Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
2025 Books
20
items Every book I read in 2025 — the ones that stayed with me, the ones that surprised me, and a few I'd happily recommend to a stranger. Honest takes, no fluff. Affiliate links included.
Admittedly, I saw this author do a Q&A at a local Seattle bookstore a month after I read it — and it made me love this book even more. A true page turner for any millennial chasing homeownership, told with a fiery satire that keeps you guessing w...
Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
A holiday romcom with real heat to it — enemies to lovers done right. The kind of book you pick up on December 1st and finish before the week is out.
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn
One of my favorites this year — a summer read with real substance to it. The kind of book that makes you stop and think about what you actually want out of your life. Rare for a beach read to do both.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
The most unexpected favorite of 2025. Yes, that Daniel Stern — the one from Home Alone — and yes, it's worth it. His comedic tone and genuine lightness carry the whole thing. You'll forget you're reading a celebrity memoir.
Home and Alone by Daniel Stern
The strangest literary fiction I read this year. I enjoyed it, but the cultural distance kept me at arm's length — which I think says more about me than the book. A quick read worth trying.
Dogs of Summer by Andrea Abreu
My fourth Freida book and my second favorite. No overcomplicated twists, no filler — just a tight, gripping read that earns every turn it takes.
The Tenant by Freida McFadden
Started so strong, and so dark. The story-within-a-story structure is what tripped me up, but I still landed at a solid four stars. Worth it for the opening alone.
Penance by Eliza Clark
For any woman in corporate America who has ever felt herself starting to spiral — and tried very hard not to. This one sees you.
Ripe: A Novel by Sarah Rose Etter
A sweet, tender coming-of-age story about a first love. Simple and lovely in all the right ways.
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
One of my favorite romcoms of the year. Simple, entertaining, relatable — and it will make you want to book a flight immediately.
What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Written before both the 2020 and 2024 elections, this book offers a sharp and unique lens on how political and financial institutions shape women's freedoms and broader population health. Thought-provoking regardless of where you land politically.
Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism
A slow descent into madness that disguises itself as a domestic novel. Underneath it all is an unflinching look at a woman's complicated relationship with food and control. Unsettling in the best way.
Piglet by Lottie Hazell
Extremely hyped and every bit worth it. Dark academia from the very first page — this is the fall read. If you've been putting it off, this is your sign.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
An endearing, light romcom about second chances — with a time travel twist that somehow makes it even sweeter. The kind of book that leaves you smiling.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
Timely, tough, and so necessary. The kind of book that feels like it will be required reading someday. Not easy, but absolutely worth it.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
A quiet, moving story of sisterhood told across the years. The kind of book that sneaks up on you.
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy
Book Lovers meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — if that comp doesn't sell you immediately, I don't know what will. A perfect spring or summer romance read.
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
My first Coco Mellors and it won't be my last. A poignant, deeply felt look at how a family navigates grief together — and separately. Quietly devastating.
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Comics are a niche taste and I am proudly in that niche. This one was unrelatable but genuinely funny. Fun Home is a forever favorite so I'll always show up for Alison Bechdel.
Spent: A Comic Novel by Alison Bechdel
TJR is back and better than ever. The space elements are lovely but it's the romance that lingers. Expect a gasp at the end — I mean it.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid