To those of you seeing this newsletter pop up in your inbox after many months, thanks for sticking with me! I re-upped my commitment to the ALA awards committee I served on last year, so I was very busy evaluating hundreds of books and not necessarily writing about them. I had less time to read in my favorite genres, and spent a lot of time reading K-comics (manhwa) to avoid my responsibilities. I also took on a larger role at work, etc. All that said, I'm love reading annual favorites lists from my reader friends, and I figured it was time to pull my own list together again.
Since my reading was almost entirely 2025 Releases, that's what you'll find here. I hope to talk about some of my favorite webtoons on the comics blog, as well.
On to the books! No particular order to these. I received copies of all of these books from publishers. If narrators are mentioned, I read the book on audio.
Titles and images contain Amazon affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of sales (around 4%) which helps pay my site hosting fees. Review copy disclosures follow each book listing.
The Books
Deep End and Mate (Bride #2), by Ali Hazelwood - Deep End, narrated by Thérèse Plummer and Ben Holtzmuller, is a departure for Hazelwood in a few ways. The power dynamic she employed in all her previous academia contemporaries is gone, there's a bit of dual POV, and both characters make mistakes that almost derail the relationship. It's also her first BDSM romance and higher heat than her other books. Mate, narrated by Ellie Gossage and Teddy Hamilton, is second in her paranormal romance series, and she does a great job building tension. A true slow burn, in which the burn is very present. I liked it more than Bride. Are these books perfect? Nope. Did I have a very good time? Yes.
By the Horns (Royal Artifactual Guild #2), by Ruby Dixon - Not bogged down by the world-building of the first entry in this series, we get right to the fun. Minotaur romance with a FMC who sees ghosts, and not in a fun way. The spelunking or treasure hunting is less present, which to me was a plus, as the romance takes the fore. I liked seeing the MCs from the first novel, and I wouldn't recommend reading this one on its own.
Left of Forever (Spunes, Oregon #2), by Tarah DeWitt and narrated by Connor Crais and Megan Wicks - I don't usually enjoy second chance romance, which means that when one captivates me like this, it's got to be something special. Married too young, parenting both their own baby and siblings, the MCs never had time to grow up themselves. They stayed in each other's lives after divorce, co-parented successfully, and grew into adults who could be true partners. It's angsty, steamy, and truly romantic. I think it can be read alone, though the first novel in the series is worth a read, too.
The Serpent and the Wolf (Dark Inheritance #1), by Rebecca Robinson - There's so much fantasy romance on the market right now that it's easier to find something mediocre than a great read. This is first in a series and features a high stakes political marriage with a stabby FMC and a slow burn. It's top of my romantasy list for the year. Warning for suicidal intention, which is clearly named in the book blurb and doesn't come off as suicidal ideation. (Not triggering for me.)
I Think They Love You, by Julian Winters and narrated by André Santana - Didn't expect to enjoy this second chance romance as much as I did, as one of the MMCs is a bit of an immature disaster at the beginning. The focus is on his adult coming of age and learning to be a good partner after learning to value his strengths independent of his family's expectations. If you're willing to stick with someone who makes a lot of mistakes, the journey is worth it.
Voidwalker (Beasts of the Void #1), by S.A. MacLean and narrated by Amelia Hugh - Another romantasy that barely falls on the romance side of the spectrum. MMC is a monster who literally eats humans. FMC is a human thief trying to save her people. They have to team up to defeat an even worse monster. Both MCs are bi. Read if you like a strong side of fantasy with your romance. Not an especially slow burn.
The Works of Vermin, by Hiron Ennes and narrated by Max Meyers - This queer dark fantasy blew me away. It's fairly dense, but the audio is fantastic. Ennes somehow weaves giant insects, exterminator wars, overthrow of the government, and opera into a compelling novel with three narrators. The publisher description is not really accurate, so go ahead and ignore most of it.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zheng, by Kylie Lee Baker and narrated by Natalie Naudus - A really strong horror novel featuring a Chinese-American heroine who works as a cleaner at crime scenes once the police are done. Set during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on anti-Chinese racism, especially the ways it endangered Asian women.
The Raven Scholar (Eternal Path #1), by Antonia Hodgson and narrated by Daphne Kouma - This was recommended in the Reader Room Discord by Carol (Bookish Notes) and it's every bit as good as she promised. Neema just wants to be a scholar, but when her fellow Raven and rival turns up dead on the eve of the competition to decide the next all-faction leader, Neema must work to clear her name and figure out who's trying to sabotage the competition. And there's a spectral raven! The world-building is great, and I can't wait to read the next installment. Be warned - it's a chonk at 650 pages.
Woodworking, by Emily St. James - Another adult coming of age story. A trans high school teacher in rural South Dakota learns how to be herself and maybe even come out with the help of an unlikely ally - the only trans girl in the school. This is sometimes sad, often angsty, and surprisingly funny. The high schooler is prickly AF and her journey is just as satisfying as her teacher's. Emily St. James isn't promising some magical HEA for trans folk, but she does explore the idea that existing as yourself in spite of bigotry can take many forms. This is a heart book and I needed to read one this year.
Red City (New Alchemists #1), by Marie Lu and narrated by André Santana, Eunice Wong, Natalie Naudus, and Sid Sagar - Marie Lu made the jump from YA to adult fantasy with aplomb. Two magically gifted kids and best friends are trained together and then inducted into competing drug gangs. The intricate world-building, the tension between the two characters, and their individual moral struggles made this a standout for me. I look forward to seeing what awful things they do in the second book.
These Heathens, by Mia McKenzie and narrated by Bahni Turpin - A teenager in the 1960 Georgia heads to the city for an abortion and is welcomed into the Civil Rights movement and a queer Black community. I loved so much about this, not least of which is the wide queer rep. Queer folks are messy, too! McKenzie did a good job backgrounding the MC's coming of age with the momentous events of the time and location.
Rough Pages (Evander Mills #3), by Lev A.C. Rosen - Private Detective Mills heads back to the family we first met in Lavender House. Rosen writes this setting, these characters, in a way that keeps me invested. One of the only mystery series I've ever successfully read in print. This one released in October 2024 and Book #4 released just a couple of months ago. Looks like Rosen is shifting to cozy mystery this year, but I hope Evander Mills returns someday!
The Knight and the Moth (Stonewater Kingdom #1), by Rachel Gillig and narrated by Samantha Hydeson - If you liked One Dark Window but wanted it to be more coherent and romantic, this is the book for you. The world-building is great and the romance, though secondary, really hit for me. Warning that the FMC is drowned a lot to trigger her magic ability.
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I hope you find something fun to read here and that you'll share your favorite reads with me here, on Bluesky or in Discord. Wishing all of us another great year of reading!
