My list is not extensive by any means, but I need to share out my favorites from 2025 like I have the past. Maybe these aren't my favorites, actually... maybe they're books I believe other people could benefit from if they read them. I read a bit more for myself this year, along with more books I thought my 7th graders would enjoy or books they recommended for me.
2018 Favorites
2017 Favorites
2016 Favorites
2015 Favorites
2014 Favorites
Here are the books I would most recommend from my list of 100 books I've read this year... I tried to whittle it down to one or two per genre, but I read some genres more than others! I'm not going to describe them for you - you can check out the complete list with my thoughts for this year here. Another note: One of my goals this year was to read more adult books. Young adult and books geared toward seventh graders just aren't holding my attention like they used to.
Biography / Autobiography / Memoir
Kalanithi, Paul - When Breath Becomes Air
This neurosurgeon learned more about life and death than many of us have the “opportunity” to do. I enjoyed listening to his story - the parts he felt he had to share with others. Don’t hide from death - face it with integrity.
Ung, Luong - First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
This reminds me of In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park - and her life in North Korea under communist regime. This one, however, is from 1975-1979, and the Khmer Rouge communist takeover. It’s another one of those books that reminds readers that life can change in an instant, and it reminds us of all we have - including the freedom of choice. A bit much for my 7th graders, but it was good for me to know about this time period and what was going on. Turns out she ended up in a refugee camp much like the boy from Vietnam in The Cricket War by Tho Pham.Brallier, Max - The Last Kids on Earth #1
A 7th grader gave a book talk on this one, and they way he was so enthused about it made me pick it up the next day. I loved it! Such clever writing and funny characters with crazy zombie and other monster adventures! Quick read with wit, great vocabulary, and pictures that added more to the story.
Bagley, Jessixa & Aaron Bagley - Duel
I loved this book! The cover of two fencers never really caught my attention, and it was on my “to read” list for a long time. I love how it’s NOT just about fencing. The death of their father and how the sisters deal with their grief is written very well, and I did shed a couple of tears. Be sure to read the author’s note, as well.
Tang, Betty C. - Parachute Kids
This one had so much action - right from the start. I didn’t know what “parachute kids” meant, but once the parents left, I was freaked out. How could they leave them like that? Kids make bad choices! It was one bad thing after another, until I was really worried for them! I didn’t know this has happened over the years, and it really made me think - and then wonder about those kids now, and about our current environment in the U.S. One reviewer talked about how these children did have privilege due to their race - as compared with Latinx or Black children. I believe we need everyone's stories, so we can continue to learn and be more compassionate towards one another.
Tavares, Matt - Hoops
I wasn't a fan of the illustrations, so that would make it a 4/5 in my book. (But what do I know about art?!) I loved that it's from 1976 and based on real characters that shared their stories with the author.
Choo, Yangsze - The Night Tiger
I really got caught up in this … soap opera? I read this one for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and it did not disappoint. I also listened to many chapters, and it’s read by the author. I was looking for something different from what I normally read, and I got it. The historical aspect of the 1930s was new for me, then the end came barreling by, and I feel I could read it again and still not get all the nuances the author was shooting for.
Everett, Percival - James
This one flew by for me, and I really enjoyed it. I paired it with the audio version, which was beautiful. I don’t know if I ever read Huck Finn, but I remember some parts of it, and I loved how Jim/James told his part of the story. I loved knowing his thoughts and his secrets. I admire him, and cheered when he used his words as power.
Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God
I didn’t know what to expect - another one I had on my list and knew it was highly regarded and just that I should read it. Reminded me a lot of Beloved, but with a much more positive feeling throughout. I loved Janie and grew to love Tea Cake. I was surprised at the end of her story of the life she’d just left, but I was impressed by it, too. This one will be in my head a long time. I’m glad it’s made its way into literature classes. Some might label this one as “romance,” and I’ve got it under “historical fiction.”
Lee, Min Jin - Pachinko
This was a lot. There were so many different threads to follow, and I wanted to know more about each person. I knew nothing about Koreans living in Japan, and I'm very glad she wrote this book that spans over decades. I learned a lot, I was stopped in my tracks at one point, and I kept wanting to read more.
Morrison, Toni - Beloved
I was supposed to read this in a college class, but it was so confusing the first week that I dropped the class… I’m glad I revisited it in my 50s. Some of the images stuck with me, and my husband was wondering why I was reading another sad book. I still got confused at points, but re-reading helped. The audio book was AWESOME, as it was read by Toni Morrison herself.
Williams-Garcia, Rita - One Crazy Summer
I loved this one. Set in Oakland, CA in 1968, I felt for Delphine and her two younger sisters. I loved listening to the audio book, as well. I wanted more when it was finished. It’s #1 in a series!
Mystery
Heath, Jack - The Truth App (Liars #1)
LOVED the first 100 pages that I read in one sitting - thanks to a seventh grader’s recommendation. A lot of it was far-fetched (in my opinion), but I can see how it could get the kids reading. Good for first-chapter Friday, too!
