Last year, I had so much fun sharing my favorite books of 2024 that I thought I would do it again! In 2025, I reached a new record of 44 books read in a year. And yes, that number includes all the books I read for my English classes, as they definitely count!
So, here is a list of my favorite books of the year.
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) by Tennessee Williams
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While this is a play, I’m going to count it, because I still read it rather than watched it. I initially heard about the play because everyone I’ve met who is either older than 30 or is a theatre kid has said hello to me with “STELLAAAAAAA,” from the 1951 film starring Marlon Brando.
So, of course, I had to go to the source, and I was not disappointed. Unfortunately, Stella (in the play) wasn’t a favorite character of mine. Justice for my girl Blanche! However, Williams is especially skilled at making you feel something for his characters — even if that something is the urge to punch Stanley in the face! Who’s with me? All in all, if you love drama in both form and insanity, I highly recommend this play!
- Sula (1973) by Toni Morrison
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Sula is the second novel I’ve read by Toni Morrison, and, as always, she did not disappoint. The plot is incredibly engaging, and the relationship between the main characters, Nel and Sula, is unlike any other I’ve read. And that ending! No spoilers here (you should definitely read it for yourself), but my jaw dropped. I can’t wait to reread it after making my way through the rest of Morrison’s catalogue!
- Passing (1929) by Nella Larsen
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If you’ve read this book and the last two, you might start seeing a pattern (they all have two female leads), but that doesn’t matter because they’re all so good! Passing was such a hidden gem for me; I actually picked it up at a used bookstore after only reading the blurb, and I’m so happy I did.
I adore Larsen’s flowy writing style, and her characters have so much depth that even if you don’t like one, you can’t help but empathize with them. And again with these endings! If there’s one book on this list that I think is required reading, it’s this one.
- One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This (2025) by Omar El Akkad
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Okay, maybe there are actually two books that I think should be required reading… after all, there’s a reason this book won the 2025 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
A memoir meets cultural critique; this book will make you reevaluate Western morality and what it means to be complicit when your nation harms another. El Akkad will tug at your heartstrings, but this book is an incredibly necessary read!
- I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (1969) by Maya Angelou
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Another heartbreaking but also deeply powerful memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a classic for a reason. In this autobiography, Angelou maps out her early life, covering everything from trauma, family, and overcoming adversity. Angelou’s skills as a poet only serve to heighten the work’s intensity and make the memoir incredibly captivating to read. If you’re looking to read a memoir and/or more banned books this year, definitely reach for this one!
- The Lost Daughter (2006) by Elena Ferrante
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If you’re on BookTok, chances are you might’ve heard the name Elena Ferrante circling around. Known for her private life (Ferrante being her pseudonym) and famous Neapolitan Novels, I wanted to dip my toes into her work with this shorter novella. The book was also adapted into a 2021 film starring Olivia Coleman and Dakota Johnson.
As you can imagine from the title, the book follows a middle-aged mother who has a mild relationship with her grown daughters. She also encounters a young mother and daughter while vacationing at the beach. This book is really atmospheric, and honestly, a perfect beach read! And, of course, it has another insane ending. What can I say? I love a book that leaves you with a punch!
- Mrs Dalloway (1925) by Virginia Woolf
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Now onto a book that I read for one of my English classes, although I’m sure you’re already familiar with this author and book! This was my second read of Mrs Dalloway, and I loved it just as much as (or perhaps even more than) the first time.
Woolf’s modernist style of writing, or “stream-of-consciousness,” reads like your own inner monologue. Yet, there’s always a sense of intentionality with how Woolf connects each line to the next. I would highly recommend starting your Woolf reading journey with this book, as it takes a bit of time to get used to her writing style.
- Voyage In The Dark (1934) by Jean Rhys
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Yet another amazing read from one of my English classes. You might have heard of Rhys for her widely-known novel Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), which spotlights the “madwoman in the attic” from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847). While I suggest you read those books too, Voyage in the Dark is especially intriguing.
It follows a young woman who has just moved to the gray streets of London from her West Indies home, capturing intense feelings of discomfort, anxiety, depression, and heartbreak in an unfamiliar place. Having a peculiar, almost fever-dream-like rhetoric, this book does make you hunt for the details, but it will make for a quite rewarding experience!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this list of my top books of 2025!
Here’s to an even better year of reading in 2026!
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