My Favorite Books & Series of 2025

2025 is coming to a close, and as in years past, I'm reflecting on all the great books I read this past year.

This has been an annual tradition here on the blog since 2019 when I wrote my first best books of the year post. As always, narrowing down this list to just ten books was difficult! I read so many amazing titles this year.

For the first year in awhile, only three of the books on this list come from my One Woman Book Club. That's not a knock on those books in any way as most of them were fantastic. It's more a testament to how effective my seasonal reading lists were this year, as well as my return to curating updated TBR lists more often toward the end of the year.

In another surprise move, this end-of-the-year best books list looks vastly different from the list I published back in July in which I shared what I considered the best books I'd read so far this year. Only three titles featured in that roundup made the final cut. I must confess, though, that cutting The Last of the Moon Girls was a tough decision!

I also just realized that there are no series on this year's list, which is a first. I actually don't think I read as many series this past year as I typically do, and the ones that I did read don't beat any of the standalones that did make this list.

In other noteworthy news, I started using my library app more frequently this year. They've done a good job of updating it compared to back when I first started using it. In fact, more than half of the books included in this year's best of list I discovered through that resource. So consider this your sign to support your local library, even if it's digitally!

Alright, without further ado, here are the 10 books that I consider to be the best that I read in 2025.

Many of these books are available via Kindle Unlimited and/or have an Audible version. 

My 10 Favorite Books & Series of 2025

By Any Other Name

Author: Jodi Picoult

I predicted this book would be on my best books of the year list back in the summer. Well, not only is it on the list, but it tops the list. This is the book that I have found myself recommending the most this year, and it is the one that I wish I could reread for the first time so that I could experience it like new all over again. This book challenged everything I thought I knew about William Shakespeare. It was also a very well-researched story that drew me in from the blurb itself. The premise of the book lies in the literary theory (or conspiracy) that Shakespeare himself did not write many of the works attributed to him. The book revolves around Emilia Bassano, the first published female English poet and one of the possible writers who penned the Bard's works, and her modern-day ancestor Melina Greene, an aspiring playwright struggling to break into the male-dominated world of theater.

Tea & Alchemy

Author: Sharon Lynn Fisher

This is a late edition to this list, and yes, it did claim the number two spot. Quite easily in fact. This was my pick from Amazon's First Reads for December, and for the first time ever with these books, I dove in immediately. I devoured this book and have been recommending it all month long to anyone who will listen. Harker, the mysterious and never-seen lord of Roche Rock, is a vampire who survives on an alchemically-created vital essence. When Mina, the woman who lives next door, discovers his solicitor dead on the heath, Harker determines that he's not the only vampire out there. When this other vampire targets Mina, Harker makes it his mission to protect her.

Fawkes

Author: Nadine Brandes

How could I not include this fantastic magical historical fiction novel on this list? Not only was this a wonderfully told story that still has relevance in today's world, it also inspired me to dive into a rabbit hole of research. This is a magical retelling of the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605 with the son of Guy Fawkes starring as the main character. Read my full review here.

When We Believed in Mermaids

Author: Barbara O'Neal

Oh man, I love Barbara O'Neal's work, and this one was so, so good. It was bittersweet and one of the most satisfying stories I've read in a long time. Kit and Josie are sisters who reconnect years after Josie faked her death in the wake of a terror attack. When Kit sees Josie in the background of a live news story in New Zealand, Kit drops everything to go find her. Josie, meanwhile, has created the life she never thought she'd be able to have. Read my full review here.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

Author: Gary Hendrix

This was probably the most unconventional vampire book I have ever read. How much I loved this book honestly took me by surprise. Patricia and her friends Kitty, Slick, Maryellen, and Grace are part of an unusual book club; they only read true crime and horror stories. When James Harris moves in, he manipulates his way into Patricia's life. When children start to go missing in a nearby black community, Patricia discovers that James is connected. She goes to the police, but the only one punished is her. Patricia's husband forces her to start taking mental health medication, she becomes estranged from her children, and her friend group falls apart. Three years later, she "wakes up" and takes back up her quest to end James once and for all.

We Don't Talk About Carol

Author: Kristen L. Berry

The twist in this one! I was not expecting it at all. Sydney discovers a photo hidden in a drawer while cleaning out her recently-passed grandmother's home. The girl in the photo is Sydney's Aunt Carol. Carol disappeared in 1965, but no one in the family ever talks about her. Sydney wants to learn more about this mysterious aunt, so she starts digging and discovers a series of unsolved disappearances -- all young black girls in the '60s. Using her investigative journalism skills, Sydney works with the relatives of the missing to find the truth.

The Ghostwriter

Author: Julie Clarke

This was such a great mystery. It sucked me right in and had me second-guessing everything. Olivia is a ghostwriter trying to make a comeback from a career-ending misstep when her estranged father hires her to write his memoir. Vincent Taylor is renowned horror writer who has never been able to shake the accusations that he murdered his brother and sister when he was a teenager. Now he's at the end of his life and read to tell the story of what really happened that night, and he'll only tell it to Olivia.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer

Author: Tasha Coryell

This one makes the list because I literally could not put it down once I started reading. It was so insane, y'all. Every few pages, I found myself wanting to reach into the pages of the book to give the protagonist, Hannah, a good shake. Let's see if I can keep this brief. After a series of bad luck, Hannah becomes obsessed with an accused serial killer and his victims. After her obsession results in her getting fired, Hannah decides to write to him, and he responds. She keeps writing back, eventually falling for him. When it's time for the trial, she decides to drive cross country to attend. After he's found not guilty, he shows up at her hotel and proposes. She says yes! Even though she still suspects him of being the killer.

