EXCERPT FROM "GODZILLA'S MONSTERPIECE THEATRE."
The Orange County Library System (Website) has released its Best Books of 2025 (Adult) list, offering readers a curated selection of standout titles from the past year chosen by a committee of librarians who read and rated dozens of new releases. Because it’s their job.
The list ranges from literary fiction and nonfiction to graphic novels, romance, fantasy, and more. Librarians intentionally chose books that aren’t always on national bestseller charts, focusing instead on fresh voices and engaging stories across styles and themes. The selection process involved rating books published between late 2024 and October 2025.
You can click HERE for the full list, but standout titles include:
Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre by Tom Scioli
A genre-blending graphic novel mashup you never knew you needed that features the likes of Sherlock Holmes, Thomas Edison, Jules Verne, and The Time Machinist, to put an end to the Godzilla threat. They travel tenty thousand leagues under the sea and go to Paris and do all kinds of fun things.
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
A debut novel about a steamy, decade-long, bicoastal relationship between two students at UC Berkeley, and through their indie music careers in San Francisco and Brooklyn.
Raising Hare: A Memoir by Clhoe Dalton
A nonfiction account by the author about rescuing and raising a wild hare during the COVID-19 lockdown, which lived in her home and helped inspire her to reflect on nature, folklore, and her life as a political advisor.
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
A high-stakes romantasy novel that tells the story of a princess forced into a political marriage with a monster hunter, set in a world with ancient magic. It’s a slow-burning enemies-to-lovers type of story that you’ll wanna enjoy from under a cozy blanket on the couch.
Kate and Frida: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Books by Kim Fay
This is based on the correspondence between two young women in the 1990s: Kate, a bookseller in Seattle, and Frida, an aspiring war journalist in Paris.
