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My Favorite Reads of 2025

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These are my favorite reads of 2025. Most lists that you read or hear of deal only with books that were published in 2025. Since I’m not a professional blogger or book seller, only a few of these books were published this year.

I chose my top ten by going to the books I read each month and picking out my top ones of the month. Several months had two or three 5 star books though October had none. This gave me a total of 18 books to chose from. I admit, there were a couple of books I could hardly remember which made me question my 5 star rating of that book. But, I’m sure I enjoyed it at that time.

I will list these in no particular order.

  1. Empire of Gold S.A. Chakraborty. (The Daevabad Trilogy #3). (2020) The third and final volume in this fantasy series. Since this is the third in a series, I won’t say anything about the plot. Though a bit too much violence for me, I loved the characters and the different ways Chakraborty wove in the myths and legends of the middle eastern culture. She is a writer I will continue to read. Definitely not a stand-alone, so start with The City of Brass.

2. Broken Country Clare Leslie Hall. (2025) Historical fiction, dual timeline, suspense, love, betrayal, and murder. What else could you want in a book? A beautifully written story of Beth who is happily married to Frank, a farmer, though their life has been blighted by tragedy. When the man Beth loved as a teen-ager returns home with his young son, complications arise in their pastoral life. I loved this book from a writer who has previously only been published in the UK and Germany.

3. Something to Hide Elizabeth George (Inspector Lynley #21). (2022) I’ve been reading the books in this series since it started and have enjoyed most of them with a couple of exceptions. They’re long (usually over 500 pages) and filled with detail—both on the crimes and on the characters. Of course, it’s usually because of the characters’ growth, that one reads and sticks with a series, but that is not to say that one couldn’t read any of these as a stand-alone. So, if you haven’t read any of the Lynley books, this is a good one. When a police detective is attacked and soon dies from the attack, Lynley and his team are put on the case. Since she was a detective, what she was working on is of interest, but that doesn’t eliminate investigating those nearest and dearest to her. Once I got the characters straight, I was invested in this one from beginning to end.

4. The Girl in the Tower (Winternight Trilogy #2) Katherine Arden. (2017) I loved this story partly taken from Russian fairy tales. This is a sequel, so important to read The Bear and the Nightingale first to understand Vasilisa’s back story. What is she doing riding a magnificent horse on her own in the wilderness? When she shows up where her priest brother is living as a close aid to the prince, he is not pleased and they both pretend she is a boy to avoid embarrassment. When this “boy” leads them to some bandits who have been destroying villages, and proves to be both courageous and resourceful, the siblings become dangerously entangled in their lies.

5. Hello Beautiful Ann Napolitano. (2023) The four Padavano sisters act as a unit. Julia is the oldest and the leader, followed by Sylvie, the dreamer, then the twins Cecelia, an artist and Emeline, the care-taker. Julia meets William Waters at college and as their relationship develops, Julia takes him in hand, deciding his future for him and what she thinks will be best for the two of them. William is willing to follow until he becomes overwhelmed. I loved this book—the relationships, the family drama, and the heartbreak. 

6. Wrong Place, Wrong Time Gillian McAllister (2022) (audio—Lesley Sharp). Jen is up waiting for her 18-year-old son, Todd, to come home. While watching out her window, she sees him appear in the dark of midnight. But, before she can feel relief, she sees another man come up to Todd and, unbelievably, Todd stabs him. After Todd is arrested, and Jen finally gets to sleep, she wakes up the next morning wondering what happened and what she can do about it. She soon finds out that what she saw last night hasn’t happened—yet. It’s the day before. Can she find out what happened and stop it before it happens again? A different sort of time travel story, as Jen continues to go back in time, learning more about what led up to the events of that night.

7. The Wedding People Alison Espach. (2024) Phoebe Stone comes to the Cornwall Inn in Newport, R.I.–a place she always wanted to visit but preferably in more ideal circumstances as Phoebe’s life has hit bottom. When she arrives, she soon finds that a large wedding party is there for the week, but she decides not to let them ruin her plans. Then Phoebe meets the bride, Lila—young, rich, and entitled. Not the sort that Phoebe would normally make friends with. As they begin to confide in one another, Phoebe finds herself being pulled into this huge family event. I loved this book mostly because of the characters. Not that they were particularly lovable—they were both annoying and exasperating, but also funny and warm. I wanted to follow them to their next family event, but, alas, (and thankfully) this week will never be replicated.

