Hooray! It’s time for our favorite reads of the year!
We love putting these posts together, so grab a hot beverage of your choice, find a comfy couch or chair or nook to settle into, and be ready to explode your TBR with all these scrumptious personal recommendations. These are the best books we read this year (but not necessarily published this year) and we need to tell everyone how brilliant they were.
Happy reading!
Martijn
Beartown and My Friends – Fredrik Backman
I’d like to build a shrine to Fredrik Backman.
I mean, who can break your heart and mend it in the same moment?
His ability to paint a person with just a sentence or two is unrivaled.
You’ll understand all these characters’ flaws, uncertainties, dreams and motivations and empathize with them immediately.
(Note: a smaller paperback edition will be out in January.)
Dungeon Crawler Carl – Matt Dinniman
Plain old uncomplicated fun, this series.
The Running Man meets RPG meets The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
All hail Princess Donut!
(Note: a paperback edition will be out in January.)
Sapiens: A Graphic History: Volume 1 (The Birth of Humankind), Volume 2 (The Pillars of Civilization) and Volume 3 (The Masters of History) – Yuval Noah Harari
Because I was too lazy to read the books and because I like graphic novels and history, I decided to pick these up and boy was I hooked!
It gives you a great global and historical perspective on the rise of humanity (Homo Sapiens, more specifically) and the development of our cultures.
I will certainly read these again.
Palestine – Joe Sacco
This was on my to-read pile for a long time and it felt like good timing to read it this year.
Informative and insightful with intense, chaotic graphics which reflect the reality of the place.
Sounds to me like the sort of thing we can use a bit more in times like these.
Jonna
The Master and Margarita – Mikhail Bulgakov
Does an established book like this need another review? A good beginning to get into classics. Full of satirical humor about the society it is set in and absurd to the brim. It being quite old I was afraid it was going to be a dry read, but it was quite the opposite! My only struggle was all the names and nicknames the characters had. I read the newest translation by Hugh Aplin.
Kafka on the Shore – Haruki Murakami
Another strange one by Murakami. Centered around cats and libraries, this was my cup of tea.
Under the Eye of the Big Bird – Hiromi Kawakami
In this book the end of humanity feels weirdly peaceful. In times like these that’s quite a comfort. You see different colonies of humans trying to survive, over the period of thousands of years quietly observed by a chosen few. Every chapter is a different story, some confusing, some sad, some almost happy.
Departure(s) – Julian Barnes
Julian Barnes’s farewell is an emotional rollercoaster. I laughed out loud and I cried (also out loud). What more do you want.
King Leopold’s Ghost – Adam Hochschild
I don’t think you can properly rate history books like this. It is well written and a must-read for everyone who wants to learn about how the misery in the Congo started and still continues today. Very sad and depressing but we already knew that before reading didn’t we.
Honorable mentions:
Abroad in Japan – Chris Broad
Empire of the Dawn – Jay Kristoff (part 3 of the Empire of the Vampire series)
Katabasis – R.F. Kuang
The Book of Disappearance – Ibtisam Azem
Endling – Maria Reva
Jitse
There Is No Antimemetics Division – Qntm
This blew me away. Qntm takes Sci-Fi and cosmic horror further than anyone has done before. The world is besieged by Antimemes, creatures that shield themselves by feeding and erasing the memories from those that observe them. The Antimemetics division, although it does not officially exist, shields humanity from the harm of these antimemes the best they can, however war breaks out and it’s up to director Marie Quinn to stop them.
In The House in the Dark of the Woods – Laird Hunt
A wonderful dark fairy tale story about a girl who gets lost in the woods and encounters the monsters that live there.
Mr Norris Changes Trains – Christopher Isherwood
Isherwood wrote this semi biographical story set against the backdrop of the rise of the Nazi’s in Berlin in the 1930’s. It’s written in a brisk style with delightful conversations by its characters.
The Pit – Erik Kriek
A bereft couple move to the estate of a deceased family relative in the middle of the woods of the Veluwe. Although the setting is idyllic, strange things start happening and these quickly become more and more grisly.
A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin
One of the best fantasies ever written. Le Guin paints a vast world inhabited by wizards, dragons and hardy sea faring peoples living in a world of sprawling islands. A wonderful re-read, Le Guin never ceases to delight.
Pleun
Wie stout is…, Luna, and Een rugzak vol – Pieter Koolwijk
I’ve been reading to my 10 year-old, and this year we discovered Pieter Koolwijk. Someone please get this man an English book deal, his work deserves to be read everywhere! His books are fantastic for all children, but especially for kids growing up in difficult circumstances. They hit home in such a powerful way. Run to the nearest Dutch bookshop and get them. These are the books you want your kids to read. This is how they learn empathy, kindness, courage, how to accept themselves , and how to dream of a world bigger than their own. Parents, this is what it’s all about. Get these books now and by the way, he has written many more, so make sure to check those out too!
