Best Reads of 2025: Year-End Book List
As I write this, we are just a few short days from the end of 2025. How is it already time to wrap up the year AND make my list of favorite reads? Time moves so quickly these days that it’s nearly unfathomable to me that it’s time to ring in 2026.
I wasn’t able to hit my reading goal (that seems to be a trend the last couple of years), but did manage to read over 70 books this year. Typically, I only include books on this list that are published in the year I read them, but I read a few really good titles that were published in 2024, so I am breaking all the rules and including them on this best reads of 2025 list!
What were your favorite reads of 2025? Do we have any cross over on our lists? Here are my 10 best reads of 2025.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Phoebe has always wanted to stay at the Cornwall Inn, so after a heartbreaking loss, she checks in coincidentally at the same time as a big wedding party. Everyone thinks she’s one of the wedding guests and after an encounter with the bride (who surprisingly becomes her confidant), her outlook on life changes.
My thoughts:
I found this book to be really touching, sad and hopeful all at the same time. It’s humorous, even though it deals with grief and I can see why it topped many “best of” lists in 2024.
The Betwitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Journey through three different times in history as several generations of women’s stories intersect with the dangers of witchcraft
My thoughts:
This one is a page turner and even though the timeline jumps around to different periods, it’s easy to follow and all of the stories are important to the final conclusion.
I really enjoyed the writing, character development and overall tone of this novel.
A satisfyingly good story with a gorgeous cover!
Mailman by Stephen Starring Grant
When the 2020 pandemic forced Stephen Starring Grant into a totally new career after being laid off from his corporate job, he found unexpected contentment as a rural mail carrier in Appalachia.
My thoughts:
This was funny, heartwarming and an interesting look at a profession many people probably don’t think too much about!
I really enjoyed the stories about the craziest things he got to deliver and the relationships he developed with the people on his route and it made me think about how my grandparents mail carrier always chatted with them and even attended my grandpa’s visitation at the funeral home when he passed away.
This would be a fun read for your America 250 reading list as it also covers some USPS history I didn’t know about.
Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
When Clio’s mom passes away, she inherits her childhood home and all the demons that go along with it. The influencer doesn’t really want to go back, but it’s great content for her socials and she jumps right into renovating. In the process, something dark and sinister is resurfacing and things go a little awry – is Clio seeing things or did she really inherit a haunted house?
My thoughts:
This was the first book I had picked up by Rachel Harrison and found it to be the perfect read during spooky season!
I really enjoyed the characters, plot and ending – it wasn’t too scary for me, although at times I did feel like reading before bed might not have been the wisest choice. Haha.
Can’t wait to pick up some of her other novels and dive more into her work!
Disney Adults by AJ Wolfe
Written by A.J. Wolfe, the creative mind behind Disney Food Blog and All Ears, this book takes a deep dive into Disney Adult culture.
My thoughts:
This is a must-read for any Disney fan! A lot of thought and research went into this book and it shows.
Wolfe covers what it is to be a Disney adult, interviews a wide and inclusive variety of people to share their stories and talks about how Disney markets their IP as nostalgic.
Very enjoyable, a quick read and a celebration of the subculture.
Too Old for This by Samantha Downing
Lottie Jones is retired. In more ways than one. Once a notorious serial killer who never got caught, she’s traded her murderous ways and her identity for a life in a quiet town where she’s active in her church.
But when Plum Dixon shows up on her porch looking to interview her for a new docuseries about unsolved crimes, Lottie is forced to start murdering again so no one discovers who she really is.
My thoughts:
Samantha Downing writes the most twisted thrillers and has such a flair for dark humor and I’m here for it.
“To Old for This” is fun, slightly graphic with the violence, but will keep you very engrossed in the cat-and-mouse game the characters play.
The ending is fantastic. Seriously perfect for this story and that’s all I’ll say so I don’t spoil it.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Three women all from different timelines, bound together with a common thread: they crave blood and companionship.
My thoughts:
V.E. Schwab has written another masterpiece. Achingly beautiful prose, a story that captures you from the first page and well developed characters who live many lives throughout history.
Yes it’s about female vampires, but it’s more than that, exploring themes of love, life, death, and femininity.
It’s hard not to compare to Addie LaRue, Schwab’s magnum opus. And there are similarities there in how the book is structured and weaving through historical timelines. But this one stands on its own merit, equally as good and one I will reread again and again.
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
When the man who broke her heart years ago moves back to the country with his son, his arrival upends Beth and Frank’s life in more ways that one. Secrets from the past resurface and long buried feelings reignite.
My thoughts:
Clare Leslie Hall delivers a striking novel about loss, love and how the choices we make can alter our lives.
I didn’t know anything about this novel, but found myself fully engrossed in this story and Hall creates a setting nearly as memorable as Delia Owens “Where the Crawdads Sing” and you will be weeping by the final page.
This is a stellar novel that will hook you from the very first few chapters. Will definitely go on my list of favorite reads this year.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
Charlie and Eve love to flip houses, so when they get an amazing deal on a home in what seems to be the perfect neighborhood, they’re thrilled. But shortly after they move in, a family appears on the porch claiming they used to live there and want to look around. Problem is, once they’re in the house, they just won’t leave!
Weird things start happening, bending reality with what might be mind tricks and it’s all really creepy.
My thoughts:
This is a fantastic debut novel that I wish I’d been able to read in one sitting. I think that broke the suspense up just a little bit, but I still loved this book.
Hit Girls by Nora Princiotti
Nora Princiotti, host of the poplar podcast Every Single Album, dives into pop music’s greatest era with a scholarly examination of our favorite millennial female music artists.
Love, love, loved this book! As an elder millennial myself who jammed to all these artists (and still do!) this book felt like it was written for me.
Extra brownie points for interviewing Butch Walker, one of my all time favorite musicians, producers and collaborators.
I learned things – like both Pink & Hilary Duff were offered “Since U Been Gone” before Kelly Clarkson made it iconic. And I never even knew about the Britney/Avril back and forth!
Michelle Branch, the Veronicas, Stacie Orrico, Fefe Dobson all get a mention (to my delight). Hit Girls is an easy read – you can knock it out in a few hours.
