favorite books of 2025.

Friends, I have to be honest – 2025 was not a great reading year. I read a lot of books, but when I look back at what I read, not many really stand out as something to remember.

I pulled up my Goodreads account to see what I had read this year and to hopefully jog my memory. January seems so long away, like it’s a distant era. I can’t even remember what I was doing in January, let alone what I read.

This year, I’ve read 60 books (so far – there are another 2 weeks left in the year and I do have an airplane ride coming up…). Of those books, none of them was a 5-star read for me. This actually surprised me. Usually, I have at least three or four books that I’ve rated 5-star, but there were none this year.

I rated 19 books as 4 stars, so of these books, in no particular order, here are my favorites from 2025.

What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama. This book was such a surprise and delight to read. Read my review here.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. My book club read this book this year, and we all loved it. There was something about Eleanor that brought out all my emotions. Read my review here.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. I absolutely adored this cozy fantasy book. Read my review here.

Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage. One of my favorite cozy mysteries I read this year. I loved reading about the Golden Girls being detectives. Read my review here.

The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig. I really enjoyed reading this dark and gothic version of a fairytale. Read my review here.

An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating by Cecilia Edward. This book was so charming and witchy, and I laughed so much while reading it. Read my review here.

These are my favorite books of 2025. Hopefully 2026 will bring more reading joy. Happy reading and merry everything!