I am a lifelong reader, and I always keep track of my favorite books that I read in a year. This year, I read 66 books. While not all books are noteworthy, I did enjoy the bulk of what I read this year. I am a stickler for how I rate books, which I will explain in further detail because this list is in order from low to high. None dip below 4 stars, and all have something to offer. Some novels have beautiful prose, others are page turners, some leave you crying while others leave you thinking. While these are my top books of 2025, that does not mean they were released in 2025. We are spanning decades and genres because I read largely based on my mood, reading multiple books at a time. Feel free to peruse this list to add some to your TBR.
My Rating System:
1-Star: Absolute garbage. A waste of time and something I’d never recommend to anyone.
2-Star: Rough. A struggle to get through, didn’t enjoy it, had a few decent moments to save it from total disaster.
You will never find me writing about 1- and 2-star books, but these are added for context.
3-Star: Perfectly Adequate. Entertaining, enjoyable, or had brief moments of brilliance. I would recommend these to people that I know would enjoy the book, but not necessarily everyone. Most books fall under this rating as most books are average and that is perfectly okay!
4-Star: Fantastic. Well-written, well-paced, page-turner, extremely entertaining or thought-provoking. I feel invested in the story and I can’t put it down. I’d recommend these to everyone.
5-Star: Incredible. These have all the qualities of 4-star books with an added extra bit of feeling. They imprint on me, and I will remember them forever. They leave me thinking about them weeks, or years later. An emotional impact whether positive or negative occurs. I will recommend these to anyone and everyone who will listen.
The Hunting Wives by May Cobb- 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Sophie has left behind big city life in Chicago to have a more relaxed life with her husband and son in small town Texas. But her life becomes anything but relaxed when she meets Margot Banks. Margot is intoxicating and quickly becomes someone that Sophie is obsessed with getting to know. Feeling restless in her new life, Sophie makes it her mission to be part of Margot’s inner circle. She gains favor and finds herself invited into Margot’s hunting wives’ clique. The wives gather to drink and shoot skeet at Margot’s lake house once a week.
Sophie feels a pull to Margot that she can’t control. When a dead body is found where the Hunting Wives gather, Sophie is swept into a murder investigation that turns her world upside down.
Lies, intrigue, and seductive passion fill the pages of this fast-paced novel. A page turner and loaded with salacious gossip, you will quickly be sucked into the life of Margot Banks and the Hunting Wives just like Sophie. For fans of the TV series, the book is different enough to where you will still find the twists and turns entertaining.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach- 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Pheobe Stone arrives to the beautiful Cornwall Inn in Rhode Island to treat herself to an extravagant weekend at the hotel she has always dreamed of visiting. She is the only guest at the Inn not attending the wedding happening over the weekend. But Pheobe has felt she has hit rock bottom and is only visiting to have the last weekend of her life be a lavash one. But Pheobe meets the bride-to-be, Lila, and when she hears of Pheobe’s final plan for her life, she will not allow it. Not at her perfect wedding!
Lila quickly inserts herself into Pheobe’s weekend by inviting her to the wedding. The two become fast friends and the “perfect” wedding weekend may not be what either of the women expect.
This book is written with heart and humor. It shows the extremes of emotions, love, loss and life. Even in the tender moments, the tone of this novel is uplifting.
You will also find this novel on my beach read list.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson- 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Harriet Vanger is a member of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden. She disappeared 40 years ago. Her uncle is determined to uncover the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who has recently found himself convicted of libel, to investigate. Mikael is assisted by Lisbeth Salander. Lisbeth is unconventional in every sense, from her tattoos to her behavior toward others. She is an expert at what she does. Together, they work to uncover corruption and murder.
This novel is a complex and layered family drama and murder mystery. Please note that there are some incredibly visceral, vivid and violent moments in this book.
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors- 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Cleo is a 24-year-old painter from England. Frank is an advertising dynamo twenty years her senior. They meet in an elevator on New Years Eve. Cleo’s student visa is ending, and Frank has everything she needs. Money to give her the freedom to paint, love and a green card to stay in New York and find herself. The couple quickly marries and sets off shockwaves, not only in their lives but in the lives of those around them.
The book unfurls from the lives of Cleo, Frank and their family and friends. Each chapter feels like a mini story that lends itself to the bigger picture. Witty, funny and romantic moments cut in with loss, depression, addiction, and devastation, this novel runs the gambit of emotions that encompasses life’s experiences.
Check your trigger warnings if you are particularly susceptible to these topics because this author does not shy away from the hard topics. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I’d say it tilts to being depressing. But I enjoyed the author’s bold writing and the way they told the story through so many different characters.
Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild- 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Honor and Tom are a married couple that love each other and their daughter Chloe very much. But their infertility is beginning to cause a strain on their relationship. Their lives are forever changed in one shocking moment.
Years pass and Tom makes a series of decisions that change their lives forever. Old and new love converge in unexpected ways. Tom learns that secrets can’t be kept forever and that life and love are unpredictable.
This is one book where the synopsis is best left kept under wraps. The less you know going in, I feel the better the journey will be. This is great for those who enjoy stories of love told with depth and beauty.
Beloved by Toni Morrison- 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Sethe was born a slave but escaped to Ohio. She is still not free. Tethered to the past, memory swirls and takes hold in this nonlinear narrative. Thoughts of Sweet Home and the beautiful landscapes and horror of slavery reside simultaneously within her present. Sethe’s Ohio home is haunted by the ghost of the baby she lost whose tombstone reads “Beloved”. But you will find that is not all that haunts Sethe.
The push and pull of the past and present are yanked on a tight rope of densely poetic prose. Toni Morrison’s writing will have your breath catching on moments of deeply disturbing and heart wrenching glimpses of slavery. I’ve never read anything like this novel. It is poetry. A ghost story. A ray of hope and light amongst the darkest moments. A family saga. A gut punch of emotion all woven together.
Night by Elie Wiesel- 5 Stars
This is the only memoir that is on the list. It is a recounting of Elie Wiesel’s experience during the holocaust. It is short but profoundly devasting and impactful. My body was wracked with sobs upon its conclusion. This memoir is powerfully told with vivid imagery and heart wrenching prose. I highly recommend choosing the version that was translated into English by his wife, Marion Wiesel.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer- 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Charlie and Eve are house flippers and have recently got an incredible deal on an old house. One day, a man and his family appear at their front door. The man says he used to live there and was hoping he could show his family around the house. Eve’s people-pleasing tendencies lead her to letting them into their home. Once they are inside, strange things begin to happen. The man’s youngest daughter disappears for hours until she reemerges from the basement. Then they overstay their welcome by staying the night. Eve begins to worry that there is something wrong with the family or the house. Her grips on reality are shaken through a series of events. Is this a fever dream? Is Eve descending into madness? Or is there something more sinister at play?
This book is thrilling and haunting. It is a swirl of madness that will have you come up with numerous theories. I have never run to the internet after reading a book to hear what others had to say about this spine chilling and wild ride of a novel. This novel remains fresh in my mind, and I think about it often. I highly recommend this for those who have book clubs. There will be so much to talk about!
The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut- 5 Stars
Synopsis:
The richest man on Earth, Malachi Constant is told by space explorer Winston Niles Rumfoord, the trajectory of his life. He will go to Mars, to Mercury back to Earth and then to Titan. From here, the story takes off on a wild and unexpected ride, despite knowing the destinations.
This novel touches on freewill, omniscience and the purpose of history. Buckle up for this space romp! This was my first experience reading Kurt Vonnegut and it won’t be my last. Exceptionally written and well-paced. I laughed, I cried and I loved every twist, turn and flip that this book had to offer. It took me by surprise and for an unforgettable journey to Mars, Mercury and Titan.
The Green Mile by Stephen King- 5 Stars
Synopsis:
The death row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary is called the green mile due to its green linoleum floor. Men walk down this hall toward their deaths in the electric chair dubbed “old sparky”. Paul Edgecomb recalls a year of his life when he oversaw the green mile. He had seen many convicted murderers in his life sit in that electric chair. But everything changed when he met John Coffey. The largest and quietest man he had ever seen whose endless tears baffled him.
John Coffey is awaiting the electric chair for the murder of two small girls. He is thought to be the devil but what if he is something entirely different than what has been said?
This novel is loaded with distinct and vivid characters. My heart raced in so many sections of this visceral story. I cried beyond what I thought was possible for a book. It left me feeling hollowed out on numerous occasions. Characters you may never root for in normal circumstances will have you feeling deeply for their souls. This novel is impactful, upsetting, entertaining, fast paced, anger inducing, deeply human, soul crushing and moving. It is Stephen King at his finest.
You will also find this novel on my autumn reading list.
More to Read
I hope that you read some of these books! I’d love to hear from you if you have read any of these or comment below with your favorites that you’ve read this year! I am always looking for a good book to read. If you care to look at all 66 books I read this year to see the ones that didn’t make the cut, feel free to check them out on my amazon affiliate list: 2025 bookshelf.
*This post contains amazon affiliate links. By clicking on one and purchasing, the author receives a small commission.
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