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Stories that Stuck with Me (2025)
21
items Keeping track of every book I read in 2025 with quick reactions and favorite quotes.
Sections
4
Nonfiction
Mystery/Thriller
Fiction
Romance
Nonfiction
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Welch provides exercises, examples, and advice to help readers identify their values, aptitudes, and interests to find one’s purpose. The writing style and anecdotes make this book feel like chatting with a friend! “It’s about teaching you who you ar...
Welch provides exercises, examples, and advice to help readers identify their values, aptitudes, and interests to find one’s purpose. The writing style and anecdotes make this book feel like chatting with a friend! “It’s about teaching you who you ar...
Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it. Technology (and phones specifically) have such a large impact on our mental health, and it is up to us to decide what to do with the research, real world examples, and actionab...
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it. Technology (and phones specifically) have such a large impact on our mental health, and it is up to us to decide what to do with the research, real world examples, and actionab...
The Anxious Generation - by Jonathan Haidt (Hardcover)
1
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Social health plays a part in our overall health along with physical and mental health. Killam provides a great mix of research and anecdotes and it helped me think about being more intentional and purposeful in my approach to connecting with others....
“This book isn't about our history; it's about our future. Further improving the quality and extending the length of our lives is not only possible but imminent/ We have now reached another critical turning point in the evolution of what it means to ...
Social health plays a part in our overall health along with physical and mental health. Killam provides a great mix of research and anecdotes and it helped me think about being more intentional and purposeful in my approach to connecting with others....
“This book isn't about our history; it's about our future. Further improving the quality and extending the length of our lives is not only possible but imminent/ We have now reached another critical turning point in the evolution of what it means to ...
The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health Is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier
Mystery/Thriller
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
A dark, twisty thriller about estranged sisters coming back together to uncover dark secrets about their past and experiencing how the secrets play out in their present. I loved the alternating narratives and became extremely invested in the outcomes...
A dark, twisty thriller about estranged sisters coming back together to uncover dark secrets about their past and experiencing how the secrets play out in their present. I loved the alternating narratives and became extremely invested in the outcomes...
Pretty Girls (Reprint) (Paperback) (Karin Slaughter)
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Took me a little bit to get into this one, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down until I finished! I really enjoyed the small, lake town vibes; the close proximity and town gossip added an extra layer to the secrets that drove this thriller....
Took me a little bit to get into this one, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down until I finished! I really enjoyed the small, lake town vibes; the close proximity and town gossip added an extra layer to the secrets that drove this thriller....
Daughter of Mine - by Megan Miranda (Hardcover)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since I finished. I loved the alternating POV and waiting to figure out how the two characters connect. This book really makes you question how well you know people and what dark secrets people can be hiding...
I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since I finished. I loved the alternating POV and waiting to figure out how the two characters connect. This book really makes you question how well you know people and what dark secrets people can be hiding...
The Quiet Tenant
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Definitely did not see the ending coming! The plot and idea of the story was wonderful! Friends facing the impacts of a horrible attack from their childhood. Now, they come back together years later try to uncover the truth of what really happened an...
Definitely did not see the ending coming! The plot and idea of the story was wonderful! Friends facing the impacts of a horrible attack from their childhood. Now, they come back together years later try to uncover the truth of what really happened an...
What Lies in the Woods: A Novel
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was invested from the very beginning. The alternating characters' POV helped progress the story and also add to the intriguing confusion I felt as I was reading. There were a lot of twists I didn't see coming and I felt the moment all the loose end...
"...and I wonder if the things we keep from one another will break us apart. I wonder if the things we don’t say are worse than the lies we do. Like the illness, they will rot us from the inside out.”
I was invested from the very beginning. The alternating characters' POV helped progress the story and also add to the intriguing confusion I felt as I was reading. There were a lot of twists I didn't see coming and I felt the moment all the loose end...
"...and I wonder if the things we keep from one another will break us apart. I wonder if the things we don’t say are worse than the lies we do. Like the illness, they will rot us from the inside out.”
