One Librarian's Best Books Read in 2025Like this list

14 items

• The Diamond Eye

  Quinn, Kate,

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  This was the first Kate Quinn I've ever read, and I think I'm converted. Once everyone else is done reading the rest of her books, I will not hesitate to pick up more from her! I was amazed at how real this story was, in the sense that the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Tom Lake

  a Novel

  Patchett, Ann,

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  I listened to this book on audio, which may have amounted to most of my enjoyment of this book. I could listen to Meryl Streep talk about life and love and theater for the rest of my life and be happy.

• The Art Thief

  a True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession

  Finkel, Michael,

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  This was one of the first narrative non-fiction titles I've read and I thought it was utterly fascinating. It tells the story of one of the world's most notorious art thieves who steals, not for profit or fame, but because he feels such a strong…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The God of the Woods

  Moore, Liz, 1983-

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  I have spent many years in a summer camp setting, and that was the draw for me with this book. I also listened to this one, which may be helpful keeping points-of-view and timelines straight. The whole time I thought I knew exactly what was…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dandelion Wine

  Bradbury, Ray, 1920-2012

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  This was a reread. It is one of my absolute favorites and I try to read it at least every other year just to revitalize my sense of wonder, to remind myself to appreciate simplicity, and to remember what it was like to be a child with all the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Everything Sad Is Untrue

  (a True Story)

  Nayeri, Daniel,

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  I had this book recommended to me by a friend, and I'm so glad she did. This one is fiction but has a lot of elements of memoir in it from the author Daniel Nayeri's childhood. It is a real look at what it's like to group up in a context completely…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Saltcrop

  Kitasei, Yume,

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  This year must have been a lot of firsts for me because I generally also don't read many new releases. This was one that sounded good and definitely did not disappoint. I wanted to describe this book as Life of Pi meets Severance, so I am. This…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Jurassic Park

  a Novel

  Crichton, Michael, 1942-2008

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  What a classic! If you love the movie, you'll love the book. But I can't be blamed if after having read the book, you rewatch the movie and you end up loving the book more.

• And Then There Were None

  Christie, Agatha, 1890-1976

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  Another reread for me--my third time reading it and the second time reading it in a book club setting. It's no surprise that this is one of Agatha Christie's most beloved mysteries. In it she deviates from her regular formula: victims drop like…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Eye of the World

  30th Anniversary Edition

  Jordan, Robert, 1948-2007,

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  This was one of my most intimidating reads, of ever. Some people think about climbing Mount Everest...other people think about conquering Robert Jordan's 14 volume high fantasy magnum opus. That's me. The vastness of this world was astounding to me,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Before the Coffee Gets Cold

  a Novel

  Kawaguchi, Toshikazu, 1971-

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  The central character is the cafe itself, in which you can travel to the past with the caveat that you must finish your coffee before the coffee gets cold, or be cursed forever. It is a novel of interconnected stories with each chapter focusing on a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Mountain

  Stories

  Yoon, Paul,

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  This is a collection of short stories that connect in a way that I don't totally understand beyond a simple vibe that something is stringing these people and places together. And I think the ambiguity is intentional. It's mystical and gritty, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Before We Were Yours

  a Novel

  Wingate, Lisa,

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  A historical fiction where it's hard to believe that these things actually happened. This tells the story of children who are kidnapped and then sold for adoption, all for the sake of prejudice and profit. Beyond the horrors of the reality of what…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Jane Eyre

  Brontë, Charlotte, 1816-1855

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  This book was a labor of love (if you know you know). It wasn't required reading for me in high school, so when I finished it I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It took John Green's crash course video to convince me how important this book was for…Read moreRead more of this annotation