Here are the books I read in 2025 that I gave five stars to. I know it bothers Sarah endlessly that most of these were not published in 2025, but I'm not sure why she doesn't want to know that I found a book from 1952 to be excellent.
I had thirteen five star reads this year. Last year I had nineteen, but I reread a bunch of Harry Potter and I read some fabulous Ken Follett books, so it's hardly a fair comparison. I guess there's a slight chance I'll read another five star book in the next two days, but that's not looking likely, to be honest.
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Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (I had a three part review because how else do you talk about this masterpiece?) - What can I say? This book is absolutely wonderful. There's so much to talk about when you talk about this book, but all I can say is that Mitchell made me care about truly horrible people and that's something special.
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop - What a life Bishop has had. I listened to the audiobook and she narrated it, which was fun.
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan - This book had some tropes I normally don't like, but I loved every second of this book.
Back After This by Linda Holmes - Holmes knows how to write a romance that appeals to me.
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Ministry of Time by Kalianne Bradley - This was a book I read for my IRL book club and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood - Maybe it's a bit sentimental, but this book about second chances and found family really hit the mark for me.
The Favorites by Layne Fargo - A sports book I could not put down! Not too much sport in this.
Night Film Marisha Pessl - I still think about this mixed media book. Super fun to do the investigation on my own.
Feed by Mira Grant - Zombies! Bloggers! What more could I ask for?
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The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - I am just like everybody else. I love Sybil.
Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? by Tina Cassidy - We named our new car Lucy after Lucy Burns.
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White - There really is a reason everyone reads this in elementary school. What a lovely book.
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén - Do you want a good cry? This is a good option!
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I had another ten 4.5 star reads.
Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom
Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman
Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
Kate & Frida by Kim Fay
Heartwood by Amity Gaige
How to Read Literature Like A Professor by Thomas C. Foster
Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke
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Have you read any of these books? What was your #1 book of 2025?
I think my top book of the year is a tie between The Correspondent and Good Dirt. I loved both of them. Also loved Heartwood, The Enchanted April... and. Well! I have a Top 10 Fiction and Non-Fiction post coming next week on my blog so stay tuned ;)
ReplyDeleteI started When The Cranes Fly South but I did not want to cry and I stopped reading - haha.
I want to read Gone With the Wind in 2026.
I didn't even read ten nonfiction books this year. Ha. One year I had read a nonfiction book once a month on my list and that inflated the number. My count of six this year seems more normal. I can't wait to see what your recommendations are.
DeleteWait, are we only supposed to have five-star books for books published in the current year? I am only on my first coffee here, so maybe I'm missing something. My five-stars are all over the place, pub year-wise. It's so funny you mention Charlotte's Web, another friend mentioned it earlier this year and I was going to reread it. I read it as a kid and then I read it to my kids, so I have a copy lying around. I have read quite a few of those books and a couple were even five-stars for me as well. Twinsies! I can't choose a "best book" of the year because I am terrible with recency bias and I'll just pick the last five-star read I had.
ReplyDeleteI mean, Gone With the Wind was an easy choice for me this year. It's not always that easy!
DeleteWell- Gone With the Wind is definitely one of my top books of the year, and I have you to thank for that. I also read and loved The Correspondent, and now I'm determined to get to The Ministry of Time (it's been on my TBR for a while). You're also reminding me about Crow Mary! So many books... so little time.
ReplyDeleteSo many books indeed! And people just keep writing them!
DeleteGWTW is definitely a 5-star read of All Time. I'm trying to recall when I first read Charlotte's Web. I know it was read TO me when I was a child. It was published in 1952, and I think it was read aloud to me, a chapter a day, when I was in second grade...so...in about 1966? Goodness! But I was entranced and enchanted every single chapter, and I couldn't wait to take it out of our teeny little library and read it again, this time to myself.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to go with Orbital by Samantha Harvey for my Best Book 2025. It took my breath away, often literally.
I just put Orbital on hold at the library. Thanks for the recommendation!
DeleteCharlotte's Web holds up. I didn't think it could be so good, but it really was. The audio narration from EB White himself was sheer perfection.
I adored six books on this list, and the reason why I read three of them was you!
ReplyDeleteBooks that I read because of you and loved: GWTW (I'd read it before but your review is what prompted me to read it again), The Blue Castle, and I Who Have Never Known Men.
Other books that I agree with you on: The Correspondent, Crow Mary, and Heartwood
The book we disagree on: Cate Kay! I got bored and DNF'd it early.
