My Top 5 Books of 2025

After Kalindi my reading habits have changed. Life has been busier, and I try to find time wherever and whenever possible. So between classes, in the auto, when I can’t sleep, on a floaty in the pool. This has worked well for me because in the last two years I’ve been able to spend a lot more time reading than I had pre-Kalindi.

This year I read 19 books, and here are my top 5 books of 2025.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

I decided to read this after watching the trailer for the movie on YouTube. I was intrigued and quickly downloaded the book.

It’s fast-paced, intriguing, engaging, compelling and makes for some compulsive reading. I remember stretching out on the couch and reading it in a single day. A lot of the story was predictable because of the trailer, but I think books add layers. The predictability didn’t diminish the enjoyment. The momentum of the writing kept me hooked.

I’m one of those readers who enjoys ‘easy reading’, I feel like it helps my brain decompress from all the academic reading. And books such as this one are deliciously satisfying when you don’t have the bandwidth for more ‘serious’ reading.

 

Cinnamon Gardens by Shyam Selvadurai

I discovered Shyam Selvadurai’s writing after my second trip to Sri Lanka, and I fell in love very quickly.

I have all his books on my Kindle and I have to actually pace myself with his books, else I wouldn’t do anything but read him and maybe eat and sleep.

His writing is evocative, it’s beautiful, it’s endearing, nuanced, sensitive and he makes me feel like Sri Lanka is mine. I enjoy reading about  lived experience of countries I want to understand better and Selvadurai writes about Sri Lanka intimately.

 

As though Sri Lanka is a favorite nephew he’s seen growing up.

 

In Cinnamon Gardens he combines his beautiful portrayal of people with historical research to give us a glimpse of 1920s Sri Lanka.

I highly recommend reading books by authors of the places you travel to, it’s an entirely different kind of cultural immersion. I often come back feeling like that place has taken root within me, and lives and grows inside me now. When you read books like Cinnamon Gardens, you never really leave Sri Lanka.

 

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

 

This was a book club recommendation which I was looking forward to because I love the horror genre. It was initially slow and I kept wondering where it was going. But at some point the narrative took a sharp and creepy turn and I was hooked. I’ve never read something like this before – the narrative is eerie, creepy, scary, philosophical and realistic.

 

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

 

I’m not sure where I heard about this novella, but I’m so glad I did. This is a classic, the OG gothic horror story. If you love horror, this book is a must read.

The writing is understated, which underscores the creep factor. The gothic elements are all present – the big isolated house, strange guest, ornate tableware and lots of servants powerless to protect the beautiful victim from the insidious vampire. This book is intelligent horror and if you’re a connoisseur like me, then read it right away.

The Abandoners by Begoña Gómez Urzaiz

This one is probably the most beautiful book on this list. It’s a nuanced exploration of motherhood told through stories of different mothers. But it’s not your run of the mill collection of stories about “good” mothers who sacrifice everything for their offspring – quite the contrary, we find out about how Maria Montessori rejected her only child, how Ingrid Bergman left her daughter to have an affair, amongst other stories. I love the honesty in the narrative – it drives home the point that all mothers are different, that motherhood has no template and that mothers often write their own rules.

This book is originally in Spanish and the English translation is beautiful. If you’re a mother then this book is a must read.

 

Books That Came Close…

I like to keep my reading eclectic and read many good books that didn’t make it to my top 5 books of 2025 list.

The book of the year was probably Arundhati Roy’s ‘Mother Mary Comes to Me’. Like many others I preordered a signed copy. I’m Arundhati Roy’s biggest fan, but I didn’t enjoy the story too much. I felt there were too many loose ends and I never understood the perspective she comes from. The prose though, is marvellous.

Another book I should mention is ‘Revenge Wears Prada’. It’s a book club recommendation and after reading more than half of it, I realised I’d read it a long time ago and given it a 1-star rating. To be honest this year I’d probably give it a 2-star. I’m excited about the movie next year.

Another book club recommendation was Butter by Asako Yuzuki, which made me think about food and fitness.

What books made an impression on you this year? Let me know in the comments.