In my most recent article, I offered a list of my top nonfiction books that I read in 2025. Today, we’ll look at fiction.
Great Books
As always, these books meet three criteria:
- They taught me (nonfiction) or made me feel something (fiction) even if I didn’t agree with them.
- They were very well written.
- They stuck with me after I read them.
To see everything I’ve read, and all the books I’ve written, feel free to follow me on Goodreads.
Great Expectations (Charles Dickens, 1861)
There’s so much to love about Dickens. The character development, their amazing names (Philip “Pip” Pirrip, Abel Magwitch, Miss Havisham, Mr Pumblechook, Bentley Drummle, Startop, etc.), the unpredictable plots, the feeling of immersion into historical London society, and more.
But, for me, the greatest joy is his masterful use of English. There’s nothing like the sheer delight of immersing yourself in the wonder of his writing style. Only Shakespeare and the King James Bible use the language more beautifully.
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Series (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937-1949)
It’s been almost 50 years since I first read these four epic volumes. On this re-read, the movie series (which I’ve seen twice) is how I picture every character and event as I read. This is not a bad thing.
Some of the surprises in the books that don’t happen in the movies include the appearance of Tom Bombadil, orcs engaging in lengthy conversations, a LOT of songs, the confrontation with Saruman and Wormtongue in The Scouring of the Shire, and an exhaustive amount of backstory. Plus, I was surprised by how The Two Towers was written as two completely separate books. Instead of jumping between storylines, it takes more than half the book to come back to the Frodo and Sam storyline.
Overall, this was an enjoyable reminder of why Tolkien’s masterwork grows in its impact for every new generation.
The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War (Michael Shaara, 1974)
Is it history? A novel? Yes. When The Killer Angels was published in 1974, American readers who were divided and exhausted by the Vietnam War didn’t know what to think of a book that described the battle of Gettysburg in such vivid and humanizing detail. Plus, it dared to put thoughts into the heads and conversations into the mouths of soldiers long dead.
It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975, but sold very few copies during the lifetime of its author. Since then, it’s become a multi-million copy bestseller and is recognized as the book that introduced the literary genre of historical fiction.
You don’t need to be a fan of war stories to read this (I’m not especially drawn to them). But if you are a fan of great writing, it’s a must.
The Collector of Burned Books (Roseanna M. White, 2025)
A solid, if fairly unsurprising plot about the French resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris. The love story took more center stage than I expected, but White’s writing about the beauty of faith and the power of words in a time of overwhelming evil are its best moments.
The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel (ReShonda Tate, 2024)
Hattie McDaniel was the first Black person ever to win an Academy Award (for her still-controversial role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind). This novelization of her life starts on the night she won the Oscar in 1940, but wasn’t allowed to attend the whites-only afterparty.
This is an entertainingly written, fact-based look at the challenges she faced throughout her prolific career—from White power brokers who pigeonholed her into comic/subservient roles, and Black activists who criticized her for accepting those roles (most notably, NAACP president Walter F. White). Meanwhile, she found allies in close friends like Dorothy Dandridge and Clark Gable.
This is a compelling story of the horrors of racism, the shallowness of celebrity, the perils of putting work ahead of family, and the price of fame. (Note: the language and depictions of sexuality, while not severe, may not make this suitable for everyone.)
The Lincoln Highway (Amor Towles, 2016)
This novel never went where I expected, and no character behaved the way I thought they should. And that’s a huge part of what made it enjoyable. Plus, there was less suspense and more character development than novels like this usually have.
Babel: An Arcane History (R.F. Kuang, 2022)
No, it’s not about the Bible, it’s about Oxford University. But it’s not about the Oxford of reality, it’s a mythical Oxford of R.F. Kuang’s magical imagination.
This is an exciting narrative filled with twists and turns, and it’s a not-too-subtle commentary on colonialism, race, academia, and more.
What Did You Read This Year?
Did you read any of these? Did you read any other books you loved?
Let me know on Facebook, Instagram, or X.
Also, check out these articles to enhance your own reading journey.
(Disclosure: I will receive a small percent of the purchase price of any books you buy through clicking the Amazon links in the article.)
