S17:E29: The Best Books I Read in 2025: My Top Fiction and Nonfiction Picks
Helping Writers Become Authors
K.M. Weiland
4.8 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 15 December 2025
⏱️ 10 minutes
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Summary
It's that time again—my annual roundup of the best books I read this year! In this episode, I'm sharing the top 10 reads that made my 2025 unforgettablem, from romantasy and magical realism that were some of my best reads of the decade to thought-provoking nonfiction that challenged how I think about life, creativity, and the world around us.
This year, I read purely for the joy of it. No research, no goals, just great stories, fascinating ideas, and the simple pleasure of turning pages late into the night.
Join me as I talk about the books that inspired me most and why they stuck with me long after I finished them. Whether you're looking for your next great read or just want to reflect on your own year in books, you'll find plenty of inspiration here.
Full transcript here: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/best-books-i-read-in-2025/
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Helping Writers Become Authors podcast. I'm K.M. Wyland, and I am here to take you |
| 0:07.8 | deep with story theory, writing techniques, and the incredible wisdom of story. I believe story is the |
| 0:14.9 | greatest power on this earth, and that as writers, we carry the torch of wielding that power with responsibility, passion, and skill. |
| 0:24.2 | There is no such thing as just a story. |
| 0:27.5 | Today, it is my honor and my purpose to help you write your best story, astound the world, and maybe change your life. |
| 0:38.0 | Hello and welcome. You are listening to Season 17, Episode 29. |
| 0:44.6 | Every December, I love looking back at my year in books. My reading always ends up reflecting |
| 0:50.7 | everything else in my life, what I'm curious about, what's inspired me, and how I've |
| 0:54.9 | grown. And this year, I feel like I really got to fall back in love with reading so much more deeply. |
| 1:01.3 | For the first time in a while, I wasn't reading for research or a challenge. I was just reading for fun. |
| 1:06.9 | Late nights, turning pages, underlining favorite lines, chasing that feeling of being completely |
| 1:13.1 | swept away. I dove into the Romanticy craze, rediscovered my love of epic fantasy, and dove into a few |
| 1:20.5 | fascinating reads on sociology, philosophy, and metaphysics. And it all added up to one of my |
| 1:26.2 | most satisfying reading years ever. It was fun, |
| 1:29.8 | thought-provoking, full of books that made me think deeply and feel everything. So today I'm going |
| 1:34.6 | to share some of my favorite reads from 2025. We'll start with the fiction. First up, we have |
| 1:43.3 | Iron Flame by Rebecca Yaros. |
| 1:47.1 | Oh, M.G. I don't know if this was actually better than the first book, which made my list last year, |
| 1:52.9 | or it's just that I'm well and truly hooked now, but I freaking love this book. |
| 1:57.3 | Best novel reading experience I've had in probably 10 years. I was experiencing literal |
| 2:02.3 | anxiety toward the end as the suspense just kept ramping and ramping. And the cliffhanger? No words. |
| 2:08.3 | I was just happy I came to the series late enough that the third book was literally a week from |
... |
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