"Best"/Favorite Books of 2025 by Categories Read

I read 150 books in 2025 so it was really hard to pick just a few favorites. Typically I just go through each month and pick a favorite from the month but I thought this year it would be fun to pick favorites based on various categories. It was still so tough to pick just one book for each category though! 

 

Best Young Adult novel: 

I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang--  This was another fun listen on my Libby app. Sadie tries so hard to make everyone like her but at times her frustration can get the best of her so she lashes out in email form. She never, ever plans to send any of them but they help her feel better.... until the day they all get sent and her life turns upside down. Most of the letters are sent to her nemesis Julius Gong and in a surprising twist of fate the emails find the two of them working together more than ever. It was really cute! 

Best juvenile fiction:

 Connect The Stars by Marisa de los Santos-- A really adorable middle grade fiction. Told from two different points of view: Audrey & Aaron. Audrey has had a really rough year; she can detect when anyone is lying and it turns out middle schoolers lie a lot. She has basically withdrawn from everyone and her parents hope that sending her to a wilderness camp for the summer will help her restore her faith in humanity. Aaron has also had a rough year, he has a near perfect recall of anything he's read, seen, or heard but when he loses his school's academic challenge and nearly gets expelled for cheating (of a sort) his parents decide he needs a reset and send him to the same wilderness camp. Once there Audrey and Aaron are reluctantly teamed up with some other 13 & 14 year old to complete a survival challenge in the dessert.

Best Dystopian: 

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee-- Oh this was such a good book and it ended on sort of a cliff hanger. This book is set in the future and takes place in a giant skyscraper that has a thousand floors. The book starts out with a girl falling from the 1,000th floor and then backtracks a few months prior so we can learn what led up to her death. It's told in multiple points of view-- Avery, the rich perfectly beautiful girl that lives on the thousandth floor, her best friends Leda, a recovering drug addict, Eris, the girl who's life is turned upside down when she has to move down the tower as her family riches are taken away. A maid and a hacker that have been hired by people on the upper floors are thrown into the mix too. Since it's a young adult series all the characters are right around high school age so there is a lot of angst, heartbreak/ unrequited love, and misunderstandings/betrayals. I thought it was a really gripping story. The whole series was fantastic! 

Best Historical fiction novel:

 The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis-- This was a fun historical fiction novel. Charlotte Cross works for the Met museum but when a new piece comes to the museum on loan Charlotte is reminded of her time in Egypt and the horrible tragedy that happened there. She can't shake her suspicion that this new piece was stolen from Egypt. Meanwhile a new hire at the museum named Annie is trying to make a great impression on her new boss and has been helping to put together the annual Met Gala. On the night of the gala an important work of art goes missing and both Charlotte and Annie are thrown together trying to stop the thief. 

My favorite rom-com: 

Summer in the City by Alex Aster--  Another great little rom-com that also featured the tropes of fake dating and enemies to lovers. Elle is a very successful screen writer but she's staring her last deadline in the face with a bad case of writer's block. She decides to head back to New York City, despite promising to herself to never go there again, and finds the apartment she's been asked to house sit for is right next door to the billionaire bachelor Parker that Elle once had a very insulting interaction with years prior. When bumping into him leads to a full on flow of writing Elle's friend convinces her that Parker just might be Elle's twisted muse. Conveniently enough Parker needs a fake girlfriend for the summer and offers to help Elle see more of New York and get over her writer's block if she'll accompany him to his events. As the two spend more time together they realize that they don't really hate one another since they really don't know one another and as they do get to know one another they each find themselves falling just a bit in love with one another. Cute, and sweet, and slightly frustrating at times this was a fun and steamy summer "beach" read!

Best Fantasy novel:  

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer-- I am not usually one for fantasy-esque books but I kept seeing this title pop up on the Libby app on my phone and decided to give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did; I LOVED it! It's so cute and funny and sweet... weird I know with a villain as a main character but somehow it all works. Evie Sage quite literally trips over the villain one day in the woods and he offers her a job as his assistant. Within no time the two are quite obviously smitten with each other but are totally clueless that the other likes them even the slightest bit. Evie, who is quite accident prone and seems to have no filter when talking keeps the villain on his toes and the villain often finds his scowl slipping in favor of smiles or even laughter when Evie is near. But secret plans keep getting leaked and both the Villain and Evie suspect a mole lies within the organization so they team up to try and figure out who it is. I have listened to all the books in this series (so far) and it just gets better and better. 

