This year has been a phenomenal one for reading. I’ve devoured dozens of new releases, and after much deliberation, I’ve narrowed down my favorites to five books that I think are particularly telling of the age we live in. Each of these novels features women at the center of the story—some brilliant, some flawed, some delightfully deranged—and together, they paint a vivid picture of modern womanhood. These are all books I have actually read this year, reviewed, and vetted as an experienced author and book reviewer. There are undoubtedly other incredible 2025 releases I haven’t yet encountered, but these five stand out for me.
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan
Givhan’s novel is a dark, seductive thriller that stays with you long after the final page. I loved how she navigates grief, trauma, and memory with a sharp psychological lens. The female protagonist is both vulnerable and fierce, and there’s a subtle feminist undercurrent that interrogates how women navigate power and vulnerability in a patriarchal world.
Her One Regret by Donna Freitas
This novel is a masterclass in emotional tension. Freitas captures the complexity of female desire, friendship, and the sometimes destructive choices women make for love. I was especially drawn to the messy, morally gray female characters—they feel authentically human, and their regrets and triumphs speak to the modern experience of womanhood in all its contradictions.
A Good Person by Kirsten King
King delivers a slow-burn thriller that’s as morally complicated as it is gripping. I loved the psychological depth she brings to her female characters, who are flawed but endlessly compelling. This book examines the limits of empathy and how societal pressures shape women’s decisions—a theme that resonates deeply with the world we live in today.
Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
Darkly funny and razor-sharp, Kashino’s debut skewers the obsession with success and status in modern culture. I loved the protagonist’s ambition and cunning—even when it veers into morally gray or “deranged” territory. It’s a story that feels uniquely contemporary, exposing the gendered pressures women face in professional and personal life while making me laugh at the absurdity of it all.
The Burning Library by Gilly Macmillan
Macmillan’s thriller combines a brilliant puzzle with deeply human stakes. What I loved most is how the female characters, while facing high-stakes danger, navigate their own inner lives with complexity and courage. There’s an undercurrent of feminist power here, showing women as resilient, resourceful, and unapologetically central to the story.
All five of these novels are, in their own ways, intensely reflective of the era we live in—fraught, exhilarating, and unapologetically complex. The more I read these stories, the more I wonder: is the rise of slightly—or even delightfully—deranged female characters a mirror of our current anxieties, ambitions, and contradictions as women today? Perhaps, and I find that thrillingly honest.
If you want to explore more of what I loved this year, including these five favorites, check out my curated list at my online independent bookstore here.
What were your favorite reads of 2025? And which new releases are you most excited about for 2026? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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Book Summary
When Jack Utley loses his daughter just as his business is about to soar, it seems he’s traded financial gain for Callie’s life. After an encounter with a mysterious woman on the eve of Callie’s funeral, Jack wakes up to find that time has somehow rewound to the morning of Callie’s accident. Jack gets an opportunity that most grieving parents can only dream of – he saves his daughter’s life.
Now that Jack has been forced to reflect on everything he has to lose, he resolves to do better. He’s determined to spend more time at home with his family and repair the relationships that have suffered over the years while he’s been so focused on work. But as Callie’s behavior becomes increasingly bizarre, Jack realizes he has a lot more room to improve than he realized – and it might be too late to save his daughter after all.
For fans of We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Push, and Baby Teeth.
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2 thoughts on “My 5 favorite books of 2025: Fierce, compelling, and unapologetically feminist”