Best Fiction Novels of 2025

Reading a good story feeds my creativity in a big way. Here is a list of my top 10 favourite fiction novels I’ve read over the last year and a bit… Take a gander, try one out, and let me know if you have any suggestions!

Jane Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

This was a wacky ride. Kind of a choose your own adventure, where the same story line is retold and re-imagined in five separate sections. It pulled me in quickly, however I did find the ending a little left field and quite a different energy than the rest of the book. Still worth it however, it was a book full of great writing that pulled the reader in unexpected directions. 8/10

“A genre-obliterating book…all but rewires your brain as you read it.” —The New York Times Book Review

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

An amazing fantasy with a strong and intuitive female protagonist. There is a romance subplot which is take it or leave it, however the main plot is well worth the read! Fantastic world, storyline, and inspiring characters. 9/10

Spinning Silverby Naomi Novik

Another great fantasy - this is an inventive standalone that rewrites the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. I also tried the Temeraires series by Naomi Novik, which some family members loved, and I got a bit stalled out by the second book. Her Scholomance series was really not for me, but I would highly recommend Spinning Silver and Uprooted!! 9/10

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

This is the Hunger Games prequel telling the tale of President Snow. I enjoyed the overall story, however the character development was a bit weak. I’d say if you read the Hunger Games and enjoyed them, then definitely read this book! 8/10

The Change by Kirsten Miller

Feminist fantasy murder mystery. This book is full of strong female protagonists, vengeance, and sisterhood. Afterwards I read “Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books” also by Kirsten Miller, and it felt a bit repetitive after “The Change”; many similar themes and it just felt like the plot was too tidy and wrapped up too neatly. For “The Change” however; 9/10

Severance by Ling Ma

Not related to the show - Severance was written pre-pandemic, and let’s just say, it hit the nail on the head pretty damn well. This is a great apocalyptic, zombie, work dystopia that features some trials we’ve already experienced and some that may be yet to come… 10/10

Ink Magic Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

Sooooo good! This was a fun blend of mystery, thriller and fantasy colliding in a bizarre and sometimes brutal story. 10/10

Howl’s Moving Castle(Trilogy) by Diana Wynne Jones

What a great read! Parallel to the Ghibli movie, this story that inspired the film has yet more depth and different twists and turns that I did not expect. A fun, light, easy read. 10/10

“Castle in the Air” is the second book in the series and features some of the same characters as Howl’s Moving Castle, but takes place in a whole other world. Once again, a fun and easy read. 10/10

“House of Many Ways”… I couldn’t do it… It wasn’t pulling me in the same way as the first two, and she has Howl pretending to be a toddler, which I just found to be a really weird and off-putting dynamic with Sophie…

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This is a classic that I had never gotten around to reading. I now understand it’s allure - this is a beautifully written dystopia that leaves you hanging on until the last word. Beautiful. 10/10