Favorite NEW series: 

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey (Book #2 in the series)-- I love a good enemies to lovers plot and this book was a whole lot of fun to listen to. When Natalie is forced home after losing her job and her fiance she's hopeful to talk her family into releasing the funds in her trust fund to help her start a new business venture but her trust fund requires that she be married and have a job. Since Natalie has neither she proposes a little business arrangement of her own to August; though he often makes her grind her teeth Natalie knows that their fake marriage would help August get the business loan he needs plus with her wine making knowledge could seriously improve his vineyard's line of products. The only thing Natalie didn't count on was their unbelievable chemistry! It was adorable even if it was fairly predictable there were enough funny and spontaneous interactions that kept me well entertained. It is definitely rated R though.

Favorite nonfiction:

Offbeat North America by Lonely Planet-- Now I fully admit I did not read this book cover to cover but I did read the intro and many of the suggested places listed for those states that I have been to and/or plan to visit. I found it very informative and the photos that accompanied each section really made me want to visit more "off the beaten path" kinds of places... something I think my family is already pretty good at. We tend to shy away from crowded touristy places or else try to visit when crowds are at their lowest for the most part. In fact, a few of the places they've mentioned we've already been to!

Favorite murder mystery:  

Murder on Sex Island by Jo Firestone-- I received this ARC (advanced reader copy) from NetGalley. The book just came out June 24th so you can grab your own copy now. It was a hit for me right from page 1! If you like a good murder mystery with some zany characters you'll like this one too. Marie Jones was fed up with her life so she quit her job and decided to become an amateur detective named Luella Van Horn (complete with fake teeth and wigs). She loves the reality show Sex Island and is surprised to get a phone call hiring her to look for one of the contestants that has gone missing. Luella specializes in finding lost dogs but can't pass up the chance to prove to herself and everyone else that she can do this job. Once on the island Luella meets a variety of characters-- the whole cast and crew all seem pretty suspicious. She's expected to act as the latest reality star added to the show and tries to juggle the unrealistic demands of the show while also doing some sleuthing on the side. She struggles to narrow down her suspect list and keep herself out of the killer's crosshairs. I did not want to put this one down because I really wanted to know how it all ended! 

Favorite celebrity memoir:

 Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten-- I have been on a wait-list for this audiobook forever but it was finally ready this month. It was a quick little listen. I knew practically nothing about Ina Garten other than having seen her cooking show a time or two and a few photos of her house in the Hamptons (which I honestly thought was on Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard! LOL). But I enjoyed this little memoir anyway and learned about all the ways she helped break down stereotypes and gender rolls like those women before her. I love her fearlessness and attitude so much. She really is quite the go-getter. 

Favorite "regular person" memoir: 

 Fallosophy: My Trip Through Life with MS by Ardra Shephard-- It was a good thing I mixed this book in with some other fun and light rom-coms because this book was hard to get through. We have a family member with MS so I wanted to learn more about it and I figured a memoir was a great way to know more about this autoimmune disease; even if no two cases are ever exactly alike. I learned a lot but it was difficult to read; thinking about the struggles and trials ahead. I had no idea relapse-remitting MS changes to progressive MS, I had no idea that people with MS are so much more likely to develop a second autoimmune disease... and things like that. I also thought she had some pretty thought-provoking outlooks on how we as a society (she's from Canada but much of it pertains to any 1st world country) treat those with disabilities and people who are unable to work. I enjoyed it so much and just could not stop talking about it with my immediate family members. Do you have any other recommendations for learning about MS? I do have one on order through my library but so many I wanted to read aren't available. 

The book that stuck with me the longest:

Worth Fighting For (Meant To be book #5) by Jesse Q. Sutanto-- Another fabulous addition to the Meant to Be Series that will be releasing June 3, 2025. I received this book from NetGalley for my honest opinion and was thrilled to have a chance to read it. I enjoy most of Jesse Q. Sutanto's books and this modern day fairly tale adaptation was so fun to read. Now, Mulan is not my favorite Disney story but this modern day remake was great! Fa Mulan has been a woman working in a man's world for quite some time so she's got the skills to put all those finance bro's she works with in their place but when her father falls ill in the middle of a corporate acquisition, Mulan is pretty sure she has what it takes to step in. Then she discovers that the company in question is known for their ultra manly whiskey brand and would rather work with her father. Knowing that the companies leaders have only conversed with her father Fa Zhou through email, Mulan pretends to be Zhou-- an ultra successful & powerful CEO.  But then she's invited to the family ranch and a week of cattle herding, sheep sheering, horseback riding, and more has her re-thinking her strategy.  Especially when Shang and Mulan find it harder and harder to ignore the sparks flying between them.  

