My Five-Star Reads of 2025

Hello, and happy New Year!

Oh, what a joyous 2025 I had when it came to books! I totally recovered my love of reading, and by giving up watching the soaps and lots of other tv programmes I actually found the time to read ninety-one books last year. That might be small fry to many people, but for me that’s a lot of books.

What really matters, though, isn’t how many I read. It’s how much I enjoyed reading them - and the answer is, I enjoyed it a lot! I chose well. In fact, off the top of my head I can only think of two that I gave less than three stars to (in private, I don’t usually share my ratings in public) and a 3-star rating from me means I liked it, so that’s a lot of enjoyment!

I tend to go by how the book made me feel when I’m rating it. It’s sort of instinctive now. I’m not very professional about it. I don’t sit there marking it for grammar, plot, characterisation, pace etc. I just read it and then, when I close the book, I sit for a moment and think about how I feel and how I’ve felt throughout, then I sort of know how many stars it seems worth to me.

I didn’t give a single book one star. It would have to be diabolical for me to do that, as I know how much work goes into writing one, and very, very few books deserve that rating. (Again, a reminder that I keep my ratings private and for my records only. They’re mainly rated so that I know which ones I might like to read again in the future. I’m only sharing that these ones are 5-star books because they’re the ones I especially loved.)

5-star books are the absolute bees’ knees. The ones that made me long to pick up the book and return to the world I was briefly inhabiting, to be with characters I loved (or hated, or feared, or whatever) and just keep reading until the final word.

So through 2025, of the ninety-one books I read, I gave 5-star ratings to twenty-one of them. That’s a lot of very good books!

I’LL ADD A LITTLE DISCLAIMER HERE: I HAVE NOT INCLUDED ANY BOOKS WRITTEN BY PERSONAL FRIENDS OF MINE IN THIS LIST, EVEN THOUGH I MAY HAVE GIVEN THEM FIVE STARS PRIVATELY. IT JUST FEELS A LITTLE ‘OFF’ TO ME TO DO THAT. THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS IS VAL WOOD, AND THE REASON I HAVE INCLUDED HERS, DESPITE HER BEING A FRIEND OF MINE, IS THAT I WAS READING HER BOOKS THIRTY YEARS AGO, LONG BEFORE I EVEN DREAMED OF BECOMING A WRITER, AND IN MY MIND SHE’S STILL THE HIGHLY RESPECTED AUTHOR I QUEUED FOR AGES AT BOOKSHOPS EVERY AUTUMN FOR, IN ORDER TO GET A SIGNED COPY OF HER BOOKS - ONE FOR ME, ONE FOR MY MUM’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT!

I was going to do a top ten of my favourite reads for the year, but I didn’t think that was totally fair, as all twenty-one earned their five stars so I think it only right that I share them all with you. Without further ado then, here are my 5-star reads of 2025, in order of reading them…

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie

Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, yet there were five other suspects: Philip Blake (the stockbroker) who went to market; Meredith Blake (the amateur herbalist) who stayed at home; Elsa Greer (the three-time divorcee) who had roast beef; Cecilia Williams (the devoted governess) who had none; and Angela Warren (the disfigured sister) who cried ‘wee wee wee’ all the way home.

It is sixteen years later, but Hercule Poirot just can’t get that nursery rhyme out of his mind…

Five Little Pigs was the official January read of the Read Christie Challenge 2025, and it was one of only two of the twelve books in the challenge that I gave five stars to. A cold case murder for Poirot, a heartless killer, and a family torn apart. I loved it!

Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang

THIS IS ONE HELL OF A STORY. IT’S JUST NOT HERS TO TELL.

When failed writer June Hayward witnesses her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she sees her opportunity… and takes it.

So what if it means stealing Athena’s final manuscript? So what if it means ‘borrowing’ her identity? And so what if the first lie is only the beginning…

Finally, June has the fame she always deserved. But someone is about to expose her…

What happens next is entirely everyone else's fault.