Karp, Marshall - Don’t Tell Me How to Die
My mom suggested this one. She likes thrillers, and the cover looked “thriller-ish,” so I didn’t want to read it. However… the library didn’t have any of the books I DID want, and Libby had this one on the app, so I started it. And I didn’t want to stop! I laughed, I cried, and I told lots of people about the first 30% the first day I read it. Then I gasped, I almost went back to look for something about a character, and I finished it the next day. Yup. Good one. Fast-paced, dynamic characters, and so so so different from other things I’ve read lately.
Nonfiction
Miles, Tiya - All that She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake
This one had been on my list for awhile, and I'm glad I've read it now. I've read a few books about Black history, but this one told about the Black woman's experience in America in such a different way. I hope, going forward, I consider keepsakes from a different angle. I love at the end how she talks about "tote" (like a sack) and the derivation and meaning of the word, too.
Russell, Helen - The Danish Secret to Happy Kids: How the Viking Way of Raising Children Makes Them Happier, Healthier, and More Independent
I really liked this book, and I'm so glad it was on the challenge to "read around the world." Sadly (only because I can't), I'd love to move to Denmark!! I took lots of notes, too, as so many ideas were good to share with my seventh graders. Ex: Samfundssind = community mindset meant doing something that isn’t necessarily best for you but for the sake of others. For the greater good.
Tom, Paul & Mélanie Baillairgé - Alone: The Journeys of Three Young Refugees
Wow. This simple yet profound book is a gem. I think it took me 20 min to read, but now I want to know so much more. Afshin came from Iran - the country was at war, and he was in danger. Alain came from Kenya when his family was attacked and his mom died. 16-year-old Patricia's life was in danger in Uganda when it was discovered she was gay. This book - based on a documentary (in French) called "Suels" - is just a snippet of the 400 young people that arrive in Canada each year, without their parents, to seek asylum.
Safadi, Shifa Saltagi - Kareem Between
This one tugged at my heartstrings because it’s happening all over again with this administration. The book is centered around the Muslim Ban in 2017. It takes place in Chicago, and the middle schooler Kareem, whose parents are from Syria, is a fan of the 1985 Bears. I like how it alludes to different books throughout - Holes, Hatchet, and even Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Aoyama, Michiko - What You Are Looking for Is in the Library
Loved this. IDK who recommended it or how I found it, but I LOVED it. It was odd, intriguing, and I wanted to know how each person fared. Thank you to Ms. Komachi who seemed to know just what each patron needed. (It also inspired me to try felting this week.)
Fuentes, Marcela - Malas
This was a recommendation from a parent of one of my students, and I’m so glad I picked it up! It was so different from so much of what I read. I enjoyed learning a bit about the Tejano culture, and I enjoyed the twists in the plot!
Korman, Gordon - Old School
I read this one on a Sunday when I had a cold, so I just loafed around and read. It had me chuckling in the first chapter. I love the alternating narrators, how Dexter/Herb's maturity develops, and the lessons he learns from going to middle school for the first time. It's perfect for 7th graders, and I'm glad our school librarians chose it as a summer reading suggestion.
Napolitano, Ann - Dear Edward
This was sad all-around. What a way to write about a tragedy. That 12-year-old boy who was the only survivor… and how he grew over the book… I think it was very REAL. I think that’s how a boy his age would act and think and suffer. At the beginning, I wondered why I had to read about the 191 people on the plane. I knew they were going to die in a crash, and so I didn’t want to know about them. The way the author helped Edward heal, though… that made sense to me. I’m glad I read it. I’m glad I cried ugly tears. I’m grateful for books like this that can offer me different perspectives.
Haig, Matt - The Humans
At first, I wasn’t so sure about this one… I needed to find an audio book for my PT, and I like the author, but… It totally grew on me the more I read. And all the advice in one of the last chapters - YES, yes, yes. Matt Haig seems to know what humans need. I’d like a 4.5 on this one, only because it took me a bit to get sucked in.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft - Frankenstein
Bob and I listened to this novel together, as neither of us had read it. It’s got some great lessons - about grief, about creation & destruction, about vengeance - and it was superbly written, in our opinion. I loathe Victor Frankenstein, as his emotions often overtook him and he vacillated so much. I understand the creature, and I found myself sympathizing with him. It was a bit long-winded, but we liked the premise of the actual story.
Rosen, Jonathan & Henry Herz (ed) - Coming of Age: 13 B’nai Mitzvah Stories
I loved these short stories about various 12-year-olds turning 13 and truly “coming of age” at their B’nai Mitzvah. There was a lot of realistic fiction, one fantasy, one science fiction (with history in it), and one even used Seinfeld references. It gave me - a girl who was raised Catholic - a lot of new information that maybe I should’ve been aware of much earlier in life. I also appreciated the Hebrew and Yiddish words in the glossary.
Sports
Greenwald, Tommy - Rivals
I think I may have liked this one better than Dinged. (I can’t compare it to Game Changer, as I don’t remember how well I liked that one.) Two-day read. I loved the honesty and the realistic events. I loved the addition of the “kids with money” and the kids without. Good lessons about assumptions and cheating and respect. Totally getting it for the 7th graders.
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