All my recent fiction reads

Here’s my edit of all my favourite fiction books I enjoyed in 2025. While I mostly read non-fiction I’ve started incorporating more fiction into my nighttime routine because reading an in-depth book on the skin microbiome before bed is probably not the best way to help my brain switch off and truly reset overnight.

I’d describe this list as "light but not dumb". Colleen Hoover for example was a huge hit for most in 2025 and while I enjoyed reading one of her books by book two or three I personally felt a little under-stimulated. On the flip side, books that feel heavy and take halfway through to get good… well that’s not enjoyable either.

So here’s my list of books that are easy to get into, engaging enough to hold your attention and hopefully won’t have you falling asleep by the end of the first page.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Is a humorous yet deeply emotional exploration of love, marriage and the chaos that surrounds weddings. I found this one very funny and loved the characters. 

Consider Me Kissed by Jessica Stanley

This book is actually by a London-based Australian writer and is a literary love story told through ten years in the life of one woman as she tries to build a longed-for family without also losing herself. It's the true reality of what 'happily ever after' might actually mean for most. 

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

I really appreciated the characters in this novel, they are written with such great depth. The story is based around one couple's impulsive marriage and the yearning for self-evisceration.

Heart the Lover by Lily King

A very beautifully written, thoughtful and reflective story of first love, forgiveness and friendship. It made me feel like I was sweet 16 all over again. Very much a novel on screwing up and wising up ... something we all go through in our youth. 

Flesh by David Szalay

This book was amazing from start to finish. The opening was a little uncomfortable and kind of odd but equally compelling.... within the first few pages I was completely hooked. It follows a man from adolescence through to old age as he’s unravelled by a series of events. It’s hard to describe the plot but that’s part of what makes it so good. It felt very different to anything else I’ve read in a long time and it was actually my 62 year old dad that recommended it as he loved it too. 

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

I love anything by Sally Hepworth, always an easy read. This one had a little more thriller vibes to it which I liked. It is a hilariously funny story yet a deeply sad story at the same time. 

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

A novel of heart stopping twists and the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love. It's based on a remote island and narrated by multiple characters so I found this a little different and exciting over the other books I had been reading. 

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden 

Freida McFadden is another go to author when you want something easy to read. The suspense will keep you hooked from start to finish so this might be a good book to start with if you are not usually a reader. 

Now onto 2026 books! If you have any recommendations please let me know! I am currently reading the non-fiction book "The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" but would love a fiction option for bed time.