2025 has come to an end, 2026 has started and that means it’s the perfect time to talk about my favourite reads of 2025 without the risk of leaving a new favourite in the abyss between my 2025 best books list and the start of 2026, never to be given its rightful glory. (Not that that happened this year, but you never know.) And what better day to post this post than when Top Ten Tuesday is doing the same thing – two birds with one stone!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme originally created by The Broke and the Bookish and currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
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I read a total of 94 books this year, of which I gave ratings to 91 (see more stats here). Of those, three books got 5 stars and 22 books got 4 stars. This post is split into 5 and 4 star sections but there is no particular order apart from that because I’m bad at making difficult choices and I think all of these books are excellent in different ways (of course, the 4-star picks are my favourite 7 out of the 22, although some were also out simply because I don’t count rereads towards this list). There may be a slight tendency to go from best to worst but it’s basically just whatever order they occurred to me in.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at my (/sarcasm super authoritative) best books of 2025!
5-Star Books ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think it is quite self-evident by the fact that I only gave 3 out of 94 books 5 stars this year, that I give out 5 stars very sparingly. In fact, getting 4 stars is already high praise, in my opinion! So take me at my word when I say these three books are amazing.
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
A woman is on a mission to explore exoplanets many light years away, when they lose contact with Earth. Faced with the prospect of returning to a world that has forgotten them, or no longer supports their mission, she begins to record her explorations.
This is a wonderful sci-fi novel exploring the morality of scientific research (including in space) and what it means to go into space on behalf of humanity. Check out my full review.
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
A newly-retired judge returns to the Malaysian Highlands where she had spent some time in her young adulthood following the end of World War II. Faced with impeding memory loss, she begins to recall and record her time as an apprentice in the Garden of Evening Mists.
Heartwarming and heartbreaking with beautiful prose and breathtaking scenery to match, this is one of the best historical fiction/multiple time-period books I’ve ever read.
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrick Backman
A grandfather with dementia tries to explain to his grandson that he is forgetting the world and himself.
The way the grandfather talks about his struggle to hold onto his memories, and the difficulties his family face in accepting his loss made me cry for the entire hour this audiobook took me (very in public – I was on a bus). Perhaps even more powerful since my own grandfather was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, but heartbreaking regardless.
4-Star Books ⭐⭐⭐⭐
These are the books that would probably get 4.5 stars, except I decided not to do 4.5 stars because a lot of things ended up at 4.5 and nothing at 5, so now I make myself choose. These are books are really, truly excellent, so please take this as my whole-hearted recommendation!
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Four unhappy women escape their stifling lives in England to escape to a small castle in Italy for a month. The lulling warmth of the sun and the beauty of the gardens slowly peels back the women’s outer shells, leading them through disquiet and discomfort to harmony.
Von Arnim’s writing is beautiful and transportive, reading this book might not be quite as transforming as a month with nothing to do but take walks (and naps) in beautiful gardens, but it’s something close.
The Second Death of Locke by V. L. Bovalino
Hands wield magic; Wells gather it. Alone, they are nothing. Together, they are everything. Kier is Grey’s childhood friend, her Hand, the man she loves – even if he doesn’t know it. When they’re assigned a mission that puts them at the heart of their nation’s war, they have to decide what they’re willing to sacrifice, for Grey is the lost heir of Locke and if she dies, all magic dies with her.
This truly is one of the best (if not the best) fantasy release to come out this year. Not quite fantasy romance, not quite pure fantasy, with plenty of plot, plenty of world and plenty of feeling. If you want a mature slowburn romance with a solid fantasy plot, this is the one for you. Check out my full review.
Bird Talk and Other Stories by Xu Xu
A collection of selected short stories by mid-20th Century Chinese author Xu Xu. Known for his ‘popular literature’ novellas and short stories, many of which incorporate supernatural or ghost-like elements, Xu Xu is a very under-appreciated author in the West.
If you’re interested in reading 20th Century Chinese literature (pre-Mao) but want something a bit more readable, I highly recommend Xu Xu! I read this one for my master’s degree and was surprised to like it so much.
The Final Architecture Trilogy by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Architects appeared out of nowhere, leaving planets destroyed in their wake. Eighty years ago, they came for Earth and the survivors created enhanced humans who could communicate with them and turn them away. Then they disappeared. Now, one of the original enhanced humans – Idris – and his crew have found something strange abandoned in space. Are the architects returning?
The perfect space opera + space politics series, with all the found family dynamics you could want. Pair that with some interesting debates about ideology, war and morality, and it’s a perfect storm. (And yes, I picked the whole series – I couldn’t quite decide which book was best.)
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
Dr Walden is Direct of Magic at Chetwood School. Aside from teaching A-Level Invocation, her most important job is securing the school against demonic incursions – something she’s really very good at. But demons are masters of manipulation, and what if the biggest threat to the school…. is Walden herself.
Dr Walden is an excellent character – she’s seen stuff, done stuff, and grown as a result, but she’s still far from perfect. The characters and relationships are complicated and nuanced, the plot is compelling and the worldbuilding is actually a pretty decent insight into British education (from the teachers’ side). Check out my full review.
연남동 빙굴빙굴 빨래방 [Yeonnam-dong’s Smiley Laundromat] by Kim Jiyun
In the heart of a rapidly gentrifying district of Seoul, someone leaves behind a notebook in the local laundromat. When people start leaving messages to each other, the laundromat becomes a hub of community and neighbourly kindness. But the notebook’s owner may need the regulars’ help more than anyone else.
The best kind of ‘healing’ fiction, focusing on community and kindness in a world that tries to posit itself as dog-eats-dog. Pair this global message with nuanced and specific plots and characters, and this book manages to avoid the pitfall of bland, cookie-cutter ‘healing fiction’ and go straight for your heart. (And luckily, it’s been translated into English!)
The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews (Breach Wars #1)
Faced with the potential destruction of Earth as portals from unknown places spill monsters into Earth, newly-divorced mother of two enters the Breaches in search of rare elements that can help Earth win the battle against these mysterious invaders. When one of the missions goes wrong, she finds herself trapped inside the Breach with only a scared German Shepherd for company.
The perfect sci-fi with a slightly fantasy feel, compelling characters and an ending that will leave you satisfied but wanting so much more. Ilona Andrews’ books are always compulsively readable.
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What was your favourite book of the year? If you’ve written a post, leave me a comment so I can check it out! (If not, leave me a comment anyway letting me know what your top reads of the year were!)
Keira x
Keira's Bookmark 