Favorite Books I Read in 2025

Normally I break my favorites list into multiple things and perhaps I should do that, but instead, I’m cheating slightly and giving you my top “ten” books and then some honorable mentions. Incredibly unusually, most of my favorites are not romance novels because for some reason I had an absolutely incredible reading year for nonfiction, fantasy, and just truly out of my comfort zone reads. So let’s get started shall we?

Honorable Mentions

Covers of It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard, Direbound by Sable Sorensen, An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister, The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover, Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley, Scotch on the Rocks by Elliot Fletcher, Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry, Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt, Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan, Binding and Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh, and In a Rush by Kate Canterbary

I’m not going to go into any kind of detail on these books, but just know that I really loved all of these books. I also am noticing that so many of my favorites really did come toward the first half of the year so that’s… interesting.

The Year of Ali Hazelwood

Covers of Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood, Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood, Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood, and Mate by Ali Hazelwood

I have no idea what happened last year, but the Ali Hazelwood books that she released and I picked up were BANGERS. I truly cannot pick a favorite. I loved each of these so much. Deep End keeps getting categorized as a deeply erotic romance with kink and I need to emphasize that if you are a seasoned romance reader, this is not that. If you aren’t, sure. Very kinky. (Please know that this is like Kink 101 not a 400 level book. So if you like this, please proceed to pick up a 200 level kink book and see if you like that!) Anyway, I love all of these books. I don’t really know what to tell you because you’ve probably heard of all of them. But if you have actual questions, let me know. Happy to yap about all five of these books forever.

Nonfiction

Covers of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo, and Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green

These three books changed the way I think about the world, genuinely. Braiding Sweetgrass has me remembering to think about the outside world and despite remaining a very inside person, this book made me want to go outside. Some. And to appreciate the things that I consume. What My Bones Know taught me so much about complex PTSD and has really impacted how I interact with both media and people in my real life. I really appreciate it. And finally, Everything is Tuberculosis had me about two seconds from re-enrolling in school to get a Masters in Public Health degree because WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS MANY PEOPLE DIE OF A DISEASE WE CAN TREAT? The way that even post-Covid, we absolutely refuse to understand that health is GLOBAL is baffling to me. This book was so impactful and just further emphasized to me why we really need to pay attention not just to the big policies politicians have, but also the role they think the United States should play on a global scale. Of course, at the moment, it would be great if we could just have politicians who care about humanity in general, but… We do have primaries coming up in the U.S., so for what it’s worth, something to pay attention to!

Fantasy

Covers of The Will of the Many by James Islington and Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

Are there better fantasy books out there than these two? I mean, maybe, but honestly, these two are so fantastic. I cannot even comprehend Blood Over Bright Haven shoves this much socio-political commentary into one novel without feeling like it’s spoon feeding it to you. It’s just so SO good. Truly. Also, the end broke my heart. But you know, that’s okay. The Will of the Many was absolutely fantastic and I really need to get to The Strength of the Few before I forget absolutely everything about how the world works. It’s such a smart fantasy that involved my brain arguably too much. But I was proud of myself for finishing it AND I genuinely loved it. I’m so invested in these characters. Well, in Vis. Really just him.

Misc. Fiction

Covers of Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum, The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, and Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum was one of the first two books I read in 2025 and I still haven’t stopped thinking about it. It’s a healing fiction novel that deals so much with burnout and January me was dealing with burnout in a very intense way. I was struggling so much. It’s so weird to look at how much of a difference a year can make, actually, because now I have a new job and I’m feeling totally fine. Thankful for that journey, but also so grateful this book exists because it made me feel so seen. The Reformatory is a historical horror, though the horror is in large part real as opposed to the supernatural. I read this with my best friend and it was a phenomenal experience, but also terrifying and so very good. And finally, Atmosphere, which had me sobbing at the end so obnoxiously I’m just glad I made it safely home as I was driving at the time.

Closing Thoughts

So many great reads. What were yours? If you wrote your own post, please feel free to direct me to it! I love seeing the books that other people loved. Do we have any in common?

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