The decision to expand beyond reading only bad books this year completely changed the direction of this blog. Throughout the year, there was more freedom in the books to choose from, but the quality and enjoyability of most of the books also increased. Starting from the beginning of this year, here are ten of the best books from this blog in the 2024–25 school year that make it easy to find the silver lining in every book. 

• See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon: After a disastrous first day of college, the chance for a do-over is exactly what Barrett Bloom needs. But then, her day repeats again, and again, and it quickly becomes clear that she’s stuck in a time loop with Miles, a physics classmate that she immediately clashed with. Together, they live life to the fullest, find closure, and slowly fall in love as they try to escape. All in all, it was heartwarming and perfect for fans of time loops and slow-burn romance.
• Classic Fairy Tales by Scott Gustafson: This book contains ten vividly illustrated fairy tales, appealing to readers of all ages and making the magic in them seem just a little more real. Some of the stories were more for entertainment than to teach a moral lesson, but it’s still an opportunity to appreciate the illustrations, stories, and the magic that it brings to life. 
• The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray by Christine Calella: Ophelia Young has been isolated since she was born. She fights the battle of generational guilt, marked by her striking similarity to her birth mother: the Pirate Queen, Ophelia Cray. When she enlists in the navy to get away and make a name for herself, her timid sister Elizabeth, whose identity has been stolen by Ophelia, follows, desperate to get her sister back and fix the family chaos that she’s left behind. It was touching, centered on relationship dynamics and generational guilt. 
• Starter Villain by John Scalzi: Charlie Fitzer is struggling to make ends meet when he inherits a villainous business from his rich Uncle Jake. It’s safe to say that Charlie has no idea how to navigate this new part of his life, but he’s supported by his cats Hera and Persephone and his uncle’s protege, Mathila Morrison. It might not be a traditional villain origin story, but Starter Villain, with its supervillain organizations, dolphin unionizers, and sentient cats create a comically bizarre story to enjoy. 
• Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford: Life happens in the blink of an eye for 77-year-old Jennifer Quinn. Wanting to leave her mark on the world, the decision to join the baking show Britain Bakes is an easy one. The story isn’t as heartwarming as it initially seems, and Jenny struggles with a 60-year-old regret, but she’s supported by her family and the viewers of the show. Jenny’s story is for fans of baking shows and themes of identity and coming-of-old-age. 
• Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff: On the opposite side as Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame, 14-year-old Verna LaVaughn dreams of college in this free-verse. Despite everyone’s warnings against it, she takes a babysitting job, watching Jilly and Jeremy so that 17-year-old teen mom Jolly is able to work. She’s not offered much, but it’s impossible to pull away from the family and the four create an unbreakable bond that offers hope in the midst of it all and helps turn lemons into lemonade. 
• Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham: Valentine’s Day is Valentina (Val) Trần’s favorite holiday. But as her grandma reappears in her life, she’s crushed by the news that her parents’ tragic love story, which supposedly ended when her mom died, isn’t real. Instead, her mom left her when she was 1 to return to college and start a whole new life. Encouraged by Bernice, her best friend, she renounces love until she encounters lion dancing and the boy, Les, that comes with it. Her imaginary friend St. Valentine stays with her through it all and with complex relationships and purposeful color schemes, this graphic novel is one to check out, no matter if it’s near Lunar New Year or not. 
• Here by Richard McGuire: From 500957406073 BCE to the year 22175, McGuire’s illustrations take readers through 300 pages of history of one limited setting: something that, through the years, is woodland, a corner of a living room, and wildlife. Readers are able to watch as houses and families are built and torn down and although all the different stories all at once can be overwhelming, this book insightfully records the history of a space, creating a unique experience. 
• Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly: In this Snow White retelling, Princess Sophie lives under the control of the Queen Regent: her step-mother, Queen Adelaide, assisted by Corvus, the King of Crows. In this story, the huntsman successfully takes the Princess’ heart. However, seven brothers and a spider’s silk allows her to make a near full recovery. The only difference is that she has no emotional regulation, she’s separated from her fiance, and her now mechanical heart is a clock that counts down the minutes that are left of her life. With themes of death, love, and kindness and a well-paced plot with excitement in each page as she faces death multiple times, makes lasting friendships, suffers betrayal, and finds true love, Donnelly writes a story worth the read. 
• Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross: Iris Winnow’s only hope to keep her family afloat in the midst of brother’s absence, her mother’s alcoholism, and the ancient godly war that caused it all, lies in the columnist position at the Oath Gazette. Her only escape from reality is writing letters to her brother, Forest, which somehow magically disappear when she slips them under a door. However, a reply appears one day that confesses that her letters have had a destination, just not its intended one. Still, she begins to write to her mysterious new penpal, not knowing that they’re Roman C. Kitt, her rival for the newspaper position. When her circumstances drive her to the front lines of the war, everything changes as the truth of the war becomes clearer. Although it ends on a cliffhanger, this book is a tense, emotional story of finding and fighting for love in chaos that leaves readers a well-balanced mix of satisfaction and craving for more.