A year of stories that moved me, challenged me, and stayed with me.
2025 was a year filled with unforgettable characters, bold ideas, and books that met me exactly where I was. I’ve read 105 books this year, and these twenty reads, listed alphabetically by author, each offered something special: a spark of wonder, a moment of reflection, a jolt of emotion, or simply the comfort of a beautifully told story.
Here are the books that shaped my reading year. Reviews can be accessed by clicking on the title!
The Death of Us — Abigail Dean
Genre: Literary Thriller
Summary: A haunting exploration of family secrets and the long shadows they cast.
For readers who enjoy: Dark domestic mysteries with emotional depth.
Jonathan Ball Publishers (South Africa)
Tender Is the Flesh — Agustina Bazterrica
Genre: Dystopian Horror
Summary: A chilling, visceral look at a society where the unthinkable becomes normal.
For readers who enjoy: Bold, unsettling fiction that pushes boundaries.
The Lucky Ones — Alistair Mackay
Genre: Literary Fiction / South African
Summary: A tender, sharply observed story about identity, belonging, and chosen family.
For readers who enjoy: Contemporary SA fiction with heart and nuance.
Kwela / Jonathan Ball Publishers Local (South Africa)
Mother Mary Comes to Me — Arundhati Roy
Genre: Essays / Non‑fiction
Summary: Lyrical reflections on politics, art, and the fragile beauty of humanity.
For readers who enjoy: Thought‑provoking, poetic non‑fiction.
Penguin Random House (South Africa)
Broken Country — Clare Leslie Hall
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Summary: A moving portrait of a fractured family navigating loss and hope.
For readers who enjoy: Quiet, character‑centred narratives.
Jonathan Ball Publishers (South Africa)
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Food‑Lit
Summary: A sensory, heartfelt story about reinvention, flavour, and healing.
For readers who enjoy: Food‑infused fiction with emotional warmth.
Jonathan Ball Publishers
Black Woods, Blue Sky — Eowyn Ivey
Genre: Literary Fiction
Summary: A single mother seeking a fresh start in the Alaskan wilderness discovers both profound love and the dangerous secrets hidden within the man she trusts.
For readers who enjoy: books with a deep, evocative setting, complex relationships, and speculative elements,
Exclusive Books – Jonathan Ball Publishers
Bonsaimeisies — Erla Diedericks
Genre: Afrikaans Thriller
Summary: A psychiatrist is drawn into a deadly hunt for a killer who “prunes” his victims, forcing her into a chilling power struggle with a psychopath who may be the only one who can help stop him.
For readers who enjoy: Afrikaans thrillers and who aren’t afraid of dark themes.
LAPA Uitgewers
The Names — Florence KnappGenre: Literary Fiction
Summary: A quiet, introspective novel about identity, language, and the stories we inherit.
For readers who enjoy: Thoughtful, slow‑burn literary fiction.
Jonathan Ball Publishers
River of Stars — Georgina Moore
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Summary: A sweeping, emotional story of family, forgiveness, and the pull of the past.
For readers who enjoy: Multi‑generational dramas with heart.
Jonathan Ball Publishers
Vianne (Chocolat #0) — Joanne Harris
Genre: Magical Realism
Summary: A warm, enchanting return to the world of Chocolat, filled with charm and sensory delight.
For readers who enjoy: Cosy magic, rich atmosphere, and character‑driven tales.
Exclusive Books – Jonathan Ball Publishers
When the Cranes Fly South — Lisa Ridzén
Genre: Literary Fiction
Summary: A man facing the limits of time is forced to confront his past and his imperfect relationships when the threat of losing his beloved dog shakes his quiet life.
For readers who enjoy: Quiet, reflective novels with emotional depth.
Penguin Random House SA
The Listeners — Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Summary: Set in a secluded West Virginia spa after Pearl Harbour, The Listeners follows June Hudson and others as they navigate loyalty, secrecy, and resistance when the US government commandeers the hotel to detain Axis diplomats.
For readers who enjoy: quiet, poetic historical fiction with atmospheric mystery, slow-burning character depth, and a deep emotional connection to place and rhythm — especially those who’ve worked in hospitality or felt a space become part of their soul.
Jonathan Ball Publishers
Bloed van ’n vlinder — Marieta Carrick
Genre: Afrikaans Thriller
Summary: A nurse’s murder and a series of threatening messages force Sister Libby Lucas to confront her buried past as she begins to fear that the killer may be hiding in the very hospital where she hoped for a fresh start.
For readers who enjoy: Gritty, high‑tension Afrikaans crime.
Queillerie – Jonathan Ball Publishers
Girl Dinner — Olivie BlakeGenre: Contemporary Fiction / Dark Humour
Summary: Two women at very different stages of life confront identity, ambition, and the cost of fitting in as a sorority’s dark traditions expose how society devours women—and how they choose to fight back,
For readers who enjoy: a literary and satirical look at feminism, identity, and rage, with a little bit of horror from sorority girls thrown in.
Pan MacMillan SA
Die dood van Rachel April — P. P. Fourie
Genre: Afrikaans Crime / Mystery
Summary: A chilling investigation into a young woman’s death and the secrets surrounding it.
For readers who enjoy: Suspenseful, character‑driven Afrikaans mysteries.
Queillerie – Jonathan Ball Publishers
The Impossible Fortune (Thursday Murder Club #5) — Richard Osman
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Summary: The beloved gang returns for another clever, warm, and delightfully twisty adventure.
For readers who enjoy: Comforting mysteries with humour and heart.
Penguin Random House SA
The House in the Cerulean Sea — T. J. Klune
Genre: Fantasy / Feel‑Good Fiction
Summary: A tender, magical tale about belonging, found family, and unexpected joy.
For readers who enjoy: Heartwarming, whimsical stories that feel like a hug.
Atmosphere — Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Summary: A brilliant astronaut on a perilous 1980s NASA mission confronts love, longing, and the weight of her past as intertwined memories of a forbidden romance and a fragile family bond shape the woman she is becoming.
For readers who enjoy: Character‑driven fiction with emotional resonance.
Penguin Random House SA
An Act of Murder — Tom EatonGenre: Mystery / Satire
Summary: Arnold Prinsloo, a washed‑up actor wrongly accused of murder, has one chaotic week to clear his name by embodying a fictional detective while juggling suspects, secrets, and the wreckage of his personal life.
For readers who enjoy: Clever, humorous whodunits.
Penguin Random House SA
These thirty books carried me through the year with their beauty, boldness, and emotional truth. Some made me laugh, some made me ache, and some reminded me why reading feels like coming home.
