Books of 2025 that would make great gifts for your loved ones!

It’s hard to believe that 2025 is nearing its end. It appears only a few months ago, we were celebrating the New Year and now we’re about to begin a new one! Since Christmas and Hanukkah is around the corner, it’s that time of year I list some great books that would make great gifts for your loved ones! 

Genre: Historical Fiction

The Cardinal by Alison Weir brings us back to the Tudor era. Only this time, it’s from the point of view of Thomas Wolsey. We see his rise from a mere son of an innkeeper to a cardinal & his eventual downfall. As you read the book, Cardinal Wolsey is more than just someone grasping for power. Wolsey had his moments of pride, but he was also a man who fell in love and had human desires. You also read his guilt at doing things he knew wasn’t right but didn’t have much of a choice since Henry VIII was the king and, in those days, you obeyed the king or else. This will make a great gift for anyone interested in Tudor Era history and while the Tudor era history can be overwritten, it’s not from Henry’s wives or children its from someone else entirely. Here is my Behind The Book with Alison as we go more in depth.

https://booknotions.com/behind-the-book-the-cardinal-by-alison-weir/

The Palace At The End of The Sea & The Room of Lost Steps by Simon Tolkien tells the story of Theo Sterling, and his journey from Depression Era New York to then going to Oxford Boarding School and Civil War era Spain. Simon’s writing is very vivid & you can tell he put a lot of work and years into plotting, researching, writing and editing. I also like how Theo grew as a character too & I also love the side characters of his Catholic Mexican mother, his stepfather Sir Andrew and his friend Antonio. Not many historical fiction authors do historical fiction books that take place during the Spanish Civil War, so I commend Simon for doing this! If you know someone who wants to read about a little covered part of history, I suggest getting them The Palace At The End of The Sea & its sequel The Room of Lost Steps for Christmas gifts. Here is my Q&A with Simon that I did back in the summer as we go more in depth.

https://booknotions.com/qa-with-simon-tolkien/

The Librarians Of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson is about two best friends from Boston Selene Delmont and Beatrice Sullivan who are recruited to be allied spies in Lisbon Portugal. I was so grateful to read an early copy in November of last year before its February release this year. There are a lot of World War II books out there, but many of the mainly cover the usual places such as France, Germany & Poland which are great, but this one covers Portugal. Portugal has a fascinating history especially regarding World War II. Even though Portugal stayed neutral during the war, axis and allied powers alike, did their spying and work in Portugal. The capital Lisbon was know as “the city of spies”. On top of the excellent and thorough historical research, there was also espionage and romance. If someone you know is a fan of World War II historical fiction, The Librarians of Lisbon will make an excellent gift! Here is my Q&A with Suzanne as we go in depth of the history behind The Librarians of Lisbon as well as discussing her other books.

https://booknotions.com/qa-with-suzanne-nelson/

 

Genre: Nonfiction

The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto: A Fifteen Year Quest to Unmask the Secret Genius Behind Crypto by Benjamin Wallace, tells the story of Benjamin’s quest to find the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin. No one knows Satoshi’s real identity though many have their suspects. One suspect is Elon Musk. Another is Australian Craig Wright. Craig claimed he, David Kleimann and a third person were the ones who created Bitcoin. I’m open-minded. Satoshi could be Japanese, maybe he’s not. Maybe Satoshi is one man or multiple people under an alias. If someone you know enjoys a nonfiction book that has bitcoin, investigative journalism and a real unsolved mystery, The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto will make a great gift. Here is my Q&A with Benjamin Wallace.

https://booknotions.com/qa-with-benjamin-wallace/

The Devil Takes Bitcoin by Jake Adelstein is another bitcoin mystery. I read this one shortly after reading The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto. Instead of covering yakuza, we join Jake Adelstein & Nathalie Stucky, as they work to help Mark Kepeles clear his name and expose the true villain who had stolen half a billion dollars in bitcoin in one of the biggest heists ever. I began the book after eating dinner one evening in March and finished it at 10 or 11 pm. As always, its fast paced and kept my interest. The book begins with a basic explanation of what Bitcoin is before diving deep into Mark Kepeles and the suspects as to who is the real Satoshi Nakamoto, many of which are also mentioned in Benjamin Wallace’s The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto. It was also interesting learning about Silk Road and Ross Ulbricht, its creator as well as the real thief who stole the half a billion dollars in bitcoin. If someone you know is a fan of nonfiction, true crime, a fan of Jake Adelstein’s books or they need another bitcoin book after reading The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto, I recommend The Devil Takes Bitcoin.

