Part of Your World (#1) by Abby Jimenez

Amy    

romance

Part of Your World was an adorable romance between two people “from different worlds” who met by chance. Alexis was a successful doctor, raised by an extremely wealthy family with high expectations, and coming out of an abusive relationship. Daniel was a small-town younger man carrying on his family traditions of caring for the townspeople and struggling to make ends meet. They met by chance and hadn’t expected to form a serious relationship, but were continually pulled toward each other.

I found their situations to be realistic and the romance was a lot of fun. It was exactly the uncomplicated palate cleanser I needed. It was so refreshing that the reader did not have to suffer through an engineered conflict, forcing the couple to split, for most of the novel. Rather, we rode along with the characters’ worries that their relationship could not continue forever. But they were good communicators with each other and actually handled their doomed future together maturely. You might think that wouldn’t make for a good story, but it was exactly the opposite. I loved seeing a healthy relationship overcome obstacles and bloom. And while it wasn’t overt, there was even a small bit of magical realism which gave this novel a little bonus sparkle for me. The only thing I didn’t love about this one was that the solution to their issue was so obvious to the reader but not the characters. It took a very long time for Alexis to get there. I’d never read anything else by Abby Jimenez but I’m now going to definitely seek out another of her novels to try.

Both audiobook narrators were familiar to me and they always do a great job: Julia Whelan and Zachary Webber. I thought they were perfect for this one and give them an A! 

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr

Lynnie 

fiction, audiobook 

 

I enjoyed The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers despite the fact that it took me weeks to read. It's a nice book to meander through; I never really felt any urgency to finish.

The story follows two paths. In 2016, Clayton Stumper is overseeing the funeral of Pippa Allsbrook, the woman who took him in as an infant and raised him as her own within the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, which is exactly as it sounds - a commune of wonderfully bright and nerdy individuals who live together creating games and puzzles. Upon Pippa's death, Clayton is set upon one final puzzle - the secret of his parentage. Can he follow Pippa's final clues to unlock the truth of who he is and where he came from. The other story begins in 1979 and follows the founding of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and how this collection of individuals came to live, work and even raise a baby together at their home in Creighton Hall.

Samuel Burr has created a lovely story full of delightful individuals and a scenario that was easy to imagine: aging puzzlers whose intelligence often outpaced their social skills, wanting to find a community rather than grow old alone. I think a lot of people can relate. I enjoyed learning about each of them and about how the fellowship grew and changed over time.

Interestingly, as much as I enjoyed Clayton's journey to discover himself, I found the mystery of his parentage to be the least interesting part of this novel; I actually thought it was pretty obvious from the beginning and expected to be disappointed by its reveal; and I was.

But I did enjoy the journey to get there, which is why this book gets 3.5 stars. For those who enjoy such things, you can solve Clayton's puzzle along the way, which adds a layer of fun.

I read the book and listened to the audiobook. The audiobook's narration was shared between Penelope Keith reading Pippa's chapters and Russell Tovey reading Clayton's chapters. I enjoyed both of them and their variety of voices - they did a marvelous job.

If you're looking for an easy read full of delightful characters, this a great choice.  

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

Amy     

fiction

The Poppy Fields is an experimental treatment facility for those struggling with grief. Patients are placed into a coma-like sleep for 4-8 weeks and wake up better able to manage their despair. But there are many questions and doubts about the efficacy, benefits, and risks of this treatment. Ava, Sasha, and Ray meet randomly in the airport after their flights are canceled by a tornado and they end up driving across the country together with The Poppy Fields as their destination.

As with her previous novel, The Measure, Nikki Erlick is so astute with her understanding of the human psyche and sociology—ambitions, fears, concerns, social relationships, and coping mechanisms. All of her characters are realistic and knowable and their stories are all interesting. I looked forward to finding out how everything turned out for all of them. They all developed greater self-understanding during the journey to California and formed important relationships with each other.

As you might imagine, there is a significant amount of death and loss featured in this novel. But Erlick treats these topics with great care and empathy.

Making this novel even better, Erlick has loosely created a modern-day retelling of The Wizard of Oz.  Remember that Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion all fall asleep in a poppy field outside of Oz? The parallels to The Poppy Fields and the Wizard of Oz are many. For example, they drive across the country in a canary yellow car which is, essentially, their “yellow brick road”. I would list all of the Oz-isms I noticed but that would ruin future readers’ enjoyment and fun in discovering these homages and storylines themselves. Honestly, I think I experienced more enjoyment from the Oz “treasure hunt” than with the actual story! I will assure you that, thankfully, it wasn’t all a dream as it was for Dorothy. I really look forward to sharing all these Oz discoveries with my book club!

