Another big reading year in 2025 (211 total books!), which makes it hard to compile a best-of list, but here we go.

You can also check out my top 10 nonfiction and my reading stats/goals.

1. Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley – Sort of a romance with song-writing thrown in. Best example I’ve seen of a book about a writer where they show you their writing and it’s good.
2. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor – I’ve soured on Nnedi Okorafor’s stuff lately, but this is her best yet. Really fascinating and a bit meta.
3. The Reason You’re Alive by Michael Quick – I love a strong voice, and this book has it. Doesn’t matter that the character is gruff and mean, it’s all part of the charm. Matthew Quick is good at that.
4. Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez – This author single handedly got me into romance, and this was a fun read. I love the guy’s goofy but committed focus. It’s endearing.
5. Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton – I’m a sucker for deadpan AI narrators.
6. King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby – This was dark, disturbingly so, but Crosby tells a good story.
7. Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria – I enjoyed reading this romance, but part of why it worked so well was the build up of the previous two in the series.
8. The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean – Oof, this was a dark thriller. Really sucked me in.
9. Leave No Trace by Mindy Mijea – Really interesting mystery and setup, enjoyed the Minnesota angle.
10. Coyote by Allen M. Steele – An old school sci-fi colonizing story that had some fun and unique takes.

Honorable Mentions:

• Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall – Mystery and family drama all in one.
• Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller – This one felt a little too heavy handed, but lots of fun.
• Woodworking by Emily St. James – Powerful story about the complications of the trans experience.

Romance Top 10

I read lots of romance this year (lots!), so let’s do a top 10 with some honorable mentions (keeping in mind there’s three more romances above in the original top 10).

1. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams – The jock-bro voice actually worked for me. Also, the rare romance about a married couple.
2. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – Really enjoyed the characters here.
3. Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin – An old guy romance? Yeah, I just loved Eddie as a character.
4. Beach Read by Emily Henry – I’m a sucker for books about authors, and this one was pretty fun.
5. What If It’s You? by Jilly Gagnon – Really interesting alternate choices story, with some don’t-think-too-hard quantum dynamics thrown in.
6. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang – The escort setup feels a little weird, but the character voices were great.
7. Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren – Just a happy read.
8. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata – Such a slow burn romance, and I only gave it three stars, but it stuck in my head a bit. Really enjoyed watching the characters make a life together.
9. Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan – Another married couple, with a layered and complicated relationship.
10. Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory – I enjoyed the relationship dynamics.

• Best holiday read: A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone – It helps to read the first in the series to get the full porn/Hallmark set up, but this installment has a great purity culture angle.
• Great author: Casey McQuiston. One Last Stop was my favorite of their’s, though the first half of The Pairing was better (the viewpoint shifts halfway through, and I didn’t like the character telling the second half of the story).
• Therapy for romance: Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey is another great example of a married couple romance. They actually go to therapy, which I thought was really intriguing. Unfortunately, it’s also very cliche, with a little too much toxic masculinity and a climax that’s kind of contradictory.

More Reading

If you want to read more, check out my booklet 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading Again.

And how about previous top 10 fiction lists: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.