Hi friends! Last week I launched back into book reviews with a post about new favorite authors. Today, I bring you some quick reviews of books I read last year that are in the contemporary literary fiction and historical fiction categories. As I looked back on my 2025 reading, I was surprised to see so many in the fantasy or magic genre…so stay tuned for a round up of those next time!
Contemporary Fiction
The Correspondent – Listen, I know rave reviews of this book are everywhere, and you don’t need another one, but I have to say it: this book is everything. I loved it. It’s the most delightful modern book I’ve read in a long time. Fans of Fredrik Backman, Anne Tyler, or Ann Patchett should definitely try this book, but also anyone who likes reading fiction at all (and maybe even some of you who don’t). I read it way too fast the first time and am already looking forward to reading it again. 5 stars.
Theo of Golden – Rave reviews of this book are everywhere, too. And I get why so many readers adore it; the aura around the main character and everyone else is, well, golden. Still, I had a hard time getting into it, and an even harder time believing Mr. Theo and the characters could exist in any world, but especially not ours. However, with so many five star reviews, you probably shouldn’t take my word for it but read it yourself! (If you have already read it, we need to talk about the ending…) 3.5 stars.
The Unmaking of June Farrow – I loved this book. It was like a mail-order bride plot mixed with a mystery of disappearing/reappearing memories. It’s set in the present day in mountainous North Carolina, and though it does have some magical realism elements, it’s going here with the contemporary fiction. The writing was amazing – I felt like I was right there alongside the main character. 5 stars. (Content warning for mature language)
Broken Country – DNF – I have plenty DNF’s throughout a reading year. It’s important to remember we aren’t required to read much of anything as adults, but get to be our own guides and filters! For this one, the writing was good, but I found that the plot included two themes I try to avoid for the most part.
Historical Fiction
Born of the Gilded Mountains – I have been meaning to read something by Amanda Dykes for years. Last fall, I got this on audio book and listened to it through a painting project. It kept me in great company! I found the plot and setting to be absolutely involving and the characters thoroughly likable. Though Dykes doesn’t shy away from some heavy themes, over all it is a lighthearted, gentle book, perfect for either literary fiction or historical fiction fans. 4.5 stars.
Isola – This fictional account of a real person was potent and striking. About a third of the way through, I thought I wouldn’t end up liking it with all its painful realities for the main character in that day and age, but by the end, I gave it 5 stars. As far as tone goes, I would liken it to a book like Kristin Lavransdatter, though shorter and not quite as dark. Isola has plenty of tragedy, but the resilience of the main character and themes of religion and friendship were really well done. I couldn’t stop thinking about The Count of Monte Cristo. It was also so neat to pick up this book right when we were studying the discovery and development of the islands off the coast of Canada in our homeschool history lessons (we were in Volume 2 of The Story of the World at the time). 5 stars.
The Hired Girl – I would really have loved this book as a teenager girl! And even as an adult, I still loved the setting and the surrounding characters. 4 stars.
The Frozen River – I don’t like to give hot takes but…I did not love this book. I do like Ariel Lawhon’s other books I’ve read, especially Code Name Helene, and I was prepared for some graphic subjects or descriptions. The darkness of human nature shows up very starkly in her books. Still! Still. The story arc of this book is…a lot. It was just too gruesome, right down to the ending (what in the world…if you have read this, could you actually believe that ending?). I did some research on the main character’s history, and yes, it was great to see such an amazing woman dramatized in a novel. I enjoyed learning about Martha Ballard (though I thought her husband was too perfect to be believable for that time period). Overall, this book was just not for me.
I hope you’ll find a great read for you in this list today, and that you’ll let me know if you’ve found an amazing book lately (or in the past, or just whenever). Come back next week for a venture into the fantastical!
Happy reading!