The audiobook has a huge cast of narrators. But the vast majority of this novel is voiced by Marin Ireland—a very skilled and experienced narrator—who did a terrific job as she always does. The other actors only voiced small sections which were meaningful interludes to the main story. These sections served as relevant tangents and back stories. I appreciated Erlick’s writing strategy as well as the audiobook’s narrating strategy. I’ll only grade Ireland since the others weren’t voicing their characters long enough to warrant a rating but they all did a good job. I’m giving Ireland a solid A. I was tempted to give her an A- because it sounded like she was nursing some nasal congestion but it never got to the point that it grossed me out or took away from my enjoyment of the audio.

Amy's Favorite Books of 2025

Here are the best books of the 59 books I've read (so far) in 2025! 

44 (75%) of these were audiobooks. (I listen to audiobooks while walking, crafting, driving, and cleaning. Whereas, nowadays, I’m only sitting down to read before bed, while sitting in waiting rooms, or while traveling.)

I started but chose not to finish another 2 books.

To read my full review of any books listed below, click on the title.

MY FAVORITE NOVEL OF 2025 (also MY FAVORITE AUDIOBOOK OF 2025!)

The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore (5 hearts!): I read this novel, the only one in 2025 to which I gave 5 hearts, back in January. It grabbed me and never let go. I hadn't previously known much about the electricity war (aka the War of the Currents) in the 1880s when electric light was being invented and there were no public power commissions yet to manage the distribution of power to individual homes. You might think this would be boring subject material but I was riveted thanks to Moore's writing. He took real people and creatively filled in the gaps of public knowledge to make them extremely engaging characters. This novel read like a thriller! The main struggle between George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison was told from the viewpoint of Westinghouse's young, inexperienced lawyer. Also, I absolutely adored Nicola Tesla the way he was described by Moore. Both informative and entertaining, I loved this book!!! The audiobook narrator, Johnathan McClain, was fabulous with a wonderful vocal repertoire and accents as well as perfect voice acting! A+!

BEST FICTION -- A TIE!

So Far Gone by Jess Walter (4.5 hearts): Rhys was driven to reclusiveness to escape his disappointment with America. He'd experienced some personal losses and the final straw was his son-in-law's conspiracy theories and extremism. Many years later, Rhys' self-imposed exile came to an end when his adult daughter disappeared. The central theme of extremism was handled masterfully. Of course, being a hermit in a cabin in the woods was another sort of extremism. The book title was perfect. People on both edges of the political and religious spectrums were described as "so far gone". But there is also plenty of normalcy and humor in these pages. It was a story about finding a way to live in this ever-changing world by facing realities, being flexible, having empathy, and surviving. I thought it was great and very relevant! The audiobook was also terrific!

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (4.5 hearts): Sybil's life story is shared through letters between herself and multiple other people. She's a smart, adopted, retired divorcee, losing her vision to a hereditary disease, whose middle child had died young, and who has made many friends in her lifetime and some contentious relationships. This novel was cleverly crafted, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. I was entirely charmed. The audiobook has a full cast and it's marvelous!

BEST HISTORICAL FICTION (besides The Last Days of Night)

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown (4.5 hearts): Jane was raised by her father in a 700 square foot cabin in the middle of the Montana woods during the 1980s and 90s, without most common household luxuries. Her father was brilliant but anti-government, paranoid, and reclusive. But she didn't realize this was an unusual life until age 17 when she began to want more exposure to the world and more control over her own existence. On the day she planned to escape, her father's shocking actions completely changed her plans. This book was engrossing and topical. Even though it takes place a few decades in the past, the technology concerns in the novel still resonate and make even more sense today. The story was relatable, suspenseful, and parts will break your heart. The audiobook was also great.

BEST WOMEN'S FICTION

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (4 hearts): This novel follows four retired female assassins who find out that they are now the targets of their former employer for whom they worked together for forty years. They must now employ all the skills they acquired during their storied careers in an effort to save themselves. The audiobook is good too.

BEST MEMOIR

Solito by Javier Zamora (4 hearts): Zamora describes his 7-week 1999 immigration journey, as a 9-year old, from El Salvador to the United States. His parents had previously immigrated separately, fleeing civil war and violence, but Zamora, too young for those journeys, had remained behind with his grandparents and aunt. When deemed old enough, he set off with a hired "coyote" smuggler on a treacherous journey with a group of five other people who had also paid the man to guide them to the U.S. The author himself narrated the audiobook which made it very authentic.

BEST ROMANCE

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan (4 hearts): Written by a very talented real-life audiobook narrator about a very talented audiobook narrator, Sewanee had to change careers from acting to narrating when she suffered a disfiguring accident seven years earlier. Sewanee's life isn't easy but she's been getting through it the best she can. Things improve for her when she meets a mystery man who doesn't appear put off by her eye patch and, soon thereafter, she gets awarded a significant and high-paying audiobook job. This romance also covers deeper issues like disabilities, parent care, AI threatening to take over the arts, and the casting industry. It even had me in tears at one point. It's about second chances and acceptance. Of course, the audiobook is read by the author and is fantastic!

