Best Books Read In 2025
Here is my annual list of the best books read in the previous year. This year you’ll find the 12 books that I’m still thinking about for one reason or another in genres from historical fiction, to nonfiction, light romance, christian living, and more! Plus, five books you may see on other’s lists that didn’t make mine. I hope you discover some hidden gems that to add to your TBR pile!
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I read and listened to 115 books in 2025, the most ever. I have no idea why, though – it felt like a normal reading year (I’ve been reading around 100 for the last five years after bouncing back from a year when I read zero books). My guess is that the books were maybe shorter overall than some years when there’ve been huge books like The Stand or long memoirs.
Looking back, I’d say it was a good reading year, with more books I enjoyed than I didn’t. Audiobooks are the top way I consume books with ebooks a close second. I think I read maybe two physical books. I know lots of people say they prefer physical books, but I find them cumbersome to hold, especially if they’re long, and hard to take with you. And mostly I listen to books while I’m doing something else with my hands like cooking, knitting, and gardening.
How to Read More Books
The number isn’t important – a lot for you could be 10 or 12 books a year – but reading is a way for us to broaden our empathy and world view as well as “see” new places, learn new things, and of course to be entertained.
Here are some tips I used to read more when I was coming off a dry spell (and that make it possible for me to read 100+ books a year now) that may be helpful to you if you’re in a similar space:
- Always have a book ready to read. Use library holds, Kindle lists, Audible library, and a “To Read” note on your notes app.
- Read more than one book at a time. For me, this usually looks like a non-fiction book in the morning (usually Bible based or Christian living), an audiobook during the day, and an easy fiction book at night (not too exciting so I can go to sleep!). There’s no overlap usually so it’s a good mix, but I’d definitely recommend having at least a fiction and non-fiction going so you can alternate if you need a break.
- Make time at night to read. Basically, I watch a lot less TV than I used to. Two to three nights a week I’ll listen to a book and knit or crochet.
- Embrace all reading forms: ebooks, print books, and audiobooks. As you’ve seen, this was KEY for me. Books are books. You’ll find some are better read than listened to and visa-versa (memoirs for me are best read by the author), but when you let go of any beliefs about one being “better” than the other you’ll be free to enjoy more.
How To Keep Track of Books Read
I keep a running list of the books I read and listen to in a simple Notes App titled “(year) Books Read” on my phone with basic info and the date I finished it. Books I think may have “best book potential” are marked with an asterisk for me to review at the end of the year.
I also use this Book Notes Journal to write down longer sections I’d like to remember from a book (highly recommend doing this!):
How a Book Gets On the Best List
At the end of the year I go through the books read list and create a new list with only the asterisked books. Then I ask myself:
- Do I still remember the content/storyline?
- Do I still think about something in the book?
- Do I think it will stand the test of time?
- Is it something Iād want to read again?
The books on this best-of list answer yes to either all or most of these questions. But of course lists like these are subjective! I like history, historical fiction, lighthearted mysteries, Christian living, some Sci-Fi, and light romance. A sad or ambivalent ending can totally ruin a book for me.
But even if you enjoy gritty, realistic drama or fantasy, I hope there are a few books on this list that you want to try. While I don’t really have one top book this year, I’d really recommend at least The Correspondent and Sister, Sinner as two books I still think about often.
And please leave a comment with books you’ve enjoyed this year – I love hearing what you’re reading and I’ve gotten quite a few recommendations that I’ve loved through the years!
12 Best Books Read in 2025
In the order I read them through the year.
1. Miss Austen, Gill Hornsby
I really loved this book I grabbed from the library in preparation for the PBS Masterpiece production which aired in May. I didnāt really know anything about the book before hearing about the series and I enjoyed how the author took things we know about the Austen family and filled in with a fictionalized account of what may have prompted Janeās sister, Cassie, to destroy some of Jane’s letters. It starts when Cassie is older and is trying to find Jane’s letters written to others and then flips back in time to give us an idea of what was behind the letters and why Cassie, out of love, wouldnāt want them to be published. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes feel of the flash backs as well as the older Cassie who knew by then the popularity that Jane would have. Itās not a story where a lot happens, but things do happen and the telling of it was lovely and emotional.
