Top Ten Tuesday - Best Books I Read in 2025

 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I read 83 books in 2025. I surpassed my goal of reading 52 books this years. I gave a lot of both 5 star book reviews and 4 star book reviews this year. So, I had a difficult time narrowing down my choices for this post with all the great books I read in 2025! Sure, I read some stinkers, but overall a great year in reading.

I've included both fiction and nonfiction books on my list of best reads for 2026. You'll also see my rating for each book and also whether it is fiction or nonfiction below. 

I've added a link to each review should you care to read my thoughts for each book.

1. The Seas by Samantha Hunt (fiction 5 stars out of 5 stars)

2.  Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (fiction 5 stars out of 5 stars)

3. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (fiction 5 stars out of 5 stars)

4. Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants by Fez Inkwright (nonfiction 5 stars out of 5 stars)

5. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron (nonfiction 5 stars out of 5 stars)

6. The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner (fiction 5 stars out of 5 stars)

7. Millionaire Mission: A 9-Step System to Level Up Your Finances and Build Wealth by Brian Preston (nonfiction 5 stars out of 5 stars)

8. Death by a Thousand Sips by Gretchen Rue (fiction 4.5 stars out of 5 stars)

9. The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel by Mark Paul (nonfiction 5 stars out of 5 stars)

10.  Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (fiction 5 stars out of 5 stars)

Have you read any of these books?