My very favorite reads of 2025! It makes me so happy to survey the many books I've loved reading, thinking about, writing about, and talking about this year, and I adore highlighting my very favorite reads. Out of the 141 titles I read in 2025, these are the twelve I loved the most. Every month I post my favorite reads , and last spring I posted Ten Bossy Spring Favorites (all recently published titles at that time). In the summer I posted My Six Favorite Reads of the First

Bossy Favorites of the Month These were my six favorite reads of December--a nonfiction wonder, a bonkers fever dream, a heartwarming tale, an intriguing mystery that ticked all of my boxes, a funny and poignant story about living fully into oneself, and a solid installment in a great mystery series. I hope you've been able to take some time for yourself this holiday break and read some great books. Have you read any of these titles? What were some of your favorite reads this

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to my book club's January read, Richard Powers's sweeping story Playground ; I'm reading and listening to Allen Levi's novel Theo of Golden ; and I'm savoring Niall Williams's gorgeous Irish tale This is Happiness . What are you reading, bookworms? 01 Playground by Richard Powers Four people are connected across time and geography in Richard Powers's sweeping story of their lives and unlikely interconnectedness. Evie Beaulieu becomes o

This is not my best graphic design work! :D Wishing you and yours very happy holidays—and great reading! I’m going to take a Bossy break from posting this week, but I hope to have time to read some books that have been staring me down from my bedside stack! Are there any books you’re excited to have time to read, or any books you’ve asked to receive as holiday gifts? 🎁 📚 If you're looking for last-minute gift ideas, please check out my book gift idea lists from this season

Bossy Book Gift Ideas As I finish sharing my book gift idea lists for the season, I thought I'd offer a full list of giftable fiction published in 2025 that I've loved reading this year. I've also included additional book ideas within each genre or theme so you'll be stocked with plenty of ideas for your loved ones. The good news about book gifts and looming holiday deadlines: your local bookstore can get you set up with last-minute slam dunks for everyone on your list! You c

This second and final installment of Faizal's young adult duology emphasizes on the power of found family over blood ties; reveals chilling, ambitious, ruthless plans for creating a horde of vampires; and pushes characters to sacrifice for love. The first installment in Hafsah Faizal's young adult Blood and Tea series offered intriguing secrets, a swirling mystery, terrible betrayal, heartwarming found family, steady action, and vampires. That book ended with the city reeling

This bighearted novel holds a mystery, but its main focus is  neurodivergent main protagonist Denny and his dogged persistence, ambitious acts, decisiveness, wisdom, and loving kindness as he gets into increasing trouble, touches lives, faces loss, and establishes just who he is and wants to be. “I guess that’s just how life works. Some days it’s like a fast-moving TV show and some days it’s not, and when things go sideways—like they usually do for me—you might find yourself

The author of The God of Small Things recounts her path from life with her volatile, emotionally and verbally abusive, strong mother to her own artistic expression, romantic partnerships, activism, and fierce guarding of her creative space. In Mother Mary Comes to Me , the author of The God of Small Things shares a memoir that in part explores her fierce, tough mother, her verbal and emotional abuse, her admirable causes and passion for them, and their complicated relationsh

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to A Steeping of Blood , the second in Hafsah Faizal's supernatural fantasy Blood and Tea series; I'm reading Endling , Maria Reva's Ukraine-set darkly comic novel of an unlikely journey; and I'm reading Jo Harkin's Tudor-era historical fiction The Pretender . What are you reading, bookworms? 01 A Steeping of Blood (Blood and Tea #2) by Hafsah Faizal The first installment in Hafsah Faizal's Blood and Tea series offered intriguing secre

Bossy Book Gift Ideas Each year I offer lists of Bossy book gift ideas for the holidays, including a number of books I'll personally be giving as gifts (if you're on my gift list, please avert your eyes!). This is the only time I post about books I may not have read: promising reads for particular people in my family and circle of friends. As in my book list from last week, the books here were all published in 2025, so it's their first appearance on my site. I hope you find a

Book two of the series sees our septuagenarian characters each trekking their own paths while working cooperatively to solve a new mystery. They show vulnerability and strength, use their instincts and smarts to outsmart criminals, and grow. I laughed while listening to this one; Osman's series has me hooked. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are septuagenarians feeling let down after the thrills, danger, and success of their first solved mystery (related in The Thursday Murd

Elston's first adult novel ticked all of my mystery-reading boxes: a con artist, fake identity, dangerous boss, complicated mark, trusty sidekick, clever maneuvering, and non-manipulative twists. I can't wait to read her next mystery. Evie Porter is embracing her current fake identity and getting closer to her mark Ryan--who she's lured into being her boyfriend. Now she awaits her mysterious boss Mr. Smith's instructions about the information he needs her to obtain to take do

Seth Haddon's slim science fiction debut offers action and a risky space quest, revenge, and love, but it's also a poignant, lovely story about being seen for your true self, being vulnerable, and thinking beyond traditional standards. Wylla's ship has seen better days, and she's desperate for a break. When she catches wind of a valuable, mysterious piece of technology on another planet, she banks on her wiliness and speed to beat other treasure hunters to it. Wylla's own mas

The Books I'm Reading Now Library audiobook alert: I'm listening to the twisty mystery First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston; I'm listening to The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman; and I'm listening to author Arundhati Roy's memoir about her mother, Mother Mary Comes to Me . What are you reading, bookworms? 01 First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston Evie Porter is embracing her current fake identity and getting closer to her mark Ryan--who she's lured into being her boyfriend. Now sh

Bossy Book Gift Ideas Each year I offer lists of Bossy book gift ideas for the holidays, including a number of books I'll personally be giving as gifts (if you're on my gift list, please avert your eyes!). This is the only time I post about books I may not have read: promising reads for particular people in my family and circle of friends. The books here were all published in 2025, so it's their first appearance on my site. I hope you find a book or two in these lists to deli

Culpability shapes questions around artificial intelligence--and societal and individual responsibility for it--around imperfect characters who have drifted apart and must now recognize each other's fallibility, whether through sacrificing or trying to protect each other. The Cassidy-Shaws are riding in their family's autonomous minivan when it crashes into another vehicle. Seventeen-year-old Charlie, the twins, their father Noah, and their mother Lorelei, an AI leader, are

Bunny begins with an outcast main protagonist in a MFA program who's infuriated by her twee fellow seminar students. It builds into an increasingly unhinged, intriguing phantasmagoria, equal parts dark nightmare and outrageously silly absurdity. I was intrigued by the sound of We Love You, Bunny , the sequel to Mona Awad's novel Bunny , so I went back to first read this book. Samantha is a scholarship MFA student at the progressive Warren University in New England. An outside

Woodworking explores interconnected transgender characters' experiences, fears, challenges, and joys as they work toward living true, fulfilling lives. Emily St. James's debut novel is poignant, funny, heartbreaking, often surprising, and heartwarming. It's called woodworking. Someday they will wake up and you will be gone. To have a future, you cannot have a past. You will have to disappear into the woodwork to finally be seen. Emily St. James crafts a tender, funny story wi

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading I, Medusa , Ayana Gray's recently published story from the perspective of the fabled villainess; I'm reading The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy; and I'm listening to the bizarre novel Bunny by Mona Awad. What are you reading, bookworms? 01 I, Medusa by Ayana Gray I love an exploration of a villain's own version of events ( Wicked , anyone?). In Ayana Gray's I, Medusa , Meddy feels like an outcast in her own family. Her pa