My Top 5 Books of 2025
This is the first time I have done a 'yearly' top 5 (although I did a 'Top 5 Top 5s' previously, after my 5th book list), but it seems to fit with the year ending in a 5.
Anyway, this is entirely subjective, and is an indication of where I currently sit in regards to these books. The list might even be different if I was asked on a different day. The following are not reviews of these books per se, but each one has been reviewed, and that review can be found by clicking on the title of the book in question.
Also, these are ranked in the order that I read them, rather than specifically 1-5 or 5-1. That would take a while longer to sort out!
I will give this one the award for 'Best Audiobook of the Year' and 'Best Whodunnit of the Year'.
I listened to this over the Summer holidays last year, and enjoyed it enough that I listened to the rest of the series in the same year. Twisty, humorous, a bit unpredictable (an important element for whodunnits) and at times, quite moving.
I haven't seen the movie version yet, but I hear it changes the ending a bit, which would impact on the series going forward. This is a shame, because the characters are what makes this series, and some of the minor characters in this one become far more memorable in the entries to come.
'Best Read-with-Elise Book of the Year.' 'Best Sanderson of the Year.'
I have gotten into Brandon Sanderson a lot in recent years, but this is the first time I have had one that I felt Elise would also enjoy. While still being part of Sanderson's larger 'Cosmere' universe, Tress of the Emerald Sea is a relatively stand-alone entry, not too long, and has a fun Princess Bride-esque style to it that is quite appealing.
Our protagonist, Tress, is a typically capable Sanderson heroine, and her journey to save her 'true love' from the clutches of an evil Sorceress is a fun little fairy-tale style adventure. Quirky side characters add to the fun.
Worth checking out.
'Best Christian Book of the Year.' 'Most Thought-Provoking of the Year.'
If I was to pick a top book of the year, this would most likely be it. In one sense, this is 'just' a book about prayer, but it is one that both challenges and inspires the reader. I noted in my main review that I was likely to revisit this book in the near future, to let it "wash over" me again, and although I haven't yet done so (I have been slowly working my way through The Institutes of Christian Religion instead) I feel confident that I will at some point.
That is a sign of how much this book impacted and stirred me.
'Best Classic of the Year.' 'Best Re-Visited Novel of the Year.'
This is such a beloved book that I probably don't need to say all that much about it, but the highest praise that I will give this book is that out of a number of books that I revisited in 2025, after having previously read and enjoyed them, this was the book that held up the best on a second reading. Not only that, but it is one of those popular books that I don't feel is overrated as a result of its popularity. Having such heavy themes being told through the filter of a child's recollections is a technique that could go badly, but Harper Lee does it beautifully.
However, it is certainly not a book I would read aloud!
'Best Fantasy of the Year.' 'Best BookTok Recommendation!'
A page-turner from an author I'd not previously encountered, The Will of the Many was everything I wanted it to be. A bit cliche in patches, but honestly, if a book is written well it can be as cliche as it wants to be. The magic system is fun, the central conspiracy is interesting, and our main character - though a bit of a 'flawless hero' - is one we want to see succeed.
The second book is now out, and I know it will be one I hunt out in the not-too-distant future.
And, for once I will thank the algorithm, for sending me book recommendations through my YouTube feed! Otherwise, I may not have hunted this one out.
Honorable Mentions: (aka, The Second 5)
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