2025 Best Books of The Year
It is so hard to believe that the end of the year is already here. Goodreads sent me a little email today that my reading wrapped is almost ready and I am so excited!! 2025 has truly been such an amazing reading year for me and I can’t wait to see the recap.
While we wait for the Goodreads Year in Books to come out, I thought it might be fun to make a list of the best books of 2025. The list that I have curated is broken into two parts. The first part will be a breakdown of the Goodreads Readers Choice selections. The second part will be the best books that I have read throughout this year.
I hope you are just as excited to explore the 2025 best books. Grab a warm drink (my drink of the day is a peppermint tea) and let’s discuss the best books of 2025!
The Best Books of 2025
If you are a Goodreads user, you probably know that they’ve been conducting research over the last few weeks. This research involved asking users what their favorite books are in each category. The categories were fiction, historical fiction, mystery & thriller, romance, romantasy, fantasy, science fiction, horror, debut novel, audiobook, young adult fantasy & sci-fi, adult fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and historical & biography.
After a few rounds of voting, the readers’ favorite books of 2025 were announced on December 4th, 2025. I will be doing a breakdown of each category and the winner of that category. Before we get started, I just want to say that reading is subjective and everyone has their right to their own book opinions, and these are just mine!
Fiction
And the winner for readers’ favorite fiction is… My Friends by Fredrik Backman. If you have not read this yet… this is your sign to. Right. Now.
I 100% agree with this winner, My Friends is one of my five star reads from this year. We follow a painter who is reminiscing on his youth years with an aspiring young painter. With a large age gap, you would think these two have nothing in common. That is until one painting intertwines their worlds in an unimaginable way. Fredrik Backman truly has a way to make you think you know everything, until you turn the page and the writing reveals something new.
There are no words to describe how this book made me feel. I didn’t even realize how into it I was until the ending came and I was sobbing. Here is one of many quotes that I loved:
“It’s a funny thing. The person we fall in love with, we hardly ever call by their name. Because it’s somehow just so obvious that it’s you who I’m talking to, that it’s you I’m always thinking of. Who else?” – Fredrik Backman, My Friends
Please read this book.
Historical Fiction
The winner of the best historical fiction book for 2025 is Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Another amazing book that had me uncontrollably sobbing at the end.
In this story we follow Joan who is a physics and astronomy professor. One summer she is selected to join NASA’s space shuttle program alongside a select few individuals. As she makes friends with her fellow astronauts, Joan starts to find passion and love in ways she never has before. That is until a life-changing mission.
This book has a dual time-line of Joan’s astronaut training and the thrilling mission. I really loved the research that went into this book, and it made me more interested in learning about space. Highly recommend this one if you enjoy fast-paced, thrilling books with an historical backdrop.
Mystery and Thriller
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson takes the win for the 2025 best mystery & thriller book. I did not get the chance to read this yet, but it is high on my TBR.
We follow our main character Jet, who is attacked on Halloween and suffers from a catastrophic head injury. This injury is predicted to kill her in one week. So, she has seven days to solve her own murder alongside her childhood friend, Billy.
Romance
Drum roll please for my favorite genre… Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. While this was not my favorite Emily Henry book, anything she writes I will read and most likely love. There were also so many amazing nominations in this category, so if you are a romance reader make sure to check them. I think all of them deserve a read from you.
Great Big Beautiful Life tells the story of Margaret, a former socialite that no one has seen in years. She invites two aspiring writers to her house to conduct interviews. The writers, Alice and Hayden, are given different parts of her story, and they can’t share with each other because of an NDA they both signed. As they compete for the spot to ghostwrite Margarets’ autobiography, hints of mystery, tragedy, and possibly love linger within their own story.
Romantasy
This one is not very surprising due to the hype around this book and the whole series. The 2025 Romantasy winner is Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yaros. I have tried so hard to get into fantasy, but I just haven’t found the right book for me yet. This series has amazing reviews, so I am sure it rightfully earned its spot here.
Onyx Storm follows Violet Sorrengail as the world around her grows more dangerous and uncertain. With war closing in and trust beginning to fracture, Violet must navigate shifting alliances, buried secrets, and the weight of impossible choices. As love, loyalty, and power collide, she is pulled deeper into a storm that could change everything.
