{"id":12571,"date":"2026-01-01T12:49:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T20:49:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=12571"},"modified":"2026-01-01T12:49:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T20:49:03","slug":"the-books-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=12571","title":{"rendered":"The Books of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Sandwich<\/p><\/div>\n

So many books, so little time\u2014part 19.<\/p>\n

There’s something very satisfying about keeping a list of what you read, so when my son started keeping a book list in third grade, so did I. This is the 19th year I\u2019ve done this. He still reads quite a lot, but I don’t think he catalogs it the way I do anymore. It’s been another really busy year, but I still managed to read a LOT, and listened to a number of audiobooks as well.<\/p>\n

The Sandwich<\/em>, Catherine Newman’s story about a woman dealing with aging parents and an empty nest who spends the summer with her family in a beach house was definitely one of my favorites this year. I thought it was so good, so real, and oh-so relatable. Culpability<\/em> by Bruce Holsinger was another one I really liked.<\/p>\n

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Culpability<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s a very contemporary novel about a family whose life is almost destroyed when the son gets into a car accident while at the wheel of an AI driving car. Turns out the wife’s semi-secret research is involved in the technology, there’s a mysterious billionaire in the mix and all kinds of twisty things happen. I really liked it and was inspired, as usually happens, to dip into his other books, including The Gifted School<\/em> and The Displacements<\/em>, both of which I liked, but not as much as Culpability<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Newman’s other novel I read, We All Want Impossible Things<\/em>, was as engaging as The Sandwich<\/em>. She’s such a good writer. This one is about the last days of a woman whose best friend is dying in hospice. Again it was so good and so relatable.<\/p>\n

Another favorite this year was Mrs. Fletcher<\/em> by Tom Perrotta. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get to this one, as I’ve enjoyed his previous novels (Election, The Abstinence Teacher, The Leftovers<\/em>). This one is a very good story about a mother and son navigating the empty nest phase of life. And there’s porn. And it’s a plot point, so that’s an interesting addition.<\/p>\n

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Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding<\/p><\/div>\n

Speaking of interesting additions, half of Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding<\/em> by Lian Dolan is set in Montecito, which made an already engaging and very funny story about two moms who initially don’t trust each other but then band to together to get their children’s upcoming nuptials back on track even more fun. I’ll probably write more about this one for the Santa Barbara Independent<\/em>, but it’s definitely one I recommend (in fact, I gave it to my sister for Christmas).<\/p>\n

The Three Lives of Cate Kay<\/em> by Kate Fagan was another favorite this year. It’s a really good page turner about a woman who leaves her childhood best friend thinking she’s dead and goes on to create a whole other life as a secret (think JD Salinger) writer. Lots of back and forth with lives and timelines, very well done.<\/p>\n

I also loved My Friends<\/em> by Fredrik Backman, an author who can do no wrong it seems.<\/p>\n

Anyway, I could go on and on but I’ve got some reading to do. I’d love to hear what everyone else enjoyed. Here’s my 2025 list:<\/p>\n

