7 Books I Read in 2025 That you Have to Read

This yeas has been amazing so far because of all the books I have read. And while we are only three months, I already have a list of 7 books that I read in 2025 that you have to read! So, keep reading to find out what they are!

Often times, I choose books to read at randomly and there are always a few amazing novels that I am glad that I read. However, this year, I have come across many amazing books and feel lucky to have picked them up and gave them a chance.

Like a lot of book lovers, my reading list is very long and only gets longer instead of shorter after every day. This year, I have been reading a lot of newer novels and books beloved by critics. No matter what you think of critics, I think when it comes to books, they are often right more often than not. You can see the full list of the books below!

Books I Read in 2025 That you Have to Read

• The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
• Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
• James by Percival Everett
• The Women by Kristin Hannah
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
• The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

The Kamogawa Food Detectives

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai is a Japanese food detective novel. Even if you have never been to Japan, if you love food and different cultures, then you will love this feel-good novel and series. I give this series a chance after coming across it on a listicle and I am glad that I did.

James

Award winning and bestselling novel James by Percival Everett is loosely based on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It is told through Jim’s perspective and is a powerful novel that gives Jim a voice that he was denied. After reading this novel, you will see why it won the  National Book Award for Fiction.

The Women

While James may have the standout novel of 2024, The Women by Kristin Hannah was the bestselling novel of 2024, As a huge Hannah fine, I am happy that she got the recognition that she deserves.

This novel tells the story of women who served in the Vietnam War and how they were mistreated and their pain neglected. Hannah’s powerful writing style makes this story even more powerful that everyone needs to read asap.

Knife

Knife is a powerful memoir about the assassination attempt of Salman Rushdie. The book was beautifully written and shows the power of words as Rushdie shares the details of the attack and the aftermaths of it. Sharing a traumatic experience is not easy and Rushdie’s story shows that love overcomes hate every time.

Demon Copperhead

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is my early pick as my favorite book that I read in 2025. The writing, storytelling, and plot make this an amazing read and shows that books know no borders, uniting us all in suffering and grief. This the one novel I would recommend to everyone and one that will make you fall in love with reading all over again.

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

I just finished More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop a few days ago and have to recommend it to everyone! This novel tells the story about a woman named Takako who loves visiting her uncle’s bookstore.

Throughout the book, Takako and her friends and family deal with topics such as love, relationships, and loss. If you want to get an idea of what makes Japanese novels fun to read, then this is a great novel to start with!

The Berry Pickers

Lastly, a novel that I was glad I gave a chance was The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. The novel tells the tragic story of family and loss after the youngest daughter, four-year-old Ruthie is kidnapped during the summer and raised by another family. Peters handles this topic delicately and will make you shed a few tears throughout this amazingly well-written novel by a debut author.

Conclusion

These are the 7 books that I read in 2025 that you have to read. Many of them have been released or translated in the past couple of years and have been the recipient of numerous awards. If you need a book to get you back into reading, then any of these books will do that and more. Happy reading!

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