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

 

Book Review - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Title: The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid’s Tale # 1)
Author: Margaret Atwood
Genre: Fiction/ Classic
Published: 1985
 
Description: Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now…
 
Review: Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” was published first in 1985, the story is still chillingly topical. In this dystopian novel, the reader is drawn into the mind of Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. It’s a totalitarian, patriarchal theocracy that replaced the United States, following a staged terrorist attack. It operates through extreme social stratification, a rigid interpretation of the Old Testament, and the complete subjugation of women.
 
We have the Commanders, high-ranking ruling elite men and the decision-makers. Their wives manage the household, they don’t have jobs of their own. Then there is the Handmaids, the fertile women forced to bear children for the elite. The Aunts are the ones that train and discipline the Handmaids. Marthas are domestic servants, they cook and clean, and the Guardians are the local police, drivers and security. The Eyes are the secret police who keep an eye and everything and everyone (sort of like “Big Brother”).
 
The story is followed through the eyes of Offred (named after the Commander she is working for, she is the property “of Fred”). The book delves deeply into the protagonist’s experiences and her attempts to survive. The evoke strong emotions and you really get to bond with Offred. The way the story is told is intimate and gripping.
 
The book is fairly short (little over 300 pages) for such a complex and in depth story, but somehow Atwood managed to add it all in there without losing any substance. It has a psychological impact, sharp social criticism and it has an oppressive atmosphere.  
 
It is shockingly topical, still, many years after its publication date. Looking at religious extremism, oppression of women, loss of privacy, patriarchy. Atwood combines the present, the past, and the vague hope for a future with a unique structure that reflects the internal struggle.
 
I can understand that the intense, dark tone of the book might not be for everyone, but for fans of dystopian literature, this is a book that I can highly recommend. Many questions will raise about freedom and society and it will stay with you long after you finish reading it. I can’t wait to pick up the second book.
 
Rating: 5/ 5
 

TV Show Review - The Handmaid's Tale (Season 4)

Season: 4
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2021
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Max Minghella, Alexis Bledel, Anne Dowd, Bradley Whitford

Description: Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

Review: It took a while before “The Handmaid’s Tale” returned with season 4. But Elisabeth Moss, who plays June, is finally back and is great as ever.

WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO AREN’T CAUGHT UP

This season, June manages to finally escape from the hell that’s called Gilead. After a while, she even manages to end up in Canada where she is finally reunited with her husband Luke. However, in her escape, June did not have the opportunity to take her daughter Hannah with her. She blames herself greatly for this and feels guilty towards Luke about it. Although June’s escape attempt, which she does together with some of the other handmaids, is ultimately successful for her it is obviously not going to be easy. June faces considerable hardship and loss.

So the relationship between June and Luke is what I found most interesting this season. Both are struggling with a sense of guilt about their daughter Hannah who is still trapped in Gilead. June and Luke both deal with it in a different way, but the sadness is very palpable for both of them. Meanwhile, Fred and Serena Joy are still in jail in Canada awaiting the lawsuit filed against them. Fred wants nothing more from his wife, until Serena Joy discovers that she is pregnant with his child.

Season 4 contains a few memorable scenes. Like the speech June gives in the courtroom in front of Fred and Serena, the people who made her life a living hell. But the scene that most impressed me and stuck with me is where June ruthlessly taunts Serena as to why God let Serena get pregnant according to June. Elisabeth Moss should win an Emmy for this scene alone.

But with four season already made, it’s hard to avoid a little bit of repetition. A lot of things happening, we’ve seen before.

But it’s still a great season and I highly enjoyed it. I believe the fifth season, which will come out in 2022, is the final one. Which might be for the best. I really want to know how it ends and what will happen to all the characters, good or bad.

TV Show Review - The Handmaid's Tale (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Number of episodes: 13
Year: 2019
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Max Minghella, Alexis Bledel, Anne Dowd, Bradley Whitford

