If you’re looking for something new to read in 2025, one avid reader has shared her top recommendations
A content creator who has read 150 books this year has revealed their top five recommendations. With the dark evenings and chilly temperatures here to stay for the foreseeable, there’s no better feeling than making it to the end of a weekday and making yourself cosy.
For some, this involves lighting some candles, enjoying a warm bath or watching your favourite TV series. Meanwhile, for others, an ideal night in means curling up with a good book, whether that be a nail-biting thriller or a cosy romance novel.
But while reading is just a casual hobby for some, for others it’s a huge part of their daily routine. Even in just a quick scroll through BookTok, you’ll discover content creators flying through as many 50, 100 and even 150 books in a year.
Liz, who goes by @everypageturned on TikTok, is one such reader. In a video posted last month, she revealed she’d already read 150 books in 2024 with a month to go before the end of the year.
She shared her top five reads of the year, explaining: “All five of these books if I did not cry, I teared up or thought about it for days afterwards. So read these if you have not yet. They are very good books.”
Liz clarified that her ranking was “in no particular order”, adding that it’s “because I could never actually rank them in order because they all have different spots in my heart”.
With that in mind, here are Liz’s recommendations.
‘The Women’ by Kristin Hannah
If historical fiction is your thing, Liz recommends ‘The Women’ by Kristin Hannah. This novel follows a young woman who chooses to enlist as a nurse in the Vietnam War after her older brother is killed in action.
“If you have not read any of Kristin Hannah, do it now,” Liz said. “Her books are amazing.”
‘Kingdom of Ash’ by Sarah J. Maas
‘Kingdom of Ash’ is the final book in Sarah J. Maas’ insanely popular ‘Throne of Glass’ series, which follows an assassin trying to win her freedom.
Liz said: “I finished all of her [Maas’] universe this year and ‘Kingdom of Ash’ is definitely one of her top books.”
Maas’ other works include the ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ series, as well as the ‘Crescent City’ series.
‘Babel’ by R.F. Kuang
‘Babel’ follows an orphan who is brought to London by a mysterious professor and trained for years in Latin, Ancient Greek and Chinese all in preparation for when he can eventually join Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Babel.
Liz described ‘Babel’ as “amazing”, adding: “This book was so out of my comfort zone, but I’m so glad I read it and I just want to read more by her. I’m excited to read ‘The Poppy War’ next year.
‘Funny Story’ by Emily Henry
Emily Henry’s ‘Funny Story’ was published earlier this year and follows Daphne and Miles, two people who find themselves living together after their respective partners leave them and decide to start a relationship of their own.
Liz said: “This is my favourite Emily Henry book. She is also an auto-buy author for me. I love her writing style.
“I love the depth of her books for being a romance book. She really bases a lot of her writing on relationships within the book as well, not just your two main characters, which you typically see in a lot of contemporary romances and I really like that.”
‘Manacled’ – SenLinYu
The final book on Liz’s list of recommendations is ‘Manacled’ by SenLinYu. This book is described as a “dark Harry Potter fanfiction” set in an alternate universe in which Harry is dead and Voldemort won the war.
Talking about the novel, Liz said: “This is technically fan fiction, yes, but I read Manacled back in January of this year. Amazing.
“It’s the one and only fan fiction I’ve ever read but it’s so good. I think about it weekly, if not daily. This book will rip your heart out.”