Choosing favorites is always hard, but these five books refused to let go of me. I kept thinking about them long after I turned the last page—pausing to reread passages, sitting quietly with my thoughts, and feeling everything. These are the books that stayed.
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
I devoured this one in three days—sneaking pages in with my morning coffee and choosing it over television at night. There are no dragons here, no epic quests or looming catastrophes. Instead, Towles gives us exquisite prose, beautifully drawn characters, and a New York City that feels alive on the page. It’s elegant, immersive, and quietly unforgettable.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
I first read David Copperfield as a child, and Dickens has always had a permanent place on my shelves (A Tale of Two Cities still holds my heart). So I expected Kingsolver’s reimagining to be powerful—but I wasn’t prepared for how much it would ache. Chapter after chapter squeezed my heart. When you start worrying about a fictional character as if they were real, you know the author has done something extraordinary.
The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
This was my first time reading Danielle Evans, and it absolutely won’t be my last. These stories are sharp, unsettling, and astonishingly precise. Each one gently pulls the rug out from under you—questioning history, memory, and the assumptions we don’t even realize we’re carrying. More than once, I just sat there afterward, breathless. Read these slowly. Let them sit with you.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
I finally picked up my signed copy—one I bought from my local bookstore, Mysterious Galaxy, during the pandemic—and I’m so glad I did. This is a fierce, heart-pounding start to a series, rooted in real-world mythologies and brought vividly to life. The magic is rich, the stakes are high, and the emotional core hits exactly where it should.
The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu
I finished Speaking Bones, the final book in the series, and honestly—wow. How does one mind imagine a world this vast, filled with so many deeply human characters? Ken Liu brings four books’ worth of intricate plotting to a powerful, satisfying close, even weaving one of the gods back into the story. This is epic fantasy in the truest sense, and it’s absolutely worth the journey.
🌸 Honorable Mentions
- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang — Warm, heartfelt, and beautifully written. Stella and Michael lived up to all my hopes.
- Never Meant to Stay by Trisha Das — A modern Indian romance that left me smiling. I’ll definitely be reading more from her.
- Conclave by Robert Harris — I watched the movie first (I know, I broke my own rule), but the book still surprised me. A gripping look at papal elections, full of intrigue and a sharp twist.
- The Worldly Philosophers by Robert L. Heilbroner — Thoughtful and illuminating. A reminder that the people who shaped economic thought were deeply human—flawed, curious, and fascinating.
If there’s one thing this list reminds me of, it’s how generous reading can be—from quiet literary novels to sweeping fantasy, from romance to philosophy. These books shaped my year, and I’m grateful for every one of them.
Tell me—what were your favorite reads of 2025?
Anna Bushi 