Best Fiction Books to read of 2025

INSIDE : Read along with me this year! Check out the Best Fiction Books to Read of 2025 and see my quick reviews of each of them. Mystery, thriller, memoir, historical fiction and a little self help – I love reading a wide variety of books and I’d love hearing which are your favorites!

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This post will be updated continually throughout 2025.

I have found in recent years that reading has become a beautiful way for me to slow down, relax and enjoy the pleasure of being elsewhere. I read 99 books last year and have really found a few genres that I’m most drawn to – I love books that make me think, make me feel and grow my heart of compassion. And in between those big reads, I need a few light and fluffy books because things can get heavy quickly!

Reading is such a gift, but as a busy mom to two middle schoolers I have dove deeply into audio books as well. I love having a mix of real paper books and also a few books on Libby or Audible to listen to as well.

I also am in two bookclub, which I think is such a fun way to encourage a variety of reading material!

Want to check my favorite books from previous years? 

• Best Fiction Books to read in 2021 (read 23 books)
• Best Fiction Books to read in 2022 (read 35 books)
• Best Fiction Books to read in 2023 (read 65 books)
• Best Fiction Books to read in 2024 (read 99 books)
• Best Fiction Books to read in 2025

If you want to see all my recent books in one place, you can check out my Amazon Book page.

Shop my 2025 fiction reads…

Here are all the books I’ve been reading so far in 2025 and I’d love you to comment below with your favorite reads, too! You will see fiction books shared in order below and then I have a list at the very bottom of this post with all my other genre of reads (self help, religion, memoir, etc…).

Top Fiction Books in 2025

1. Son by Lois Lowry

Gracious, what a wonderful quick read! This book is the 4th in a series – most well known for it’s first book, The Giver. Although this series is geared for middle school/high school, there is SO MUCH to them and I really can’t recommend them enough!

The story starts with a girl they call Water Claire because she washed up on shore and no one knows that she came from a society where feelings, colors and passion don’t exist.

That she had become a “birth mother” at 14 carrying a “product”. The product had then been taken from her, but she was determined to find out more about him – where was he, did he love her and how could she get him back? She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible.

Water Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice.

I’m glad someone told me there were more books than simply The Giver because they all have been quick, thought provoking and worth reading. I do think you should read the other books in this series before starting Son – as it will make more sense.

• The Giver
• Gathering Blue
• Messenger 
• Son by Lois Lowry, 5 out 5. Great final book to a great series!

2. The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Am I allowed to have both of my first two books of 2025 be Five Star reviews??! I read this book for my online bookclub and (it was my pick), but I loved it! I found myself pausing the book to Google facts about Eleanor Roosevelt, her husband the 32nd President Franklin Roosevelt and Mrs. Mary Bethune – what a wonderful historical fiction read. It touches on racism, women’s rights and politics – my kind of book.

The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune step by step rises in fame by starting business, opening colleges, hospitals and many many other things for people of color in the 30’s and 40’s.

Eleanor Roosevelt is eager to make her acquaintance and quickly the two become great friends. They begin to collaborate on their shared views of the civil rights movement, as well as justice and equality for all. But as history shows, it wasn’t an easy road for equality (and still isn’t to this day).

Great book, very inspirational and a shame Mary Bethune is not taught in schools around the country – I would have loved learning more about this inspirational women! 4.5 out of 5 The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

3. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

I loved this book. I have loved quite a few of Liane Moriarty’s books and this one had such a unique twist to it.

The story follows Alice as she wakes up while laying on the floor of her gym. She’s taken a fall and very quickly realizes she has lost the last 10 years of her memory. I found this book SO interesting as you start to see how much life she has really lost in the last 10 years. She doesn’t remember having her 3 children and swears she’s never even seen them in her life. She desperately wants her husband, Nick to come visit her in the hospital – only to find out they are separated and near a divorce. In her mind she is wildly in love with him.

It’s just so interesting to see how this book plays out and I loved it all.

5 out of 5 What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

4. A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw

What can I say? I’m on a great reading streak! This was a mystery suspense book and I really enjoyed it. It never felt scary or spooky like some thrillers, but still held your attention really well. However you definitely got the sense that something weird was going on in Pastoral.

A man named Travis is hired to locate the famous missing author Maggie St. James. Her mother utters just one word to him, “Pastoral”. He heads off to find this mysterious location and is not seen again for two years.

This book is mostly set in the woods of Northern California on a peaceful commune of sorts. Each person in this community plays a role in helping to sustain everyone, but they must never cross the perimeter and enter into the surrounding forest or they risk getting the rot disease from the trees.

So many secrets. So so good. 5 out of 5 A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw

5. Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

I am on a GREAT reading streak here! Just finished this book and I loved it. I was equally horrified and fascinated by many of the cultural norms of Chinese women during the time period of this book, namely foot binding as an act of beauty for their future husbands, among many others. I understand that every culture has their own customs and I find them interesting to learn about.

According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family is being raised by her grandparents to know Chinese medicine. She learns the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient. This book highlights the many women in Lady Tan’s life and how they all play a role in her life both good and bad. It was a beautiful and interesting read.

I highly enjoyed it and also loved Lisa See’s other book, The Island of Sea Women. 5 out of 5 Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

6. The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable

I read this book with my local bookclub for the month of January.

Set in 1704, Anna Maria has only known life inside the Pietà, an orphanage for children born of prostitutes. However, most babies born in that situation were drowned in the canal so living in the strict rules with music lessons from an early age this was a better situation than it could be.

Anna Maria is determined to be the best violinist there is and Antonio Vivaldi (her teacher), will teach Anna everything he knows—but he’s not as great as you may think.

It’s a story of the oppressed overcoming destitution and abuse to make music, and whose contributions to some of the most important works of classical music, including “The Four Seasons,” have been overlooked for too long.

This book had a bit of The Queen’s Gambit vibe to it, I thought. Enjoyable read, but does make me feel a little sad about classical music. I think less of Vivaldi now. 3.75 out of 5 The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable

7. All Fours by Miranda July

Wow and not in a good way. I heard online about this book and that all women going through midlife should read it. This is only a book to read if you have a VERY OPEN views about sex. It’s the story of a 45 year old women who decides to take a cross country trip to NYC for some time away from her life and family. She’s clearly a thinker and feeling some levels of depression.

30 minutes into her trip she exits the freeway, checks into a random motel and begins a 2 week love affair with a 20 something year old married guy. There were just weird weird scenes with tampons and lots of lesbian sex later on. Maybe I’m a prude, but this just did not feel like a book that every 40 year old women should read. How it was a The Times top ten books of the year I really have no clue. I’ve read a ton of spicy books and this one just felt way to much to me.

2 out of 5, but maybe 1. Not a fan. All Fours by Miranda July

*It reminded me a bit of Death Valley by Melissa Broder and I didn’t especially like that book either. Death Valley was much more drug trippy, while All Fours was more sexual crazy. Both I finished and was like what in the world was the point of this book?? !

8. It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison

I love a good psychological thriller and this was a great one.

This one dips heavily into IVF and I can’t give too much away… but it gives the book an interesting twist.

