books
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Rather than an exhaustive list, I’m sharing my favorite books I read in 2025. These are books that stuck with me over time (the first few were read over the first couple months of the year), books that answered questions I’ve been pondering or provided some form of comfort or insight. Everything is connected, and
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Last year, biographies held my attention. I’m always eager to learn, but biographies are especially helpful when I find myself navigating the difficulties of life. Reading about other people’s lives and how they handled challenges and setbacks helps me feel less alone. This year was a tough one. The following books kept me company. Astrid
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I’m already deep in the stacks for 2024, but here’s a look at my favorite reads from 2023. They’re presented in the order I read them, not order of importance. The Road to Character by David Brooks The driving question of this book is: How do you foster virtue? Over the the course of 10
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As the year (and decade) draws to a close, I’m looking back with satisfaction at the books I’ve checked off my list or stumbled upon at the library or thrift store. I’m an incredibly picky reader, especially when it comes to fiction, and I’m selfish with my time. If a book isn’t interesting in the
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And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a difficult book to describe in a nutshell. Beautifully written, but not fast-paced, it’s one you sink your teeth into and relish. Only nine chapters, but they’re long and told from different perspectives as you travel from Afghanistan to Paris
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The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer My rating: 5 of 5 stars A stream-of-consciousness narrative tackling dual themes of mental illness (schizophrenia, in particular) and grief, “The Shock of the Fall” follows 19-year-old Matthew Homes as he seeks to write his story, partly on his treatment program’s computer and partly on the typewriter
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“One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about.” ~ Mindy Kaling, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? “It is one of the tragedies of life that one cannot have all the wisdom one is ever to possess in the beginning.”
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Hawkins’ words don’t paint lush portraits or jump to poetic heights. They’re too busy drawing you close to the characters, especially Rachel whose perspective begins and ends the book. As you read, you immerse into the complexity that is a human being whose past she both regrets and can’t leave behind.
Meredith Sell 