Best Books of 2025: Our Top 10 Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Standout Reads
Galaxies and Goddesses: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy BookcastShow Notes
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 2025 02:31 Similar Books in our Top 10 03:59 Long Books and Epic Reads 05:27 Medical Insights in Fiction 06:57 Stephen King's Dark Tower Series 08:00 Romantasy Reads and Sequels 10:28 Book Club Favorites 13:31 More of Elizabeth's Top 10 Books 23:15 Rounding Out the Top 10 25:12 Andrea's Favorite Audiobook of the Year 26:16 Number of Books Read for the Year 27:07 Epic Trilogies for 2026
Books Mentioned A 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 Century https://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 2029 https://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-2029
The Smithsonian Magazine - The Snakes That Ate Florida https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/snakes-ate-florida-180972534/
Freakonomics Podcast - The First Great American Industry https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-first-great-american-industry/
In the Heart of the Sea - IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1390411/
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