Blog #27 The Best Books I’ve Read in the Last Year

Books make you a better storyteller—that’s a fact. They inspire, enthrall and delight in equal measure.

By the time you read this, we will be near the end of the year, 2025. What better time to share the best books I’ve read and nearly finished this year, so you can take away some recommendations for your TBR list.

Sometimes I’m tempted to create a Goodreads/Fable account because I read a lot but never keep track of everything. Some books I read in physical format, some in digital. Some books stay with me, others I barely remember reading. Many books I don’t finish and others I race through.

Here are the novels I enjoyed the most this year. No surprises for guessing, they’re all popular titles.

1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - This is comprised of 6 books, although it’s known for 3: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

   I read this from start to finish, with no need to take a break because it’s less than 1200 pages for all three. The first book is by far the slowest, in terms of pacing. The second is all action compared to it. The third slows down a lot, especially compared to the films but I never felt like reading it was a slog.

   Over the course of these books, I fell in love with Tolkien’s writing style—from his charming prose to the magical creatures he creates in Middle-Earth. It’s a book series every fantasy fan has to read at some point and I’m glad I did. I’m also glad I saw the movies first; the movies enhanced my appreciation for the books and introduced me to a fun game of “Film vs. Book.“ I had fun playing this game, reading the books and seeing how different they are compared to the films.

   I also got to enjoy “The Battle of the Shire“, which the film series completely ignores but feels important in the grand scheme of the entire story.

2. The Outsider by Stephen King - This was a book I finished this year, having already started it last year. I felt the pacing went astray in the second half of the book. By the time the end came, I was grateful.

   It’s a very dark story, with ominous themes grasping at your senses. I enjoyed the early excitement of the book, each character felt fleshed out and motivated. King writes killers well and he also creates immersive communities for them to operate in.

   I was a little disappointed by the ending. It felt a bit like Lost (2004)—a great setup that’s hard to deliver on.

3. The Teacher by Freida McFadden -

   Freida is a book machine, the Mr. Beast of the novel world. Her books give you everything you could ever want but you feel a little dirty when you finish them.

   Like her other books, this one had a great hook, with ever-unfolding layers of twists and turns. You never know how her novels are going to unfold, which is her biggest strength. They are a bit like Stephen King’s work but more feminine and less eerie.

   I also read her novel “Never Lie“ around the same time. This was another one I got hooked on, a real page-turner.

4. Killing Floor by Lee Child - Blunt, sharp, honest. Those are the traits of the first novel in the Reacher series. It shares a lot of similarities with the streaming series, especially in the early seasons.

   I haven’t finished this yet but am enjoying it as a palette cleanser—the style is less formal and more direct. Reacher is a badass, he doesn’t get scared easily; that’s what I enjoy most about this—his masculine energy.

   It’s refreshing to read about a man that does man stuff, all in a cool package.

5. Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski - This is the second book in the Witcher series, after The Last Wish. It is more formal than the first one, which is about killing monsters and roaming free. This one has more grounded stakes, such as his relationship with Yennefer and Cirilla. I haven’t finished this one either but am enjoying the fancy, fantasy energy in it. The great thing about this series is the Polish author is still writing more books, so you can’t get enough. It’s a well-translated book but you can tell it’s translated sometimes because the translated decisions often seem like an odd choice of words, something a native English writer would never decide on. But, it has a unique, coherent style that is enjoyable and captivating.

Book 2 in The Witcher series

Those are the some of the books I’ve been reading. They’re all worth a look into, with something for everyone. Each one has something a little special, enough to inspire and help you grow, just from reading them.

Thanks for reading and if you’ve any comments, let me know down below.

Good luck out there.

-D.C.