Fantasy
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. I have heard AMAZING things about this author. When I do get into fantasy (hopefully next year!)This book is at the top of my list.
Spanning generations, the novel follows characters whose lives are shaped by desire, loss, and the secrets they carry beneath the surface. As timelines intertwine and emotions deepen, the story explores how love can both save and undo us. Dark, tender, and deeply human, this book lingers long after the final page.
Science Fiction
I’m not gonna lie, this one caught me by surprise. The winner is… The Compound by Aisling Rawle. I did not get the chance to read it, but from what I gathered it seems to be a twist on a dating reality show. I think science fiction is a very difficult genre to write, so it’s impressive that this book did so well as a debut novel. Sci-fi may not be my genre, but this description does make me intrigued to try it out:
The Compound is a dark, addictive story set inside a reality TV experiment where isolation, control, and performance blur together. Contestants are placed in a closed compound and forced to live under strict rules, knowing every move is being watched. As the pressure builds and the lines between authenticity and survival fade, secrets rise to the surface and loyalties begin to crack. Unsettling and sharply observant, The Compound explores what happens when entertainment turns into control.
Horror
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix takes the award for the 2025 best horror book. Horror is the one genre I stay far far far far away from… I can’t handle the nightmares. But hey! Give this one a read if it’s your thing.
This is a dark, atmospheric story about girlhood, power, and rebellion. Set in a place meant to control and correct, it follows young women who begin to uncover a dangerous kind of magic in reclaiming their voices. Creepy, emotional, and sharply feminist, the story explores what happens when girls refuse to stay quiet.
Debut Novel
The best debut novel of 2025 is Alchemised by SinLeYu. This is on my list to read by the end of the year, I have heard such amazing things.
An emotionally charged story about transformation, obsession, and the cost of creation. Centered around characters drawn together by ambition and desire, the novel explores how far someone will go to reshape themselves and the world around them. As love, power, and sacrifice intertwine, the story asks whether becoming something new is worth what must be left behind. Dark, intimate, and atmospheric, Alchemised lingers long after the final page.
Audiobook
Shout out to all the voice actors out there making incredible audiobook experiences. The winner of this category is (again) Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros.
Young Adult Fantasy & Sci-Fi
I’m gonna cry Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins is the winner. I re-read and watched the original trilogy and the prequel this year, and this was the cherry on top. Haymitch has always been one of my favorite characters, so I loved getting his backstory even though it broke my heart.
In this new prequel, we return to Panem at the start of a devastating Hunger Games, where fear, spectacle, and survival collide. Following Haymitch Abernathy facing impossible odds, the story pulls back the curtain on the brutality of the Capitol and the cost of being forced into the arena. Emotional and intense, this story explores how the Games shape not just winners and losers, but the people they become long after the cameras stop rolling.
Young Adult Fiction
Lynn Painter’s Fake Skating is the winner of the young adult fiction category. While I have aged out of my young adult years, Lynn Painter writes the cutest YA romances.
When two unlikely partners agree to pretend for the sake of appearances, lines quickly blur between what’s staged and what’s real. Filled with banter, slow burn tension, and heartfelt moments, this story is about finding connection when you least expect it and learning to trust your heart on and off the ice.
Nonfiction
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green is Readers’ Favorites Nonfiction.
Blending personal stories with science and history, the book looks at tuberculosis not just as an illness, but as a reflection of the systems that allow suffering to persist. Insightful and deeply human, this book invites readers to care more deeply about public health, empathy, and the lives too often overlooked.
Memoir
The winner is… The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke. Memoirs are some of my favorite books to listen to… I will for sure be checking this one out.
The House of My Mother is a powerful memoir about growing up under control and learning how to reclaim freedom. Shari Franke shares her journey of untangling love, loyalty, and fear while questioning the environment that shaped her childhood. Honest and deeply emotional, this story explores what it means to find your own voice after living in someone else’s shadow.
History & Biography
How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy’s Guide to Silencing Women by Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi. This is honestly my first time hearing of the book, but I am intrigued by the title alone.
Drawing on real cases from witch trials, this book examines how accusations became tools of control and punishment. Thoughtful and unsettling, the story connects these patterns to the present, reminding readers how deeply these systems are woven into society and why understanding them still matters today.