I haven't thought much about my 2025 superlatives, so I'm going with my gut to pick a favorite book. Sky Daddy!
Sky Daddy was on Kim's list, too. Ha! I have not been sold on it, but I'm glad it's out there for all of you who love it so much.
DeleteI haven't read any of these (but "The Ministry of Time" is on my TBR list).
ReplyDeleteHard to pick a #1 book, but "The Wager" was way up there. Fiction-wise, probably "The Book of Doors."
The Wager! That was a 2024 read for me and it was amazing!
DeleteCharlotte's Web! I too must sneak in a so-called children's book every once in a while. It's like medicine.
ReplyDeleteWell, I must admit I do struggle with some children's and YA, but classics are generally classics for a reason.
Delete_How to Read a Book_ was a suggestion for me today... so that's going on the list.
ReplyDeleteMy faves this year were _The Antidote_ (Karen Jane Russell), _The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny_ was another one, and of course, _The Correspondent_ (which I keep mispronouncing as the "co-respondent" for whatever reason!). We're discussing the latter at bookclub in a few weeks.
Also _Flashlight_, _Emperor of Gladness_, and _Buckeye_.
DeleteI am adding The Antidote to my library list. The wait is approximately 14 weeks, so I'll chat with you about it in April! (By that time I will not remember who recommended it to me, so I thank you in advance.)
DeleteAs you know, I also re-read Gone With the Wind this year; and I 100% agree with you it IS a masterpiece albeit one filled with horrible people but still a masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteRight? She's doing something in GWTW that is simply original and unique and unable to be repeated. Genius. I mean, problematic genius, but genius!
DeleteI put Night Film on hold when I read about your experience with it and it just came in today - I’m excited to dive into it!
ReplyDeleteYes!! Such a fun read. I hope you like it as much as I did.
DeleteWe had quite a few overlaps, Engie! My favorite of the year was Wild Dark Shore, but holy moly there were some really tough contenders. I want to read the Emily Gilmore, I mean the Kelly Bishop memoir. Maybe in 2026.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne, I think you're going to be very disappointed in my when you learn that I DNFed Wild Dark Shore. It just didn't speak to me. Don't be mad!
DeleteThe Emily Gilmore memoir was great as an audiobook.
I'm so excited that you loved Feed! I recommended it to Matt's uncle who I'm usually sympatico with on books and he didn't like it and I was low-key devastated.
ReplyDeleteAlso loved The Ministry of Time, Gone With the Wind, The Correspondent, The Blue Castle and The Dream Hotel.
I was just about to name-check Sarah in my post but I will not mention the publishing year thing so we're not hanging up on her lol.
Oh, I can't believe people didn't like Feed. I mean, sure there were some problems with the book, but I thought it was fun and riveting. Yay!! We're twins. I really like Mira Grant - the one about mermaids haunts me.
DeleteI loved, LOVED Gone With The Wind. I also read Charlotte's Web; there's a reason that is also a classic. I did read The Correspondent. I liked it. I didn't love it as much as I thought I would with all the hype.
ReplyDeleteYou have me intrigued by "When the Cranes Fly South." I don't need a purpose to cry, but this sounds like it would work if needed. I also lost my parents long before any of those decisions needed to happen. Still, I am currently living with the fact that we are in charge of my FIL, who is deteriorating, and I'm questioning his mental health daily.
"When the Cranes Fly South" was such a powerful read to me. I am not sure I'd recommend it to *everybody*, but if it seems like it could be relevant to you, I say you should definitely give it a shot!
DeleteI’ll post my best of book list in the next week or so. It will have some backlist which I know Sarah raises her eyebrows at but we are not big literary reviewers so we don’t have to only talk about 2025 releases. And if you exclusively read library books, a lot of your reads will be backlist. I will also post my book stats in the next few weeks.
ReplyDeleteI have read a number of these. Back After This really worked for me, too! And How to Read a Book and Correspondent made my best books list. What a great year of books!!
I agree with many of your picks! The Third Gilmore Girl, Back After This, How to Read a Book, The Favorites, The Correspondent, The Blue Castle, and Crow Mary.
ReplyDeleteThe ones I liked less than you (but still 3 or 3.5 stars so I didn't hate them!) were Cate Kay and Heartwood.
Less book nemesis (nemeses?) this year!
I've only read The Ministry of Time and I hated it.
ReplyDeleteNo wait I read The Third Gilmore and enjoyed that as an audiobook aas well.
I do have a few on my TBR are haven't been able to tackle yet.