This is my favorite Five Fall Favorites category, in which I get to choose five of the best books I read during the past year. I’ve found some amazing new favorites in 2025. Here they are, in chronological order of when I read them.
Battling of the Stars by P.D. Atkerson
Yes, I did recommend a book in this series earlier, for the Unusual Genres category. But Battling–the series finale–absolutely deserves its spot as one of my favorite books from the past year. Though quite different from the books I normally read–set well into the future during a war with aliens and with more of an emphasis on action than description–I adored the characters in this series. If you haven’t read this series before, I urge you to give it a try, even if the genre isn’t what you’re used to.
1984 by George Orwell
Rather the opposite of the series I just mentioned, this is a book where I hated the characters and enjoyed everything else. Of course, the characters in this one aren’t meant to be likable, as I soon realized. Instead, it’s an atmospheric story with an important message to share, well worthy of the recognition it’s received as a prime example of the dystopian genre.
Lightwaste by A.L. Buehrer
This indie futuristic series is what I read after Of the Stars, and it would be difficult for me to decide which I liked better. The Dronefall series excels in its setting and writing style, not to mention the characters. (St. Cloud is my favorite, closely followed by Halcyon and Zoltan.)
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
This 19th century classic I randomly decided to read is my favorite book I’ve read so far in 2025. I loved the atmosphere and the characters. I recommend listening along with this free and excellently narrated audiobook.
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
This 800-page book is the penultimate Dickens novel I will have read–after this, I have only to finish Bleak House and I will have read all his full-length works. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Our Mutual Friend, having heard it is different in tone from the author’s earlier works, but it found its way into my top 5 Dickens novels.
Want more recommendations? Visit these blogs.
Hannah E. Griggs | Blue Flower Story Company | Ellie’s Book Haven | Southern Scribblings | A Ruby in the Rough | Read Another Page