Best Reads of 2025 By Month

It’s the end of the year, which means it’s time for reading wrap-ups! For this post, I’ll be briefly recapping my favorite reads from each month.

January

I’m not exaggerating when I say I remember January like it was yesterday. This year went by so quickly. I started the year extremely strong, and while at the time I did not rate this book five deer-stars, I have not stopped thinking about it since finishing it. That book is Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma.

After a two-month Libby hold, I had high expectations for this book. I thought I knew what I was getting into, but I didn’t, and I mean that in the best way. Black vampires, Ethiopian-inspired elements, true enemies-to-lovers, and dark themes, this book was hitting on all cylinders. Sometimes a bit too much. I do not read many dark books, and some of the imagery had me squirming. I will never forget the scene of Susenyos ripping someone’s spine out of their body. Chills.

February

After reading Immortal Dark, I remember wanting something cute, light, and fluffy. Abby Jimenez is a popular author on BookTok, and I wanted to check her out for myself. Just for the Summer had rave reviews, and I was willing to give it a try.

I was supposed to be having a silly, goofy time, not crying in the club and completely in my feelings. Jimenez was able to weave so much into this story, balancing genuinely funny moments with a heavier storyline.

March

March is when I went through my Greek mythology phase, and I had so much fun. I definitely want to get back into it in 2026. Out of the four to five Greek mythology books I read that month, The Song of Achilles takes first place for me.

I read some absolute bangers that month, but this book deserves all the hype it gets. The writing, the story, the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles, and Patroclus coming into his own. It was all just *chef’s kiss*.

April and May

My favorite reads of April and May were unexpected surprises. These books came highly recommended by a co-worker who shares similar book interests as me. Flawed and Perfect ended up being a perfect (teehee) duology that told a complete and satisfying story and had me thinking about it constantly.

This dystopian-esque series follows our FMC, Celestine, who lives in a society where perfection is enforced and those deemed flawed are publicly marked. At first, Celestine understands the rules, trusts the government, and sees nothing wrong with the system, until something happens that she cannot ignore. She begins to question everything she knows, creates enemies along the way, and may even become flawed herself.

The duology is excellently written, with a thought-provoking plot, strong character development, and solid pacing.

June

In June, I decided to give Riley Sager another chance. Honestly, I’m not sure what led me to this book, but I did enjoy it. The House Across the Lake definitely redeemed itself from Final Girls for me.

I will admit, I remembered enjoying the book but could not recall exactly why, so I had to check my review to refresh my memory. After rereading it, I can see how enthusiastic I was at the time, and I think all of my original opinions still stand.

July

I had an unexpectedly fun time in July, and that was because of Heartless Hunter. I do not care if it is YA, predictable, or any of the other criticisms it received. I loved it.

I read half the book in one sitting. I was completely immersed and entered a full flow state. I was obsessed, telling everyone about it, and begging my friends to read it. The feeling this book gave me is what I want from every book. And it is funny that this happened back-to-back with August.

August

Glow of the Everflame was another book I was obsessed with, which is saying something since I was not impressed with book one, Spark of the Everflame. But Glow? That is how you write a sequel.

The found family, the plot, the character growth, the romance. All of it was perfectly done.

September

Imagine my surprise when I had another banger in September. I was introduced to S.A. Cosby and decided to read  All the Sinners Bleed. I went in blind, which I do not recommend, and wow. Cosby is a masterful writer.

His descriptions were immaculate. I felt like I was in Charon County, Virginia. I could see every scene playing out in my mind. He is also incredibly knowledgeable about the topics he writes about, including racism, crime, and Christianity, and he weaves these themes into a truly compelling and unputdownable story.

October

*DJ Khaled voice* ANOTHER ONE.

Ladies and gentlemen, The Sword of Kaigen takes its place as the best book I read in October and maybe even top three for the entire year.

So much happens in this story that I do not even know where to begin. Just trust me and pick it up. You will not be disappointed.

November

After finishing this book, I was not expecting it to land in this spot, but I had to let it cook for a minute. Give it some time to marinate. The Book of Azrael deserves all the hype it gets on BookTok.

The world Amber V. Nicole created is intricate, with so much going on, but never in a bad way. I am a girls’ girl and I do love Dianna, but one of my favorite parts of this book so far is Samkiel. His backstory, his POV, and his friendship with Dianna really stood out to me.

And I have to give an extra shout-out to the ending. It was so well done.

December

Well, we made it to December. And who would have thought I would end the year with a memoir as my favorite read of the month? Nia Sioux’s Bottom of the Pyramid absolutely deserves the top spot.

She has experienced so much at such a young age. Her strength, resilience, perseverance, and joy are equally impressive, admirable, and inspiring. I am so glad she waited to tell her story until she was truly ready.

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it. Those are my favorite books of each month. I read 50 books this year, and I am not going to lie and say all 50 were amazing, because they were not. But I did have some really great reads.

I am notoriously a terrible decision-maker, but it honestly was not difficult to choose these books as my top reads for each month. Some honorable mentions that just missed the cut include Medusa, Done and Dusted, and The Legends of Thezmarr series.

Tell me, have you read any of these? What were your favorite books of the year?