It’s a new year and you know what that means: a little book recap of some of my favorites! I only finished 16 books out of the 20 I planned to read, soooooo I almost made it.
Here are a couple of the ones that I really enjoyed!
The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
If you love murder mysteries and psychological thrillers, this is the book for you!
The marriage between Sarah and Adam Morgan is anything but perfect. This book follows the alleged murder of Adam’s long-term mistress, leaving Adam as the prime suspect. Sarah, interestingly, chooses to defend him in the court of law as a prominent defense attorney.
The drama, the deception, the questionable loyalty and hurtful deceptions leave you flipping to the next page to see what really happened and who is to blame. And if you enjoyed the first book, there is a sequel “The Perfect Divorce.”
Sunrise on the Reaping By Suzanne Collins
Warning: I am a MASSIVE Hunger Games dork!
“Sunrise on the Reaping” goes back in time to follow District 12 Victor Haymitch Abernathy’s Hunger Games. Haymitch mentors Katniss and Peeta during the first Hunger Games book.
This book goes into depth about the earlier stages of the Hunger Games, but after Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes. This book tore my heart apart with emotions as I read about the cruelty of the Capitol, the past Victors and their stories, and the powerful theme of rebellion.
What I love about The Hunger Games is that it’s dystopian fiction, but it subtly reveals the corruption that is happening in many places around the world. Personally, I love the comparisons people have been making between the MET Gala and the Capitol people’s mannerisms and outfits. Here’s an article more that talks about in detail.
Overall, I just think Suzanne Collins is a brilliant writer and has proven to always outdo herself. Not to mention the movie is coming out in November!
Not in my Book by Katie Holt
“Not in My Book” is a contemporary romance that follows two very talented (and strongly opinionated) writers who are working towards their MFA.
Rosie Maxwell dreams of being a romance author and Aiden Huntington has a passionate distaste for romance. Naturally, they become instant enemies, constantly bickering, taunting, and critiquing each other’s work. And as they say, there’s a fine line between love and hate.
Ida, their professor, being fed-up with their frankly, childish and immature behavior, pairs them together to co-write a romance novel with an unhappy ending. This is a lose-lose situation for both Rosie and Aiden, but this project was a requirement to complete the course.
What I liked most about this novel is how the book Rosie and Aiden write together reflects their own personalities and emotions.
While We’re Young by K.L. Walther
This novel was just such a refreshing change for me! “While We’re Young” is about a group of high school seniors who all pull strings to skip school and take a spontaneous trip to Philadelphia.
The story and characters were so nostalgic!! It brought up memories of high school, the bittersweet feeling of growing up, and just learning more about who you are as a person.
To Sicily with love by Jennifer Probst
Aurora York, a well-known online life coach and podcast host in the great city of New York suddenly loses her mother, leaving her with no family. She falls into the depths of grief, but tries to ignore her emotions and to keep busy at work.
Feelings don’t go away if you choose to ignore them, and having a very public breakdown helped Aurora realize that that grief is not a linear process. After taking a DNA test she discovers that she has many cousins and grandparents in Sicily. With mixed emotions of anger, confusion, and curiosity, Aurora books a ticket in hopes of finding closure after losing her mother.
I will admit, I almost did not finish this book. As much as it was a slow read, it was also fulfilling. The emotional depth at which Probst writes about navigating grief, reevaluating her life priorities, and discovering a part of her family heritage is commendable.
Red Flags and Rishtas by Radhika Agrawal
And here is yet another enemies to lovers, contemporary romance!
Just a silly and fun story with relatable characters, “Red Flags and Rishtas” follows Ananya, a girl who is a self-claimed online dating expert. Her parents set her up with Aadar, someone she soon realizes she absolutely cannot stand. But their companies do work together in a professional setting, so they have to bear each-others presence from time to time. The two strike up a bet to see who will be “settled” first, whether that is a partner or a full on engagement ring.
Although the book was just a palette cleanser for me, I really did love the characters. I could relate to their problems and see myself in their shoes, making them very personable.
That’s all of my favorites and recommendations of books from 2025! Even if I didn’t meet my book goal, I sure did find some good ones.
If you would like to read my top books of 2024 that article is right here!