Schatje's Favourite Books of 2025

 

Schatje’s Favourite Books of 2025

Of the 106 books I read and reviewed this year, here are among my favourite ones published in 2025. I divided my choices into two very broad categories: 25 novels classified as literary fiction, some with historical elements, and a dozen titles classified as crime drama, psychological suspense, mystery, thriller or gothic fiction. It was a great year of reading!

Favourite Literary (and/or Historical) Fiction

We Do Not Part by Han Kang https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/01/review-of-we-do-not-part-by-han-kang.html

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-three-days-in-june-by-anne.html

End of August by Paige Dinneny https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-end-of-august-by-paige.html

Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-nesting-by-roisin-odonnell.html

A House for Miss Pauline by Diana McCaulay https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-house-for-miss-pauline-by.html

The Immortal Woman by Su Chang https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/03/review-of-immortal-woman-by-su-chang.html

The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/03/review-of-paris-express-by-emma.html

The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/04/review-of-boy-from-sea-by-garrett-carr.html

The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/05/review-of-lotus-shoes-by-jane-yang.html

Fox by Joyce Carol Oates https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/06/review-of-fox-by-joyce-carol-oates-new.html

The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/06/review-of-homemade-god-by-rachel-joyce.html

The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/07/review-of-heart-of-winter-by-jonathan.html

The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/07/review-of-lies-they-told-by-ellen-marie.html

Solitaria by Eliana Alves Cruz https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-solitaria-by-eliana-alves.html

Bad Juliet by Giles Blunt https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/09/review-of-bad-juliet-by-giles-blunt-new.html

Ripeness by Sarah Moss https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/09/review-of-ripeness-by-sarah-moss-new.html

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/09/review-of-book-of-guilt-by-catherine.html

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/10/review-of-what-we-can-know-by-ian.html

Evensong by Stewart O’Nan https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-evensong-by-steward-onan-new.html

Benbecula by Graeme Macrae Burnet https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-benbecula-by-graeme-macrae.html

Listen by Sacha Bronwasser https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-listen-by-sacha-bronwasser.html

Songs of Love on a December Night by David Adams Richards https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-songs-of-love-on-december.html

Needle Lake by Justine Champine https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/12/review-of-needle-lake-by-justine.html

Seascraper by Benjamin Wood https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/12/review-of-seascraper-by-benjamin-wood.html

Flashlight by Susan Choi https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/12/review-of-flashlight-by-susan-choi.html

Favourite Crime/Psychological Suspense/Mystery/Thriller/Gothic Fiction

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-quiet-librarian-by-allan.html

Son by Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/03/review-of-son-by-johana-gustawsson-and.html

The Cure by Eve Smith https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/04/review-of-cure-by-eve-smith-new-release.html

Dangerous by Essie Fox https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/04/review-of-dangerous-by-essie-fox-new.html

Home Fires Burn by Anthony Bidulka https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/06/review-of-home-fires-burn-by-anthony.html

Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/07/review-of-home-before-dark-by-eva-bjorg.html

She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-she-didnt-see-it-coming-by.html

High Season by Katie Bishop https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-high-season-by-katie-bishop.html

Gone in the Night by Joanna Schaffhausen https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-gone-in-night-by-joanna.html

Venetian Vespers by John Banville https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/11/review-of-venetian-vespers-by-john.html

Small Fires by Ronnie Turner https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/02/review-of-small-fires-by-ronnie-turner.html

Jenny Cooper Has a Secret by Joy Fielding https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/2025/08/review-of-jenny-cooper-has-secret-by.html