This follows Olivia Bender and her husband Park who desperately have been trying to start a family. When suddenly the police show up at their door saying there has been a suspect found in a recent murder and it’s a child of Park’s… but he doesn’t have any children. Or does he??!

As the murder investigation goes deeper, more terrible truths come to light. Ah, it was a fun read. 4.5 out of 5 for me. Loved it. It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison

9. Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks

Just finished this book. I used to really enjoy Nicholas Sparks books and they are still near to my heart, but I don’t think I love them quite as much as I once did. I ADORE that all of his books are set in North Carolina because that state is my favorite.

Counting Miracles was a fine read. Probably a lot of people would enjoy it. It’s light, easy to consume and overall always ends with a happy ending. This book was based off Job in the Bible, so one of the characters really goes through some major hardships over his lifetime.

It was enjoyable, but I wouldn’t probably shout from the rooftops that anyone needs to read it. 3.75 out of 5. Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks

10. Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins

I can’t remember where I heard about this book, but it intrigued me. A memoir of a son and his mother, Barbara who take a huge 5,000 mile cross country roadtrip together. They disagree about politics, about God, his sexuality and more. But they love thrift stores, they love eating at diners, they love true crime podcasts and they love each other. Jedidiah, the son, wants to view his mom’s world more clearly and get to know her in a way that their normal encounters haven’t allowed.

He tackles questions that I myself struggle with family, like –

• How do we stay in relationship when it hurts?
• When do boundaries turn into separation?
• When do we stand up for ourselves and when do we let it go?

I have read a handful of “road trip turns life discovery” books and this one is BY FAR MY FAVORITE. It’s the perfect real combination of tender, funny, smart and moving. It doesn’t feel forced or like fake comedy thrown in. I love this book. 5 out of 5 Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins. I plan on reading a few others he has written.

11. Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

First of all, this book is fascinating because the main characters are all from other books that Elizabeth Strout has written about. This is my first book of hers, so now I am intrigued to read her earlier ones! Also their ages reflect the marching along of time based on those previous books. I love when authors do cool storytelling things like this.

This book touches on themes of friendship, love and the human desire for connection in the later stages of life, as all the characters are in their 60’s or older. It was neat to read a book about people who can talk to their past experiences and then you can see how various hurts or traumas shaped the path of their life.

There is a crime in their town, people are falling in and out of love and I thought it was so beautifully done to weave a mystery in with so much other real human connection/life going on. It was a wonderful 4 out of 5 for me. Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

12. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

I read The Book of Longing a few years ago and LOVED it. It’s a fictional story about Jesus’ wife. If you can get past the part of it talking about the Bible in a fictional way, it’s an INCREDIBLE read. I decided I wanted to read more by Sue Monk Kidd, so I picked up The Secret Life of Bees.

This book is set in South Carolina in 1964 and follows Lilly Owens who lives with her abusive father after the tragic death of her mother at age four. When Lily’s Black “stand-in mother,” Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to break Rosaleen out of jail and the both of the runaway together.

She decides they should head to a nearby town to try and learn more about her mother. They come across three Black beekeeping sisters and Lily immediately falls in love with the world of honey, bee keeping and is hopeful they could someday give her the love and belonging she so desperately craves – all the while trying to get closer to who her mother was.

Ahhhhh, I loved this book. It wasn’t a book with all cheer and roses, but somehow Sue Monk Kidd was able to lead you down a path of heartbreak, but not take it to a dark place. I appreciate that it felt like she shared Lilly’s hurts – but didn’t leave you feeling gutted.

The last few lines of the book were what we all wanted from this book. So good. Loved it. 5 out of 5 stars! The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

13. We all Live Here by Jojo Moyes

I’m reading this book with my online bookclub for the month of February. I have loved numerous books by Jojo Moyes, most specifically The Giver of Stars – so I’m very excited to read this one!

Well bummer. I didn’t love this book. I thought there were pockets of great dialogue and I loved many of the supporting characters, but I thought most of the book was really boring. It wasn’t until the last 1/3 of the book that I got interested. I think if Jojo would have maybe woven snippets of the book Lila had written about her marriage into the current day events or somehow sprinkled in some of the character growth that all happened at the end, throughout a bit more… I would have liked it better. I loved the family and their dynamics, but just found most of it a slow read. (I LOVED Hello Beautiful and Tom Lake, which to me were similar reads of simple ordinary life… somehow this one just felt boring though.)

3.5 out of 5 for me. We all Live Here by Jojo Moyes

14. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson

I LOVED The Giver of Stars written by Jojo Moyes, so when I stumbled upon a very similar storyline by another author I jumped at suggesting it for my local bookclub. PLUS, this book not only talks about the packhorse librarians of the Kentucky mountains, but also talks about the Blue People. I love books where I stop reading and immediately research history.

This is book is set during the final years of the Great Depression and follows Cussy Mary, a packhorse librarian and her desire to bring books to the Appalachian community she loves in the deep hills of Kentucky.

Cussy’s not only a book woman, but also the last of her kind. Her skin is a shade of blue! The story follows her difficult journey of passing out books and then dives deeply into the hardship of being differently skinned, as Blues are considered the lowest of low.

Great read, I can’t wait to discuss with my bookclub. 4.5 out of 5 The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by by Kim Michele Richardson

15. Rental House by Weike Wang

I read this book in a day and a half. I loved it. Even though Keru and Nate come from extremely different cultures (Chinese and Rural White) they fall in love in college and get married. This quick story follows them from college, to working adult life and then to a two week vacation. They invite their families at a luxurious “bungalo” in Cape Cod and I found it all very interesting, entertaining and insightful.

I thought it brought up good questions in a light way. How do you cope when your spouse and your family of origin clash?   How do you deal with family conflict? And who or what can you do to bring everyone back together?

4.5 out of 5 for me. It wasn’t a light book, but somehow she dealt with heavier topics in a lighthearted way and I think that takes real talent. I plan to read more by this author. Rental House by Weike Wang

16. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

My online bookclub is reading James this month – which is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but from the perspective of Jim, the slave. In honor of reading that book, I decided to re-read the The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I’ve read both of them, but I think it was in middle school – so the story was familiar, but I had forgotten parts.

This book is considered a classic, but also has been banned/removed in numerous libraries and schools. It’s a mix of innocent boyhood, big childhood adventurous and deep racial notes. I just finished reading it and… it was fine-ish. I think if you can understand it was written in 1876 and set in rural America, there can be a bit more leniency in the storyline. However, using racial slurs and being okay with slavery in any form will never be okay in my mind.

Also it just felt like a time era looooooong gone. What they call “boys being adventurous” for days on end – off on their own, I really felt was just neglect. I am thankful to not live in these types of “simpler” time. Outdated, racist, lots of lazing around and without understanding or grace for anyone that doesn’t fit a certain mold.

I don’t think books should be banned, but I think it’s time to admit that this book hasn’t aged well and that’s okay. It’s just not a classic in my mind.