2. The Rom-Commers, Katherine Center
A fun romantic comedy I thoroughly enjoyed. I have enjoyed other Katherine Center books, so I had a feeling I would like this one. Like many of her works, thereās a serious heart-rending story at the heart of it which helps ground the romance in reality. The heroine has put her writing life on hold while she cares for her dad, but knows everything there is to know about romantic comedies and has written enough that her high-school-friend-turned-agent recommends her for a ghost-writing stint to help a popular author whoās in a writing slump. The initial meeting is disastrous (of course!) but they get past it and then get to know each other in a way that shows how a relationship might naturally build. I loved seeing how they brought out the best in each other. And since it was set mostly in LA while writing a movie, there was a fun fish-out-of-water aspect for the heroine who had led a much smaller life previously.
3. Sipsworth, Simon Van Booy
I enjoyed this sweet story after getting through the first third that told about the day-to-day sad life of 82-year-old Helen whoās lost both her husband and son and sees no reason to keep living. Then she discovers a friendly mouse, of all things, that gives her something to think and care about (hereās where I had a little trouble at first ā a mouse? friendly? But there is a magical element and what the mouse helps her feel is what’s important). We discover her history – that she wasn’t always alone and unknown – and it’s through caring for the mouse that she finally meets neighbors who come to care about her and add joy to her life again. A poignant and nuanced telling of what it’s like to age.
4. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry
Brian and I listened to this classic Pulitzer prize winning book and enjoyed it so much. Brian was skeptical at first thinking it was going to be a trite western but the characters and writing are so well done (hello, Pulitzer Prizeā¦). Itās not an easy story by any means ā there is much death and a lot of hardships ā but that was the authorās point: being a cowboy wasnāt the easy life he had seen portrayed starting in the 1940s in Hollywood. But the themes of friendship, loyalty, love, and family (found and real) are strong and emotionally resonant.
5. The Frozen River, Ariel Lawson
I knew even in the middle of this historical drama/thriller about a midwife in 1790ās New England that it would end up on my best books list ā it captivated me from the very first chapter. Itās got the historically accurate details I love along with a based-on-a-real-person midwife to admire and a storyline thatās gripping and well-told. We learn about womenās rights (and lack thereof), daily life, childbearing experiences, and more, all centered around a body found in the river at the beginning of a hard winter. Besides the mystery, and how people lived in this part of the country in the 1700’s, hearing about how the law worked during the early years of our nation is also very interesting.
6. Here One Moment, Liane Moriarty
This is the first Liane Moriarty book Iāve read and I really enjoyed it. I’ve thought her stories seemed to be more modern women’s fiction (the Big Little Lies type of stories) that aren’t my favorite, but the premise of this one was interesting to me (a woman on a plane randomly starts telling people when and how they will die). Although I didnāt know many details about the plot going in and had no idea where it was going, I kind of had a sense of dread throughout the book because I wasnāt sure if something bad was going to happen, but the ending was perfection. And the whole story was so good, the kind of book that makes you think about that ālive life like you were dyingā concept. I listened to the audiobook and I couldnāt wait to go water the garden or cook so I could listen some more!
7. Praying Like Monks Living Like Fools, Tyler Staton
If you want to supercharge your prayer life, read this book. I took many, many notes in my Book Notes Journal of things I wanted to remember as well as the concrete actions the author provides to help guide you in making prayer a priority. Some of his stories are amazing (Iāve never met a 13-year old who would walk his school every morning, praying ā in the summer, no less!), and all of them were encouraging to me that prayer is not just about getting the āanswerā I want. Highly recommend.
8. The Correspondent, Virginia Evans
This is a short book comprised only of letters, emails and texts (called an epistolary novel). Iāve really enjoyed other books like this (the classic A Woman Of Independent Means still ranks on my all-time best list) and this was no exception. The letter writer is 73 at the beginning and we see her life past and present, as well as the future as the novel goes on, all through letters from her and to her. It was such a lovely way to spend time thinking about her choices as well as life in general, friendship, and forgiveness. Iām sure it would be good to read in book form, but the audiobook was really exceptional as they had different actors read the letters so you got to know the voices of the writers which helped keep them straight as well as give them a voice all their own.