Fetishized: A Reckoning With Yellow Fever, Feminism And Beauty by Kaila Yu is told in a series of essays discussing her life and how Asian women were overly sexualized in media. Kaila even brought up examples such as Memoirs of A Geisha with the geishas and Rush Hour 2 with the masseuse. Kaila acknowledges that media played a harmful role in her self-image while also taking accountability for her own choices into playing into the fetishization. It is mentioned that Kaila was assaulted I want you to keep that in mind before getting this as a gift for someone. I also like that this book also has an important message about how self-worth has nothing to do with the male gaze and that’s something both Asian and Non-Asian women should remember.  I was honored that Kaila reached out to me first and offered to mail me a copy of her memoir and I can’t wait to read whatever else she writes.

.

House of My Mother by Shari Franke tells the events of her mother Ruby Franke and her partner in crime Jodi Hildebrandt as both women were arrested for child abuse. This became big news in 2023, and I remember watching videos discussing the two evil women and what a cult Jodi Hildebrandt ran a therapy business really a cult titled ConneXions. While there were things the memoir covered that I knew already there’s a lot you find out that you don’t know. One example being that Jodi moved into the Franke home temporarily and while Shari was forced to sleep on the couch, she would witness Ruby sneaking out of her room since Jodi took over. It revealed they were having a lesbian affair despite their very strict Mormon beliefs. If you know someone whose been following the Ruby Franke Jodi Hildebrandt saga, this memoir will make a great gift for someone. 

Genre: Mysteries

California Bear by Duane Swierczynski tells the tale of 4 unlikely people banding together to reveal the identity of a famous serial killer known as the California Bear after the bear comes out of hibernation to hunt again. Matilda Finerty is 14, going on 15 and dealing with leukemia gives her time to do some sleuthing when it comes to California Bear and trying to prove or disprove whether her father Jack Queen is guilty or not guilty of murder. Speaking of Jack, his friend Cato Hightower, a retired cop gets him out of prison and Cato draws him into a mess to blackmail the Bear himself. Jeanie Hightower is a genealogist that might be too close to danger partly due to her soon to be ex-husband Cato and her own investigation. Other than a mystery there is humor involved and I can’t wait to read more sequels. In the Acknowledgements Section as to where Duane had gotten the idea for the book from it made me tear up and I’m sure it will make you tear up too. If someone in your life enjoys mysteries with some humor, this will make a great gift! Here is my Behind The Book with Duane.

https://booknotions.com/behind-the-book-with-duane-swierczynski/

The Family Inside by Katie Garner To say Iris Blodgett has been through a lot in recent years is an understatement. Iris’s husband was murdered three years prior leaving her a widow and single mother to her daughter Ellory. Now Iris is losing her home and her kind boyfriend of three months, Hugh offered to give Iris & Ellory a place to stay in his mother’s centuries old mansion while he renovates it. Though once Iris arrives, she realizes how little she knows Hugh & while it doesn’t stop her from getting engaged to him after three months of dating, she finds he and his family are not what they seem… Can Iris solve the mystery of Hugh’s family before the mystery consumes her? If you know someone who enjoys trapped on the house facing the woods mysteries, they will enjoy this one. If they read Katie’s first novel The Night It Ended, they will enjoy this one. Here is my Behind The Book with Katie.  

https://booknotions.com/behind-the-book-with-katie-garner/

Beach Reads And Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennon is a standalone beach read mystery. Mia Crawford is practical to a fault, between taking care of her grandmother, her cats and working in finance she has time for little else except reading. Mia’s job coerces I mean requests that she takes a vacation on the island of Saint Clair. While there, Mia can read on the beach, get some fun in the sun probably have a fling with the handsome bartender. Things get exciting and not so relaxing when Mia happens to see a free mystery book that one of the guests leaves strange clues in. When that guest ends up dead, Mia realizes she’s drawn into a real-life murder mystery. The murdered victim was blackmailing someone. Each of the islanders has something to hide and some connection to the victim. Question is, who is the killer? For anyone who’s a Allison Brennan fan like I am, if this is your first time reading her books or if you enjoy mystery reads in general, this will make an excellent gift! Below is the Behind The Book I did with Allison back in the summer!