A History of Wild Places
⭐⭐⭐
Really interesting premise to set up this story! A lot of people rave about this one, it just fell a little bit short for me. I enjoyed the group dynamic and was intrigued at how everything was going to play out!
Unfortunately, I returned this to the library and forgot to write down a favorite quote :(
Really interesting premise to set up this story! A lot of people rave about this one, it just fell a little bit short for me. I enjoyed the group dynamic and was intrigued at how everything was going to play out!
Unfortunately, I returned this to the library and forgot to write down a favorite quote :(
Kill Yours, Kill Mine
⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
A small town murder mystery with multiple POVs, included that of the murder victim. Lapena writes numerous characters who are all believable suspects, which kept me guessing and engaged throughout the story.
“Of course she didn’t deserve it. No one does, no matter how they look, or what they wear, or how they behave. This isn’t the Dark Ages.”
A small town murder mystery with multiple POVs, included that of the murder victim. Lapena writes numerous characters who are all believable suspects, which kept me guessing and engaged throughout the story.
“Of course she didn’t deserve it. No one does, no matter how they look, or what they wear, or how they behave. This isn’t the Dark Ages.”
What Have You Done?: A Novel
⭐⭐⭐.75
Thriller with a paranormal feel. I wanted a little more out of the ending, but I really enjoyed the plot getting there. Newly wed couple moves in to the fancy apartment that they inherited from their recently deceased uncle. And then what seems like ...
“It’s not psychic to be observant, to have a deep knowledge of the human condition. It’s just that so few people are paying attention, it seems like something otherworldly.”
Thriller with a paranormal feel. I wanted a little more out of the ending, but I really enjoyed the plot getting there. Newly wed couple moves in to the fancy apartment that they inherited from their recently deceased uncle. And then what seems like ...
“It’s not psychic to be observant, to have a deep knowledge of the human condition. It’s just that so few people are paying attention, it seems like something otherworldly.”
The New Couple in 5B
⭐⭐⭐
Mom, daughter, and grandma join forces to solve a murder. Somehow the murder mystery and dysfunctional family dynamics still make for a comedic story at times. I also learned that the author wrote the story for her own mother's battle with cancer, wh...
“That’s the beauty of the people we love,” she finally said. “No matter how well we know them, there’s always more to discover.”
Mom, daughter, and grandma join forces to solve a murder. Somehow the murder mystery and dysfunctional family dynamics still make for a comedic story at times. I also learned that the author wrote the story for her own mother's battle with cancer, wh...
“That’s the beauty of the people we love,” she finally said. “No matter how well we know them, there’s always more to discover.”
Mother-Daughter Murder Night
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The writing style. The characters. The pacing. The twists. I loved it all. Less of a page turning mystery, and more of a slow burn for the thriller element, but I was so enthralled with the characters that I was okay with the slower pace.
Similar feel as The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.
“At ten years old he realized that people were born whole, and that the bad things peeled layers from the person you once were, thinning compassion and empathy and the ability to construct a future. At thirteen he knew those layers could sometimes be...
The writing style. The characters. The pacing. The twists. I loved it all. Less of a page turning mystery, and more of a slow burn for the thriller element, but I was so enthralled with the characters that I was okay with the slower pace.
Similar feel as The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.
“At ten years old he realized that people were born whole, and that the bad things peeled layers from the person you once were, thinning compassion and empathy and the ability to construct a future. At thirteen he knew those layers could sometimes be...
All the Colors of the Dark
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love Riley Sager as an author! This is not my favorite of his novels, but I still really enjoyed it! It was more of an uneasy feeling thriller than a heart-pounding thriller, with a large emotional component to the story as well.
“His name is Ethan Marsh. He is ten. And this is the last carefree moment he’ll have for the next thirty years.”
“Too much of childhood is spent being lied to by adults because they think it'll spare your feelings.”
I love Riley Sager as an author! This is not my favorite of his novels, but I still really enjoyed it! It was more of an uneasy feeling thriller than a heart-pounding thriller, with a large emotional component to the story as well.