Something in the Walls

Author: Daisy Pearce

This one was so suspenseful, and the writing just kept me glued to the pages. Mina, an inexperienced child psychologist, agrees to help Sam, a reporter, investigate claims that a teen girl is possessed by the ghost of a witch. The town is deeply superstitious and truly believes that Alice is a witch. As the investigation progresses, Mina and Sam discover that nothing is as it seems on the surface, and the real villain drives a wedge between them. This book was full of so many twists and turns. If you like a good psychological thriller, definitely read this one.

The Wicked Deep

Author: Shea Earnst

We're ending this roundup with my October book club pick, which was a dual timeline romance novel. The basic plotline is that in 1822, Marguerite, Aurora, and Hazel Swan were wrongfully convicted of witchcraft and drowned in the harbor of Sparrow, Oregon. Now every summer, the spirits of the sisters return to seek their revenge by possessing three teenage girls and luring boys to their deaths in the harbor. Flashbacks are woven throughout the present day storyline to slowly reveal the full truth of the story. Read my full review here.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the 2026 One Woman Book Club!

My Best Purchases of 2025

The countdown to 2026 continues! Today, I'm looking back at my spending from this past year and sharing the purchases that I think were my best.

After taking couple of years off, I decided to bring this year-in-review post back in 2024, although, technically, I shared the post at the beginning of 2025. That post went on to become one of my most popular posts of the year (see the full list here).

I'll be honest. When I was curating this roundup of what I consider my smartest purchases from 2025, I realized that I had forgotten that some of my favorite items were actually purchased this year. That's how you know you've made a good buy -- when it feels like you've been using it for years instead of just months.

In terms of overall spending this year, we definitely cut back. I've actually spent a good bit of the year cleaning out and trying to simplify, so the purchases I have made were done with intention, and I'm happy to say that for the most part I don't regret anything I bought this past year.

This post was actually pretty hard to narrow down, and I'm sure I left something out, but these are the 25 things I bought in 2025 that made huge impacts on my year.

Denim Vest -- This is probably my top clothing purchase of the year. I bought this vest despite already owning a dark denim vest. I felt that my wardrobe could really use a lighter wash vest, and I liked the waistcoat style. I got it on sale, though not by much, but I can confidently say that I have more than gotten my money out of this one. It is probably the most worn clothing item in my closet right now. I wear it with pants, over dresses, and with skirts. It can be left open or worn like a top. It's so versatile, and I wish this exact one was still available. This one has a really similar look.

Ribbed Maxi Dresses -- I love these plain-Jane dresses so much (third picture above). There's really nothing special about them, but they're incredibly comfortable, and I wore them so much over the summer. In fact, I love them so much I wrote an entire post just for them! I have this in three different colors, though I think I probably wear the red the most. These are a similar style.

Woven Mary Jane Flats -- I have really embraced the mary jane flat this year, but none so much as this pair. I bought these because I kept seeing one of my favorite people to follow for fashion advice show them off, and I have not regretted them once. These mary janes have absolutely been my most-worn shoes of 2025, and they're holding up so well. I wear them all the time. I like that they let my feet breathe. These ones have been sold out for awhile, but you can shop similar ones here and here.

Green Overalls -- Last year, the black version of these overalls were at the top of my best purchases list, and I think these green ones got even more wear than those ones. Seriously! I wear these all. the. time. There's just something about green that works in all seasons.

Woven Belts -- These might be my most practical purchase this year. I use these all the time. My favorite thing about them is that they're stretchy, so they don't feel as restrictive as a traditional belt, which means they're comfortable for all-day wear. These are sold in a pack of four, and I went with the more neutral ones, although I do really like the black striped one for adding a bit of interest and pattern-play to an otherwise basic outfit.

Strappy Black Flat Sandals -- These sandals (middle right) filled a gap in my closet I didn't even know I had. I bought them on a whim, prepared to not like them all that much, and they quickly became the go-to solution for when I needed a dressier sandal. These exact ones are no longer available, but these are similar.

Jacquard Wide-Leg Jeans -- Anyone who knows me knows that I rarely wear jeans, so for a pair to make my best purchases list is a pretty big deal.. I typically prefer more interesting bottoms, so when I saw these textured ones, I knew I had to try them, and I am so glad I did. These have been such an asset to my closet. I wear them all the time...and you can, too, because they're still available!

Bluebird Graphic Tee -- This is one of my most worn and most versatile graphic tees. You can see it in the fourth picture above (far right). Y'all loved it too! It was at the top of my best sellers list for months. Sadly, it's been sold out for awhile so I can't link to it.

White Midi Skirt -- This is that Target skirt that went viral in the late spring-early summer. It really was worth the hype and is something that will be a staple in my closet for awhile. It took awhile, but it did finally sell out. Lucky for you, Quince has one that looks just as classic.

Brown Plaid Skirt -- I bought this skirt specifically for the new school year and could not have guessed how much I would wear it. I'm not sure what the fabric technically is; some reviews say flannel but I'm not convinced. What I can tell you is that it's lightweight and not itchy at all, which makes it infinitely more wearable for me. It's also got an elastic waistband and pockets.

Coffee Club Graphic Tee -- Who knew that a t-shirt I bought on a whim would become such a big part of my outfits? I absolutely love this graphic tee. Not only is it cute, but it's also incredibly soft and comfortable. I'll be wearing this one until I wear it out.

Green Cableknit Sweater -- This is a relatively new purchase, but it's quickly found its place in my winter wardrobe. It's super soft and such an interesting color. I've been wearing it with all the things. Unfortunately, this color is no longer available, but it comes in quite a few others.

Flowy Shorts -- I lived in these this summer. They are such a great alternative to wearing a skirt, especially since I donated most of my above-the-knee skirts. I started with a couple of "flounce shorts" from Old Navy which are definitely statements (they sold out really quickly), then I added three slicker pair from this brand. And I already have plans to buy a few more colors!