Description: Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

Review: “Praise be”. As a loyal fan of “The Handmaid’s Tale”, these words should sound familiar to you. After seeing the final episode of season 3, called “Mayday”, there was finally some light at the end of the tunnel.
In the first season we were given an image of a future America, now also called a theocracy called Gilead. A group a religious fundamentalists seized power and created a society with one priority: procreation. Fertile women serve as sex slaves (handmaids) of the rich powerful Commanders. In general, it is a medieval civilization with the technology of the future. Women are not allowed to read, write, drive a card, exercise a profession, etcetera, but they should be engaged in household chores. The series tells the story of the protagonist June Osbourne, int the first season as Offred, now Ofjoseph. She tells us her thoughts in the dialogue, since she will never be allowed to express them. The story sounds unrealistic when you hear it, but once you’ve started you will think: ‘but what if…?’
The second season ends with a breakaway attempt by Emily and June’s daughter Nichole, which was made possible thank to Commander Lawrence. June decided to stay, because she won’t leave without her daughter Hannah. After the second season we asked ourselves two questions: will Emily and Nichole make it to Canada and what will happen to June? The third season starts where the second season left us.
June is assigned to a new post in a household that doesn’t act like most. She becomes the handmaid for Commander Joseph Lawrence and his wife Eleanor. Lawrence is one of the founders of Gilead, but now refuses to follow the rules and doesn’t treat his handmaid and Martha’s the way the others do. A clever move for the storyline, it offers a lot of possibilities for new material. Especially since the relationship problems between Fred and Serena, that already arose at the end of season 2.
We get to see new content about the ‘normal’ life outside Gilead and we get backstories to complicated characters like Aunt Lydia. And I liked the addition of Commander Lawrence and wife Eleanor. It’s not exactly clear which side they are on.
What sets “The Handmaid’s Tale” apart from other series is the complexity of its characters. Of course, in a dystopian story like this you have certain protagonist and antagonists, but almost every character is interesting enough to want to know more about them. Serena Joy for example, the wife of Commander Fred Waterford. Despite the fact that she is one of the most mean, sneaky characters of the show, Yvonne Strahovski manages to portray her in such a way that you sometimes doubt that she might not deserve a second change ( and then immediately regret it). And this season she makes some controversial choices.
Another strong point is the credibility of the story. It’s a lot closer to reality as you might think. Seeing how America turned out to be, being reinforced by flashbacks through the episodes. This way you get to understand the world, characters and actions.
The only thing I didn’t really like is what they did with the character of Nick Blaine. It felt a little bit far-fetched and left of center. The third season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” definitely didn’t disappoint and is again of high quality. It’s a series that is so horrible and the same time so wonderful. I can’t wait what happens next, season 4 is supposed to air in 2020.

TV Show Review - The Handmaid's Tale (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Number of episodes: 13
Year: 2018
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Max Minghella, Alexis Bledel, Anne Dowd, Bradley Whitford

Description: Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

Review: “There is more than one kind of freedom… Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it”.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” had a wonderful start, season 1 was fantastic and very captivating. And season 2 is also fantastic. Although, June’s life isn’t and it’s not getting any better.
There are so many heavy themes this series deals with: child marriage, rape, slavery, abuse, oppression and dictatorship. But the scariest parts is maybe the inability to do anything about it.
There is a constant fight going on. Not only the fight between good and bad, because the show isn’t that black and white. We see the emotional fight of Serena, the fight between Serena and June, the fight between the establishment and them thinking it's so good what they’re doing. The right to self-determination, to decide as a woman what you want to eat, drink, carry and who you want to love.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” is filmed beautifully in a dystopian world that used to be America. Gilead is seen through the eyes of the women, wearing red, blue and grey. You can see the children’s faces, that never asked for this and grow up thinking this is normal. And the cruelty of the men and women higher up the ladder, who think they have the wisdom.
Serena's battle is beautifully performed by Yvonne Strahovski. How broken June is, is shown in the fantastic performance Elisabeth Moss delivers. But Fred Waterford’s brute force, which Joseph Fiennes more than excellently portrays, is also a feast for the eye and ear. It’s for a reason that all three have been nominated an Emmy Award and Moss even won a Golden Glove for her role.
Gilead pulls the viewer into the world that seems so far away, but it actually lives around the corner. A world were June is forced to live in, which is cruel and bloody. When you think everything is going to be okay, things get even worse. It seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel and that a world like this cannot become better. Happiness is not a word that describes Gilead. The last few episodes of this season is full of tension and you still have hope, but inside you know it will no
t get better. And I will no longer think that anyone in this series will ever find happiness, as long as they live in Gilead.
This series surprised me so much, it’s daring and doesn’t shy away from confronting situations and themes. And, like its first season, season 2 is strong from start to finish.

TV Show Review - The Handmaid's Tale (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2017
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Max Minghella, Alexis Bledel, Anne Dowd

Description: Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

Review: Let me just start by telling that it’s a fantastic first season of this show. “The Handmaid’s Tale” is oppressive, compelling and credible enough to believe that people would really to make this a reality.
The series is based on the book by Margeret Atwood and it’s gripping and frightening. And it doesn’t let you go easily.
In “The handmaid’s Tale”, a picture of the future of the United States is presented that is not really rosy, to put it mildly. The United States has come into power from a group of religious fanatics who have renamed the country the Republic of Gilead. This republic is full of betrayal, suspicion and oppression. Most women have become infertile. The women who are still fertile are placed with families that are high up in the republic. There they have to become pregnant by their ‘masters’. They have to give up their real name to show how insignificant they are.
We follow June Osborne who has to change her name into Offred. This well-educated and free-spirited woman is ‘lucky’ enough to be fertile. She is placed within the family Waterford: Serena Joy Waterford and her husband Fred Waterford. Because of this, June lost her everything: her job, her husband and her daughter. Despite the hell she is living in, June is determined to find her daughter. She’ll do anything for that.
You get an inside look on how this society works and its rules. But you also get to see flashbacks, where you see who everyone was before it all went down and what happened to them and to the US. And why it is the way it is.
As said, the series is oppressive, it’s edgy with regard to the status of women in a society. And it does not hesitate to address social issues. All this is portrayed brilliantly but painfully and June’s role is played excellently by Elisabeth Moss.
Before you start this series, it’s best to know as little as possible. This way it’s more shocking and it adds to the TV experience.