Favorite Books of 2025

It's me! The person who sucks at writing blog posts.

I know it's been a while, but since we've reached the end of the year, I figured I should do some year-end reviews.

Mentally, I struggled getting into books this year. I think part of it was because I kept taking advice from random book influencers, and their tastes didn't match my own. I need to do more research before committing to a book in 2026. I also think some of it was receiving a bunch of medicore ARCs. But ultimately, I could not relax enough to read. The outside world felt so overwhelming that it interferred with my escape. I hate that. I hate what's happening. I hate the AI craze, the lack of empathy, and the dismissal of values & education.

Despite all that, I did manage to find some gems this year, so without further ado, here are my top reads of 2025:

1. "The Knight and the Moth" by Rachel Gillig had all the gothic vibes I wanted, plus an unforgettable side character who has become one of my favorites of all time. Also, beautifully written.

   
   

2. "Heir" by Sabaa Tahir is an interconnected series to one of my favorites "An Ember in the Ashes." I loved seeing some of those characters return, and I'm always in awe of how Sabaa pushes boundaries and makes her characters so complex.

   
   

3. "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins was exactly the heart-wrenching story everyone said it was. I'd been wanting a Haymitch backstory book, and boy did she deliver!

   
   

4. "We Who Will Die" by Stacia Stack was a complete surprise. I did not expect to love this book, but it was a non-stop thrill adventure with some great characters, world-building, and romance.

This next set of books are ones I also really enjoyed, but weren't my favorites. In no particular order:

1. "Dark Tempest" and "Immortal Fire" by Annette Marie

2. "Reign & Ruin" by J. D. Evans

3. "The Ever King" by LJ Andrews

4. "Shield of Sparrows" by Devney Perry

5. "The Ragpicker King" by Cassandra Clare

6. "Metal Slinger" by Rachel Schneider

7. "Spark of the Everflame" & "Glow of the Everflame" by Penn Cole

8. "Fallen City" by Adrienne Young

9. "Skipshock" by Caroline O'Donoghue

10. "Our Infinite Fates" by Laura Steven

11. "Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil" by V. E. Schwab

12. "Onyx Storm" by Rebecca Yarros

13. "Quicksilver" by Callie Hart

Here's to hoping I have an amazing reading year in 2026!