YOUR best books of 2025 (so far) 🌟 5 star book recommendations

Hi friends! Welcome back to my channel, or welcome if you're new. My name is Rachel, and in today's video I'm going to be chatting about your best books of the year so far. I did this video last year and it was so much fun to talk about the books that you guys are absolutely loving. I also think that this video serves as a great recommendations video. So talking about the books that people have absolutely loved this year, given five stars to, their best books of the year so far, it's a really great way to find hopefully some potential five stars for yourself. I am going to be talking about the books that were repeated the most, and thankfully most of the books that you guys absolutely loved are books that I have on my shelves. I have either read them or they're on my TBR. There are a couple books that I don't own, so I'm going to go for those first. But let's chat about the books that you guys are absolutely loving and you say are your best books of the year so far. So one of the books that came up over and over again, and the only non-fantasy book on this list, is Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I don't own this book. I have not read it. I've definitely considered reading it because I've seen so many wonderful reviews. I feel like Taylor Jenkins Reid has so many fans, is such a popular author. I have read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six and Malibu Rising by her. I did enjoy all of those, but I just haven't been in the mood to pick up one of her books in the last few years. But Atmosphere is a book that people are loving. This book follows Joan Goodwin and her journey of being one of the first female scientists to work at the Houston Space Center. Obviously with it being TJR, I know that there is so much more to that. But I would guess maybe there's a romance somewhere in there as well. So this is a book I'm definitely considering picking up. I know so many people love it. I have seen people crying at the ending. So maybe this is a book that I will give a shot. Another book that was repeated many times as your favorite book of the year so far was Shield of Sparrows by Daphne Perry. I have read this book, but I do not own it because I unhauled it. I did not end up loving this book. I gave it two stars, but I am in the minority here. I feel like everyone absolutely loves this book. So if you're a fantasy romance reader, you should pick it up because most everyone is really, really enjoying this book. We are following our main character, who is a princess. Initially, her sister is set to marry someone else for political gain, but our main character ends up being the one to marry this person. She was not expecting this at all. This really throws her life upside down. In this world is also dealing with monsters. That was my favorite part of the book. The monster element I thought was really interesting. And there's a lot of mystery and intrigue with some of our male main characters. And then also what is actually going on in this world. Another book that so many of you loved, and I loved it too, is Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yaros. This is the third book in the Empyrean series, and I think this is my favorite book in the series. I thought it was so, so good. I thought it was a step up fantasy and plot wise in this series. The other books are definitely more romance forward, and the romance is definitely still here. But I feel like the plotting and planning was just so well done in this book. It has me really excited and gripped for this series. For me, Onyx Storm was kind of going to be the deciding factor of, okay, how invested am I going to be in this series? Because the first book, Fourth Wing, was really fun, gave it five stars. And then the second book, Iron Flame, I really did not like, and it was such a disappointment. So Onyx Storm was really going to be the tiebreaker to see how I felt about it, but I truly fell in love with it. I think this book is excellent. I'm very committed to the series now, cannot recommend this whole series enough, especially if you're just starting out in fantasy romance. It's a perfect gateway into the romanticy obsession. Another book that was so loved by you all, and also myself, is Direbound by Sable Sorensen. This actually just came out traditionally published in the US a few days ago. So I did pick up my traditionally published version copy. This is a book that I really, really enjoyed. In this book, we have direwolves. Our main character ends up joining the military in hopes of finding her sister on the other side of the front lines. But before she can do that, she has to bond with a direwolf, go through all those trials and tribulations, and she has a bit of a love triangle along the way. I absolutely love love triangles, and the romance in this is so interesting and so wild. It's definitely slow burn on one point of the triangle. That is why I am just dying for book two. I think it's going to be even better because I'm really looking forward to one character in particular kind of taking center stage, but I think the plot is really entertaining as well. This was not a five star for me. It was a four star. I think that the writing is just like not my favorite. That was really the only downfall, but it's a really fun fantasy romance, and I think it takes a little bit of