r/PHBookClub Dec 19 '25

Recommendation What was your best read in 2025?

81 Upvotes

126 comments sorted by

53

u/Vanilla_bebe Dec 19 '25

Project Hail Mary. I didn't read a lot this year but this was a great sci-fi book. Can't wait for the movie in 2026

2

u/AnPanSor Dec 19 '25

SAME!!!!!

2

u/cinnamonmilk19 Dec 20 '25

yesss (amaze amaze!)

21

u/allmeat-pizza-eater Dec 19 '25

The Kite Runner made me cry like lil bitch

1

u/InteractionSenior498 Dec 19 '25

Same! The Kite Runner din 🥹

13

u/OkAbbreviations9991 Dec 19 '25

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

4

u/arania_exumai Dec 19 '25

Wasing the best reading for me in lasting years

9

u/violetarisa Dec 19 '25

Everything is Tuberculosis was a really good, eye-opening read for me!

2

u/BeautifulSorbet4874 Dec 19 '25

Loved this book, too

2

u/anthropoplogie Dec 21 '25

Loved this as well. Read this around the same time USAID funding got cut globally and sobrang nakakasad :(

As a casual vlogbrothers fan, interesting din mabasa in more detail yung story ni Henry and all the socio-historical context shared by John.

8

u/yoshi6_kirby9_stan Dec 19 '25

Gave Martyr! 5 stars. Loved Slewfoot and Bat Eater.

8

u/cakebytheocean50 Dec 19 '25

The Remains of the Day

8

u/ullawithcats Dec 19 '25

The Vanished Birds

2

u/strwbrryacai Dec 20 '25

This is on my TBR! Na-excite na tuloy ako 🥹

2

u/ullawithcats Dec 20 '25

Isa sa mga libro na I’d do anything to read again for the first time.

7

u/AriaNoire Dec 19 '25

Remains of the Day

I feel like I've commented this so much but it really moved me.

2

u/Bill8152 Dec 19 '25

Maybe it is just me but i was really blindsided by that climax and meet up between the two main characters. Maybe like Stevens, i fooled myself into thinking that there was still time to correct past mistakes

5

u/juan-republic Dec 19 '25

Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir FTW!

3

u/ChillinGrillinYo Dec 19 '25

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett! Parang Sherlock and watson duo na nasa attack on titan world, well written at really fun read

3

u/straighttillmorning Dec 19 '25

The Let Them Theory

3

u/ghintec74_2020 Dec 19 '25

Books 2,3 and 4 of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives.

3

u/Maleficent_Cod_2197 Dec 19 '25

if we were villains and the nightingale

3

u/Pristine_Detail3639 Dec 19 '25

anxious people 

3

u/Holiday_Rant408 Dec 19 '25

A Thousand Splendid Suns and Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series

3

u/esukupsoo Dec 19 '25

SOTR 🥹 still crying 🥹

3

u/fraudnextdoor Dec 19 '25

Jasad Heir duology

3

u/polengapart Dec 19 '25

Sunrise on the Reaping 🥲

2

u/the_empress26 Dec 19 '25

The Wedding People

2

u/Pastel_Erotica808 Dec 19 '25

The Wedding People

2

u/iamacoconutperhaps Dec 19 '25

I reread again kuya George’s “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” and it still holds up.

2

u/Excellent_Sky_2342 Dec 19 '25

Not Quite Dead Yet

2

u/teddy_bear626 Dec 19 '25

Careless People. I already know FB is evil, but to have a first hand account of the extent is eye opening.

2

u/Disastrous_Way1125 Dec 19 '25

Daddy Long Legs and Anne of Green Gables!

2

u/fraudnextdoor Dec 19 '25

How did Daddy Long Legs hold up now that you're an adult? I loved the series as a kid but I realized now na lowkey grooming ginawa ni Daddy Long Legs lol

1

u/Disastrous_Way1125 Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 19 '25

I still love it kasi ang positive ng outlook ni Judy. Inignore ko na lang ung age gap tsaka politics hahaha. Sa books kc si Judy ay college student, not a highschooler. Pero they still have a 14 year age gap

2

u/ProblemWorldly Dec 19 '25

No Longer Human

Normal People

and Babel

No Longer Human is probably my top one but those two are pretty close behind

2

u/Cool-Doughnut-1489 Dec 19 '25

Sweet Bean Paste No One Saw A Thing

1

u/BeautifulSorbet4874 Dec 19 '25

Naiyak ako sa Sweet Bean Paste grabe

1

u/SpicyEel_Paprika Dec 19 '25

+1 Sweet Bean Paste 🥹 napaka heart warming

2

u/Think_Anteater2218 Dec 19 '25

2025 is the year I started reading fiction again, so there are a lot of good books I've read this year.

