Top 10 Best Books I read in 2025!
I read a lot of books this year – a wrap-up is coming at the end of the month with the final number. So, determining a top 10 list is actually incredibly hard. I also read very, very widely. I intended to expand my horizons and deviate a bit more from my romance roots, which I think I achieved without a doubt. So, because of that, I chose to separate my favourite list into romance and non-romance, which simply makes it much easier for me to compartmentalise and put together as near a list as I can.
Additionally, I’m very strict with my five stars and also the criteria in which I hand them out. I rate books according to what they set out to achieve rather than just as general bodies of work. Different novels strive for different goals. Some deliver deep, thematically layered literary experiences, while others are light, low-stakes romances that are no less captivating. For that reason, I judge each book by how well it fulfils the aims of its own genre or concept. This means a short Chick-lit romance can be 5 stars because it’s light, easy, delivered exactly what I required of it based on what it was and was an overall enjoyable experience despite not being thematically challenging. In the same vein, a book that is more complex and thematically challenging only achieves 3 stars because I think it doesn’t quite achieve its intentions, or it falls flat in some areas, and I’m far more critical. However, that also doesn’t mean the 5-star book is better than the 3-star book. I simply wouldn’t compare the two as they are completely different. I hope that makes sense. So I separated out the books that are easier to compare from the ones that aren’t.
This list isn’t in order either, simply because I have no idea what the correct order would be. If I think too hard about it, I’ll never land on a ranking I’m fully confident in. So instead, I’m giving you what I feel were the best books I read this year, with their rating, which I used GoodReads and Fable for. They’re a blend of critically acclaimed titles, bestsellers, widely loved books, and a few more obscure gems. I have added my favourite quotes from each book as well.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
A painful yet beautiful story – really enjoyed it, I already have a full review.
No one forgets that they were once captive, even if they are now free.
Blood over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
A stressful experience, the best recommendation I got this year. Do read my full review.
“It’s much easier to tell yourself you’re a good person than it is to actually be one.”
The Attic Child by Lola Jaye
A story everyone should read, so glad I did. Read the mini review.
If I had known – if I had just known – I would have tempered my excitement with questions, so many questions.
Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah
What a twist at the end! Review coming soon!
Who knew that absence could feel so solid? It wasn’t an emptiness but a presence; a hard ball of something tumid.
The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
Absolutely broke my Heart. My current favourite read that was published in 2025, so read the full review!
People always say not to forget because then history will repeat itself. But maybe history will repeat itself anyway, and forgetting is how we bear it.
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Absolutely RIVETING, my favourite this year! Read the full review.
We live in a world where exceptional women have to sit around waiting for mediocre men.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
As if Suzanne Collins couldn’t hurt us more! I still read quotes and cry every time. Another book I loved and reviewed.
You were capable of imagining a different future. And maybe it won’t be realized today, maybe not in our lifetime. Maybe it will take generations. We’re all part of a continuum. Does that make it pointless?
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Broke a strong reading slump. Read full review.
Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic. Writing is creating something out of nothing, is opening doors to other lands. Writing gives you power to shape your own world when the real one hurts too much.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Brimming with life and so many interesting tales of womanhood. Read the full review.
Ageing is nothing to be ashamed of
Especially when the entire race is in it together, Although sometimes it seems that she alone among her friends wants to celebrate getting older, Because it’s such a privilege to not die prematurely.
Who Asked You? by Terry MacMillan
I had so much fun!! Real, raw, but still light-hearted and funny.
They learned the hard way that you can’t save nobody who ain’t interested in being saved.
So there we have it, my top 10 books of the year! Some ratings I had to rethink, as though I am strict, I’m also an impulsive reviewer, and if I review the book the minute I finish it, and I’m on a high, it is a 5-star read, and it usually takes me a few days to settle and think.
I’ve also added the following special mentions, just books that I really enjoyed that just missed out on those top spots.
Special Mentions
There are probably still some more books that should be on here and aren’t, but this was so hard to do, so I’m sticking with it for now.
Do let me know what your favourite reads this year are, or if you resonate with any of mine!
I’m having so much fun with this wrap-up! It feels like going down memory lane, as some of these books were read months ago! I hope you stay tuned in, more reviews and lists to come!
Signed,