9. Good Dirt, Charmaine Wilkerson
This had as much of an interesting past history as it did an interesting current story. While it took me a bit to get into, especially with the flashbacks and multiple new characters, once I did I was hooked and couldnāt really tell where the story would go. It sort of centers around a slave-made pottery vessel that has been in one family for years and that family has become wealthy and well-known. Then a tragedy happens which affects them for years and we hear the story as they come to terms with both the incident and their past. Racism, greed, love, and family ties are all themes, told in a way that you come to care about the characters and want the best for them.
10. Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson, Claire Hoffman
Brian and I listened to this together and months later we still donāt know what to think about this amazing, flawed woman. Her heart always seemed to be in the right place ā loving people and wanting them to know Jesus- but her methods! And leaving her husbands! And not seeing her children for years at a time! Sometimes weād just stop and look at each other with our jaws on the floor ā 30,000 people in San Diego Balboa Park? Thousands lined up for healing ā and leaving crutches and wheelchairs behind? I looked it up and newspaper reporters at the time took down names and followed up with the healed and found that more than 90% said they had some sort of healing – and it was continuing. Wow. She was a trailblazer, a woman who got things done in a time it was hard for women to do that (1920s). She built the largest church in the country, started a new denomination (Foursquare), had the countryās second largest radio station, and saw what television could be for reaching even more people. But it seemed she lost focus as she gained wealth (as we sadly see time and again), cut off people, made poor financial decisions, and created a couple of big scandals (including the disappearance that begins this book, two divorces, and an affair). A fascinating read.
11. A Jesus Shaped Life: How Diving Deeper Into Theology Can Transform Us and Our World with the Radical Kindness of God, Lisa Harper
Iād never heard of Lisa Harper before I was looking for something to listen to in the mornings on Hoopla and Iām so glad I stumbled on this wonderful book! She basically takes academic-sounding theological concepts of things like the Atonement, the Trinity, and the transcendendence of Christ, and explains them in engaging and practical ways. She encourages us to know them and see how these ideas can help us live transformative lives with God and others. She blew my mind in the first part of the book where she talked about āthe Word of Godā not being a book we hold in our hand (and sometimes bash people withā¦) but the ACTUAL person of Jesus. Every time the Word, or Word of God is mentioned in the Bible, there wasnāt a book then ā it was Jesus they were talking about. What a different way to think about so many verses Iāve known my whole life. Highly recommended.
12. The Spy and The Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War, Ben Macintyre
This is why I always wait until December is fully over to write my best books of the year list, so books like this get the due they deserve. What a wild ride this book was, and it was so great to listen to it with Brian because we could talk about it and discuss what we remembered from the 1980s (the end of the story). This is why I like to read books – this totally read like a fiction spy novel (in fact, a lot like one we listened to together earlier this year, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John LeCarre), but it’s all TRUE. What?? Learning what was going on at not only the British spy agency, MI6, but also the CIA and at the Prime Minister and Presidential levels was so eye-opening. It tells the story of Oleg Gordievsky, a high level Russian KGB officer who is both the spy (for the British) and the traitor (to the Russians) of the title. How he decides to become a spy (not for money, but for principle), the materials he provided over years, and his thrilling/daring escape from Russia when he was exposed reads better than the best spy novel. Amazing.
Five Popular Books That Didn’t Make My List
Here are the books you may see on other people’s best books list but that just didn’t hit the right note for me for one reason or another. (Again, subjective! But also fun to see what other people think, right?)
1. Run for The Hills, Kevin Wilson
You’ll see this book all over best of 2025 lists. I thought this authorāsĀ Nothing To See HereĀ was clever and funny/tender, so I looked forward to getting this title from the hold at the library. And while there are quirky people, humor, and a fun road trip where interesting things happen, I just never connected with any of the characters. At all. Itās about half-siblings who are just discovering each other and want to find the dad who abandoned them so they set out on a road trip to find him. When they do find him it was awkward and anticlimactic to me. Iām not sure what I was expecting, but maybe a little more heart?
