My Favorite Reads of 2025
- Lynn Lovegreen
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
I usually set a goal to read 12 or more books in a year. I didn’t come close to meeting it this round, thanks to a new grandbaby taking most of my free time. (Good excuse, if I may say so!) But I still found several books I really enjoyed. Here is the list of my favorite reads of 2025—some were published before then, and I didn’t get to reading them until this year.
Adult books:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Another winner by Fredrik Backman! I fell in love with these characters. Ove is a curmudgeonly widower who likes his life orderly and solitary. When new neighbors turn his world upside down, he discovers a found family--and other people learn that first impressions are not always accurate.
Young adult/teen books:
This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed –my favorite read of 2025!
After Noor Khan's dad abandoned her family and her mom moved them to a small town in the middle of nowhere, Noor's plan is to keep her head down to survive the rest of her senior year. When she discovers that books labeled "pornographic" and "obscene" are being pulled from the school library, she is torn between sticking to her plan and speaking up. Can she make a difference, or will small town politics--and love--be her downfall? I loved Noor's passion for justice, and the banter with her sister and friends add a nice warm feeling to this brilliant novel. If you're also interested in intellectual freedom/the freedom to read, this is a must-read.
Chasing Pacquiao by Rod Pulido
Bobby’s motto is “self-preservation”—a good one when you’re a gay Filipino who goes to a rough school. When he is outed, bullies lead him to join a boxing gym in hopes of defending himself. His boyfriend and best friend try to help, but can only do so much. Then he learns his hero Manny Pacquiao is prejudiced against queer people—will that be the last straw?
Pulido brought the setting and characters to life, and I even learned a little about boxing!
Middle grade books:
Farther Than the Moon by Lindsay Lackey
Houston and his brother Robbie have always wanted to be astronauts. When Houston goes to a special space camp, he has to leave Robbie (who has Cerebral Palsy and epilepsy) and their single mom behind. At camp, Houston learns how to adjust when plans go wrong and how to put his crew first, in space and at home. In the end, he finds a way to rebuild his family and keep an impossible promise to his brother. This is a heartwarming story with characters you'll grow to love.
A Royal Conundrum: The Misfits #1 by Lisa Yee (author) and Dan Santat (illustrator)
Olive Cobin Zang is dropped off at a strange boarding school and finds herself on a team of misfit kids who fight crime. As she finds her community, her quirky skills turn out to be perfect for catching a notorious jewel and cat thief--and she might save the school at the same time. This fanciful middle grade mystery is full of heart, and Dan Santat's illustrations add a lot to the reading experience.
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga
Rami’s mom works in the Penelope L. Brooks Museum, and is under suspicion when a painting goes missing. Rami wants to solve the mystery. Thanks to a floating girl, a turtle, and a chatty classmate, he finds adventure, too. This cozy mystery is also about embracing the impossible and finding your voice.
May these inspire you to find your next favorite book! BTW, these reviews are from my The StoryGraph page. You can check it out at https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/lynnlovegreen .