As the semester comes to a close, so does another year of great — and not so great — books that made 2025 that much more entertaining. As you may or may not know, every other week, writers Ayla Peden, Shannon Mahoney and Parker Green each take turns to recommend some of their favorite books to you, lovely readers.
So, in this edition, they have decided to come together and share their favorite and least favorite books of 2025.
Ayla’s Picks
Best Book: “The Hunger Games” — Suzanne Collins
I had a tough time deciding which book was my favorite this year, because I actually read a lot of great books, which is surprising for me. However, the winner has to be “The Hunger Games,” and, quite frankly, every book in this series.
Unlike many of my peers, I did not read this classic in middle school, so this was my first time actually sitting down and reading the story. When I say that it is fabulous, I mean it.
Despite the series’ target audience being young adults, Collins skillfully explores complex themes of corruption and the power of propaganda without talking down to her audience. I absolutely loved seeing Katniss Everdeen (the main character) grow from her experiences and turn all of the trauma she endured into motivation to create a better world for herself and the people of Panem.
Worst Book: “How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water” — Angie Cruz
As mentioned, there wasn’t one definitive “worst book” of the year for me. However, there were definitely some that didn’t stand out.
I finished “How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water” back in January, and I have since forgotten that I ever read it. The story follows a woman who had moved from the Dominican Republic to New York City years prior and is now struggling to find work during the Great Recession of 2008.
The concept intrigued me, so I read on. Nevertheless, by the end, I was bored. The main character, Cara, continuously makes poor decisions, which is fine until she never learns from them. I found that I was just overall frustrated by the writing and character building, so I decided to block it from my memory.
Shannon’s Picks
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Best Book: “The Emperor of Gladness” — Ocean Vuong
There was steep competition for my favorite book of the year (honorable mentions to: “You Could Make This Place Beautiful,” “Klara and the Sun” and “Sunburn”). Ultimately, I can’t help but fall back on Vuong, the author of my all-time favorite book: “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.”
Vuong’s newest novel is an intense exploration of how we connect with those around us as well as the boundaries between friends and family. Much of the book revolves around the main character’s minimum-wage job at a small chain restaurant. Vuong masterfully depicts the anger against the ways in which he is trapped in a system that leaves so many behind, while also showing the incredible bonds that form when the same seven people work alongside each other for 12-hour shifts, seven days a week.
Vuong’s contemplation on the importance of these (often unstated) friendships will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever worked an entry-level job. This narrative made me reflect on my own friendships created from work, and what lengths coworkers will go to for each other.
Worst book: “Dark Places” — Gillian Flynn
I read “Gone Girl,” by Flynn, for the first time this summer, and the beloved cult classic managed to worm its way inside my heart so much that I knew I had to read the rest of Flynn’s work. Although I do largely enjoy Flynn’s writing, she most definitely has a niche of eerie, horror-adjacent realistic fiction.
While “Gone Girl” uses horror to amplify ideas about gender hierarchies, relationships and the true self, “Dark Places” just feels, well… dark. The plot revolves around a poor family in a rural area as they struggle to make ends meet after their alcoholic father skips town. The oldest child, a boy named Ben Day, becomes friends with a group of teens obsessed with Satanism and the occult. His involvement eventually leads him to aid and abet in the murder of his mother and two of his sisters. His third sister, Libby, survives, and she ends up testifying against him.
Most of the story is told from Libby’s point of view when a group of true-crime junkies contact her and attempt to convince her that Ben is innocent. Libby’s investigation into her family’s convoluted past is spliced with memories from her mother’s point of view and Ben’s point of view when he was a child.
Although the book does present some interesting ideas about poverty, family and systems of abuse, it’s ultimately outweighed by the sheer amount of violence, which is distracting rather than additive. I don’t dislike disturbing books, but so much of the plot felt intentionally unsettling just for the sake of making the reader uncomfortable.
Parker’s Picks
Best Book: “The Bear and the Nightingale” — Katherine Arden
Admittedly, I’m a bit far behind on my reading goal for this year (55/100), and, unfortunately, this has not been the greatest year rating-wise. Perhaps the five stars will come in the final stretch, but for now, the pickings are slim.
That being said, the book I chose as the best of the best this year is absolutely fantastic.
If you’re looking for a cozy, atmospheric, fantastical read with the smallest dash of romance and plenty of depth, look no further than “The Bear and the Nightingale” by Katherine Arden. Following a young pagan girl in Medieval Russia, Arden expertly weaves together themes of folklore, persecution and sacrifice. The setting is gorgeous, the prose is wonderful and it’s simultaneously escapist and grounding.
This book is part of a complete trilogy, and is simply perfect for the winter season.
Worst Book: “Conform” — Ariel Sullivan
I feel bad, since this is the author’s debut book, but I simply cannot recommend it.
In Sullivan’s dystopian novel, the world is divided into a caste system based upon physical appearance and (allegedly) mental aptitude. The protagonist is on the second-bottom tier, ugly due to her “defect,” which is heterochromia. Otherwise, she’s (and this is something she says) essentially perfect. But let’s say you ignore this gag-inducing plotline; the rest of the book is forgettable.
Even the parts that could induce some deeper thought and reflection, such as the system of sexual slavery and conditioning the women of the world were forced into, somehow fell flat.
Recycled plot, snooze-worthy characters and the most mind-numbing love triangle to ever exist: this book basically took the worst aspects of every young adult 2008 dystopian novel and amplified it to a mind-boggling degree.
Somehow this book has four stars on Goodreads, and to that I say, YOU ARE UNDER SPELLS PEOPLE!!! WAKE UP!
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