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2025 books in review
end-of-year book ask
How many books did you read this year? 185
Did you reread anything? What?
Yes, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, a number of Georgette Heyer romances, Because Internet and Dreyer's English because I was feeling geeky about language, and Heated Rivalry ahead of the show release. Reread Graceling and then the other books in the original trilogy; she's apparently added new books recently but I don't care about them. Also my comfort cnovel, now available in physical paperback form, You're Too OP! (also known as You Boys Play Games Very Well). I didn't make it to rereading Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds trilogy -- add that to next year's reread list!
What were your top five books of the year?
Oh, wow, let's see, not counting rereads of old favorites:
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang
Concubine Walkthrough by Bongbong
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Selected Poems by Langston Hughes
Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?
Do webtoon authors count? Brothers Without a Tomorrow and Bongbong stood out. Zhi Chu, cnovel author, became a new favorite as I work on reading all her translated works.
In print, really enjoying the children's stories by Sachiko Kashiwaba. And Hanif Abdurraqib has a beautifully lyrical prose while discussing pop culture and sports -- and reads well, as I've consumed his writing via audiobook.
What genre did you read the most of?
Romance (thanks primarily to webnovels and webtoons). Following that, non-fiction (excluding memoirs) and then fantasy and mystery.
Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?
My continually growing TBR list? I suppose Jonathan Strange and Dr Norrell as I went through the effort of checking it out from the uni library and it remains sitting on a shelf in my office.
What was your averageGoodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?
4.11 -- sure, seems about right, because I only rate between 3 and 5. Anything that would rate below, I probably DNFed.
Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?
I read over 125 books, which was the annual goal. Read more books I owned (and then acquired more books), and read more poetry and at least one major book published before 1900 (The Count of Monte Cristo).
Did you get into any new genres?
I already read basically every fictional genre, so the expansion would be in nonfiction topics, I suppose. So beyond memoirs and poetry, I read history, social science, science, politics, economics (kinda), social justice, and essays. So yes, sort of.
What was your favorite new release of the year?
A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, book two in the Shadow of the Levianthan fantasy mystery series. Very fun. Also really enjoyed The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba, which inspired Spirited Away. Originally published in Japan in 2014 but released in English in 2025.
What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?
OK wow so I loved Kristin Cashore's Bitterblue, book 3 of the Graceling Realm series, published in 2012. Graceling was a fun reread but I just loved everything that came together in Bitterblue, including Bitterblue's own growth as a character and politician/leader, her love story and that it wasn't the end-all, be-all, the themes of forgiveness and atonement (and how they are achieved), seeing Katsa and Po in the future. So much! I read it before Fire, which I eventually went back to and did not love as much.
Also Concubine Walkthrough (webtoon) and Dawning (cnovel).
Any books that disappointed you?
My Friends by Fredrik Backman, usually an author I love. It was still moving, it was very much on theme for his writing, but it felt trite and unsurprising, like he was retreading ideas and themes he had done before and done better.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez, while addressing a crucial issue, could have been stronger by not avoiding addressing the word or idea of misogyny. (Or the trans experience.)
What were your least favorite books of the year?
What books do you want to finish before the year is over?
Currently reading the cnovel, How Could I Lose to Him by Mo Xi Ke, so would like to finish that.
Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett won the Hugo this year -- which I read last year, when it came out.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad won the National Book award for Nonfiction. Deserved.
What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?
I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying by Youngmi Mayer. There were books that were just not to my taste and that's okay, but this memoir got stellar reviews online and from people I knew IRL and it just...did not hit for me. Nor did I think it was good writing in itself.
Did any books surprise you with how good they were?
Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age by Vauhini Vara really surprised me with how it engaged me intellectually, philosophically, and emotionally. An exploration of
How many books did you buy?
Yikes, I gotta count. Maybe 30-35 based on what I read and what's still on my TBR.
Did you use your library?
SO much! I love the library.
What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?
A Drop of Corruption and it was delightful! A lot of my other anticipated releases were cnovels, One Piece, or still on my TBR list.
Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?
No! Book social media is not for me.
What’s the longest book you read?
