It’s that lovely time of year when I look back at all of the books that brought me so much joy throughout the year. These are the books that made me feel seen, gave me hope, helped me learn about myself and left me healed when I finished them. It’s always a difficult process to narrow down everything that I’ve read in a year to ten books and this year was no exception. These are the books that stood out among the crowd for me. The same rules apply: the book must be published in 2025.

We Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab

You had me at lesbian vampire fiction. What an absolutely fantastic novel told in alternating storylines. Like every V. E. Schwab novel, you can’t guess at where it’s going to go or what is going to happen. This is a novel about immortality, hunger, lust and love and what a group of women are willing to do to live forever or be free of the curse of immortality. It travels across time and it’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever read before. When I finished this book, my whole world looked different. That’s the power of this book.

The Black Wolf by Louise Penny

When The Grey Wolf ended with a cliffhanger, I knew that we were in for a treat when The Black Wolf was released. I wondered how she would be able to continue the breakneck pace of The Grey Wolf. I needn’t have worried. The Black Wolf is still a novel set in the Three Pines world that we love and adore so much, but it goes so much further than that. She has Armand take on a threat to public safety, an international conspiracy and threats from other countries that could change Canada forever. I’m staying purposely vague for those that haven’t read either The Grey Wolf of The Black Wolf, but The Black Wolf was written by someone at the top of her game. A fantastic addition to the series.

Dogs Don’t Break Hearts by ‘Nathan Burgoine

I’ve been a longtime fan of Burgoine’s work. He is able to delve into the heart of the characters and he never disappoints, but this book is different. Dogs Don’t Break Hearts captivates from the first page, and it gets better from there. I read this book a day and immediately turned back to the first page and reread the book. The story of Beck and Oliver and the dogs that bring them together brought me so much joy. Dogs may not break hearts, but this book mended mine. Burgoine gives us a love story between two queer kids that really is perfection. There is so much heart here. left me changed when I finished it.

Speculative Shorts by Cait Gordon

What a fantastic book! it made me so happy to see so many different disabilities represented on the pages of this book. The stories made me feel real emotional reactions which is so hard to do with short stories. I was moved by this collection many times. Every story is different, but one thing unites them. Each of the characters are disabled in some way, but that doesn’t stop them from setting out what they need to do. Gordon is skilled at writing about disabled protagonists and each of them read like a real person. Though the stories are speculative, they are very real human stories that reminded me of the true powers of the human spirit.

Wish You Were Here by Alex Brown

What is more healing than the magic of friendship? When Deedee’s husband passes away, she doesn’t feel like she’ll ever get over his passing. With a milestone birthday fast approaching, she invites her friends Gina and Rosie to celebrate with her. However, Joe has left one surprise for Deedee with will change everything. I love Alex Brown’s books. They go beyond chic lit and instead they blur the lines between genres. This book is no exception, and I was left feeling hopeful and happy by the end of it, showing me once again that Alex Brown is capable of the best kinds of magic.

Dissatisfied Me: West Coast Larry by Bruce D. Gordon

Larry is a character that I love to hate. Almost everything he does is cringeworthy and yet, I can’t look away when reading about his exploits. Larry is a morally questionable protagonist and anti-hero, and I can’t help but root for him. This book continues on from the first novel Dissatisfied Me and you wouldn’t think that Larry could get worse, but he does! He also shows that though he is a bit of a bumbling idiot, you can’t help but feel for him. Larry become embroiled in a possible prophecy, and you can bet that lunacy takes place. I have never wanted to throttle and hug a person at the same time. An absolute delight from start to finish.

Killing Me Slothly by Melissa Yi

I have loved every book by Melissa Yi but the books in her Seven Deadly Sins series are her best yet. In Killing me Slothly, the novel revolves around the sin of sloth. From the moment the book opens, things go awry when someone dies. Is this a real killer or is there another explanation for the death? According to the cult that has invaded the hospital, the mythical being Cthulhu is to blame. This tests everything doctor Hop Sze knows and her life is in danger. Will she survive Cthulhu or will she perish in the attempt to find answers? This is the fist time that Yi has delved into the supernatural and I’m here for it. A thrilling tale from start to finish that left me gobsmacked. A flat-out thrill from start to finish.

The Book of Dust: The Rose Field by Philip Pullman

I have long wondered what happened to Lyra Silvertongue. At the end of The Amber Spyglass, she is left searching for her Daemon Pan and Will, the boy she loves. The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass are books that live within me. It’s the same with the new trilogy of books, of which The Rose Field is the last. I didn’t think that it was possible for Pullman to pull of the kind of magic he did in The Rose Field. At long last, we find out what happens to Lyra and if she’s able to outrun those that hunt her. My expectations for this novel were really high. How could Pullman cap off not just a trilogy but an entire series? He not only succeeds, The Rose Field is a book that somehow goes beyond my expectations. You will have to be familiar with the previous books in the series, but if you are, oh what a tale awaits you.

Never Flinch by Stephen King

Holly Gibney is back and this time she’s playing for keeps. In a novel that twists and turns an keeps you guessing, Holly is an incredible protagonist. She’s neurodivergent and swears a lot, but she sees the world differently. This will serve her well in a novel that sees Holly not only face down a killer who threatens to kill thirteen innocent people just for the sake of it, she also has to help Kate McKay, a controversial women’s rights activist who is being stalked. This novel seemed like a regular mystery novel at the beginning, but I should have known. It’s a Stephen King book, so anything can happen and thankfully it does! By the time the book got to the cataclysmic ending, I was left spellbound. I have not enjoyed a King book so much in years and it’s nice to see that Stephen King is back in top form.

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

I picked this book up only because I have read everything that Green has written. I didn’t know what to expect when I opened this volume. What I wasn’t expecting was the history lesson that I was given intertwined with the story of a boy who just wants to survive. This is a very human tale about a terrible illness that has claimed so many. I love this book so much that I got the hardcover, ebook and audiobook. This is a short book with a powerful story that left me changed. It armed with me with knowledge and Green told a story that connected with my heart and mind. I am so grateful for this book.