At Richmond Public Library, our staff spends the year immersed in books. We read for joy, for curiosity, and to help connect our community with great stories. Along the way, we discover plenty of standouts (and a few we’re happy to leave behind), all part of what we love about librarianship. Now we’re excited to share the titles that truly rose to the top in 2025. If you heard one of our staff say “You have to read this,” chances are it’s on this list. You’ll find everything from gripping fiction and powerful true stories to fresh voices and unforgettable reads. Browse the list, place a hold, and let one of our trusted staff picks be your next great read.
The Buffalo Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
“My favorite book of the year is The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. Jones brilliantly weaves the tale of Arthur Beaucarne, a Lutheran pastor with a dark past, and Good Stab, a man formerly of the Piikáni (Blackfeet) nation, in early 20th century Montana. As Beaucarne tends to his church duties, bodies start to turn up skinned and exsanguinated in the fields, while the mysterious Good Stab comes every Sunday to confess his life’s story. An Ingenious take on vampire stories and Indigenous legends, this book is enthralling. I listened to the e-audiobook version on Libby, which was masterfully narrated by Shane Ghostkeeper, Owen Teale, and Marin Ireland.”
~Summer Bowling, Broad Rock Branch
You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White
“Crane, an autistic trans man in near-future West Virginia, is a member of a secret cult run by a sapient hive of insectoids. It’s the first time he’s been allowed to be a man, to not speak, to crawl out from underneath the unbearable weight of a world that hates everything he is. Just like Crane, every other cult member has been saved from death or worse by the hive. Life under the benevolent guidance of the hive doesn’t come free. Every member is expected to dedicate their everything—body and mind—to protecting and providing for the hive. When Crane accidently gets pregnant, the hive demands he carry it to term no matter the cost.
You Weren’t Meant to be Human is a grisly novel that uses forced pregnancy as body horror and violence. The author’s note has a general content warning, and the author’s website has more detailed (and spoiler) ones. You Weren’t Meant to be Human is in my top ten books I’ve ever read, but the content warnings are no joke. Major warnings include (but are not limited to) denial of healthcare, cults, transphobia, ableism, intimate partner violence, isolation, loss of autonomy, death (including murder, animal death, and child death), metal illness and intrusive thoughts/fantasies, self-harm, sexual violence, victim-blaming, and suicidal ideation.”
~Rachel Condon, Ginter Park Branch
Casualties Of Truth by Lauren Francis-Sherma
“What happens when the abuses of the past catch up to the present? And who gets to define ‘justice?’ Alternating between Washington D.C. and Johannesburg, South Africa, this novel sharply examines the historical legacy of violence and the resulting costs of resilience and revenge. A thought-provoking and incisive read for anyone wanting to probe questions of the law, retribution, and survival. I thought about this book for days after I finished it!”
~Carissa Elder, Main Library
Our Infinite Fates by Laura Stevens
“Evelyn remembers all her past lives, all hundreds of thousands of years. She never lives past her eighteenth birthday, each time she gets close, she is murdered by Arden, a soul who is tied to hers. In this life, Evelyn wants to stay and save her sisters life. So, she has to find a way to stop Arden and find out why they keep killing each other. Evelyn also has to find a way to keep from falling in love with Arden. I found the writing to be beautifully written. I also enjoyed the suspense of trying to figure out who Arden was and why they kept trying to kill each other. This was one that I couldn’t put down!”
~Adriane Marhsall, Main Library
The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens
“Hana is a librarian in the Midwest whose life suddenly takes a turn when her best friend dies suspiciously. This book thriller goes back and forth between the present and the past to show who Hana really is and the secrets she is hiding and desperately does not want to be known. The Bosnian War is the setting for Hana’s past and gives a glimpse of what life was like for Bosniaks during the war. Can Hana keep her secrets hidden and what will she have to do to make sure they are not revealed? Read and be surprised in this page turner!”
~Lisa Wiertel, Westover Hills Branch
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
“The Correspondent kept me reading late into the night! It is a story told entirely through letters and emails. Sybil Van Antwerp is a retired attorney who consistently takes time to write letters to people in her life: family, friends, authors she admires, and even neighbors. Through Sybil’s letters, the reader gets a glimpse into her life story with all of its highs and lows. The story packs an emotional punch as Sybil grapples with losing her eyesight, maintaining relationships near and far, and reflecting on life’s disappointments.”
~Katie Heslop, Main Library
Fun Fact: Three staff members chose this book as their favorite for 2025!
Mỹ Documents by Kevin Ngyuen
“Nguyen’s book elevated a speculative premise to a moving, unsettling character study of people coping with events we usually imagine happening somewhere else, to someone else. This book forces you to answer the ‘What would I do?’ question but also reveals the cost of not speaking the truth while you still can. Ignoring history not only limits the possibilities for societies, it also creates lost, tortured souls who cannot easily work through trauma.”
~Ben Himmelfarb, Main Library
Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries
“My Best Book of 2025 is Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries. This graphic novel is a visual treat, taking readers through Oberon Afolayan’s journey of self-discovery and forgiveness. It’s a visually dense book, even starting with Oberon’s withdrawn state after dropping out of college on the near utopian world of Meridian. Ries’ brilliant use of color helps seamlessly interweave the novelty of the futuristic new planet with the blended cultural backgrounds of Afolayan’s family. Even as Oberon clings to denial, visions of a past love and his newly developing powers pull him and the audience into a fresh take on a coming-of-age story.”
