Big Book Review of 2025
Big Book Review of 2025
My favorite New Year ritual is here again! I’ve blogged about the books I read in 2025
to share! I reached my goal of 65 and
here they are with my ratings.
1. Finding
Chika: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and the Making of a Family by
Mitch Albom – 5 stars
2. The
Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury – 3 stars
3. The
Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom – 5 stars
4. How
My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn – 3 stars
5. Handle
with Care by Jodi Picoult – 4 stars
6. Snowy
Mountain Christmas by Sharon Sala – 2 stars
7. A
Merry Little Lie by Sarah
Morgan – 3 stars
8. Tangled
Up in You (Meant to Be, #4) by Christina Lauren – 4 stars
9. The
Intruder by Freida McFadden – 4 stars
10. The
Unwedding by Ally Condie – 3 stars
11. The
Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren – 5 stars
12. The
Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More by Jefferson Fisher – 4
stars
13. Pictures
of You by Emma Grey – 4 stars
14. The
Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner – 4 stars
15. How
Freaking Romantic by Emily
Harding – 3 stars
16. The
Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1) by Jenny Han – 4 stars
17. The
Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak – 4 stars
18. Problematic
Summer Romance (Not in Love, #2) by Ali Hazelwood – 4 stars
19. It's
a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan – 5 stars
20. The
Missing Half by Ashley Flowers – 3 stars
21. The
Love Haters by Katherine Center – 4 stars
22. The
Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success
by Dan Sullivan – 5 stars
23. The
Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony
Ray Hinton – 4 stars
24. Atmosphere
by Taylor Jenkins Reid – 5 stars
25. The
Choice: Embrace the Possible by Edith Eger – 5 stars
26. Die
with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by
Bill Perkins – 5 stars
27. One
Golden Summer by Carley Fortune – 5 stars
28. Brooke
Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman by
Brooke Shields – 3 stars
29. On
Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong – 3 stars
30. If
He Had Been With Me (If He Had Been with Me, #1) by Laura Nowlin – 3
stars
31. The
Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing
by Lara Love Hardin – 4 stars
32. Say
You'll Remember Me (Say You'll Remember Me, #1) by Abby Jimenez – 5
stars
33. The
Crash by Freida McFadden – 4 stars
34. Source
Code: My Beginnings by Bill
Gates – 4 stars
35. My
Next Breath by Jeremy Renner – 4 stars
36. Such
Quiet Girls by Noelle W. Ihli – 5 stars
37. What
Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella – 4 stars
38. The
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
by John C. Maxwell – 5 stars
39. The
Love We Found by Jill Santopolo – 4 stars
40. Here
Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and
Generational Trauma by Melanie Shankle – 4 stars
41. Practice
Makes Perfect (When in Rome, #2) by Sarah Adams – 3 stars
42. Boat
Baby: A Memoir by Vicky Nguyen – 5 stars
43. The
Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman – 4 stars
44. Freckled:
A Memoir of Growing Up Wild in Hawaii by T.W. Neal – 4 stars
45. The
Situationship (Part of Your World, #3.5) by Abby Jimenez – 2 stars
46. Lucy
by the Sea (Amgash, #4) by Elizabeth Strout – 3 stars
47. The
Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson – 3 stars
48. The
Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros – 5 stars
49. Is
She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens – 4 stars
50. Dream
State by Eric Puchner – 3 stars
51. Secrets
She Left Behind (Before the Storm #2) by Diane Chamberlain – 4 stars
52. Do
You Remember? by Freida McFadden – 3 stars
53. Morning
Rituals: Ideas and Inspiration to Get Energized by Leslie Koren – 4
stars
54. The
Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tometich – 5 stars
55. Fourth
Wing (The Empyrean, #1) by Rebecca Yarros – 4 stars
56. Everything
We Never Had by Randy Ribay – 4 stars
57. The
Coworker by Freida McFadden – 3 stars
58. Before
the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1) by Toshikazu
Kawaguchi –3 stars
59. Sunset
Beach by Mary Kay Andrews – 4 stars
60. I
Found You by Lisa Jewell – 4 stars
61. We
Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer – 3 stars
62. Margo's
Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe – 4 stars
63. The
Measure by Nikki Erlick – 4 stars
64. Dinner
for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While Also in an Actual Cult!)
by Bethany Joy Lenz – 3 stars
65. The
Boyfriend by Freida McFadden – 4 stars
Also part of my ritual is to name my top 3
books from my year. I go through my list
and find myself smiling and thoughtful while reflecting on each of the books I
read and comparing which ones really impacted or entertained me the most. Without further ado, my top 3 of 2025 are:
#3: The
Choice: Embrace the Possible by Edith Eger
I listened to this one as an audiobook which is what I do for all the memoirs I read. I feel it adds something extra to the book expereince when you can hear the author telling their story in their own voice. This one was so moving and to hear the opening in the author’s polish accent and gentle voice did something to the rest of the book where I could almost picture her in every scene with even more depth.
