Reading was once again a bright spot of the year. From audiobooks to physical books to Kindle books, no page was left unturned. I gravitate toward fiction, as most of this list reflects, but always try to throw a few nonfiction books into the mix. Reading is a wonderful escape from the stress and monotony of life. The fictional worlds, characters and storylines authors create give me the chance to travel and escape my own problems, if even for a stolen few moments before bed.
Follow me on Goodreads to track my books all year long—I tracked 93 in 2025! And I want to hear from you—what were your can’t-miss reads of the year?
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
This was unexpectedly lovely and heartbreaking. I read it because it was part of my Kindle Unlimited trial and, to my surprise, absolutely loved it. There were very heavy themes of death and dying, but more than that, living and loving. There was a lot of conversation about the process of dying and the process of saying goodbye for those left behind. It was very emotional.
“Losing someone is hard enough. But death without the process of dying is an abomination. It takes nine months to create life; it feels unnatural, a sin against nature, that the reverse shouldn’t also have its time. Time to let go of the known as we take hold of the unknown.”
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
I really enjoyed this book after hearing about it in passing at book club. This centers around several women in the 1960s who form a book club and read The Feminine Mystique. Each of the women already had some questions about if they could be more and do more than be housewives and mothers, as was expected of them in the time period. Reading the book caused them to really think about things more and act on some of their long-held goals, ambitions and fight for themselves—to pursue their own interests, to have their own lives while also being family women. One of the women loved horses. Another was a gifted writer. This book about women going out of their comfort zones really struck me. It was well done.
The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony
This book was spectacular. It takes a look back at women’s inability to get contraception in Ireland in the 1970s. I had no idea any of that history ever took place and this historical fiction novel was enlightening, educational and incredibly moving. Although the two main characters are fictional, we know there are women in actual history who lived very similar storylines. The author did a beautiful job of telling these women’s stories—the stories of them, the stories of their friendship, the stories of their families and the stories about how and why contraception for women of any background and relational status is so important. This was a really powerful story.
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
I will preface this by saying I’m not a Fredik Backman fan. I find his writing style difficult to read and unengaging. But an online book club group I’m part of raved about this book so I decided to give it a shot on audio, and am glad I did. It’s funny; I still don’t know if I liked it all that well, but it has stuck with me for the better part of the year and that makes it notable. This book carried big themes of death and loss, but more than that it carried themes of hope, friendship, loyalty and relationships that endure. It carried themes of looking beyond first impressions, of giving someone a chance and going out of your comfort zone. It’s about art in all of its forms. It’s about believing in yourself and having others believe in you. It’s a love story, but that of the love of deep friendship.
The Names by Florence Knapp
Oh my this book is something else. It is three stories in one based on what a mother names her son: Bear, Julien or Gordon. The book rotates between the three names in 7-year increments. But it’s not only the boy’s life it follows; it follows the trajectory of many, many lives he touches and how they were all different just based on what he was named. Its premise had me skeptical, but after waiting for a long time for the library copy I thought I should at least try it and am so glad I did. I won’t put too much in my review for fear of spoilers, but this book was so powerful. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered how different their life would look had they made even one different decision. This book made me laugh out loud and it made me cry out loud.
The Girls With No Names by Serena Burdick
I wasn’t sure about this book, but am so glad I read it. Institutions (more like jails) for girls really did exist and it’s a heartbreaking part of our history. And it wasn’t that long ago that fathers could lock up their daughters for loving the “wrong” boy! The main character had a damaged heart physically, but the purest, fullest heart full of love and care. It was really heartwarming.
James by Percival Everett
This is a really moving telling of Huckleberry Finn, but from Jim’s perspective. It is so well done, so thoughtful and so difficult to read. I didn’t care much for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer when I read them in my younger years, but this book really hit me and will stick with me for awhile. I’ll likely revisit Huckleberry Finn because of this.
Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner
This was a book club book that wasn’t on my radar but I’m so glad I read it. The subject material is tough: eugenics and forced sterilization both in the U.S. and of course in Germany during World War II. The story is divided into two parts. The first part follows Rosie, who is suddenly orphaned at 17, becomes a maid for the family her family worked for, falls pregnant and ends up in an institution where she’s forced to give up her daughter and is sterilized all because she sees colors when there’s auditory stimuli, a condition called synesthesia.
The second half of the book follows Helen, the sister of the husband Rosie worked for. Helen nannyed in Europe and one family she worked who had a physically disabled child was greatly affected by the Nazis. We follow her story in Europe with her heartbreak then her mission to help other children flee to safety, then her story upon her return to the U.S. where she learns of Rosie’s fate and vows to find what became of both Rosie and her infant daughter, now nearly 10. Helen also used her experiences to speak out against eugenics in the U.S. and try to institute change.
Both of the women this book follows are lovely, wonderful, strong, passionate individuals who endured things we can’t fathom happening today. The storylines were heartbreaking, beautiful and really touching.
Although this is a work of fiction, it was very much inspired by true events at home and abroad. The author’s note at the end cites some sobering statistics about 60,000 forced sterilizations of men and women in the U.S., 20,000 of which happened in California. Eugenics laws were still active in some states until as late as the 1970s. I really liked this book for what it was, but like it even more since I was also able to learn about some ugly history through it.
