My Top 20 Books of 2025

(So Far)

Let’s just say: if your TBR pile isn’t already out of control, it’s about to be. Amazon has released their top 20 books of 2025 (so far), and this list is stacked with powerful memoirs, pulse-pounding thrillers, book club gems, and long-awaited sequels. Whether you’re in the mood for heartache, history, or a haunting dystopian return, there’s something here for every kind of reader.

But I want to make my own list, because that’s my thing.

Here’s a roundup of the books that I can’t stop talking about…and yes, I have already started my list for the second half of 2025.

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🦋 The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom) by Rachel Gillig

If you’re craving magical kingdoms, fierce heroines, and a slow-burn romance that gives serious butterflies, don’t miss this one. It’s fantasy with heart and depth.

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👑 The Emperor of Gladness (Oprah’s Book Club) by Ocean Vuong

This one reads like poetry and hits like a freight train. Emotionally complex, gorgeously written, and absolutely worth the hype.

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⚰️ Not Quite Dead Yet (GMA Book Club Pick) by Holly Jackson

A surprisingly hopeful book wrapped in dark humor and mystery. I laughed, I cried, I immediately recommended it to everyone I know.

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👻 The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

This one is so meta in the best way. A thriller about writing and identity, with twists that genuinely shocked me.

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🌧 Buried Too Deep (A New Orleans Novel) by Karen Rose

Atmospheric and moody with a strong sense of place. The perfect mystery to read during a thunderstorm.

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🔥 Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins

Did I drop everything to read this on release day? Yes. And it totally delivered. A fierce return to Panem that expands the world in all the right ways.

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💬 My Friends by Fredrik Backman

This book felt like sitting across from someone baring their soul. Honest, raw, and deeply human. Another masterpiece from Fredrik Backman, and I don’t say that lightly.

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💍 Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn

Light, flirty, and heartfelt—this is the kind of romance that gives you hope and leaves a smile on your face.

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🏚 The Tenant by Freida McFadden

Sharp, chilling, and just plain unputdownable. One of the best thrillers I’ve read in years.

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🌱 The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley

A lyrical coming-of-age story with unforgettable characters and an empowering message.

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🔥 King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby

Searing, cinematic, and emotionally intense. Cosby never misses—and this one might be his best yet.

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🌊 Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

This edition includes an exquisite, glistening cover with effects and brilliantly illustrated four-color interior art.

A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

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⚔️ Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros

My fantasy girlie heart is full. This series just keeps getting better, and I loved every minute of the ride.

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🎶 Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jiminez

Emotionally layered and romantic with just the right dose of angst. A love story you’ll want to reread.

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📜 Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

A brilliantly written biography that brings one of America’s most iconic writers to life. Packed with wit, insight, and unexpected emotion.

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🐚 Great Big Beautiful Life (Reese’s Book Club) by Emily Henry

Joyful, raw, and luminous. This memoir reminds you of the power of resilience and love.

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💘 It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

“Poignant, funny, and bingeable, Annabel Monaghan writes five star reads.” —Abby Jimenez

From the USA Today bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script, a novel about a former adolescent TV actress-turned-Hollywood producer whose “fake it till you make it” mantra sets her on a crash course with her past, forcing her to spend a week on Long Island with the last man she thinks might make her believe in love.

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☁️ Atmosphere (GMA Book Club Pick) by Taylor Jenkins Reid

From the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

The stunning hardcover of Atmosphere features beautiful endpapers and a premium dust jacket!

“Thrilling . . . heartbreaking . . . uplifting . . . the fast-paced, emotionally charged story of one ambitious young woman, finding both her voice and her passion.”—Kristin Hannah, author of The Women

“NASA? Space missions? The ’80s? This is a collection of all the things I love.”—Andy Weir, author of Project Hail Mary and The Martian

Yes, she did it again. I devoured this in a single sitting—so full of longing, tension, and stunning storytelling.

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🌄 Broken Country (Reese’s Book Club Pick) by Clare Leslie Hall

This is one of those books that quietly breaks your heart and then gently puts it back together. Beautiful prose, unforgettable characters, and a setting so vivid you can practically smell the dust.

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📘 The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

A powerful, perspective-shifting read that delivers one of the simplest yet most freeing life philosophies I’ve ever come across. If you’ve ever felt drained by trying to control other people’s opinions or behaviors, this is your next must-read.

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Which of these top books of 2025 is going on your TBR?

These are just the top 20 books of 2025 that I have loved so far this year—what’s missing from your shelf? Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram with your summer reading stack!

If you need even further suggestions for your TBR, try this other list I made. Prime Day might be gone, but these books are still amazing!