“His name is Ethan Marsh. He is ten. And this is the last carefree moment he’ll have for the next thirty years.”
“Too much of childhood is spent being lied to by adults because they think it'll spare your feelings.”
Middle of the Night: A Novel
Fiction
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
TJR does it again. I’ve read many of her books and have loved them all, and Malibu Rising was no different. There’s something so beautiful about the way Reid crafts her heartbreaking characters. A beautiful, multigenerational story about family, love...
TJR does it again. I’ve read many of her books and have loved them all, and Malibu Rising was no different. There’s something so beautiful about the way Reid crafts her heartbreaking characters. A beautiful, multigenerational story about family, love...
Malibu Rising - by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Paperback)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This story was different than any I’ve read in a while. It’s a multigenerational, multi POV story that follows a family and the serial killer among them. Wonderful character development that left me thinking about the characters long after I finished...
This story was different than any I’ve read in a while. It’s a multigenerational, multi POV story that follows a family and the serial killer among them. Wonderful character development that left me thinking about the characters long after I finished...
Wolf at the Table
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A book for booklovers! The characters were beautifully and heartbreakingly written. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs through different times in history, all connected through the bookshop. There is a bit of magical realism, which I don't always lik...
“I couldn’t explain it, not even to myself, but books gave me an unflinching sense of stability and groundedness. That because words survived, somehow I would too.”
A book for booklovers! The characters were beautifully and heartbreakingly written. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs through different times in history, all connected through the bookshop. There is a bit of magical realism, which I don't always lik...
“I couldn’t explain it, not even to myself, but books gave me an unflinching sense of stability and groundedness. That because words survived, somehow I would too.”
The Lost Bookshop
Romance
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a quick fun read that was a bit of a palate cleanse after reading a few thrillers in a row. Travel, love triangle, forced proximity, a bit of a historical art mystery. This book has a lot going for it! “Don’t spend what little time we have m...
This was a quick fun read that was a bit of a palate cleanse after reading a few thrillers in a row. Travel, love triangle, forced proximity, a bit of a historical art mystery. This book has a lot going for it! “Don’t spend what little time we have m...
Girl Abroad
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another *sweet* addition to the Dream Harbor series. A fun, quick read with characters I’ve grown to love and feel connected to as I continue to read this small town romance series. “This day, this life, felt like a different type of achievement. The...
Another *sweet* addition to the Dream Harbor series. A fun, quick read with characters I’ve grown to love and feel connected to as I continue to read this small town romance series. “This day, this life, felt like a different type of achievement. The...
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (Dream Harbor, Book 4)
⭐⭐⭐.75
Private island. Huge wedding celebration. Fake relationship. Forced proximity. Dysfunctional family dynamics. I really enjoyed this book and it was a quick read. Many fun romance tropes throughout, but it didn't feel forced or overdone. I enjoy Chris...
“There’s nobody more fearless than people who can’t have dairy.”
"I'm the only one here offering you unconditional support and love - and I'm not even asking you to choose me. I'm asking you to choose yourself. Because they won't.”
Private island. Huge wedding celebration. Fake relationship. Forced proximity. Dysfunctional family dynamics. I really enjoyed this book and it was a quick read. Many fun romance tropes throughout, but it didn't feel forced or overdone. I enjoy Chris...
“There’s nobody more fearless than people who can’t have dairy.”
"I'm the only one here offering you unconditional support and love - and I'm not even asking you to choose me. I'm asking you to choose yourself. Because they won't.”
The Paradise Problem
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
I really enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing style, and even though this isn't one of her more popular books, I still really enjoyed it! The characters were very well-developed and had beautiful conversations about love, marriage, and commitment.
“Isn’t it nice … once you’ve outgrown the ideas of what life should be and you just enjoy what it is.”
I really enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing style, and even though this isn't one of her more popular books, I still really enjoyed it! The characters were very well-developed and had beautiful conversations about love, marriage, and commitment.
“Isn’t it nice … once you’ve outgrown the ideas of what life should be and you just enjoy what it is.”
After I Do