Some of My Top English Reads of 2025
- Anne Lam Music
- Sep 24
- 6 min read
I'm going to start this list with the book I am currently reading. I just started it not that long ago, and I'm already more than halfway through. I believe this book is originally written in Norwegian, but since I have not yet learned that language, I am currently reading the English translation. However, I would be quite interested to see if I could read the original Norwegian text, since I speak Swedish, which is extremely similar to Norwegian. The Snowman is about a boy who wakes up and finds his mother missing. The only thing left behind is her pink scarf, which is now wrapped around a snowman that randomly appeared in their yard earlier in the day. As inspector Harry Hole continues his investigation, he discovers that there have been similar disappearances over the past decade. This book is now also a major motion picture, and I would love to watch it after I have finished the book.
My rating: TBD
UPDATE: I have now finished the book, and WOWWWW 5/5!!!!! The ending was TOTALLY UNEXPECTED. I didn't think there would be another FINAL TWIST to the story. Will definitely be checking out the other books in the Harry Hole series now.
Have any of you ever watched CSI on TV? I remember my dad used to watch it ALL THE TIME. Didn't matter if it was CSI NY, CSI Las Vegas, or CSI Miami. He watched all of it. Since the show was so popular, novels based on the series started being published as well. I don't know if this particular novel, Sin City, is based on an actual aired episode or not, but I certainly don't remember seeing any CSI episodes with this plot. I'll be honest - when I read the little synopsis at the back of the book, I was intrigued, but didn't expect the novel to be THAT good. I was so wrong. Within 2-3 days of starting the book, I was already almost done. I couldn't help but binge-read it. I was hooked right from the start. There are two cases in this book that the detectives are trying to solve - one of a missing woman who had been threatened by her husband, and one of an adult dancer who was strangled in the club where she worked. I also thought that this book was a sign of its time, because it was mentioned somewhere that not everyone had GPS, which was relatively new at the time. It was funny to me, because these days, EVERYONE has GPS and live location tracking that they can even share with their friends and family.
My rating: 5/5
When I bought this book years ago and first tried to read it, I couldn't get into it. I'm not sure why - I probably just wasn't in the right mindset or mood. Since then, it had just been sitting on my shelf, untouched and unread. Earlier this year though, I decided to give it another go, since there must have been a reason I had bought this book in the first place. I am SO glad I did. This was definitely a psychological thriller, but also comedic at the same time. As someone who studied neuroscience and psychology in university, this was a very interesting read. I don't want to say too much more, because I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who might be interested in checking this book out. The story centres around Flynn, who is in a bit of a rut. He decides to take a job at the supermarket to help get out of it. However, things start to unravel when he arrives to work to a crime scene. I did NOT see the end coming at all, and by the time I finished the book, I thought, "WOW, this was very well crafted."
My rating: 4.5/5
I LOOOOOOOOVED reading this SO MUCH!! It was so thoughtful, compassionate, endearing, and insightful. it is about a teen with Asperger's syndrome, who has an extremely keen interest in forensic analysis. He often shows up at crime scenes to observe, and even to correct the cops. However, one day, Jacob himself becomes a suspect in a crime, and while his behaviours are typical of Asperger's syndrome, they also seem like guilt to the police. I appreciated the insight that this book gave into Asperger's syndrome. It shows not only what being on the spectrum is like for the person himself, but also how it can change and affect the entire family dynamic. We learn about all the compromises the other family members have to make in order to accommodate the person with Asperger's, and how stressful that can be on a day-to-day basis. I also loved how each chapter is written from the perspective of a different character, which is reflected not only by the change in writing voice, but also by the change in font.
My rating: 5/5
Oh boy, the number of David Baladcci books I have at home. BUT IT'S FOR A GOOD REASON - this man can WRITE. I have read SO many of his books, and each one HITS. They're always so hard to put down!! Memory Man is the first Amos Decker novel. The Amos Decker novels centre around... Well, Amos Decker, who is a police detective with a special skill - he can never forget anything. Due to a traumatic brain injury he had suffered as an athlete, he has gained perfect recall and synesthesia. I highly enjoy reading the Amos Decker novels, because I think Amos is a great character. In Memory Man, specifically, Decker has to solve a case that hits VERY close to home. Over a year ago, his family had been unexpectedly murdered, and the killer's identity never found. Now, someone has confessed and turned himself into the police. At the same time, a school shooting has also occurred in the same time, and Decker is called in to help with the investigation. As Decker investigates, he finds out that this school shooting is related to the murder of his family.
My rating: 5/5
This is another Amos Decker novel, and such an absorbing read. Aside from the plots of Baldacci's novels, another reason I enjoy reading his books is the fact that I always learn new vocabulary from them. Although English is my second language, I did grow up speaking it, and I would say that I am very proficient in this language. However, I ALWAYS find new words in Baldacci's books that I have never encountered before. So, I really appreciate the added bonus of expanding my vocabulary. The Last Mile tells the case of a man, Melvin, who has been wrongfully convicted of a crime that has ended him on death row. On D-Day, his execution gets called off when another man confesses to the crime. Decker and his team have to find out whether Melvin is guilty or not, and whether the other man who confessed to the crime is telling the truth. I know that in real life, wrongful convictions do happen. It's a scary thought, especially when death row is involved. Reading this book does make you wonder how many innocent people may have been wrongfully executed.
My rating: 5/5
Stuart MacBride is another author whose books are found in ABUNDANCE at my place. However, if you have a weak stomach, I would probably not recommend his books to you. They are brilliantly written, but can also get quite graphic and gory. I feel like I'm always grimacing when I read his books because of how disturbing they can get, but at the same time, that's also exactly why I can't stop reading them. Blind Eye is a Logan McRae book. I love the Logan McRae series, because you can always expect funny, sharp dialogue. The dynamic between DS McRae and DCI Steel provides some much needed comic relief. Blind Eye is about a series of brutal attacks on the Polish population in Aberdeen. The MO is always the same, and they keep on happening. Since all the victims are too afraid to say anything, the police aren't getting anywhere.
My rating: 4.5/5
This was the first novel I read by Stuart Neville, and I will definitely be reading more in the future. This was outstanding and fast-paced. It's about a Slavic woman who travels to Ireland and gets sold to a brothel in Belfast. She escapes and takes refuge with a man, who is not at all what he initially seems. At the same time, other dead bodies are popping up throughout the city due to a Lithuanian turf war between two rival gangs. As DI Jack Lennon continues his investigation into the crimes, he discovers that the escaped prostitute is the cause for all this violence. This is another book that took me almost no time to finish. It was an absolute page-turner.
My rating: 5/5
NEXT ON MY TO-READ LIST: Fairy Tale by Stephen King
This book was recommended to me by a neighbour, who kindly also lent me her copy of the book. I actually have NO IDEA what it's about, but knowing Stephen King, there will definitely be some horror in it. Reading the synopsis at the back though, it seems like this book will also have a bit of fantasy, which I enjoy in moderation as well. I'm very curious to see how both horror and fantasy elements will play out in this novel. It definitely seems right up my alley.
My rating: TBD
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