Best Books of 2025: #5
December 27, 2025 | Best Books of 2025, Book Reviews, Commentaries
We’ve now reached the top five best books of the year, at least according to me. Kicking off this portion of the countdown is a romantic comedy that has all the summer vibes. It is The Wedding People by Alison Espach.
What is it about? Things can’t get much worse for English lit professor Phoebe Stone. After years of being married to the man Phoebe assumed was the love of her life, it is over. Her husband has divorced her and is now living with another, younger professor who teaches at the same school as Phoebe. Than her cat dies and Phoebe has decided she’s had enough. Spontaneously she books a room at an expensive but luxurious hotel in Newport, Rhode Island. But, to her surprise, Phoebe discovers she is the only guest at the hotel who is not part of a large wedding. Before she knows it, Phoebe finds herself swept up in the wedding, playing mediator between the bride-to-be and her eccentric family.
Why did I love it? Is there really anything better than reading a good romcom in the summertime? I didn’t think so. The Wedding People was almost a nonstop fun ride of crazy antics, obnoxious in-laws, and ridiculous wedding shenanigans. I say almost as the book is a bit heavy in its first few chapters (I do suggest checking out trigger warnings) but after that is a strong comedy that will make you fall in love with all the characters. I can’t remember the last time I really felt connected to a group of characters in a romance book and it left me thinking about them for a while. Ridiculously funny and not afraid to poke fun at stereotypes, The Wedding People is an absolute must read.
What is it about? When her boyfriend suggests a hiking trip in the Rocky Mountains, Christa is less than thrilled. More specifically, she is anxious about confronting the demons that forced her to give up hiking altogether. Despite this, Christa agrees and the couple joins a small group that travels up to the mountains. But when a storm unexpectedly hits, Christa’s boyfriend goes missing and she, along with the rest of the group, takes shelter in an abandoned camp. Things couldn’t get worse, right? Wrong. When the tour guide also goes missing and is found brutally murdered, the group is left with a terrifying question, who is the murderer?
What is it about? Middle class father Frank is ecstatic when his estranged daughter, Maggie, calls him unexpectantly. She not only wants to forget the pains of the past but she is also calling Frank to tell him she is getting married. Frank is surprised but happy for his daughter and dutifully heads to the wedding with his sister, Tammy, and Tammy’s foster daughter in tow. As it turns out, Maggie isn’t just marrying anybody. She is marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of an insanely wealthy tech giant. The Gardners put on a happy facade but it doesn’t take long for Frank to notice some of the cracks in the perfect image as well as one or two buried bodies.
What is it about? Josie and Alix have a chance encounter. While they are both out celebrating their forty-fifth birthday, their lives could not be more different. Josie has an older husband who she seems to have no connectiong with, a grown daughter who barely leaves her room, and an unfulfilling career. Alix is a popular host of a podcast focusing on successful women, is married to a wonderful husband, and has two amazing children. Despite their differences, the “birthday twins” hit it off. As they grew closer, Josie asks Alix to share her story on Alix’s podcast. What starts off as a simple favor snowballs into a dizzying tale of lies, deceit, and one person’s word against another.
What is it about? Charlie and Eve are a young queer couple who recently bought a fixer up in a picturesque neighborhood. Along with their dog, Charlie and Eve have big plans of flipping the old home and reselling it for a big profit. All seems to be going well until Eve, while home alone, hears someone knocking at the door. On the other side is a family; dad, mom, and three children. The father grew up in this house and they would like to tour the home, if that’s okay? Eve, a people pleaser to a tremendous fault, agrees but once she lets them in she’ll learn it will soon be impossible to get them out.
What is it about? At one time, Carrie Soto was the undisputed queen of female tennis. She won game after game, trophy after trophy. She didn’t make many friends but she was the best, a title that had been drilled into her by her father. Now thirty-seven and retired, Carrie believes her legacy is set in stone, until a new female tennis player starts catching up with her. Unable to handle the idea of someone beating her records, Carrie returns to the world of tennis for one last season.
Happy Saturday fellow readers and welcome to the kickoff of the Best Books of 2025! If you have been following me for awhile you know it is a tradition on my blog/social media to share with you the best books I read in 2025. It is something I look forward to doing every year and I can’t believe the time has finally come to countdown the books of 2025.
Honorable Mentions: Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano, The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig & Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi
Hello again fellow readers! Today I’m sharing with you my Fall 2025 Wrap-Up, where I go over every book I read from September to the end of November. Since I wasn’t able to share as many reviews during this season with you, this is an excellent opportunity to catch up.