Neutral Espadrille Platform Slides -- These were my go-to summer shoes (last three pictures). I wore them with most everything. They were just so easy and went with everything from shorts to dresses. Such a smart purchase. I got mine from Old Navy -- I'm telling y'all, don't sleep on their shoes! They're no longer available, but these are similar.

Lluvamia Beach Shorts -- I was curious about the boxer short trend but didn't want to actually look like I was wearing boxer shorts. These were a great alternative, and I wore them so much this summer! The pink striped ones are completely sold out, but the blue stripe are still available in some colors. There's also a green stripe and a beige stripe option.

Oversized Tees -- Y'all know I'm not big on oversized, but I really did embrace the oversized graphic tees this summer...well, as much as a person can when they only buy two to start with. The white beach scene tee (left) is the one that I wore the most over the summer. I really liked that it wasn't one of those crunchy, overlay style designs. It's still available in some sizes. The bright pink one (right) had one of those plasticky, crunchy overlay designs, but I did wear it quite a bit over the summer as well.

Black Floral Two-Piece Swimsuit -- This summer, I ordered three swimsuits (it had been years since I bought a new one), and while I loved and wore all three of them and will continue to do so, this one was definitely my most worn suit of the summer.

Crochet Swim Coverup -- Staying with that summer vibe, I absolutely loved this crochet coverup. It is such good quality, y'all.

Water Shoes -- These might have been my smartest purchase over the summer, and I only spent $10 on them! They seriously saved my feet on our trips to the water park, and we went quite a few times this summer. And I can't believe this but they are still available! Speaking of the water park...

Water World Season Passes -- We've always talked about getting passes to our local water park, and this summer I made it happen. I will admit that doing this didn't really save us any money, and we didn't go as much as planned, but it was so convenient to not have to worry if we had the money to go on any given day over the summer. Also, not having to pay admission to get in meant that we could reserve a cabana and actually stay longer than we would otherwise. So it was definitely a win, and we'll definitely be buying them again this year.

Amazfit Smart Watch -- Not too long ago, I swapped from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy Z flip phone, which meant that I needed a new watch. The Samsung smartwatches are so expensive and honestly have so many things on them that I don't need or will ever use. This one was much more practical for me and had a much better price point. Plus, the battery life is insane!

Fire HD 8 Tablet -- I finally replaced my well-loved paperwhite. I decided to go back to a Fire tablet. While I loved my paperwhite, I missed having color covers for my books...and I wanted a bigger screen to scroll through Pinterest on (that wasn't my actual computer). I do mostly use it to read, but I've also been using it in the kitchen for recipes. It's so much easier to read them on than my phone screen.

Hobo Bag -- I am not the type of person who changes out my bag every other week. I mean, who really has time for that? Definitely not me. When I realized that hobo bags were trendy again, I was so excited because they've always been my favorite, and this one is so good. It's nice quality and a great size. It comes in a bunch of different colors; I have the orange-brown which is tan.

Function of Beauty Wavy Hair Shampoo & Conditioner -- Okay, so this isn't a one-and-done type of purchase, but it has made a significant impact in my hair routine. Earlier this year, I started noticing some unwanted changes in my hair in terms of texture, dryness, and frizz. This shampoo-and-conditioner combo has helped restore my hair back to its natural state. It's honestly the closest thing to Monat that I've found, and it costs significantly less! I've been using this for about four months now.

e.l.f. Monochromatic Multi Stick -- This one feels a little silly to include, but it really has been a game changer for me in the makeup department. It's helped simplify my morning routine and in a pinch can be used for more than just blush. I currently have three different shades in my makeup bag.

2025 One Woman Book Club Recap

Year three of my One Woman Book Club is in the books, and what a year of reading it was!

The 2025 One Woman Book Club was a little different from the first two years. This year, instead of simply including each month's book pick in a monthly reading roundup, I dedicated a full post to each book, sharing not only my thoughts about the titles but also a full-length summary. You can browse through all of my One Woman Book Club Reviews here. There are spoilers in each full review, but they're clearly labeled and easy to skip.

For this year's book club, I decided to do something different to really wrap things up -- a recap post! For this, I'm going to give a very brief, one-to-two sentence review of each month's pick and whether or not I would recommend it. For full reviews, simply click on each heading.

January - The Lost Bookshop

This was a magical book to start the year. It was a lovely story told in alternating yet interconnected timelines. It also had some pretty fascinating literary history in it, which I definitely enjoyed. Recommend!

February - A Not So Meet Cute

This was a fun rom-com. It was a quick and easy with with Pretty Woman vibes. Recommend.

March - The Last of the Moon Girls

This novel exceeded my expectations. I love this author's books, and this one was such a rewarding read. I especially liked the underlying themes of breaking generational curses. Recommend!

April - Fawkes

This novel is on my best books of the year list. It is a historical fiction with a magical twist that sent me down a research rabbit hole to learn all I could about Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot. Recommend!

May - The Darkest Flower

If I had to choose a least favorite book club pick, this would be it. In my opinion, too much detail went into the villain, while the "hero" was under-developed and felt a bit dumb at times. That said, it did have a good twist though that I didn't see coming. That's just not enough for me to recommend it, unfortunately.

June - When We Believed in Mermaids

This is one of my favorite reads this year. It was a very bittersweet story about a family reuniting, forgiveness, and healing. Recommend!

July - The Price of Paradise

I enjoyed this book overall, but I do have mixed feelings. I felt like the Cuban Revolution was an afterthought even though it played a really big part in what was happening. The "happy ending" was very delayed and honestly not all that happy, and for this to be a romance story there was a lot of time spent on the "in between" times.

