25 books everyone needs to read in 2025 📖

📗 A Clockwork Reader Reading Journal:

📚 books mentioned:
- parable of the sower
- parable of the talents
- an indigenous people's history of the united states
- never let me go
- klara and the sun
- babel
- giovanni's room
- what my bones know
- all boys aren't blue
- the hunger games series
- animal farm
- 1984
- fahrenheit 451
- braiding sweetgrass
- culture and imperialism
- sister outsider
- feminism is for everybody
- women, race, and class
- my dark vanessa
- let us believe in the beginning of the cold season
- emily dickinson poetry collection

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thank you so much for watching 🦋

[SooheeC]

"if it wasn't meaningful, they wouldn't be banning these books" EXACTLYY

[LadyPflanzelot]

"This is the year for combating anti-intellectualism by being informed. We are going to know things. We are going to have empathy for others. We are going to be aware of what is going on in our world and what happened in the past and how we got here."

Hannah, I'm gonna quote you.

[Maddie-Amaesing]

I appreciate how this list is not all "cozy books to escape from how the world is right now" sure cozy books are nice, but now is not the time to bury our heads in the sand

[jimecastro]

Books, specially fiction books, in my opinion are the great empathy makers. They’re the closest you can get to reading other people’s thoughts and living other people’s experiences, so even if you’re mostly reading fiction what you’re doing is valuable. If these stories weren’t important there wouldn’t be so much push to censor them. Thanks for the video Hannah <3

[Coffeepanda]

Loved what you said about 'perfect victims' and how survivors have to meet these weird and often near-impossible standards to be believed and taken seriously. Preach.

[thestarheater]

4:42 parable series Octavia butler
6:43 history of usa
8:08 never let me go
9:19 klara and the sun
10:58 babel
12:04 Giovanni's room
12:51 what my bones know
13:51 all boys aren't blue
15:21 the hunger games
17:53 animal farm
18:51 1984
19:32 farenheit 451
20:03 braiding sweetgrass
21:15 culture imperialism
22:26 sister outsider
23:57 feminism is for everybody
25:00 women race and class
25:51 my dark vanessa
27:51 poetry book 1
28:53 poetry book 2

[pacapeach]

this is probably one of my favorite videos of yours. maybe it’s because you are passionate about what you’re talking about, idk what it is exactly but you seem so in your element here and it’s so cool to see

[Patricia-fsc]

Shockingly, I just read the Hunger Games series for the first time although I have watched them in the cinema when they came out. In November, due to your and my sister's recommendation, I picked them up and I had the urge to write a paper about it because there was so much to explore. Although I am from Europe and not the US, I start to see "Panem" everywhere. These books are fantastic and they are truly important for the world.

[TerriJencnifer]

Makes you rethink everything. Forbidden Money Printing Method ebook explains how wealth isn’t built the way we’re told.

[hoshi]

i can vouch for parable of the sower duology; the book was released 2 decades ago but mortifyingly still relevant today - the second book was even better than the first one imo so so good

[anniem]

I've been struggling reading anything that doesn't feel "helpful" or "relevant" in these times, and these recs are so very much appreciated. Thank you!!

[booksndew]

Fiction is the ultimate empathy builder—it lets us live through other people's experiences. If stories weren’t powerful, no one would try to censor them. Thanks for the great recommendations😊

[haveyoumetmanvi]

my stats exam is over, i'm in bed, crocheting and watching a hannah video, life is good again :)

[sarasalako]

“I think in a world where they’re trying to prevent you from connecting with people on an emotional level, poetry is one of the simplest ways to feel empathy for one another.”

That hits deep 🌊 I’ve always been drawn to poetry because it says things that are difficult to articulate any other way. I’ve read many of your recommendations over the years and have found some of my favorite reads through your channel. Thank you for compiling such a fantastic list here!

[anniecanread]

thank you so much for reminding me to be aware. i think over the past few weeks i've really struggled to engage with the 'real world' at all. i can barely look at the news, and there's this vague sense of doom that i know i'm not the only one feeling. really appreciate all these recs and highly recommend what my bones know - it was one of the best books i read last year.

[hvmendy]

I’ve always loved your videos bc I’ve never tried a recommendation from you that I didn’t like but also because you’ve always promoted intellectualism and critical thinking when reading (while also reading for pleasure) which was really refreshing for me!

[greentangereen]

so glad to see giovanni’s room on this list, it’s such an amazing book, i really think you’ll love it

[MirkoRatar]

I swear, Nifalixo Money's Untold Mysteries is one of the best books I’ve read. It’s life-changing.

[janvithanki]

I needed this list, it sets such a good foundation to begin reading critically! I didn't know where to start and this video helped greatly! Thank you.

[matildabeth]

i cannot wait to read braiding sweetgrass. i have heard nothing but the highest praise for it (and for the audiobook) ! as you said, finding that balance between reading for escapism and reading for intellect and awareness right now is so important.