We asked you what the best book you read in 2025 was and WOW did you answer! We've received over 70 responses (and counting), and we are sharing many reviews here in our newsletter. 
 
We also have our top fiction and nonfiction checkouts of the year as well as a list of the New York Times' notable books available right in our catalog.

📢 Upcoming Library Closure
December 24 - January 1: Winter break
 
You are welcome to browse our digital library any time. Read books, magazines, and newspapers, listen to music, watch movies, and more!

Your Best Books of 2025

Who has great taste in books? You do! Here are three reviews from readers, plus many more reviews linked below. We'll be posting more on our Instagram and Facebook pages, so follow us there if you aren't following us already.
Goodnight Punpun by Inio Asano
"Such a great story with many dark topics and a surrealist feeling. The characters are all terrible in the best way; there is no 'good guy' in this series. The art is also beautiful and is great at representing Punpun's mindset. Definitely not your standard manga!"—Annabel
 
Hold
In the Distance by Hernan Diaz
"After following his odyssey of suffering from nineteenth century Europe through the American West the unusual protagonist of this story haunted me for months."—Kara
Hold
Murderland by Caroline Fraser
"Murderland is the incredibly detailed, often can't-put-it-down story of the link between urban pollution and serial killers, principally in the Seattle/Tacoma area of the 1970s and 80s. I know, that's out there, but Caroline Fraser spins the story so brilliantly you'll never look at a smokestack the same way again."—Grant
Hold

Top Checkouts of 2025

Sometimes the best book recommendation comes from finding out what your fellow readers keep checking out from the library. With that in mind, here are the top fiction and nonfiction checkouts of the year. If you haven't read any of these yet, you know what to do: go ahead and place a hold!
Fiction
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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
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James by Percival Everett
Hold
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The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Hold
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Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Hold
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Nightshade by Michael Connelly
Hold
Nonfiction
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The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
Hold
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Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Hold
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Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
Hold
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All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert
Hold
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A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst
Hold

New York Times Notable Books

The New York Times recently released a list of notable books published in 2025, and we have many of them in our catalog! Browse the list in the Times (note: you may encounter a paywall, and if you do, you can use your library card to get free access!), then place some holds at the link below.
NYT Notable Books

BookPage: Discover Your Next Great Book
Browse the digital edition of BookPage, highlighting "the best books across all genres."

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Napa County Library, 580 Coombs Street, Napa, CA 94559
(707) 253-4241

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