This is Part III of a three part series where I wrap up 2025, which has been a doozy of a year. You can find Part I here and Part II here. Happy New Year!

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Despite everything that happened this year, I read 56 books, which is a personal record. I’m very proud of this fact, as I’ve been keeping a log of all books read since 2017 when I realized in the midst of mothering a toddler and a baby, that I had barely finished 30 books a year. Mind you, most Americans read about 12 books per year, according to the Gallup Poll in 2022, but to me, anything less than 30 is unacceptable, because reading is an important part of my life, something I set aside time for every day. And every day that I don’t read, it feels empty somehow.

How did I manage to set aside time to read every day? The answer is simple: I always have a book in multiple places. For example, my nightstand usually has 2-3 books, one that I’m currently reading, another I’m going to read after I finish the current one. Over the years, I’ve stayed away from reading multiple books at once as it gets confusing to keep up with the storylines. So now, I only read one book at a time, unless it’s an audio + physical or e-book combo.

I’ll admit, my enthusiasm for reading has transpired into a slight mess as there are always books everywhere. I’m sure this is a pain for my husband to look at, but being married to me for this long, he’s learned to accept parts of me he can’t change—that is, how many books I leave around the house. In return, I accept the fact that he and I don’t read the same amount of books per year nor do we share the same interest in books. Ahh, the joys of partnership.

That said, my goal every year is to read at least 50 books. Usually, about 10-15% of the books I read are wonderful books that I’d highly recommend. In no particular order, here are my top 10 favorite books this year. And don’t forget to scroll down toward the bottom of this post for lessons learned from reading.

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Hoang’s Top 10 Favorite Books of 2025

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

Haidt, a social psychologist and lead writer of the After Babel newsletter on Substack, writes about the erosion of childhood freedom in this book, which is described as “an essential investigation into the collapse of youth mental health-and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.” I couldn’t agree more. It’s a book for parents, but really, it’s for anyone who grew up before social media took its full shape.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you want to learn about research into parenting, childhood, technology, social media, and more.

Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game by Chris Grabenstein

This book is a fun romp through the world of puzzles and puzzle-solving. If you’ve never heard of Chris Grabenstein, he’s the author of the Lemoncello series about Mr. Luigi Lemoncello, a master puzzle maker and the kids who solve them. Well, this book is like a prequel—it tells the story of Mr. Lemoncello himself, about the struggles he had in his childhood and how he grew to become a master at creating puzzles and games for children.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you like solving puzzles and reading about kids who overcome major obstacles.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Sutanto is a very talented writer and it shows through the Vera Wong series, about a meddling Chinese woman living in San Francisco’s Chinatown who gets involved in a potential “murder.” When a young man shows up dead unexpectedly in her teashop, Vera Wong has nothing else to do but try to solve what she thinks is a murder. Soon, you’ll realize that despite her crazy antics, Vera is just a very lonely woman. Throughout the book, she forms bonds with unexpected characters, including the wife of the dead man and in return, creates her own “family,” – the one she desperately needs.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you like heartwarming and funny stories about chosen families or about making friends where you least expect it.

Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly

I’m a sucker for wisdom books and this one did not disappoint. Kelly, the founder of Wired magazine and longtime speaker about technology, distills some pretty notable life advice in this book. Some are quite simple like,

“Don’t be afraid to ask a question that may sound stupid, because 99% of the time, everyone else is thinking of the same question and is too embarrassed to ask it”

to game-changer statements like,

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional”

or

“Whenever you have a choice between being right or being kind, be kind. No exceptions.”

I found myself nodding to quite a few of these statements as it is a reminder of things that we’ve learned as adults but don’t always write them down or think much about.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you like shorter, concise books that reminds you of what you already know or if you just need some major life advice right now.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

I’ve seen many of Ruth Ware’s books inside Barnes & Noble but somehow never felt prompted to pick up a book. Then one day, I did. I read One Perfect Couple during our cross-country drive to Florida and was so mesmerized by it that I finished in two days. It is a stunner of a book—a mystery of sorts about several couples who show up on a deserted island to film a reality TV show. Well, you can pretty much guess what happened on this island…some pretty sinister things that keeps you on the edge of your seat, holding your breath and wondering what will happen next. It certainly did for me.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you like mysteries that occur on deserted islands, reality TV shows, or relationship nuances between couples.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

I read this book when I was in middle school, and I remember being completely entranced by it. So when I found out that there was a Netflix film adaptation, I decided to read it again. And I’m happy to report that both the film and the book was fantastic. It reminds me of how important family is and how religion can destroy families while also bringing people together at the same time. It’s complicated, the world that Margaret grows up in, and Judy Blume did a really good job describing this world. I loved it the first time and still loved it the second time I read it.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you like reading about families, friendships and the role that religion plays in one’s life or if you enjoy stories about growing up as a young girl in the 70s.