3.25 out of 5 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

17. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

I wanted to re-reading this book in leu of reading James with my online bookclub and after waiting quite a few weeks, it’s available. I can’t believe it was originally publish in the United States in 1884. Hope I like it better than Tom Sawyer…

Well if you enjoy The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, then you will love The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because to me, they read as the same exact book. This book focused more on Huckleberry Finn and his friend, Jim… but all the things I felt (in an above review) about Tom Sawyer I just say repeat here. Lots of 1884 racisim, hooligans scheming people out of their money, people just floating down the river for days or weeks at a time. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a snapshot of life back then, but I’m thankful I live in 2025 if so.

I liked this ever so slightly better than Tom Sawyer, so I’ll give it a 3.5 out of 5. I sure hope James is a better read! The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

18. Chemistry by Weike Wang

I recently read Rental by the same author and really enjoyed her writing, so I decided to give another book of hers a try. They are all quick reads – around 220 pages. Weike has a very dead pan style of humor, which I appreciate. It feels funny without being over the top “comical”.

This is a coming of age book about a young female Chinese scientist who just can’t quite seem to get her graduate research at Boston University to work out. Everything seems to be slowing her down, but her parents are relentless in pushing her towards excellence in all things. AND THEN he long time live in boyfriend proposes and she just can’t quite say yes.

Instead of feeling excited, she is wracked with uncertainty and ambivalence towards it all. This read is everything I wanted from this Weike – off to go read another of her books!

4 out of 5 Chemistry by Weike Wang

19. Husbands & Lovers by by Beatriz Williams

This was a book that jumps from current day to the early 1950’s between the daughter in America and her mother living in Egypt.

Mallory receives an emergency call from her child’s camp – her 10 year old son, Sam, had acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life and needing a new kidney. She keeps going back and forth from investigating more about her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952 and reliving parts of her summer romance with Monk Adams who went on to be a wildly famous singer-songwriter.

This read is full of heartbreak, redemption, kindness and moments of bittersweet. I honestly have no idea why the front cover looks like it does with the story that the book tells??? I liked there was a bit of history woven in to this lighter so it didn’t feel entirely like a beach read.

4 out of 5 Husbands & Lovers by by Beatriz Williams

20. All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

I love a good suspense / thriller book. I read another of the author’s books, Flicker in the Dark and really enjoyed it, so I put this one on my to be read list. It was GREAT.

One year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life changed forever. Her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. The case goes cold quickly with nearly no evidence or leads. But Isabelle can’t just sit around and wait.

She agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster, but his interest in Isabelle’s past makes her nervous. His questioning and her intense insomnia brings up many uncomfortable memories from her own childhood (her little sister died long ago). Everything feels unclear as Isabelle start to doubt her own memories of the night of Mason’s disappearance.

Great suspense book, 4.5/5 All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

21. James by Percival Everett

I read this book with my online bookclub for the month of April. Okay, where do I start? This is a “parallel” book to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but told from the slave, Jim’s perspective. I just reread Tom Sawyer + Huck Finn and really didn’t care for either, so I dipped my toes in cautiously with this one AND OH MY WORD, I LOVED IT.

I wouldn’t stay it was love at first sight or an easy read. It is always horrid to read about the way white people treated slaves and this book dives deeply into that. Also the N word is used multiples times on every single page. But it gave me such a tender heart for Jim and his warmness and affection of Huckleberry, as well as his wife + daughter. I won’t give things away, but this book puts you THROUGH some feelings. By the end I was audibly cheering and yelling.

I LOVED when Jim started referring to himself as James!!!!
I LOVED his entire interaction with the judge near the end of the book!
I LOVED “I am the angel of death come to bring sweet justice in the middle of the night.”

Again, not an easy read but 10 out of 5 for me. Excellent read. James by Percival Everett
I will always be 1000% for social and racial justice!!!!

22. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

This is the story of a Korean family living in Japan through generations, facing discrimination and hardship with quiet strength. Set in the early 1900s all the way to 1989, this books starts off with teenage Sunja, the daughter of a crippled fisherman who falls for a wealthy stranger. When she discovers she is pregnant and that he is married, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan.

But her decision to abandon her home and to reject her son’s powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations.

I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t know all the history of the Koreans and Japanese people during WW2. 4 out of 5 Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

24. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Eilis Lacey has come of age in small-town Ireland in the hard years following World War Two. When an Irish priest from Brooklyn offers to sponsor Eilis in America, she decides she must go, leaving her fragile mother and her charismatic sister behind.

Eilis finds work in a department store on Fulton Street, and when she least expects it, finds love. Tony, who loves the Dodgers and his big Italian family, slowly wins her over with patient charm. But just as Eilis begins to fall in love, devastating news from Ireland threatens the promise of her future.

4 out of 5 Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

25. Long Island by Colm Toibin

This is the second book after Brooklyn. I’m excited to read what happens next for Eilis and Tony. Well, I was looking forward to this book, but in the end I felt a bit disappointed. It was the second in the series and… I NEVER EVER do this, but at about 38% done, I just quit the book. I felt bored and I’m trying to not waste my time reading books I don’t enjoy.

2.75 out of 5 (at 38% completed) Long Island by Colm Toibin

26. To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins

From Oregon to Patagonia, Chili – Jedidiah Jenkins takes us on another trip this time 14,000 miles by bicycle. I’m loving this book just as much as his latest – Mother, Nature. This read very similarly to Mother, Nature with light hearted travel stories and deep reflections on reworking his faith and relationships. I appreciated that he didn’t overly glamorize this enormous bike adventure, but shared that it was actually extremely difficult each and every day. I like his writing style and I like hearing his thoughts on being gay and having a faith of some kind.

5 out of 5 for me. To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins

27. Isola by Allegra Goodman

I read this with my local bookclub and hmmmm. The premise sounds amazing – shipwrecked slightly like Robinson Crusoe vibes. But then you are on chapter 19 and still wondering how this Cinderella sounding story will ever get to an island. I wish the first 1/3 of the book would have compacted significantly and there would have been much more character development and story shared while on the island.

I didn’t dislike this book, but I also didn’t love it. 3 out of 5, Isola by Allegra Goodman

28. Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline

This was another book that I was excited by the premise, but honestly it wasn’t bad but I didn’t love it wildly. Set in Sicily, this is the story of the first mafia family in Italy and I was hoping to find it super interesting, but I found that it lagged on.

2.75 out of 5, Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline

29. We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

If you read and enjoyed Sandwich by Catherine Newman, then you will probably love this book also! I think this book however has a slightly darker premise, as it follows two adult best friends as one of them is dying of cancer. If there can even be a light/heartbreaking and fully compassionate way to watch a friend slowly grow more ill, this book does a good job of it.

Also big characters in this book are Ash (the non cancer friend), her husband Jude, their young son, Dash, Ash’s ex husband and two daughters.

It talks about laughter, marriage, family and what happens when life doesn’t go as you had planned. Catherine’s writing style is full of beautiful life and high emotion.

4 stars out of 5 We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

30. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

I have a huge fascination with the Dust Bowl era and decided to start reading more books on that time in US history. I picked up Out of the Dust as a quick Newbury Award winner read. Sheesh, I mean I 100% know the Dust Bowl was a hard bleak time to live, but this book was so depressing. If something bad could happen, it did. every. single. time.

