36 books in 2025! I’m excited to share both the best books I read this year and the ones I seriously could not get through. Drop your own favorite reads in the comments as I build my list for 2026.
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
5 stars. A sweeping, multigenerational story about identity, ambition, and belonging. The novel opens in 1996 with Lily, a Chinese American woman working in biotech in New York City. When she falls for Matthew, a wealthy white man from an old-money family, their relationship sets off a chain of choices that reverberate for decades. Years later, their son Nick grows up in rural Washington, raised by Lily alone and unaware of his father’s identity. Nick’s search for answers—and his own place in the world—collides with revelations about privilege, genetics, and the secrets his mother kept.
Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Did not finish. I tried, I really tried, but I had to DNF this book. I should have known to call it quits when very early in the novel there is a graphic description of a BDSM session, but I carried on hoping it was a one-off. Reader, it is not. I made it through Beamer’s section hoping that the other characters wouldn’t be as depraved or pathetic, but it’s just more of the same. Long Island Compromise gives shades of The Corrections, but with characters that are even more reprehensible. I tried because, to her credit, Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a great writer—it’s the storyline that just was not for me.
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
4 stars. Snow is a fox bent on vengeance. She stalks Manchuria in the form of a beautiful human maiden, searching for the man who killed her cub. Bao is a private detective who can hear lies. He is investigating the death of a courtesan that may be linked to a fox. The Fox Wife draws inspiration from ancient Chinese folk tales to tell a story with grand scope and heart.
The Great Passage by Shion Miura
3.5 stars. “A dictionary is a ship that crosses a sea of words.” So says Araki, head of the dictionary editorial department at Gembu Books, as he begins work on The Great Passage, a new dictionary of the Japanese language. Nearing retirement, Araki recruits his replacement by poaching Mitsuya from the sales department when he notices his penchant for organization and habit of becoming lost in thought. Mitsuya takes to dictionary work, but the process of creating a dictionary is long and intensive. Over two decades, the dictionary editorial department strives together to bring The Great Passage to life. There are marriages and deaths, members of the department lost and gained, but always they move towards their shared goal. The premise of this book may sound dry—dictionary work!—but it was surprisingly not. The characters are well drawn, the writing thoughtful, and there is a human story behind the work of creating the dictionary. A Japanese work in translation, The Great Passage is a must read for lovers of words.
Matrix by Lauren Groff
4 stars. Matrix is a story about women in power and the power of women. Set against the backdrop of middle ages England, its messages are eerily relevant today. Bastard-born royal Marie is sent away from court by Eleanor of Aquitaine at the age of 17, doomed to live out her days as the prioress of an impoverished abbey. Marie arrives to find the nuns starving, dressed in threadbare hand-me-downs, and succumbing to disease. Rather than despair, Marie becomes determined to show Eleanor the mistake she has made in sending her away from the light and love at court. She begins to make seismic changes to the abbey, training the nuns in worthwhile trades and calling due taxes from their many delinquent tenants. Descended from a group of warrior women, Marie uses her physical strength to gather power and create an oasis for the women she now feels bound to protect. She pines for Eleanor, who she believes to have been her one true love, but finds new purpose and peace in the sisterhood and maternal love for her women.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
4 stars. A cozy fantasy perfect for winter. Emily Wilde, a rising scholar of dryadology—the study of faeries—has one last field study to complete her Encyclopaedia of Faeries, the first work of its kind. In Hrafnsvik, an Arctic island off the coast of Norway, she plans to study the Hidden Ones, her goal to be the first scholar to sight these elusive members of the courtly fae. But to her dismay, Emily finds herself not alone on her mission—her colleague and rival Wendell Brambleby knocks at her door one morning and promptly makes himself at home. Brambleby proposes an academic partnership and Emily grudgingly agrees, despite her suspicions that Brambleby knows more about the fae than he’s letting on. As winter deepens, the two befriend the townspeople and being to learn about the dark beings in the snowy woodlands of Hrafnsvik.
