I’ve been enjoying everyone’s “Best of 2025” lists, especially the reading ones! In 2025 I read 63 books in 2025, which is a lot for me. I usually end the year with around 50 books. I know many people read WAY more than that! I’d like to get my number higher next year- not because I’m comparing myself to all you speedy readers out there, but because… well, so many books, so little time. There are SO many books I want to read!
Here are my top 5 books of 2025, in chronological order of when I read them:
Death’s End by Cixin Liu
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
It’s interesting that although my favorite genre is mystery, none of my top books of the year were mysteries. Meredith from the Currently Reading podcast had the same observation one year, and she explained it by saying “You might want to eat a salad most nights for dinner, but at the end of the year those won’t be the meals that stood out to you.”
Although no mysteries made my top five, here are the best mysteries I read this year:
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
The Mirror Man by Lars Kepler
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (really fantasy/mystery)
Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Overall it was a pretty great year of reading. One book I could have skipped, surprisingly, was The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. I know! So many people love this book, and I absolutely LOVED his Century Trilogy. But this book just DRAGGED ME DOWN. The story was fascinating, but the things that happened to people were horrifying. Boy, life in the middle ages sucked. I had to find out how it ended, but I was so relieved when it was over.
And now, I’m making a new TBR for 2026! I’m happily reading my Christmas book flood books right now, and after that I want to read The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith, State of Terror by Hilary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny. And Project Hail Mary, and The Nothing Man… gah! So many books! So little time!!!
Have you read any of these? What was your favorite book of 2025?
Top photo by Jessica Ruscello on Unsplash
26 Responses
Hi — professional medieval historian here! This is the problem with The Pillars of the Earth–it made you THINK that it was a history book when in fact it is completely made up. Please don’t judge a whole time period based on a piece of fiction! I’m not saying the Middle Ages was a dream time to live but I’m saying this book is filled with nonsense that only masquerades as “authentic”. This is why I cannot read historical fiction set in the Middle Ages, though if you want a really good and more-accurate one, I recommend the (very long) trilogy by Sigrid Undset called Kristin Lavransdatter.
Okay, well that’s good to know!!! I still have nightmares about some of the events in that book. I guess I should have known most of it was made up. And- you’re a professional medieval historian??? That sounds like a cool job!!!
Yay! Death’s End made it! I LOOOVE that trilogy so much. Which was your fav (of the trilogy?) I think mine was Dark Forest but I really liked them all. Curious what you thought. I own them as Spanish audiobooks and I REALLY want my daughter to read Dark Forest so I can re-read it. Thanks for always sharing what you’ve read. I tried a lot of books because of your recos!
I think Death’s End was my favorite- just because of the events towards the end of the book. It was mind bending, beautiful, and unforgettable. The first book was my least favorite of the three, so maybe Dark Forest and Death’s End vie for top place. They both had amazing elements, now that I think about it.
Still, 63 books is so impressive, Jenny! It is interesting that your top picks were not mysteries, despite they’re your favourite genre.
Being an ‘in-bed-before-sleeping-reader,’ I only manage about 20 books a year. I did read “Gone With the Wind” over the summer. It took me three months, but I loved it!
Happy reading in 2026!
Yes, Engie started a blogging trend of reading Gone With the Wind. It’s a classic for a reason! I’m also an in bed before sleeping reader (although I do read at other times if I can) and the problem is, that’s part of the reason why I don’t get enough sleep. I’m too tempted to keep reading at night!
That’s a nice lot of books and more than some of the book bloggers I follow! I didn’t read any of those and ended up doing a Top 26 as I read a lot of good ones last year! (it’s here https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/12/31/book-stats-and-best-books-of-2025/ if you’re interested, not sure if you saw it). I didn’t have one top book, though. And I know what you mean, I have extended my wishlist but still have loads on my actual shelf to read!
Oh I didn’t see it but I’ll look at it! I know you read a lot of super interesting books.
You had a great year of reading. I think my reading will go down when the kids are older and stay up later. They are in bed by 8:15 so that gives me 30 min to watch a show with Phil and then I go to bed and read. I have been reading beside Paul when he does his 25 min of daily reading so that adds more reading to my day. But eventually my night time reading will get cut short, most likely.
