My favorite books in 2025
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It's that time of year again for best-of lists. My personal favorites are the ones that publications and people come up with for their top books of the year.
Zoom in: Now it's my turn.
The big picture: Growing up, it was hard to find me without a book in my hand, but adulthood slowed down my reading for years.
- That is, until I had my daughter. A Kindle loaded up with new novels became a constant companion during the long days of maternity leave and the months of late nights spent breastfeeding.
By the numbers: This year, I beat my goal of reading 55 books, even though I dropped audiobooks as part of my routine thanks to my kid's obsession with Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club."
- I'm on pace to hit near 70 by the end of December.
- It's fun to track, but I admit the numbers don't really matter.
Here are my top reads of 2025, broken down into my made-up categories:
- 🧠 Books to make you look smart:
- "Careless People" by Sarah Wynn-Williams: A jaw-dropper that had me considering deleting all social media.
- "Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado Perez: If you've ever considered burning down the patriarchy, this one's for you.
- "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara: You will sob. You. Will. Sob.
- 🗣️ For robust book club discussions:
- "The Bright Years" by Sarah Damoff: An exploration of love and family in the face of addiction.
- "Broken Country" by Clare Leslie Hall: An un-put-downable mystery that leaves you wondering about who we keep in our lives.
- "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin: A gorgeous examination of friendship. Easily my favorite of the year.
- 🥰 Cozy feel-good novels:
- "One Golden Summer" by Carley Fortune: A delightful summer romance.
- "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt: Will have you thinking more carefully during your next aquarium visit.
- 🔥 Smut: I'm long past caring what anyone thinks of reading salacious novels. To misappropriate a Dr. Seuss quote, "these things are fun, and fun is good."
- "Quicksilver" by Callie Hart: An enemies-to-lovers tale with an epic shadow daddy. Book two is already out.
- "Deep End" by Ali Hazelwood: I typically don't like collegiate romance, but all Hazelwood's characters are funny and relatable.
- "The Knight and the Moth" by Rachel Gillig: Not super spicy, but a unique tale where the big bad is organized religion.
What I'm watching: I often share what I'm reading in my Axios New Orleans newsletter outros, and many readers reply with their takes and suggestions for what I should read next.
- Keep 'em coming.