The Count of Monte Cristo, my beloved. And by tackling it one chapter a day, it took me nearly four months to complete. Worth it!
What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book?
Oh poetry or novella, in an hour or so.
Did you DNF anything? Why?
Yes, mostly webtoons: Golden Assistant, Hate Mate.
Fiction/Non-Fiction?
Fiction: 149
Non-Fiction: 36
Male/Female authors?
Female: 152/185 (82.2%)
Male: 33/185 (17.8%)
Most books read by one author this year?
Georgette Heyer and Zhi Chu each at six.
Favorite new author you discovered this year?
As mentioned above, Sachiko Kashiwaba and Zhi Chu.
Format?
ebook: 20
audio: 8
paperback: 68
hardcover: 44
online: 40
How many rereads?
23 (13%), which is better than previous years but not as good as I wanted it to be.
Any in translation?
Haha a good 42.9%, thanks to webtoons and webnovels. In books, also things from Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German, Spanish, Finnish, Swedish, and French.
First book of 2025:
Village School by Miss Read, a series I will not be continuing.
Last book of 2025:
Dawning #2 by ICE.
First book you will finish in 2026:
Dawning #3 by ICE lol.
Favorite?
See above.
Least favorite?
See above.
Book I most wanted to love but didn't:
See above for most disappointing.
Longest time to finish?
The Count of Monte Cristo, which I finished April 27 after reading 1 chapter a day since the start of the year.
Oldest?
The Count of Monte Cristo (1856)
Newest?
Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-reum, translated by Shanna Tan (December 2, 2025)
Longest title?
Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick by Maya Dusenbery
Shortest title?
Oksi by Mari Ahokoivu - beautiful graphic novel translated from Finnish.
Fire by Kristin Cashore - Book 2 of the Graceling Realm series.
Gulp by Mary Roach but actually that book as a subtitle so...
Shortest in length:
Johnnie Brown: The Road to Becoming the Mayor of NTID by Hope D. Williams (30 pages) - self-publised about a local hero
The Arguers by Corinna Luyken (40 pages) - delightful children's picture book.
Book that most changed my perspective:
National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home by Anya von Bremzen - Hated, hated the introduction/prologue of this book and struggled through the first chapter (about "authentic" pizza and pasta). But as the chapters went on, the exploration of culture, identity, nationalism, and food became more nuanced and interesting.
Book I learned the most from:
Probably The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World's Fastest-Growing Sport by Jonathan Clegg and Joshua Robinson. The historical origins and the dangerous pre-2000s era of F1 were interesting!
Or The Indian Card: Who Gets to Be Native in America by Carrie Lowry Schuettpelz
Book that was the trope-iest/most comforting:
Haha so many favorite cnovels and webtoons. Top of each from this year (not rereads):
Transmigrating into the Heartthrob's Cannon Fodder Childhood Friend (aka Everyone Loves the Cannon Fodder) by The Concubine in Shanyang - sooo tropey and delicious.
Semantic Error by J Soori - webtoon that was adapted from a webnovel, which then got adapted into a live action BL kdrama.
Book-wise, probably:
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery for romance, and The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba for fantasy. Comforting but still well written.
Favorite character:
I did very much love Bitterblue as a character. Gideon from The Foundling, particularly his love for Gilly and honestly so many Heyer characters. Cimorene from the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Oh! Margo from Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe was eminently likeable.
General thoughts:
My biggest branching out this year was audiobooks! I can make it work for nonfiction but not fiction. Generally, nonfiction has become easier for me to read now that I'm in the habit; there are so many interesting topics! In some ways, fantasy has become harder because I'm pickier about whether people can balance convincing worldbuilding, character dynamics and relationships, interesting plot, and compelling prose. Mysteries I kinda know what my groove is. Webtoons and romance I'm also pretty picky but kinda know what works for me.
What reading goals do you have for next year?
I always want to tackle my TBR list and reread more, so setting some concrete goals:
- read at least one book I own but haven't read each month
- curate a reread list and work on that over the year
- read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, one chapter a day
How many books did you read this year? 185
Did you reread anything? What?