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig – First off is this newly published mystery centering around four adult friends who, when they were teenagers, went camping in the woods with their fifth friend who mysteriously vanished after he climbed a seemingly abandoned staircase. Now, they return to those woods and attempt to find their friend once and for all. This was a good read with an interesting concept with its main weakness being it’s ending where, seemingly, a major question is left open ended. I’m not sure if Mr. Wendig will be writing a sequel but if he isn’t, then the ending feels very underwhelming to me.
The September House by Carissa Orlando – A new favorite that blends horror with comedy, The September House centers around Margaret who, along with her husband, Hal, purchases her dream home. The only problem? It is inhabited by ghosts. When Hal goes missing and Margaret’s grown daughter shows up demanding questions, Margaret has to think on her feet and keep her daughter from discovering the truth and unleashing the monster that inhabits the basement. This was a very quick read and honestly one of my favorite books of the year (will it be on my best books of 2025 list?)
With a Vengeance by Riley Sager – The newest release from Riley Sager that centers around a murder mystery on an overnight train. I absolutely adored Home Before Dark, which I read during Summerween, but this one fell very flat for me. The pacing was sluggish, the main character was uninteresting, and I felt a sense of relief for it when it finally ended. A novella format for this story would have been much more fulfilling.
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing – No Fall reading list can be complete for me without at least one dark academia book. This 5 star read centers on Teddy, a teacher at a prestigious school, and the dangerous cat and mouse game he enters with one of his students. As the bodies begin to pile up, the reader is left to ask if Teddy will be caught or if he committed the perfect murder. This was a very fast read for me and became an instant favorite.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – In this horrific mystery, we follow socialite Noemi who is asked by her father to visit her cousin, who sent a cryptic letter begging for her uncle’s help. Noemi arrives at the estate but soon begins to suspect that her cousin’s husband, and his entire family, have sinister intentions. This was well written but I found the execution of the story to be lacking. The horror elements were disturbing and gross so anyone not comfortable with that should probably stay away. I gave this a well deserving 3.5 stars and am open to more of Ms. Garcia’s books in the future.
Don’t Let the Forest In by C. G. Drews – In a dark academia story that fell slightly short, Don’t Let the Forest In is a young adult story that has garnered a huge fanbase in the book community. While I certainly see the attraction, I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. It is very open ended and while some readers might appreciate this, I was left with just too many questions to be satisfied. That being said, the relationship between the two male students were very well developed and for a young adult book this definitely reads on the more advanced side.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer – This psychological thriller was a 4 star read for me with plenty of twists, turns, and fast paced writing. Centering on Eve, who just recently moved into a new house with her partner Charlie, the story follows Eve after she allows a family to enter her house, on the pretext that the father lived in the home as a child. But as the unexpected guests wear out their welcome, strange occurrences begin to happen and Eve begins to question what is real and what isn’t. This is an excellent book to have for a book club as the many twists and turns are fun to unwrap together. My book club that I read this for had a great time discussing all the possibilities and sharing things each person noticed that others didn’t. This book doesn’t receive a full five stars as the ending was open ended and, as we have established, I’m not much of a fan of.
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy – Nat Cassidy, a horror author who is sometimes referenced as the new Stephen King, has been an author on my TBR for awhile. I was able to pickup a copy of his newest book, When the Wolf Comes Home, and read it this spooky season. The story focuses on aspiring actress Jess who finds a young boy hiding in the bushes of her apartment building. She has hardly met the boy before a terrifying creature begins to hunt her and the boy down. As Jess attempts to figure out what is happening, secrets are revealed about the boy. To me, this werewolf story was a fairly standard werewolf book and while the little boy’s big secret was an interesting take I was left a bit disappointed by it. I’ll still give another Nat Cassidy book a try but will have more lowered expectations.
This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead – Speaking of lowered expectations, this newest release from Ashley Winstead left me wanting more instead, which is an odd thing to say being that this true crime story sets at nearly 500 pages. A group of online sleuths travel to a small Idaho town to investigate the murders of several college girls. That’s a good concept but boy does it take us a long time to Idaho! That part of the story doesn’t start to take shape until over 200 pages in, with the first half of the book dedicated to how the group comes into being. That would be fine, but it did not need to be that long and by the time I got to the last 100 pages I was skimming in an attempt to finally finish. If this book had been cut in half it would have been much better.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna – Now what fall season can be completed without reading at least one cozy story? This little book focuses on a witch who is hired to help three young witches control their powers, all while she falls in love with their guardian. Sweet, simply, and very cozy, this book is a nice pallet cleanser and makes you feel all warm inside when you’re done.