My Murder by Kate Williams
5 stars. Lou was murdered but now she’s back. The replication commission cloned Lou and the four other victims of serial killer Edward Early, returning Lou to her life with her devoted husband and baby girl. Lou attends a support group with the other reborn murder victims. She goes back to her job as a touch therapist, virtually hugging people to provide comfort and connection. She holds Nova, her baby but also not her baby. In many ways, Lou is no different from the women who was murdered. And yet, this body did not carry Nova, does not have a C-section scar, and the postpartum depression that consumed Lou before her murder has evaporated. Lou remembers her life before her murder—everything except for the day it happened. But as she digs deeper, some details about that day don’t add up. My Murder is the kind of book you blaze through in one sitting. It’s engrossing, fast paced but also full of heart.
The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin
4 stars. The anarchists left Urras for the desolate moon Annares to found a civilization based on mutual aid. But part of the deal was isolation, and Annares has shut itself off from the rest of the galaxy, turning inward to build its communal utopia. Shevek, a brilliant physicist, strains against the scholastic limitations of his society—their isolation makes discovery slow and labored. When the opportunity to leave Annares and travel to Urras arises, Shevek feels compelled to take it, knowing he’ll never complete his research without exposure to the ideas of other worlds and races. But while Urras is a paradise of green abundance, the disparity between the owners and the workers is extreme and violent. Will Shevek choose the wider, more cruel world of Urras, or the narrow, more egalitarian world of Annares? The novel explores the concept of freedom and choice: what makes us free?
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
4 stars. Claire Waverley uses the plants in her family’s mystical garden to start a very unique catering business in her hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Her stuffed pumpkin blossoms and rose-hip soups tend to leave the guests with new feelings, inspiring trust, forgiveness, and even love. It’s all part of the mysterious legacy of the Waverley family, and Claire and her elderly cousin Evanelle are the last of the line—except for Claire’s sister Sydney, who left Bascom more than a decade ago without a word. Now Sydney returns to Bascom, fleeing an abusive marriage, with her young daughter Bay in tow. Bay and Sydney try to start anew, while Claire tries to set aside her feelings of abandonment and learn to open her heart to family and love.
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
4 stars. One day, Regan tells a secret to the wrong person, and suddenly nothing will ever be the same. Distraught at her mistake, Regan steps through a door in the woods and into the Hooflands. Regan joins a roaming herd of centaurs and the Hooflands quickly become home, her past just a nagging feeling of guilt. But Regan knows that when humans enter the Hooflands, they are there to save the world—and someday she’ll have to step up to meet her destiny. Part of McGuire’s long-running Wayward Children series, which introduces us to children who step through doorways into other worlds that match their hearts’ desires. This is a standalone story—no familiarity with the earlier books needed—but I do recommend the whole series.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Did not finish. I made it about halfway through before I decided to set this story aside. The Lost Apothecary is not objectively bad, it is just, frankly, boring. The book has two narrators, Nella, an apothecary in 1791 London who dispenses poisons to her female clientele who each need to be rid of men who has wronged them. Caroline, the current-day narrator, has fled to London on an anniversary trip without her husband, who she has just discovered is cheating on her, and oh, she’s also probably pregnant. I could have done without the modern narrator altogether. Her story is sad, but also predictable and thin compared to the historic storyline. She’s also an amateur historian who is “uncovering” the “mystery” of the apothecary and it could not be more boring to watch her scale a fence to break into an abandoned cellar and act like it’s HIGH DANGER. Nella’s story is more compelling, but honestly pretty slow as well. This book just couldn’t hold my attention.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
5 stars. From the author of Station Eleven, this atmospheric novel begins at the remote Glass Hotel in British Columbia, where Vincent works as a bartender and meets Jonathan Alkaitis, a wealthy financier who sweeps her into his world of luxury. When Alkaitis’s massive Ponzi scheme collapses, lives unravel—Vincent disappears from a container ship, her half-brother Paul wrestles with addiction and guilt, and Alkaitis retreats into an imagined “counterlife” to escape the weight of his crimes. Mandel moves between timelines and perspectives, from the eerie isolation of the hotel to the sterile halls of prison, weaving in echoes of her earlier work.
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
3 stars. A bit fantasy, a bit romance. Hana’s father is retiring from the family business—a magical pawn shop where customers come to trade choices for peace of mind. But on her first day as the new owner, Hana wakes to the pawn shop ransacked and one of the pawned choices missing. With the help of a customer, Keishin, who haplessly stumbles into the shop that day, Hana must search for all that is missing: her father and the pawned choice. She takes Keishin into a dreamy world where night markets float in the clouds, puddles are means of transportation, and the future can be told with a tattoo.
