Sometimes I burn through books for escape (love a good romance or thriller). Other books I read really sit with me. Many of the books on my list from 2025 were very much the second kind.
Last year’s favorites are full of stories that lingered long after I finished the last page, books I kept thinking about while folding laundry or laying awake at night.
Here are the books I couldn’t stop recommending. The ones that made me feel something!
Check out my list of best books 2024.
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall: Quietly devastating in the way the best literary fiction often is. This book explores grief, class, love, and loss with so much restraint and humanity. Nothing is overexplained, yet everything feels deeply felt. I found myself slowing down as I read because I didn’t want to miss a single emotional beat.
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali: A beautiful, heartbreaking story about female friendship, loyalty, and identity set against the political upheaval in Iran. This book does such a powerful job of weaving history into personal lives. It’s tender, emotional, and quietly empowering—and one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
Middletide by Sarah Crouch: Part mystery, part love story, part reflection on the lives we choose versus the ones we leave behind. The Pacific Northwest setting is moody and atmospheric, and the emotional tension builds in a really satisfying way. I flew through this one but still found it surprisingly thoughtful.
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult: This is classic Jodi Picoult book, in the best possible way. Ethical questions, moral gray areas, and characters who make you question what you think you’d do in an impossible situation. I finished this book feeling unsettled, reflective, and eager to talk about it with someone else.
Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Giuffre: This memoir is incredibly difficult but deeply important. Giuffre tells her story of abuse from childhood through her Epstein years (via another writer who is incredible with words) with clarity, courage, and honesty, and I found myself needing to pause often just to process what I was reading. It’s not an easy book, but a necessary one.
House of My Mother by Shari Franke: As a parent, this book really shook me. It’s disturbing, emotional, and incredibly eye-opening, offering an inside look at control, abuse, and family dynamics hidden behind a carefully curated public image. I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I finished.
Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell: Fast-paced, twisty, and completely addictive. This is one of those books where you keep saying “just one more chapter” and suddenly it’s midnight. A perfect thriller when you want something engrossing that still feels smart.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe: Sharp, funny, and surprisingly emotional. This book tackles money, motherhood, and modern womanhood in a way that feels honest and refreshing. Margo is flawed, complicated, and very real. I laughed, cringed, and felt very seen while reading this.
The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr: Glamorous on the surface and devastating underneath. This historical novel blends old Hollywood intrigue with the lasting impact of World War II in a way that’s both gripping and deeply moving. I loved the themes of survival, reinvention, and female strength.
