by Alma littera), winner of the children’s category, follows Benny, a curious boy, and his Grandpa Bernard, an adventurous spirit who never wears matching socks. When Grandpa disappears, Benny and his friends set out to find him and uncover not only the mystery of the missing socks but also long-buried family secrets reaching back to a partisan bunker. A heartfelt and humorous story about quiet heroes, family bonds, and a child who keeps asking questions.

MAGNETIC ISLAND (written by Viktorija Butautis, illustrated by Milda Magylė, and published by BALTO), winner of the teen category, follows Emma and her dog Mars on a thrilling adventure on Magnetic Island. Following cryptic clues, they uncover a mysterious device and an ancient symbol, face dangerous wildlife, and befriend locals including the island’s true guardian, Pipa. With courage and wit, they must unlock a secret far greater than the legend of Captain Cook’s broken compass. MAGNETIC ISLAND is the second book in the Emma and Mars adventure series. The first book, MYSTERY OF THE CANARY ISLANDS, also won the Best Book of the Year 2023 award in the teen category, and the sequel has now followed in its footsteps, marking a remarkable achievement.

The Book of the Year Awards is one of Lithuania’s most important literary initiatives, now taking place for the 21st time, bringing together expert juries and readers in a shared selection process. Each year, hundreds of books across categories are evaluated by professional committees of literary experts, critics, writers, translators, librarians, and cultural researchers before being presented to the public vote. This year, more than 20,000 readers took part in selecting the winners.

Our agency looks forward to smuggling these wonderful books to publishers around the world.

Aušrinė Tilindė (right) and Greta Alice

Viktorija Butautis