August - Veins of Gold

This one is by one of my favorite authors, but I found myself disappointed. I felt like it was missing something; maybe I was unfairly comparing it to The Paper Magician? Final verdict: meh.

September - How to Buy a Planet

Sci-fi isn't usually my thing, but I enjoyed this one. It is satirical but oddly relevant. I know it's not for everyone, but I definitely recommend it for fans of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

October - The Wicked Deep

This one was such a good book about love and redemption. The dual timeline was expertly woven together to tell this bittersweet story. Recommend.

November - Under a Gilded Moon

This was a near-perfect historical fiction set in a time period that I'm not all that familiar with. There's also a mystery to solve. Recommend.

December - Sorry I Missed You

What a book to end the year on. If I had to sum this one up in just one sentence it would be this: ghosts in the attic! This one was crazy with one of the most bizarre endings I've read. Recommend!

To everyone who read along with me this year, thank you! I hope you enjoyed this year's picks as much as or more than I did!

As the One Woman Book Club continues to grow and evolve, I'm looking for new ways to expand on it and get as much value from the club as possible. Blogging about books isn't exactly new territory for me, but it's always been a bit of a side focus. I think that's going to change in 2026, not just with the One Woman Book Club but also with my reading-based content overall.

Speaking of my One Woman Book Club, be sure to check back on January 1st to see the 2026 One Woman Book Club schedule.

10 End-of-the-Year Outfits

I can hardly believe that this is the last real outfit roundup post of 2025! I definitely don't want to jinx anything, but it feels like I've been on Christmas break forever. Maybe because our last day was a Wednesday? At any rate, I've barely known what day it is since clocking out on December 17th.

For those of you just now discovering my little corner of the internet, welcome! Real Outfit Roundup is a post I do every two weeks sharing the outfits I wore in real life along with brief explanations for each and links to shop the same or similar items.

I've been doing this series in some format since way back in 2016. A lot has changed over the years, from my job to my personal style. Back then, the goal was mostly to start back loving my body after having a baby and also share a glimpse into my life as a news producer. These days, my style is all about staying true to myself and wearing what I love regardless of current trends. Oh, and I still shop on a budget. That will probably never change!

This final outfit roundup of 2025 is a pretty mixed bag. After winter showed up for a week or two, she decided she needed a vacation and summer has been filling in. Seriously. Our temperatures have been flirting with the 80s all this past week!

On to the outfits. As a reminder, I'm 5'2" and weigh about 140 lbs. I typically wear size 6 or s/m in clothes and size 7 in shoes.

Plaid Shirt (similar, similar) | Camisole | Pants | Boots | Owl Necklace (similar)

We're going to start this roundup with what I wore to an area Christmas festival. It was a weird day weatherwise, so I truly didn't know how to dress. A sweater would have been way too warm, and a dress felt inappropriate, so I went for my tried-and-true Stevie pants. These are my alternative to leggings, and if you've not given them a try, you should. They're thicker than leggings, do a much better job of holding everything in, and don't have the dreaded front seam. I love these so much that I have two pair.

My plaid shirt is pretty old. It's an oversized flannel from Old Navy, what I think would be their boyfriend shirt now. Maybe. That's what the first similar option links to, although there's not really a pattern like this one available. The second option is to a more fitted flannel in a pattern that is a closer match.

My boots are new. I got them on a Cyber Monday sale for $20, so they were a steal, but I would have paid full price for them, too. In a surprise turn of events, these are a flat boot. I realized earlier in this school year that my heeled black boots are no longer going to work for me as work shoes. They're still great, and I'll definitely still wear them...just not all day standing on concrete floors. My hips were dying the next day! Anyway, these are very comfortable and good for all day wear.

Sweater (similar) | Skirt (similar, similar) | Boots (similar)

I wore this to school on the last Monday before the break, although not exactly like this. For school, I actually had the sweater untucked but with a belt around my waist. I didn't hate the look exactly, but I wasn't particularly comfortable in it either.

See? It just felt awkward for whatever reason.

So when I got home, I lost the belt, and tucked the sweater using a modified trick I saw online somewhere (I don't have one of those bungee cord things people use for sweaters). I like the way that looks so much better...and I was so much more comfortable to be honest.

Anyway, my sweater is one of the ones in Old Navy's SoSoft line. It's almost sold out -- very limited sizes left -- so I'm linking to something similar elsewhere, but I can't speak to the quality.

This skirt is one of my favorite things I've ordered from Temu. It's great quality and goes with so much that I already own, making it extremely versatile. Unfortunately, it's no longer available, and I can't find it anywhere else. I linked to a couple of really similar skirts that have the same kind of vibe. The second option is the closest color match, I think.

Sweatshirt (similar, similar) | Jeans (similar) | Converse

The only goal for what I wore this day was to be comfortable. I knew that I was going to be at my desk pretty much all day working on grades while my students watched a movie.

My Winnie the Pooh Christmas sweatshirt is from a couple of years ago. I think. I can't actually remember when I got it or where. I found some similar options for you.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but my jeans have braids going down the outside of both legs, which makes them much more interesting than just a standard pair of jeans. I usually where then with shoes that are a bit more elevated so they look a bit more structured, but like I said -- comfort was the goal here, so I went with my Converses (which will need to be replaced soon).

Dress (similar) | Cardigan (similar) | Shoes (similar)

I'm going to be honest: this is my least favorite outfit in this roundup. Don't get me wrong. I was immensely comfortable in this getup, but I felt pretty sloppy. I think it's the proportions... I know, I know. We're moving away from preconceived notions about what is flattering, but my brain needs to catch up. It's got decades of conditioning to overcome!

