Best Books of 2025: Our Top 10 Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Standout Reads

In this Season Two kickoff episode of Galaxies and Goddesses, Andrea and Elizabeth look back at their Top 10 books of 2025, spanning sci-fi, fantasy, romantasy, literary fiction, and standout nonfiction that reads like fiction. From epic, immersive reads and thought-provoking classics to surprising favorites and an audiobook honorable mention, they reflect on reading habits, bookish stats, and what makes a story truly memorable. Stick around to the end for the big reveal of the podcast’s 2026 theme.00:56 Top 10 Books of 202502:31 Similar Books in our Top 1003:59 Long Books and Epic Reads05:27 Medical Insights in Fiction06:57 Stephen King's Dark Tower Series08:00 Romantasy Reads and Sequels10:28 Book Club Favorites13:31 More of Elizabeth's Top 10 Books23:15 Rounding Out the Top 1025:12 Andrea's Favorite Audiobook of the Year26:16 Number of Books Read for the Year27:07 Epic Trilogies for 2026Books MentionedA Psalm for the Wild-Built — Becky Chambers (Andrea & Elizabeth)The Dispossessed — Ursula K. Le Guin (Andrea & Elizabeth)Awry with Dandelions — J.S. Fields (Andrea)The Covenant of Water —  Abraham Verghese (Elizabeth)Wolves of the Calla —  Stephen King (Elizabeth)The Moonday Letters — Emmi Itäranta (Andrea)Water Moon — Samantha Sotto Yambao (Andrea)Quicksilver — Callie Hart (Andrea)When the Moon Hatched — Sarah A. Parker (Andrea)All the Colors of the Dark — Chris Whitaker (Andrea)By Any Other Name — Jodi Picoult (Andrea)Wellness — Nathan Hill (Elizabeth)Bel Canto — Ann Patchett (Elizabeth)Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland — Patrick Radden Keefe (Elizabeth)James — Percival Everett (Elizabeth)Squeeze Me — Carl Hiaasen (Elizabeth)In the Heart of the Sea — Nathaniel Philbrick (Elizabeth)Blood Over Bright Haven — M.L. Wang (Andrea)Honorable Mention: Best Audiobook You Didn’t Hear This From Me: Mostly True Notes on Gossip — Kelsey McKinney, narrated by the author Referenced Articles and Media:New York Times: The 100 Best Books of the 21st Centuryhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/best-books-21st-century.html The Global Wellness Economy Hits a Record $6.8 Trillion and Is Forecast to Reach $9.8 Trillion by 2029https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/press-releases/the-global-wellness-economy-hits-a-record-6-8-trillion-and-is-forecast-to-reach-9-8-trillion-by-2029The Smithsonian Magazine - The Snakes That Ate Floridahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/snakes-ate-florida-180972534/Freakonomics Podcast - The First Great American Industryhttps://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-first-great-american-industry/In the Heart of the Sea - IMDBhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt1390411/