BEST YOUNG ADULT

The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (4 heart average across 4 novels): This is one of the best series I've read in a long time! In the first novel, high schooler, Avery, is living in her car when she is whisked away from her dreary life to find out that an eccentric billionaire she's never met has left his unimaginable wealth to her instead of his own family. Things move quickly from there as Avery gets to know the family, especially the four Hawthorne brothers. Together they attempt to unravel why the patriarch left his fortune to Avery. And Avery has to learn how to exist in this new world of extravagance and complicated relationships. The next three novels follow Avery's life going forward. The pacing is amazing. Things are ALWAYS happening. The characters are wonderful! And there are bountiful puzzles to solve along the way. 

BEST FANTASY

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson (4 hearts): A man betrays his twin sister. Then a young scholar performs the necessary evil of writing out the twin sister's exile papers in order to skyrocket her own future opportunities. Years later, the results of these actions play out in the country's competition for identifying the new emperor. The story had fabulous characters, unique political intrigue and an engaging plot with multiple moving parts and constant activity. This one was also a fabulous A+ audiobook narrated by Daphne Kouma! 

ADDITIONAL SHOUT-OUTS TO A+ NARRATOR PERFORMANCES

In past years, my BEST AUDIOBOOK category has been awarded to the best narrator performance whether or not I loved the book they were narrating. But our blog readers really want recommendations for the best books with the best narrations. So, this year, I've made my best overall audiobook selection above, which also happens to be the best novel I read this year, and I will give shout-outs to all narrators who received A+ performance ratings from me because fantastic narrators are rock stars and deserve recognition.

- Johnathan McClain reading The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore (novel rated 5 hearts), historical fiction

- Daphne Kouma reading The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson (novel rated 4 hearts), young adult fantasy

- Joan Walker reading My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman (novel rated 4 hearts), fiction

- Saskia Maarleveld reading First Lie Wins by Ashley Easton (novel rated 3 hearts), mystery

If you're hungry for more recommendations, here are my favorites of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Also, don't miss Lynnie's Favorites of 2025! We both have The Inheritance Games series on our lists so those novels are extra-highly recommended! 😀

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.

 

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Amy    

fiction

Sybil’s life story is shared through letters between herself and multiple relatives, friends, acquaintances, and people she encounters for various other reasons. She’s a smart, retired divorcee, losing her vision to a hereditary disease, whose middle child had died young, and who has made many friends in her lifetime as well as some contentious relationships.

I really enjoyed Sybil and her story. Yes, this entire novel was told in letters sent and received—both through postal mail and e-mail. There was also one ongoing, unsent letter to which Sybil frequently added new information. It served as a sort of diary and this was the avenue for Virginia Evans to fill in the holes that normal correspondence couldn’t divulge to the reader. Evans didn’t include every single letter but the reader could understand what communication was skipped based on the contents of the letters that were included. This helped to keep it from getting monotonous. The Correspondent was cleverly crafted. It included minor mysteries that were meant to pull the reader through. I was charmed by Sybil’s correspondence with authors as well as all the books mentioned in this novel. What fun!

Both heartwarming and heartbreaking (there were tears at the end!), I was entirely under Sybil’s spell. While not quick-paced, it was never boring. The characters were terrific. The situations were easy to picture. The answers to questions were difficult, once divulged.

I both read and listened to The Correspondent. There were positives and negatives to both options for this book: 

• Audiobook: It had a full cast of narrators voicing specific people who had written a letter. It was perfect in that regard. However, I grew impatient having to listen through each recipient’s mailing address being read out for every single letter.
• Kindle: The main advantage to reading the novel was being able to skim over all the addresses. The disadvantage was losing the voice clues that came with the audiobook about the sender of each letter. I sometimes couldn’t figure out who the letter-writer was and had to page ahead to see the signature. Whereas, in the audiobook, as I got to know all the different character voices, I knew who wrote the letter as soon as they started talking.

If I had to recommend one or the other, I’d go with the audiobook since it was really awesome having the full cast experience, even though listening to the addresses grew tedious.

Maggi-Meg Reed was the main narrator and her voice acting was spot on! Since she only had to read Sybil’s voice, I have no idea whether she has a large vocal repertoire. But she was fabulous in this role. In fact, all the minor narrators were also fabulous in their roles. As a bonus surprise to me, one of my favorite narrators, whom I haven’t listened to in years, had a short appearance and I was just thrilled to hear Steve West’s voice again. I give the whole case a very solid A. Thanks to the intelligent production team! Well done, everyone!