The 5 Best Books I Read in 2025

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay – Four generations of Filipino Americans wrestle with their cultural identities and the ways their choices surrounding these identities impact their father-son relationships. This book is a rare example of jumps in timeline and POV done well; the jumps added dimensions to each individual’s story arc and the multi-generational arc of the family, without feeling disjointed. Randy Ribay is one of my go-to YA author recommendations because he writes, to quote Hemingway, “hard and clear about what hurts.” I enjoy his writing so much that one of these days, I’m even going to read his sportsball novel, After the Shot Drops.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano – Never have I ever blown through an audiobook so fast. As a mom to young kids, I relinquished many precious hours of sleep to finish this gripping mystery with its witty narrator. Finlay Donovan is navigating the trifecta of needy young children, a sour divorce and custody battle, and an impending author deadline when she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. In a pinch, she decides to use the investigation as inspiration for her novel, and WHOOPS. While some of the plot points are implausible, the story balances this with authentic glimpses into the sweet mess of motherhood. I’m dying for the next one to come up on my Libby holds.

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley – Firekeeper’s Daughter is one of the best books I’ve read in my decade as a high school librarian, and this follow-up was just as good. At the end of Sisters in the Wind, my eyes were red (crying/staying up too late to finish it) and my heart had been pummeled. The issues explored here are heartbreaking and urgent. The plot doesn’t quit for even a second. The characters BREATHE. The twists slap you in the face. In summary, this book WRECKED me. Angeline Boulley is the reigning queen of YA literature and her books transcend the age bracket. I already know I will lose all chill when I meet her at this year’s Tucson Festival of Books.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – Months later, I’m still not okay. This is the story of Haymitch’s Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell. I knew it would be devastating, and I walked right into it anyway. I lost count of how many times I cried, how many pieces my heart broke into. PSA #1: Read the Hunger Games trilogy and The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes for the full effect. PSA #2: Whether you’re planning to read this book or see the movie when it comes out next year, be prepared: wear waterproof mascara (or none at all), bring a whole box of tissues, and cancel all plans for the rest of the day. Haymitch, we’re so sorry. We didn’t know. I will never look at squirrels, flamingos, or gum drops the same way again.

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods – My final read of 2025 stole a spot in my top 5 at the last minute (literally like 10:57 PM on December 31). Two fairytales and a dash of fae mythology blend seamlessly in a tale set on the French coast in the eighteenth century. The framework the fairy tales provide makes the story cozy in its familiarity; simultaneously, the way the threads of the fairy tales connect with each other and the real, historical setting is fresh and intriguing. I see marketing blurbs for books all the time with these buzzwords, but the writing in this historical fantasy truly deserves them: lush, atmospheric, evocative, and poetic. To use another buzzword, the romance is swoony. All in all, the vibes are, as the kids say, immaculate.

Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by isthisselfcare – I don’t think I’d read fan fiction since high school, but a friend recommended this to me. I’m still annoyed by how good it is. Why was this fan fic so much better than half the published novels I read this year? Why am I now almost shipping Dramione even though I’ve been a diehard Ron+Hermione shipper for a quarter century, since before “shipping” was even a term people bandied about? This is ridiculous.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett – There’s so much to love about this cozy, historical fantasy, but one of my favorite aspects is that our narrator Emily Wilde is a strong, female protagonist and possibly (probably) on the spectrum in a time before the word “autism” existed. I loved seeing that representation, and I thought it was done well. (Let me know if you disagree! I’m always learning.) The banter, plotting, and side characters were delightful.

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins – I reread the original trilogy for the first time so that I could read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping. It had been about 15 years for me, so I’d forgotten how brilliant they are. Honestly, they easily belong in my tops for this year, but I decided not to include rereads in my top 5. I don’t enjoy villain origin stories (SO frustrating when they make the choices you already know they will) so I didn’t love Ballad quite as much, but it was great.

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline – In this speculative YA novel, climate change has destroyed much of civilization. Most of the survivors can no longer dream and are succumbing to madness as a result. The only known cure lies in the marrow of the Indigenous people of North America, the only survivors who have retained the ability to dream. Indigenous people are captured for marrow harvesting at special schools. The book is beautifully written, and a haunting reminder about how history repeats itself wearing different masks.

The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas – Marcellus, a Roman soldier in the first century, wins the robes of Christ in a dice game at the scene of the crucifixion. The encounter and the robe itself unsettle him to such a degree that he abandons his expected future to seek answers and internal peace. This book had the aesthetics of a classic, but the life of a more modern novel. I still need to watch the movie adaptation.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer – The YA adaptation of this book was one of my favorite reads of 2024, so I had to read the real thing. The message is just as important in the original, but the writing is even more beautiful. The call to participate in the honorable harvest is challenging and uplifting in equal measures.

Catching Ricebirds: A Story of Letting Vengeance Go by Marcus Doe – After losing his family in a civil war, Marcus fled Liberia and ultimately, sought asylum in the U.S. Decades later, he returns to Liberia and meets some of the men who killed his father. This powerful memoir brings scenes from Marcus’ early childhood to life and unpacks his parallel physical and spiritual journeys as he leaves that innocent childhood behind and tries to rediscover wholeness.

The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix – This is a graphic novel based on the life of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and in particular, his fight against the Nazi Party and the rise of the Third Reich. It was harrowing to read in 2025. Absolutely harrowing. Just read it. This would also be an excellent pick for a reluctant reader, particularly if they enjoy action movies and/or WWII history.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot – A journalist investigates what happened to Henrietta Lacks’ unique cells and her family after she died of cervical cancer in the 1950s. The story touches on the struggles the Lacks family experienced, America’s shameful history of experimentation on Black people, and the legal and ethical implications of consent in scientific research. I loved the blend of this very human story with science that was explained in a way even I (a humanities girly) could follow.

The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore – This history book follows Elizabeth Packard’s unjust committal to an insane asylum (she had the gall to disagree with her husband) and her fight to regain her freedom. It’s meticulously well-researched, but reads like a novel, which is the sweet spot. Now I really need to prioritize reading The Radium Girls by this same author. Maybe this year.