One of my favorite things to do at the end of every year is flip through my Goodreads “Year in Books” and recap all the books I’ve devoured over the course of the past calendar year.
I set a goal of 50 books for 2025, and — despite both wedding planning and home remodeling trying to derail that goal — I accomplished (and even exceeded!) it.
I made it a point to spend as little time on my phone as possible this year, which did help a lot. I deleted most of my social media (including Instagram and Facebook) this past summer, and spent the latter half of the year stopping by our public library weekly to check out books.
I’ve also been buying as many books as possible. I’ve typically always preferred my Kindle since I’ve spent most of the past two decades in a pretty nomadic state (moving/ storing books is a pain in the ass, and a Kindle is a godsend both on public transit and in the Peace Corps), but now that Ryan and I own a home (!!!), I can finally build the physical library of my dreams.
I feel like I read a lot of really, really good books in 2025. I struggled quite a bit to pick my nine favorites of 2024 (and ended up including several books I probably wouldn’t have included otherwise) but this year it was so hard to narrow it down to just nine books.
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I mean, I read so many good books this year that Emily Henry’s “Great Big Beautiful Life” didn’t even make this list… and Emily Henry books are usually reliably in my top picks every year.
I will say, though, that I did read more books in general in 2025, and fewer thrillers than in most years, which probably contributed to a greater overall satisfaction with this year’s book picks.
So, without further ado-
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“The Book of Lost Hours” by Hayley Gelfuso. This epic love story told from two timelines connected by a mystical, memory-filled world is touching, stunning and addicting.
“Recursion” by Blake Crouch. This mind-breakingly insane book dives into the idea of what it would be like to change history and live with the memories of what has been lost.
“Out of the Sierra: A Story of Rarámuri Resistance” by Victoria Blanco. The story of an indigenous Rarámuri family seeking refuge from Mexico’s Chihuahua mountains is captivating and heartbreaking.
“Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I love every single one of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s historical fictions, and this love story set in the age of the space race is no exception.
“Piranesi” by Susanna Clarke. This crazy fantasy novel birthed a crazy fantasy world inhabited by a lovable character.
“Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men” by Caroline Criado Pérez. Both enlightening and infuriating, “Invisible Women” presents thorough research explaining the data gap that exists when it comes to women and research.
“The Seed Keeper” by Diana Wilson. Written by an indigenous author, this historical fiction follows a Dakota family across generations as members struggle to preserve the tenets of their life and culture.
“Solito” by Javier Zamora. In this remarkable memoir, Javier Zamora details the harrowing migration he made from El Salvador to the United States as a 9-year-old boy.
“Home of the American Circus” by Allison Larkin. This family drama centers around the idea that choice — and not blood — is what makes a family.
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Like I said — it was hard to narrow down! Honorable mentions go to “The Uproar” by Karem Dimechkie, “Great Big Beautiful Life” by Emily Henry, “A Very Punchable Face” by Colin Jost, and “Maame” by Jessica George.
Leave your book suggestions in the comments! I can’t wait to get our new home’s library built and filled, and to get started on my 2026 reading goal.