On the plus side, I love these colors together. And everything in this outfit is so soft and easy to wear. The dress, however, is heavy, which may have contributed to the overall feeling I had for the look. I felt weighed down, and the long cardigan didn't help with that. I guess it just feels like this outfit is missing something.

Anyway, everything in this one is old, so I'm linking to similar options for you.

Sweater (similar, similar) | Skirt | Belt | Boots

This is my favorite outfit of this roundup, hands down! That said, it doesn't mean that I always feel confident about what I'm wearing, even when I love it. I live in a pretty casual, conservative place, and an outfit like this one stands out in a crowd. As much as I share my outfits with all of y'all, I'm still not always comfortable with all the second glances I get when I'm out in public. I'm not actually sure why I shared that with y'all, but it felt important to say.

Okay, so this sweater is one of my favorites that I got this year. It came from Walmart of all places! That means it was crazy affordable, especially for fair isle, which can be get expensive. Thankfully that lower price did not mean lower quality. This sweater is crazy good, y'all! Which is probably why it's all but sold out online. I found a couple of very similar styles for you to check out.

My skirt is so much fun, y'all. It's a slimmer a-line cut, so it kind of mimics a slip skirt without being overly clingy. It's fully lined with a mesh top layer, which just gives it some added texture to enhance the absolutely beautiful pattern. This is not your traditional floral print skirt, y'all. Those are moths woven into the pattern, not butterflies. And I love them.

Blouse | Jeans (similar) | Boots

I wore this to go Christmas shopping with my husband. I wanted to feel festive, but it was, you guessed it, pretty warm out. Thankfully, I had this black-and-red plaid peplum blouse in my closet. I grabbed it with the very thought in my head that I needed to have something short-sleeved in case Christmas decided to feel like summer this year. Surprisingly, this one is still available in all sizes. There's also a pretty blue plaid version.

I decided to pair it with my wide-leg, braided jeans, which I admit felt very out of the norm for me. I rarely pair loose tops with loose bottoms, but I didn't hate this. I know you can't really see them in this picture, but I'm wearing my favorite Chelsea boots. Even with the heel, these are super comfortable. I regularly wear them for a full day of teaching, and this was a full day of shopping. I cannot recommend them enough.

Shirt | Jeans (similar) | Sneakers (exact, exact)

I'll be honest, I don't remember what we did this day. Maybe it was the day we took my car to get the oil changed? It doesn't really matter, I guess.

Are these my braided jeans again? Yep. I've been wearing them a bunch lately. This go 'round, I paired them with this graphic tee. I know it wasn't very Christmasy, but I really don't have very many warm-weather Christmas clothes. Bright red is Christmasy, right? This tee is still available in limited sizes, and honestly there's nothing out there similar so I don't have anything similar to link to.

I bought these bright blue sneakers at the start of the school year and have loved them. I got them on clearance at the Skechers store, and they're not on the Skechers store anymore, but I did find the exact same shoe on two other store sites, so I'm linking to both.

Shirt (similar) | Jeans | Sneakers

I wore this to go eat Chinese one night with my mom and daughter. This is still a favorite t-shirt for me and one that I reach for all the time. It's not available where I got it from, but I did find one on Poshmark that I linked to for you.

These jeans are actually new. I got them on major sale for less than $20. They're high waisted, snug around my waist and hips, but nice and loose through the leg. They're very flattering on and give me nostalgia for my youth. I also bought them in black.

Shirt | Jeans | Converse

I wore this on Christmas Eve. We met my parents for lunch, then went to the shoe store (random I know).

How interesting are these jeans? I got them on sale, too, otherwise I probably wouldn't have bought them. But I fell in love with them as soon as I took them out of the bag. They're straight-leg, which isn't my typical style, but I will definitely make an exception for these. They're not just patterned, they're textured.

I got this Cherry Coke graphic tee to replace one that I got rid of recently that felt a little too young for me and was definitely not one I could wear to teach middle school. This one fits better and is more school appropriate.

Dress (similar, similar) | Vest | Socks | Boots

This brings us to Christmas Day. I couldn't wear the outfit I had planned on wearing because it was too warm, so I had to back up and punt. This plaid dress was a nice compromise. It felt Christmas appropriate without being over-the-top. This one is mostly sold out, so I linked to some similar options for you as well.

I ordered this tie-front sherpa vest on a whim (it was and still is on major sale). I decided to try it over this dress, and I really like the way it turned out. Surprisingly, it wasn't too warm for this 80-degree day. It's lined, so the sherpa is only on the outside. This is definitely not my usual style, but I'm kind of excited about the possibilities of this vest.

One Woman Book Club Review: Sorry I Missed You

My December book club pick might have been my craziest yet. I mean, what did I just read?! I feel like the blurb failed to adequately prepare me for what this book turned out to be.

In a nutshell, Sorry I Missed You about three women who rent out different floors in a remodeled house that has ghosts in the attic. Literally. There are strange sounds coming from up there at all hours of the day and especially the night, and not even the landlord has a key to access that part of the house. To make things even more strange, each of the women has items mysteriously show up in their suites or go missing entirely.

The book is told from four different points of view: the three housemates and Larry, the landlord. You've got Mackenzie, who is in college, living in the basement suite, Sunna, who is in her 30s, living on the main floor, and Maude, who's in her 60s, on the upper floor. The women are unlikely companions to say the least, but when a half-destroyed letter arrives in the mail saying "Sorry I missed you" and wanting to meet at an area coffee shop, each of them has reason to believe the letter was meant for them. So they team up and start staking out the coffee shop, sharing their truths and vulnerabilities and forging a strange friendship between them. Meanwhile, there's Larry, bumbling his way through the story and filling in some of the blanks along the way.

The twist at the end not only explained everything (including the ghosts) but was hilariously perfect. There were also some pretty good messages woven into the storyline. I found the themes of second chances and finding closure in tough situations to be particularly poignant.

