Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
A few days ago I blogged about all of the books I read 2025.
Today I’ll include a brief description of why these titles were my favourites from last year as well as I think it makes these sorts of posts more memorable. It always makes me smile when other bloggers share those details, too.
1. “Reindeer Moon” by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
Why I Loved It: Ms. Thomas truly made me feel as though I’d travelled back 20,000 in the past to meet a tribe whose culture, religion, social structure, and way of life shared almost nothing in common with how I grew up. That is not an easy accomplishment, but it sure makes for a compelling read.
2. “The Testaments” by Margaret Atwood
Why I Loved It: We finally were able to find out what happened to Offred and many of the other characters from The Handmaid’s Tale. The ending was immensely satisfying, too.
3. “Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People: An Anthology of Icelandic Folk Legends” Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir
Why I Loved It: I have zero Icelandic ancestry or any other connection to this part of the world, but at least these tales were (mostly) created at a time when things like Christianity and farming existed. As with Reindeer Moon, it was marvellous to get to know a little about a culture so different from the one I grew up in. Learning about other cultures is so rewarding.
3. “The Blue Castle” by L.M. Montgomery
Why I Loved It: The romance genre is one I only occasionally visit, but this was an excellent reread. There’s nothing like seeing a character who has suffered for years finally not only find relief but also true love and happiness as well.
4. “The Hunger We Pass Down” by Jen Sookfong Lee
Why I Loved It: This was such a creative take on how generational trauma can be passed down for decades even after the original stressor has long since disappeared. I also thought the characters were well written and memorable, especially Alice.
5. “Born: The Untold History of Childbirth” by Lucy Inglis
Why I Loved It: This is something that was never covered in any of the history classes I’ve ever taken, and yet humanity wouldn’t survive if nobody gave birth anymore. Most of this book covers the tens to thousands of years when pregnancy and childbirth were far more dangerous than they are today. One of my favourite sections was the one that explored how medical advancements like cesarean sections, antibiotics, blood transfusions, and incubators have made both of those experiences much safer for both mother and child. I am so grateful for modern medicine.
Nice picks. Thank you for coming to see my TTT. Have a good week. Here is my TTT. https://dmhoisington.wordpress.com/2026/01/06/top-ten-tuesday-17-best-books-i-read-in-2025/
You’re welcome!
nice recaps!
Here are my favorites: https://wordsandpeace.com/2026/01/06/year-of-reading-2025-part-1-my-top-23-books/
Thank you!
I have long avoided Handmaid’s Tale out of fear, but great that Testaments has a satisfying end.
🙂
BORN sounds interesting!
It was really good.
I’m so curious about Born. It sounds like a fascinating read!
Thank you. It was really good.
I really need to read that Atwood! Looks like a good reading year for you, thanks for dropping by my list!
You’re quite welcome. 🙂 Hope you like it.
Reindeer Moon sounds interesting; learning about vastly different cultures can be fascinating. I think I’d quite like the anthology too as I love mythology and folklore.
We never really covered childbirth when it comes to history either. I think the fact that Queen Victoria made pain relief during childbirth popular came up briefly during ‘medicine through time’ but no other mentions particularly come to mind for me 🤔
I’ve heard that story before. Such an interesting one. Hope you find plenty of folklore and mythology to read this year.
The Blue Castle is on my “someday” classics TBR list lol
May you enjoy it!
I like the sound of the Iceland one!
Have a great week!
Thank you. 🙂
Oo, I like the sound of Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People: An Anthology of Icelandic Folk Legends by Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir. I wonder if I can order that at the library? Hmm…
I hope you can. It was so good.
I read The Blue Castle a few years ago, and I know SO many readers love Margaret’s books, too. 🙂 Glad you found some great reads in 2025, and many thanks for visiting my list today!
You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re familiar with The Blue Castle.
I don’t read much nonfiction, but Born has piqued my interest. I’m always intrigued yet distressed by childbirth scenes in the historical romance I read.
You might really like it! Childbirth scenes can be so suspenful.
Great list! I added The Hunger We Pass Down and Born, the Untold History of Childbirth to my TBR list.
Yay! Happy reading.
Yes, I agree that it’s nice to have more than just the book title and author in the list! I wish I wasn’t always rushing to get my posts done in a timely fashion and could be more thoughtful about them.
I had forgotten that The Testaments was a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale! Glad to see it made your favorites list! Your books all sound interesting, but that and The Hunger We Pass Down are going on my TBR now.
Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting!
You’re welcome. It’s definitely harder to write a longer post when one is pressed for time!
Born sounds interesting but also I imagine kinda of scary.
Some sections were sad for sure.
Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People: An Anthology of Icelandic Folk Legends sounds so interesting indeed! Hope you’ll find many new favorites in 2026 as well!
Thank you. 🙂
The Hunger We Pass Down sounds so interesting, Lydia. Thanks for sharing these and for visiting my blog.
You’re very welcome!
These all sound good. Great choices!
Thank you. 🙂
I’m hoping to read the Montgomery book this year.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/my-12-favorite-books-i-read-in-2025/
I hope you like it!
I haven’t read any of these yet, but they all sound very interesting. I hope your new year has gotten off to a wonderful start!
Thank you. So far, so good!
I enjoyed The Blue Castle this past year as well. It was my first time reading it. Have a great week!
Yay, glad to hear it!
Oh wow, you read such interesting books in 2025! I’m adding more than half of them to my TBR!
Awesome. I hope you like the.
I’ve only ever read L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series. I’ll have to check out her other works! Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
Enjoy. 🙂
The Blue Castle is on my TBR! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Here is my TTT: https://thissideofstoryland.blogspot.com/2026/01/top-ten-tuesday-five-star-reads-from.html
Fingers crossed that you’ll like it!
I’m glad you loved the Blue Castle! I did too–I first read it a year or two ago.
Thank you. It’s so cozy by the end.
I haven’t read any of these. I have been back and forth on The Handmaid’s Tale. I have seen the first season and then I’ve see my country despise women even more after that.. it feels like it could be a possibility. lol It stresses me out! I’m glad it was a satisfying end!
I don’t blame you one bit for that decision. I wouldn’t have read The Handmaid’s Tale for the first time in the 2020s either. Too stressful.
I might need to reread The Blue Castle this year! 📚🥂
I hope you love it!
I am eagerly awaiting my hold for The Hunger We Pass Down. Sounds like a really impactful read.
It was so good. Enjoy.
Great picks! Sometimes I include details on my choices, other times I just list the books I loved.
That makes sense. 🙂
Great list Lydia! I want to read The Blue Castle sometime soon. I loved reading Anne of Green Gables last year and want to read everything by L.M. Montgomery now.
May you enjoy it, and thank you.