Redhead's Reading Presents: Best Books of 2025
- Jan 1
- 2 min read
The hottest and most coveted literary award right next to The Pulitzer Prize.
The second half of this year brought a succession of books that I really enjoyed and made choosing my top three almost impossible (but if I'm honest, it's always difficult for me to choose). This year's reads further solidified that my favorite genre is historical fiction, but fiction based in more current times also grabbed my attention. My top three picks consist of a part-fantasy novel and a few others that I was not expecting to love so much. Overall, I'm proud of the reading progress I made this year and I am so excited to get cracking on my list for 2026 (I'm thinking that 2026 could be a year of thick books).
Stats!
Total books read: 20 📚
Total pages read: 6,891 📖
Longest book: The Historian, 668
Oldest book: Pride and Prejudice, 1813 🗓️
Best Books of 2025:
I loved this book because it fits right into my favorite genre; historical fiction complete with personal and family drama, but it was also very informative of a period of history that I've always admired, Impressionist Paris. The story gave what I can only imagine is a very accurate depiction of life for some young ballerinas in this era.
Similar Story (Family and Female):
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Heads by Harry by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
This book most surprised me because I am not usually a fan of fantasy, but with its perfect combination of magic, dark academia, and history, I was hooked. Having the story taking place across multiple settings added to the intrigue.
Also Fantasy-Like:
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
I've always loved The Great Gatsby so I expected to be let down by another F. Scott Fitzgerald novel with a similar theme, but this did not disappoint. If you're also a fan of stories with disillusioned and questionable main characters, this is for you.
Other Classics:
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Honorable Mentions:
And I do mean honorable in the highest degree.
I hope 2026 is full of good books for you and me. Thanks for following along. Happy reading!
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