introduction & my favorite books of all time

hello friends and welcome to the book breakdown! this is a blog where i breakdown books and have breakdowns about books. so if you're interested in book recommendations, reviews, recaps, and more, keep reading :)

i decided in 2025 that i wanted to do something to talk about the books i read. i initially attempted a podcast, but then decided the world already has enough people trying to kickstart their podcasting career (and failing). i also have trouble organizing my thoughts while speaking and always feel better typing things out. so i decided to go the carrie bradshaw-ish route and write a blog! 

in this first post i wanted to introduce myself and tell you my favorite books of all time. these books are all going to be stand-alones, or not part of a series, because i always feel like it's so hard to rate/review an entire book series. maybe i'll do another post about my favorite book series. anyways i wanted to share because i feel like knowing someone's favorite books really helps explain them as a person. i would like to say i never judge a book by it's cover, but that would be false information (i love a pretty book). i would also love to tell you i never judge a person by their favorite books, but that would also be a lie. therefore i think it's important that i tell you guys my favorite books so you can judge me and decide if you want to keep reading my posts!

before i get into my favorite books, i want to explain to you the criteria i use to justify these being my favorites. i feel like i'm very much a mood reader and like books based off vibes so here are some things that i ask myself after reading. 

• was it fun? did I have a good time? was it exciting?
• i feel like this is an important standard for books. i read a lot of books where i feel like i'm struggling to get it over with because it is just not a good time. i want to read a book that is not completely painful because life is short so why would i read a miserable book? it seems like a waste of time to not enjoy the things i read. so this question is pretty important  to consider when i'm rating my books!
• did it evoke some emotion from me? 
• now this is pretty general because i get very invested in things so it is likely that a book will make me emotional in some capacity. however, i have read some books where i just literally do not care about anything that is happening or about any of the characters. and that is just pointless to me. so a book has to have me emotionally invested in order for me to rank it high on my life. 
• did it change my perspective on anything? did i learn something new? 
• this is a pretty open concept because this can be accomplished in several different ways. anytime a book gives me a new outlook on people or life, i think it is extremely beneficial in developing empathy. when you see the world through multiple eyes or perspectives, through the experiences of the characters, you see life differently, as opposed to viewing life solely our own personal experiences. i think it's really important that you put yourself in someone else's shoes for a bit, even if they're fictional, and see life through them. when a book opens my eyes to a new perspective or new concept, i think it makes it so much more interesting

so now that we've established those standards, here is my current, as of january 2025, favorite stand-alone books of all time list in no particular order.

1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

i love this book. i have been obsessed with it since i read it years ago and every year i do a reread just so i can appreciate it again. i'm not kidding. this is genuinely one of the only books i can read multiple times and never get tired of. a quick synopsis is a young girl in 1714 is being forced into a marriage and she pleads with the "gods" to save her. she ends up making a deal with a really sketchy magical being and he basically tricks her into living forever but with a twist, she will never be remembered by anyone she meets. like that is literally tragic. i don't want to spoil too much but i just love the character of addie so much and really resonated with her. i also really resonate with a character that appears later in the book but i will not spoil. i did hear some complaints via booktok that the book was "boring" but i could not disagree more. i was on the edge of my seat the whole time. it is the perfect mixture of real life and magic, and really emphasizes the importance of relationships and making an impact on the world. i'll probably do another post going in-depth with this book because i could literally talk about it forever but i love this one everyone should read. 

2. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

this one is a memoir that i read for school and it quite literally changed my life. not even being dramatic. it's about a family where the parents are a bit unstable and nomadic, traveling around constantly, which makes it difficult for their four children to become well-adjusted individuals. jeannette compares her unstable childhood to her very successful and well-established adult life. she also analyzes the impact small moments from her youth have on her perspective of the world as an adult woman. now guys i know memoirs can sometimes be boring af but please give this one a chance! i would never lead you guys astray i promise. her life is so interesting, and i love the contrast between her adult life and her child life. she is also super open about her emotions and experiences, which i greatly appreciate from a memoir. there is a lot of emphasis of family, differing perspectives on life, wealth, and relationships. this is definitely a book that has helped shaped my view of the world.

3. Educated by Tara Westover

continuing on the topic of memoirs, this one is very similar to the glass castle and i found it so fascinating. raised in an unconventional home, tara's parents were against hospitals, public education, and other formal institutions. but tara has a thirst for knowledge her parents can't understand and she is ultimately able to go to college where she gets a glimpse of a more normal existence. this book made me appreciate the education i have been able to receive and reminded of the value of knowledge. the book also tackles topics like family dynamics, mental health, and growth/change! tara's writing is very real and honest, and i appreciate her vulnerability when recounting her experiences. if you're looking for a memoir to add to your tbr (to be read), i definitely recommend this one. 

4. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

i loveee emily henry, i have literally purchased all of her books, but i absolutely love this one from her the most. if you're looking for a romance book that is quick, easy to read, and keeps you invested i recommend this one! nora is a literary agent from the city and known for her cutthroat business persona. when she goes on a vacation with her sister to north carolina, she runs into charlie, an editor she had an awkward meeting with back in the city. and they don't like each other very much. but this book is classified as an enemies to lovers so you know what that means (the enemies become lovers woo hoo)! nora and charlie are extremely relatable, and i consider them very unconventional "rom-com" main characters, which i really like about them! i think book lovers is very unique compared to other romance books and i love the pacing of emily henry books, i think she does a great job moving the plot. if you're a romance lover you need to read this!

5. Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

okay so i'm 23 currently and i read this when i was like 20 i think. let me just tell you that every woman in her twenties should be required by law to read this book. there is some really important stuff in here. dolly does a wonderful job explaining her hilarious, awkward, heartfelt, and important life experiences and turns them into lessons that we can all learn from. i think my favorite thing about this book is that she doesn't take herself or life too seriously. everything in this book is a reflective perspective on moments from her young adult life, and it all just feels very genuine. it's been a while since i read this one but it really made a lasting impression on me and helped me formulate my mindset going into my twenties. 

6. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

this was a book that i think i picked up off my parent's bookshelf when i was bored one day and i had no idea that it was going to become one my favorite books. the book is about a bank robber who hides out in an open house after robbing a nearby bank. it is really interesting because you learn a lot about all the people who have found themselves at this open house at this exact time. i love a book that really examines being in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time. there are so many things that have to fall into place for us to find ourselves in a particular moment, and this book does a great job highlighting that. all the characters are extremely fascinating and unique individuals that are, at their core, very complex and realistic. i really want to read more fredrik backman books in the upcoming year because this one was so good. 

7. If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio 

this book is a little more "out of character" for me because i don't really rock the dark academia vibe. i definitely prefer a more light-hearted energy to my books. however, this book was literally crazy. i read the secret history by donna tartt and enjoyed that, so i heard this book was similar to it and decided to give it a whirl. i ended up loving this one more than the secret history. not sure if that's a controversial opinion because the books are so similar but this one just hit different for me. both books are extremely pretentious and have a darker vibe to them, but i was really fascinated by the shakespearean aspects of if we were villains. the plot follows a group of friends at a prestigious theater school and the seven of them are the only fourth year students. basically the group has extremely complicated relationships, everyone is in love with and hates everyone, and one of the members of the group turns up dead. it's like a murder mystery but with way more complicated dynamics. if you liked the secret history or a good murder mystery then i definitely recommend this one 100%. i don't even love those types of books and this one became one of my favorite books of all time. 

8. Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

taylor jenkins reid if you can hear me thank you for your contribution to society. similar to emily henry, i will always read a taylor jenkins reid book. i think my favorite thing that she does is create a whole universe within her books. all the characters have strange and subtle connections to one another across books. for example, carrie soto, the main protagonist of this book, appears briefly in malibu rising (the next book on my list). i love that attention to detail. anyways this book follows ex-tennis star carrie soto after her retirement at thirty-seven. when a younger tennis player threatens to break her record, she comes back to the court to show everyone that she is still a legend. now, i played competitive sports for my entire life, up until last year when i finished my college soccer career, so this book hit on another level for me. carrie is an extremely intense individual who craves athletic validation. she is just such an authentic and relatable character. the book also follows the dynamic between her and her father, who coached her in tennis for her entire life. i love this perspective on family and the blurred lines between work and personal life. yes, the book is about tennis but it is also about something so much bigger: the need to be great. highly, highly recommend if you're a sports lover or just want to read about an interesting character!

9. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

okay sticking with taylor jenkins reid! this is a must read for me, as in you must read this to continue our friendship. i'm kidding. sort of. but i feel like when i read this book it completely altered my personality. i'm a big beach lover so i absolutely loved the vibes of this book, and i feel like the author really does a wonderful job capturing the essence of the coastal community. the book follows four siblings who have been abandoned by their famous father (mick riva, for those of you who have read the seven husbands of evelyn hugo). the oldest nina is a model who has raised the four of them their whole lives, jay is a championship surfer, hud is a photographer, and nina is the youngest who's trying to discover who she is. i fell in love with all of these characters while reading, and if you want a book that is really driven by the characters, you need to check this one out! i need this book to become a movie asap because i would love to relive all of it again. 

10. The Guest List by Lucy Foley 

and for the final book on this list we have another murder mystery! this is the first lucy foley book i've ever read and i feel very inclined to read more of hers in the next year. this book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. jules and will host their extravagant wedding on a secluded island in ireland. on the night of the wedding, someone discovers a dead body, and the story goes back in time to dissect the events leading up to the death. something i liked about this book was the changing of narrators throughout the plot. we get to see the story from the eyes of the bride, the groom, the best man, a bridesmaid, the master of the ceremony, a plus one, and the wedding planner. the narrators characters really add to the plot, each one describing the events that took place a certain way, making it more difficult to guess who is dead and who did it. this book was a very unique mystery and i was really locked in from the moment i started to the end. 

also real quick honorable mention to these books that i also gave five stars but aren't in the top ten:

• The Pale Faced Lie by David Crow
• Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
• Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino
• Writers and Lovers by Lily King

so that wraps up my current top ten books (+ honorable mentions) going into 2025! i hope you all enjoyed reading my analysis of these books and look into reading them yourselves. if you've already read these books and enjoyed them, we would probably get along! and you should definitely stick around to read more of my blog posts in the future. 

talk to you all again next week! :)