Books I read in 2025
Not everything I’ve read this year but every book I enjoyed. Roughly organized by date read.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Alone by Megan E. Freeman (It's a YA book but scared the living daylights out of me.)
Real Americans by Rachel Khong (Generational saga full of intrigue, questions of belonging and privilege.)
All Fours by Miranda July (Read this for book club. Didn't really love it but we had the best discussion about it later.)
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Unfortunately none of his new books are as good as "Children of Time" but this was one of the better ones.)
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (Was a little mad when I found out that the US version had been 'translated' from the British one with new place names etc. but it explained why some of the dialogue sounded a bit wrong, because it was in fact British English.)
The Inquisitor‘s Tale by Adam Gidwitz (Another YA book recommended by Hannah. It was excellent.)
Good Girl by Aria Aber (Somewhat autobiographical story of an Afghan-German woman growing up in Berlin.)
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day (Recommended by Hannah, did not disappoint. A gripping - and fun - story.)
German Autumn by Stig Dagerman (Germany 1946, as seen through the eyes of a Swedish journalist sent there on assignment.)
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (Essentially an SNL Romance, good fun)
The Menopause Brain by Lisa Mosconi (Cougar puberty, let's go!!!)
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Finally read this as part of a mini-bookclub together with "The Message". Should be required reading for everyone.)
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao (Fantasy set in Japan, reminded me of a Studio Ghibli story in the best way.)
Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon (The lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley.)
The Woman Who Named God by Charlotte Gordon (Great history lesson on Christianity, Judaism and Islam.)
I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney (An obituary writer accidentally/on purpose declares himself dead.)
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Hidden/forbidden histories and sexualities. Thrillingly intertwined.)
1491 by Charles C. Mann (Really interesting attempt to bring pre-Columbian history alive. Unfortunately mostly through post-Columbian data and histories. Still, v interesting.)
James by Percival Everett (Huckleberry Finn's tale told from Jim's POV. Very, very good.)
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (A fictional re-opening of the case of the missing boys from the Tower, Richard III, etc. Fascinating history deep dive.)
The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan (Dense and at times a bit dry but so much history that I didn't know.)
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Wonderful writing, gripping story, learned a lot about Ethiopia and history of medicine.)
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner (Beautiful story of friendship, did not want this book to end.)
Tilt by Emma Pattee (Very short, intense novel about a major earthquake in Portland, OR.)
Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje (Novel about a forensic anthropologist in Sri Lanka. Bit harrowing.)
The Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla Barnes (Excellent dysfunctional family drama and/or comedy, depending on your disposition.)
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (Life in India as a servant with all its absurdity and ruthless inequality.)