8. Playworld Adam Ross. (2025) In the fall of 1980, fourteen-year old Griffin Hurt lives in New York and goes to an elite prep school which he pays for with his acting career. When a 36-year old friend of his parents, Naomi, “falls in love with him”, Griffin says, “Like so many things that happened to me that year, it didn’t seem strange at the time.” Between the cover and this opening premise, I was reluctant to try this rather long book but heard many good things about it (including comparing it to The Goldfinch), so decided to check it out. Though several of the adults in Grifiin’s life made me cringe, his voice won me over. Griffin is a character that is easy to root for and one you want to follow. 

9. Slanting Towards the Sea Lidija Hilje. (2025) Ivona and Vlaho met as students in democratic Croatia. Now, they’re divorced and Vlaho has remarried with two children while Ivona has returned home to care for her father. Ivona has remained friends with Vlaho and is welcomed into his home by his now wife, Marina. When Ivona has to squash her father’s dreams of building a hotel and sell the land owned by their ancestors, a new man enters her life creating problems with her other relationships and revealing secrets long kept hidden. Even though I don’t normally care for love triangles, I admit I’ve read a few good ones lately. Though sadness is all through the book, I loved the writing and the characters and hope Hilje is writing something else.

10. Fresh Water for Flowers Valerie Perrin. (2018) (translated from the French). Violette Toussaint is the caretaker of a cemetery in Bourgogne. With her visitors, colleagues (three gravediggers, three groundskeepers, and a priest), and her pets, Violette seems content living here. But how she got here is a long story, full of sorrow and difficulties. The story goes back and forth from the present to the past, but it is not only Violette’s story that is told. We also learn of a couple that are now buried together, though the woman’s son had no idea who the man was and why his mother wanted to be buried with him. There is also the story of Violette’s husband and what part he played in the tragedy that defined their lives. Though sadness is woven throughout the book, I really loved the writing as well as the characters. Another book by Perrin is coming out next year (newly translated from the French), and I look forward to reading that as well.

I had a good reading year and hope you did too. What were some of your favorites?

My Ten Favorite Reads of 2024

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I read over 150 books this year, and these were my favorites. Most lists of top reads are books published in the current year. None of these books happened to be published in 2024; this is just the year I read them. I don’t often read books when they first come out. I did read several books from 2024, but none of them made my particular list.

I read across many genres as this list will attest. All of these are ones I enjoyed enough to give five stars. If I enjoy a book all the way through (without a snooze fest in the middle) and am happy with the ending, I will generally give it 5 stars. I’m not necessarily grading the writing or questioning their research. These are just books that made me happy, that I would read again, and that I would gladly recommend to others–starting with you.

I had four books in the historical fiction category (one of those a historical mystery); one mystery; one fantasy; three contemporary or literary fiction; and one biography.

  1. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (2023). In Maine, 1789. Martha Ballard, a local midwife, is called in to examine a body found frozen in the ice. She recognizes the man has someone who has caused trouble to many in town, including being accused of rape. Martha knows everyone in town and is privy to most of their secrets. Over the next several months, she testifies as to the cause of death (though a new doctor from Harvard disagrees with her) as well as being a witness of another man accused of rape, a prominent judge. Ballard is based on a real midwife of that time who kept a diary that has been preserved. Lawhon does an excellent job of telling her story, making the time and place come alive. I read this with a book group and everyone loved it

2. Lonesome Dove Larry McMurty. (1985). I read this Pulitzer winner (fiction in 1986), beginning in January as a slow read throughout the year with an online group. McMurty is an awesome writer who knows how to create memorable characters. Former Texas Rangers, now running a ranch where they break and sell horses, decide to make a cattle drive to Montana where the grass is green and land abundant. At times hilarious and others heart-breaking, these wannabe cowboys are ones you will cheer for through all 858 pages.

3. Florence Adler Swims Forever Rachel Beanland. (2020) Though this book is full of sadness, I enjoyed reading about this family and what they did to handle their grief and protect their children. It’s 1934 and Esther and Joseph Adler have rented out their house to vacationers and are staying in their apartment over the bakery where they started their lives. Their daughter, Florence, is home from college and training to swim the English Channel. Fannie is pregnant and on bedrest because she lost her last baby. Joseph is trying to help an old friend emigrate from Nazi Germany and has already brought over her daughter. The author’s note at the end is not to be missed. P.S. I read her second book, The House is on Fire and it was excellent as well.

