As 2025 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the books I’ve read this year. While I continue to use Goodreads diligently, I also created an account on StoryGraph this year. I was captivated by the monthly graphs shared by other readers, filled with intriguing statistics. I knew I would appreciate the unique features of StoryGraph. Each reading app offers its own set of features that I find particularly appealing.

This year marks the first calendar year of my retirement, and I’ve noticed a significant increase in my reading time. For the first time in my life, I’ve read a whopping 147 books! I’m thrilled to say that I’m achieving my retirement goals! Out of the 147 books I read, I gave 25 of them a perfect 5-star rating. To earn such a high rating, I had to absolutely love the book! (I recently wrote a blog post explaining my thoughts on rating books, which you can read here.) I then narrowed down this list to the 10 best books I read in 2025. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting these books and compiling this list, along with my complete book reviews linked for your convenience.