Hi there!

We had some friends over for New Year's Eve, and at one point the conversation turned to our favorite books of the last year.

I struggled to recall what I'd read for a moment before I realized that Past Jessie had done something smart.

She'd started a list!

I grabbed my journal, where I jotted down every book I read each month in 2025, and started waxing poetical about my favorites.

I'm pretty sure my friend who asked the question was just hoping for one or two recommendations. I finally noticed his eyes were glazing over, and restrained myself and let the conversation move on—but I knew I needed to get back to that list and share it with people who actually care.

You!

My favorite readers!

Overall, I read a lot of thrillers last year—both for fun, and for research into the FBI mystery-thriller series I’ve been working on. I hit a bunch of the big “page-turner” names: D.D. Black, Alex Sigmore, Eva Sparks, Lauren Street, L.T. Vargus, and Tim McBain, plus Mary Stone.

Then, I circled back to some of my psychological-thriller faves: Lucy Foley, Karen Dionne, Tess Gerritsen, and Tana French.

I didn’t read nearly as much sci-fi as I have in years past because I was on such a thriller kick, but I did binge all of The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells and loved every minute. I also dipped my toe into romantasy because my friend Amelia MacLeod started writing it. I’ve always loved her sci-fi work (sci-fi fans will know her as Kate Sheeran Swed), so I figured: why not? I read all three of the books she currently has out. Verdict: super fun, and delightfully steamy. Now I get why everyone is obsessed.

Those were the broad themes in the books I read last year, but I also want to zero in on the real standouts.

A centering, calming read:

Be Water, My Friend by Shannon Lee

I read Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee back in February, and it was exactly what I needed. Shannon Lee (Bruce Lee’s daughter) blends memoir, biography, and reflection on her father’s philosophy in a way that feels genuinely grounding.

I’d seen her speak at an event (she's co-writing a series with my friend Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga), and I loved her in-person energy. Her humor and grace definitely comes through on the page as well—so if you’re looking for a centering, meditative book to kick off a new year (or to re-center mid-chaos), I can’t recommend it enough.

Three nonfiction books that fed my thriller brain

These three books were research reads for my series, but they were also just… good. The kind of books that change the way you see the world, but read like page-turners.

1) Blazing Eye Sees All by Leah Sottile

In Blazing Eye Sees All: Love Has Won, False Prophets, and the Fever Dream of the American New Age, Leah Sottile weaves the story of the Love Has Won cult (and the death of their “Mother God”) together with the historical and cultural forces that helped shape the movement.

Some of it is wildly out there (like Lemurians living under Mount Shasta). Some of it is genuinely chilling, like how quickly “harmless” spiritual seeking can slide into coercion, paranoia, and harm. And some of it is genuinely sad, as you see how those with power can corrupt our basic human need to belong and be loved.

2) Conspirituality by Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, and Julian Walker

Next, I picked up Conspirituality, which goes even deeper into the links between modern spiritual movements and conspiracy theories, especially the ones that tilt right-wing and white-nationalist.

It’s fascinating in the same way a sinkhole is fascinating: you can’t look away, and you also don’t want to be standing too close. If you’ve ever wondered why your favorite yoga YouTuber suddenly became a vaccine denier during COVID, this book will connect a lot of dots.

3) Code Name: Pale Horse by Scott Payne (with Michelle Shephard)

Code Name: Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America’s Nazis is the story of retired FBI undercover agent Scott Payne and his work infiltrating biker gangs and white supremacist accelerationist cells.

It’s written in a funny, no-nonsense voice, and it manages to be both an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at undercover work and a sobering look at the domestic extremist forces simmering under the surface in the U.S.

Also: if you prefer audio, there’s a companion podcast/doc series, White Hot Hate: Agent Pale Horse (CBC True Crime), produced alongside the book. I listened to that first, which meant that I got to read the memoir with the memory of Scott Payne's actual voice in my mind.

Fiction standouts (aka: books I wouldn’t shut up about)

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

After watching the movie Sinners (loved!!!), I kept seeing Ring Shout pop up in “if you liked that…” lists, and I’m very glad I listened. It’s short, fierce, wildly entertaining, and the voice is incredible.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

This was recommended to me by a friend, and I absolutely loved it. It’s about a young woman who gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby against all advice. She’s barely keeping it together, financially and emotionally, until her father (a washed-up former pro wrestler and promoter) moves in. He teaches her about wrestling, helps with the baby, and she eventually starts an OnlyFans to make ends meet.

It’s extremely funny, weirdly heartwarming, and genuinely uplifting so long you don’t mind frank conversations about sex and money and the messy logistics of survival. This was probably my favorite book I read all year.

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

I’ve always loved Kate Quinn’s work, and this was no exception. The Briar Club follows a group of women in a boarding house and the ways their lives intersect, collide, and (sometimes) combust. I also loved the way she turned the house into a character itself.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

I finished out the year with The Secret History, which is just so beautifully written. It hits one of my favorite nostalgia tropes: a group of college students with a dark secret, and the slow, terrible gravity of consequences. (Which, of course, reminds me of my favorite Tana French book, The Likeness.)

If you read any of these, tell me what you thought! (And if you have thriller recommendations you swear by, I’m always collecting).

I'm curious. Do you set reading goals for yourself each year? Or do you just see where the wind (or the library wait list) takes you?

Happy reading,

Jessie