It was sad, but also I enjoy pushing myself to read books that aren’t just light and fluff. So, I enjoyed it nonetheless. 4 stars out of 5 Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

31. All my Rage by Sabaa Tahir

I can’t remember where I heard about this book, but I was looking forward to it. I immediately was annoyed that after getting into it, it was a YA read. Some don’t mind young adult books, but I just really feel like the character’s are held back because they are trying to make it high school reader appropriate. Don’t get me wrong, this book talks about heavy topics, I just didn’t super love it. 3 out of 5 All my Rage by Sabaa Tahir

32. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

This book was the first of a two part series on Olive and it was okay – I have it a 4 out of 5 but as I write this review… I am tempted to change my rating.

I read Tell Me Everything by the same author a few months ago, only to realize that book was a compilation of numerous characters she’s written about before. So I decided to start reading the individual character books. Also, I’m wondering if all her books are about characters in their more “senior years” of life. So far, the two I have read have followed that age range.

Olive is stern/loving, but also a deeply broken character. She’s retired, older and doesn’t even see how she has pushed many family members in her life away with her bold strong no nonsense personality. I don’t know… this book felt depressing to me. Depressing to age. Depressing because most of the characters were so unhappy with their life choices. Depressing because life goes so quickly. Depressing because the main character had literally no one at the end because she slowly pushed her entire family away (HELLO YOUR BEHAVIOR TOWARDS OTHERS ACTUALLY MATTERS!).

This book is supposed to show the human condition in it’s tragic and joyful complexity, but I just found it too real and honest and then we die. I will not become old and unwilling to grow and change. How about some more joy, please! I don’t think I can take reading about old people much more – I may not read any more of her books if these are what they all are about. Should I change my rating to a 3 out of 5??? Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

33. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

I really enjoyed this read. It was a quick read and kept me interested right from the start.

Gail is the main character. She loses her job and her daughter, Debbie is getting married tomorrow. Her ex-husband comes to stay with her as they send their daughter off.

The entire book covers three days, but there are many flashbacks that fill you in on much of the why that Gail feels the way she does.

It felt like a lighter way to talk about the highs and lows of heartbreak and love, good and bad parts of marriage, etc… 4 out of 5 for me. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

34. The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

We are reading this book for May in my local bookclub.

This book follows a couple from 1979 and continues their story into 2019. I just got to a part where I was like, no no no… surely this part is a dream and she’ll wake up soon – but no. Heartbreak. The book is broken up into sections from the perspective of the mother, daughter and then ends with the father. I was fine with this book until it got to the last section from the perspective of the father. Let it be known I have dad issues, so hearing this dad mess up again and again and again AND STILL ends up having a relationship with the daughter – no. thank. you.

Sadly, I enjoyed the book until the last third. I can’t get over the fact that the dad was an alcoholic and repeatedly hurt his daughter with his absence for years and somehow is still able to be a part of her family, Grandfather to her children and a cheesy Grandpa at that. Nope. Gross.

I did like the rest of the book, so I’m being generous and giving it a 3 out 5. I’m headed to bookclub tonight where I’m sure everyone will be in love with this one. The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

35. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

This book definitely starts out feeling a bit like a retelling of the Disney Mulan movie, but it goes much much further. It was sort of difficult for me to keep the characters clear in my mind, but I did like it.

In a starving village in China in 1345 under Mongol rule, two children are given their fates. A boy, greatness and a girl, nothingness.

The Zhu family’s 8th born son, Zhu Chongba is given a fate of greatness but given the circumstances no one understands how that could happen. Their other child, a girl although clever and capable is given nothing, as most girl’s of that time are.

A bandit attack orphans the two children and even though the brother is destined for greatness dies, the sister uses her brother’s identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. She does unthinkable things to survive and eventually become quite a huge leader in their country.

I liked this one, I didn’t love it. 3 out of 5 for me. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

36. The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michelle Richardson

I read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek a few months back with my bookclub and really liked it. This book picks up shortly after the first book ended and both the parents are fleeing because they have an inner racial marriage, a white person with a blue person. (Yes, you read that correctly – blue. Read the first book to fully comprehend, but this was a real condition in Kentucky.)

This one gets very high ratings on Goodreads and Amazon – I however just liked the first book so much more that I had trouble enjoying the daughter’s character. It felt like a lesser telling of almost the same exact story, just slightly different. I don’t know, if you are interested in this storyline my recommendation is just go read the first book instead.

3 out of 5 The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michelle Richardson

37. Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Uhhhhhhhm, what a waste of my time. I enjoy a good thriller mystery and this book was recommended by some Best Reading list, so I added it to my reading list. At first I was really into the storyline, a great psychological thriller. I made it nearly through to the end of the book and slowly things were getting more and more weird with this book. By the end, there was soul shifting and body shifting and murder and honestly – I love a good twist to a thriller, but this was ridiculous. It should have been marked as a science fiction thriller, then I would have never bothered with reading it. Blah, didn’t like this book.

2 out of 5 Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

38. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Well, I’m about 10 years late to the game but I made up for lost time and read the first book of this series in two and a half days! I decided to read it along with my 14 year old daughter to make sure it was age appropriate and wow, I got completely sucked in. Can’t wait to read the second book of the series.

The entire book was based on killing other teens during the “hunger games” and although it was gruesome in some parts, I felt like it was nothing my daughter couldn’t handle. I’m not sure I would really recommend it for much younger ages though.

Couldn’t put this book down, REALLY enjoyed it 5 out of 5 – totally get the hype around the book. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

39. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

My husband wanted to read this book together during a roadtrip and I love reading books so without much reading up on what it was about, I agreed. WOOOOW. This book is good, but wildly wildly depressing. Even when there are slight redeeming moments, they are still so so sad. If you don’t mind feeling depressed during an entire book – then this one is for you.

It follows an unnamed man and boy during their trek across the country after a disaster hits all of America. They literally have nothing, but constantly fight to carry on goodness in a broken dead world. Very depressing read. 3.5, almost 4 out of 5 The Road by Cormac McCarthy

40. Retreat by Krysten Ritter

I read this book with my local bookclub for the month of June. To me it read like a beach read mystery. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t looooove it. The last few chapters DEFINITELY raised it from a 3 to a 4 for me. I love a good twist and it had a few especially near the end. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoys darker mystery, but don’t want a physcological thriller.

4 out of 5 Retreat by Krysten Ritter

41. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

I read this book with my online bookclub for the month of June. I had mixed feelings on this book. I couldn’t put it down the entire time I was reading it, it definitely had me hooked. And once I finished it I was an immediate 5/5, however the more time that passed I was like – wait how could the husband have actually felt that way? Why was Frank devoid of all emotions? How was he thaaaaat saintly? Eventually I landed on a 4 star rating and that feels right to me.

This book follows Beth and her journey from late high school into motherhood and beyond. She meets Gabriel, the VERY wealthy and sophisticated family in town and they have wildly deep connection and love affair. It’s going great, until she finds out her suspicions are right and he’s found someone else more on his “level”.

Fast forward to her being married and raising a child and things take many heartbreaking turns that I don’t want to give away. Lots of ups and down on this book and quite a few twists I never saw coming. Really enjoyed this book overall.

