I’ve always loved disappearing into a good book, but I’ll confess: during the pandemic, my attention span packed its bags and left. (Relatable?) And to be fair, we were writing books of our own, and as it turns out … that takes a lot of time.
Earlier this year, I knew something had to change. So I set a public goal to hold myself accountable: 50 books before I turn 50 (in March!). And somehow it stuck. I’ve loved creating a habit of reading in waiting rooms instead of mindlessly scrolling. At night, when I might’ve spiraled into a doomscroll, I spent that time getting lost in a book instead. It’s been one of the most grounding shifts I’ve made this year.
What’s Next
I enjoyed it more than I thought, and honestly, I don’t plan on stopping after I hit 50. Plus, I still have three months left. Below is everything I’ve finished so far in 2025. I’d love any recommendations you have.
Want to see my specific favorites? Scroll to the bottom to see my biggest recommendations.
What I’ve Read So Far
The God of the Woods,Liz Moore
The Tell, Amy Griffin
The Wedding People, Alison Espach
The Family Dynamic, Susan Dominus
The Women, Kristin Hannah
Sandwich, Catherine Newman
Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Rufi Thorpe
The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron
The Three Lives of Cate Kay, Kate Fagan
The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins
All That Life Can Afford, Emily Everett
The Stationery Shop, Marjan Kamali
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
The Shift, Ethan Kross
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab
The Huntress, Kate Quinn
Dearly Beloved, Cara Wall
Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr
The Birth of Venus, Sarah Dunant
Theo of Golden, Allen Levi
Great Big Beautiful Life, Emily Henry
The Correspondent, Virginia Evans
The Poppy Fields, Nikki Erlick
Atmosphere, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Carrie Soto is Back, Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Indigo Girl, Natasha Boyd
The Many Lives of Mama Love, Lara Love Hardin
Funny Story, Emily Henry
The Book Club for Troublesome Women, Marie Bostick
How to Age Disgracefully, Clare Pooley
The Sober Diaries, Clare Pooley
The Lion Women of Tehran, Marjan Kamali
The Berry Pickers, Amanda Peters
This Naked Mind, Annie Grace
My Friends, Fredrik Backman
Anxious People, Fredrik Backman
Too Much, Terri Cole
A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman
The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley
Awake, Jen Hatmaker
Super Agers, Dr. Eric Topol
City of Night Birds, Juhea Kim
Broken Country, Clare Leslie Hall
Frozen River, Ariel Lawhon
The Wild Dark Shore, Charlotte McConaghy(2025)
Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan
What Kind of Paradise, Janelle Brown
The Names, Florence Knapp
ISOLA, Allegra Goodman
By Any Other Name, Jodi Picoult
What should I read next?
My Top Reads
Have you ever read the last page of a book and wished you could just start from page 1 all over again? Well, here are the books that had a profound effect on me this year. When I shared my complete list last week, many of you asked for my specific favorites. So here are the books I keep recommending:
Fiction I wish I could read for the first time again:
My Friends — Fredrik Backman
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue — V.E. Schwab
Broken Country — Clare Leslie Hall
Favorite feel-good reads:
Theo of Golden — Allen Levi
How to Age Disgracefully — Clare Pooley
Anxious People — Fredrik Backman
Memoirs I couldn’t put down:
Awake — Jen Hatmaker
The Many Lives of Mama Love — Lara Love Hardin
The book that gave me hope about aging:
Super Agers — Dr. Eric Topol
If you’ve read any of these, I’d love to know your thoughts. And I’m always open to adding more to my 2026 list, so leave me your suggestions.
