Best of the Best 2025

For many years I have been keeping a list in the back of my diary of the books I have finished reading. A few years back I added in the audio books I listened to. Last year I also made a note of the films I’d been to see (having a Cineworld unlimited card means I go regularly).

I thought I would be good to look back and give my favourites in each category. They are in no particular order but something in each one moved me or taught me about something new.

Favourite films of the year…

Better Man – the story of Robbie Williams, his meteoric rise to fame, falling out with Take That, facing his demons and often appearing as a chimp. This really moved me and even made me shed a tear.

Bridget Jones – Mad About the Boy – I enjoyed the book when it first came out many years ago and the film is a faithful adaptation. I never really identified with Bridget until she became a widow, her feelings of loss are so relatable to me, even if her romantic relationships are pure fantasy! https://re-ravelling.blogspot.com/2014/01/me-and-bridget-jones.html

Last Breath – this was the surprise film of the year. I knew it was about a diver, never realised it was set in the North Sea as it starred US actor Woody Harrelson, and until the end credits I had no idea it was a true story. What could have been a very static film had me totally gripped. Maybe it helped having a husband who worked in the North Sea, although he never went under the water with the divers. I have immense admiration for the work they undertake.

Thunderbolts* - So good I’ve seen it at least twice and if I didn’t add it to the list my youngest son would disown me. Other superhero movies such as the latest Superman and Fantastic 4 were also great, but Thunderbolts touched on issues of mental health. It explored how we can escape the dark places in our lives with the help of the unlikeliest of friends.

I swear – another true story about a man with Tourette’s. This was advertised a lot before we saw it but it didn’t disappoint. Great for raising awareness and some fantastic acting.

Good Fortune – Keanu Reeves as an angel who tries to show Arj “that wealth wouldn't solve all his problems,” only it backfires when, it does appear to solve everything! I can’t remember how it all ends now, but just like the other body swap film of the year – Freakier Friday – lessons are learned and a lot of fun is had along the way. I was also pleased to see Good Fortune appear in Barack Obama’s list of favourite films in 2025.

Favourite books I’ve listened to this year…

The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez - The Panama Canal was in the news when I listened to this so it was fascinating to hear the story of how it was constructed. Yes, it is fiction but well researched with beautiful characters bringing the history to life. I even wrote a blog about it. https://authorselectric.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-great-divide-book-review-by-sarah.html

Julia by Sandra Newman – a retelling of Orwell’s 1984 but from the female perspective. Maybe not a book for everyone but I enjoyed the twist and seeing things from a different angle – always an interesting premise.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman – I love Backman’s writing, the layers to each story unwrapped as you read. This was beautiful and if I find a copy in a charity shop I would be very tempted to buy it to read again. Just from the title you know it is a story about friendship, as each character takes up the story it adds to the richness of relationships formed in childhood. It also the story of a very special painting.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult – The narration for this book is enhanced by having three voices that blend to tell a compelling story about race and bigotry and hatred. A black nurse is prevented from caring for a white couple’s new born child, then the baby dies and the nurse is blamed. There was an interview with Picoult at the end where she explains how the story took years to write as she wanted to truly understand the issue before she could write it and do the subject justice. A very powerful book.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – There was a long wait time for this book on Borrowbox but I wanted to listen before the film comes out. There is so much hype around this story, in my opinion it is well deserved. I’m still unsure how they can make a movie of it. There is a lot of science in it, much of which went over my head, but that didn’t detract from a story about friendship and saving the world on the grandest scale.

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams – a companion novel to the excellent The Dictionary of Lost Words, it includes some of the characters from Williams’ first book. Just like her debut novel this doesn’t disappoint. Strong female characters doing their “bit” in the first World War.

The Women by Kristin Hannah – I went straight from WW1 to Vietnam in my listening. I’d heard mixed reports about Hannah’s books and this was the first one I have consumed. A story about women at war who are still fighting for recognition when they arrive home. I was captivated by these last two books I heard at the end of the year, often listening to huge chunks while driving.

Favourite books I’ve read this year…

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin – a story of friendship set in a world of computer gaming. In many ways it is like My Friends by Fredrik Backman except instead of art drawing the characters together it is computer gaming. It’s still something creative, a different way of storytelling and maybe that is why I liked it. I have since passed it on to my son who is a software developer, he may take a while to get around to reading it but any book you pass on has to be a good one.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom – this book is over 50-year-old and I had never read it before. I have a small collection of books that my husband was given as Sunday School prizes and this was among them. I remember reading Anne Frank’s diary at school when I was a similar age to her and it seemed fitting to be reading another true story of courage about a woman in her fifties when I am near enough the same age. These books do make you wonder what you would do in a similar situation.

You are here by David Nicholls – Nicholls has such a down-to-earth way of writing about relationships that make them so relatable. He is a screenwriter as well as an author of novels so there are long gaps between each book release. I eagerly await each one and once again this bittersweet romance hit the sweet spot and I devoured it.

Home Bird by Fran Hill – the follow up to Cuckoo in the Nest sees Jackie Chadwick move on from living with her foster family to living in a supported bedsit. She needs every ounce of her resourcefulness to cope with her changing world and extra responsibilities when she is made temporarily homeless after a fire. You are rooting for her on every page.

Kindred by Octavia Butler – I love the idea of reading books that have been banned in different parts of the world. Octavia Butler’s name pops up again and again in such lists. Fortunately, there are no such restrictions here and I picked up a copy in Waterstones. Just like the Jodi Picoult book I listened to, this is about race and how people are mistreated just because of their skin colour. As someone who is white, I need to read more of these voices and not be complacent.

So, there you have it an eclectic mix of genres, biography, fantasy, stories of lasting friendships, books that cross vast divides and arbitrary differences. Many filled with strong female protagonists.

In 2025 I also read the latest Jackson Brodie book by Kate Atkinson, the final three books in Elly Griffiths, Ruth Galloway series, and an Armand Gamache book by Louise Penny. These crime writing authors are consistently good but these are my comfort reads so I didn’t add them to my lists. But I would ALWAYS recommend them.

What books or films would you recommend?