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi – The final book I read during the Fall season was the sequel to the graphic novel, Persepolis. Picking up right where the first book left off, the reader follows Marjane as she attempts to navigate her new life in Europe. Eventually, Marjane returns to Iran where she tries to make a future for herself but that isn’t easy either. Featuring Ms. Satrapi’s signature humor and vivid drawings, this was a well done sequel to a graphic novel that I adored last year.
Hello fellow readers! It’s been a while since I lasted posted on this blog (fall turned out to be way busier than I anticipated!) but I’m back to share with you my Winter 2025/2026 TBR. For the purpose of this post, I consider winter to be from December to the end of February so below are 10 books I’m planning on cracking into during the snowy season. What are you hoping to get to?
Good Spirits by B. K. Borison – First up in this A Christmas Carol retelling that I am reading for my book club. Nolan Callahan is the Ghost of Christmas Past and his latest assignment is Harriet York. The job is an odd one for Harriet seems to be a good person, a people pleaser through and through. But as Nolan and Harriet dig into her past, they discover connections that bring them closer together. As the Christmas Eve deadline draws closer, can they create a future for Harriet that will be good for both of them? From the synopsis, this seems like the perfect fun holiday read to pick up in December.
The Christmas Cure by Kristine Winters – Back in October I got to visit a new independent bookstore that focuses on just romance books. After perusing the shelves I settled on this holiday Gilmore Girls inspired romance. I recently finished watching the Fall favorite TV show and anything that claims to be inspired by Lorelai and Rory Gilmore is something I am very interested in. The Christmas Cure follows ER physician Libby Munro who finds herself transported back in time to last year’s Christmas. As she confronts her past decisions, she begins an unexpected romance that could rewrite her future. Small town vibes? Check. Romance? Check.
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver – The final holiday book I’m hoping to get to this December is a Josie Silver romance that takes place in New York between a chef and her best friend. A festive read that is sure to give me all the vibes, I can’t wait to add it to my read list.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon – As I transit from the holiday season to just plain old winter I’m switching gears. This historical fiction mystery takes place in Maine, 1789. When a body is discovered in the river, midwife Martha Ballard is summoned to determine the cause of death. Martha immediately recognizes the victim as a physician who, months earlier, she had reported for rape. But no charges where every laid against the physician and a second doctor. When the now dead physician’s death is ruled an accident, undermining Martha’s own conclusions, she sets out to discover the truth herself. A highly rated book that I was recommended in my book club, I can’t wait to kick off 2026 with this.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things Iain Reid – A young couple is traveling to meet the boyfriend’s parents for a seemingly uneventful dinner. But, not everything is as it appears. In this short, compact thriller, author Iain Reid creates a story that promises to hold the reader until the very end.
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano – This one needs no introduction. Book four of the amazingly hilarious Finlay Donovan series is next on my list and I am locked in, ready for a fun time.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell – This historical fiction by Maggie O’Farrell is a fictional retelling of William Shakespeare’s relationship with his wife, Anne, after the death of their son. The tragedy challenges their marriage but also sparks the writing of one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. A movie starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley came out this holiday season and is set to become a huge awards contender this year. With that, this book has risen to the top of my TBR list.
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwod – With February I shift gears yet again and focus solely on romance. The first one I hope to get to young is The Love of My Afterlife. Delphie has just died and when she arrives in the afterlife, she finds herself face to face with a dreamy stranger. They begin to talk and Delphie can’t believe her luck. Has she finally found the love of her life? Maybe, because when someone announces a mistake has been made and the dreamy stranger is sent back to Earth, Delphie makes a deal to return to Earth as well and reconnect with the stranger. But with nothing to go off, can Delphie find the mystery man before her time runs out?
What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon – The second romance I’m hoping to pickup in February tells the story of Dani who receives a job in Amsterdam. When she arrives romance blooms between her and Wouter van Leeuwen, a Dutch citizen who was also an exchange student in high school and the family he stayed with was Dani’s. As their romance blooms, complications arise and the two are forced to make decisions that will determine their future.
The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater – The 10th and final book I’m hoping to get to this winter season is a historical fiction mixed with magical realism. Set in 1942 at the Avallon Hotel & Spa in West Virginia, general manager June Porter Hudson is asked by the State Department to do the unthinkable; host Axis diplomats that have been captured in hopes of learning enemy secrets. Meanwhile, FBI agent Tucker Minnick keeps his ear to the wall, hoping to learn something to bring the war to an end. As June and Tucker juggle their impossible tasks, they find that the captured diplomats have brought to war to the hotel.