 https://booknotions.com/behind-the-book-beach-reads-and-deadly-deeds-with-allison-brennan/

Last Seen by J.T. Ellison tells the story of a woman named Halley James whose life is going through some rough patches. Her marriage to Theo is over, she lost her job at the Forensics Lab, her father needs emergency surgery. This isn’t the worst part. The bombshell is Halley discovers back in her hometown of Marchburg Virginia, her mother wasn’t killed in a car accident, she was murdered by her older half-sister Cat. Shocked, angry and hurt that her father would lie about this for so many years, she goes looking for clues in Brockville Tennessee. Halley is about to find out this seemingly idyllic town has dark secrets which may hold the answers to her past and to her sister’s. This was my first time reading anything by Ellison. I love the atmosphere of the woods and the characters points of view that switch from Halley to Cat. The mystery keeps you on your toes. This will make a great gift for someone who’s a J.T. Ellison fan and who enjoys twists and turns. I had a great discussion with J.T. discussing the book.

https://booknotions.com/behind-the-book-with-j-t-ellison/

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao is a mystery that blends humor and friendship. I came across this story when Allison Brennan was talking about it on Instagram and of course, I wanted to read it and interview the books author, Gloria Chao. I was sold. The story about three ex-girlfriends teaming up to solve a murder had me at hello. The writing was great and the fact that it was from Kathryn’s point of view was excellent. It has everything you would expect from this humor and friendship. I was able to figure out who the murderer was, but it made sense, and it did not take away from me enjoying the story. It’s also the first book in the Hu Done It Mystery series. This is another great gift for anyone who enjoys a little humor mixed in with a mystery. I also had a great interview with Gloria.

https://booknotions.com/qa-with-gloria-chao/

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Magical Realism & Everything In Between

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune Good things happen at the lake as Nan Everly, Alice’s grandmother says. Alice had spent one amazing summer at the lake with Nan when she was seventeen and with her camera captured the image of three teenagers with a wide smile on their faces as they rode across the water on a yellow speedboat. This image would coincide with the present as years later after Nan breaks her hip, Alice and Nan return to the lake for a vacation. Alice meets the boy in the photo seventeen years later Charlie Florek. The two become friends and are both doing everything they can not to lose their heart to each other. This novel is a sequel to Every Summer After as we see Charlie & Sam Florek as well as Percy return, but you can read this book as a standalone and not get lost. The book made me tear up at points because it was such a beautiful story and a reminder of how scary it is to be honest about your feelings because nothing is guaranteed but it is worth it! This will make a great gift for romance lovers in your life. 

The Wondrous Life And Loves Of Nella Carter by Brionni Nwosu is a magical debut novel filled with romance. Nella Carter is a slave in the late 1700s and she’s about to die of tuberculosis. Death comes to retrieve her and is very jaded about how greedy and selfish humanity is and plans to destroy the world. Nella makes a wager with death, that she can prove there is also good and selflessness left in humanity. Still jaded yet curious, Death agrees to her request. Nella will never die but she can never leave a lasting legacy except for her words. Nella spends century after century traveling, falling in love and losing love and writing down every good deed she sees and makes several careers writing in her many years. It isn’t till Nella meets Sebastian that she tells her entire story. Slowly throughout the story death softens. If you know someone who enjoys magical realism, with some historical fiction and romance mixed in, this will make an excellent gift. I had a great time interviewing Brionni.

 https://booknotions.com/qa-with-brionni-nwosu/

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong Samantha Payne’s grandfather passed away and doesn’t expect her name to show up in the will after not seeing him in 14 years. Surprisingly, Samantha will inherit a lakefront property along with some money. The catch is in order to inherit it, Sam must stay at the property for a month. It’s something she doesn’t want to do considering she witnessed her father burying a teenage boy’s body and the murdered boy’s brother, Ben is the caretaker. Sam’s grandfather believes she’ll realize her father was innocent of the boy’s murder. While staying there, Sam is plagued by nightmares that meld into repressed memories, cries of the forests, hooves of a horse, and figures coming from beneath the lake…. This is my first time reading anything by Kelley Armstrong and I was very impressed. Sometimes the pacing was too slow and things were repetitive but it’s a great story if you enjoy supernatural horror with mystery mixed in. Keep in mind it does get gruesome. This will only be a great gift for those who don’t mind the gruesomeness too much.