4 out of 5 Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

42. The Most by Jessica Anthony

I grabbed this book recently at Barnes and Noble because it was a short read and sounded intriguing. I read it in a day and a half! Set in 1957 as Sputnik 2 is launching, this book takes place over the course of one day (with many flashbacks to fill in the story as it goes).

Kathleen Beckett, the mother/wife is in the pool the ENTIRE book and her husband just wants her to get out and go play the 1950’s Leave it to Beaver housewife role. I found this book really interesting. She gave up her promising tennis career and settled for a man who ends up having no direction, no ambition and eventually no decency. One Sunday instead of joining the family at church, she pulls out an old red bathing suit and decides to not leave their apartment pool until things. have. been. said.

I couldn’t quite give this book of a 5 star, but it was a solid 4.5 out of 5 for me. I don’t know, it felt sort of sad, but real. And I loved how desperate Virgil (the husband) is for Kathleen to leave the pool and she just won’t do it. The Most by Jessica Anthony

43. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

This book was a good read. I have read a lot of books and this was one like I had not read before, so that kept me hooked to keep reading.

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be rising stars together, but Athena quickly becomes a national literary darling. She can do no wrong and June Hayward is pretty much a nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls.

However when June witnesses Athena’s death in a crazy freak accident, she acts on impulse. Before you know it, she steals Athena’s next completed but not yet shared book about Chinese laborers during World War I.

What ensues is June becoming a literary superstar but in constant fear of being found out while also dealing with the fallout of being a white woman writing about Chinese hardships. She discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

This book touched on racism, cultural appropriation and was written to keep you on your toes.

“If publishing is rigged, you might as well make sure it’s rigged in your favor.” I shared that I liked this book on Instagram and many people messaged saying they couldn’t even get through the first chapter. It touched on hard topics, but I still liked it.

4.5 out of 5 Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

44. Eat a Peach by David Chang

I bought this book for my husband as we are big foodies and he really enjoyed Kitchen Confidential from Anthony Bourdain. I then stole the book and read this one for myself, ha!

This book starts off with David sharing the struggle of being the youngest in a Korean American family in Virginia. After graduating he went to Japan to try and find his place in the world, however he ended up having his first ever panic attack.

From eventually starting Momofuku Noodle Bar in 2004, a few other side projects, dealing with his life long struggle of feeling inadequacy, this book was an interesting read for anyone who loves the kitchen. I loved hearing little bits about other chefs he met along the way, as well.

4 out of 5, Eat a Peach by David Chang

45. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Well, I zipped through this second book of the Hunger Games series in no time at all. What a fascinating read. I loved the few big twists in this one and can’t wait to get started on her third book!

4.5 out of 5, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

46. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

I feel really bad saying I didn’t like this book since it’s a memoir… feels like I’m saying I didn’t like Michelle Zauner’s life, which isn’t true. Michelle shares her life as the only child in a Korean family and then the journey as she attempts to repair her relationship with her mother as her mother dies. I felt like I wanted to skip entire chunks as it just felt painfully slow to me.

I appreciated her heart and her journey of figuring out what was going on in her life… it just felt like if someone gave me a quick overview of the book, it would have been better than reading it. Yikes, sorry. Some I know have really loved this tender book, but it just never connected with me.

2.5 out of 5 Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

47. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

I read this book in High School, but it has been a long time and although I remembered the basics of it I wanted to give it another more mature read. This is a short book (72 pages), so it only took me a day or so.

Basically this book broke my heart all over again. Written in 1937 this novel follows Lennie and George who are wondering farmhands in California. They have a big dream to one day own their own small piece of land. George is small and quick, while Lennie is described as a man of tremendous size with the mind of a young child. They are an unbreakable team even though George constantly is doing his best to keep Lennie safe, despite himself.

I gave this a 4 because it’s a heartbreaking read and I just couldn’t give it a 5. I need a light happy read soon! Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

48. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

This is another book I read long ago in high school and wanted to give it another read. It follows a group of school aged British boys who go down in a plane crash on a remote island. At first, with no adults around they make some plans to start a fire for smoke to signal they are there and split into groups to start hunting. But with time they go from civilized to realizing they can do whatever they want. Slowly everything starts to collapse, fear starts to creep into the boys and things get very savage.

I enjoyed this book all these years later! 4 out of 5 Lord of the Flies by William Golding

49. The Botanist’s Daughter by Kayte Nunn

I’ve wanted to read this book for a while and I’m about 40% done with it and it’s so slow and boring, haha. Maybe it will get better as I go.

So the book did pickup, but anytime I feel like a book is a chore to get through… it doesn’t matter how much the end twists and comes to together – a fiction novel should never be a chore to read. I did love all the plant enthusiasm as a plant lover myself, but if you love plants and want a better read, I suggest The Island of Missing Trees.

3 out of 5 for me. The Botanist’s Daughter by Kayte Nunn

50. I Leave it Up to You by Jinwoo Chong

I love a book that has a storyline I’ve never heard before and this book delivered on that. I don’t remember how I came across this book, but it was an interesting one.

Jack Jr. wakes up from being in a coma for two years and everything about his life and the world feels different. He’s lost his Manhattan apartment, job and future fiance’, but most interestingly is how the relationship with his entire family has changed.

As he tries to make sense of all that has happened to him, he has no other choice than to move back home to his childhood bedroom with his parents who he hasn’t seen in 10 years. While recovering, he begrudgingly starts helping again at the family owned sushi restaurant Joja that he was set to inherit before he ran away from it all.

There is a little romance (he’s gay, FYI), there is some family drama, there is restaurant talk, it’s a good mix overall. Was I obsessed with this book – definitely no. But overall it was an interesting read and sometimes that’s all you can ask for from a book.

3.75 out of 5 stars I Leave it Up to You by Jinwoo Chong

51. The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

This is another book that I forget how I found out about, but it was recommended by someone and so when it became available at the library I checked it out. Hm… what do I say? It came with lots of awards, so without knowing much about it – I dove in.

I felt like this was a book that felt painful to read. When reading a fiction novel, you shouldn’t be confused and bored for 80% of the book. It was only near the last third that I finally became more intrigued with the characters and even still, I actually disliked the main character Isabell through nearly the entire read.

It felt like it should be a physcological thriller because of the odd behavior of Isabell, but then nothing ever came of it. I kept waiting for her to kill someone or some big plot twist… but she just was a weird person. So the plot didn’t really come together for me until nearly the end of the book and to me that’s a fail.

2 out of 5 The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

52. Sociopath by Patric Gagne

Uhm, what to say about this book? Someone recommended it in my local bookclub and I thought it sounded so fascinating. It technically was a memoir and by the end… I felt bad for the lady, but due to being a sociopath she didn’t endear me to her or her personality at all, so I felt bad but more in a yikes way and less of a compassion way. I didn’t enjoy this read.

2 out of 5 Sociopath by Patric Gagne

53. The Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This was a great binge book. It’s only 88 pages so you can read it in a sitting or two. A few things I liked about this book… first, the entire book is told through letters. I found that to be a fun and interesting way to tell the story. Second, without giving away too much – I liked how the story was going along, then sort of flipped and then in the end flipped back again.