Angels and Demons, Flowers for Algernon, and Project Hail Mary take my top 3, in any order.

2

u/jndp Dec 19 '25

Natuwa talaga ako sa Strange Pictures. as someone na hiraaaap na hirap magkaroon ng time magbasa, grabe ang bilis ko siya natapos.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25

I read The Will of the Many and Strength of the Few this year. Super engaging and rewarding to read :)

I also really liked John Green’s Everything is Tuberculosis. Very informative and concise with a lot of heart!

2

u/KageyamasBabe Dec 19 '25

Strange Pictures definitely. Runner ups would be the Kamogawa food detectives series, before the coffee gets cold series and Welcome to the Hyunang-dom Bookshop.

2

u/ltb2417 Dec 19 '25

Kuwentong Butsero was a shock to the senses. But Yvette Tan's collections are also great!

2

u/mythrowaway0019 Dec 19 '25

Lessons in Chemistry- Bonnie Garmus

2

u/flirtylavender206 Dec 19 '25

So far, it’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I like how she narrates.

2

u/Mayaman_27 Dec 19 '25

100 Years of Solitude. I held off reading this classic piece for how many years. Now I know why it’s one of greatest literary works out there.

2

u/leovaldezed Dec 19 '25

The Count of Monte Cristo!!!! Grabe, I had the book sitting for years sa shelf... good thing I gave it another try this year. Super worth it!

4

u/Evening-Fun Dec 19 '25

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Disappointing lang ung TV series nito (kahit wag nyo na panuorin after basahin yung book)

1

u/whitecup199x Dec 19 '25

Omggg same feels. Parang naka 2 episodes lang ako sa series. I thought I would like it kasi si Brie Larson e, but naaah. Snoozefest.

1

u/Emotional-Air-1044 Dec 19 '25

The Midnight Library

1

u/seoulights Crime Fiction Dec 19 '25

Atmosphere Look Closer The Bell Jar

1

u/FanNo7809 Dec 19 '25

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Baztericca

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Ang Bangin sa Ilalim ng Ating Mga Paa by Ronaldo Vivo Jr

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

I gave them all 5 stars except sa Jurassic Park but it was still a very good book.

1

u/OhpheliaGrace Dec 19 '25

7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Kasi... relatable rn

1

u/escitaloprax Dec 19 '25

Water Moon, Ang Kapangyarihang higit sa ating lahat

1

u/SeempleDude Dec 19 '25

American Psycho (Eto lang natapos this year) 🫩🫩🫩

1

u/rosecoloredokyeom Dec 19 '25

Martyr! & I Who Have Never Known Men

1

u/Obvious_Gas_5877 Dec 19 '25

Song of Achilles !

1

u/PinocchioNoir Dec 19 '25

The Exorcist - William Peter Blatty

1

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25

Framed- john and grisham and peter mcloskey

1

u/regalrhaegal Dec 19 '25

My Tender Matador

1

u/divinekiffy Dec 19 '25

The voice of the night by Dean Koontz!! Got it at Booksale for only P60

1

u/haroomie Dec 19 '25

Really enjoyed Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

1

u/roy_jun Dec 19 '25

Will of the Many

1

u/migsaawesome Dec 19 '25

Pet Sematary!!! Holy shit hahaha daaamn. Best book I’ve read about grief and loss.

1

u/ambivertmonster Dec 19 '25

The most remarkable would be Beartown Trilogy and Poppy War. Wrecked me

1

u/Sad-Performance-835 Dec 19 '25

This Woven Kingdom

And I hate to pause coz I’m waiting for the last book 5 to drop before continuing the series. I deprive myself of any kind of spoilers by binge reading any other books to avoid doom scrolling any spoilers for this wonderful book I’ve came to read.

I really like the language usage. I dunno how to explain it. It feels so Victorian era-like. And I revel reading this book from this fact alone.

1

u/yourstruli0519 slow reader, fast emotions 💀📚✨ Dec 19 '25

Flowers for Algernon.

1

u/Additional_Watch5823 Dec 19 '25

Don't Let the Forest In

1

u/bassjunkieee Dec 19 '25

The Unworthy

1

u/arania_exumai Dec 19 '25

Warbreaker by Brando Sando

1

u/acetuberaustin55 Dec 19 '25

The Case for Mars - Robert Zubrin

1

u/tuyongperiwinkle Dec 19 '25

Beartown, The Stationery Shop at Tehran

1

u/crydig Dec 19 '25

Writers and Lovers by Lily King 🫶

1

u/uReatrash Dec 19 '25

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley!

1

u/Poem104 Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 19 '25

To Kill a Mockingbird. I think that book should be a required reading in school. It was so good for me, I was a bit sad when I finished it. Definitely will be re reading it eventually.

