Here is a list of my favorite novels I read in 2025. I’ll post the lists for crime fiction, nonfiction, and audiobooks over the next few days.

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown. Set in the 1990s, this is a coming-of-age character study tinged with intrigue. 

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. A lovely epistolary novel of a 70-ish widow who writes letters to friends, family, authors, and a mysterious recipient. Have a tissue handy.

The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay. Set in the 1920s, two young women become waitresses at Harvey Houses at Santa Fe Railway stations, eventually ending up at the Grand Canyon’s El Tovar. This was interesting and compelling. Watch for Dana Stabenow’s historical mystery, The Harvey Girl. 

Broken County by Clare Leslie Hall. The tragic fallout when a past love reappears. 

We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough. A troubled couple moves to an English manor where bizarre goings-on ensue with an imaginative twist at the end.

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. Set in a small midwestern town at the close of WWII, two families become entwined by various circumstances and spend the next 40 years trying to overcome their mistakes.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley. A funny and touching “feel-good” story about a gay man taking in his niece and nephew (hence, “Guncle”) for the summer and finding a family. This is great in audio.

Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith. At their famous sister’s request, four estranged siblings gather for a weekend of revelations. Have a Costco-sized box of tissues by your side.

The Sun Sister, The Missing Sister, and Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt rounded out my epic journey with the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. It was a great reading experience.