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice from Dear Sugar – Cheryl Strayed
Can I just say how much I loved, and still love, this book? It’s a collection of advice columns, but they’re so much more than that. They’re beautiful, full of emotion, common sense, kindness, and a depth that hits you straight in the heart.
I keep it next to my bed and read one or two pieces a week. They almost always make me tear up, and they always teach me something. I adore this book.
The Let Them Theory – Mel Robbins
A lot has been written about this book, both good and bad. Some say it’s too easy to just “let them,” but sometimes we need simple books. Truths that are so straightforward and yet so effective. Does it apply to everything? No. But wow, you can apply it to so many situations.
It’s massively popular, and in my opinion, rightfully so. And if someone thinks differently? Let them. 😉
The Long Walk – Stephen King
Hail to the King! Because of the movie that came out this year, I decided to re-read this classic. It’s an incredible journey that cuts straight to the heart. I absolutely adore King, and this is one of his finest works — a must-read for everyone, in my opinion.
It’s a stunning look at growing up in a society where everything has lost its value, even human life, yet where real friendships can still blossom amid the despair. Absolutely unforgettable.
Júlia
Battle of the Bookstores – Ali Brady
This was truly one of my favorite reads of 2025 – a feel-good romance for when you want to disappear for a couple of hours between the pages. The whole story revolves around books, bookstores, booksellers, and book lovers… a true ode to anyone who loves the world of reading. As two rival booksellers try to save their completely opposite (and neighboring) bookstores – from spicy book club to sophisticated wine&read nights – the more they scheme against each other, the more they discover just how much they have in common.
Marble Hall Murders – Anthony Horowitz
Another book about books but this time, make it mystery. A very good mystery, as Anthony Horowitz can definitely write. I read it as a buddy read with my colleague Jouke and as always it was a lots of fun.
The book has everything I love about Horowitz’s books: book-within-a-book, multi-layered storyline where the deeper we go, the harder it becomes to tell reality from fiction… or it gives us more clues to find? This is the third book in a loose series, where Susan, now a freelance book editor, is back in England working on another Atticus Pünd detective story, while also unraveling the family secrets of a famous children’s author. I loved this book and I’m secretly hoping there’s another Susan&Pünd story waiting for us.
The Thrashers – Julie Soto
It was a surprise to me how much I enjoyed this young adult title. The Trashers are the It group of the local high school: a little bit mean, very cool, rich and admired by everyone. Jodi is nothing like that but still gets the chance to join them thanks to her long friendship with Zack Thrasher, their leader and the golden boy. Everyone wants to be part of their world. Until one of their admirers ends up dead.
There’s plenty of thrills and drama, secret diaries and family dysfunction. I was totally hooked and couldn’t stop reading. It has the mystery drive of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and the chilling emotional dive of 13 Reasons Why. I loved the suspense and even though the story is quite dark, it is easy to read, which made me finish the book within a few days.
Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell
Yes, I was highly motivated to read this book before the movie release, and oh how happy I am that I did. Agnes is a beautiful character — odd, but in a way that draws you in and makes you feel for her throughout the entire story. All the love, pain, and emotions she experiences are very pure, and the whole story has a mystical tone. It’s a great book about love, grief, and family. I’m very curious to see how Chloé Zhao will transform this mesmerizing story for the big screen.
Nesting – Roisín O’Donnell & The Names – Florence Knapp
Nesting follows a young mother, Ciara, who at the beginning decides to leave her verbally abusive husband with her two daughters. Without any savings or support, she finds herself on the streets of Dublin. Over the course of year, she hits rock bottom, receives some unexpected news, fights for housing, her rights as a single mother and trying to free herself from her controlling husband.
What I loved about this book is the way the story follows Ciara – her every thought, observation and reaction on the outer world. I was completely sucked into her inner world, and it made me root for her so much.
The Names has three different storylines, all defined at the beginning by one event, when Cora goes to register her newborn son’s name. From there, we follow three versions of his life and see how this single decision changes the family and the relationships around him. It’s beautifully written – rooting not only for the boy, but also for his mother, who has to face her abusive husband.
Both books deal with abusive, controlling partners, and with women trying to navigate their lives after their traumatizing relationships. They’re definitely not easy reads, but both stories carry so much power, resilience, courage, and hope for a better future. And both authors wrote them beautifully. I will remember these stories for a long time.
Want more of our favorite reads of 2025? Click here!
