Looking back over the past year, 2025 was a banner year for reading. Not only had I finally gotten around to reading several authors I’ve wanted to read, but several books were true surprises.

My choices cover a range of genres from historical fiction to contemporary romance, from literary fiction to mystery and magical realism. I selected these books based on the following criteria:

* A compelling premise. Did the story hook me from the start?
* Strong main character (and not necessarily likeable either)
* Engaging storytelling that kept me turning the pages
* A satisfying conclusion that actually made sense for the story

Below are my top seven picks of the year followed by honorable mentions. How many of these stories have you read and enjoyed?

The Best:

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

This book had been on my Want-to-Read list for ages, and it did not disappoint. Based on a true event and set during the Depression era, the story highlights a group of women who volunteer to deliver books to poor residents in rural Kentucky as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s traveling library. According to the marketing blurb on the back cover, it’s a “captivating tale of friendship, true love and reaching for what’s possible.” I’m looking forward to reading more of Moyes’ books.

The Sentence by Louise Erdich

Here’s another author I’ve wanted to read for a while. The Sentence takes place in Minneapolis over the course of one year from November 2019 to November 2020, taking readers through the narrator’s experience during the Covid pandemic and the George Floyd murder and ensuing riots. All the while, she deals with a capricious ghost haunting the book shop  where she works as well as her conflicted feelings about her marriage and her efforts to reconcile her own dark past. An intriguing character study of one woman’s life in turbulent times, and Erdich’s Native-American heritage brings an added narrative layer. I’m sure I’ll be reading more of her works.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Evelyn Hugo, a retired film star of the 1950s and 1960s, hires a novice magazine writer to help her draft her memoir. Over several ensuing weeks, the actress shares her life story, though she does so at her own pace and is determined to control the narrative. The hired writer wonders why she was chosen for the job because the two women have nothing in common. Hugo, by her own admission, is not the kindest person in the world and her relationships are fraught with tension. This was another fascinating character study, and the story stayed with me longer have I closed the book.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

Fans of magic realism will enjoy this novel by Woods, set in Dublin where a vanishing bookshop casts its spell over three unsuspecting characters who have played minor side roles in their own lives. Told through two timelines and three characters’ point of views, readers follow them on their journey to self-discovery and self-empowerment. What I enjoyed most is the way Woods weaved and intertwined the characters’ lives despite the different timelines and how she created a magical bookshop that only a few could see.

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

In her novels, Benedict often features bright, talented young women whose career achievements are suppressed by the strong, dominating men in their lives. This story is no exception. Most people knew Hedy Lamarr as a stunningly beautiful Hollywood film star of the 1950s. What they don’t know is that she was also a scientist. She grew up in an aristocratic family in Austria, and through her marriage to an Austrian arms dealer, she often overheard conversations detailing the Third Reich’s  plans. After escaping to the United States and becoming a screen star, she used her scientific knowledge to design a communications system that would help the U.S. fight the Nazis. Except as a woman, no one would listen to her idea.

Murder Under the Tuscan Sun by Rachel Rhys

File this one under gothic romantic suspense. In some ways, the tone and storytelling of this novel reminds me of Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca. When a recently widowed woman responds to an ad for a companion to an ill aristocrat at his estate in rural Italy, she has no idea what to expect. While there is no actual murder, there is plenty of suspense as the widow experiences strange dreams, ghost sightings while she cares for her charge who doesn’t seem to want her help. Over time, the two grow closer even as he seems close to death. This was a surprising read that kept me turning the page.

The Day I Died by Lori Rader-Day

After reading two earlier works by Rader-Day (Little Pretty Things and The Black Hour), I fully expected another stellar novel. I was not disappointed.  From the opening pages, I was taken on a wild journey through the eyes of the story’s protagonist Anna, who has a unique talent of analyzing people’s handwriting. The local sheriff isn’t convinced of Anna’s abilities, but hires her anyway to help in his search for a missing boy. But to solve this mystery, Anna has to face her own fears about her past and her relationship with her own teenaged son.

Honorable Mentions:

The following didn’t make my best list but are all worthy of your time.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
I don’t usually read horror novels–I get too easily creeped out–but Garcia’s writing helped create a dark and suspenseful story. I just didn’t buy into the romantic relationship.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
After hearing so much about Emily Henry, I had to check out one of her books. This was a solid, engaging story, but the more compelling story line was the relationship between the two sisters.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
I was fascinated by the premise of this novel. Imagine what your life would be like if you made different choices.

The Memory of Lemon by Judith Fertig
A mix of magical realism and contemporary romance, this story is about a young baker who has a knack for tasting people’s emotions and has the ability to sense which ingredients will touch her customers’ hearts.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow
A young woman unwittingly uncovers a network of secret doorways to other worlds and explores many of them to find her father who had disappeared long ago. I don’t read many fantasy novels, but this was a surprising and entertaining read.

What about you? What books did you read this past year that impressed you most? Which books would you recommend?