The best books of 2025

This list is part of the best books of 2025.

Join 1,210 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2025

Book cover of Jane Eyre

❤️ loved this book because...

In reading this novel again as an adult I was looking for an understanding of what this book provided me as an eleven year old girl. The answers were still there; safety & security, feeling seen, kinship, and perhaps the understanding of duty vs desire. Jane is fiercely independent, which is a trait I have long admired and was as a child determined to emulate. She is determined to find her way, following her personal beliefs and struggling to rise above the status of abused orphan she started from. Beyond all of these deep themes, the story is engaging and moves along quickly.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Emotions 🥈 Thoughts
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Charlotte Brontë ,

Why should I read it?

44 authors picked Jane Eyre as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Introduction and Notes by Dr Sally Minogue, Canterbury Christ Church University College.

Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most perennially popular works of English fiction. Although the poor but plucky heroine is outwardly of plain appearance, she possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage.

She is forced to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order. All of which circumscribe her life and position when she becomes governess to the daughter of the mysterious, sardonic and attractive Mr Rochester.

However, there is great kindness and warmth…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of Seascraper

❤️ loved this book because...

I love nothing more than being so immersed in a setting you can smell the ocean air, see the fog along the long stretches of beach and hear the hooves of the horse as he trots along the sandy beaches. This book taught you about a profession or industry that doesn't exist any longer due to automation and this look back at old world practices in modern day was fascinating.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Immersion 🥈 Emotions
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐕 Good, steady pace

By Benjamin Wood ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Seascraper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2025*
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARDS 2025*

'A huge talent' HILARY MANTEL

'A magnificent writer' DOUGLAS STUART

'One of the finest novelists of his generation' THE TIMES

Thomas lives a slow, deliberate life with his mother in Longferry, working his grandpa's trade as a shanker. He rises early to take his horse and cart to the grey, gloomy beach to scrape for shrimp; spending the rest of the day selling his wares, trying to wash away the salt and scum, pining for Joan Wyeth down the street and rehearsing songs on his guitar. At…


My 3rd favorite read in 2025

Book cover of Valentine in Montreal

❤️ loved this book because...

I was entranced by the story of an orphan girl making her way through Montreal's underground metro system and her forays into the above ground world. The story told in a literary style yet fast paced and containing whimsical and fairy tale elements is nothing but delightful. The theme of connection and finding the courage to rise above resonates with this reader.

  • Loved Most

    🥇 Immersion 🥈 Character(s)
  • Writing style

    ❤️ Loved it
  • Pace

    🐇 I couldn't put it down

By Heather O'Neill , Arizona O'Neill (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Valentine in Montreal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Montreal adventure comes to life when a lonely girl at the metro station convenience store spots her mysterious doppelganger, in this playful and surprising novel by the inimitable Heather O'Neill, beautifully illustrated by Arizona O'Neill

In the tradition of the serialized novels of Charles Dickens, Heather O'Neill brings us Valentine in Montreal. Originally published in weekly instalments in the Montreal Gazette, this is the unforgettable story of Valentine, a lonely orphan working in a depanneur at a Montreal metro station, who spots her look-alike. As Valentine follows this seeming twin onto the subway and out into the city, her…


Book cover of Jane Eyre
Book cover of Seascraper
Book cover of Valentine in Montreal

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