Can y’all tell I’m playing catch up? Spring-time is flirting with summer, and I’m feeling super-productive. And, naturally, I want to shout about some books that I love. So here we go.
I read 71 books in 2025 (and DNF’ed an additional 10). Storygraph conveniently tracks stats and provides a nice visual overview, so I can show you what I read:
See any favorites in there?
According to the Storygraph’s stats, my top genres were romance, fantasy, LGBTQIA+, historical, and contemporary.
Now for those book recommendations, in no particular order:
What Moves the Dead – T. Kingfisher (novella)
In recent years, I very occasionally read horror, but growing up I LOVED horror, and one of my favorite authors during my middle-school intense brooding and ‘not a goth’ goth phase was Edgar Allan Poe.
T. Kingfisher has quickly become one of my go-to, must-read authors of this decade. I haven’t read a single thing by her yet that I haven’t enjoyed on some level (even two that I was a little ‘meh’ about, but I still think and talk about because although the stories weren’t for me, they were still good and well written).
I present to you the first book in the Sworn Soldier series: What Moves the Dead. It’s a gothic horror retelling of Fall of the House of Usher and it’s delightfully creepy. It’s not the kind of horror that keeps you awake and afraid of shadows. It’s the kind of horror that seeps into your dreams and makes them weird. It’s a thinking kind of horror, which is my favorite type.
Side note: I really love the cover art for this series. It’s done by the talented Christina Mrozik. I ended up at their booth at a craft market in Seattle last year. I was drawn in by the haunting images they had on display and realized the art reminded me of T. Kingfisher’s books. When I uttered this aloud, they informed me that they do the cover art.
A Paradise of Small Houses: The Evolution, Devolution, and Potential Rebirth of Urban Housing – Max Podemski (non-fiction)
Fair warning, I studied architecture once upon a time, so I like learning about buildings. That being said, this book is really more about cultures around these historic U.S. cities. And it gets political, because city planning is inherently political.
Growing up with the American public education system’s idea of ‘U.S. history’, I found history, particularly U.S. history dry, boring, and of little use. I have since majored in history and understand its value and have learned why exactly it was taught the way it was (whole other topic for later discussion…), and have spent my adult life filling in the gaping holes from my primary school days.
Back to this book: it’s a fun way to explore U.S. cities and history, but it’s also a fascinating look at how we’ve come to be where we are in the U.S. in terms of disparity in housing and city planning.
Go Luck Yourself – Sara Raasch (romance)
Have I previously recommended the delightful fantasy romance romp that is The Nightmare Before Kissmas? If not, go check that out first; it’s book one.
Go Luck Yourself is the second book in the Royals and Romance series. Book three is apparently happening, so keep an eye out for that as it will wrap up the series.
This is an enemies to lovers book set in a world where each holiday has its own royalty that oversees the holiday. The premise is silly but fun, and while the characters struggle with very real issues (terrible controlling fathers, anxiety, etc.) it’s presented in a respectful and considered manner. Although I don’t know it would be classified as a cozy fantasy, it’s definitely on my list of cozy, feel-good reads.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees – Patrick Horvath (graphic novel – horror)
I never thought I’d feel sorry for a serial killer, but mid-way through this graphic novel I found myself thinking “can’t a girl catch a break?” about a lovely small-town bear who also happens to be a serial killer.
I picked this up from a display at Elliot Bay Books because I was drawn in by the cover: it looked so cute and gruesome at the same time. While I was standing there reading the back-copy a woman walked by and said, “oh that’s so good, you have to read it.” And done. I bought it.
Then I gifted it to a friend who loves horror because it was too good to not share.
Want a strange little horror graphic novel? Grab a copy.
Sorcery and Small Magics – Maiga Doocy (fantasy)
This is one of those books that as soon as I finished it, I went online to see if there was a second book. There is not. I did find the author’s website and dug to find out there should be a second book coming. I will be heartbroken if it never arrives.
I want to tell you this is an enemies to lovers romance, but this is not a romance book. I had to look that up, actually, because in my head it 100% is. I adored these two sorcerers who dislike each other very much but who have to go go off into a magical dangerous forest to break a curse that’s left one sorcerer under the command of the other one (it was an accident!).
I loved the world Doocy created, loved the characters, loved the coziness of it. Generally I just loved this book. I wanted to spend more time there, dissociating from the here and now with characters who are trying their best to the right thing and who are actually very good people.
Swordheart – T. Kingfisher (fantasy romance)
You know what IS billed as a fantasy romance? This fantastic book (set in the same universe as The Clockwork Boys series, which I haven’t read, but maybe I should) centers upon a woman who finds herself in possession of a magic sword that has a warrior bound to it. That’s right, the sword becomes a man, who is sworn to protect the person who owns the sword.
Halla is trying to deal with an extremely hostile family trying to deny her property left in a will when she unwittingly summons Sarkis, the man in the sword. There’s much confusion but the result is a quest to get Halla help that requires running from the law across a dangerous countryside.
I love that this book is hilarious while exploring grief, feminism, and becoming your own person.
There’s a sequel that comes out this August: Daggerbound.
Empire of Shadows – Jacquelyn Benson (fantasy)
Are you a fan of the 1999 film, The Mummy?
If yes, read this.
If not, or if you haven’t seen the film, would you like to read a book about a Victorian archeologist woman who finds a map to a lost ancient city and has to race a villainous treasure-hunter to get to it so she can stop being a glorified assistant and make a name for herself? She has to enlist the help of a “snake-wrangling rogue” to get there.
There’s fantasy-elements, there’s romance, there’s action. It’s The Mummy, but in South America!
The Ministry of Time – Kaliane Bradley (science fiction)
I read this as part of a now defunct book club. I was super looking forward to discussing the book with the group, and then we never met up. I wish I could put all my thoughts here without giving away spoilers, but I can’t so instead I’ll say this:
I really enjoyed watching this book unwind. The premise is that there’s a government agency in the U.K. that has picked out certain people from history to physically bring to the present (actually the future) and they’re pairing these ‘expats’ with civil servants who are supposed to help them acclimate and study them to see what the effects of this time travel is on the individuals.
I liked the blend of sci-fi, mystery, and romance, written with truly lovely prose. It was enjoyable to read this book from a technical and literary vantage. There were elements of the book that didn’t quite land for me, but overall I highly recommend this book.
What were some of your favorite reads of 2025?
A. K. Hudson 