To avoid spoilers, skip to the end of this post.

***Spoilers***

Larry Finley has just inherited his late aunt's house, but due to all the stipulations laid out in the will, he can't live in it. He also can't sell it, either, so he decides to do the next best thing: renovate it and rent it out. Oh, and he won't tell his new tenants about the ghosts in the attic. They'll find out soon enough.

It doesn't take long for Larry to find tenants. Maude takes the upstairs suite, Sunna gets the main floor, and Mackenzie moves into the basement level. The three women have nothing in common except that they've been ghosted by important people in their lives. They don't truly even get along, especially Maude and Sunna. But when a letter arrives damaged in their mailbox, each of the ladies feels as if it was meant for her.

The letter's writer apparently tried to see someone at the house, writing "Sorry I missed you." While half of the letter, including the sender's name, is missing, Maude, Sunna, and Mackenzie are able to determine that whoever wrote it wants to meet the intended recipient at an area coffee shop. So they all agree to go there together and stake it out until one of the possible senders shows up. With each subsequent trip, the women learn more about each other and how they ended up where they are now.

Maude

Maude is in her 60s. She never married and has no children, but she was a successful florist. After she retired, she decided to try her hand at dating and met Richard at a speed-dating event. A few months after they started dating, he proposed, but on their wedding day, Richard didn't show up. When Maude called him, she discovered that he was drunk as a skunk, had no real reason for not being there, and he hung up on her. Eventually, Maude sold off most of her belongings and moved into the new apartment with nothing but a couch, table and chairs, and her cat, Janet.

Eventually, after Maude does some very inappropriate and invasive snooping about her dead and missing sisters, Mackenzie convinces her to call Richard. They meet at the coffee shop with Sunna and Mackenzie as support, and Richard explains what happened. He tells Maude that he got scared because he started thinking about how much it hurt to lose his first wife to cancer and couldn't stomach the thought of going through something like that again. He doesn't even remember talking to Maude on the phone on their wedding day. Originally, Maude walks away from Richard, but she eventually gives him another chance, and they finally tie the knot at the end of the book.

Sunna

Sunna is in her 30s and has been largely unsuccessful in her life. She was ghosted by Brett, her best friend since college.

The two of them had been growing apart ever since Brett became social media famous. They had a big fight in which Sunna accused Brett of being fake and Brett accused Sunna of being jealous, but their friendship didn't end there. The two kept meeting for coffee every week until one week Brett didn't show up. She never called, and Sunna never saw or spoke to her again. Then, her gym decided to send her to work at their new location in Regina, landing Sunna right smack in the middle of Maude and Mackenzie.

Sunna never does confront Brett, but she does a lot of growing over the course of the book. When she moves to Regina, she realizes just how empty her life truly is. At first, going to the coffee shop is something she does almost out of spite (mainly toward Maude who she is constantly at odds with), but even after she admits to herself that Brett did not send the note, she keeps going back to the coffee shop for the companionship. She eventually becomes sort of like a leader for their odd little group. She acts almost like an older sister for Mackenzie, while simultaneously trying to be a little more like her (Sunna is a bit rude and abrasive, more blunt than polite), and during Maude's confrontation with Richard, she helps to ensure that Richard actually explains things instead of trying to lay all of the blame at Maude's feet.

Mackenzie

Mackenzie is college aged and always paranoid and afraid. She was ghosted by her ex-boyfriend, Jared.

When she was 13, Mackenzie's twin sisters, who were adopted, disappeared. One was found dead and the other is still considered missing. The case has been reopened after an anonymous tip was called in with new information that leads to an arrest. Turns out, Mackenzie is who called the tip in. She's been withholding information about her sisters for the last six years. She admits everything to Sunna on her way to see her parents after they find out.

Mackenzie knew that her sisters were trying to find their biological family. She knew that they had discovered a guy named "Owen" who claimed to be their biological brother. Owen told them that he thought he'd found their birth mother, but he needed money to get to California to meet her. On the night they went missing, Mackenzie caught her sisters sneaking out to go to a party with Jared. At some point, they left the party. When questioned by the police, though, Jared lied because his parents had supplied the alcohol and all the party-goers were underage. Then, he convinced Mackenzie to lie, too. Somehow after all that, the two started dating.

On one of their coffee house stakeouts, Jared shows up with his fiancé. He's clearly surprised to see Mackenzie there, and she realizes that he couldn't have written the letter. Later in the story, after Mackenzie and her parents learn about the arrest, she runs into Jared again, this time at a live music venue. He's drunk and obnoxious and says some pretty vile things about her sisters' murders, and Mackenzie ends up punching him in the face.

Larry

A good bit of the story is told from Larry's point of view. Larry is in his mid-40s and works as a janitor at the local art gallery, but he hopes to be able to quit that job soon and start writing professional music reviews. In fact, he discovers that Mackenzie writes for one of his favorite punk magazines under the pen name Kate Weiss.

When a bomb threat is called in to the art gallery where he works, Larry becomes a suspect. The police traced the call back to the house he's renting out. When they learn that he doesn't actually live there, Larry is cleared, but now his three tenants are under investigation.

Throughout the book, Larry's tenants, especially Maude, call him numerous times about the attic. Under the stipulations of the will, Larry isn't allowed to go into the attic. Plus, it's locked and he doesn't have a key. He's scared to tell his tenants this, however, along with the fact that there are ghosts up there.

The Ghosts in the Attic

Yes, this is an important part in the story, as ridiculous as it sounds.

After many nights of loud thumping, wailing, and even some screaming, Sunna has had enough with the ghosts in the attic and calls the police. The first time she does, they find nothing but a small, empty space above Maude's apartment.