House of Names by Colm Toibin
3 stars. A retelling of the story of Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon, the general who led the Greeks to war with Troy. While her husband’s story is well documented in the Iliad, Clytemnestra’s story is just as captivating. When his ships stagnant in the harbor, Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter to the gods. Thus begins the downfall of his marriage, as Clytemnestra plots his demise while he is away at war. The story also follows their two remaining children: Orestes, who is kidnapped by Clytemnestra’s lover along with other noble boys; and Electra, who hears ghosts whispering in the house and seeks vengeance for her mother’s betrayals.
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by M. J. Wassmer
3 stars. An end of the world romp. Dan is just trying to enjoy his first all-inclusive beach vacation with his girlfriend Mara. And then the sun explodes. Trapped on a remote island with just the other resort guests, lines are soon drawn between the VIP guests in building A and the everyday guests in buildings B & C. Fitness celebrity Lilyanna takes control of all the food and institutes mandatory morning prayer, yoga sessions, and work crews. Hapless Dan is just trying to fly under the radar and find a way off this island—but he keeps finding himself in heroic predicaments he never asked for.
The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin
4 stars. I should have liked this book more than I did. It has so many elements that should appeal to me. The premise: Great cities rise, are born, and take on human avatars. It’s New York’s turn to be born, and six denizens have been changed into a representation of the city, one for each borough and one primary who represents all of New York. But as each city rises, the Enemy is there, hoping to snuff it out. The avatars of New York must find one another, grapple with their new identities, and face off against the Enemy to save our city. Seeing my city come to life, meeting the representatives of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, should have been more fun for me. Don’t get me wrong—this is a good book. It’s well written, it’s a unique premise, but it never really won my heart, despite having so much going for it.
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
3 stars. Straight up Great British Baking Show fan fiction. Aside from being set in America rather than England, I was actually shocked at just how many details are taken directly from the hit show. From the white tent on the estate grounds, to the physical descriptions of the judges, to the catchphrase “Ready, set, bake,” the book doesn’t just pay homage—it’s borderline copyright infringement. That said, it’s not the worst fan fiction I’ve ever read. If what you’re looking for is GBBS in book format, you just found it.
Julia, 1984 by Sandra Newman
5 stars. A must read. This second POV on George Orwell’s 1984 should be required reading, and I think reading both books together would be a great experience. Newman’s take is written from the point of view of Julia, adding depth and the female perspective to the story that Orwell originated. The story feels fresh but familiar, bringing back the Ministry of Truth but also taking us deeper into the story of Big Brother’s ascension. Gender politics play an important role in Newman’s story, but she also adds nuance to the tactics of the Thought Police and opens the door to what’s happening outside of London. The result feels like an expansion of Orwell’s original work, with updates that really speak to the issues we face today.
The Last Murder at the End of the World Stuart Turton
3 stars. The murderous fog that all but ended the human race is held at bay around the island, sheltering 122 villagers and 3 elders, who are searching for a way to restore the planet. But the island has been secluded for a few generations now and they’re no closer to a solution. When one of the elders, a woman who was alive during the initial catastrophe, is murdered, the barrier holding the fog at bay breaks, and curious Emory must solve the murder in time to bring the barrier back up and save what’s left of humanity. Part murder mystery, part apocalyptic sci-fi thriller.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
4 stars. Written like a fable but set in our very real world. Heir to a luxury hotel empire, Indigo offers her beloved entry into a world of rarified beauty. The price: he must never pry into her past. But when Indigo’s aunt falls ill and they must return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom starts to see glimmers of a past that he can’t look away from. What happened to Indigo’s childhood best friend, Azure? What secrets are hidden in the House of Dreams—and can the house grant the bridegroom his heart’s desire if he uncovers them?
