Top 10: Favorite Books of 2025

 My goal for 2025 was to read 60 books, I managed to read 64 books. Of those books, 45 were physical, 19 were audio books. My most read genre was thriller and I read most books by Suzanne Collins, since I reread the original “The Hunger Games” trilogy and I read the prequels for the first time. Of all the books, my average rating was 4 which is really good. I’ve read some really good book this year, I had 19 five star books. Of those 19, there were 3 rereads. I will not add any rereads to my top 10. Here is my top 10 favorite books, that I read in 2025.
 

10. Once There Were Wolves – Charlotte McConaghy
This was the first book I read by McConaghy, but I will definitely be picking up more of her work. “Once There Were Wolves” is a hauntingly beautiful and suspenseful novel that blends and environmental mission with a murder mystery, exploring themes of trauma, empathy, and the delicate balance between humanity and nature. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.
 

9. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
A dystopian book, published in 1985, but still chillingly topical. It depicts a society were women have been stripped of all autonomy, including the rights to read, work, or own property. It’s terrifyingly relevant in 2025 and I think more people should read it. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.
 

8. Wayward – Blake Crouch
“Wayward” is the second book in the “Wayward Pines” trilogy. I finished the series this year, given both of them 5 stars (first one also, read that one last year). It’s a fast-paced, gripping sci-fi thriller that deepens the mystery of the enigmatic town and keeps readers on the edge of their seats with constant twists and a major cliffhanger ending. This entire series is fantastic and became a favorite series of mine. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.
 

7. Somewhere Beyond the Sea – T.J. Klune
The sequel I didn’t think I needed. “The House in the Cerulean Sea” was my favorite book of 2022, to anyone’s surprise, since it’s not a genre I often read. I didn’t know that this book was going to be in a series until “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” was released. I thought it could never live up to the first, but it did. I loved it just as much and I really felt emotionally connected to each characters again. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.
 

6. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin
It is a highly acclaimed, best-selling novel, which lived up to the hyped. Never expected to love it as much as I did, since this book masterfully uses the world of video game design as a backdrop for a complex, decade-spanning story about friendship. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.
 

5. Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
“Gone Girl” is a pivotal psychological thriller and a landmark of the “domestic noir” subgenre. Known for its razor-sharp prose and masterfully deceptive structure. The novel explores the dark undercurrents of a modern marriage through the lens of a missing-person mystery. One of the biggest twists in a thriller novel ever. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.
 

4. Razorblade Tears – S.A. Cosby
I’ve only read two of his books, by S.A. Cosby is slowly becoming a new favorite author. “Razorblade Tears” is a visceral and emotionally charged novel, that follows two ex-convicts who form an alliance to avenge the murders of their sons. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.
 

3. Sunrise on the Reaping – Suzanne Collins
My most anticipated book of 2025 and I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations. It even exceded it actually, it’s now my second favorite in the series. “Sunrise on the Reaping” is a prequel to “The Hunger Games”, telling the story of Haymitch Abernathy. Reading this brutal and devastating book makes the original trilogy hit even harder. I cried multiple times. READ MY FULLREVIEW HERE.
 

2. Atmosphere – Taylor Jenkins Reid
I for sure thought this was going to be my number one, but it ended up being a close second. It’s a movig story, well-researched, set against the backdrop of the 1980s NASA space shuttle program. It focuses on the hidden love story between two female austronauts and exploring themes of ambition, sacrifice, and identity. It had emotional depth and compelling characters. READMY FULL REVIEW HERE.
 

1. Het Laatste Verhaal van Jamie Gunn - Thomas Olde Heuvelt
The only Dutch author I read from this year is Thomas Olde Heuvelt and I never expected that this book would be eventually my favorite of the year. It’s a 2025 release and I read it as soon as it came out. Met the author while being in the middle of it. It’s an intense and compelling page-turned, it grabbed me from the first page and I simply couldn’t put it down. This book was personal and I connected with Jamie Gunn on an emotional level too. READ MY FULL REVIEWHERE.
 
Honorable Mentions: 
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
The Last Town by Blake Crouch

 

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2025

We are half-way through the year already, time goes by way too fast. And So far, I have finished 35 books (out of the 60 book I try to read in 2025). I’m pretty certain I will meet and maybe even surpass that goal. But now is the perfect time to see how my reading has been going this year and to look back at the first six months of my reading year, by doing this tag.  I just simply answer some bookish questions about all the books I read in the first half of 2025.
 

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024?
I have few favorites and I have to be honest, I’m not ready to commit to my favorite of those. “Gone Girl” is one of them. One of those books, where I did already know I was going to love it. The characters jump of the page, the story is engaging and the plot twist is one of the best ever. “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins exceeded all my expectations, more about that later. And my most recent read, “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, really blew my mind. It was such a beautiful book. Her best so far in my opinion.
 

Best sequel you've read so far in 2024?
Definitely “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins, which was also my most anticipated book of the year. But I also loved “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” by T.J. Klune (from the “Ceruslean Chronicles” series) and “Wayward” by Blake Crouch (from the “Wayward Pines” series). The books are so different from each other, but I loved them so much.
 

