My Top Reads of 2025 So Far

We’re about halfway-ish through the year, so it’s time to talk about what I have to show for it

I tend to read books in the same way that I listen to music, which is that I read a great book and then search the author up online and order whatever else they’ve written like it’s an album from my new favourite band. That also means that my reading recap lists tend to feature the same authors over and over again, so for fairness, I limited myself to choosing only one book from one author (but trust that when you see it on the list, I probably read and loved their other books too).

1.      The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton

Number one goes to Stuart Turton’s debut and the book that made me feel like perhaps I’m not clever enough to be an author. The Seven Deaths is: murder mystery meets time loop meets amnesia, which is basically also my top three favourite tropes. We start with a man who ‘wakes up’ to find himself running in a forest. He can’t remember anything about himself or where he is, except one name, “Anna”. I can’t tell you anything else without getting into spoiler territory, but trust me that’s it’s full on twisty, gripping, and sometimes terrifying fun.

2.      Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone – Benjamin Stevenson

Okay I know I’m late to this one—it was really big on Instagram and TikTok like last year, but you’ll find I tend to be late to everything. This is another murder mystery, but this time there’s two mysteries slowly unfolding over the course of the book—the actual murder, and the complex dynamic of the family that surrounds it.

It’s funny, captivating, and with a cozy, snowy mountaintop setting, it would make for a great Christmas gift (everyone starts thinking about Christmas in July, right?)

3.      We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

While, yes, this book came out in 1960. And thus yes, you could argue that I’m 65 years late. I read this book during my gothic lit self-education and it has quickly become one of my favourite books of all time. Think weird sisters, an isolated manor, and a cold-case murder mystery that slowly unfolds through the memories and comments of the people who surround the family.

While the premise seems simple, this book was gripping and tense, and there were several lines that made me laugh out loud. Here’s one of my favourites:

“A woman born for tragedy, perhaps, although inclined to be a little silly.”

Aren’t we all?

4.      Blood Over Bright Haven – M.L. Wang

Here’s another book I was late to the hype-train on, but late is better than never! Blood Over Bright Haven takes place in a fantasy world in which magic is used to run electricity and modern inventions—it’s also used to keep in place the barrier between the city and a deathly force called the Blight beyond it.

Sciona has been studying magic her entire life, aiming to be one of the high mages in charge of progressing the city, but a woman has never gotten far in magic academia before—so much so, that they only allow one woman to take the exam every 10 years.

I love a slightly unhinged, incredibly morally grey female character, and Sciona brings all the chaotic academia + fiery sass you’ve ever dreamed of. And the midpoint twist? I can’t say more, but I gasped out loud. Worth picking up, even if you’re late to the party.

5.      Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

Keeping with the gothic theme, my last book of 2025 (so far) is Daphne Du Maurier’s 1938 novel Rebecca. If you love Jane Austin but wished there was a little bit more dread and murder sprinkled into your social drama and romance, you’d love Rebecca as much as I did.

Here’s a quote that basically sums it up:

“She was in the house still, as Mrs Danvers had said; she was in that room in the west wing, she was in the library, in the morning-room, in the gallery above the hall. Even in the little flower-room, where her mackintosh still hung. And in the garden, and in the woods, and down in the stone cottage on the beach. Her footsteps sounded in the corridors, her scent lingered on the stairs. The servants obeyed her orders still, the food we ate was the food she liked. Her favourite flowers filled the rooms. Her clothes were in the wardrobes in her room, her brushes were on the table, her shoes beneath the chair, her nightress on her bed. Rebecca was still mistress of Manderley. Rebecca was still Mrs de Winter.”