a spin on the typical formula with these bonded direwolves. I think that's such like an interesting mythical magical element that we have in this book, and I'm excited to see more of that in book two. Another book that so many of you loved and so many of you said that this is a six star read and this is your best book of the year is The Night in the Moth by Rachel Gillig. I love this book to death. I'm honestly questioning my rating of this book. I think I gave it a four and a half star. I'm not sure why I didn't give it a five star. I will reread this book next year in preparation for the sequel to come out and I'll see how I feel. But I walk away from this book feeling very, very good. This book is full of lore. It is very gothic. It is very atmospheric. If you have read the Shepard King duology by Rachel Gillig, very similar vibes, but I actually think that the story is a lot more well crafted. I think it's a little bit more mature and I am obsessed with the romance in this book. It is so, so good. Even though it's not like a particularly over the top, sexy, spicy romance, I would argue that the tension between our two characters is even better. Also, we have to shout out the gargoyle. He is such a special character and brings such amazing comic relief to this book. This next book is a book that I was so happy to see so many of you absolutely loving and spoiler alert, this is my best book of the year so far. I read this shortly after reading a lot of really amazing books. I had a few five stars before this, but this book really just blew me out of the water. I think it is such an incredible, incredible standalone fantasy and it's just a book that's going to stick with me forever. So many of you agree. That is Blood Over Brighthaven by M.L. Wong. If you can take one recommendation from me right now, please read Blood Over Brighthaven. It is such a wonderfully told story. We are following Syanna. She is the first woman accepted into a prestigious order of mages. And what she thinks she is doing, what great cause she is working towards, maybe isn't all that it seems. And she starts to get involved in this conspiracy and things just completely unravel. It gets so crazy, so wild, extremely emotional. I think there's a ton of really beautiful and important commentary in this book. And it's also such a digestible read. It is not particularly dense. I think that the writing flows really well. It's just so, so special and has left such an imprint on my heart. I absolutely love Blood Over Brighthaven and I'm so glad that so many of you do as well. City of Gods and Monsters by Kayla Edwards was also mentioned as a lot of y'all's favorite book of the year so far. This is an urban fantasy romance series. We are following a bounty hunter and a human girl living in this magical world. She has a price on her head and originally this magical bounty hunter is going to go after her for that price. But once he meets her, he's very curious about her. He doesn't really understand why everyone is after this human girl. The two of them team up. He basically acts as her bodyguard and they kind of bounce around the city trying to find out what's going on and a whole lot under the surface explodes. This is actually my least favorite book in the series so far. I read the second book, City of Souls and Sinners, and gave that four stars. And I'm actually reading City of Lies and Legends right now and I think this is going to be my favorite book in the series. So I would say if you've read this book and absolutely loved it, that is fantastic. And just know you are in for even better books as the series goes on, in my opinion. I think the series only gets better and better. It gets really big. There's so many plot lines. It becomes multi-POV. And I think it's a really, really strong series the farther that it goes on. I was also so happy to see this book listed by so many of you as one of your favorites of the year, Heavenly Bodies by Imani Iriu. I read this book when it was indie published back in 2023. It has since been trad published. I did read the traditionally published version and I'm just so happy with it, so in love. This is one of my favorite books of all time. I also think this is just like such a solid, classic fantasy romance with a spin on the magic system in the world and a uniqueness that only Imani Iriu can do. This is a celestial fantasy romance. We have a bit of reluctant allies to lovers and our two main characters are incredible. The world is so, so rich. The sequel comes out in November, I want to say, which is called Fallen Stars. I cannot wait to read that and continue on with the series. This is such a strong book to me. This next book kind of surprised me, but a lot of people mentioned this and it does make me happy. It's a book that I've read, but I read it years ago. I do have kind of overall mixed feelings about the series as a whole, but many of you are loving Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent. I would imagine because this book did get picked up to be traditionally published this year that that's why so many people are picking it up. But this is the first series that Carissa Broadbent wrote, I believe. At least her first like completed series. She wrote this and then started working on the Crowns of Niaxia series, which I would say is definitely her more popular series. But I know a lot of people ride hard for