My Favorite Books of 2025

A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone.

Tyrion Lannister, ‘A Game of Thrones‘ By George R.R. Martin

Throughout 2025, I wanted to challenge myself a bit more when it came to reading. Usually, I stick to my comfort genres of fantasy, mystery, and sci-fi. This year, I wanted to expand my horizons a bit. Explore some of the classics, or challenge some of my old opinions on books I read a long time ago.

I kind of succeeded. Most additions to my library this year still fell into the usual trio of offenders. But those classics I did read were a very welcome change of pace. At the risk of sounding pretentious, they helped rejuvenate my appreciation for literature as an art form.

Today, I want to go over some of my favorite reads of the year. These aren’t really reviews, per say. It’s more like a one-man book club. A celebration of the novels I’ve enjoyed.

With that said, let’s get started.

Moby Dick
By Herman Melville

Complete aside: if anyone knows the artist behind this version of the cover, let me know. I’ve scoured half a dozen sites talking about different Moby Dick covers, and this one was on none of them. Please and thanks. Anyway, let’s talk about the actual book now.

Despite it being one of the most renowned novels in American history, I had never read ‘Moby Dick‘ until now. I have to admit, it wasn’t what I was expecting. And not just because of the definitely-not homoerotic whale sperm scene.

This is a book of dual identities. The first is a gripping tale of a man lost amid the seas of vengeance. Someone so blinded by hate and pain that he paves his own stairway to hell. A powerful and poignant story of obsession, ambition, and greed that is just as important now as it was when it was first published.

And the other half is a textbook about whales, and the whaling industry of early 20th century America. A fascinating subject, albeit somewhat dull. Speaking as someone whose knowledge of whales begins and ends with, “They big,” I found it very informative. Boring, sure, but then again, education is always a chore.

However tedious the subject matter, Herman Melville’s prose are absolutely astonishing. This may be the most beautifully written book I have ever read. The imagery is clear and powerful, and every line feels like poetry. Reading this book gave me that same sense of beauty and wonder I get watching a sunset.

I finally understand why people call this ‘The Great American Novel.’ While it wasn’t always a thrilling read, it was most definitely a memorable one. Definitely putting this one near the top of my favorites list.

The Lion: Son of the Forest
By Mike Brooks

Only choosing one Warhammer 40,000 book was a genuine challenge. How am I supposed to pick one when I’ve read over a dozen, and they’re all fantastic?! Emperor of Mankind, beloved by all, why must you test me so?!

I knew basically nothing about the Dark Angels going into this book. When it comes to Space Marines, I much prefer the Salamanders (Vulkan lives!) or the Blood Angels (RIP Sanguinius). But the good lads of Adeptus Ridiculous recommended it in their book club, so I decided to check it out. And boy howdy, I was not disappointed.

The beginning chapters were a lot to take in. As with much of Warhammer 40,000, there’s a ton of stuff happening, and most of it is built on context contained in half a dozen other books. But in a way, that was kind of the book’s intention. In the opening chapters, Lion El’Jonson doesn’t know who he is, where he is, or what is happening. Will amnesia is a common trope, and usually one I don’t particularly care for, it goes a long way in making this book more accessible to people who aren’t already super deep into the series lore.

I really love the Lion as a character. An old man ripped out of time, haunted by countless catastrophes and mistakes. Lost in a universe now completely unrecognizable to him, he falls back on the one thing he knows: protecting the weak. Organizing the scattered remnants of humanity into a proper military force. Along the way, he meets several of his sons in the Dark Angels and begins to make amends, healing some of the damage done to the chapter after the Horus Heresy.

Also, I love his reaction to getting old. The dude feels sluggish and exhausted, so he instantly assumes he’s somehow been poisoned. Yet he’s still vastly more deadly than any other character in the whole book. It’s hilarious, not to mention incredibly badass.

Of all the Warhammer books I read last year, this one is probably my favorite. A great story with phenomenal characters. If you’re new to Warhammer, this might not be the best place to start. But it is excellent reading from beginning to end.

Crossroads of Ravens
By Andrzej Sapkowski

A new Witcher book? In 2025? And it’s a prequel about young Geralt’s earliest adventures?! Maybe Santa Claus is real!

I recently re-listened to all the Witcher audio books at work. Not because of this one – I didn’t even know it was coming out until I was halfway through the series. I just really love these books. So when I heard this one was coming, I became more excited than a child on Christmas!

I’m very pleased to say it did not disappoint. This quickly became one of my favorite books in the series. Maybe not my absolute favorite; my nostalgia for ‘The Last Wish‘ won’t allow that just yet. But it’s certainly in the top three!

Geralt of Rivia is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. Here, we get to see him many, many years before he became the badass Witcher we know and love. In this book, he is young, ignorant, and lacking in confidence. A boy set out from Kaer Morhen set out into a world determined to beat the delusion out of him. Over the course of the story, we see him slowly become more jaded, more experienced. He confronts horror, failure, and injustice. Yet however many times the world kicks him, he always tries to be a good man. Kind, honest, and loyal. This book does a phenomenal job of exploring new angles to this character, while staying true to what made readers like me fall in love with him to begin with.

Sapkowski also returns to the more segmented, episodic style of storytelling seen in the first two books. While there is an overarching narrative, and that is really good, I mostly just enjoyed Geralt’s daily adventures. One of them even hearkens back to the very first story in ‘The Last Wish‘; at first, I worried it would be a derivative repeat, but it turned out to be a high point in the whole book! Even if it is one of Geralt’s most bitter defeats.

I absolutely love this book. Whether you’ve read all the novels or you’ve only played the games, I would highly recommend it. After the complete disaster the Witcher TV series became, this was a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Brigands & Breadknives
By Travis Baldree

The cozy fantasy king sits his throne once more.

Travis Baldree is one of those authors I can always count on for a great time. His books never fail to put a smile on my face. The characters are always charming, the jokes genuinely funny, and stories consistently uplifting. And this latest entry is no exception.

Like ‘Legends & Lattes‘ and ‘Bookshops & Bonedust‘ before it, this book is all about a search for meaning. Unlike the prior entries, however, this book does not star the orc warrior Viv. Instead, we focus on her rat-kin reading buddy: Fern. And instead of settling down for a cozy, laid-back adventure, we’re taken on a much more traditional sort of journey.

This book gives me the same sense of cozy nostalgia I get whenever I read ‘The Hobbit‘. And considering that is favorite book ever, that is high praise indeed! It’s perfectly paced, the characters are immediately likable and interesting, and the adventure is equal parts fun and thrilling.

I especially love how low the stakes are. There are no world-ending magical threats. It’s just three ladies, two talking magic blades, traveling a road fraught with deadly perils. Those, and beautiful vistas. Considering this book is all about a search for meaning and fulfillment, it feels very wholesome to see the characters sit down and relax.

I’m not sure if this is my favorite of Baldree’s work. I’d have to re-read his other novels first. Nevertheless, I absolutely loved this one. If you’re looking for something wholesome and fun, this is the perfect book for you.

To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee

Confession time.

Like most American high school students, I was tasked with reading this book for my English class. And like most American high school students, I did no such thing. I thought the book was unbearably boring. So I just skimmed a few paragraphs of each chapter, half-baked some bullshit for my essays, and satisfied myself with a C-.

I was sixteen, okay? Being an idiot is basically a requirement at that age.

It’s honestly sad how well this novel has aged. We all know this book is all about the rampant racism of early 20th century America. Alas, its themes and messages are just as prevalent and important now in the 21st century. For all the progress we’ve made, those core issues at the heart of this country are exactly the same. Always have been. Maybe always will be.

What especially impressed me is how well Harper Lee managed to frame this issue through the eyes of a child. Scout’s innocent naiveté isn’t just compelling; it stars in some of the book’s most impactful scenes. She’s too young to understand the bigoted rhetoric surrounding her. Her view of the world is simple. Innocent. A child who sees the world as it ought to be: honest and fair.

