My Favorite Books of the Year

It’s time to take a step back from all of the recipes and food travel posts and focus on books.

We do this every year (or we have been for the past few years):

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020

But unlike past years, I really struggled with my reading this year. My brain just didn’t want to read a lot of the time, and many of the books I picked up were left DNF’d when they weren’t quite hitting the spot for me.

That said, I did have some real winners here. None were a huge surprise for me (okay maybe one), but all were definite bright spots in my reading year this year.

As always, I’m givin’ ya three links:

1. The first one, the link to buy a physical copy, is for Bookshop.org, a website that allows you to support independent bookstores with your purchase.
2. The second, the ebook version, is an Amazon affiliate link. I’ll get a small percentage of your purchase (at no additional cost to you) if you purchase through those links.
3. The third is a link to add the book on Goodreads.

That said, I always encourage you to support your local library! I get 99% of the books I read through the library (I get ebooks sent directly to my Kindle). Free books on demand, and I don’t even need to leave my house or put on pants to get them! The best.

I think Erica Bauermeister is officially my favorite author. I’ve only read three of her novels, but of those three, I’ve rated two of them five stars, and this is one of them.

I can’t really put my finger on why I love her books so much, but I think it’s because she’s a master of weaving storylines together in a way that I just completely eat up. She is so talented at making multiple experiences, backgrounds, and characters effortlessly fit into one story.

Unfortunately, I’ve officially read the only three books by her currently available at my library, so I’ll need to purchase her backlog (which I typically never do; I only really buy books that I’ve read, loved, and will want to read again).

But I will for her!

This specific book follows students in a cooking class, and it’s just a perfect, cozy reminder of just how powerful food can be. Very fitting for this here food blogger, wouldn’t you say?

This is the third book I read by Erica Bauermeister, and while it wasn’t absolutely perfect for me, I still really enjoyed it. It was about Emmeline and her father capturing scents as memories, and I loved thinking about some of the scents that take me back to specific times or memories in my own life while I was reading it.

The cinnamon ornaments we’d hang on our Christmas tree every year. The truffle pasta I had three nights in a row in Perugia this year. The smell of my homemade focaccia.

This book reminded me just how powerful and important scent is as a sense. And actually, I think that’s another reason why I love Erica Bauermeister’s books—she’s an expert at making everyday things feel magical.

Alton Brown. What can I possibly say about him that you don’t already know and love? He is, by far, my favorite food personality. He has been for years. I had a poster of him in my college dorm room. I have an apron with his face on it. I have a selfie with him from when he came to Pittsburgh years ago.

I knew his essay collection was going to be great. And it was. But it was excellent on audio.

I don’t listen to many books on audio, but I highly recommend doing it with this one. While I’m almost certain I could read a physical copy “in his voice,” actually hearing him recount the saga of an ill-conceived, commercial-sized batch of dough that he threw away into a dumpster was an absolute treat.

That said, I got the physical copy for Christmas, and I noticed some of his drawings in the pages. So it’ll be a delightful experience, regardless of how you read it.

Fantasy is usually tough for me. High fantasy seems to have too many characters, worlds, and magic systems for me to be able to keep any of it straight. I’ve tried romantasy, and it’s just not for me in this era of my life.

But this? This was perfect. I think this was actually my very favorite book of the year (and a recommendation from my friend—thanks, Megan!). It’s cozy, it’s an adventure, and it’s downright delightful. I audibly gasped while reading this on a train, much to the disdain of my travel companions.

It follows the story of Tress, a homebody who sets off across the world to rescue her friend, Charlie. There are pirates, there are battles, there’s magic…it’s just so so fun.

And look, even if you’re like, “pirate books aren’t for me,” trust me. I finished this book while I was traveling this year, and I bought a physical copy in Italian as a little souvenir.

Do I currently speak enough Italian to read it? No. But will I someday want to read it again and will hopefully know enough Italian to make it through? Oh yes.

And Brandon Sanderson has a huge backlist of books if you end up really loving it. I’m planning on starting on Mistborn sometime soon when my brain is ready for more fantasy fun.

Tbh, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new books in the past few years haven’t really hit for me. But Atmosphere brought me back to my The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo-levels of loving this author.

This story follows Joan, a female astronaut in the 1980s. It’s technical while still being extremely approachable. It’s heartwarming and frustrating. It’s a love story, but also the story of determination, passion, and friendship.

I thought the ending was meh. But everything else? Perfect.

I Hope This Finds You Well had the perfect main character (Jolene) for me. She was so weird and petty and nosy and hilarious, and I just couldn’t get enough of her antics once she gets access to everyone’s emails and DMs at her work. Woof. She also had a vulnerable side, and one that we get to see more and more of throughout the book.

It was funny, sweet, and a little uncomfortable in a very very fun way.

I just finished this two days ago! It was really well done, so much so, I even read the Author’s Note, which I typically never do.

This book highlights a handful of impactful days and experiences in Isaac’s life in separate chapters, about eight years apart, starting when he was eight-years-old and ending when he’s nearing 100.

We learn about how Isaac and his sister get caught in an avalanche, what it was like being stationed on a warship as a war correspondent, and how he survived a tornado and an earthquake—among a handful of other stories. What ties them together is his deep connection to the people who matter most to him. The relationships are the most fascinating part of this book, and the adventures Isaac has are simply the whipped cream on top.

It’s pretty amazing seeing how much one person (albeit a fictional person) can accomplish in a lifetime. It was the right amount of “inspiring” in just the right ways at the end of the year.

2025 Reading Stats

These stats are pulled from The StoryGraph! I use Goodreads to track my reading throughout the year (because it automatically syncs with my Kindle), and then I import my Goodreads data into The StoryGraph to get these fun graphics.

I finished 31 books this year. For reference, that’s 10 books less than I read last year, and over 20 books less than I read the year before! Wild.

I know I’m reading less for a few reasons, but it’s also a good reminder that I want to swap some of my mindless YouTube watching for reading in the new year.

Here’s what my 2025 reading stats look like:

What was your favorite book of the year? And how did this reading year compare to reading years in the past for you? Lemme know in the comments!