Yellowface was a book I’d wanted to read for a long time, as I’d heard so much about it. I was almost scared to read it in case it was a disappointment! It wasn’t. It was a gripping read and a fascinating insight into the world of traditional publishing.

The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry

Cherry, Maggie and Rose are mother, daughter and granddaughter, each with their own hopes, dreams and even sorrows. They have always been close, so when, in a moment of impulse, Cherry buys a gorgeous but rundown pub in the village she grew up in, it soon becomes a family affair.

All three women uproot themselves and move to Rushbrook, deep in the heart of Somerset, to take over The Swan and restore it to its former glory. Cherry is at the helm, Maggie is in charge of the kitchen, and Rose tends the picturesque garden that leads down to the river.

Before long, the locals are delighted to find the beating heart of the village is back, bringing all kinds of surprises through the door.

Could Cherry's impulse purchase change all their lives - and bring everyone the happiness they're searching for?

Escape to the glorious Somerset countryside with this joyful and uplifting story of family, love and hope.

The Impulse Purchase was a must-read as I love Veronica Henry’s books. This one was just as gorgeous as I’d expected.

Dear Mrs Bird by A J Pearce

Set during London's blitz and filled with warmth, wit and heartbreak, Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce is a wartime story about the power of friendship, the kindness of strangers and the courage of ordinary people.

London, 1941. Amid the falling bombs Emmeline Lake dreams of becoming a fearless Lady War Correspondent. Unfortunately, Emmy instead finds herself employed as a typist for the terrifying Henrietta Bird, the renowned agony aunt at Woman’s Friend magazine. Mrs Bird refuses to read, let alone answer, letters containing any form of Unpleasantness, and definitely not letters from the women the war has left lovelorn, grief-stricken or conflicted.

But the thought of these desperate women waiting for an answer becomes impossible for Emmy to ignore. She decides she simply must help and secretly starts to write back – after all, what harm could that possibly do?

Dear Mrs Bird was a real find. I can’t even remember why I picked it up but I’m so glad I did. It was absolutely superb and I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series. Humour and romance and so much more, set in wartime London.

Of His Bones by Tracey Scott-Townsend

“Gabe and I are happy this way. We don’t need anyone else in our lives.”

Mariana feels like a pawn in other people’s games. Her birth mother is ill and opportunities for them to be reconciled are running out.

Despite being adopted, Mariana has always felt secure with who she is. But both sides of her birth family are now closing in, and whatever she decides will irrevocably alter many lives; most of all the man and woman who created her.

Of His Bones is about predestination and choices. It explores themes of familial love, identity and the powerful hold of the past. Set in the seascapes of East and North Yorkshire, this novel is the sister-book to The Last Time We Saw Marion.

Of His Bones is a beautiful story. I’m a big fan of Tracey Scott-Townsend’s writing and I’m only sorry it took me so long to get round to reading this one.

The King’s Witches by Kate Foster

Edinburgh, 1589. Princess Anna of Denmark is to wed King James VI of Scotland. First, she must pass the trial period: one year of marriage to prove herself worthy. Under the watchful eye of her loyal lady-in-waiting, Kirsten, Anna resolves to be the perfect royal bride. Until she meets Lord Henry . . .

Meanwhile, young housemaid Jura has recently fled to the capital, seeking protection and anonymity. But her newfound safety is soon threatened when she is caught up in the witchcraft mania that has gripped the country - and its new queen.

The King’s Witches was a book Helen Phifer and I read for the Witchy Wednesday Book Chat podcast, and it’s another beautifully written story that had me gripped.

South Riding by Winifred Holtby

In post-war Yorkshire, having hope is the only way to survive in the Depression...

Sarah Burton has worked hard to make something of herself and when she returns to her hometown she is interviewed for the position of headmistress, accepting the job with high hopes for transforming the school. However morale is low and the country is in a depression after the First World War.