But Atticus sees it as it is. As much as I like Scout, we all know Atticus is the real star of the show. Every single scene with this character is gripping. Seeing him through Scout’s eyes gives Atticus this sense of overwhelming power and authority, though the man himself is very soft-spoken and polite. When he makes his case in the infamous trial, he’s so convincing that you genuinely start to think he might win. In a truly just and fair court, he would win! He should win!

Only to face the crushing reality that he never had a chance. Because the game isn’t fair. It never has been.

I’m very glad I re-read this one. Honestly, I still don’t think it’s the most engaging read in the world. But I would be a fool to deny its significance. This is one of the most important books in American literature, and I was a fool to ever deny it.

The Devils
By Joe Abercrombie

I haven’t read an Abercrombie book since finishing the First Law trilogy. His stories are absolutely amazing and I want to read them all. But man, his endings are such a bummer!

‘The Devils‘ is no exception. This book was a ton of fun to read from beginning to end. Instantly lovable characters, witty and clever dialogue, a thrilling adventure, horrors beyond your worst nightmares, it’s got it all! Including an ending that I’ll probably need to talk about in therapy. So you know it’s the complete package!

The characters were definitely the high point for me. I loved every single one of these scumbags with all my heart. Seeing the vain sorcerer Balthazar consistently get his ego checked never stopped being funny. Sunny was legitimately so adorable I wanted to hug her in every single scene. The gag of Baron Rickard hypnotizing people with mundane stories about dumplings had me in tears every single time. I desperately wanted these goobers to get the happy endings they deserved.

But this is a Joe Abercrombie novel. We don’t get that in this house.

As much as that ending bummed me out, this book was an absolute delight. The story is engaging from start to finish. The tone strikes a perfect balance between comedy and horror. All the characters are memorable and interesting. There are tons of imaginative set pieces and surprise twists. It’s dark fantasy at its finest. I cannot recommend it enough.

Fahrenheit 451
By Ray Bradbury

This book might have aged a bit too well…

Like ‘To Kill a Mockingbird‘, I read this book back in school. Unlike that one, however, I actually remember enjoying ‘Fahrenheit 451‘. Being as young as I was, I didn’t fully understand what it was trying to say. But I did have a firm enough grasp to get why it was so important.

Reading it again in 2025, it really struck me just how prescient, and important, this book truly is. Because it really did predict the times we live in nearly to a T. The incomprehensible TV programs feel exactly like watching an AI-generated video. The Firefighters war on intellectualism is hauntingly close to a lot of the discourse you’ll find online. Hell, a war is brewing throughout the entire book, and none of the characters even care! In a few years time, we’ll have to remove the ‘Fiction’ tag from this book!

Even if you separate it from its messaging, this is still just a really well-crafted book. Ray Bradbury’s pros are absolutely beautiful, his dialogue was organic yet impactful, and his character work is nothing short of masterful. For a book this short, it really amazed me how much he managed to explore with this world and this cast.

I legitimately think ‘Fahrenheit 451‘ might be more important now than it has ever been. In a world full of voices trying to tell you what to think, it encourages you to think and decide for yourself. To be open-minded and curious. It’s oddly comforting in a way.

Of all the books I read this year, this one had the strongest impact on me. In my younger years, I thought it was pretty good. Now, it’s become one of my absolute favorites. A must-read, now more than ever.

Conclusion

So, yeah. Those were some of the books I read this year. I didn’t read as much as I would like. Even so, this was a very fulfilling experience for me.

I plan on keeping this momentum going into 2026. I’ve been considering ‘Blood Meridian‘ by Cormac McCarthy, as well as ‘House of Leaves‘ by Mark Z. Danielewski. Or maybe I’ll torture myself by re-reading ‘The Wheel of Time‘. Whatever happens, I will definitely be spending more time at my local library.

Thank you very much for reading. If you’ve got a book recommendation, please feel free to share it! I’m always on the look out for great reading material. I can’t promise I’ll get to it quickly; my backlog is already huge. But there is no such thing as a stack of books too tall.

Until next time: stay safe, keep healthy, and take it easy.