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Beth’s Favorite Books of 2025

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Here are my favorite books of this past year. In no particular order because I don’t think I truly liked one more than another. Cop out as that may be, it’s how we are rolling.

  1. The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater – Historical fiction but with Maggie’s signature magical elements. Set against the backdrop of WW2 in a luxury hotel in West Virginia. Instead of their normal clientele, they are serving the diplomats of the United States enemies.
  2. The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh – I do love a good Vampire book, and this one is no exception. As soon as I finished, I had to go to my library to get the next one.
  3. The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon – This series just keeps getting better and better. Fleshing out more of the world to include outside of Scion, and for once, a hopeful ending.
  4. Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer -This series is so funny. I can’t help be amused by the whole premise and story. So glad to find out that it isn’t a trilogy and more books to come because I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters.
  5. Red City by Marie Lu – The complicated world we live. Nothing is black and white. What would you do for family? Power is addictive, but it is also destructive.

Review: Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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I am so glad I found this series because it continues to entertain me. It is funny, charming, and all the characters are so damn likable. I can’t get enough of the back and forth between Evie and Trystan. I cheered when Becky finally kissed Blade and then immediately ran off. lol. I am glad that we got more of Kingston and his story. It was just a treat to read. We begin not that long after the last book ends. King Benedict has taken one of the Guyvre’s needed to fulfill the prophecy, and Trystan’s magic is going haywire every time he is around Evie. Evie and Lyssa are coping with the return of their once-thought-dead mother. There are a lot of feelings going around. As there should be. A lot has happened to our beloved Villain and his crew. It still amuses me that he runs his villainous empire as any other corporate company with HR and finance teams. He may be the Villain, but he does know how to take care of people. Something that Trystan is just discovering he has been doing all along, but now he is discovering he actually cares. To save the magic, they must figure out the prophecy that they don’t know, but King Benedict does. Hijinks ensue. Twists and turns happen, and oh boy, did we get a fun ending. I thought this was a trilogy, but we are getting at least another book. Which is great because I am not ready to leave these crazy characters.

What I’m Reading Now: Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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October’s book club this month is “Heroes who are actually the villain”. Inspired by Columbus Day. I couldn’t find a book on my TBR that fit the bill, so I decided to go with this one. In the world of the series, our main characters are seen to be the villain’s but in truth, they are the heroes. True, one does use his interns as target practice, but still, the good guy.

Beth’s Favorite Books of 2024!!!

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I read a lot of good books this year. Like many of us, books were a much-needed respite from all the things going on in the world. So, I am forever grateful to all the authors who created the amazing worlds I visited this year.

In no particular order. Here are the books that I loved the most in 2024!

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang – This was such an excellent book. It was a tough read, I am not going to lie because I saw a little bit more of myself in the main character than I would care to admit but that’s a good thing. It’s good to be uncomfortable from time to time because that’s how you learn and ultimately grow. So yes, read this book. Especially if you are a liberally leaning white woman.

What the River Knows and Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibanez – These were a fun series. It really is a mix of The Mummy (1999 version) and Death of the Nile. I loved the dynamic between the main character and her love interest. It was a mix of adventure, romance and mystery. What the River Knows was so much fun, I had to immediately read the sequel Where the Library Hides. It just hit all the right notes for me.

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan – What if you could become a character in your favorite story? Sounds like fun, right? It is, at least to me. Rae may disagree as to where she ends up at the end of the book, but it is so much fun. A lot of humor and all the fantasy tropes that readers expect. I can’t wait for the sequel to come out.

Assistant to the Villain and Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer – Both of these books were so funny. I think I picked this up on a whim because it sounded interesting, and I am so glad that I did. It is just the right kind of humor I like. It is so ridiculous I love it.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy – The only non-fiction title on my list. Okay, it might have been the only non-fiction book I read this year, but I digress. Jennette’s story is heartbreaking because so much of the pain in her life was caused by her mother. How she handling it all now is admirable. I only wish the best for her.

The Familiar – Leigh Bardugo – Magic, mystery, betrayal. It is all here. I loved the atmosphere of the story. Leigh Bardugo is such a great writer. She paints such great portraits in her books. If you are looking for a standalone fantasy novel, You can’t go wrong with this one.

Spoiler Alert, All the Feels and Ship wrecked by Olivia Dade – I love them all. The Spoiler Alert trilogy follows three different couples from a TV show. All of them are relatable and easy to cheer for. I also love the fan fiction part of the stories.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi – Another hilarious book. I have never read John Scalzi before but I might have to after this. The absurdity of the books is amazing. Like I need this to be a movie or TV show because it would be awesome.

A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan – I was introduced to Sophie Jordan from her first dragon books, so I was happy she’s back to writing dragons. There are some similarities to the last series, but I am not mad about it. It was a very fast read, and I didn’t want it to end. It’s a good thing the sequel is coming out next year.

Those were my favorite books of this year. After going through my list, I see a theme of comedic books. I obviously needed the laughs, and I am probably going to need the laughs next year. What were your favorite books of this year?

Quick Review: Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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I do love it when the sequel is just as much fun as it’s predecessor. Evie is really in her power. The shocks of the ending of the last book really has made Evie more of sure of who she is. She really is leaning into her evil side. Which could be good or bad depending on who you asks. Evie and the Villain are in a race with the King to fulfill the prophecy. To do that they must find Evie’s mother. For the Villain’s part, he is all for revenge while keeping his feelings for Evie in check. Not so easy. They ups and downs and humor really make this series. The supporting cast is still amazing. We get to know a little bit more about Becky and a new character point of view and really opens up the world so much more. I had so much fun reading the first two books. I can’t wait to read the next one.

Quick Review: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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This book was nothing but delightful. Evie Sage needs a job when she literally stumbles upon the Villain in the woods and wouldn’t you know, he needs an assistant. So Evie goes to work for the mysterious Villain. Who for the last 10 years has been causing a ruckus in the kingdom and to the King. Evie loves her new job. Yes, from time to time the Villain may shoot at one of the interns and Becky, head of HR is her personal nemesis but other than that. It is a good job. The villain is also a good boss for a villain. It doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome again for a villain. Lately the Villain’s plans have been foiled. It’s like someone from the outside knows when and where he is going to strike and he asks Evie to track down the traitor. Comedy ensues as Evie tries to find the traitor but can’t quite keep up. This book is so much fun and entertaining and I was happy to find out that it’s a series so there will be more adventures with Evie and the Villain. I can’t wait to read more.

What I’m also listening to and still reading now: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (translated by Ken Liu and read by Luke Daniels) and Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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I also had The Three-Body Problem audiobook so when I saw that Kate was listening to it I thought I would too. I am also back to reading Assistant to the Villain on my commute to work.