We are posting twins as I posted my best reads today, too! The Correspondent was far and away the best book! I loved Sybil so very much. And it made me want to write letters. I also loved Heart the Lover. I had a hard time narrowing down my list to 12. It was an excellent reading year!!
Yes- I can attest to the fact that having kids stay up later cuts into your reading time!
I’ll look at your list- I haven’t read Heart the Lover yet but I definitely want to!
Yes, let’s talk books! GWTW and The Correspondent are definitely near the top of my list. The more I think about it, my favorite book of the year was Sky Daddy.
Outside of GWTW, my fav recommendation from you was I’m Traveling Alone.
Oh, I have to put Sky Daddy on my TBR! And, I’m Traveling Alone should have gone on my fav mysteries list- that one was good.
So many books, so little time does seem to be appropriate! And I for some reason decided to reread some old childhood favourites this week. Not that I don’t have a stack of things I HAVEN’T read. Ah well, the heart wants what it wants.
Oh, I actually love rereading childhood favorites, although I haven’t done it in a while. I guess the good thing is, they go pretty fast so you can get back to your towering TBR.
I have 3 friends reading GWTW this year! So wild. I love the blog intertextuality here– our lists are all influenced by each other in the most delightful way.
you reminded me that i wanted to try diving into Robert Galbraith this year! Also, I am glad you categorized Ninth House as a mystery bc it might be the only one I read in 2025!!!
63 books seems like a lot. I have not read any of these books but I have the Correspondent on hold at the library. I was gifted a different Leigh Bardugo book for Christmas this year that I’m looking forward to reading. I’ve never kept track of books read before but I’ve decided to give it a try this year.
Let’s talk about books! My favourite book was Good Dirt, very closely followed by The Correspondent. I don’t typically listen to audiobooks, but I’m soooo glad that’s the way I consumed The Corresondent. The narration was next level amazing and all the different voices really helped me keep track of characters.
This is such a brilliant observation:
“It’s interesting that although my favorite genre is mystery, none of my top books of the year were mysteries. Meredith from the Currently Reading podcast had the same observation one year, and she explained it by saying “You might want to eat a salad most nights for dinner, but at the end of the year those won’t be the meals that stood out to you.””
Thanks for sharing it!
As you know, I also LOVE mysteries, and I don’t think any of my top books were mysteries? Well, that’s wrong — Wild Dark Shore has a mystery element to it, for sure, and that was my favorite book of the year. I do think there’s a lot of wisdom in that salad quote you shared! And it also feels like there are a lot of good salads out there, a TON of really meh salads, and only a handful of life-changing salads, you know?
I am so glad I inspired everyone else to read Gone With the Wind! It was my favorite read of the year, hands down!
It is interesting that no mysteries made your top 5. I am very excited – I got an email from the library that my hold was in and we picked it up on the way home from Curly’s game last night. I started reading it (pushing my not so great book to the side), and while I haven’t gotten very far . . . I’m really enjoying it.
I love book lists! I enjoyed both State of Terror and Project Hail Mary, so I am glad to see them on your TBR! I also loved the Correspondent and Gone With The Wind is an absolute classic; did you watch the movie too? I can’t remember if you did. Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn! I am in a reading funk, aka, I just got over-peopled and I cannot get my mind back on track! I am going to do it, starting now! I also saw Lisa’s post about the Dead Bug workout and I am putting that on my list too, so now I have two goals for 2026 –> get back into reading ASAP and do the dead bug. Hey, it’s a start!
I know I’ve said it before, but I really liked The Anomaly too! I gave it to my husband for Christmas, I think it’s right up his alley.
I am taking inspiration for my to-read-list from all the book round-ups. I’ve been such a bad reader last year… but there’s always the new year! 🙂
Ooh, State of Terror is coming up for me to read soon! We can chat about it!
The Correspondent was one of my favorite reads of the year, too! I haven’t read any of your other favorite reads of 2025.
Great job on reading 63 books in 2025 – that’s an excellent number!