Picking a top ten list of books I read at the end of the year is always a tough decision - I feel strongly about the books I loved, however there's the realization that there were SO MANY great books that came out this year that I never got around to reading. I encourage everyone to look at best-of lists whenever you see them, find books that appeal to you, and place your holds. However, we do need to start somewhere, right? Here's my list of the top books that came out in 2025 that I read this year. Good luck, and here's wishing that 2026 is a great reding year!
All books mentinoed are linked in the list at the bottom of this post.
Red City by Marie Lu: this urban fantasy novel of star-crossed magic users on opposite sides of a gang war reminded me of authors like Fonda Lee and Erin Morgenstern. Sam and Ari, two outsiders born to poverty, are plucked out of obscurity because of their natural skills at manipulating the elements. They know each other, but drift apart as they rise through the ranks of rival organizations, learning to wield both supernatural and political power. When their paths cross again, their connection threatens to bring everything down. Lu, known for her action-packed YA novels, delivers an adult debut that should please crossover fans.
Head Cases by John McMahon: Gardner Camden is the head of an elite investigative division in the FBI - PAR, or Patterns and Recognition. This small team's job is to crack cold cases considered impossible to solve. In this series debut, the team is confronted by a serial killer who targets other killers, leaving taunting message behind. This team of eccentric outsiders parse through the clues in a satisfying mix of thoughtfulness and action - Camden comes across as neurodivergent and compelling character, and this should be the start of a long, satisfying series. Pick this up if you enjoy mysteries and police procedurals.
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green: Green is mostly known for his smash-hit YA novels like The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, however he's recently turned to non-fiction with surprisingly compelling results. Everything is Tuberculosis is a riveting scientific history about one of the world's most deadly - and pervasive - infections, and how it intersects with history, economics, and even the arts. (For example, I had no idea that Adirondack chairs came from tuberculosis sanitariums!) Green's look at an infection that most of us assume is far in the past and how it has shaped our modern world is absolutely worth your time.
The Favorites by Lynne Fargo: a compulsively readable novel of the lives - and loves - of Olympic-level ice dancers determined to win at all costs. The story is framed as a documentary, which will be familiar to readers who love Taylor Jenkins Reid, and follows Katarina Shaw and her partner, Heath Rocha, as they encounter scandals, trials, and triumph on their way to glory on the ice. To me honest, there were times in this novel where I couldn't stop rolling my eyes, but those eyes were riveted to every page. For readers who love both glory and gossip and want the stakes to be at the highest levels, settle in for a great read.
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito: a woman with bloody intentions travels to an isolated manor house and becomes a governess in this over-the-top horror satire of a Victorian novel. With obvious allusions to the famous Bret Easton Ellis novel, Winnifred Notty descends into madness as the novel reaches its grisly climax which is not for the squeamish. It may not be the best book I read this year, but it certainly was the one I couldn't get out of my head.
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh: Dark Academia is one of my favorite genres, but Tesh flips it on its head - instead of a brooding, atmospheric novel featuring a group of students enrolling in an old and mysterious academy of magic, we get a story from the professors' point of view, who's concerned about an ancient evil who's trying to take over the academy, yes, but also concerned about meetings, committee work, keeping the grounds maintained, grading papers, and keeping the teenagers under her care safe from all the various supernatural threats. Tesh weaves her thoughtful, almost wistful tale of confronting the sins of her own past into a satisfying novel.
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie: imagine the most hilarious and intense Dungeons and Dragons campaign ever and you'll get a general idea of what Abercrombie is up to here. He creates an alternative history fantasy Europe and has a unassuming (and very over-his-head) monk in charge of a holy quest accompanied by a group of very unholy supernatural beings - an elf, a werewolf, a pirate, a vampire, and a necromancer, among others. Epic battle scenes and Abercrombie's endlessly quotable wit make this a darkly hysterical must-read.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans: Evans' debut word-of-mouth hit makes this the "Remarkably Bright Creatures" of 2025. Meet Sybil, a seventy-three-year-old retiree, former law clerk, and prodigious letter-writer. In fact, the entire novel consists of letters, emails, and memos, and as we read Sybil's correspondence, we piece together multiple strands of story that weave themselves into a majestic narrative told in a quietly astounding way. Getting to know the smart, curious, stubborn, and delightful Sybil was one of the highlights of the year, and if your book group doesn't have this title on your list for 2026, rectify that immediately.
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby: Cosby's been a must-read ever since his debut, "Blacktop Wasteland," burst onto the scene in 2020. A thriller writer who sets his novels in a rural Virginia marked by poverty and racism, Cosby's novels pulse and bleed and never, ever lets go. Here, the main character is a prodigal son of sorts - Roman attended college and built a life for himself in Atlanta before having to return home to deal with a father attacked and in a coma, a brother in deep with gangsters, and a sister desperately trying to keep everything afloat. Roman must turn his college smarts into street smarts in a violent, epic confrontation with the town's corruption. This is one of Cosby's best.
The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow: Sir Una is a female knight and her many glorious deeds, as well as her ultimate sacrifice, is the ancient foundation of a bustling modern-day society. Owen, a bookish scholar, researches Una's legend and their connection over time and space form a powerful - and yes, everlasting - connection, as Una is cursed to relive her sacrifice over and over until her and Owen attempt to rewrite their destinies. Harrow, who's written both portal fantasy and gothic horror, writes a sweeping, epic, and powerful love story for the ages that is unlike anything on the library shelves and is absolutely worth a spot on your holds lists.