School shows are put on and the girls are encouraged but everyone is concerned about how to help the pupils make something of their lives. Class codes are strongly regarded and Sarah, having overcome her own modest beginnings, is disgusted by the power held by highly regarded sporting farmer Robert Carne of Maythorpe Hall.

Yet privately Carne is deeply troubled and Sarah is curious about this man despite her initial reservations. Carne’s daughter Midge undoubtedly receives special treatment and Sarah, in a rage, does something awful. One of Sarah’s favourites, however, is Lydia Holly. She is from a rough and deprived part of Yorkshire with a terribly ill mother but is also incredibly gifted.

In South Riding we see human ills which affect all walks of life as a tightly knit community works towards resolution in this classic novel of Yorkshire life by Winifred Holtby.

South Riding by Winifred Holtby was an absolute treasure. I had no idea how much I would love the story, or how impressive the author’s writing was. I totally fell in love with this book.

The Hungry Tide by Val Wood

As the sea claims the land, can she claim the love she deserves?

In the old fishing town of Hull, Sarah Foster's parents have been fighting a constant battle with poverty, disease and crime. When her father Will, a whaling man, is involved in a terrible accident at sea, their lives became even harder.

But Will's good deeds of the past pay off as John Rayner decides to rescue the Fosters. John provides them with work and a house on the estate owned by his wealthy family. It is at this new home on the crumbling coastline of Holderness that Sarah is born - and grows into a bright and beautiful girl, and a great source of strength to those around her.

As John grows closer to Sarah, he becomes increasingly aware of his love for her. But could these two very different people ever make their love story truly work?

The Hungry Tide was Val Wood’s first published book, and I’ve loved it since it was first published about thirty years ago. It was definitely time for a re-read!

Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves

A woman's death sees rumours flood the island community – as Inspector Jimmy Perez's life is about to change forever. Wild Fire is the eighth Shetland mystery from Ann Cleeves.

A new English family have moved to Shetland, eager to give their autistic son a better life. But when a young nanny’s body is found hanging in the barn of their home, rumours of her affair with the husband begin to spread like wild fire.

With suspicion raining down on the family, DI Jimmy Perez is called in to investigate. For him it will mean returning to the islands of his on–off lover and boss Willow Reeves, who will run the case.

Perez is already facing the most disturbing investigation of his career when Willow drops a bomb-shell that will change his life forever. Is he ready for what is to come?

I’m such a big fan of Ann Cleeves, but this is the first Shetland book I’ve read (as far as I can remember.) I loved the TV series, though, and as I knew she had a new book coming out featuring Jimmy Perez in a new setting I wanted to read the final Shetland book to see how it differed to the programme. The answer was, a lot! But I really loved this book and will probably go back and start the series from the beginning now.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The bestselling continuation of global phenomenon THE DA VINCI CODE, featuring symbologist Robert Langdon.

The Capitol Building, Washington DC: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon believes he is here to give a lecture. He is wrong. Within minutes of his arrival, a shocking object is discovered. It is a gruesome invitation into an ancient world of hidden wisdom.

When Langdon's mentor, Peter Solomon - prominent mason and philanthropist - is kidnapped, Langdon realizes that his only hope of saving his friend's life is to accept this mysterious summons.

It is to take him on a breathless chase through Washington's dark history. All that was familiar is changed into a shadowy, mythical world in which Masonic secrets and never-before-seen revelations seem to be leading him to a single impossible and inconceivable truth...

I loved Dan Brown’s early books but I have to admit that I’ve had this on my bookshelf for years and have only just got round to reading it. It’s a gripping read, and as I was turning the pages I had to wonder what took me so long!

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

Eleven-year-old orphan Anne Shirley has just arrived at Green Gables, and already her guardians want to send her back. First, she’s not the boy the Cuthberts expected. Second, she talks too much. And even with her generous spirit, the redhead’s a trouble magnet. She gets the neighbor drunk and nearly poisons the pastor!

