2025 in Book Reviews

I met my goal of reading 75 books in 2025 while I also finished writing and editing my sixth novel, Four Hearts, which was released on December 16.

Here are my best reads:

Top 10 best reads for 2025 (traditionally published)

1. Apostle’s Cove (Cork O’Connor, #20) by William Kent Krueger
2. Flight Patterns by Karen White
3. If Tomorrow Never Comes by Allison Ashley
4. All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne MacLean
5. Misery by Stephen King
6. The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant
7. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
8. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
9. Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
10. Broiler by Eli Cranor

Best nonfiction reads for 2025

1.  Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything by Alyson Stoner
2. An American Story: Everyone’s Invited by Wilmer Valderrama
3. The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage by Mel Robbins
4. Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson

Notable indie reads from the year

1. Four Hearts by Brandi Easterling Collins (because I have to include my own, which I read several times during the editing process.)
2. Chasing Time by Sarah Louise Dale
3. Her Beautiful Mind by Janet Ake
4. Love Stays The Same by Brooke Devine
5. Eternal Spring and Shadow Hunter by Iris Kain

Reading goals for 2026

In 2026, I’ll start my seventh novel and have set the same reading goal of 75 books. Life has been busy lately, and I also plan to add content to Luminesce Publishing website to help authors. As much as I would love to sit around reading all the time, I also have writing I love to do.

Have you read any good books lately? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you for reading
-Brandi Easterling Collins