My great reading slump of the tail-end of 2025 is well-documented, but stepping back to view the year as a whole, I can’t help but observe that I read a LOT of really great books last year. So many, in fact, that they couldn’t all fit into my roundup of favorite books of 2025. Which is where this Bonus Superlatives list comes in! Today I’m looking back at the books that didn’t *quite* reach favorite status for me in 2025, but that were genuinely memorable and recommendation-worthy reads.
I’ve sorted this list by category—Nonfiction, Fiction, and Middle Grade—and every title in these three sections received a 4.5- or 5-star rating from me. For each book, I’ve given a superlative and also linked to my original book review. I loved every one of these books and think that you will too.
As with every year, I had a few books that stood out as terrible and/or disappointing, and I couldn’t help but acknowledge these Negative Superlatives on this list. To be fair, most of my least favorite books have been highly reviewed by others, which goes to show that every book is NOT for every reader.
Okay, let’s get to the superlatives. I can’t wait to hear whether or not you agree with my assessments!
NONFICTION SUPERLATIVES
BEST EXPLANATION OF A TRAGIC CHURCH PHENOMENON: The Deconstruction of Christianity: What It Is, Why It’s Destructive, and How to Respond, by Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett (Review)
BOOK THAT MADE ME LAUGH THE HARDEST: Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind, by Nate Bargatze (Review)
BEST DISCUSSION OF FAITH & TECH: The Focused Faith: Detox Your Digital Life, Reclaim Hijacked Attention, Build Habits for Focus And Joy, by Brian Bovee (Review)
BEST BIBLE-READING COMPANION: The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible, by Tara-Leigh Cobble (Review)
BEST DAILY DEVOTIONAL: Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations, by Frederick Buechner (Review)
BEST “BUSINESS” BOOK WITH REAL-LIFE APPLICATION: Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara (Review)
MOST SURPRISING (AND MEMORABLE) MEMOIR: The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing, by Lara Love Hardin (Review)
BEST LOOK AT SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Your Story Has a Villain: Identify Spiritual Warfare and Learn How to Defeat the Enemy, by Jonathan “JP” Pokluda: (Review)
MOST BEAUTIFUL AUDIOBOOK: God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom, by Andrew Peterson (Review)
MOST CULTURALLY RELEVANT; BOOK THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN WOMAN NEEDS TO READ: Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion, by Allie Beth Stuckey (Review)
FICTION SUPERLATIVES
BEST BREAK-UP BOOK: Good Material, by Dolly Alderton (Review)
BEST MYSTERY WITH MORE (BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF GHOSTWRITING): The Ghostwriter, by Julie Clark (Review)
BEST WEDDING STORY; BEST BRAIN CANDY: Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding, by Lian Dolan (Review)
MOST PROPULSIVE THRILLER: First Lie Wins, by Ashley Elston (Review)
REALISTIC FICTION THAT I WISH WAS SCI-FI; MOST DISCUSSABLE: Culpability, by Bruce Holsinger (Review)
BEST UNCONVENTIONAL CHRISTMAS NOVELLA: Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, by Benjamin Stevenson (Review)
BEST SPINE-TINGLING CHRISTMAS THRILLER: The Christmas Guest, by Peter Swanson (Review)
BEST SMALL-SCALE NOVELLA: Three Days in June, by Anne Tyler (Review)
MIDDLE GRADE SUPERLATIVES
BEST MIDDLE-GRADE HEROINE: Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink (Review)
CUTEST CHRISTMAS READ-ALOUD: Clarice Bean: Think Like an Elf, by Lauren Child (Review)
MY KIDS’ FAVORITE READ-ALOUD OF THE YEAR: Frindle, by Andrew Clements (Review)
STORY I’D LIKE TO STEP INTO: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E. L. Konigsburg (Review)
MOST MEMORABLE HISTORICAL FICTION: Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, England, 1544, by Kathryn Lasky (Review)
MOST FUN: Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, by Betty MacDonald (Review)
BEST FAIRY TALE: The King’s Equal, by Katherine Paterson (Review)
MOST ENTERTAINING MORAL STORIES FOR KIDS: More Stories from Grandma’s Attic, by Arletta Richardson (Review)
FAVORITE READING EXPERIENCE WITH MY BIG KID: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling
MOST NOSTALGIC RE-READ: Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Review)
NEGATIVE SUPERLATIVES
BOOK I WANTED TO THROW AGAINST A WALL: Broken Country, by Clare Leslie Hall (Review)
BOOK WITH THE BEST PREMISE THAT DIDN’T DELIVER: The Names, by Florence Knapp (Review)
WORST BOOK OF THE YEAR; MOST DISAPPOINTING MILLENNIAL “HOT TAKE”: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl, by Mary Mahoney and Allison Horrocks (Review)
BIGGEST PREMISE BAIT-AND-SWITCH; STRANGEST NARRATIVE VOICE: Finding Grace, by Loretta Rothschild (Review)
LEAST DESERVING OF THE HYPE: Listen for the Lie, by Amy Tintara (Review)
I hate to end on a low note, so I will bring us back up with the reminder that you can find an overview of my 2025 reading and links to all my Best Books of the year right here.
Have you considered making a Bookish Superlatives list for your 2025 reading? How does YOUR list line up with mine, any overlap? Looking ahead to this year’s reading, what superlatives are you hoping will land on your 2026 Reading Review?
I had enough disappointing reads and DNFs in 2025 to write an entire post! 😂 Broken Country was on there!
My best MG read this year was The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner.
Wishing you a tall stack of 5 star reads in2026! 📚🥂