Still, despite a rocky start, the fiery Anne wins over her guardians and her new community. She enjoys life at Green Gables, excels in school, and earns a coveted scholarship. But when tragedy hits, Anne must choose between her dreams and the only home she’s ever known.

It staggers me that I’ve only read this book for the first time this year! I loved the television series from the 1970s which starred Kim Braden as Anne and Jan Francis as Diana, but to think I’ve missed out all these years on the joys of this enchanting book. It really is the most joyful, uplifting read, and I couldn’t have loved it more.

Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood

Perfection is a spell. It’s time to break it.

Andromeda Wildwood is practically perfect in every witch way. As the proud owner of Celestial Bakehouse, a bustling London bakery, Annie’s life is a haze of pink, magic and impossibly high standards. Annie devotes her powers to pleasing others, believing that perfection is a price worth paying, no matter the magical toll it takes.

But Annie’s charmed existence is about to get delightfully messy . . .

Annie is tasked by her coven with mentoring a troubled teenage witch, and she couldn’t be more different from fiery, stubborn Maeve. Or from Hal, the gruff but handsome owner of their temporary lodgings, who is not best pleased to find the coven has offered up his woodland cottage to two headstrong witches.

As the unlikely trio slowly bond, outside forces begin to take an interest in Maeve’s extraordinary powers. Will Annie risk everything to protect the true magic she’s finally found?

This was another book I chose to read for The Witchy Wednesday Book Chat Podcast, but I’d have read it anyway. I enjoyed Lucy’s previous book, Rewitched, very much, but this one was even better. I can’t wait for September and Disenchanted!

When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything In Between by Ruth Jones and James Corden

For the first time, go behind the scenes of the beloved TV show Gavin and Stacey with the must-read memoir from the BAFTA award-winning writers Ruth Jones and James Corden.

When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between is the story of how Ruth and James turned their little show about ordinary life into a full-on cultural phenomenon.
As they recount the highs and lows they faced along the way, Ruth and James explore the journey of their real-life friendship, the making of the show and the relationship between Nessa and Smithy that had the nation glued to their screens.
Full of revelations and anecdotes to working scripts and never-before-seen photographs including:
•The story behind Nessa’s iconic look
•The original treatment for the show
•And maybe pictures from that fishing trip…
This one-of-a kind memoir takes you behind the scenes of one of the most iconic and beloved shows in British television history. Here are the details of what’s occurred every step of the way, from initial pitch to final day of filming, and all the love that followed.
When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between is the perfect final chapter in this incredible story and is essential reading for all Gavin and Stacey fans.

I remember reading this book and closing it at the end with the biggest smile on my face. It really is a gorgeous book, about the making of a television show, about the people involved in it, but mostly about a friendship that’s stood the test of time and clearly means the world to both authors. I loved it.

Let the Bells Ring Out by Milly Johnson

Seven people, four days and a snowy Christmas on board a luxury sleeper train. This festive season getting away from it all takes on a new meaning…

The Yorkshire Belle is a glamorous steam train all decked out for an escapist festive getaway. It is not supposed to be where a group of people, all trying to get to their destinations for the holidays, will spend their Christmas.

Seven people, each with their own hopes and dreams, secrets and sorrows, board the train as strangers, but as the snow keeps falling and they realise they are going nowhere fast, they are forced to slow down and embrace the present.

This Christmas on board the Yorkshire Belle, will the friendships they make change their lives forever?

I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day was my favourite of Milly’s books, so when I realised this one was set in the same world, complete with the return of Radio Brian, I couldn’t wait to read it. It was an absolutely brilliant book with interesting characters, heartwarming stories, a fabulous setting, and a sprinkling of Christmas magic.