Yes, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, a number of Georgette Heyer romances, Because Internet and Dreyer's English because I was feeling geeky about language, and Heated Rivalry ahead of the show release. Reread Graceling and then the other books in the original trilogy; she's apparently added new books recently but I don't care about them. Also my comfort cnovel, now available in physical paperback form, You're Too OP! (also known as You Boys Play Games Very Well). I didn't make it to rereading Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds trilogy -- add that to next year's reread list!
What were your top five books of the year?
Oh, wow, let's see, not counting rereads of old favorites:
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang
Concubine Walkthrough by Bongbong
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Selected Poems by Langston Hughes
Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?
Do webtoon authors count? Brothers Without a Tomorrow and Bongbong stood out. Zhi Chu, cnovel author, became a new favorite as I work on reading all her translated works.
In print, really enjoying the children's stories by Sachiko Kashiwaba. And Hanif Abdurraqib has a beautifully lyrical prose while discussing pop culture and sports -- and reads well, as I've consumed his writing via audiobook.
What genre did you read the most of?
Romance (thanks primarily to webnovels and webtoons). Following that, non-fiction (excluding memoirs) and then fantasy and mystery.
Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?
My continually growing TBR list? I suppose Jonathan Strange and Dr Norrell as I went through the effort of checking it out from the uni library and it remains sitting on a shelf in my office.
What was your average
4.11 -- sure, seems about right, because I only rate between 3 and 5. Anything that would rate below, I probably DNFed.
Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?
I read over 125 books, which was the annual goal. Read more books I owned (and then acquired more books), and read more poetry and at least one major book published before 1900 (The Count of Monte Cristo).
Did you get into any new genres?
I already read basically every fictional genre, so the expansion would be in nonfiction topics, I suppose. So beyond memoirs and poetry, I read history, social science, science, politics, economics (kinda), social justice, and essays. So yes, sort of.
What was your favorite new release of the year?
A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, book two in the Shadow of the Levianthan fantasy mystery series. Very fun. Also really enjoyed The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba, which inspired Spirited Away. Originally published in Japan in 2014 but released in English in 2025.
What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?
OK wow so I loved Kristin Cashore's Bitterblue, book 3 of the Graceling Realm series, published in 2012. Graceling was a fun reread but I just loved everything that came together in Bitterblue, including Bitterblue's own growth as a character and politician/leader, her love story and that it wasn't the end-all, be-all, the themes of forgiveness and atonement (and how they are achieved), seeing Katsa and Po in the future. So much! I read it before Fire, which I eventually went back to and did not love as much.
Also Concubine Walkthrough (webtoon) and Dawning (cnovel).
Any books that disappointed you?
My Friends by Fredrik Backman, usually an author I love. It was still moving, it was very much on theme for his writing, but it felt trite and unsurprising, like he was retreading ideas and themes he had done before and done better.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez, while addressing a crucial issue, could have been stronger by not avoiding addressing the word or idea of misogyny. (Or the trans experience.)
What were your least favorite books of the year?
What books do you want to finish before the year is over?
Currently reading the cnovel, How Could I Lose to Him by Mo Xi Ke, so would like to finish that.
Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett won the Hugo this year -- which I read last year, when it came out.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad won the National Book award for Nonfiction. Deserved.
What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?
I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying by Youngmi Mayer. There were books that were just not to my taste and that's okay, but this memoir got stellar reviews online and from people I knew IRL and it just...did not hit for me. Nor did I think it was good writing in itself.
Did any books surprise you with how good they were?
Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age by Vauhini Vara really surprised me with how it engaged me intellectually, philosophically, and emotionally. An exploration of
How many books did you buy?
Yikes, I gotta count. Maybe 30-35 based on what I read and what's still on my TBR.
Did you use your library?
SO much! I love the library.
What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?
A Drop of Corruption and it was delightful! A lot of my other anticipated releases were cnovels, One Piece, or still on my TBR list.
Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?
No! Book social media is not for me.
What’s the longest book you read?
The Count of Monte Cristo, my beloved. And by tackling it one chapter a day, it took me nearly four months to complete. Worth it!
What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book?
Oh poetry or novella, in an hour or so.
