Best Books I Read in 2025

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday—the weekly challenge hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week, the challenge is to share the top ten best books I read in 2025. Narrowing down my choices to just ten was quite challenging, as this year was filled with so many incredible reads. After much deliberation, I’ve selected the books that stood out the most and made the strongest impression on me. I’m excited to share my favorites with you!

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10 Best Books I Read in 2025

Here are my ten favorite books from this year, listed in no particular order. I enjoyed every one of them.

1 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo’s historical romance, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, is set in medieval Paris and has fascinated readers since its first publication in 1837. The story centers on Esmeralda, a kind and beautiful woman who is wrongly accused of witchcraft by Claude Frollo, the troubled archdeacon whose obsession with her shapes much of the story. Quasimodo, the lonely and disfigured bell ringer of Notre-Dame Cathedral, falls in love with Esmeralda and tries to protect her by hiding her in the cathedral’s tower. Sadly, when a group of Parisian townspeople misunderstands Quasimodo’s actions and storms the church to save her, their efforts end in tragedy. I have read this novel several times, and it always moves me. Its power comes from both its sadness and its portrayal of human nature. I think everyone should read it at least once. The movie versions don’t capture the depth and emotion of Hugo’s original novel.

2 – The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

In 1912, someone discovers a Lutheran pastor’s diary hidden in a wall. The diary tells of a slow-moving massacre, starting with 217 Blackfeet who died in the snow. The story comes to life through interviews with Good Stab, a Blackfeet man who shares his remarkable experiences during confidential visits. Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read many of his books, and he always delivers.

3 – Conclave by Robert Harris

The pope has died. Inside the closed Sistine Chapel, 118 cardinals from around the world come together to choose the next pope in a famously secret vote. Even though they are respected as holy men, they still face ambition, pride, and the divisions that affect everyone. In the end, one of them becomes the world’s most powerful spiritual leader. I’ll admit, I watched the movie before reading the book. The film was so gripping that I had to read the book right away. The movie’s ending surprised me, but the book handled it better.

4 – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society started as a way to avoid trouble for breaking curfew during the German occupation. The group is made up of people who all love books. Through their letters, Juliet hears about the island, their favorite books, and how life changed during the occupation. Their stories make her want to visit Guernsey, and the trip changes her life. Both the book and the film are equally enjoyable.

5 – Witchcraft for Weyward Girls by Grady Hendrix

They’re called wayward girls: troubled, rebellious, or just too independent. Their families send them to the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, to hide their pregnancies, give birth in secret, and give up their babies for adoption. In the summer of 1970, fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at Wellwood, feeling scared and alone. Miss Wellwood, who is strict and always watching, is in charge of a group of girls facing the same situation. The adults keep tight control over the girls, insisting they know what’s best. When one of the girls meets a mobile librarian who gives her a book about witchcraft, she and the other girls find a new kind of power. But power always comes at a cost, and sometimes that price is paid in blood. I’ve read all of Grady Hendrix’s novels, and while I love them all, this one is my favorite.

6 – Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a pioneering Gothic and science fiction novel about Victor Frankenstein, who creates life and then recoils from his own creation. The Creature, intelligent but shunned, faces loneliness and longs for acceptance, prompting reflections on ambition, responsibility, and the dangers of assuming divine power. The story remains powerful because of its exploration of humanity and imagination, as well as the enduring conflict between maker and made. One of my favorite reads.

7 – The Best American Short Stories 2024 by Lauren Groff and Heidi Pitler

Guest editor Lauren Groff notes that there have never been more artfully crafted stories than today, resulting in a collection that challenges narrative expectations. The Best American Short Stories 2024 features twenty tales with unique logic, including a man touring his own hometown, an unemployed jeweler aboard an antique slave ship, and a therapist reconnecting with a former patient. Groff describes a sense of shared discovery with the authors. I read this collection every year for its outstanding short stories.

8 – The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

College student Joe Talbert interviews Carl Iverson, a dying Vietnam veteran and convicted murderer, for an English assignment. As Joe learns about Carl’s past, he struggles to reconcile Carl’s heroism with his crimes. With help from his neighbor, Lila, and while facing his own family struggles, Joe investigates Carl’s conviction. As they dig deeper, the truth becomes more complicated, and the risks rise. I enjoyed this novel enough to read the next in the series.

9 – Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin led a SEAL unit in Ramadi, Iraq, where they learned firsthand that strong leadership determines a team’s success. After their deployment, they developed SEAL leadership training and founded Echelon Front to share these teachings with businesses, helping teams excel. Their book translates SEAL leadership principles into concrete tactics for teams, families, and organizations. Each chapter covers a core concept and its real-world usage, blending gripping stories with usable advice. I read this for a group discussion at work and found it highly motivating.

10 – Halloween Writing Contest

Every year at work, I organize a Halloween-themed writing contest that invites colleagues to submit their spookiest stories and poems. The entries are often amateur, but the imagination and passion shine through in each submission. After reviewing all the works, one exceptional entry is selected to win a gift card. Though the writing may not be professional, I genuinely enjoy discovering the inventive and sometimes chilling tales my co-workers create. The contest has become a fun tradition that builds teamwork, encourages self-expression, and brings a festive, imaginative spirit to our workplace each October.

The best books I read in 2025 are available on Amazon in the Kindle store.