Lynnie's Favorite Books of 2025

Hello everyone! I know I say this every year, but 2025 has been a wonderful year to be a reader. This year I have read 56 books so far. I've continued enjoying a variety of genres including plays, nonfiction, young adult, fantasy, romance, comics and more. The reality is that my reading has been all over the place.

Out of the 56 books I've read, only nine of them received fewer than three hearts from me and I chose not to finish two of those. 

As always, my list is not in any order, but these are the books I've been recommending to people when asked. Be sure to click on the title to get the full blog review. 

I hope you have a wonderful year of reading ahead in 2026! -Lynnie

 

Young Adult

The Inheritance Games series

This was the year of Jennifer Lynn Barnes for me with two of her series dominating the YA genre favorites for me. Neither of these are new series, but this is the first time I have read anything she’s written and I loved every single page! If you haven't read The Inheritance Game series yet run, don't walk, and pick it up today. Thank me later.

 

The Ruling Class and Lessons in Power

Tess Kendrick is forced to move to D.C. to live with her sister Ivy. She has no idea that her sister is the go-to fixer for D.C.'s politically connected, getting them out of trouble and hiding their secrets. I never thought that a high school political thriller was the book I was waiting to read, but here we are. It was a fantastic series and it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Fiction

My Friends 

One summer, four teenagers spend their days laughing, swimming & farting together. An artist, a troublemaker, an intelligent, quiet boy, and a girl who never stays anywhere for long are each other’s refuge from the lives they’ve been born into and they forge a friendship that is strong enough to span decades. Alternating between that defining summer and 25 years later, we see how the events of that summer affect the friends and ripple outward over time. Not just about friendship - as if that wouldn’t be enough - Fredrik Backman's My Friends is also about the beauty and healing power of art and how it connects people.

 

Fun For the Whole Family 

Jennifer E. Smith's Fun for the Whole Family is the story of the four Endicott siblings - Gemma, the oldest who took over parental duties in the face of absent and inattentive parents, Connor an award-winning author, and twins Roddy, a professional soccer player, and Jude, a famous actress. The four of them were once inseparable, but age, experience and secrets have torn them apart. As the siblings come together for a weekend at Jude's request, relationships are tested, secrets are revealed, and the Endicotts must decide what their relationships will be moving forward. I laughed out loud, I cried pathetically sentimental tears; I was fully invested in the Endicotts.

Fantasy

Water Moon

Imagine that you stand in line for the best ramen in the neighborhood, but when you finally get to the front of the line and open the door, you are instead greeted by a magical pawn shop where you can sell your regrets. Samantha Sotto Yambao's Water Moon requires a leap into the unknown and the suspension of what you know to be real, but if you’re willing to take the leap, you’re going to enjoy every word of this beautiful book.

 

The Otherwhere Post 

Maeve's father died when her world was lost in a magical accident seven years ago. After receiving a mysterious letter, she decides to go looking for answers through the Otherwhere Post - a magical mail service that uses a dangerous magic known as scriptomancy to enchant letters, allowing couriers to deliver them to other worlds. I was not expecting to love The Otherwhere Post nearly as much as I did! Emily J. Taylor has created a world with fascinating characters, imaginative world-building and a plot that kept me interested throughout.

Historical Fiction

Frankie

Frances Howe has lived many lives in her lifetime - orphan, chef, wife, friend - and now she finds herself in need of round-the-clock care when a young Irishman, Damian, enters her life as night carer. As Frankie tells Damian the story of her life, the two connect with one another and a spark of friendship is ignited. Graham Norton crafts a story that begins in 1950s Ireland and travels through time time to 1960s London and New York, 1980s New York, up to 2024 London. It is the exploration of a life's ups and downs and the friendships and relationships that sustain us. 

 

Play

People, Places and Things

Emma is an actress on the rise but, due to addiction and denial, she sabotages her career and her life. Resistant and uncooperative in rehab, she must completely break before she can begin to put herself back together again. Duncan Macmillan's play is an unflinching, unglamorous look at addiction - reading it is a powerful experience that will bring out a host of emotions while you read - sympathy, empathy, anger, fear, hope... it's an emotional roller coaster for two hours.

 

In case you're curious and looking for more reading ideas, here's a link to my favorites lists from 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 , 2022, 2023 and 2024 Also don't forget to check out Amy's Favorite Books of 2025.