Looking Back on 2025: The Best Fiction I Read Last Year

 

Happy 2026!  I'm looking forward to the new year, but before I begin looking ahead at 2026, I've got one last post to share highlighting the amazing books I read in 2025.

I finished the year with 280 books read, and am highlighting just 20 of my top fiction picks.  There were truly so many books I read and enjoyed that I still feel like I might be leaving some great books out.  

Here are twenty of my favorites:

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb - without a doubt the saddest book I read all year.  Corby has become a stay-at-home dad to his twins while he looks for work. When a tragedy occurs while he's with his children, it forever changes his life.

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger- multiple POVs, when a family's AI driven car is in a car accident with their teenage son behind the wheel, it's hard to determine who is at fault.  Especially when everyone is keeping secrets.  Book club discussion worthy; this one should leave readers pondering what role we want AI to have in our world.

Too Old For This by Samantha Downing - one of the most fun murder mysteries I've read in a while;  Lottie has managed to hide for decades in a small town, but when a reporter starts asking questions, Lottie will do anything she can to preserve her anonymity.

The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore- based on a true story; Ansel Luxford's ideal life is upended when he's offered a job in the United States working with the Treasury Department to undermine Hitler and the Nazis. Truly fascinating and an entirely unique WWII story.

The Unseen World by Liz Moore- (backlist title) - Ada has grown up with her father who works in the tech industry while she is home-schooled. When her father starts to suffer from dementia, Ada realizes he's been keeping secrets from her and is drawn into the tech world her father inhabited in order to understand his past.

Dead Money by Jakob Kerr- a fast paced, hard to put down novel of suspense. A tech industry giant has been murdered, and all of his money has been frozen in his will. Makenzie is a lawyer, but she is drawn in to the investigation since her boss in the top investor; she's used to being underestimated, but in this case she  might not realize the danger she's in.

The Bright Years by Sarah Damhoff - told from three POVS, this is a story of a family impacted by alcoholism, and a secret that once discovered further drives a wedge into a marriage.  

The Correspondent by Virigina Evans - an epistolary novel; I can rarely pick one favorite of the year but this is my FAVORITE book of 2025.  Sybil has always been better at communicating through letters. She spends time each day writing to others: her brother, a young boy she mentored, a famous author... it's through letters that we get to know Sybil, and realize that despite the rather crumudgeonly persona she portrays, there is a deep sadness as well.

The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison - Abe and Ruth have been married for seventy years, a lifetime to many.  We see the couple in their nineties as Ruth's loose tooth turns into something more and we read chapters from their past, chronicling from their courtship on. 

Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen - I wasn't sure I'd enjoy reading a book about Alzheimer's but Hoen captures at least a portion of what this disease looks like. Cricket moves home to care for her father when older sister, Nina, moves for a career opportunity.  While at home, Cricket also must confront a tragedy from her past, and finds a community of friends who give her and her father the support they need.

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown - set in the mide 90s, Jane and her father live in a remote cabin in Montana. He's kept them off the grid for a reason, which Jane eventually discovers. As Jane starts pushing against the boundaries her father has set and he starts to become more unhinged, Jane runs away, determined to find out more about her past.

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan - starting with the end of World War II and spanning several decades, this novel explores the consequences felt for decades of a chance meeting.  Set in a small Ohio town, secrets are impossible to keep.

Life and Death and Giants by Ron Rindo - when Gabriel Fisher was born at eighteen pounds he was from that moment on, a wonder.  Raised for a time by his brother and eventually by his grandparents, Gabriel has many unique gifts, but his life is one marked with great sadness.  The various people that are put in his life show how good people can be, and how this young man impacted them as well.

Penitence by Kristin Koval - Angie and David Sheehan's entire world is shattered when their son is murdered in their home. Their daughter is accused of killing her brother, but she's not talking.  Hiring an attorney that happens to be the mother of Angie's ex-boyfriend, they try to understand what happened that night, and also grieve their losses.  There are secrets aplenty and so much sadness and yet this is such a great story.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo - this one has been called brain candy, and while it is, I just couldn't put it down.  Set in the world of figure skating, Katarina Shaw and her partner, Heath, have Olympic aspirations, and the ability to realize them.  They also have a roller coaster relationship, and now Katarina is telling her story.  

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall - Beth and husband, Frank, are living a comfortable, happy life, despite the death of their young son.  When her brother-in-law shoots a dog that is attacking their herd of sheep, the repercussions are beyond what anyone could envision.  Gabriel, the owner of the dog, was the love of Beth's life until he disappeared, and now he has returned with his son. The secrets and jealousy bring deadly consequences that will impact many people.

The Book Club For Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick- Bitsy, Viv, Margaret and Charlotte might not be the likeliest of friends, but the four start meeting as a book club, and despite their different ideas about what a woman's role is, develop a bond that is unbreakable.  They support each other in life's various struggles, all of them championing each other. Set in the 60s, this is an interesting look at what life was like for women just a few decades ago.

Wreck by Catherine Newman-  a sequel -although it would work as a standalone to Sandwich- Rocky's dad has moved in after the death of Rocky's mom, as has their daughter. Rocky's house is full, she's got a nagging health problem that is causing her concern, and she's become caught up in an accident that killed a classmate of her son's.  Newman writes with such wit and I loved Rocky so much in this book.  

A Family Matter by Clare Lynch- this slim novel set in 1982 shares the story of a husband and wife and their young child.  When the couple divorce, the father has custody of their daughter and his ex-wife is no longer able to see her daughter.  In 2022, Maggie starts asking questions and wants to know why her mother abandoned her.  This story captures the changes we have seen in the family structure in the last few decades.

Grace and Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman- Grace and Henry have both lost their spouses.  Neither are interested in a relationship, but the two become friends as they help each other in their grieving processes.  As the holidays approach, Henry asks Grace to watch holiday movies with him - a tradition and his wife had.  And as they spend more time together, maybe there is something more than friendship between them.  I read some really good rom-coms this year, but this was my favorite - and the only one to make this list.

And now, on to 2026 books!