2025 is over, and it’s time to take a look at some of what were considered the “Best Books of 2025”. I have found that, luckily, everyone’s taste in reading choices is not the same, so pick and choose one or two that suit your palate. I’ve tried to pick some of the more popular “under the radar” picks for favorite books of the year. 

WILD DARK SHORE by Charlotte McConaghy. This was the number pick from the Amazon editors. “ A family story about climate change, betrayal, and sacrifice that will leave you in awe of the extraordinary power of fiction.” I have not yet read this, but I have heard good things from many who agree with this Amazon pick. 

KING OF ASHES by S.A. Cosby. I discovered this writer about three years ago and have eagerly gobbled up every book he’s written. He’s not a writer for the faint of heart. His novels tend to be police procedural/thriller types, and he’s a master of nitty, gritty, down-to-earth crime scenes and realistic bad guys. This one involves an innocent crematorium owner who gets caught up in some bad doings, and the price to stay alive is to help the villains discreetly dispose of their victims before the police arrive on the scene. 

AWAKE: A MEMOIR by Jen Hatmaker. This is from the biography/memoir group. Hatmaker reflects on difficult topics like betrayal, divorce, and losing friends. She shares powerful lessons she learned after the end of her marriage, leaving her with hope, loss, and the will to pave a new path. 

SHADOW CELL: AN INSIDER ACCOUNT OF AMERICA’S NEW SPY WAR by Andrew Bustamante/Jihi Bustamante. An interesting look into the modern-day espionage world from a married CIA couple. This is a selection from the History category. If you’ve always been curious about covert operations and want to read “the skinny” on a real-world mission, this is your book. 

THE FIFTEEN: MURDER, RETRIBUTION, AND THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF NAZI POWS IN AMERICA by William Geroux. I’m someone who can’t turn down a WWII-related book, so this one definitely grabbed my attention as it is an area of the war I had yet to read about. The story is told with excellent and exhaustive research and much attention to detail. 

ATMOSPHERE by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This author is a favorite across generational lines and was a big pick by readers everywhere. The storyline follows a young woman in 1980 as she begins astronaut training with a highly skilled and exceptional group of women candidates, as the space program begins to utilize the talents of women as well as men. 

STILL HOUSE LAKE by Rachel Caine. For the psychological thriller fans, an average housewife’s life is changed forever when a car accident reveals her husband is a serial killer. She quickly goes into hiding and assumes a new identity- but a new threat presents itself.