The year 2025 saw some major pop culture moments — so many, in fact, that it can be hard to sift through all the new movies, TV shows, books and music that came out this year to decide what was the best.
Luckily, Deseret News writers and editors are here to share our favorites.
We covered dozens of new movies, streaming series, books and music this year, but we’ve narrowed it down to what we think was the very best. Here’s a list of our favorite things we watched, read and listened to in 2025.
What were your favorites this year? Let us know in the comments!
Favorite movies of 2025
Tom Basden, from left, Tim Key and Carey Mulligan attend the premiere of “The Ballad of Wallis Island” during the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, at the Eccles Theatre in Park City, Utah. | Charles Sykes, Invision via the Associated Press
‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’
“‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’ was one of my favorite movies that came out in 2025. It premiered at Sundance Film Festival, but I didn’t see it until a few months later, when it released in theaters. I took my mom with me, and we shared a lot of laughs. It’s a feel-good movie with lovable characters, beautiful scenery and a lot of silly moments — a combination that can be hard to find! Definitely worth a watch.” — Margaret Darby, entertainment reporter
Steven Spielberg, from left, Richard Osman, Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, Ben Kingsley and director Chris Columbus pose for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film “The Thursday Murder Club” on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in London. | Millie Turner, Invision via the Associated Press
‘The Thursday Murder Club’
“‘The Thursday Murder Club’ is the perfect cozy mystery. About a gang of British retirees who solve murders together, and featuring an all-star cast that includes Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and David Tennant, this movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s a lot of fun. And if you haven’t read the book series that this movie is based on, they’re an absolute blast.” — Valerie Jones, assistant editor
Other movies we paid attention to this year
- “F1: The Movie”: Trending intern Emma Neff called this her favorite movie of the year, and Caitlin Keith wrote from personal experience about why more young women are becoming fans of Formula One racing.
A scene from the Netflix animated film “Kpop Demon Hunters.” | Netflix
Favorite TV shows of 2025
‘Severance’ Season 2 and ‘The Pitt’ Season 1
“They both were captivating and kept me wanting more.” — Lauren Irwin, politics reporter
Adam Scott and Britt Lower in “Severance,” now streaming on Apple TV. | Apple TV
Other TV shows we paid attention to this year
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair in “Stranger Things” Season 5. | Netflix
Favorite books of 2025
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ by Suzanne Collins
“I love the ‘Hunger Games’ series and I have for years. I liked how this book felt more mature than the original series, which I read when I was like 12. Collins also manages to tie in so many issues that we face in society today, but she does it in a way that feels natural and not like she’s trying to make a statement about specific things. It’s powerful and heart-wrenching, while still feeling like an authentic story about a teenage boy.” — Caitlin Keith, general assignment fellow
Ella Dolynchuk holds her copy of “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins at a midnight launch party at Barnes & Noble bookstore in New York on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. | Hillel Italie, Associated Press
‘Everything is Tuberculosis’ by John Green
“I haven’t read a lot of nonfiction, especially not nonfiction about major diseases, but this book doesn’t feel like just the history of a disease — it’s so much more than that. Green does a great job at showing how the history of tuberculosis ties into the history of almost everything in society. I like how it is so broad and wide-ranging while simultaneously being extremely personal. It is very engaging and interesting.” — Caitlin Keith, general assignment fellow
‘Jane Austen’s Bookshelf’ by Rebecca Romney
“It was Jane Austen’s 250th birthday this year, so I read a lot of books about her, but this one was my favorite by far. The book shines a spotlight on lesser-known women authors who came before Austen, like Maria Edgeworth and Frances Burney, who influenced her writing. It was so fun to get a glimpse into what inspired her — and I was even inspired myself to read ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’ by Ann Radcliffe, which I highly recommend to any ‘Northanger Abbey’ fan.” — Valerie Jones, assistant editor
‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ by J.K. Rowling — full-cast audiobook
“It’s unlike any audiobook I’ve listened to before. It has different voice actors for each character and sound effects and music for every scene — it’s almost reminiscent of the serial radio programs of the ’50s. I haven’t reread the books in ages, and doing so in this immersive way makes me feel like a little kid again. Plus, the fact that it’s an audiobook means I can get stuff done while I listen.” — Ariel Harmer, editorial assistant — Opinion
Harry Potter Audible books by Amazon during the Turin Book Fair 2024 at Centro Congressi Lingotto on May 9, 2024, in Turin, Italy. | Stefano Guidi, Getty Images
Authors we paid attention to this year
- Brandon Sanderson: The prolific, bestselling fantasy author released his latest book, “Tailored Realities,” earlier this month, and announced a surprise new book, “The Fires of December,” for next year.
- Sharon Eubank: The head of the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ discussed her new book, “Doing Small Things with Great Love,” and how to help those in need.
- Traci Hunter Abramson: A former CIA officer and BYU grad, Abramson discussed her latest book, “Victim #8,” with Gitanjali Poonia.
- Brandon Mull: Krysyan Edler covered what Mull had to say about overcoming life’s disappointments, as well as his comments on the upcoming movie based on his book “Fablehaven” at FanX earlier this year.
Brandon Sanderson, left, gestures as his wife Emily Sanderson, Dragonsteel co-president and COO, right, holds up a copy of the leather-bound “The Eye of the World” book during the “Tailored Realities” release event during Dragonsteel Nexus at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
An oldie but a goodie
“My favorite book from 2025 was ‘East of Eden’ by John Steinbeck. The book is an incredible reflection on the human condition, the capacity for good and evil that exists within every person, and the gift of agency that allows people to transcend their circumstances. During a time when social media and politics flatten us into two-dimensional versions of ourselves, ‘East of Eden’ was a wonderful exploration of how complicated, nuanced and hopeful humans really are.” — Brigham Tomco, politics reporter
Favorite music of 2025
‘Sally, When the Wine Runs Out’ by Role Model
“It’s a fun, upbeat song and a great addition to Role Model’s recent album, which I saw live in D.C. in March! It’s always so fun to see who he brings out to dance on stage as ‘Sally.’” — Lauren Irwin, politics reporter
Other songs we loved
- “I Sit in Parks” by Kelsea Ballerini — Amy Joi O’Donoghue, Utah and the West reporter
- “Oneida” by Tyler Childers — Aaron Shill, managing editor
- “Rocket’s White Lincoln” by Eric Church — Aaron Shill, managing editor
- “Bad As I Used to Be” by Chris Stapleton — Aaron Shill, managing editor
- “I Ain’t Coming Back” by Morgan Wallen and Post Malone — Emma Neff, trending intern
Other albums we loved
- “Evangeline vs. The Machine” by Eric Church — Aaron Shill, managing editor
- “Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle” by Willie Nelson — Aaron Shill, managing editor
Musicians we paid attention to this year
Taylor Swift fans await entry to a TikTok/Taylor Swift fan activation pop-up event to celebrate the release of her latest album “The Life of a Showgirl,” on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Los Angeles. | Chris Pizzello, Invision via the Associated Press
- Taylor Swift: Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour may have ended last year, but she still dominated the news this year. Sarah Gambles covered the release of her latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” as well as her new docuseries, “The End of an Era,” and a Utah jewelry designer whose necklace was worn by Swift earlier this year.
- Benson Boone: Lottie Johnson covered the hit singer’s concert at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City (and counted how many backflips he did), and also reported on his ties to Utah. Keira Farrimond filmed a video documenting the Utah fan who tossed a handmade vest to Boone during his concert.
Benson Boone points to the jumbotron as people are shown on it from the crowd singing his song, “Mystical Magical,” during an NBA game between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