It also had just the slightest edge of The Most by Jessica Anthony to it and that always gets my feminism heart going a bit, ha.

I loved it enough to be a 5, but also felt like it wasn’t a TOP BOOK READ that I’ve give a 5. So, 4.5 feels about right. The Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid

54. The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

What a good read. I am a fan of Liane’s writing and have read many of her books now. One of my favorite’s of hers is Apples Never Fall. I like that I would never think of her books as mystery or thriller, but they all definitely have an element of that to them. They almost feel like a beach read, but with more depth and darkness I think.

This one starts off with the main character Cecelia Fitzpatrick finding a sealed envelope from her husband that reads, ‘My darling Cecilia, If you’re reading this, then I’ve died…‘ and after asking him about it, he PLEADS you don’t open it. It was embarrassing mushy early into marriage love stuff he says.

Then he has an affair with your best friend/cousin and all bets are off. This book is the perfect example of a few story lines going and how they all intersect in the end. Great read, really enjoyed it.

I loved the book, hate the cover illustration but that’s just me – ha. 4.75 out of 5 The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

55. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I choose this book for my online bookclub August read. I am a big TJR fan and I think her book Carrie Soto was one of my top 5 reads ever. This one follows Joan as she enters into the NASA program in the early 80’s. I love historical fiction and this one felt like it was going to be great. Well… I’m not sure it was quite historical fiction and it definitely centered more on her love life than NASA and astronaut training, but I still really enjoyed it. I wish the very last few lines of the book would have played out differently, but overall was a fun read.

4.5 out of 5 for me, Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

56. The Answer is No by Fredrick Backman

I WANT to love Fredrick Backman’s books but most of them I just don’t. I really loved A Man Called Ove and liked Anxious People, but the whole hockey/Beartown series – blah boring. When I realized I could however get this book with my new Kindle, I downloaded it… expecting to be bored. How pleasantly surprised was I when I LOVED this short story! It was light and funny and perfectly comical to read. If you grew up loving the Wayside School book series, I recommend this super fast book. It read to me just like those books, but for an older audience.

5 out 5 The Answer is No by Fredrick Backman

57. Tear Me Apart by JT Ellison

I love a good thriller and this one was a fun one. I thought it got to a slow start, but a few chapters in it really started to pick up. Be warned, there is lots of triggers in this book. I love a good twist ending and felt like this one did a good job of keeping me guessing overall. It wasn’t the best book in the world, but I gave it a solid 4 out of 5. Tear Me Apart by JT Ellison

58. Whose Names are Unknown by Sanora Babb

I have been fascinated with the Dust Bowl as of late and read a handful of books about that time period. This is I believe my third on this time in American History. I enjoyed the book, but it was a heartbreaking, sad time in so many people’s lives. I hardly want to say, what a great read – but I do find the grit and determination of entire states to work hard to get through years of struggle to be a beautiful thing.

4 out of 5 Whose Names are Unknown by Sanora Babb

59. The Arrangement by Kiersten Modglin

I don’t know quite what to say about this book. It felt quite spicy, but then took a big turn about halfway through and then took like 3 more wild turns. I would have never guessed the ending of the story to end like it did.

It follows a husband and wife who have decided to have an open marriage. That decision quickly has huge consequences and then honestly just wow, didn’t see ANY OF THAT COMING. I feel sort of in shock at the ending and I can’t even fully wrap my head around it to even give this book a rating.

At first I was rooting for the sweet husband. Then, I was rooting for the wife. Then, I was against both of them. Then I was really against the wife. Then VERY against the husband and at the last chapter, I was in shock. HA

59. All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

Well, I’m still not a sci-fi lover and even though I’ve heard good things about this series – I didn’t like it. Maybe the next book will be better. My local bookclub choose this book for the month of August and the only good thing about it was that is was a quick read. It looks like it’s been turned into an AppleTV+ show, so maybe that will make it more palatable??!

It takes place on some random planet where missions and explorations must be approved by The Company. All teams out exploring are given Company approved security half robot, half human to keep them safe. Although, this society cares more about money than actual safety, so the lowest bidder wins.

I don’t really know, something happened, parts of a map are hidden, people die, it was quite confusing but I think it’s because I don’t like sci-fi and just plowed along trying to connect with the book instead of figure out what was really happening. The main character Murderbot had reprogramed himself, so instead of being a heartless killing machine, he loved to disconnect and watch human sitcoms for entertainment.

Otherwise, I was confused most of the book just muddling my way through this one. The end definitely was a cliffhanger for future books… not sure I’ll be reading them though.

3 out of 5 because I just don’t like this genre All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

60. Before I let you go by Kennedy Ryan

A friend of mine online recommended this book. I don’t know, I just never connected with the storyline. A formerly married couple with two children still co-own and run a local restaurant together. They’ve been divorsed for two years, but although there were big moments of hurt in their marriage, they are still very much attracted to each other. It was kind of crass and steamy, but eh. The storyline never really got me, but maybe that’s not why people read this type of book – HA.

3.75 out of 5 Before I let you go by Kennedy Ryan

61. True Grit by Charles Portis

My 8th grade son was reading this book as he is having a current love affair with all things Western, so I decided to read it along with him. What a wonderful book! It was a quick read and I found myself loving the main character, 14 year old Mattie.

Published in 1968, this tells the story of a 14 year old girl who decides to track down her father’s killer. She hires Rooster Cogburn, a US Marshall she’s heard has real grit to head off along with her into Indian Territory after the killer.

Unlike Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn, I think this one reads SO MUCH better and although set in a time period from the past, doesn’t feel STUCK in the past.

4.5 stars for me, 5 out of 5 for my son True Grit by Charles Portis

62. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Oy vey. My daughter’s 9th grade reading list was shared so I decided to read along with her on the some of the books and this was the first one they (and I) read.

Hmm… it was interesting to read a book that was written in verse and I could appreciate that the main character Afro-Latina Xiomara Batista had a lot of very big feelings. She lives a life, I completely do not live in a Harlem neighborhood. It felt a little stereotypical and for that I didn’t like it. But she did speak with powerful words and fought to be heard, so I hugely applaud that.

I think it’s good to read books about people who are unlike you, living in situations unlike you, so I’m glad I read it – but I also didn’t love it.

3.5 stars for me The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

63. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

I don’t recall where I heard about this book, but I put it on hold at the library and it was finally time to read it.

This book gave me lots of anxiety. Nearly a few chapters in poor Dolores Price, age 13 starts dealing with divorce, sexual trauma, parental disappointment, extreme weight gain, friendship heartbreak, etc… this book was not a light read.

I found myself over and over wanting to hug this poor child and help give her sound advice. Thank the LORD, eventually this story comes around and ends on a better note. There is growth, but my oh my it takes her a lifetime to get there.

Despite it causing me strife while reading it, I really liked how it ended. 5 out of 5 for this one! She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

63. 1984 by George Orwell

This is another book I recall reading in high school, but now that it’s been 25+ years I was ready to refresh my memory on it and WOW did it feel like a timely read. CAVEAT – In my opinion, in our current political climate… free speech has begun to be tightened down among many other freedoms in my opinion being gravely mishandled. Regardless, the book 1984 tell the story of what happens when that type of behavior is readily accepted. When “Big Brother” runs the word. When “newspeak” is used to limit speech and understanding instead of enhance and expand it. When not only are you being monitored, but the “thought police” can now arrest you based on their perceived allegations of your thoughts. All quite interesting to ponder!

