The Best Books I Read in 2025
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
1. NOT QUITE DEAD YET BY HOLLY JACKSON (Adult Thriller)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Jet survives a brutal attack but develops an aneurysm that will kill her in a week. She is determined to solve her own murder before she inevitably dies.
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: I became invested in Jet and her mission. I actually cried for her while reading this book, and I don’t cry easily reading books. Billy, Jet’s neighbor and childhood best friend who helps her solve her murder, is the definition of a green flag. The concept of this novel is unlike any other thriller I’ve ever read. I loved the themes/messages to be authentically yourself and loving yourself for who you are, and that if you enjoyed your life then it wasn’t wasted.
2. ALL THE WAY AROUND THE SUN BY XIXI TIAN (YA Contemporary)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Stella Chen is struggling to cope with her grief over her brother's unexpected death. Feeling adrift, her parents send her off on a college visit trip with her former friend Alan Zhao. Will Stella and Alan be able to fix their friendship, and will it evolve into something more?
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: Tian does a marvelous job of exploring both the unique experiences of child immigrants and coping with grief. This novel made me cry which, as I said above, is rare. Tian also makes some interesting stylistic storytelling choices that make the grief aspect of the novel all the more potent and powerful.
FULL REVIEW: https://www.haleysbookhaven.com/post/all-the-way-around-the-sun-by-xixi-tian-book-review
3. A STUDY IN DROWNING BY AVA REID (YA Fantasy)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Effy has grown up as a super fan of the famous fairy tale book Angharad. As she studies architecture in college, she applies for the position to update the seaside home of Angharad's author. When she gets there, though, sinister things begin to happen.
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: This novel feels like it was written specifically for me. I’m an avid reader, a fantasy writer, and a fairy tale lover. I also enjoy atmospheric books – I want to feel immersed in a fantasy world when I’m reading. This novel is an ode to the art of storytelling and has themes of female empowerment. While reading I felt transplanted to Hiraeth Manor, like I was a guest in the crumbling, damp, haunted seaside home.
4. FOUR RUINED REALMS BY MAI CORLAND (Adult Fantasy)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: WHAT IT’S ABOUT: This is the sequel to Five Broken Blades about a group of diverse individuals (a mercenary, a thief, a poison maiden, a count’s son, a banished prince, and a spy master) working together in order to kill the god-king ruling their country.
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: I love the characters – despite there being five main ones they all are very well developed. This may be a middle book in a trilogy, but it doesn’t feel like a filler novel. You get to see and learn so much more of the series’ world. The plot is just as thrilling as the first book, and Corland proves again that she has a real talent for writing endings.
5. ATMOSPHERE BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID (Adult Historical Fiction)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Joan is part of the first group of female astronauts in NASA in the early 1980s. She falls in love with fellow astronaut Vanessa, but they must hide their romance.
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: The cover proclaims this as a love story. This book is also about women in STEM who are pioneers in their fields. Additionally, their romance takes place in a time in which society was even less accepting of the LGBT+ community. To call it merely a love story is, in my opinion, reductive – it’s so much more. There are beautiful, suspenseful, and heartbreaking moments in the novel. I have been a consistent fan of Jenkins Reid’s historical fictions and this is no exception.
6. POMONA AFTON CAN SO SOLVE A MURDER BY BELLAMY ROSE (Adult Cozy Mystery)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A spoiled heiress, the titular Pomona, must investigate her grandmother’s death in order to gain back her trust fund.
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: I was worried based on the synopsis that I wouldn't like Pomona. However, her character, above the mystery, was the reason I adored this book so much. She grows so much throughout the course of the novel. The romance is cute and I loved how the couple supported each other and lifted each other up. The story was a solid mix of mystery, romance, and character development.
FULL REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7887530025
7. VERA WONG’S GUIDE TO SNOOPING (ON A DEAD MAN) BY JESSE Q. SUTANTO (Adult Cozy Mystery)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: This is the sequel to Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. In this installment, Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is looking for her missing friend. Vera decides that she will be the one to solve the mystery.
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: I loved the first Vera Wong primarily for the characters and found family. I was so happy that those characters all returned as side characters in addition to a whole new group of characters for us readers and Vera to love. Sutanto is very talented when it comes to writing POVs where we are inside the characters' heads and get to know them so well. Yet at the same time, we aren't privy to their secrets, which keeps the mystery intact.
FULL REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7186911042
8. THE WILD HUNTRESS BY EMILY LLOYD-JONES (YA Fantasy)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Every five years the mortal king of Dyfed and the immortal fairy Otherking jointly host the Wild Hunt. Whoever wins will be granted a wish by the Otherking. Branwen, Gwydion, and Pryderi all enter the hunt with different motives.
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: Inspired by Welsh mythology, this novel is brimming with magic that leads to scenes that are a masterful blend of enchanting and frightening. The novel doesn’t really have a set antagonist, nor does it have a high stakes conflict like a war at its heart, but it doesn’t need either of those things. It’s the main characters’ individual stakes that give the novel its beating heart. I came to care for the three both as individuals and as a unit.
FULL REVIEW: https://www.haleysbookhaven.com/post/the-wild-huntress-by-emily-lloyd-jones-book-review
9. THE BEST WAY TO BURY YOUR HUSBAND BYALEXIA CASALE (Adult Thriller)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Sally, Janey, Ruth, and Samira are strangers brought together by one thing – whether intentionally or by accident, they all killed their abusive husbands. They band together to cover up the murders and protect their children.
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: It’s empowering to watch the characters regain their confidence and independence. It’s also heartwarming to watch them go from strangers to a found family. I grew attached to all these characters and their friendships. The plot kept me constantly on edge as at every turn it seemed something was going to foil the women’s plan or they would get caught - right up until the very last page.
FULL REVIEW: https://www.haleysbookhaven.com/post/the-best-way-to-bury-your-husband-by-alexia-casale-book-review
10. THE ANTIQUE HUNTER’S GUIDE TO MURDER BY C. L. MILLER (Adult Mystery)
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Following the suspicious death of her estranged mentor, Freya and her Aunt Carole follow his clues to an old manor house for an advertised antiques enthusiast’s weekend. The antiques are all just poor reproductions, however, and the fellow guests are secretive.
WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: I know nothing about the world of antiques and had no real interest in it. Yet, Miller managed to make me care because of how much the characters did. In fact, my favorite part of this novel was Freya rediscovering her passion. As an aunt myself, I am always happy to read books with aunts and their nieces or nephews. Freya is extremely close to her aunt Carole and they made a good team. In spite of being deceased prior to the novel’s events, Arthur is still an important character to the story
.FULL REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7857287717
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