this trilogy. Like I said, I am a little bit mixed on the series, but there's definitely some really strong points. And I think this first book is my favorite. I would totally give it a shot if you haven't read it and you enjoy Carissa Broadbent's books. The romance is the trainer trainee trope and it's very like uncomplicated, I would say. I think it's a different take on romance, particularly in fantasy romance. So I think if you're kind of tired of the enemies to lovers of it all, this is a different romance setup and it's going to feel very fresh. Of course, this would not be a five star reads of the year so far in 2025 video if we did not talk about Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. This was absolutely just wonderful. So, so incredible. I read The Hunger Games for the first time at the end of last year and obviously loved it. Was a little bit disappointed by The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but my love for Sunrise on the Reaping absolutely blew me away. I think it is such an important book. I think it is so well written. I love the storyline. It reminds me a lot of the first book in The Hunger Games trilogy, which is my favorite book in the trilogy. We are following Hamish's story. So this is a bit of a prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy. We learn a lot about the history of how things happened, why Hamish is the way that he is, why the games end up being how they are from his perspective and all of the developments that happened there. There's so much amazing friendship and love and heartbreak and devastation and you're going to get your heart ripped out when you read this. But I love this book so much. This was my favorite book of the year until I read Blood over Brighthaven shortly after and it knocked it down. But still a really solid book. I love it. I think it's perfect. Okay, then the final two books that we're going to talk about, I do physically own them. I have not read them yet, but they both came up over and over and over again. So you guys have me really excited. I am planning to read these books in September. Emphasis on the word planning, but I want to read them both so, so badly. So we're just, we're putting it out into the universe. The first one is The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson. This is the first book in a new fantasy romance series. In this book, I believe, I think basically all I know about it is our main character is set to be executed, but ends up getting kidnapped during her execution. I also think that we have a love triangle or maybe she has multiple love interests. I'm not quite sure. But I have seen nothing but raving reviews for The Wind Weaver. I really think that I'm going to like it. I've never read anything by this author. From what I have heard, it sounds fantastic. This book also has elemental magic, which is my absolute favorite type of magic in a fantasy series. Like I just, I love it so much. You can do so much with it. And so I'm really excited to see how Julie Johnson does it. Okay, and then the final book that so many of you raved about and are absolutely loving, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. Toxic lesbian vampires. That is the tagline for this book. I've heard that the writing is gorgeous. I've heard the storyline is beautiful and poignant and touching. I know we are following three different POVs, which I really enjoy that. I would imagine that they all connect at some point or they have some sort of running theme with this book. But I am looking forward to it. I saw people saying not only is this their best book of the year, but it's also one of the best books they have ever read. So that is very, very high praise. I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't had a ton of luck with V.E. Schwab's books in the past, but I do think that her writing is gorgeous. Even in the books that I haven't been obsessed with, like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I think I gave like three, three and a half stars. Even though I didn't love the execution of that book, the writing was still wonderful and there's beautiful quotes from that book that still stick with me. So I know that picking this book up, I will be in for gorgeous writing. I just hope that I love the execution as well. All right, friends. So those were some of your best books of the year so far, your five star reads of 2025. Please let me know down in the comments below if there's another book that was not on this list that is your best book of the year. I want to hear it. I always want to pick up people's five star reads. If someone says, oh, this is my best book of the year, it makes me want to drop everything and pick that book up. So please, please leave your recommendation down below. Or if you wanted to leave an emoji, go ahead and leave the moon emoji. Please make sure that you're following me on all of my social media. I have my Instagram, my TikTok, and my Goodreads link down below. I also have a Patreon. That is where I host my book club. We are doing a series readalong of the Gods and Monsters series by Amber B. Nicole right now. We do live shows for each book. I also post bonus videos and I host reading sprints there as well. I really appreciate that you watched this video. I hope that you're having a fantastic day. I love you all so, so much and I will catch you guys in the next one.