2025 Book Recommendations from Readers

For December’s print issue, I wrote a feature about the best books of 2025. As part of that feature, I solicited Buzz residents asking about their favorite books of the year. I had such a wonderful response that I had to select one for each reader for that article and save the rest for a Page Turners column. Thanks so much to everyone who contributed; there was such a breadth of selections. The rest of their choices are listed below:

Sally Mason: “The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis. I love all her books as she does a wonderful job incorporating facts and actual places with a great story. This story connects the lives of two women in different timelines. An Egyptian artifact goes missing from The Metropolitan Museum of Art and this story connects their lives and leads them to revealing a mystery involving a long forgotten female pharaoh and the tragedy associated with it.

“The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper. A San Franciscan librarian discovers two hidden, historic dollhouses in her library. These dollhouses reveal secrets that take her on a trip through time to uncover the stories of ambitious and gifted women as well as those scarred by WWI and overlooked in their time. As the mystery unravels, secrets are shared and with it the impact of withholding the truth from loved ones.

“The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick. In 1963, four suburban housewives feel something is lacking from their lives so they form a secret book club to discuss The Feminine Mystique. 'Times are a changin'' and the book club affects each woman differently. Along the way they all discover the benefits of friendships and encounter the challenges that have defined their roles and the limitations imposed by those roles.

“Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff. This historical fiction follows two timelines: 1: 1953 London where a woman investigates a mysterious necklace and her friend’s death. 2: 1940s Paris where the Nazis are using the Levitan department store as a prison and a place to store stolen Jewish property. It is a story of how sacrifice, resistance, and love can have the power to help us survive even in the darkest times.”

Paige Erwin: “Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis. This is a must-read as we watch the dismantling of our federal government unfold before our eyes. If not to help salvage what is left, then to give thanks to those who have done so much for us. Michael Lewis, along with a few of his favorite writers, provide a fascinating insight into a wide range of federal employees. We learn about specific people, unsung heroes, who have dedicated their time and expertise to solving specific problems and/or providing the highest level of service in honor of their country.

“The Rivals: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova Their Epic Duels and Extraordinary Friendship by Johnette Howard. There is so much more to this book than the rivalry between two specific tennis players. Chris and Martina, supported and guided by the visionaries like Billie Jean King, give us an amazing perspective on the evolution of the sport of tennis (for men and women), the amazing hurdles cleared by women athletes, and the social and geopolitical challenges they navigated. So many sports have been elevated to the current level we enjoy watching and playing today due to the advances made by Chris and Martina.”

Elaine Schroller: “Agony in Amethyst by A. M. Stuart. The fifth and final book in Alison Stuart’s Harriet Gordon Mysteries series. Set in Singapore during the first years of the 20th century, widowed Harriet Gordon, who fled her tragic pasts in England and India, assists an enigmatic Detective Inspector Robert Curran solve gruesome murders in Singapore’s English community while their slow-burn relationship develops. Having read (and re-read) the entire Harriet Gordon Mysteries series, Agony in Amethyst is a perfect culmination to the series while leaving me impatient for A. M. Stuart to begin a new series featuring the indomitable Harriet.

“The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers. I’d sort of fallen in love with Julia Child after reading her autobiography My Life in France, and I knew she’d been part of the OSS during WWII. But I had no idea she really had been a spy of sorts, no matter how much she downplayed that part of her life in her later years. While the book is historical fiction, we travel with Julia to U.S. spy stations in Ceylon, India, and China under the direction of legendary General 'Wild Bill' Donovan and side-by-side with Paul Child, who becomes her dearest, most trusted friend during turbulent times – and eventually her husband. We all know how Julia’s story ends before we begin, but The Secret War of Julia Child is an immersive adventure into her lesser-known chapters.

“The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan. A man loses an important item, and in doing so, also loses the love of his life. To compensate, he collects lost things in the hope of returning them to their owners. His heir, a young woman, must comb through his house full of 'treasures' to finalize his estate, and, in doing so, is able to fulfill the man’s dying wish. I lost a favorite gold earring during an excursion to Rice Epicurean during the Covid pandemic; I kept the single earring and dearly wish someone found its mate and wonders about its owner. Lovely and thought-provoking.

“The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee. As a former oil brat who attended five high schools because of my father’s work, I was fascinated by this deep-dive into adult trials, tribulations, and trauma, of living outside the U.S. The Expatriates takes place in late 20th-century Hong Kong, not the 1970s of my experience in the Middle East and North Africa, but there’s the same sort of insular community I remember coming home to during holidays and a heart-wrenching tragedy, which I suspect my own mother and her friends would have been terrified to contemplate as they sent their own children off to school every day.”

Stacy Humphries: “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store has its share of divided opinions, but I absolutely loved it. McBride’s writing is a little unconventional – long, winding sentences, lots of characters, and a town that feels like its own living, breathing being. It reminds me of jazz music: he wanders, riffs, and improvises, yet everything comes together beautifully in the end. (I learned after reading this book that McBride has a deep love of jazz music, so perhaps his writing style is inspired by it.) It’s a fascinating tableau of race, religion, and cultural tensions, all married to a propelling plot. There are cultural and Yiddish references that may send you to Google once or twice, but the payoff is a story that’s rich and textured.”

Chris Cander: “Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana is an intricately woven tapestry of lives, set in a low-income high-rise in Harlem – the hum of a building that pulses with ordinary, extraordinary narratives. Through the lens of each tenant, the author crafts a vivid tableau of resilience and vulnerability, illuminating the profound truths held within the walls of their shared existence.

“The Names by Florence Knapp is a remarkable narrative, where characters came alive with a striking vibrancy. Knapp has woven a tapestry that is undeniably unique – a story that hums with an emotional depth, often echoing a haunting familiarity. The characters navigate their complexities with a nuance that mirrors our own inner struggles, making them not just figures on a page, but reflections of our shared humanity. This book stands as an architectural wonder, its true elegance revealing itself through the shifting perspectives of its readers.”

Lori Fisher: “We All Live Here by JoJo Moyes – This is a typical JoJo Moyes book with plenty of great character development and a large, messy family. It’s a story of how we all make mistakes, but with time we learn and grow.”

Georgette Holden: “Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Damon (nicknamed Demon) is a fabulously imperfect protagonist and his David Copperfield-type story is moving and utterly human. The story follows Damon’s story from becoming an orphan and losing it all, to gaining it all back piece by piece and then losing it all again. Kingsolver gives Damon a unique and compelling voice and infectious wit as he navigates the challenges of his life. I adored this book and feel Barbara Kingsolver absolutely deserved her Pulitzer Prize win.”

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her award-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram.