Okay, maybe don’t weep, but definitely finish this article.
There are few things I love more than my public library system at home. I have never had trouble getting a book I wanted and have access to so many incredible programs, minds, and resources because of the Pine Hills Albany Public Library.
I would say I am a pretty voracious reader for a very active college student. Over spring break, I read five books, taking my current total books read in 2025 to 10. I was disappointed in myself for only reading around 16 books last year, so I am busying myself with a goal of 30 books this year.
I promise I am not trying to be pretentious, but I am kind of a book snob. I have a particular method of picking out books, and I very rarely stray from this method. Ready for a top secret?
I only read pretty books.
Ugly cover? I’m good. Neon pink with a sugar beet on it (don’t ask, just keep reading)? Check it out for me ASAP.
This method has never failed me. Booktok, however, has – and majorly at that.
“The Silent Patient”? Yawn. Colleen Hoover? Do not get me started on her.
As a book snob, I have taken the liberty of revisiting my best reads of 2024 and 2025 and compiling them into a shortlist. Book snob to book snob in the making, read these books.
1. “Man’s best friend” by Alana B. Lytle
If you know me, you know that I love horrible women in literature. It is a talent to write a woman who is literally the worst in a world in which women are constantly portrayed as perfect.
Lytle is keeping is very, very real. This book is an all-time favorite.
Looking to hate and love someone at the same time? This book is for you.
2. “Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian
Ugh, okay. I am the worst. This is actually a short story, but still an absolute banger.
There is an episode of “Sex and the City” in which the girls discuss their “secret single behaviors,” which are things women do secretly that men just wouldn’t want to see or wouldn’t understand. This short story exemplifies that. It is an amazing look into a really strange and uncomfortable behind-the-scenes moment.
Read for a relatable “I hate myself” moment or if you need to feel better about yourself after ending a situationship.
3. “Whoever you are, honey” by Olivia Gatwood
YES. YES. One billion times yes.
This book is incredible. I can’t elaborate more on its thrilling plot without spoiling it, but this book is truly beautifully written and absolutely dripping with talent.
Read if you need to wallow in the sadness that a society dependant on technology tends to cause.
4. “Three o’clock in the morning” by Gianrico Carofiglio
Book snob truth moment: I really try to avoid books written by men. This book was totally worth ignoring that tendency.
I finished this book in less than four hours. It is a lovely story about a boy and his father reconnecting as they spend two full days awake together. It is an absolute must-read.
Read after watching “Beautiful Boy” to cheer yourself up.
5. “beta vulgaris” by Margie Sarsfield
Book snob truth moment part two: I have not finished this book. Am I the worst? Yes.
Yay! Insufferable and kind of awful (but relatable nonetheless) female lead!
This book is spooky, funky, and entertaining. It follows a woman working a seasonal job farming sugar beets and all the mysterious things that she experiences along the way. I love this book because it’s just so different than the other books I have read so far. Also, gorgeous cover- + twenty points.
Read if you have time to be scared.