Each time I’ve stopped reading a book in 2025, I haven’t been surprised. So many people I know have experienced their routines and explorations disrupted as the world wobbles so precariously around us. We get distracted. Or what we would normally find comfort or excitement in now tastes off. Still, I met some great titles so far this year.

Here are the best books from my 2025 reading — so far.

Dirtbag Queen — The best new book of the year? Andy Corren’s funny and tearful remembrance of his mother, Renay Mandel Corren.

Jane Eyre — This read was a wonderful revisit of Charlotte Brontë 1847 novel.

Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family — Thomas Mann’s rolling across-the-years story from 1901 revealed what may happen when a level of wealth isn’t retained.

Woodworking — A new adult / teen novel by Emily St. James of transgender identity allows for a messy, honest reality.

The Great Gatsby — I liked F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 short take on American life better this time around.

Ardent Violet and the Infinite Eye — Alex White’s second Starmetal Symphony novel (2024) pushes the story into super-robot-boss territory.