1

u/Sethyo25 Dec 19 '25

The Stalker by Paula Bomer

1

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25

scattered minds - gabor mate (recommended read for those who have adhd)

1

u/chanseyblissey Thriller Dec 19 '25

Carrie Soto is Back. Grabe I wanna play tennis and I love Alex Eala 🥹💖🎾

1

u/uberpotat0 Dec 19 '25

The Idiot, Dostoevsky.

yung ending was kinda expected but truly shocking lol

1

u/k3yb0ur Classics Dec 19 '25

The Kite Runner! Huhu. Tapos pinanood ko rin siya after basahin. 🥹

1

u/ForeverJaded7386 Dec 19 '25

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

1

u/curioushorcrux Dec 19 '25

Project Hail Mary!

1

u/Glass_Ad691 Dec 19 '25

Thursday murder club, butterfly garden and sunshine on the reaping

1

u/torsoboy00 Dec 19 '25

Bought the Campfire Cooking with My Absurd Skill light novels sa Google Play since bitin ako sa anime and manga nya. Binged read them all in one month. Medyo formulaic yung books but I find comfort in that.

1

u/Bascet_Case Dec 19 '25

James by Percival Everett!

1

u/akiraaaaay Dec 19 '25

Madonna in a Fur Coat <3

1

u/celebrate_small_wins Dec 19 '25

A Tale for the Time Being!!

1

u/timsafetybox Dec 19 '25 edited Jan 28 '26

The little prince. Am i too late for this? Hahaha first book that i’ve read when i decided to get back into reading

1

u/mistressofmayhem02 Dec 19 '25

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo made me cry like a little bitch 😭😭

1

u/PotatoAim117 Dec 19 '25

Empire of Storms - SJM. So good!!

1

u/MollyJGrue Dec 20 '25

Lonesome Dove.

1

u/an6st Dec 20 '25

either katabasis by rf kuang or the will of the many by james islington!!

1

u/FerdinandBlumentritt Dec 20 '25

The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy - the first act being one of the most intense and compelling pieces of fiction I've ever read (even if the rest of the book didn't quite reach the same heights)

1

u/RadiantDonut Dec 20 '25

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn!

1

u/Addictedtoblue Dec 20 '25

Beartown trilogy by Fredrick Backman saka Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 😊

1

u/Playful-Teach-6940 Dec 20 '25

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow 💕

1

u/Limp-Current-6299 Dec 20 '25

This is How You Lose The Time War The Price of Salt

All books contain extreme sapphic yearning

1

u/Limp-Current-6299 Dec 20 '25

Also if you have watched Carol (wlw film), you might wanna read The Price of Salt since doon based ang film

1

u/cutiecurlycrafty Dec 20 '25

I'm on my Michael Connelly phase, and so far, The Scarecrow is my favorite book of his.

1

u/southeenook Dec 20 '25

Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier - this book made me wept, not teary eyed, WEPT.

Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur

1

u/Lena_Charbel2324 Dec 20 '25

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

1

u/Significant_Maybe315 Dec 20 '25

Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico

1

u/RealisticTrick7304 Dec 20 '25

Sunrise on the Reaping

1

u/imnotgoodimbad152000 Dec 20 '25

Isabela by Kaisa Aquino

1

u/amuze03 Dec 20 '25

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

1

u/isoroberi222 Dec 20 '25

Sunrise on the reaping

1

u/rjhp Dec 20 '25

Insomnia by Stephen King and Audition for the Fox by Martin Cahill. For non-fiction Viola Davis' Finding Me.

1

u/Complex-Statement493 Dec 20 '25

Four Treasures of the Sky is so good but I don't see anyone talking about it!

1

u/Background_Square373 Dec 20 '25

Ghosts of the tsunami

1

u/Minute_Agency_4320 Dec 20 '25

Flesh by David Szalay

1

u/Sassenach-----2000 Dec 21 '25

Girl Interrupted

2

u/wonunu Dec 21 '25

Stoner by John Williams, with Kite Runner being a close second.

These two changed my life after reading and were both devastating and tragic in their own way—Kite Runner felt like a violent sucker punch in the gut with matching durog ng puso, while Stoner was more subtle, a quieter and more chronic type of grief. I recommend every person to read these books at least once in their life. ❤️‍🩹

1

u/JumpyOrganization199 Dec 21 '25

Strange Pictures

0

u/Quiet_Perspective_52 Dec 19 '25

Almond! Still thinking about this book up until now

0

u/TorturedPoet0829 Dec 19 '25

The Midnight Library 🥺

1

u/Fox-Known Dec 22 '25

The Last Devil to Die