Dec 28, 2025
I didn't finish as many books this year as I did last year, but that wasn't my goal anyway. My goal was to enjoy what I read. If a book wasn't resonating with me after a while, I'd put it down and start something else. I also read a few larger books than I have in years past. So while the number of books dropped from 33 to 28, I think I may have actually read more this year.
Okay, I'll stop coping/giving excuses. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are the…
Top books I read in 2025:
11/22/63 — Stephen King
This had so much hype, my expectations were incredibly high — and it somehow still surpassed them. I've never read King before, but this was such a fun and wild read. One of the few times I can say, "I couldn't put it down" and mean it.
Wild Dark Shore — Charlotte McConaghy
This was the second book I've read from McConaghy, and she's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I'm saving Once There Were Wolves for when we travel to Scotland next year.
Exhalation — Ted Chiang
The short story GOAT. Felt the same way after reading Stories of Your Life and Others. Wish he had more.
Travels with Charley — John Steinbeck
Perfect audiobook to listen to while roadtripping.
Project Hail Mary — Andy Weir
Lived up to the hype. This was also the first time I did "immersion reading," where I listened to the audiobook while reading the physical book.
The Correspondent — Virginia Evans
A delightful read. An older woman keeps the lost art of letter-writing alive. You follow her journey through letters and emails to friends, family, and even customer service agents. She falls in love, deals with family drama, and becomes more human as she ages. This book may have partly influenced my desire to start writing again.
The Strength of the Few — James Islington
After The Will of the Many being one of my top books last year, I had so many high expectations for this second book in the series. I definitely enjoyed it, but — as with many sequels in a trilogy — it was a lot of set-up for what I assume will be an epic finish.
Forging Hephaestus — Drew Hayes
I randomly came across this as a free book on Audible and found that I enjoyed it more than expected. I also read the second book in the series (Bones of the Past) and will likely keep reading through the series.
Starter Villain — John Scalzi
Hyper-intelligent talking spy cats? Pro-union talking dolphins? This was just a fun read. A nice, feel-good escape from reality.
Moonbound — Robin Sloan
A story for story's sake. I saw someone say it was a sci-fi/fantasy take on the King Arthur story, but set 13,000 years in the future. Beautiful writing, well-paced, and wrapped up nicely.
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Honorable mentions:
Dungeon Crawler Carl Series — Matt Dinniman
So much hype around these, and the audio books live up to it. It's incredibly fun, silly, and somehow very action-packed. That said, after the first two books, I wasn't feeling the need to continue. Maybe I'll pick them back up in the future when I need a light read again.
The Place of Tides — James Rebanks
A great read for winter as it's very cozy and a great reminder to slow down. Opens your eyes to other ways you can live your life.
The Raven Scholar — Antonia Hodgson
I didn't realize dark academia was a genre, and I didn't even know I liked it until I read this book. I kept thinking about the characters.