However, the sounds don't go away. Things keep disappearing from the women's apartments, stuff is getting moved around, and condolence flowers mysteriously show up in Mackenzie's apartment after she learns about her sisters' killer being arrested. So the women decide to investigate again. Sunna is kind of like the leader of their trio, so she goes up into the attic and discovers that the ceiling is hinged and will open. What she finds is another completely furnished apartment that Larry clearly has no knowledge of, and she can see multiple pairs of feet. Sufficiently freaked out, she calls the police again.

The first set of officers that arrive, though, are there to see Maude. Turns out, she's a suspect in the bomb threats that have been happening all around the city. There have been sixteen total! They even have a surveillance photo of someone who looks remarkably like Maude; the suspect is even wearing Maude's missing hat. Then another pair of officers arrives, this time in response to Sunna's call. The women manage to convince the officers to investigate the attic before questioning Maude, and what they discover is so bizarre.

Turns out, five people have been living in the attic of this house for years. Larry's Uncle Garnett was the first to move in. He faked his death decades ago because the art gallery wouldn't give him an exhibit. He and his wife, the aunt from whom Larry inherited the house, thought that if he died, she would be able to sell his paintings for a lot of money. It didn't work, and Garnett stayed "dead."

Then one of Garnett's friends, a notorious bank robber, moved in and brought his wife, then another buddy from the U.S. moved in, and finally Larry's Uncle Rebecca faked her death and moved in. The five of them had cooked up a scheme to tunnel into the art gallery and put Garnett's paintings on display in an empty gallery. Then one of Larry's cousin was supposed to sell the paintings left to him in Aunt Rebecca's will and split the profits with them so they could retire somewhere.

The Letter

Of course we can't forget about the letter since so much of the book is spent with Maude, Sunna, and Mackenzie sitting at the coffee shop waiting for the mysterious sender to show up for one of them.

Turns out, the letter wasn't meant for one of them at all. It was meant for Larry of all people. At the beginning of the book, just after he's learned that he has inherited this house that he can't live in, Larry stops at his favorite store to buy some potato wedges. While he's in there, a girl comes in who he thinks is just perfect, but in true bumbling Larry fashion, he bumbles the conversation when he asks for her number. The girl laughs in response and Larry leaves embarrassed.

When Maude, Sunna, and Mackenzie go to the coffee house the very first time, Sunna notices a girl outside one of the neighboring businesses. That's Nikki, the girl from the store that laughed when Larry asked for her number.

At the end of the book, when Maude and Richard are getting married, they have an unexpected guest. It's Nikki looking for Larry. Come to find out, she wasn't laughing at Larry when he asked for her number; she's just as awkward as he is and didn't know how to respond. Then he left before she could explain. She remembered what he said about inheriting a house, wrote a note, and dropped it in the mailbox. Never having seen or heard from him, she decided to ring the doorbell this time.

***End Spoilers***

Alright, so here are my final thoughts.

This story meanders in and out of viewpoints, and I kept finding myself wondering what exactly was going on. Now that I've finished it, I realize that was by design and absolutely vital to how the story unfolds.

The only complaint I keep falling back on is that the point of view that the book is written in is inconsistent, but I really feel like it's something I noticed because of what I teach. Anyway, the book is 98% told in third person limited. Each chapter, while having amusing titles, is labeled based on the character you're getting that particular part of the story from, but there are several instances where the author slips into third person omniscient for a single paragraph, bringing in the thoughts of a different character. It doesn't take away from the story at all; it was just something that irked my nerves a bit, and I try to be as honest as possible in these reviews.

I felt like Sunna's storyline wasn't fully resolved. She doesn't get any closure over the ending of this really long friendship, and that made me kind of sad. I also think, however, it might have been the point? Not all situations in life come with closure, especially the ending of friendships.

Mackenzie's part of the story was by far the most interesting to me. I like that her story ended on a hopeful note with Grant. After a life of so much sadness and guilt and regret, I think she deserves a happy ending.

Maude was just a sad creature for most of the story, which says a lot to me about the human need for connection. I think she latched onto Sunna and Mackenzie in such a harsh way because she was preparing for them to leave her, too.

So lots of lessons to be learned in the pages of this one...and in such a wild ride. A review from another author calls it "quirky," and I absolutely agree. I think this is a book that definitely won't be for everyone because of that quirkiness and kind of niche wit, but it is one that I would encourage you to give a try.

Best of 2025: Most Popular Blog Posts

Wow! 2025 is almost gone. How did that happen so fast? It feels like I blinked and twelve months flew by without so much as a brake tap.

I'm the type of person who likes to look back at the year that's ending to focus on all the good things that happened, and there was a lot of good happening on the blog this year.

For the first time since 2022, I published more than 100 posts. That's double the number I was able to publish in 2024 and about 25 percent more than 2023. In both of those years, I was essentially going back to school, first getting my non-traditional teaching certification and then getting gifted certified. Both of those programs were no joke and took up a lot of my free time. This school year has been way more relaxed in that aspect, although I was tapped to be a mentor for a new teacher, so I'm not exactly extra-duty free, but those duties aren't extending outside of school hours so it maybe doesn't count...

Basically, I'm figuring out that work-life balance everyone talks about which is being reflected here on the blog via the number of posts I was able to share with y'all.

Anyway, I feel like I was more intentional in the way that I posted this year, which was in line with one of my goals for 2025. I stopped worrying about how many posts I was publishing each week or even each month and focused more on the content I was sharing. I wanted each post to be purposeful, and I think that dedication to quality over quantity worked. My average post visits increased this past year, and I saw some of the highest traffic I've seen in a long time. At the time of writing this post, the blog had registered more than one million views for the past twelve months.

I'm always curious about which content resonates most with y'all, and it never fails to surprise me. This post about my favorite foundation continues to be the most popular thing I've written since it was published four years ago, and this post about deodorant still claims the number two spot three years after it was published. That's nuts! But for the purpose of this post, I'm only looking at the posts I published in 2025.

In an interesting turn of events, all but one post in the top ten most popular posts from 2025 is about reading. Even when I expand the list to include the top 15, there are still only four non-reading related posts. Expand it to the top 20, and that number only goes up by two. Last year, reading-related posts only accounted for half of the top ten most popular posts compared to 2023 when only three of the top ten most popular posts dealt with reading and 2022 when only one of the most popular posts was about books. 

Is this a sign that I should be focusing more on book and reading-based posts versus my other content? These type of posts are definitely trending upward, that's for sure. I do feel like I had a lot of reading-related posts this year compared to years past, but even still those posts only account for about a quarter of all the content that I share here. It's definitely something to think about, but just the idea of shifting my focus a bit more to what is arguably my favorite hobby has got me pretty excited!

Let's get to the countdown for 2025's most popular posts, yeah? Just for fun -- and to get a bit more variety than just books -- I'm going to share the top 20 posts. Just like in past years, I'll be counting down to number one.

Top 20 Blog Posts of 2025

#20 - What's New on My TBR: 10 Books I Want to Read - Over the summer, I decided it would be fun to start back doing more regular TBR updates for y'all in addition to my seasonal reading lists. I wanted to not only keep track of the titles that were catching my interest, but also hold myself accountable for my ridiculously-long TBR list that never seems to get shorter. This list was posted in July, and I have currently read four of the ten books featured there.

#19a - One Woman Book Club Review: A Not So Meet Cute - This was my February book club pick, and it could not have been more perfect for the month of love. It had some definite Pretty Woman vibes and had me laughing out loud a few times. This full-length review tied with my May book club pick, which I'll talk about next.

#19b - One Woman Book Club Review: The Darkest Flower - My May book club pick was actually a bit of a disappointment, and I'm quite surprised that this negative review was so popular. I'm curious to know whether all the people who read my review actually read the book and what they thought about it.

#18 - What I Read Spring 2025 - This reading roundup covered roughly three months of reading. There were a lot of series on this list, some of which I need to check up on to see if the next book is out... *quickly opens up new tab*

#17 - My Best Purchases from 2024 - This one is exactly what it says it is: a roundup of what I considered my best purchases from the previous year. Looking back through them, I still agree. I'm using all but two of the items I featured.

#16 - Top 8: My Most Used Beauty Products - Again, the title of this post tells you exactly what it is, and yes, I am still using every single item I wrote about.

#15 - My 2025-26 Classroom Must Haves - I'm happy to say that I got all of these items for my classroom this year except for one, and out of those I'm still using all but one. My students, unfortunately destroyed the hall passes pretty quickly.

#14 - One Woman Book Club Review: When We Believed in Mermaids - This was probably the best book I read over the summer. I love this author's work, and this book was no exception.

#13 - 30 Places to Visit in the Wiregrass Area - This post explores destinations that are good for a day or weekend trip for people who live in the same area as I do. I'm sad to say that we didn't get to visit any this year, but there's always next year!

#12 - One Woman Book Club Review: The Lost Bookshop - This was my very first book club pick of the year and the first book club review post I wrote. This story was magical and whimsical and a good one to start the year with.

#11 - 20 Graphic Tees for English Teachers - I don't know if you've noticed, but I love a good graphic tee, especially ones that have English things on them. So I rounded up a bunch of my favorites to share with my fellow English teachers. Looks like they found the post!

#10 - An Early July Outfit Roundup - I don't know what made this post so popular. It's just a bunch of typical-for-me summer outfits, nothing truly special in my opinion.

#9 - One Woman Book Club Review: Fawkes - This is in my top three favorite books for the year. I love a good historical fiction book, and this one had a magical twist to it that was fascinating. Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gunfire treason and plot...

#8 - One Woman Book Club Review: The Price of Paradise - This is another historical fiction book, but for me it didn't fully land. I enjoyed the book, certainly, but it felt like there was something missing or not quite believable about the overall story.

#7 - One Woman Book Club Review: Veins of Gold - This standalone from one of my favorite authors was a miss for me. It felt under-developed and incomplete, and I was just disappointed.

#6 - 15 Books to Read This Summer - This was another seasonal reading list to help me try to further reduce my out-of-control TBR list. I'm not sure it worked since I only read five of the books featured, but this was about the time I got caught up in a couple of series.

#5 - Fall Reading List: 20 Books to Add to Your TBR - I've read six of the titles featured on this list. A few of them I'm still waiting to become available from my local library. I'll read them all eventually!

#4 - What I Read This Summer - Several of the books in this reading roundup made my best books of 2025 list, so you should definitely check it out if you haven't already.

#3 - 10 Book to Read This Winter - It's important to note that this post is from January and is not my current winter reading list. Out of the ten titles featured, I've read five. I started another and didn't make it very far before deciding it wasn't really for me. On another note, I've been reading Love and Ruin for what seems like forever, and although I'm enjoying it, it is so serious that I keep taking breaks from it.

#2 - Spring Reading List: 10 Books to Add to Your TBR - I'm kind of ashamed to admit this, but I've only read two of the titles I featured on this list. However, I did start and DNF'ed a third that I just did not like. This list definitely has the worst showing on my part in terms of completion.

#1 - 2025 One Woman Book Club - Just like with 2024, my annual book club post takes the top spot. It seems lots of you were reading along with me this year. And seeing as how seven of the most popular spots went to reviews of this past year's book club picks, maybe it's time for me to consider expanding my book club even more. I don't know what that looks like right now (a.k.a. the time I'm writing this post), but I am certainly open to ideas.