Goodreads Readers’ Favorite Books of 2025
And that’s a wrap on Goodreads Readers’ Favorite Books of 2025. It seems that I did not get around to a majority of these books. I blame that on the fact that these awards cover so many genres, and I like to stick to what I love. Which is why we will be getting into MY favorite books of the year (and I am so excited to share them!). From the list above, I HIGHLY recommend My Friends by Fredrik Backman and Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. These would be my top recommendations based on the overall options.
Its Kayla Mae’s Favorite Books of 2025
I am so excited to look over all of the books I’ve read this year and give you the top ones. So far I have read 106 books (crazy). I upped my reading goal to 115 in October, so hopefully I can get those last 9 done before the end of the year. But with what I had read, these are my favorites and I will forever be recommending them. I am also very picky when I give out five stars, so I had to have LOVED these to make it to this post.
Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver
Omg, I did not think anything would hit harder than Wild Love, but this one did. It is a grumpy sunshine trope with interconnected characters from the first book in the Rose Hill series. We have West, who is a hot single dad (I am in love already) living in a small town and Popstar Skylar Stone who visits Rose Hill to meet with a local recording studio. They obviously cross paths and end up having a whirlwind of a relationship, but I am kicking my feet giggling right now at their love story. You just have to read this one.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
I will forever be re-reading this book. The first time I read this was in 2023, and it was during my last semester in college. The book is about a group of friends that meet in college, and it follows them years later as they take one last trip to a Maine cottage that they’ve been doing yearly. My first time reading this I loved it, but it hit so much harder reading it as a postgrad and navigating my college friendships. The found family in this book is everything to me, and the two main characters are the epitome of endgame (in my opinion).
Play Along by Liz Tomeforde
Accidently read this first (there are 3 books before this), but it sold the series for me. We follow a strong female character, Kennedy, who is the only woman on the staff for the Windy City Warriors. Then we have Isiaih who is the athlete who might ruin it all for her. I lived laughed loved (iykyk) this book and could not stop thinking about it afterwards.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
Ashley Poston single handedly made me fall in love with magical realism. I struggled to finish this book because I was crying my way to the end. Clementine lives in a magical NYC apartment that can transport you 7 years in the past. The twist is, you never know when you’ll end up there. This story is beautifully written and I seriously cannot recommend it enough.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
This was my first time actually reading this, but I’ve seen the movie multiple times. In my opinion this is the best book and movie from the Hunger Games Trilogy.
Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark by Jessa Hastings
My life has been changed by this book and this series and these characters. I know that the first book is iffy, but please PLEASE PLEASE continue on. These characters have touched my heart in a way that I did not know was possible. The growth and love and devotion is unmatched. Whenever I need a good cry I often go back to my highlights of this book to torture myself. Okay moving on….
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
If my previous attempts of getting you to read this didn’t work, I am trying one more time! Please read this. It’s such an incredible story with so much depth, I think everyone can learn something from picking up this book.
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
I am actually Fredrik Backman’s biggest fan. As someone who hates goodbyes terribly, I read this entire book teary eyed. It is a short story, only 97 pages, but so emotional. It is about an elderly man and his son and his son’s son. That’s all I’m gonna say because it’s such a short book, but you should give it a read.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Are you surprised? A Haymitch book, yes please!! If you loved Hunger Games you will love this one. I really liked seeing how the second quarter quell played out. Honestly, anyway to be back in this universe is good enough for me.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
While this is not everyone’s cup of tea, it’s 100% mine. This is my third time reading this book, and even when I am not reading it I think about it all. the. time. And the show on Hulu is phenomenal as well. Can’t a girl just love a book about sad characters with absolutely no plot???
2025 Best Books Wrapped
I love books and talking about books and finding books that I absolutely love. Being able to read 106 books in 2025 has been wonderful. With each good book I read I feel like I am transported into that world, and I wish everyone has the chance to experience that.
My favorite books from this year have given me that feeling. If you have read any of the books above, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on them. I am so excited to start a new year with many more reads! Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date on what I am reading and my book recommendations.
xoxo,
Kayla Mae 🫶🏻