Biggest disappointment:

 Summer Roommates by Holly Chamberlin -- I really wanted to like this book so much and kept waiting for it to get good. By page 335 or so I gave up on even finishing it but just skipped ahead to read the last chapter and the epilogue. Sandra has been living in her family home in Maine alone ever since her husband died, so one summer she decides to rent out three of her rooms for the season in hopes of making some new friends/connections. Mary is a recently retired lawyer from Boston, Amanda is a high school teacher that struggles to connect with anyone ever, and Patty has spent her whole life waiting for some rich man to sweep her off her feet. She's now living with one of her sisters and feeling like a very unwelcome guest. All 4 women are reluctant to share too much at first and find themselves contemplating their lives, their futures, and their decisions in life during every quiet moment alone. Slowly their connection grows and they become friends of a sort. I just thought it would be more light and fun and upbeat and that they would make really strong bonds with one another but with less than a 100 pages to go they still seemed like mostly roommates with the occasional spark of becoming friends. Some of their ruminations and even discussions with one another were long tirades of complaints and a lot of doom and gloom and woah is me kind of thing that I just found depressing and sad. 

Biggest surprise: 

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister-- I enjoyed this audiobook a lot! This was such a fun and unique story. Alice had always wanted to be a writer but had such a hard time getting her story down until tragedy struck and a story found her. Reluctant to publish one of her college professors reminds her that stories alter and grow with each new person that reads them. Each part of the story focuses on one reader, why they are drawn to the book and how it changes their lives.  We see how each new reader connects to some part of the story and how their reading and understanding changes based on their own past and beliefs. 

Favorite new author:

Pomona Afton Can SO Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose-- This was another great book! Pomona lives her best life living it up in a penthouse in her family's hotel. Worrying only about the next party, her clothes, and her social media followers she's quite out of touch with the real world but when her grandmother is murdered and the family discovers that her grandmother had a clause added to her will that if she died of unnatural or suspicious causes the entire family would not inherit until the killer was caught. Thrown out with no skills, no money, and hardly a clue Pomona doesn't know what to do. She's offered an apartment as a roommate to her old nanny's son and the two decide to start sleuthing on their own since the police seemed to have hit a dead end. It was really fun seeing how much Pomona changed from a helpless debutante to a compassionate entrepreneur and amateur detective. Book #2 was really cute too. 

Saddest book:

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros-- Oh I liked this book so much. It was sad but very gripping. Ella is a single mom raising twins on her own when her brother, who is off serving in the military, suggests she write to a guy in his unit that is all alone. Beckett, known only as Chaos to Ella, becomes such a good friend through their communications. Ella is struggling to run her family business and faces a battle that no mother should ever have to face. When her brother is killed in action his last letter to Beckett pleads with him to go help his sister. Beckett shows up at her door months after the loss of her brother while she's dealing with all the health issues her daughter is facing, and Ella wants nothing to do with him. Undeterred, Beckett is determined to help. The story spans more than 2 years and we see these two hurt and damaged people learn to trust and love and face life together.  

Favorite "Christmas" book:

You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan-- Nothing like a little Christmas in July! I received this book as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from NetGalley and it will be released September 23rd just in time for some fun holiday reading and gift giving. I have loved the other books I read by Sophie so I was thrilled to get this copy. Pro hockey player Nick is injured and feeling down on himself after acting horribly the morning after a one night stand. He decides to head to his sister's Christmas tree farm for some family fun. Maisie has never regretted her decision to become a photographer and can't wait to spend a week at a fun tree farm with her family... until she spies Nick there, her one regret. Nick hopes the forced proximity will earn him a second chance. It was an adorable holiday romance with a fabulous cast of characters. 

 Favorite Thriller:

 Worst Case Scenario by T J Newman-- I have really enjoyed T J Newman's other books but wow; this one was gripping! When a pilot has a heart attack mid flight and the plane goes down, damaging a nuclear power plant in a small town in the Midwest. It was harrowing to read just how vulnerable the power plant is but it was heartwarming to hear about all the everyday heroes that came together to try and stop the very worse case scenario from happening. It was sad at times but gosh I just could not put it down because I had to know how it ended.  

One I couldn't seem to stop talking about:

 Uncultured by Daniella Mestyanek Young-- Wow! I just could not stop listening to this powerful and compelling memoir. Daniella grew up as a third generation cult member known as The Children of God. Moving from commune to commune in this international organization Daniella and most of the children growing up on these communes suffered from all forms of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse all under the guise of godly discipline and love. Fed up Daniella leaves the cult at 15, attends high school, puts herself through college, and then joins the military with hopes of becoming an intelligence offer. She soon starts to feel like the military has far too many things in common with the commune life she thought she left behind. She struggles nearly her whole life to try and find that place where she fits and is accepted for her.  

 Here's a look back at ALL the books I read in 2025:

11 books in January 

15 books in February  

12 in March 

14 Books in April 

 10 books in May 

14 books in June

 

12 books in July  

14 books in August 

10 in September  

 10 in October  

14 in November  

14 in December  

 Linking up with: Spread the Kindness,