Christmas with the Princes by Hannah Langdon

When Laura Wilde arrives at the snow-dusted English estate of Lyonscroft for Christmas, she's fleeing her sister's wedding chaos and seeking refuge in her job as a private nurse. But this enchanting manor holds secrets – not least why the devastatingly handsome heir, Nick Prince, seems determined to keep everyone at arm's length...

Nick wants nothing more than to escape Christmas and sell the family estate, but Laura's arrival changes everything. As she cares for his beloved grandmother, the spirited Princess Marilise, Laura finds herself caught between two worlds: the warmth and wisdom of an extraordinary woman with stories to tell, and the guarded heart of a man with a past he doesn’t want to talk about.

But when Laura transforms the cold, unwelcoming house into a magical Christmas wonderland, something shifts. Between unexpected dog rescues and stolen moments under the mistletoe, Laura must decide: will she play it safe and stick to her carefully ordered life, or risk everything for a love that could heal them both?

Hannah was a fellow Storm Publishing author and a lovely, friendly woman, so it was heartbreaking to hear of her sudden death a few months ago. This is her final book, as far as I’m aware, and it’s genuinely lovely. An enchanting Christmas story full of warmth and heart.

Cratchit by RM Bouknight

Thirteen Christmases ago, the Spirits came to save a soul. Now they’ve returned… to save a family.

The Cratchits are no longer poor, but their struggles are far from over. Once a humble clerk and devoted family man, Bob Cratchit is seduced into a world that would tempt even the truest of hearts. His wife and grown children face their own trials of love, loyalty, and betrayal.
What they desperately need… is a Christmas miracle.
This isn’t a retelling of A Christmas Carol — it’s a new chapter. A richly imagined sequel filled with warmth, humor, hope, and the quiet magic of the season.
At its heart is a family bound by love… yet haunted by secrets.
If you were moved by A Christmas Carol, order this heartfelt sequel today.
Let the Spirits move you… again.

It’s brave to attempt to continue the story of A Christmas Carol! I remember being terrified when I wrote Saving Mr Scrooge, and that was only very loosely based on the great Dickens’ classic - a lighthearted, modern twist on the tale. This book takes on the task of actually writing about the same characters in the same world, and imagining what would happen to Bob Cratchit after Ebenezer Scrooge finally departs this mortal realm. It’s had mixed reviews but as someone who simply adores the original story I just had to give it a try, and I have to say I loved it. It takes courage to take a character like Bob and turn him into someone who needs help from the spirits, just like his former employer. But the way it’s written makes the change very plausible, and I thought it was done beautifully. As a bonus, you also get A Christmas Carol in this volume!

The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie

Mystery and suspense surround a seance in a snowbound house on the edge of Dartmoor, where the prediction of a grisly murder is only the precursor to an ingenious deadly crime and one of Agatha Christie’s most gripping thrillers…

In a remote house in the middle of Dartmoor, six shadowy figures huddle around a small table for a seance. Tension rises as the spirits spell out a chilling message: ‘Captain Trevelyan… dead… murder.’

Is this black magic or simply a macabre joke? The only way to be certain is to locate Captain Trevelyan. Unfortunately, his home is six miles away and, with snow drifts blocking the roads, someone will have to make the journey on foot…

Of the twelve books I read for the Read Christie Challenge 2025 this was the second and last book that I gave five stars to. It’s a really gripping, atmospheric read with a surprise twist at the end that I never saw coming the first time I read it. Plus, the lead character is really interesting - there’s no Miss Marple or Poirot in this one.

No Holly for Miss Quinn by Miss Read

A highly efficient, thoroughly unsentimental secretary has her plans for a quiet Christmas upset by her brother's sudden plea that she care for his children over the holidays.

