Welp. 2025, huh? It’s been … something.
 
But do you know what’s great? Contemporary genre fiction. I’m grateful and honored to have continued helping lots of wonderful writers this year, and also delighted to get to read for fun in a world where tenaciously joyful people write fiction even when things are (understatement) tough.
 
Here are 15 of the novels I really enjoyed this year—not published in 2025, that’s just when I happened to get around to them. I hope this list inspires you to further reading and joy, and I (always) welcome you to email me with authors and titles you think I should check out :)

Microsoft Word is … not my favorite … for a wide variety of reasons. However, the reality is that it’s also industry standard, and many many writers find themselves working in it during some (or all) stages of their process from idea to published work.
 
If you use Word, especially for longer documents (like, say, a draft of your novel), I urge you: Take advantage of its Styles tools.

I recently spent six months teaching revision strategies (and strategies for emotionally navigating the revision process) to creative writers across genres through the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. One of the resources I drew on and recommended to writers most often during those months was fellow Minneapolis writing teacher Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew’s book Living Revision: A Writer’s Craft as Spiritual Practice.