Happy Five Year Anniversary to my “Best Books I Read” list!

My 2025 reading journey brought with it two additions, the first and best being a monthly book club with my mom and sister. With me living in California, my mom on the east coast, and my sister in Copenhagen, our virtual meetings are something I look forward to every month as a way to spend time with them. (Not to mention my mom and sister are the ultimate “safe space” for expressing my most shamefully judgmental opinions.)

The second enhancement has been the regular addition of “large print” books to my reading repository. While I’m still trying to get into audiobooks (will 2026 be the year?) I don’t discriminate when it comes to book format: hardcover, paperback, ebooks…all books are good books. However, I’ve been actively seeking out the “large print” copies of books at the library for three reasons: first, they are obviously easier on the eyes (does this mean I am getting old?). Second, I love the feeling of an extra large book on my lap. Lastly – though I am tempted to gate-keep this “secret hack” – it’s often the case that popular books that are checked out at the library are available in the “large print” section. You’re welcome.

Before I get into my “Top 10” list, I did feel strongly enough about a few books this year that I had to compile a “Letdowns of 2025” list. AKA: books I was so ready to give five stars but that ended up disappointing me. I look forward to your angry comments.

• Charlotte McConaghey’s Wild, Dark Shore: Did I miss something here? This book topped so many lists over the past year and yet I could barely bring myself to finish it. Maybe it’s one of those “it’s not you, it’s me” relationships and I read it at the wrong time or something. Regardless, I could not get into the characters at all and only slogged my way through just to say I’d given it a chance.

• Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr!: I’m actually annoyed at myself for not liking this as much as everyone else did. As a reviewer noted on Goodreads: “too many cool people have loved this too much for me to not want to read it.” And it is true that most of my friends and peers whom I highly respect when it comes to literary opinions adored this book. I thought I was cool, but perhaps not. While there were certainly some beautiful scenes, I felt underwhelmed by the novel as a whole; I felt like I was reading a collection of scenes rather than a cohesive story.
  

• Lily King’s Heart the Lover: Everything else I’ve read by Lily King immediately jumps into my “favorites,” so I was almost certain Heart the Lover would be on 2025 list. I almost feel guilty putting this one on the “disappointments” list because I did truly enjoy it but my expectations were too high. It was a “five stars or nothing” kind of situation and, at 4 stars, I have to admit that qualifies as a let down. It’s only because Lily King has set the bar so high!
  

• Frederik Bachmann’s My Friends: It’s probably unfair of me to include My Friends on this list since I did enjoy it…but what is the internet for if not for controversial “hot takes”?! My main gripe with this novel is that it feels distinctly “YA” … which is, probably, its exact and appropriate genre. So, again, this is a “me” thing as the author delivered on expectations for that audience. I’m sure middle school me would have adored this book, but it didn’t do as much for me as an adult.
  

• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dream Count: As summarized in my ad hoc Goodreads review: “Ugh I needed more from this book!!! I suppose that’s the pressure someone like her is under when you’ve written some bangers previously… would still probably recommend to voracious readers but not to someone who is looking for the “book of the year” to get them out of a reading slump…”

Now that I’ve been unduly harsh (I still gave every one of those books 3 or 4 stars, they just didn’t meet my expected 5-star mark!), let’s move on to my favorites…

Maddy’s “Best Reads” of 2025 (in no particular order):

1. Percival Everett’s James
James was my first read of 2025 and I enjoyed it even more than Erasure which I read last year. It’s characterized by Everett’s same style, but with an even more compelling plot as a satirical reimagining of Huck Finn.

2. Daniel Mason’s North Woods
This book was so…different! I loved it. I wasn’t particularly drawn to it from the summaries I read online (anything that includes the phrase “Puritan” in the summary usually lends itself to an immediate skip from me), but after coming across it enough I decided to give it a chance. I’m so glad I did. It was funnier, more interesting, and more thoughtful than I expected, and I loved Mason’s descriptions of the natural world.

3. Elizabeth Strout’s Tell Me Everything
Elizabeth Strout does it again! Perhaps my favorite book of the year. I am always blown away by Strout’s ability to write about the ordinary in an extraordinary way, and her ability to capture so much emotion with such simple prose. Ah! I need her to write more so that I don’t have to keep rereading her bibliography (which I did spend time doing this year).

4. Annie Hartnett’s The Road to Tender Hearts
I would highly recommend The Road to Tender Hearts as a “book to get you out of a reading slump.” Not to draw comparisons, but…this book was what I wanted from Frederick Bachmann’s My Friends but in a less of a “I’m-hitting-you-over-the-head-with-my-profound-reflections-on-love-and-grief” way.

5. Bruce Holsinger’s Culpability
This was one of the more thought-provoking books I read this year. While the plot centers on a tragic accident, it’s really an autopsy of technology, class, guilt, and the legal system. It reminded me a bit of Mouth to Mouth—the plot is compelling enough to keep you turning the page while acting as a vessel for important, uncomfortable points about technology and social privilege.

6. Gary Shteyngart’s Vera, or Faith
I love books that are creatively written from the perspective of a child – in this case, the brilliant, neurodivergent, 10 year old Vera. Shteyngart now tops my list as one of my favorite satirical authors; like Everett, Shteyngart has a way of making you laugh out loud while simultaneously making you want to go lie down in a dark room and contemplate the state of the world.

7. Sierra Greer’s Annie Bot
Similar to Culpability, Annie Bot is a great narrative-driven exploration of technology’s impact on society. While the plot centers on the relationship between a man and his customized AI companion, it’s a deep exploration of power, desire, feminism, and autonomy. Just a very thought-provoking, unique book (and prime fodder for a book club! I loved discussing with my mom and sister).

8. Amanda Peters’ The Berry Pickers
Much like North Woods, The Berry Pickers was a book whose title and synopsis did little to draw me in…but I’m so glad it ended up in my face enough times for me to finally read it. I don’t know why I am always deterred by anything remotely categorized as historical fiction when I now consistently enjoy many novels in the genre. Not only were these characters compelling and their stories full of emotion, but I loved the deep insight about times, places, and people (rural Maine, 1960s, indigenous) I wouldn’t have otherwise.

9. Clare Leslie Hall’s Broken Country
Broken Country scratched my itch for “family drama” in a much more refined way than needing to watch the latest season of Real Housewives. (I mean that in the best way possible.) Its elements of mystery and thrill made it one of the more plot-driven books I enjoyed this year, as opposed to my frequent favorites that are largely either character-driven or insightful social, political, cultural commentaries.

10. Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent
2025 ended on a high note with Evans’ The Correspondent. While my “Letdowns of 2025” list highlights the books that topped everyone else’s list but didn’t quite make mine, I’m happy to report that “the stakeholders are aligned” when it comes to The Correspondent. Most definitely a book to get anyone out of a reading slump; easy to read in its epistolary format yet deeply emotional. Much like Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, Evans’ main character Sybil Antwerp is the perfect balance of sass and emotion to make you both laugh and cry.