Best Books of 2025

Here we are again at the end of the year and I’m listing my favorite books. It has been a good year for them. I finished 83 books. My top 5 genres were Historical Mystery, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Urban Fantasy/PNR, Fantasy Romance, and Nonfiction. The majority of the books were purchased but I did also borrow from the library and from KU.  Fifty of the books were paper, which is not surprising since I love the look and feel of an actual book, and I do purchase more books that I borrow. 

My only real reading goal was to read 12 books purchased before the year started (and even better if they have been on my shelf for more than a year) and I divided it between 8 paper copies and 4 kindle copies. It was nice to finally read some of the older ones so I think I’ll do 12 more in 2026, but maybe mostly paper and not worry about the ebooks. 

The books I own paper copies of

Here they are in the order I read them: 

Agony in Amethyst - AM Stuart - The final book in the Harriet Gordon series did not disappoint. I’ll be re-reading my favorite parts of the whole series for sure.

How to Steal a Galaxy - Beth Revis -This was book 2 in the series and I loved it. Book 3 was good but not as good as the first 2, IMO.

Challenger - Adam Higginbotham - Really enjoyed this nonfiction. I want to read another of his books in 2026.

Any Way the Wind Blows - Rainbow Rowell - The 3 books series was wonderful, and I read the whole thing in a few days. So glad I finally picked these up off my shelf. 

Everything is Tuberculosis - John Green - Another nonfiction that was just so good.

The King’s Messenger - Susannah Kearsley - I re-read my favorite parts twice already, it really ticked all the boxes and is exactly the kind of historical fiction I like.

The Enchanted Greenhouse - Sarah Beth Durst - I dipped into “romantasy” this year, even though that name is dumb. This was a follow up to The Spellshop, which I read last year and loved as well.

Chained Knight - Lilith Saintcrow - The surprise of the year. I bought this on a whim and absolutely adored it. I’ve even re-read it a few times. 

Legends and Lattes - Travis Baldree - I had wanted to give this series a try and it was such a fantastic cozy read. I read the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust as well.

All of Us Murderers - KJ Charles - A wonderful gothic mystery with a gay romance. It was so good and has such a fantastic cover. 

Turns of Fate - Anne Bishop - I was excited to read this, even though it’s a new series and not part of The Others. It was really good. Definitely feels like The Others, but it’s own story too.

The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald - John Bacon - This one got in at the last second, but it was very good and I couldn't put it down at the end.

Honorable Mentions:

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales - Heather Fawcett - Really wonderful ending to the series.

Into the Ice - Mark Synott - another nonfiction that was really interesting. I do love his books.

Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion Vol 8 - Beth Brower - This is one of my favorite series and it was a bit heart wrenching and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

A Woman in the Polar Night - Christianne Ritter - Another nonfiction! About living on Svalbard in the early 1900s. I had so many questions about all kinds of things she didn't include. 

Replaceable You - Mary Roach - I always laugh and learn from MR. I love her writing.

Night Shift - Charlaine Harris - Started this series on a whim because of something I saw on GoodReads and the library had all 3. I devoured them right before my trip and then borrowed them again after my trip. Book 3 was my favorite.

At the moment, I have a list of older books on my shelves that I want to read in 2026. We'll see what I'm in the mood for once the calendar actually turns over. Goodbye to 2025 and hello 2026!