With another year of reading behind us and 2026 officially underway, we’re rounding up the 20 books that readers couldn’t stop clicking on across the RGC website in 2025. These aren’t all brand-new releases, but each title made a strong impression and earned its place among the year’s most popular picks.
Which of these books did you already love, and which are calling your name now? Our 2025 RGC reading recap showcases an eclectic range of stories and subjects, from fiction and nonfiction to young adult favorites, across multiple formats – proof that great reads come in many forms!
1. This Is Happiness
by Niall Williams
2. Familiaris
by David Wroblewski
3. That Librarian
by Amanda Jones
4. The Second Life of Mirielle West
by Amanda Skenandore
5. My Name Means Fire
by Atash Yaghmaian
6. The Lilac People
by Milo Todd
7. I Am You
by Victoria Redel
8. Eddie Winston is Looking for Love
by Marianne Cronin
9. The Confidante
by Christopher C. Gorham
10. Having It All
by Corinne Low PhD
11. How the Light Gets In
by Joyce Maynard
12. Finding Grace
by Loretta Rothschild
13. Conversations with Birds
by Priyanka Kumar
14. The Disappeared
by Rebecca J. Sanford
15. Bog Queen
by Anna North
16. I See You’ve Called In Dead
by John Kenney
17. The Mad Wife
by Meagan Church
18. Ms. Ming’s Guide to Civilization
by Jan Alexander
19. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop
by Hwang Bo-reum & Shanna Tan
20. Spectacular Things
by Beck Dorey-Stein
Looking for more great reads from 2025? Browse all of the themed reading lists on our blog!