Our Favorite Books in 2025
We’ve read hundreds of books last year. But, which were the favorites among those who attended meetings of The No Book Club?
Image from Unsplash by Daniel, @setbydaniel
Over the past eight years, we’ve held in-person and virtual meetings of The No Book Club, where participants share their thoughts on a book they’re reading or have recently read. Fiction or non-fiction. Just the highlights. It often sparks interest in others to read the book.
In 2025, it was exciting to hear participants talk about some of the same books they enjoyed reading, likely because they had heard them mentioned at The No Book Club. Some examples are Remarkably Bright Creatures, James, and The Personal Librarian. While these and others “made the rounds,” in the book groups Over the past eight years, we’ve held in-person and virtual meetings of The No Book Club, where participants share their thoughts on a book they’re reading or have recently read. Fiction or non-fiction. Just the highlights. It often sparks interest in others to read the book.
In 2025, it was exciting to hear participants talk about some of the same books they enjoyed reading, likely because they had heard them mentioned at The No Book Club. Some examples are Remarkably Bright Creatures, James, and The Personal Librarian. While these and others “made the rounds,” in the book groups Over the past eight years, we’ve held in-person and virtual meetings of The No Book Club, where participants share their thoughts on a book they’re reading or have recently read. Fiction or non-fiction. Just the highlights. It often sparks interest in others to read the book.
In 2025, it was exciting to hear participants talk about some of the same books they enjoyed reading, likely because they had heard them mentioned at The No Book Club. Some examples are Remarkably Bright Creatures, James, and The Personal Librarian. While these and others “made the rounds,” in the book groups ─ the favorites ─ the ones that resonated with readers and which they highly recommend are as follows:
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Rose)
Babel by R.F. Kuang (Heidi)
Bad, Bad Girl by Gish Jen (Linda)
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (Ellen)
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley (Patricia)
Devotions by Mary Oliver (Jean)
Most Delicious Poison by Noah Whiteman (Koula)
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzales (Diana)
Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age by Brett McCracken (James) only available at retailers
Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari (Kathy)
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (Dorothea and Joanne)
The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier (Rashall)
The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden (Monique)
The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende (Rickie)
The Names by Florence Knapp (Donna)
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb (Carol)
The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews (Lori)
In-person meetings of The No Book Club take place at 10 a.m. on the second Friday of each month. Meet in the Betty A. Barclay Community Room on the second floor of the Edgewater Branch Library, 6000 N. Broadway.
Virtual meetings are held on Zoom at 1 p.m. on the last Monday of each month except in May, November, and December. Email klinehan@chipublib.org at least 24 hours before the meeting to receive the Zoom link.
The No Book Club is a partnership of Friends of the Edgewater Library, Edgewater Village Chicago, and the Edgewater Branch Library.
Thoughts from one participant in The No Book Club
Image courtesy the Chicago Public Library website.
“The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams is my favorite book of those I read in 2025, because of the engaging people and places described in the book. It was fun to read.
I was introduced to a new way of hearing, thinking of, and appreciating words: Who uses particular words? In what context? What are the ramifications of using those words?
I’m reminded of and think of this book nearly every day.” ─Dorothea