Whether you’ve finished your 2025 reading goal or haven’t even come close, we’re sure you’ve read some great books this year — books that will stay with you even as a new year begins and books that you’ll look back on and think about as a defining moment in your life. We want to take the time to recognize these wonderful books and what they have meant to us here at Bookstr. From romantasy to mystery to literary fiction to memoirs, we have diverse tastes in the books we love. There’s sure to be something for everyone. Here we recap and recommend some of the Bookstr team’s favorite reads from 2025.
Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt
After sneaking out for one last normal night before being shipped to seminary school, Elwood discovers the horrifying truth lurking beneath his father’s church. Meanwhile, Wil is willing to do anything to keep Elwood’s father from buying out the run-down motel that her father barely keeps afloat. Ex-best friends Wil and Elwood must work together to keep Elwood from becoming a sacrificial lamb and uncover their town’s horrifying secrets.
From the start, this book had a gorgeous cover and an enticing premise. I picked this up from my local library and fell into the pages immediately. The prose flows amazingly, blending poignant lines with what it’s really like to be a teenager. It creates a perfect balance of comedy and jaw-dropping shocks. The imagery of insects throughout the book is beautiful, and I genuinely hope to see more from these characters in the future.
— Adia Reynolds, Social Media Coordinator
Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
In addition to trying to understand their fathers’ unvoiced troubles, each son of the Maghabol family struggles with something different: fierce anti-Filipino sentiments in the 1930s, white prejudices in school in 1965, Filipino vs FilAm identities and histories in 1983, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The latest Maghabol son, Enzo, wonders about the journey his family has taken to settle in America and whether he can mend the rift between his father and grandfather when they’re forced to quarantine together.
I enjoyed Randy Ribay’s previous work and knew that I was stepping into something amazing the second I picked up Everything We Never Had. Ribay showcases Filipino-American history with nuanced, soulful characters that go beyond the contemporary, stereotypical image of Filipinos. This is a shoutout to years of unheard Filipino successes and struggles, and I’m beyond grateful for authors like Ribay who can bring these stories to life. He and his books are huge inspirations for FilAm writers like me, and I’m so happy that Filipinos are growing our platform and that this book is getting the attention and accolades it deserves!
— Isabella Talavera, Outreach Coordinator
For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn
Dying of cancer at a young age, Lily isn’t exactly thrilled to arrive in the afterlife and discover she’s earned an afterlife of leisure. Certain she belongs in Hell, and not one to be idle, she makes a place for herself in the Hellp Desk (her invention) to help alleviate the strain on soul intake for Hell. Through new friendships and a romantic entanglement that could last forever, Lily not only finds a way to come to terms with her life and afterlife but to heal and understand that family is more than who you’re born to.
This incredible story presents a new take on what happens when your mortal life ends, how religion and deities play a part, through your own choices, in the greater universe. This take might just be the thing that brings every person together, from an atheist to the most devout of any religion. I loved every moment of this book and Lily’s healing journey. She found her place in the universe and embraced it like the fierce woman she was always meant to be.
— Kristi Eskew, Executive Editor
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
A reflective and entertaining memoir about East Asian versus Western parenting, Chua’s tale is brutally honest about the struggles of a mother raising two daughters to be successful musicians. Sophia, on piano, is perfect. Lulu, with her violin, is a rebel. Satirically true-to-life, Chua recounts the highs and lows of raising her daughters with this tough love, success-oriented method, and she is vulnerable about the shortcomings and emotional incidents it raised.
While Chua does not propose her methods as a solution, she raises interesting comparisons between cultural mindsets. While I loved the inspiration of a child soaring to heights with enough dedication, I felt the pain and complicated effects this had on children and parents. Honest, reflective, and occasionally humorous, this read is definitely a conversation starter.
— Sari Kitchen, Marketing & Outreach Intern
The Graduate by Charles Webb
Twenty-one-year-old Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate, returns home after his four-year education and slowly becomes disillusioned with the world around him. Benjamin begins an affair with Mrs. Robinson, a family friend, but soon discovers he’d rather date her daughter, Elaine (who is engaged). The pressure from those close to him regarding his future is already tremendous, but news of this amplifies it tenfold. Benjamin steals Elaine away from her wedding and the two ride off on a bus, slowly realizing the full weight of their decision.
The movie version of The Graduate had already been a favorite of mine, but I never got around to reading the book until this year. I went ahead and read it mainly because, well, I graduated from college in May. I can sympathize with Benjamin — getting out of school and being unsure of where to start is incredibly daunting, especially with outside pressures also in the fold. Although I disagree with some of the characters’ decisions, the book helped me realize, in a broader sense, that it’s okay to be worried about your future.
— Robert Hughes, Social Media Intern
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
A beautifully written novel that reflects on the magic of art, storytelling, and being young. My Friends by Fredrik Backman follows an orphaned girl who breaks into an art gallery to see her favorite painting the day before her 18th birthday. She meets people who change her life, and slowly, the true story behind the painting is revealed as she takes a journey to the very sea where it was created.
My Friends was one of those books that immediately jumped to my favorites list as soon as I finished it. It paints a beautiful story of summer and adolescence, and it is both sad, suspenseful, and funny. It is steeped in nostalgia for when summer was simpler but also with the harsh realities of adulthood. I felt like every time I thought I could predict how it would end, something completely different happened, which made it such a fun and engaging read.
— Riley Harker, Editorial Intern
If you are looking for a book to get you out of a reading slump and finish out your 2025 reading goals strong, or looking for some great reads to kick start 2026, any or all of our favorite reads would be great additions to your TBR list. Happy reading!
Want advice from the Bookstr Team on finishing your TBR? Click here.
Find these books and more on our Bookstr Team Recommendations bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