I did think the 2/3 of the book did wane on a bit and the torture scenes were quite difficult to read. However, the first and last third were excellent and made up the the slowness in the middle. I gave this one a 5 out of 5. Very thought provoking. Very timely in current events. Very important to read. 1984 by George Orwell. (Liked this one SO MUCH more than Brave New World.)

64. We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Mitch Anderson + Nemonte Nenquimo 

This memoir was chosen for the month of September in my local bookclub. I felt like 90% of this book was heartbreaking moment after heartbreaking moment. She doesn’t paint a lovely picture of missionaries, white people and big oil companies. But despite that because I believe no matter what “group” you fit into, there will always be good and bad people, you definitely are rooting for her!

Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, one of the last to be contacted by missionaries in the 1950s, Nemonte Nenquimo was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling and shamanism by her elders. She played barefoot in the forest and didn’t walk on pavement or see a car until she was a teenager as she left to study with an evangelical missionary group in the city.

Eventually Nenquimo returned to the forest and the traditional ways of life and became one of the most forceful voices in climate change activism against the Oil Companies (Shell) that were poisoning the rivers and taking over all the Amazon rainforest to drill.

Like I mentioned, this was not an easy story to read. But it was so brave of her to share it and just goes to show you that life is SO MUCH MORE nuanced than being just simple black and white.

4 out of 5 We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Mitch Anderson + Nemonte Nenquimo 

65. Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham

I always love reading a good thriller during the fall / halloween season and this one we read for my online bookclub.

It follows 20 something Claire Campbell as she heads back home to be near to her mother during an illness. She ends up taking a a seasonal job at Galloway Farm… the very place her older sister worked at 22 years ago before her very tragic death.

The farm seems like the perfect job until she finds an old journal written by the ever mysterious and quiet farm owner’s wife, Marcia. The journal chronicles her rebellious young love and then things begin to get more cloudy and dark. Claire finds herself becoming more and more obsessed with reading the diary’s contents… as well as the lingering feeling that her own sister’s disappearance may be somehow tied to it all.

It was a good thriller. Not too dark and scary, but kept you interested and questioning everything. 4 out of 5 Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham

66. The Patron Stain of Liars by Ann Patchett

I really enjoy Ann Patchett’s writing. I think Bel Canto was my favorite of her’s so far. She always feels like a comfortable read without the books being light and fluff.

Rose Clinton, newly married slowly begins to realize… that marriage wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. After she starts to come to terms that she wants more from life than being a 1950’s homewife, she finds out she’s pregnant. Without telling a sole, she leaves her husband, mother and community in California and drives across the country to Habit, Kentucky. St. Elizabeth’s is a home for unwed mothers that provides a safe place for young women up to 9 months and then sends them back home. However, Rose never tells anyone she’s actually married and in the end decides to keep her baby AND stay at St. Elizabeths. Rose’s past ends up finding her.

I did feel like I never connected to the main character, Rose but I think the author did that on purpose. We weren’t supposed to feel warm “motherly” feelings from her. She did was right and then we she deemed she could move on and choose herself, she did without any regrets. Personally, I don’t like that type of person – but it fit with the book.

I enjoyed this book. 4 stars for me, The Patron Stain of Liars by Ann Patchett

67. The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

I love a good thriller and I love a good twisty ending, then set it in my beloved North Carolina and I’m ready to read this book! If you enjoyed The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – you would probably enjoy this book also.

When Ruby McTavish dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman – she’s also its most well known and not for the best of reasons. She was a victim of a famous child kidnapping AND and a widow four times over. Her adopted son, Cam, wants nothing to do with the huge house, all the family members or ALL the money Ruby left solely to him. He instead moves away and lives in a rental home with his wife until 10 years later when his uncle dies. Cam and his wife Jules finally return to the NC mansion and questions about all the mysteries surrounding this entire family start to reveal themselves. Soon, Jules and Cam realize that the inheritance holds more than just what the will says and are they willing to go that deep for it?

Lots of fun twists and discoveries in this book. Very enjoyable read! 4.5 stars for me, The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

68. Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

My local bookclub read this book last year and I wasn’t able to read it, but finally did this October. What a great thriller! This one takes so many twists I had to pause part of the way through and just let it all settle in my mind… it takes you on a journey.

In NYC, two strangers meet in a grief recovery group. Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realize they have much in common, including the desire for revenge against the men who destroyed their families. As the night progresses, they come up with a dark plan: if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Ruth is home alone when she’s attacked by a man with piercing blue eyes, who then disappears when her husband comes home. Will she ever be able to feel safe again while the blue-eyed stranger is out there?

GRACIOUS, this was a wild one, but I really enjoyed it. 4 stars for me, Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

69. Normal People by Sally Rooney

Ugh, this book. At first I was really intrigued and thought although a few annoying moments, that I would overall really like it. But as I went on, it felt like the main characters became increasingly annoying. Then the last sentence of the book, was the final straw. A frustrating read, that never saw any character growth. These people were not normal, they were annoyingly stuck.

2 out of 5 Normal People by Sally Rooney (Let it be known the first Sally Rooney book I read, I gave a 3 out of 5 – so maybe I don’t care for this author)

70. Joan is Okay by Weike Wang

I stumbled upon Weiki Wong last year and I have fallen in love with her book. They aren’t necessarily light topics, but she writes with a dry sense of humor to the books feel like a lighter read. This one follows Joan a 30 year old ICU doctor in a New York City hospital. Her parents were Chinese immigrants who worked hard to set up their two children in America and then moved back to China.

Joan is wildly dedicated to her job without any close friendships and she is perfectly okay with that. When Joan’s father suddenly dies and her mother returns to America to reconnect with her children, numerous things happen to send Joan crashing out – a required month long leave from work, reconnecting on some level with her mother, staying with her brother and his family while Covid arrives in the states.

I don’t think I liked this book as much as Chemistry and Rental House, but it was still worth reading. 3.75 out of 5 Joan is Okay by Weike Wang

70. A Most Clever Girl by Stephanie Marie Thornton

This was my local bookclub’s October pick. It’s historical fiction about an American Spy. I found it interesting, but long. I didn’t think it was a bad read, but just one that didn’t necessarily capture my attention. There were a LOT of characters and lots of code names and multiple code names for some of them, so it felt like there were MANY people to remember. Also by the end of the book, it felt like 5 major plot twists and I guess except for one character, it was mostly all an accurate depiction of history. It was interesting and if this type of book is your jam – it’s worth a read, otherwise personally I would skip it.

3 out of 5 A Most Clever Girl by Stephanie Marie Thornton

71. From Here to Eternity : Traveling the World to find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty

Well this was a weird one – know that going in. My friend read this book and found it really interesting and although SUCH a unique topic, I put it on my to be read list. Let me tell you, it was an odd one, but also very fascinating to learn how many countries and cultures celebrate death in different ways. Lots of talk of cremation, skeletons, talking to our loved ones well beyond their passing.

