Best Books of 2025
But really, must I choose?
I read over 100 books in 2025.
Following our family tradition, I’ve made a list of them for you—basically, a huge book recommendations list. In this post (which is by no means comprehensive), I’ve included the publication dates and links to some of the newer books.
New Books
Even though I love classic literature, good books are published today! (The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, anything by Pepper Basham, and Firefly Tales, for example.)
Here are a few favorites from last year:
Matchmaker by Hope Bolinger (2025)
Satire from Quill & Flame Publishing House. Emma retelling. Matchmaker from a Christian college. A bet. Humor. Wit. (See if you can guess which characters in the novel are from Jane Austen’s Emma!)
Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham (2025)
Regency Romance. An undercover author. A hero in need of rescuing. A dash of sarcasm. Basically, all the elements which make a good book.
Jewel of Persia by Roseanna M. White (2010)
Biblical fiction. The story of Esther. A king, a queen, and a beauty contest. All written as only Roseanna M. White can.
A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham (2025)
Contemporary romance (YA or older). Feuds, food, and smalltown charm. Coffee. Tea. A British hero. A snarky heroine. One of my favorite new Basham books.
Rembrandt Is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey (2022)
Nonfiction. Where art meets faith. Discussions of famous paintings. Led to me discovering that Vermeer is one of my favorite artists. (Disclaimer: I stopped reading it the first time through because I was so frustrated with the thieves who stole Rembrandt’s The Storm on the Sea of Galilee!)
A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte (2015)
Nonfiction. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. The influence of the Great War on their creative lives. Made me cry. (Loconte’s newest, The War for Middle Earth, is waiting in my TBR stack!)
Classic Books
Some of my favorite classics from last year—new discoveries and old loves.
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin (1903)
I didn’t read this one until I was seventeen. But I loved it just as much as I would have at ten or twelve. Rebecca’s spunky personality makes me smile.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)
This one was simply magical. I forgot how beautiful Burnett’s writing is, and how lovely the entire story of Mary Lennox, the secret garden, and Collin Craven is.
84, Charing Cross by Helene Hanff (1970)
Booklovers, beware! If you, like me, want to read books simply because they were mentioned in another book, 84, Charing Cross is a dangerous tale. I read it over whenever I want to get back into the mood for classic literature, and I never get tired of Helene Hanff’s delightful snark and F.P.D.’s British reserve.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859)
Ack, this book! I started in as a freshman, got about halfway through and gave up, but this time, I wanted to see how we got from Dickens’ spectacular beginning to the heart wrenching last words. (Disclaimer: I almost cried at the end.)
Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace (1948)
My favorite of the Betsy-Tacy books, mainly because Joe Willard is absolutely fantastic. I reread this series every year, and I can’t believe I’m already reading Betsy and Joe as a senior in high school. If you’re looking for a writerly heroine, a well-read hero, and the bittersweet charm of graduating high school, here’s the perfect read.
Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare (1598)
My favorite of Shakespeare’s comedies, I think (though As You Like It will always be close to my heart, since it was the first Shakespeare play I read). Beatrice’s snark and wit leap off the page, and Benedick isn’t far behind her. If you love the enemies-to-lovers trope, here’s one of the very first.
Creepy Books
I read some fabulous gothic fiction for the first time this year, and I read my first Agatha Christie novels! Ergo, I have this lovely section of books which could fit under the other headings but deserve a list (and a disclaimer) all to themselves.
Disclaimer: gothic fiction; may include violence, blood, vampires, insanity; read at your own risk; enjoy.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939)
I read this entire book on the day I bought it. It’s riveting! Sadly, the fabulous and mustachioed Hercule Poirot doesn’t make an appearance in this story, but there will be enough suspense to keep you reading far into the night. The ending to this mystery is superb—not at all what I was expecting.
Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)
I consumed huge chunks of this story under my bedcovers, with a reading light, unable to stop reading even though my eyelids drooped. Told entirely through letters and diary entries, Dracula is one of those stories which sparks your imagination and sends cold shivers down your spine. Definitely one of my favorite reads from 2025!
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)
Another fabulous gothic novel from the 1800s, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde reminds me of The Portrait of Dorian Gray (another fascinating gothic novel which I reread almost every year). Split personalities, moral decline, and the prevail of right all come together in this soul-probing, heartrending read.
The below post from E. Sherbourne discusses almost all of the books mentioned in this section.
I hope you found a few titles to add to your TBR list for 2026. Happy New Year and may you never lack a good book!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another book to read. ✨
What a lovely list! You’ve inspired me to add Loconte’s title to my TBR. I just checked and my library has it!
This mix of gothic classics with cozy contemporary reads is refreshing, not seeing many lisst that go from Dracula to Betsy-Tacy. That bit about starting A Tale of Two Cities as a freshman and circling back later totally lands, some books need the right timing. Revisiting Loconte's work on Tolkien and Lewis sounds like exactly what I need for winter reading.