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to?
“Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng” by Kylie Lee Baker somehow intrigues, after seeing Syd talk about it with so much passion. And “With a Vengeance” by Riley Sager is coming out in June. Still excited about that, after last year’s release was a major disappointment. “Say You’ll Remember Me” by Abby Jimenez is also on the list, since I discovered this author is my kind of romance writer. And finally “A Box Full of Murders”, the children’s book debut by Janice Hallett. I want o read everything by her, even if I’m not within the age demographic.
 

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?
That’s an easy one, the fifth book in “The Thursday Murder Club” series: “The Impossible Fortune” by Richard Osman, which will be released in September. Since this series has come out, a new book has been released each year, but not 2024. So, I really missed my favorite amateur sleuths.
 

Biggest disappointment?
“Jar of Hearts” by Jennifer Hillier. People kept recommending it to me and I had such high hopes and expectations. I couldn’t relate to the characters, didn’t understand any motivations and really didn’t like the romantic subplot. And for a book being marketed with having many unexpected twists and reveals, I was very underwhelmed.
 

Biggest surprise?
Probably “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix. Even though Hendrix is my horror guy when it comes to horror books, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. Because most people weren’t loving it, or even DNF’ing it, I wasn’t very hopeful I would like it. And it actually ended up being my favorite Hendrix.
 

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)?
I read both books by Coco Mellors, which I enjoyed. She is very talented and knows how to write good, deep and interesting characters. But I think I will go for Gillian Flynn. Only haven read one book by her so far, I will be reading everything she has ever written. Her writing is so amazing, engaging and immersive. The same goes for Charlotte McConaghy, who I also was introduced to this year. And I immediately added all of her backlist to my TBR.
 

Newest favorite character?
Jacob Maddox from “Yours Truly”. I loved the introvert representation in this book, someone dealing with anxiety. I felt like I was reading about myself. And its kind of weird to add a character that reminds me of myself as an answer, but I simply like people who are like me. A closed second is Joan Goodwin from “Atmosphere”.
 

Book that made you cry?
I literally sobbed while reading “Sunrise on the Reaping”. Several times. It’s such a sad book. I really loved delving into this world again, but you’re also remember what a fucked up world these characters live in. And no one is safe. This book broke me.
 

Book that made you happy?
“Yours Truly” by Abby Jimenez and “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” by T.J. Klune. Both books made smile, they just made me happy. I also cried at points, but they are for the most part books that put a smile on your face. 
 

Favorite book to movie adaptation?
This has to be “Gone Girl”. I watched the movie before reading the book, which is still okay, but I would recommend to do it the other way around. Because that twist will hit you so much harder then. This is one of those examples where I really can’t say which one is better, the book or the movie. Because both are all-time favorites of mine now.
 

Most beautiful book you’ve bought this year?
“Water Moon” by Samantha Sotto Yambao. The cover looks like it came straight from a Studio Ghibli movie. Sadly, I DNF’ed the book, because it was really boring and I just couldn’t get into it. But I’m keeping it, just for the cover.
 

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
Of course, the previous mentioned new releases. But also “The Drowning Woman” by Robyn Harding, because I borrowed it from my friend. I don’t like holding on to books too long, that are not mine. I finally want to read some more classics on my shelf, like “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood. And I definitely want to knock off some of the books that have been on my shelf for way too long, like “Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby, “Whalefall” by Daniel Kraus, the ‘Whispering Pines” series by Heidi Lange and Katie Bartkowski and maybe some Agatha Christie.

Book Review - Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune

Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles # 2)
Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2024
 
Description: A magical house, a Secret past, A summons that could change everything.
 
Arthur Parnassus lived a good life built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and hopes to soon be the adoptive father of the six dangerous and magical children who live there.
 
Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very island so long ago. He is not alon: joining him is the love of his life: Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. And there’s the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.
But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.
And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home – one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur works so hard to protect his children from – Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.
 
Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.
 
Review: With “Somewhere Beyond the Sea”, T.J. Klune once again manages to create an enchanting story that hits you right in the heart. This sequel to “The House in the Cerulean Sea” is full of humor, poignancy and a touch of magic, this novel takes you on a journey that is as surreal as it is compelling.
 
For this book we switch the focus from Linus Baker to Arthur Parnassus, the master of the orphanage, where magical children reside. I’ve read the first book in 2022 and as soon as I read about all these characters again I was reminded of how much I loved it. At the time of reading “The House in the Cerulean Sea”, I didn’t know this was going to have a sequel. And I didn’t really think it was necessary. But now I feel like it was meant to be. Because “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” is just as amazing as its predecessor.
 
Author T.J. Klune is know for his ability to write true-to-life characters, even though they are magical beings, and this book is no different. The main characters are both relatable and charming, and their struggles and growth feel genuine. Most of the story takes place against the backdrop of an idyllic coastal town, and Klune’s description of the setting make you almost imagine the salty sea air.
 
What sets this book apart is the way it interweaves major themes such as loss, love, and self-discovery with an atmosphere of magical realism. The story offers a unique perspective on what it means to face your past and find happiness again.
 
“Somewhere Beyond the Sea” is an amazing sequel, a warm embrace that is a heartwarming, compelling and beautifully written story, filled with the most fantastic characters you will ever come across. Like “The House in the Cerulean Sea”, this is book is a new favorite. So, if you loved the first book, please pick this up too.
 
Rating: 5/ 5