~C. Alyx Ward, Broad Rock Branch
Soul School by Amber O’Neal Johnston
“For every reader of diverse books, I recommend Soul School by Amber O’Neal Johnston. I love this book because, not only is it an excellently organized treasure trove of Black literature titles, authors, and illustrators, but it covers so vast a territory—time, place, and emotion—and breaks it down into age categories, thought-provoking questions, and further reading suggestions. This book should be on every homeschooler’s bookshelf!”
~Meldon D. Jenkins-Jones, Hull Street Branch
The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden
“My book is The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden. This novel has so many twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the very end. Freida McFadden is a master storyteller. She gives so much depth to her characters, along with an intriguing storyline that will draw you in. A great read.”
~Darlene Perry, East End Branch
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
“My book format of choice are e-audiobooks due to their versatility and the entertainment from listening to a story unfold, especially when the writing and narrating are paired so well you find yourself just sitting and listening. This is why The Devils written by Joe Abercrombie, narrated by Steven Pacey is my favorite book of 2025. Abercrombie creates a wholly unique story where Brother Diaz is summoned to the Sacred City and given a holy assignment to safely deliver a princess who is supposedly destined to save the world. To help him with this journey he is assigned a motley crew of magical beings that just prior to the mission were locked away in a dungeon. Abercrombie creates an epic journey full of battles both by hand and internally for each character while mixing in dry humor and whit delivered perfectly by Pacey who brings each character’s personality life and effortlessly guides the listener to visualize as the story unfolds. An all-around entertaining experience!”
~Erin Brallier, Main Library
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
“Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is a beautiful novel that blends fantasy and magical realism into a story about finding one’s ikigai (reason for being). It includes themes like the choices we make, predetermined fates, and living a life of duty that’s potentially filled with regret vs. living an authentic life of one’s own making. Hana takes over the family business of running a magical Japanese pawn shop where sad and lonely customers pawn their abandoned ikigai in exchange for peace, but her father’s sudden disappearance alongside the shop being burglarized sets Hana off on an unexpected magical journey alongside a surprising new companion. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lyrical and atmospheric writing, whimsy, mythology-inspired fiction, and slow burn fantasy with emotional depth.”
~Genevievre Wood, Main Library
The Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon
“The Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon. What starts off as a typical case, a runaway heiress to a Wisconsin cheese fortune needs to be brought home, soon turns into a much more complicated task for Hicks McTaggart, a former strike-breaker turned private eye. Likewise, The Shadow Ticket starts off as a classic hard boiled detective story spins into something much more weird and wild. This book is essential reading for anyone who is a fan of classic noir, but is not afraid to explore the limits of that genre.”
~Phil Shepard, Main Library
The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
“Have you ever had a line in a book stop you in your tracks, take your breath away, make you cry, and start planning a tattoo around it immediately? Okay, I admit, that might be a niche experience, but I promise reading and loving The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff is a universal one. This story follows a family—from the POV of three different members of it—across four generations and six decades. It is a heart wrenching and heartwarming tale of resilience, loss, grief, trauma, chosen family, second chances, and the pursuit of love despite your circumstances. I laughed out loud and sobbed like a baby. Oh, and it’s only 288 pages so it can be a quick read or listen (though you, like me, may find yourself wanting to savor every last page). Please note there are a lot of trigger warnings for this book including alcoholism, death, and miscarriage.“
~Sarah Fenninger, Main Library
Stag Dance by Torrey Peters
“Her first book since the messy, fascinating Detransition, Baby, Stag Dance by Torrey Peters features one titular novella and three short stories exploring transness, desire (and desirability), and the pressures of passing and assimilation. Ranging in genre from post-apocalyptic sci-fi (Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones), contemporary coming-of-age (The Chaser and The Masker) and lastly historical fiction with plenty of nineteenth-century lumberjack color (Stag Dance), the stories in the novel follow dysfunctional, sometimes cruel trans characters who make choices that might disturb you—but you won’t be able to look away from. Peters expertly unsettles and draws in readers with her complex character work, asking the reader to either confront the way agency and decision making are stymied by the social and cultural violence of transphobia and pressures of conformity . . . or simply see them for their actions. This is a collection of stories that will make you think—I highly recommend!”
~Kayleigh McCoy, Ginter Park Branch
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
You may have heard the term “book hangover.” If you take my recommendation and read Buckeye by Patrick Ryan, get your aspirin ready. Buckeye follows the deeply intertwined lives of six characters, bound together by love, hope, desire, regret, shame, denial, loyalty, and—most powerfully—forgiveness. We move with them through the full arc of their lives, from birth to death, as they struggle to understand who they are and what it truly means to live honestly. As readers, we come to learn alongside them that being true to oneself is the only way to fully love another. You watch these characters the way a parent might, aching when they make the wrong choice, holding your breath as they face hard truths, and feeling an overwhelming pride when they finally stand in their own truth. I don’t know that I’ve ever been so emotionally invested in a cast of characters. This is an aching, unforgettable novel that I’ll recommend for a long time.