Library Girl by Polly Horvath

While we’re on the subject of middle school fiction, I have to say that Library Girl was an unexpected hit for me. I had randomly chosen this book strictly because of its beautiful cover (I know, I judge books by the cover. Shame on me) and gave it to my 12-year-old daughter to read. Well, she did…and loved it. So she gave it to me to read. I did…and loved it. The fact that I discovered Polly Horvath this late in life is a tragedy but on the other hand, her books are truly wonderful reads. See below for other recommended titles. This one in particular is about a girl who is raised by four librarians inside of a library that they all work in and how, when she grows up, is desperate to find her true family. The truth, which is revealed at the end, will shock you.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you like books about families, being raised by people who aren’t related to you or the joy and woes of living in a library.

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson

I’m starting to see a pattern here as most of the books on my list so far are heartwarming books about families, both chosen and real ones. Maybe that’s what I’m really into? Who knew?

The Lost Ticket is another addition to my lovely repertoire of heartwarming books. It tells the story of an old man who’s been searching for a woman he met and fell in love with on a bus many, many years ago and how another young woman in the present made it her mission to find this woman. This book really tugged at my heartstrings as it is both happy and sad at the same time.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you like books about lost love, the joys and challenges of riding city buses, or just like reading about London, period.

L’Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home by David Lebovitz

Lebovitz, who writes a food newsletter here on Substack, is another writer I admire greatly, not only because he writes about food, but also because he writes about his life in Paris in the funniest and most down-to-earth way possible. He dove deep into this story about buying an apartment in Paris and the horrors that came with it. But unlike other storytellers, Lebovitz writes about disappointment and challenges in a humorous way, which makes it all more enjoyable to read.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you like humorous books about buying real estate in Paris, or if you are thinking about moving to Paris and possibly buying an apartment there or just want to read about life in Paris.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Here’s a fun fact about Gemeinhart: he wrote for 10 years before finally getting a book published. The first of his books I read was The Midnight Children and it blew me away, so when I saw this one, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, I knew I’d love it and I did. It’s a story about grief and family and about holding on to what matters. It’s also a story about a father-daughter duo who travels the country on a revamped school bus and the people they pick up along the way. I don’t know how he did it, but Gemeinhart creates characters who are so much wiser beyond their years, and this book is a perfect example of that.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you (again) like middle grade stories, or books about secret treasures, living on a bus, road trips, or meeting interesting people who change your life or you just want to read about dealing with loss.

Notable Mentions

I can’t not mention these books—they are also equally great, even if they didn’t make it to my TOP TEN I still recommend them.

Eddie Winston is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin

Pine Island Visitors by Polly Horvath

Pine Island Home by Polly Horvath

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The Vacation by Polly Horvath

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom

Lessons Learned from Reading

After reading all of these books this year I discovered a few things about myself that I didn’t know before. For example, I don’t like books in present tense. Which is why I did not include any romance novels, which I read a few of, and had major issues with the genre in general. I can write a long essay about why romance has gone downhill, but that’s for another day.

What do I mean by ‘present tense’? I mean a “He says, she says,” rather than a “He said, she said,” type of dialogue. Where sentences are added with extra verbs and adverbs and feelings and thoughts that aren’t necessary to convey.

I also learned that I still enjoy mysteries, especially if it’s a locked room kind of mystery, or a mystery that takes place somewhere away from home…like a deserted island, for example.

I learned that heartwarming stories about family, religion, and friendships and about growing up is what keeps me engaged and reading well past my bedtime. Stories where a character moves through life discovering new things about the world and working to overcome the challenges they face. Stories about resilience and complicated relationships, both within oneself and with others.

Then again, isn’t that what most people are attracted to when it comes to stories?

That said, I made a list of reading goals for 2026 and I’m sharing them here to hold myself accountable to these goals.

• Start with the stack of 9 books above (aka recent library haul :))

• Re-read all Harry Potter books (I love Harry Potter and finished all books years ago but are dying to read it all again).

• Read more non-fiction, especially ones about nature & the environment.

• NO MEMOIRS. I am sick of memoirs. Too much trauma on the pages.

• Less romance. I have many problems with romance.

• Whittle down the stacks I currently have checked out from the library.

• Attempt to read a few “classics.”

• No war-related stories.

• Read more cookbooks!!

What are YOUR reading goals next year?

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