This past year I read some of the most surprising and enlightening new books ever. My approach to reading has been to hope to be entertained, sometimes horrified, but ultimately inspired. Entertained because something has to draw us in, horrified because in truth life is pain, inspired because there is a path to peace, as Buddhism reminds.
Finding New Books
Early in the year, I focused on finishing and publishing my own book — the first nonfiction one I’ve published — a memoir When the Baby Is Not OK: Hopes & Genes. So, in the final editing stages, I read through that one more times than I care to admit. Soon after though, I vowed to read more nonfiction books, and more also more new fiction books written by women authors. This led me down a path I am happy to share with avid readers here, because I learned so much, and at the same time had so much fun.
A few of the authors on my year-end book list will already be well known to readers — Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, Amy Tan — but many are new discoveries for me. I routinely pass by the “new books” section of my local public library in New York City to pick out promising publications. There, I’m always looking for new authors, especially new fiction, and found some of my greatest surprises. I stumbled upon whole new worlds of ideas in the new nonfiction books read this year too, to help me better understand what, at times, seems a very confusing world — and hopefully, a path to peace.
A few gems are highlighted below, and the full list follows as book cover images from my Goodreads 2025 Year in Books page.
Entertaining New Fiction Books
The Applicant, the first novel published by writer and poet Nazli Koca (Grove Press, 2023) is wonderful storytelling. She made me open my eyes and heart to hidden experiences of people leaving their home countries and surviving in unexpected ways. Living in NYC, nearly everyone I know came from somewhere else earlier in their lives, or their parents did, yet Nazli Koca uncovers views I could never have imagined in her tale. She is from Turkey, and now lives in the US. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024) is a brilliant adventure that bares the dangers of idolizing any other person – in this novel, a famous author. A mystery, a romp, a moral tale led by a group of literary translators. This is a fascinating read, and the first novel from the International Booker-Prize-winning translator. Jennifer Croft’s writing sparkles with wit, enthusiasm and constant surprises.
The Red Hat Stories is the first fiction work by author Pauline O’Connor, and a delightful read (independently published, 2024). Her insightful short stories come from keen observations of human nature in the modern urban setting. Each one seemed to bring me right next to the narrator along her travels in London. Beautifully written and subtly heart warming, the author’s inner thoughts focus on empathy and the need for connection.
Horrifying yet Inspiring Nonfiction Books
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson (Random House, 2020) is harrowing to read, as she dissects US racism with a bright light and through a historical lens, showing us a new framing of caste. Perfectly written and meticulously researched. While the facts are horrifying, she also uncovers paths to understanding and healing. This is an enlightening read. Isabel Wilkerson has previously won the Pulitzer Prize for her nonfiction writing. She is such a treasure to find in the library.
Lee Hawkins book, I am Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering my Family’s History Set Me Free, (Amistad, 2025) is a frank and brave new memoir with a message. He promises hope after physical and mental trauma, understood through the lens of US historical context. By uncovering facts of his family’s past that had been previously hidden to guard the younger generations from pain or shame, he brings a light into the real causes of his childhood suffering. It is a remarkable journey, and one every family could read to help them tell their own stories to their next generation. And also to forgive themselves for harms forced on them by outside forces beyond their conscious control. Lee Hawkins is a gifted writer, 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist and well known former Wall Street Journal writer.
Malcolm Lives!, by Ibram X. Kendi (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025 ) is a must-read book now. As the author says, “History is boring when it’s dead. And interesting when alive.” – Ibram Kendi. This new, official biography of Malcolm X is meant for children and young readers, but as an adult, I loved reading it. The writing is so alive that the reader feels like part of the amazing story of Malcolm’s heroic life. Truly an inspiration now, in troubling times. I was fortunate to catch Ibram Kendi’s book reading, in person, at NYC’s The Strand bookstore in May with my family. A gentle, charming speaker while his messages set my brain on fire.
Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice posthumously published from Virginia Roberts Giuffre (Knopf, 2025) is a heartbreaking memoir. She is a brave woman seeking justice not only for herself and her lost childhood, but also for the girls and young women who suffered systemic abuse by wealthy men in the US. Insightful and raw, her point of view and her realizations as an adult observer of her past concern us all.
What did you read in the last year that entertained, horrified or inspired you most? Do share in the comments below, I’m always looking for my next best book.
Share your views with readers!