2. Say Youāll Remember Me, Abby Jimenez
Abby’s books almost always make best-of lists, and I’ve enjoyed a number of her books but this one got on my nerves, big time. I sort of raced through the last part because if I heard one more time how the long-distance relationship wasnāt going to work and theyād be separated āforeverā I was going to tear my hair out. Ugh. I understand how getting lives to mesh when firmly established in separate towns is a big deal, but please NO ONE would make it go on so long in real life. And of course they did find a way to be together, duh ā I just wish it had been many pages earlier, lol.
3. Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
Okay, you won’t find this on many 2025 lists because it came out in 2023, but still. After hearing about this book and series in the years since it was published, I caved and listened to it. Here are just some of the book’s acknowledged trigger warnings: war, battle, hand-to-hand combat, perilous situations, blood, intense violence, brutal injuries, death, poisoning, graphic language, and sexual activities. Ugh, it was just too much for me, even though I enjoyed the Hunger Games trilogy. Maybe it was the dragons? It just wasn’t for me.
4. Be Ready When the Luck Happens, Ina Garten
This book was just okay for me. I mean, it was interesting for sure and some stories were really fun (traveling through Europe as young marrieds in a camper with little money ā I donāt think Iād be that brave!), but overall I was saddened to hear how much time she spent on her business even though it mean she and her husband had to live apart. And then constantly talking about what they could and couldnāt affordā¦while living in the Hamptons (!), entertaining constantly, and buying businesses. I just didnāt connect at that point anymore (of course thatās completely my bias, and it seems judgy ā I know that you can always feel like you donāt have enough money, but a lot times in our country it seems to be a mindset when you actually do have enough).
5. Sandwich, Catherine Newman
This is probably the #1 book you’ll find on other best book lists, but honestly I just couldn’t get into it and honestly didn’t finish it. The title refers to the main characterās generation in between parenting 20-somethings and caring for an elderly parent. It must be just me, but I found it really boring and slow, and just a messy-family-life kind of book that isnāt really my thing (it just seems whiny to me). Plus, I couldnāt bring myself to care about any of the characters enough to finish it.
Want More Books Suggestions?
You can always get the reviews of every book I read in the monthly Good Things Lists, along with a few other things Iām doing and loving.
And here are all my past yearly favorites list ā these are still all wonderful books!
And don’t forget to let me know your favorite books this year in the comments!
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Jamie, the chicken sheet pan dinner sounds really good. . . also the mandarin salad. I will make these soon.
You have inspired me to make a Journal of all the books I read this year. One book my book club will read this year is āTHE CORRESPONDENTā.
Although Iām not cooking as much these days, I enjoy reading your recipes. Iām glad my daughter (Nancy Ravan) is looking at your posts. You are doing a great job!
Cecile
Thank you, Cecile! You are going to love The Correspondent. š
One of my favorite books this year was The Book Of Lost Names. Iām also glad my daughter (Nancy Ravan) ordered a couple of books from you. I am so happy she is also a fan of yours.
I’m honored, Cecile, that both you and your daughter are fans. š
I will put that book on my reading list – thank you!
I always enjoy your reading lists. I think a good many of them have made it to my very long recommendation list. š I went to an author event at my local library in May. My daughter and her illustrator had a table at the event for their children’s book. I took a walk around to the tables of the other authors. I picked up a book from Martin Shoemaker. Today I am Carey was probably the best book I read this year. I also added one of his books to my Christmas list as it was released in print the day of the event, but he didn’t have any copies for sale with him. It’s called Garden Paths. He’s written stories about some of the sculptures at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. I live an hour from there but have never been. I thought if I got this book, I would read it and then go to the park to see the sculptures, maybe make it an anniversary weekend trip. My son got the book for me for Christmas.
That book sounds just up my alley – in fact I’ll ask Brian if he wants to read it with me. š
How cool that you live so close to something featured in a book – that sounds like a fun thing to read it and then visit.
I’m excited to discover this author through you – thanks for recommending him!