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
I loved this book. It follows the story of two underdog ice dancers that go on to become world sensations for both good and bad reasons. Katarina and Heath’s drama, and the drama they engage in with other ice dancers, kept the pages turning so quickly. They quickly escalate from nobodies from a small town and dysfunctional or nonexistent families into elite international ice dancing superstars. Along the way, they catch the eyes of competitors. They navigate their intense feelings for the other—love, hate, resentment, pride, drive and more. They befriend adversaries, buck the norm for ice dancing, engage in scandal, do some of their own plotting and are plotted against.
None of the characters in this book are particularly likable, but I absolutely adored these nonlikable characters put together to create a story I loved. This is one of those books I couldn’t wait to get to the ending to see what happened and was also sad when it did end.
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin
This is a powerful memoir of a woman who fell hard and rose up again. Lara Love Hardin spent a year in jail for drugs and identity fraud. While in jail she befriended other inmates, learned the power of “quiet power,” and worked hard to get clean and take steps so she could regain custody of her young son (whose father was also in jail) and regain access to her other four sons, who lived with their father and stepmother. Hardin overcame challenge after challenge to become employed, fulfill the requirements of her probation and other legal requirements and even find a place to live that didn’t require arrest disclosure. She found a job with a wonderful literary agent who encouraged Lara professionally and personally and helped her find great success. She tells her story in a compelling, emotional way that leaves you cheering for her and questioning how we can do better at helping incarcerated people ultimately succeed. I really enjoyed reading about her grit, determination, drive, motivation and journey to find peace with herself and be who she is, unapologetically.
The Grief Monster by Laurie Cowin
Yes, this is a shameless plug for my own book. Please continue sharing The Grief Monster so it gets into the hands of families who need it. Learn more.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I know. A science fiction book on my list is unprecedented, which should tell you just how out-of-this-world (pun intended) this book is.
This book would not have been on my radar if several people hadn’t recommended I listen to it on audio. I was happily surprised by this book and absolutely loved it. The narration really did it for me; I don’t think I would’ve appreciated it nearly as much had I read it.
The story has a lot of science and math in it and tons of way outer space talk, where most of the book took place. The narrator gave Rocky a tremendous voice supplemented with some electronic chord-type sounds (it makes sense if you listen to it).
Ryland Grace is a likable character with a dry sense of humor that made me laugh out loud many times through this book. I really enjoyed his development through the book, his learning, his innovation and his complete adoration and loyalty for his new friend. I won’t say much more for fear of ruining this book if you pick it up, as I encourage everyone to do. It’s a really wonderful, unique, intriguing story in many ways.
Circle of Days by Ken Follett
Ken Follett is nearly unparalleled in character and story development and he excels in these sweeping historical fiction novels around building. His Kingsbridge series hooked me in and this newest one from him follows a great cast of characters through the building of Stonehenge. He masterfully weaves storylines that are historically accurate while still having themes that are relevant to today. I was most fascinated by the descriptions of how these massive stones were moved and put upright. I didn’t find these characters nearly as likable as I did in Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, but those books set impossibly high standards.
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
Wally Lamb is another author with incredible character development—I’d argue it’s even better than Follett’s. He writes extraordinarily heavy books with very difficult themes. This was one harder than most for me to read because of the nature of the tragedy near the beginning. We watch Corby’s journey in the aftermath of a life-changing accident, learn about his life before and follow him through his incarceration. This book, like so many of Lamb’s, raise tough questions. While the nature of the crime, accidental though it was, was horrifying, you can’t help but cheer for Corby. He’s so very human and it’s hard to not see even a small part of ourselves in him. And that’ll probably make you uncomfortable. Lamb writes a character that exhibits some of the worst and best in humanity. He writes an incredibly complex and personal character that might stick with you long after you read the last page.
The Devil Reached Toward the Sky by Garrett Graff
This was a fascinating history of the making of and the aftermath of the atomic bombs. I first learned about Garrett Graff when I listened to “The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11” and this was formatted similarly. I recommend doing this as an audiobook as I think it’s more impactful that way. I learned so much and could easily listen to this time and time again to learn and retain even more about this era of history.
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede
I became really interested in Gander, Newfoundland, after seeing the musical “Come From Away.” This book recounts the experience of those passengers diverted to Gander on 9/11 and the experience of the town members. It’s so heartwarming, sad, touching and lovely. It’s one of those books that reminds you of the pure goodness people are capable of.
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
This excellent book followed two Iranian women from their unlikely friendship as girls through their entire lives amidst the backdrop of a country in turmoil (Iran). Homa’s passion, vigor and drive to do what was right and her absolute confidence in creating a better country was remarkable. And she’s such a highly likeable, independent woman. Ellie, meanwhile, was more apt to try to change to fit in and conform to what was popular. Both women had their flaws; both women had their strengths. This story is of friendship, loyalty, forgiveness, sacrifice, conviction and love—the love of close and long friendship that can endure all.
I think fans of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns will likewise enjoy this book.
Honorable Mentions
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
- Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
- The Restoration Garden by Sara Blaydes
The Story of Our Lives 
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