To me, a Holocaust survivor story always inspires me about how resilient the human spirit can be. Because the author went on to become a psychologist, she also included case vignettes from her career about working with persons experiencing trauma that were helpful from a therapeutic perspective on how to meet people where they are in their trauma. As a social worker, I remember the book calling me to more empathy in trauma informed care, and inspiring me to be even more purposeful and grateful in life. It was simply beautiful.
#2: The
Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
” The Paradise Problem follows Anna Green and Liam “West” Weston, who married in college for practical reasons and believed their paperwork was finalized after graduation. Years later, they discover they’re still legally married—an inconvenient truth that suddenly matters when West’s inheritance depends on being happily married for five years. Forced to reunite and pretend their marriage is real in front of his wealthy, judgmental family, the two must navigate old feelings, class divides, and the question of whether a relationship that began as a lie might actually be worth fighting for.”
First of all, I love a wedding story, and it definitely didn’t hurt that I read this while planning my own destination wedding. The Paradise Problem delivered all the celebrity-wedding and travel-goals vibes I was craving — glamorous settings, over-the-top family dynamics, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Beyond the dreamy backdrop, the story was funny and tender, with characters who felt imperfect but easy to root for. It’s a light read that I couldn’t wait to escape back to every time I had to put it down. I found myself smiling through most of it.
#1: The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros – 5 stars
“The Things We Leave Unfinished intertwines a present-day, slow-burn romance with a heartbreaking WWII love story as a woman attempts to complete her grandmother’s unfinished manuscript. Moving between timelines, the novel explores grief, sacrifice, and the way love endures across generations, reminding us that some stories — and some loves — are too powerful to remain unfinished.”
I admit, a WWII story will always pull at my heartstrings — and I’ve probably said that in more than a few book reviews over the years. The Things We Leave Unfinished did exactly that and more. The dual timelines, the sweeping wartime romance, and the deep sense of family loyalty made this story especially heart-gripping from start to finish. There was emotional weight to the love portrayed here — both romantic and familial — that lingers long after the final page. I knew while I was reading it that this book was going to land on my favorites list, and in fact it became my favorite read of the entire year. It’s tender, devastating, and beautifully written — the kind of story that will forever stay with me. Also, can we give mad props to Rebecca Yarros for her wide range of writing from romantasy (she wept the world with her Fourth Wing series) to moving historical fiction like this one? I am impressed!
Bonus Review:
The Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to
Happiness, Confidence, and Success by Dan Sullivan reframes how high
achievers define success by inviting a shift in perspective — from constantly
focusing on what’s missing to recognizing how far we’ve already come. The book
argues that much of our dissatisfaction comes not from lack of progress, but from
measuring ourselves against an ever-moving ideal. By learning to measure growth
against our past selves instead, Sullivan shows how gratitude, confidence, and
momentum naturally follow. The central message is clear: success isn’t a destination
to reach, but a direction of growth — and acknowledging our gains allows
ambition and contentment to coexist.”
My bestie, Monica, added this to my reading list and she, my husband and I all got so much from it. I have found myself changing my perspective or someone else’s by saying, “Well that would be gap mindset, rather than gain mindset.” I’ve also used this book to more purposefully coach others to celebrate progress as part of our leadership strategy to help staff find more satisfaction at work. The book is easy to digest and apply so I want to share it with other leaders in hopes you’ll find the same.
Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by Bill Perkins challenges the deeply ingrained belief that financial success is defined by how much we accumulate, urging readers instead to think intentionally about how and when money is used. Perkins makes a compelling case that the true value of money lies in the experiences it enables and the memories that endure long after the moment has passed. By emphasizing the importance of timing, the book encourages a balance between saving responsibly and fully living now, reminding us that a well-lived life isn’t measured by what’s left at the end, but by the richness of experiences along the way.”
If I had to pick one book to gift to people — even if they’re not avid readers — I’d probably pick this one. For me, the reframe on money was genuinely new and surprisingly inspiring. Die with Zero didn’t just talk about finances; it challenged how I think about time, energy, and living a fulfilling life looks like. What made it especially impactful from a personal development perspective was how actionable it felt. The inclusion of practical tools, formulas, and even companion websites helped turn big ideas into tangible next steps, prompted me to reflect on how I want to intentionally invest my resources. The book encouraged designing a life that balances responsibility with meaning, and after reading he book, I felt motivated and excited to apply those lessons as I head into the new year.
I am so grateful for another year of great reads, great escapes and great lessons thanks to great books! I wish that same for my fellow readers! Happy New Year, everyone and happy reading!
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