Nevermore Bookstore,<\/em> Kerrigan Byrne & Cynthia St. Aubin
\nWandering Stars,<\/em> Tommy Orange
\nFamily Family,<\/em> Laurie Frankel
\nEverything We Never Said,<\/em> Sloan Harlow
\nThe Long Game,<\/em> Elena Armas
\nIntermezzo<\/em> Sally Rooney
\nYours From the Tower<\/em> Sally Nicholls
\nThe Braid Girls<\/em> Sherri Winston
\nThe Answer is No<\/em> Fredrik Backman
\nThe Night We Lost Him<\/em> Laura Dave
\nThe Knockout Queen<\/em> Rufi Thorpe
\nSmall Things Like These<\/em> Claire Keegan
\nOne Perfect<\/em> Couple<\/em> Ruth Ware
\nThe Life Impossible<\/em> Matt Haig
\nLike Mother, Like Mother<\/em> Susan Rieger
\nRoomies<\/em> Christina Lauren
\nMrs.<\/em> Caitlin Macy
\nFoster<\/em> Claire Keegan
\nDrop, Cover, and Hold On<\/em> Jasmine Guillory
\nWhen Life Gives You Lululemons<\/em> Lauren Weisberger
\nIs She Really Going Out with Him?<\/em> Sophie Cousens
\nThe Fall Risk<\/em> Abby Jimenez
\nThe High Season<\/em> Judy Blundell
\nHello Sunshine<\/em> Laura Dave
\nCity of Girls<\/em> Elizabeth Gilbert
\nThe Henna Artist Alka Joshi
\nYou Didn’t Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip Kelsey McKinney
\nPart of Your World Abby Jimenez
\nThis Far Alison Holker
\nThe Mother Load A Memoir Sarah Hoover
\nThrowback Maurene Goo
\nI Have Some Questions For You Rebecca Makkai
\nMaggie moves on Lucy Score
\nWhat the wife knew Darby Kane
\nMina’s Matchbox Yoko Ogawa
\nColored Television Danzy Senna
\nThe Three Lives of Cate Kay Kate Fagan
\nPretty Little Wife Darby Kane
\nFarrell Covington and the Limits of Style Paul Rudnick
\nThe Replacement Wife Darby Kane
\nWhen the Going Was Good Graydon Carter
\nThe Lying Woods Ashley Elston
\nMaybe Next Time Cesca Major
\nVantage Point Sara Sligar
\nLife’s Too Short Abby Jimenez
\nOne Death at a Time Abbi Waxman
\nMrs. Fletcher Tom Perrotta
\nTell Me Everything Elizabeth Strout
\nAll That Life Can Afford Emily Everett
\nThe Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks Shauna Robinson
\nHotter in the Hamptons Tinx
\nThe Sentence Louise Erdrich
\nEarth to Moon Moon Unit Zappa
\nInto the Water Paula Hawkins
\nPierced by the Sun Laura Esquivel
\nThere’s Something About Mira Sonali Dev
\nSick in the Head Judd Apatow
\nThe Rules for Disappearing Ashley Elston
\nThe Leftovers Tom Perrotta
\nHarder I Fight the More I Love You Neko Case
\nGrief is For People Sloane Crosley
\nThe Abstinence Teacher Campbell Scott
\nThe Griffn Sisters’ Greatest Hits Jennifer Weiner
\nGhosting: A Love Story<\/em> Tash Skilton
\nLong Island Compromise<\/em> Taffy Brodesser-Akner
\nThe Sandwich<\/em> by Catherine Newman
\nThe In-Between Bookstore<\/em> Edward Underhill
\nAlly Hughes Has Sex Sometimes Jules Moulin
\nFools Rush In: An April Fools Day Anthology Kennedy, Celia, Dineen, Whitney, Neville, Engy, Stephany, Connie, Jay, Suzie, Gettinger, Amy, Baxter, Laurie, Babin, S.E
\nThe Other Woman Sandie Jones
\nRed Summer Frances Pettey Davis
\nAudre & Bash are Just Friends Tia Williams
\nThe Unwedding Ally Condie
\nAll Fours Miranda July
\nThe Thrashers Julie Soto
\nWe All Want Impossible Things Catherine Newman
\nBlood Sister Scribe Emma Torres
\nGood Material Dolly Alderton
\nThe Fairley Brothers in Japan David Starkey
\nSalt Water Katy Hays
\nThe Sweeney Sisters Lian Dolan
\nGet The Picture Bianca Bosker
\nThe Third Gilmore Girl<\/em> Kelly Bishop
\nHeiress Takes All Emily Wibberley
\nSounds Like love Ashley Poston
\nAtmosphere Taylor Jenkins Reid
\nGeekerella<\/em> Ashley Poston
\nHoney & Spice Bolu Babalola
\nRose in Chains Julie Soto
\nL.A. Women Ella Berman
\nMy Friends Fredrik Backman
\nThe Island of Sea Women Lisa See
\nStuck Up and Stupid Angourie Rice and Kate Rice
\nGreat Big Beautiful Life Emily Henry
\nA Novel Love Story Ashley Poston
\nDone and Dusted Lyla Sage
\nBefore We Were Innocent Ella Berman
\nEl Dorado Drive Megan Abbott
\nJames Percival Everett
\nAll The Way to the River Elizabeth Gilbert
\nLoved One Aisha Muharrar
\nFame, Fate and the First Kiss Kasie West
\nConsider Yourself Kissed Jessica Stanley
\nSwift and Saddled Lyla Sage
\nHot Desk Laura Dickerman
\nThe Sequel Jean Hanff Korelitz
\nWild and Wrangled Lyla Sage
\nCulpability<\/em> Bruce Holsinger
\nLost and Lassoed<\/em> Lyla Sage
\nHear Her Howl<\/em> Kim DeRose
\nThe Academy<\/em> Elin Hilderbrand & Shelby Cunningham
\nThe Satisfaction Cafe<\/em> Kathy Wang
\nThe Gifted School<\/em> Bruce Holsinger
\nJoyride<\/em> Susan Orlean
\nThe Magic Fish<\/em> Trung Le Nguyen
\nGone Before Goodbye<\/em> Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben
\nOnce Upon a Time in Dollywood<\/em> Ashley Jordan
\nThe Displacements<\/em> Bruce Holsinger
\nThe Ministry of Time<\/em> Kaliane Bradley
\nThe Uncool<\/em> by Cameron Crowe
\nHeart the Lover<\/em> Lily King
\nTotally and Completely Fine<\/em> Elissa Sussman
\nThe Decagon House Murders<\/em> Yukito Atatsuji
\nOne of the Girls<\/em> Lucy Clarke
\nEveryone is Lying to You<\/em> Jo Piazza
\nFunny You Should Ask<\/em> Elissa Sussman
\nWomen Money Power: The Rise and Fall of Economic Equality<\/em> Josie Cox
\nClap When You Land<\/em> Elizabeth Acevedo
\nThat’s Not How it Happened<\/em> Craig Thomas
\nMarlena<\/em> Julie Buntin
\nAbigail and Alexa Save the Wedding<\/em> Lian Dolan
\nCharlotte Walsh Likes to Win<\/em> Jo Piazza
\nSay You’ll Be Mine<\/em> Naina Kumar
\nMy Ex-Husband’s Ex-Husband<\/em> Rachel Cohn & Melissa de la Cruz
\nThe Doorman<\/em> Chris Pavone
\nGirls They Write Songs About<\/em> Carlene Bauer
\nThe Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science<\/em> Kate McKinnon<\/p>\n

Previous Book Lists<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Books of 2024<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2023<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2022<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2021<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2020<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2019<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2018<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2017<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2016<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2015<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2014<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2013<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2012<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2011<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2010<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2009<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2008<\/a><\/p>\n

The Books of 2007<\/a><\/p>\n

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