I gave this book a 4 because it was quite interesting and sort of demystified death, but REALLY have to say you need to be open minded to read it, ha.

72. Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie

I find book written about Japan to be fascinating and this one was no different. I read a few reviews saying it wasn’t very accurate to the Japanese culture due to this book referencing moments of warm and affection between siblings – I suppose that may be true, but I still enjoyed this book – although a hard read.

Kyoto, Japan, 1948. “Do not question. Do not fight. Do not resist.” are the words 8 year old Nori is told by her mother as she is abandoned at her Grandmother’s home. She does not question her HORRIBLE treatment. She does not fight the confinement for two years in the attic. And she does not resist the awful chemical baths she gets to try and lighten her skin color. Guys, this book is serious.

Born into a Japanese aristocrat family, but a child out of wedlock, Nori is an outsider from birth in a culture where family history and honor are nearly the MOST important thing. When she mets her half brother for the first time around age 11, her life begins to take a turn – but also gets no easier.

I actually really liked this book, until the last chapter or so. Argh – so annoying as a reader. I almost gave this book a 3 JUST because of that, but I did find myself quite hooked to keep reading and I love a good redemption story even if heartbreaking along the way.

4 out of 5 Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie

73. Atlas of the Heart : Mapping meaningful connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brene Brown

74. Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg

75. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

76. Community Board by Tara Conklin

Non-Fiction, Memoirs + Self Help books I’ve read in 2025

• The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff, Jonathon Haidt – Great read. I think I liked his other book The Anxious Generation better. But still worth a read.
• How to Walk into a Room : The Art of Knowing when to Stay and when to Leave by Emily P. Freeman To be honest, this book actually felt like a chore to read. Not my fave.
• The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Kate Bowler – A lovely read. It’s meant to be a book you read a prayer at a time, but I read it through like a book. Wonderful just the same.
• How to Walk into a Room : The Art of Knowing when to Stay and when to Walk Away by Emily P. Freeman – This book was fine. I thought it was going to be more about what type of confidence you need when entering spaces, but it was about how and when to leave situations. It was fine, but not great.
• How Not to Age : The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You get Older by Michael Greger – This is a long book at 640 pages. As a nutritionalist and physician, Michael shares how to combat the effects of aging through dietary and lifestyle changes. If you can get past a TON of medical speak, this book was so good. TONS of super easy practical tips, things to eat, ways to move. We all are aging, but he speaks into how to age well.
• All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women’s Bodies and Why It Matters Today by Elizabeth Comen – Goodness, if you are wanting to feel SPICY about women’s health then this is the read for you! It talks about the history of women’s health as far back as 1800’s and let me tell you, women have NOT had it easy. I actually enjoyed this book a lot, but also I found myself getting more and more irritated as I read – ha.
• The Galveston Diet : The Doctor-Developed, Patient-Proven Plan to Burn Fat and Tame Your Hormonal Symptoms by Mary Claire Haver MD – This was a book I bought after following Mary on Instagram. I have already read quite a few books on this book, so most of the actual book was nothing wildly new, but it was still good. The best part, I thought were all the meal plans and recipes she included at the back of the book.
• Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith – This was a great book if you’ve not been to therapy before. It helps teach you how to maintain your mental health in all different aspects, like managing anxiety, dealing with criticism, building self-confidence, finding motivation or learning to forgive yourself.  
• Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon – I was really excited for this book, but I got pretty bored with it. It’s just a book full of short stories about various people in American History who are not well known, but made big impacts. It was a fine read, but felt like a chore to read a bit.
• We Can Do Hard Things : Answers to Life’s 20 Questions by Glennon Doyle – REALLY loved this book! It’s formatted in a fun cool way, it has super bite sized nuggets from tons of different people. A GREAT read on numerous topics.
• The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss – Seemed super unrealistic. I’m a blogger and have a very flexible schedule and I still couldn’t even slightly accomplish enough by working only 4 hours a week.
• Try Softer : A fresh Approach to Move us out of Anxiety, Stress and Survival by Aundi Kolber – I really loved her other book Strong like Water and I have to say this one was very similar but still a very good read.
• Ask Not : The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed by Maureen Callahan – Geeeeez. As if anyone thinks the Kennedy men were decent humans – read this book and your eyes will be opened EVEN bigger. Gross and so tragic to see how generational trauma and living a life of no consequences turns MANY men in the same family into horrible horrible people. Didn’t like, but also was interesting on some level.
• Counting the Cost by Jill Dugger – Wow, what a fascinating memoir. I consumed it so quickly. No matter what you think about the Duggers or their faith, this is an interesting read. A few parts really resonated with me to be honest. Really enjoyed it, but also hard to hear people feeling so taken advantage of.
• Hormone Repair Manual by Lara Briden, MD – If you are a women aged 40 or up, this is a good read for you. Whether you are perimenopause or menopause – the information about what we eat, how we move and beyond is so helpful. She also gives exact examples of things you can say to your doctor to help get the care you may need.
• Parenting Your Eighth Grader in the “Yeah… I know” phase by Parent Cue – Loved love this book. My son is currently in 8th grade and I loved how there were journaling sections and such practical tips to engage in communication, all things technology and just making the most of the time we have together as a family under one roof.
• The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents by Lisa Damour Ph.D. – I’ve read quite a few books at this point about raising children, tweens and now teens. Many of the books are good, but start to repeat themselves a bit. This book however felt fresh and full of SUPER practical information that I hadn’t heard before. If you have a teen or soon to be teen, this was a GREAT read.
• Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown – Wow, I really liked this book. Many many chapters I felt like rereading a few times. Very relevant.
• The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer – So this is a short short read and I gave it 4 stars. It starts off diving deeply into the Serviceberry Plant and how many uses it gives Indigenous people, but then speaks to public libraries, politics, sharing food with those in need and general being a kind person in this quite broken world. Really enjoyed.
• Surrounded by Narcissists : How to effectively recognize, avoid and defend yourself against toxic people by Thomas Erikson – I read his Surrounded by Idiots book and found this one about the same. Obviously, it’s not a lovely easy read – but I do believe I have some narcissists in my life so it was helpful, nonetheless.
• Forgive : Why Should I and How can I? by Timothy Keller – It is easy for me to forgive “people” in general, but with age I have found it becoming increasingly difficult to forgive family closest to me so reading this book was good + challenging. I liked this book didn’t gloss over forgiveness in abuse situations as many Christian books sometimes do.
• All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert – Wow, what do I even say about this book. It’s a lot lot lot and for people dealing with intense recovery from addictions – probably a very triggering book to read. If you can get past the intensity of Elizabeth and her lover Rayya’s troubled and drug fueled relationship, I found it to be a very interesting look into codependency… which I am starting to spend some time learning more about.
• Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham – This is a fun and light read. I listened to this one and Lauren narrates it… quickly, which felt perfect for her book. Lots of insights into her acting career and many fun behind the scene moments and thoughts on Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. If you are fans of either show, this is a fun read.

And if you like these books, you may enjoy some of the other books related posts I’ve shared…