A year of reading - 2025 books
Another gorgeous year of reading: lots of escaping into new worlds and adventures; sharing books with the lovely Friday Café Yoga book group ladies, friends and family and forays into the wonderful Horsforth Library (ordering books is so simple and free).
The book group's favourite reads this year were 'List of Suspicious Things' by Jennie Godfrey and 'The Berry Pickers' by Amanda Peters, with a special mention for 'The Safekeep' by Yael van der Wouden. However, I've read lots of other fantastic books. A complete list is below. Five-star reads are starred! Have a look for book-inspiration. Have you enjoyed any of these? If so, I'd love to hear your comments below. Happy New Year! Looking forward to reading more fantastic books in 2026.
2025 Books
*The Measure - Nikki Erlick I love this book which is uplifting and intriguing. Your string tells you the length of your life. Would you find out the length of your string?
We were liars - e lockhart
Daisy Jones and the Six - Taylor Jenkins-Reid
Water - John Boyne (part of the Elements Series)
Earth - John Boyne (part of the Elements Series)
Fire - John Boyne (part of the Elements Series)
Air - John Boyne (part of the Elements Series)
El Hacho - Luis Carrasco
The Most - Jessica Anthony
*The Berry Pickers - Amanda Peters A beautiful and tragic tale about guilt and family. I loved Joe and Norma/Ruthie's story.
*Take My Hand - Dolen Perkins-Valdez The story of Civil (a nurse) and black, poor sisters focusing on reproductive rights.
The Water Statues - Fleur Jaeggy
Rizzio - Denise Mina
*Leonard and Hungry Paul - Ronan Hession The story of two ordinary lives and friendship. Also a BBC series.
*The Sirens - Emilia Hart Another masterpiece by the author of Weyward. This time the focus is on transportation of female convicts from Ireland to Australia, grooming, mermaids and the supernatural. I loved hearing Emilia talk at Farsley Old Woollen this year.
So! Not a river - Selma Almada
Panenka - Ronan Hession
Cuddy - Benjamin Myers
*Playground - Richard Powers Amazing book about friendship, AI, nature, ocean exploration. He weaves stories together like no other.
Blue Sisters - Coco Mellors
*List of Suspicious Things - Miv and Sharon write a list to try and solve the Yorkshire Ripper murders. Wonderful tale about growing up in Leeds in the 1970s.
*James - Percival Everett Reimagining on Huckleberry Finn's adventures with the slave, James. Lots of adventure and awakenings.
The Librarians of Rue de Picardie - Skeslien Charles
*Pachink0 - Wonderful Korean family saga - beautiful.
Glorious Exploits - Ferdia Lennon
Antarctica - Claire Keegan
Butter - Asoko Yuzuki
So Late in the Day - Claire Keegan
*Go as a River - Shelley Read Torie's story about love, a terrible event and survival.
The Forrester's Daughter - Claire Keegan
On Earth we are Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong
*The Wasp Factory - A classic - gruesome but brillant.
The Life Impossible - Matt Haig
*The Safekeep - Yael van der Wouten The amazing tale of Isabel and Eva - love and drama and a cracking twist!
*The Bee Sting - A brilliant, Irish family saga about unfulfillment, love, loss (as well as many other themes).
Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins- Reid
Woman in Blue - Douglas Bruton
*Raising Hare - Chloe Dalton Beautiful writing about raising a foundling leveret.
Finding Hildasay - Christian Lewis
Three Fires - Denise Mina
The Offing - Benjamin Myers
A Single Man - Christopher Isherwood
*The Last Lecture - Randy Paush A professor with a terminal illness reflects on lessons from his life.
*Maus - Art Spiegelman Amazing comic novel telling the story of the Holocaust.
The Land in Winter - Andrew Miller
*The Names - Florence Knapp A sliding doors story about what happens when a mother names her baby with three different names.
Holding - Graham Norton
*This Bright Life - Karen Campbell Gerald's story about one big mistake. Wonderful.
The Donor - Claire MacIntosh
Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee