Friends! It’s been a while since I’ve published a roundup of favorite books. I set a low goal of only 20 books this year, hoping to actually write more, and instead wound up reading 67. Here are my 10 best reads of 2025.
Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier. I adored this historical fiction novel about a young woman who becomes an apprentice to the pope’s physician in 1300s France during the Bubonic plague. It was well-written (can you believe it’s the author’s debut novel) and captivating, and I learned so much about the era. If you’d prefer to listen to this one, the audiobook is read beautifully by one of my favorite narrators, Saskia Maarleveld.
Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves by Nicola Twilley. Basically all of my close friends listened to me rave about this book after finishing it. Yes, I realize that a book about the history of refrigeration sounds about as exciting as watching water freeze into ice, but it was absolutely fascinating. I flew through it and still think about it, especially when I go to the grocery store.
Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Our family went to the Kennedy Space Center in February and loved every minute of it. Then I read this book later in the year, and it hit hard. Atmosphere is a romance (there are LGBT characters, but it’s closed-door), but it’s more of a love story between women and their dreams of going into space as astronauts. Such a powerful story and particularly timely with the many assaults on women’s rights in the U.S. currently.
Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass by Dave Barry. Growing up, I would read Dave Barry’s humor column in the newspaper every week and laugh over it with my dad. I was thrilled to see that he’d written a memoir, and it did not disappoint. If you like Dave Barry’s humor, you’ll love this. He even explains the “alert reader” trope he started in his columns and is also more somber at times when discussing his personal life. Barry also narrates the audiobook, so I recommend listening if you can.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young. Normally I am not a huge fan of time travel books, but I cannot stop talking about this one and have recommended it to so many people. I even bought a copy of it for my mother-in-law for Christmas. It centers around the Farrow women, all of whom can travel through time but only at certain periods when a red door appears. As they travel, they have to decide which era they want to stay in. Though I have recommended the audio version for other books on this list, I would suggest reading the hardcover instead so you can refer back and keep everything straight. It does get confusing, but it’s worth the effort.
Cancer is Complicated: And Other Unexpected Lessons I’ve Learned by Clea Shearer. If you have a breast cancer patient or survivor in your life (and odds are good that you probably do), this book will be tremendously helpful for them. Even though I’m now two years past my treatments, I felt so seen while reading this. Clea tells her experience of getting a bilateral mastectomy and then doing chemo and radiation, just like I did, but she does such a good job of explaining what patients can expect and sharing the times when things did not go as planned. She also motivated me to actually write my memoir and share my insights.
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown. I always learn so much about history and famous European cities from Dan Brown books—AND Brown redeemed himself after the last Robert Langdon book, which I did not enjoy. This one is set in Prague and is different from the other books in the series, as it focuses more on neuroscience and what doctors have learned about how we store consciousness. It would be a great one for the winter months when you need a pick-me-up.
Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel by Loretta Ross. Those who have become more involved in politics or social justice issues over the past few years—or are simply having conversations with people who see things differently—will find this book invaluable. It’s part memoir and part self-help, and Ross is candid about trauma in her past and mistakes she has made in her role as a civil rights advocate. I found her story so inspiring.
Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai. You may know Malala only as the girl who survived being shot by the Taliban as a teen for advocating for girls’ education. She is 28 now, an Oxford graduate, and a strong advocate for women and girls throughout the world. This memoir is about her life at Oxford, her struggles with anxiety and PTSD, and the pull between her religion and culture and her need to be progressive and independent. This should be required reading for high school and college students. I am so impressed with her courage.
The Jailhouse Lawyer by Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull. Since I work at a law school, this book about a man who worked as an inmate counsel for 30 years in Angola prison after being wrongfully convicted of murder was even more impactful. It’s such an inspiring story about Calvin Duncan’s resilience as other inmates were released thanks to his work advocating for them. Read this one for sure.
Please tell me your best reads of 2025! I love getting new book recommendations.
