Happy New Year! I can't believe that 2025 has come and gone. It was an interesting year, for sure!
As some of you may be aware, in June I fell and wound up fracturing my hip and my pelvis in multiple places. I was in a lot of pain and I really couldn't move much, but I had trouble focusing, so it took a while for me to get back into reading. So while my total of 339 books is lower than the last few years, I'm not disappointed by it. (I know some of you are rolling your eyes at the book total anyway, lol.)
Choosing my favorite books of the year is always a challenge given how much I read. I usually make a first pass and then have to whittle the list down to a more manageable number. This year I chose a top 25 and then an additional 15 books that I really wanted to call attention to. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this list and what your favorite books of the year were!
The Top 25
1. Life, & Death, & Giants by Ron Rindo: If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. This was an emotional and thought-provoking read with some of the most memorable characters, and I was all choked up at the end.
2. The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff: This was a beautifully written, powerful, and emotional debut novel. It’s an exploration of the myriad ways people we love impact our lives and it really struck a chord with me.
3. Don't Tell Me How to Die by Marshall Karp: This book was totally not what I was expecting but it was utterly fantastic. You may think this book is primarily a family drama, and while there are some elements of that, be ready to be thrown some curves.
4. The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead: Each of Ashley Winstead's books is totally different. It’s a book about grief, loss, love, family, and hope, as well as fighting for your dreams. It will publish 1/20/2026.
5. My Friends by Fredrik Backman: I’m a huge fan of Fredrik Backman’s, and he sure knows how to make me cry! You can obviously tell from the title that this is a book about friendship, but it is also a story about loss, loneliness, the love we feel in our souls, and the joy when that love is reciprocated.
6. The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy: This was such a wonderfully special book with one of the most memorable narrators I’ve found in a long while. It's full of humor, emotion, and charm, and it’s very heartwarming. Check out the world from Denny Voss' perspective.
7. I See You've Called In Dead by John Kenney: I often say that what makes a 5-star read for me is a book that moves me and makes me think. This book is definitely one of those. I couldn’t have loved it any more if I tried. It’s beautifully written, sarcastic, and packs such an emotional punch.
8. Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft: I was hooked from the very first lines of this book. As the host of a true crime podcast, Daphne Woolsoncroft knows her stuff and she has created one terrific page-turner. The book definitely got my heart rate up!!
9. Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston: There's just something about the way Ashley Poston writes. I cannot get enough of the way she sprinkles her romances with magical realism as well as humor and such gorgeous emotion. With this book, I found myself highlighting so many quotes and definitely getting choked up.
10. When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy: This book scared the crap out of me, grossed me out on occasion, and broke me emotionally. Horror is definitely not a genre I read much of, but this is easily one of the most powerful and memorable books I’ve read in some time.
11. Woodworking by Emily St. James: What an utterly fantastic, thought-provoking, and important book this is. At a time when trans people are treated as less than, this book needs to be read. There are parts of this book that need to unfold for you, so you can feel their power. What a debut!
12. Heart the Lover by Lily King: This was an utterly gorgeous book, full of incredible dialogue, powerful emotions, and some truly memorable main characters. It was such a beautiful story about how we make a life after we think we’ve been destroyed, and how love endures, even in a different form.
13. King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby: This is a bleak, tightly wound book, darker than Cosby’s previous ones. The characterizations are rich and well-developed, and I found myself walking a tightrope of tension, violence, and sadness. He really should be more of a star than he is.
14. Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez: Abby Jimenez knows how to work my emotions better than almost any author. This is a funny, steamy, and gorgeous book, and as always, it’s full of moments that make me laugh and tear up, as well as sentences I marvel at over and over.
15. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I absolutely loved this! This book is so much more than meets the eye. It’s suspenseful, emotional, thought-provoking, and just so beautiful. Don’t worry about this being too technical or science-heavy.
16. Mirage City by Lev AC Rosen: I love the vibe of this series so much. Despite its setting in the 1950s, this book definitely felt like some of the plot could apply to current times, especially with all that is being done to erase trans people and other minorities. This is the fourth book in the series, but all of the books are worth reading!
17. Let's Make A Scene by Laura Wood: Swoon. I really loved this book! Enemies to lovers plus fake dating plus movie making plus some heavier issues equals one terrific and emotional read. What a great surprise this book was!
18. Fonseca by Jessica Francis Kane: This is one of those quiet books that sneaks up on you and before you know it, you’re sad when it’s over. I’m so glad I came across it! The book is based on a real trip that writer Penelope Fitzgerald took, which she then fictionalized a bit.
19. The Great Mann by Kyra Davis Lurie: The Great Gatsby is my favorite classic and one of my favorite books of all time. I’ve read several excellent retellings of the book but I was definitely intrigued by this version, set among the Black elite of 1940s Los Angeles.
20. Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson: This is a story of regret, revenge, fear, guilt, and courage under fire. Carter Wilson had me hooked from the first page and I completely devoured this book. I couldn’t wait to see how everything tied together.
21. In The Bones by Tessa Wegert: I will read absolutely anything Tessa Wegert writes. She knows how to create tension in a peaceful environment, and she skillfully weaves her twists into the plot so you’re surprised without the whiplash that occurs in many thrillers. An excellent start to a brand-new series.
22. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans: What an absolutely incredible and memorable book! I love epistolary novels and this one really took my breath away. The main character's life is both complex and simple, and the opportunity to understand her thoughts through her letters—and how others react to them—makes this book truly special.
23. Loved One by Aisha Muharrar: Poignant and powerful, Aisha Muharrar’s debut novel will stay in my mind for a long while. There is an elegiacal sadness in this book but it’s never maudlin. It captures the frustrations we might have when we wish we had said, or did, something to a loved one whom we’ve lost.
24. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall: I. Loved. This. Book. This was so beautifully written and so compelling. It’s amazing how one action can instigate ripples that touch so many people.
25. Good Grief by Sara Goodman Confino: I loved this book and its depiction of life in the early 1960s for women, particularly Jewish women. I laughed and I cried, and I just loved these characters, which is what happens every time I read one of Sara’s books!
Too Good Not to Miss
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan: This book was utterly fantastic. There were so many moments that took my breath away. While Kate Fagan has written several books, this is her debut novel. It was so memorable.
Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild: Good lord, this book broke me emotionally but yet was full of beautiful moments!! This is one of those books where the less you read about it in advance, the better. This would make a fantastic book club book because there’s so much fodder for rich and vibrant discussion. I definitely ran the gamut of emotions while reading this, that’s for sure!
The Names by Florence Knapp: This was so profoundly moving and thought-provoking! This is a fascinating, emotional book, one which deals with family dynamics, the secrets we keep, and the ripples that domestic violence cause for years to come.
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson: Whenever I read a book by Kevin Wilson I know there’s bound to be at least a little bit of quirkiness as well as lots of heart. This is an emotional book about the ways our lives go on when we lose someone, and how different they could be if that person remained. It’s a beautifully told story about family, about what we inherit from our parents and what we wish we could let go of.
The Underdog by Sagit Schwartz: This was one wild ride! The book is a little like a roller coaster; once it starts picking up speed and the tension ratchets up, there’s no stopping it. I couldn’t wait to see how it all wrapped up.
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy: I’ve read all three of Charlotte McConaghy’s books now, and every one has been a 5-star read for me. They’re intense, tremendously thought-provoking, and emotional, and they really make me think about climate change’s effect on our world.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young: Adrienne Young utterly slayed me with this incredible book. I am slain. I thought this was truly beautiful and so moving. I’m a huge fan of magical realism and time loops, so the book worked for me completely.
The Writer by James Patterson and JD Barker: The twists came fast and furious in this book, and I could not put it down. I loved the way this unfolded and I wasn’t sure which characters to root for. This was a great collaboration!
Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka: OMG, this book. To say that this hit me squarely in the feels is an understatement. It's more than a book about ghosts and grief; it’s about friendship, family, connection, and finding a way forward.
Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld: I’ve read all of Curtis Sittenfeld's books, including this collection of short stories. For me, as much as I love short stories, collections are often uneven, but this book was uniformly excellent. Sittenfeld’s writing is sharp and funny and emotional, and her stories are all so much more complex than they seem at first.
It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram: Oh, I loved this book so much! Ever since I read Adib Khorram’s debut Darius the Great Is Not Okay seven years ago, I’ve been a huge fan. The main characters are so appealing, so I was hooked on rooting for their happy ever after. There’s some great steam and fun banter, too!
Isn't It Obvious by Rachel Runya Katz: Rom-coms can be so much fun, but this book had so much emotional complexity. It was really a lovely story that definitely gave me the feels! The book touched on mental health, family obligations, self-esteem, and the struggle for some to come out of the closet.
Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen: This is a special book. I was prepared for this to be a very sad read, and while I certainly got choked up a bit, it’s also funny and thought-provoking. Books like this make me wish I had more time with those I’ve lost, but also I feel lucky to have had the time I did.
It's A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan: There is something about the way Annabel Monaghan writes that fills me with emotion. She gives her characters such beautiful vulnerability and it’s hard not to get distracted by some of the insightful, moving lines she writes. This is a story of letting people in, of letting yourself be exactly who you are, and of saying what you really feel.
That's Not How It Happened by Craig Thomas: This debut novel by the co-creator and executive producer of How I Met Your Mother, really hit it out of the park! It gave me so much to think about, so much to chuckle over, and some great characters to root for. I thought this was just so enjoyable, a little bit wacky, a little bit cringy (the story, not the book), and really heartwarming.
No comments:
Post a Comment