The Best Books I Read in 2025
(Author’s note: Some of these books were released this year, while others are older and therefore ‘new’ books to me. There are no spoilers below.)
My sister-in-law Mary kindly purchased me a copy of Robert Dugoni’s The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell and spoke highly of the historical fiction bestseller. The story is about a boy named Sam Hill born with red pupils and his journey through adolescence and adulthood feeling like an “other”. The novel is not only well written but also highly explores Catholicism in a realistic light. As a believer of the faith, I was particularly moved by TELOSH’s theme of uncertainty and doubt in the world as a young boy. I myself may not have much in common with Sam, but I couldn’t help but root for his maturation and his ultimate pursuit of happiness. This one is precisely why I love reading and was the single best book I read this past year.
Noelle W. Ihli is a force to be reckoned with in the thriller world. I have enjoyed all three of the books I’ve tried of hers, most recently Gray After Dark. Gray After Dark is the story of Miley, a former Olympian hopeful abducted in the middle of a dense forest, and her attempt to escape from captivity. It’s heart racing, full of twists, and highly entertaining. If you were to pinpoint exactly what makes a successful suspense novel a successful suspense novel, this is a good place to start.
After finishing C.J. Box’s Cassie Dewell series, I dove straight into the Joe Pickett novels. Paradise Valley, a cat-and-mouse thriller and the fourth of the Dewell series, was my favorite of the six of Box’s I read in 2025. It is the story of Cassie, a private investigator, and her ages-long pursuit of the serial killer referred to as “The Lizard King”. When a child Cassie knows named Kyle and his friend go missing, it’s up to her to save the day. The whole series is great, and this one was no exception. It was a treat to meet C.J., a big influence of mine, last February in Scottsdale.
Kenneth Strange, Jr.’s A Cop’s Son is a tale about one man’s journey from boyhood—as the son of an NYPD officer—to his own career working for three letter agencies over the span of decades. In his memoir, Strange assembles a rich cast of characters from every walk of life and every spot of the globe, from San Salvador to Egypt to Greenville, South Carolina. Not only was he able to write over 100,000 words about these terrorists and drug peddlers, he also included a touching tribute to his late father. I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone whose experience with law enforcement, like mine, is confined to fictional novels and television series. I signed last year at the Tuscon Festival of Books at a table with Ken, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with him and his wife Rory.
In MJ Witt’s Storm Tide, the first installment of the MacKay Justice series, Deputy U.S. Marshal William MacKay travels to Scotland for the wedding of a family friend, expecting a quiet vacation. When a infamous convict and his motley crew escape custody, MacKay is pulled into a dangerous game far away from home. Storm Ride’s setting is so vividly described that I want to return to the Highlands as soon as possible. MacKay is a compelling hero, the type of character who reminds me of someone like Jason Statham in that his encounters are brutal, but the justice behind them is taut and intentional. I’ll be reading the second part of his story in 2026.
Paul Doiron is an author that folks have said for years that I would enjoy. Turns out they were right all along. The best of his I read in 2025 was Trespasser, the second of the Mike Bowditch series. When a woman strikes a deer with her car and subsequently disappears, Game Warden Bowditch believes the crime may be related to a murder from years earlier. The only problem is that the “murderer” from the previous offense is already serving a life sentence. Is the man behind bars actually innocent? One of the most rewarding aspects of a Doiron novel is the detail in which he depicts his home state, which I’ve come to appreciate even more after visiting Maine this fall.
I’ve been a Fredrik Backman fan for a decade, but I finally just got around to reading A Man Called Ove. In case you have been living under a rock the last decade, you likely know the grumpy old man’s tale, so I won’t summarize it for you. I think the book’s Hollywoodification is what prevented me from diving in headfirst. What a silly reason. This book is as good as advertised. I have read most of Fredrik’s novels, and this one stands near the very top.
Other books I enjoyed:
The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Downtown Owl by Chuck Klosterman
Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Please submit your suggestions for 2026. A few of your recommendations from 2024 made this year’s list!