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
4 stars. This true crime thriller tells the story of a notorious American serial killer through the eyes of one of his victims and the star witness in the case against him. Knoll’s story reclaims the narrative for the victims, relegating the killer to simply “The Defendant.” His name is never mentioned, though we know who he is. Pamela is the president of the sorority house at Florida State where The Defendant kills several girls, including her best friend. She is also the only person to have seen the Defendant. She meets Ruth, a woman who has been following the Defendant’s trail across state lines, pursuing her own agenda against the man she is sure killed her closest friend. My only complaint about this book was that it’s about halfway between fiction and true crime, and where the line lies was a bit confusing. I could have done with more information on what was fictionalized and what was true.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
4 stars. Yes, yes, I know I’m incredibly late to the game on this one. But if I may make a complaint: The cover and title of this book strongly suggested it was a genre romance and kept me from picking it up for a long time. On the recommendation of a friend, I finally dived in to Lessons in Chemistry and am glad I did as it’s far from a romance but rather a story about defying gender roles, fighting sexism, and promoting female ambition. Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist, refuses to conform to society’s expectations for a 1960s housewife. She doggedly pursues a career as a scientist, but constant harassment and single motherhood forces her down an unexpected path: hosting a cooking show on network television. Elizabeth uses her talents to teach her viewers chemistry, encouraging them to pursue their own dreams and go beyond the paths society has laid out for them.
Never Let Me Go by Kazou Ishiguro
4 stars. A reread for me. I saw somewhere that this was the 20th anniverasry of Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, and decided to pick it up again. I enjoyed in just as much this time as on my first read. The story follows friends Kath, Tommy, and Ruth, children raised with the understanding that they are in fact clones whose organs will one day be harvested in a series of operations. Despite this, they lead relatively happy and fulfilling lives—they make art, they study literature, they fall in love. In a recent interview, Ishiguro shared that he’s often asked why Kath and the others never try to run away, to escape their fate. He felt that the story of those who fight back is what we expect from literature, so he wanted to explore the quieter story of those who simply try to live the best life they can within the confines of their world.
Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
4 stars. In this sequel to Less, Arthur embarks on a cross-country road trip through America after inheriting unexpected debt. His journey takes him from desert trailers to Civil War reenactments, as he runs away from (or towards) love and mistaken identity. The classic American road trip novel, but with a slightly greying, gay narrator and a borrowed pug at the wheel.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
4 stars. What if Aurora was the villain and the fairy who put her to sleep the hero? T. Kingfisher’s sweet novella is part love story, part fairy tale. Toadling has been guarding the tower covered in thorns for decades now. She can’t leave her post, can’t risk that she could get out. A knight has other ideas though.
The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wasteland by Sarah Brooks
3.5 stars. The train runs between Beijing and Moscow, the only connection across the Wasteland. Decades ago, the landscape began to change. No one knows why or quite what is happening in the Wasteland. The creatures are eerie, the landscape amorphous, the air potentially deadly. The train is equal parts lifeline and tourist attraction. Something happened on the last crossing, something none of the passengers or crew can remember, so it’s no wonder they’re on edge as the train begins its next, and perhaps final, journey.
The Compound by Aisling Rawle
5 stars. The Bachelorette and Love Island in novel format, The Compound is a compulsively readable novel perfect for end-of-summer vacations. Lily is one of the contestants on the newest season of a hit reality show. She and nine other women wake to find themselves in a compound in the desert, miles from civilization. Within a day, ten men will join them. Then the competition will begin in earnest. The rule—don’t sleep alone. The contestants can earn fabulous personal rewards by completing tasks, and the last one standing can have nearly unlimited prizes. But alone in the desert and at the mercy of the unseen producers’ manipulations, what lengths will the contestants go to to win?
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
3 stars. Rafe and Jeremy spent six months in a magical realm in their teens. Now in their 30s, they find a way to go back to help a woman find her lost sister, the queen of that realm. Shaffer’s style is to channel the nostalgia of well-loved childhood fantasy stories, but frame them for adult characters. What is the draw of a hidden world with fantastical creatures and perilous quests for 30-year-old men? The result is a cozy fantasy that feels like coming home for readers of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe or Bridge to Terabithia. But The Lost Story fell short to me. The part that truly confused me was Rafe and Jeremy’s relationship with Queen Skya. Rafe and Jeremy are a couple, but their interactions with Skya are bizarrely borderline romantic. I think it’s meant to be charming and all “found family-esque,” but it came off as just plain odd to me. We’re also constantly told how fabulous Skya is by all the characters, but never given any real chance to connect to her. I think the story could have done with simplification, focusing on Rafe and Jeremy and their hunt for the hidden realm.
Man at the Helm by Nina Stibbe
4 stars. Divorce sends Lizzie, her mother, and her two siblings from their posh house outside London to a more humble (but still suitable for ponies) cottage in a village. The Vogel family are immediate outcasts there and Lizzie and her sister determine this is mainly because they do not have a man at the helm. The two girls start The Man List, comprised of the various semi-suitable men in the village, most of whom are, at least currently, married. Their ultimate goal is their mother’s happiness, which will be marked by less drinking, fewer pills, and little to no playwriting.
Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
4 stars. First let’s get my one minor critique out of the way: this book is super misnamed. Dream Prison would have been a far, far better title. Sara has been in a retention facility for 10 months now, separated from her husband and baby twins when her risk score spiked. Her dream-monitoring device believes Sara will commit a crime in the near future. But what started as a mandatory 21-day observation period has ballooned into a long-term imprisonment with no end in sight. Retainees are punished for the slightest deviations from protocol—a non-standard hair style can result in an extension. Sara spends her time fixated on both the past and the future—what exactly caused her risk score to rise above the legal limit? What dream landed her here? And how can she convince the bureaucracy to let her out?
Still the Sun by Charlie N. Holmberg
3 stars. Tinkerer Pell is fascinated by the machines of the Ancients. She spends her spare time digging in the deserts that surround her village of Emgarden, searching for lost fragments and trying to uncover their meaning. So when a stranger appears at her doorstep in the mist and invites her to enter a tower that’s been sealed for as long as living memory, Pell can’t resist. The stranger and his companion need help to repair the machines in the tower. But as Pell spends her days studying and repairing the machines, she starts to experience visions—or perhaps memories. Still the Sun has some fairly unique world-building and a nice little romance to go along with it.
The Bone Orchard by Sara A Mueller
5 stars. One of my favorite books of the year. I loved it so much I rushed to see if this author had written anything else and was crushed to see she hasn’t (yet). The Bone Orchard was one of the first truly unique fantasy concepts I’ve read in years. But it doesn’t just get points for the idea—the execution is also beautiful, compelling, and immersive. Charm is both a political prisoner and mistress to the Emperor. Her position has afforded her some freedoms, like Orchard House, where Charm plays host to nobility and military leaders, along with her “sisters.” Because Charm, or rather the woman Charm used to be—known as The Lady—has a unique ability: she can craft bodies from bones she grows in the orchard and imbue them with elements of her personality. The Lady has created bodies for Shame, Justice, Pride, Pain and Desire. Charm and the Lady share the original body, the Lady shut up behind a mindlock that the Emperor controls. When the Emperor is murdered, Charm and her bone ghosts must work together to discover which of his children is responsible while also trying to understand and accept the fragmentation of their own personality.
Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire
4 stars. Another from Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. I tend to pick these up when I need a quick, transporting read. This installment needs a bit of background from earlier books. Cora stepped through a door and became a mermaid, the thing she was always meant to be. But when she helped some fellow schoolmates rescue one of their friends on the Moors, she attracted the attention of the Drowned Gods—and they don’t want to let go. Now back at the School for Wayward Children, Cora is haunted by the Drowned Gods. Feeling she has no other option, Cora asks to be transferred to a different school—one that helps lost children forget their doors rather than find them.
Isola by Allegra Goodman
5 stars. Loved this one, which is based on a true story. Orphaned French noblewoman Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of a guardian, Roberval, who does not have her best interests at heart. Roberval sells Marguerite’s estate, using the money to fund an expedition to New France. Marguerite and her loyal nurse have no choice but to accompany Roberval on his voyage. A volatile and jealous man, Roberval becomes enraged when he realizes Marguerite has fallen in love with his secretary. As punishment, he maroons the trio on an uninhabited island off the coast of Canada. Aristocratic Marguerite and her companions must find a way to survive in a harsh North American winter like none they have ever experienced.
The Great Transition by Nick Fuller Googins
5 stars. The climate collapse has happened. Fifteen years later, the world is on the other side of it, on the road to recovery. Through the work of a generation, the Great Transition has led to a carbon neutral society. New cities have sprung up in the Arctic, powered by wind and water turbine projects that harness the now-common hurricane events that sweep the globe. Emi’s family played a critical role in building this new world. Her parents Kristina and Larch are heroes of the Transition. Because of their sacrifices, Emi has an easy life in Nuuk. But Emi’s mother can’t release the harms of the past, nor forgive those who knowingly brought the world to the brink of collapse and profited from it. When a terrorist attack targets climate criminals around the globe, Emi and her father set out to find missing Kristina and uncover her role in the attacks.
Caitlin Kenney Smith 