Miss Quinn likes her life the way it is. She has a good job and a lovely home at Holly Lodge. She has plans for Christmas which mainly consist of decorating her home the way she wants it and avoiding invitations from her well-meaning neighbour and landlady. But when her brother, a vicar in Norfolk, issues a cry for help when his wife is taken into hospital, Miss Quinn knows her duty. Despite her longing for home and the single life, she does her best to make Christmas pleasurable for her brother, nieces and nephew. And as she does so, she creates a rather special and unexpected bond with her family.

I loved this book so much, and it turned me into a real fan of Miss Read. In fact, I read three of her Christmas stories in December, and two of them earned five stars.

*Please note that the link for the book will take you to an omnibus called Christmas with Miss Read, as the edition above is a very expensive hardback. The omnibus is exceptionally good value and you’ll get some really lovely stories alongside this one.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

Narnia… a land frozen in eternal winter… a country waiting to be set free.

Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change… and a great sacrifice.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, a series that has become part of the canon of classic literature, drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over fifty years.

I remember first hearing this story when a teacher read it to us at primary school. I was entranced then but I have to admit I’ve only read this book once in all the years since, and that was a couple of decades ago. I picked it up again for Christmas and fell in love with it all over again. A real fairytale, with a terrible villain, four extraordinary ordinary protagonists, and a hero above all heroes.

The Christmas Mouse by Miss Read

The last few years have been very difficult for Mrs Berry, her widowed daughter and two grandchildren. But with Christmas almost upon them, Mrs Berry hopes the festive season will work its magic and life will begin to improve for everyone.

The last thing Mrs Berry anticipates are two unexpected visitors who arrive on the night of Christmas Eve, visitors who, each in their own way, mark a new beginning - and not just for the Berry family...

I had absolutely no idea what to expect with this one, but what an enchanting story! A really gentle, lovely tale of a Christmas Eve night, as Mrs Berry and her daughter, Mary, ready Mary’s excited daughters for the night, prepare their pillowcases and wrap the last of the presents. It’s a cold, rainy night, and both women are tired. Life hasn’t been easy for either of them, with both losing their husbands unexpectedly, and having to raise two children with little money and no man to help with the house and garden. Mrs Berry goes upstairs where she meets the first of her visitors, and promptly hurries downstairs again, adamant that she’ll spend Christmas Eve in her armchair with a blanket! Mary finally heads up to bed and Mrs Berry settles down to think about the hand that life has dealt them both, and to dwell on happier times. Then her second visitor arrives…

It’s such a gorgeous, sweet, gentle story and I really loved it. I don’t think Christmas will be Christmas for me now without a Miss Read festive tale!

*Please note that the link above is for the Kindle edition of this story only. If you’d like to read more of her Christmas books as well as this one, I recommend clicking the link for No Holly for Miss Quinn.

Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah

New Year's Eve, 1932.

Hercule Poirot and his good friend Inspector Edward Catchpool arrive on the Greek island of Lamperos for a little holiday…or is it?

Catchpool suspects Poirot has a different reason for being there — one he won't reveal. As the clock ticks towards the New Year and a festive guessing game takes a sinister turn, can Poirot stop a murderer who is determined to strike before midnight?

I saved this book to read on New Year’s Eve and finished it just before midnight! It seemed the appropriate thing to do. I’ve read three of Sophie’s Hercule Poirot books now, and this is my favourite so far. A twisty-turny mystery story that kept me guessing and changing my mind from one chapter to the next, which is just how I like it! (And no, I wasn’t entirely correct in my deductions…)

So there you have it - my twenty-one 5-star reads for 2025. I’ve read some amazing books this year and thank you to all the authors for their hard work. I’m looking forward to reading many more excellent stories over the coming year. I’ve already made a start! I might not manage ninety-one books in 2026 as I have a heavy workload this year, but however many I read I know I’m in for some amazing adventures.

I won’t be doing any more reading blogs, but I’ll be mentioning just a couple of my favourites each month in my newsletter. Don’t forget to sign up to that here.

I hope you found something in this collection that appeals to you. Happy New Year, and happy reading!