Did you DNF anything? Why?
Yes, mostly webtoons: Golden Assistant, Hate Mate.
Fiction/Non-Fiction?
Fiction: 149
Non-Fiction: 36
Male/Female authors?
Female: 152/185 (82.2%)
Male: 33/185 (17.8%)
Most books read by one author this year?
Georgette Heyer and Zhi Chu each at six.
Favorite new author you discovered this year?
As mentioned above, Sachiko Kashiwaba and Zhi Chu.
Format?
ebook: 20
audio: 8
paperback: 68
hardcover: 44
online: 40
How many rereads?
23 (13%), which is better than previous years but not as good as I wanted it to be.
Any in translation?
Haha a good 42.9%, thanks to webtoons and webnovels. In books, also things from Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German, Spanish, Finnish, Swedish, and French.
First book of 2025:
Village School by Miss Read, a series I will not be continuing.
Last book of 2025:
Dawning #2 by ICE.
First book you will finish in 2026:
Dawning #3 by ICE lol.
Favorite?
See above.
Least favorite?
See above.
Book I most wanted to love but didn't:
See above for most disappointing.
Longest time to finish?
The Count of Monte Cristo, which I finished April 27 after reading 1 chapter a day since the start of the year.
Oldest?
The Count of Monte Cristo (1856)
Newest?
Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-reum, translated by Shanna Tan (December 2, 2025)
Longest title?
Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick by Maya Dusenbery
Shortest title?
Oksi by Mari Ahokoivu - beautiful graphic novel translated from Finnish.
Fire by Kristin Cashore - Book 2 of the Graceling Realm series.
Gulp by Mary Roach but actually that book as a subtitle so...
Shortest in length:
Johnnie Brown: The Road to Becoming the Mayor of NTID by Hope D. Williams (30 pages) - self-publised about a local hero
The Arguers by Corinna Luyken (40 pages) - delightful children's picture book.
Book that most changed my perspective:
National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home by Anya von Bremzen - Hated, hated the introduction/prologue of this book and struggled through the first chapter (about "authentic" pizza and pasta). But as the chapters went on, the exploration of culture, identity, nationalism, and food became more nuanced and interesting.
Book I learned the most from:
Probably The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World's Fastest-Growing Sport by Jonathan Clegg and Joshua Robinson. The historical origins and the dangerous pre-2000s era of F1 were interesting!
Or The Indian Card: Who Gets to Be Native in America by Carrie Lowry Schuettpelz
Book that was the trope-iest/most comforting:
Haha so many favorite cnovels and webtoons. Top of each from this year (not rereads):
Transmigrating into the Heartthrob's Cannon Fodder Childhood Friend (aka Everyone Loves the Cannon Fodder) by The Concubine in Shanyang - sooo tropey and delicious.
Semantic Error by J Soori - webtoon that was adapted from a webnovel, which then got adapted into a live action BL kdrama.
Book-wise, probably:
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery for romance, and The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba for fantasy. Comforting but still well written.
Favorite character:
I did very much love Bitterblue as a character. Gideon from The Foundling, particularly his love for Gilly and honestly so many Heyer characters. Cimorene from the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Oh! Margo from Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe was eminently likeable.
General thoughts:
My biggest branching out this year was audiobooks! I can make it work for nonfiction but not fiction. Generally, nonfiction has become easier for me to read now that I'm in the habit; there are so many interesting topics! In some ways, fantasy has become harder because I'm pickier about whether people can balance convincing worldbuilding, character dynamics and relationships, interesting plot, and compelling prose. Mysteries I kinda know what my groove is. Webtoons and romance I'm also pretty picky but kinda know what works for me.
What reading goals do you have for next year?
I always want to tackle my TBR list and reread more, so setting some concrete goals:
- read at least one book I own but haven't read each month
- curate a reread list and work on that over the year
- read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, one chapter a day
no subject
I've been listening to audiobooks for a few years now and it really did make reading nonfiction easier. I mostly focus on history as my favourite 'genre' of nonfiction.
It seems you had a good year of reading!
no subject
It was a pretty good year of reading. Already excited for what I can read in 2026!