To read is to have fun – Best books of 2025
Pt. II, my final statement
It’s Christmas Day, and I’m curled up on our blue couch, coughing and reading Lars Kepler’s The Sleep Walker. Holidays are for thrillers, and apparently for colds too. I promise, this book is way better than the flu.
I actually picked up the previous book in the Joona Linna series (The Spider, #9) first. Somewhere between the first and second murder, I realized I’d already read it. Honestly, I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often. I rarely remember the plotlines of books I’ve finished.
I thought I’d give The Sleep Walker five stars because it let me escape daily life and entertained me thoroughly. But here’s the thing: you can’t trust my five-star ratings.
Am I too generous with ratings?
Looking back, I wonder if I’m too lenient. Are these easy reads really worth five stars?
Christmas is now long gone, and I gave Kepler only four stars. Was it worse than Lisa Jewell’s None of this is true, which I rated five stars but couldn’t remember until I looked it up on Goodreads? Absolutely not. It was probably better. I just didn’t want to be sloppy with the stars.
Whenever I finish a proper page-turner, usually a thriller, I happily give it five stars. One could say I rate books in the heat of the moment, right after finishing, while I’m still in the bubble.
That’s what happened with None of this is true. But when I read the Goodreads blurb, it all came back. It was a really good book. The kind I’d gladly recommend.
The story follows Alix Summers, a well-known podcaster, who discovers she has a birthday twin, Josie Fair. Josie swims into Alix’s life and offers her story for the podcast. Alix is intrigued, and so the story begins.
I’ve always thought I’d read many of Jewell’s books, but apparently this was only my second. Thrillers often blur together for me. Sorry, Lisa! What I do remember is Jewell’s knack for characters and dialogue. And as an ex-podcaster, the setup hooked me immediately.
Jewell also nails pacing. I remember not wanting to put the book down when Josie suddenly disappeared after Alix uncovered her secrets. Their stories intertwine in unexpected ways.
Right after writing this, I added all of Jewell’s books to my TBR list.
My rating scale
The first part of this recap included four five-star reads between January and July. Since then, I’ve given six more five-star ratings and plenty of fours. Here’s how I see it:
★★★★★ – Hooked me completely, gave me an escape, would gladly recommend
★★★★☆ – Hooked me, smooth reading, would recommend
★★★☆☆ – Worth my time
★★☆☆☆ – Finished it, but wished I hadn’t
★☆☆☆☆ – Probably didn’t finish
There was a time I wanted to learn literary criticism because I felt like a “second-class reader” without it. Many years ago, after too many wonderful thrillers, I let go—and enjoyed reading much more since.
My five-star ratings mirror my needs in the moment. I don’t read to review, to get smarter, or to look wise. I read to relax, to escape, to feel content.
I rate books because otherwise I forget them, and I don’t like that. Without ratings, I might read the same book twice. Isn’t that a waste of time?
The best book of 2025
Some books stick. Joel Dicker’s Wild Animal was probably my favorite read of 2025. If you love clever, non-American crime stories and enjoyed Ocean’s Eleven, this is for you. It’s a heist mystery set in Geneva.
Sophie Braun seems to have it all: family, home, money, maybe even a lover. But there’s a snake in paradise. Nothing is what it seems in this story set over 20 hot summer days in 2022.
I’m not a fan of multiple timelines, but Dicker does it brilliantly. He peels back layers of deceit, obsession, and betrayal, proving anything is possible on the page.
I haven’t loved all of Dicker’s books, but I loved this one. I bought it for my husband, and he loved it too. So much actually, that another Dicker is already waiting for him. I love that he trusts my taste.
Five stars for anything about writing
One of my favorite ways to relax before sleep is to dream about writing (or street photography). Dreaming is more fun than doing, but hey, to each their own.
Last fall, I couldn’t even dream about writing until Lily King’s Writers & Lovers changed that. It gave me my daydreams back.
The book follows Casey Peabody, a thirty-something waitress writing a novel while juggling grief, debt, and messy love affairs. It’s a story about anyone who’s tried to focus on art while life throws curveballs.
I gave it five stars because King captures the journey of hardship so well—and because it entertained me like Gilmore Girls once did. There’s something about that small-town American dream that hums between jobs and people.
Murder-cover-up-sort-of with my brother?
I adore books about family ties. The more peculiar, the better. That’s what drew me to Candice Carty-Williams’ People person. I fell in love with her writing after Queenie earlier last year.
I love books that teach me about different cultures. Carty-Williams writes with humor and lightness, even when tackling heavy subjects. That’s a skill.
This book reminded me of my own life. I met my brother for the first time a couple of years ago, and now he and his family are an integral part of ours. Hopefully, we won’t get pulled into a murder-cover-up like Dimple Pennington does in People Person.
Very entertaining Atmosphere
Taylor Jenkins Reid is pure entertainment. When I discovered her, she already had a big backlist. Perfect for binge-reading.
I’ve been on the fence with some of her books. Do we need more stories about privileged white women and their problems? Maybe not. But Atmosphere won me over.
It’s a love story between people—and between space and astronauts. Joan Goodwin, a professor, joins NASA’s shuttle program in 1980s Houston. Amid groundbreaking missions and fierce ambition, she falls for fellow astronaut Vanessa Ford.
The Space Shuttle era backdrop is fascinating, especially for an ‘80s kid like me. Atmosphere is a fast-paced, emotional, and unforgettable. Read it and weep.
Everything changes, everything’s gonna be alright
The latter half of 2025 had only one Finnish five-star read: Siri Kolu’s Kesän jälkeen kaikki on toisin (After Summer Everything Changes). It follows Peetu, a trans teen turning 18 and preparing for gender-affirming surgery.
It’s a beautiful coming-of-age story about identity, acceptance, and courage. Peetu struggles with their mother but shares a special bond with their dad, who gifts them ten glider flights for their birthday.
I’ve read many LGBTQ+ books in the past two years. Partly because they’re more visible now, but also because I want to learn. As a parent, I find it important to read these stories. I hope my son always feels free to stomp his own path.
Another year with books
Bookish years come and go.
I’m not a BIG reader, I read about a book a week, but I choose books over many activities. I love talking about them, owning them, and I read multiple times a day. I rarely leave home without a book.
In 2026, I hope to read books that make me laugh, cry, and feel all the feels. Books that hook me from page one. I don’t need complicated classics. I need books that let me in.
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What was your absolute favorite from 2025? Anything you’d recommend?