4. Sovereign C.J. Sansom. (2006) (Matthew Shardlake #3). The third in this historical mystery series takes place in the fall of 1541. Henry VIII has set out on a Progress to the North to force his rebellious subjects in York to submit to him, turning it into a public spectacle. Lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak have been sent ahead as part of the legal process of submitting petitions to the king. Shardlake has also been instructed by Archbishop Cranmer to look after a prisoner—one destined for the tower. He must make sure the prisoner stays alive to face the rack. Shardlake is unhappy with this task but has little choice. Shardlake soon finds himself investigating a murder and learning more than he wants to know about a conspiracy. Will he and Jack make it home alive? This is an excellent series in terms of historical events and people, constant suspense, and engaging characters. 5 stars. (Note: Sadly, Sansom died just two days before the Shardlake series premiered on Hulu/Disney).

5. The Twist of a Knife Anthony Horowitz (Hawthorne & Horowitz #4). (2022) In this fourth installment of the series, Horowitz tells Hawthorne he is not interested in writing any more books. He has a new play about to open, and all his concentration is on that. On opening night, a well-known (though not well-loved) critic shows up at the cast party and before the night is over, writes a scathing review of the play. When she is found dead the next morning, Anthony is arrested for her murder. Who can he call on but Hawthorne? As with the other books in the series, Horowitz (via Hawthorne) leads us through a slew of suspects who all have motives, yet there are twists and surprises at the end. 

6. The Winners Fredrik Backman (Beartown Trilogy #3). (2022). We return to Beartown where two years have passed since the event that shook up the town in the first book. Maya has gone away to college; Benji has been traveling around as if in a daze; Peter is working for his wife, Kira. The death of someone in the community brings the wanderers home and everyone back together; for a time. Backman has a way of bringing his characters to life so that you share their heartaches, frustrations, misunderstandings, hate, and love. At times, this one got a little long, but I certainly didn’t want to put it down.

7. The Cartographers Peng Shepherd (2022). Nell Young has always been fascinated with cartography and wants to do nothing else. Not so surprising since her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a well-known cartographer with a highly esteemed position with the New York Public Library. But, some years ago, Dr. Young fired his daughter from her job at the NYPL and made sure she would never work again in the field. Nell never learned why her father became so enraged over her finding of a cheap gas station highway map. And now, Dr. Young has been found dead in his office. When Nell finds the supposedly worthless map hidden in his desk, she has to investigate. What she finds leads her into danger and into a strange world where maps have secrets. I greatly enjoyed this fantasy where different worlds and secrets collide.

8. The Most Fun We Ever Had Claire Lombardo (2019). Family drama in which four adult daughters–whose parents seem to have the perfect marriage—bring love, hate, jealousy, comedy, and drama to the table. The story goes back and forth in time from when Marilyn and David fell madly in love to the present day when an unexpected member of the family shows up–bringing tension, love, and forgiveness. The four daughters have different personalities and different goals, but their ties are strong. I loved the story itself as well as the way the family dynamics played out. 

9. Vacationland Meg Mitchell Moore (2022). A family drama set in Maine during the summer. Louisa comes to her parents’ home in Maine with her three children (who are just the best characters!) needing to finish her book and full of resentment over her husband’s seeming lack of commitment. Her father, a well-respected judge, is now suffering with Alzheimer’s, and her mother is trying to keep everything together. Kristie has also come to Maine following the death of her mother, trying to find answers concerning her past. Most family dramas seem to involve adult children, which is fine, but I greatly enjoyed hearing the voices of these three: Matty (age 12), Abigail (10), and Claire (7). Their wisdom, perspective, and charm added depth to the book and made even the darkest moments lighter.

10. Being Elisabeth Elliot: The Authorized Biography: Elisabeth’s Later Years Ellen Vaugn (2023). Though I’ve known that Elisabeth Elliot was the wife of Jim Elliot, a missionary killed in Ecuador, that’s pretty much all I knew about her. A shame since she was living and writing during my younger years. So, this book relates the second part of Elliot’s life. I did not read the first book, so that’s not necessary but I would like to go back and read it. Though Elliot went through many heartaches and faced discouragement and despair (including often not pleasing the “Christian crowd”), her faith remained strong and she constantly looked to the Lord for answers and direction. Unfortunately, she did not always make the best decisions and there was one that would cause her much grief. A good example of the impact Elisabeth had on others was given by Cornell Capa, a non-believing photographer who spent some time with Elisabeth and other “missionary widows.” In spite of his own unbelief, Cornell saw that Elisabeth’s faith was deep. “Then there’s you—and a million others—who are not satisfied with the trimmings. You are in the core. You know that He is there because you know He is there. You know that it seems God was NOT THERE when you wanted Him, yet you say you know He was there.”

Happy New Year! May 2025 be filled with many great reads!

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3