Whew! The pages have settled, the audiobooks are silent, and the clock has officially run out on my 2025 reading year. It’s time to dive into the annual book breakdown—the good, the bad, the spicy, and the ones that just didn’t cut.
The Early Struggle: The Slump Monster Tried to Win 😩
Let’s be real: my year started rough. I hit a patch of DNF (Did Not Finish) candidates and truly mediocre reads that put me into a reading slump faster than you can say “plot hole.” It’s the worst feeling, but thankfully, a hero emerged from the sea!
🦸 Slump Buster: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
This book saved my 2025 reading life! That ⭐⭐⭐⭐¼ star rating speaks for itself. It was the perfect book to remind me why I love reading.
The Golden Rule: 50 Pages or 50%
I am a firm believer in the 50-Page / 50% Rule before I’m allowed to DNF a book. Sometimes, you need to give a story a fighting chance. But sometimes… You just know a book is going to be a dud on page 51! It’s all part of the journey.
🏆 My 2025 Book Haul: The Full List
Here is every book that graced my shelves (or my ears!) this year, complete with my ratings and format notes.
A = Audiobook
B = Physical Book
DNF = Did not finish
E = Ebook
⭐ & 🌶️ rating
- The Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros (A) ⭐⭐⭐½ 🌶️🌶️ ¾
- Forever, Interrupted – Taylor Jenkins Reid (E) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Unfortunately Yours – Tessa Bailey (E) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
- Beard in Hiding – Penny Reid (E) ⭐⭐🌶️🌶️
- The Wrong Sister – Claire Douglas (E) ⭐⭐⭐¼
- Here one Moment – Liane Moriarty (A) ⭐⭐⭐
- What does it feel like? – Sophie Kinsella (B) ⭐⭐⭐½
- Can’t Fix Cupid – Raven Kennedy (E) ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
- The Reader on the 6.27 (B) ⭐⭐⭐
- The Right Place – Sophia Money-Coutts (B) ⭐⭐⭐
- Love Story – Lindsey Kelk (A) ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌶️🌶️ ¾
- We all Live Here – Jojo Moyes (A) ⭐⭐⭐
- Iron lame – Rebecca Yarros (A) ⭐⭐⭐🌶️🌶️
- Apples Never Fall – Liane Moriarty (A) ⭐⭐⭐
- Sword Catcher – Cassander Clare (B) ⭐⭐⭐
- Out on a Limb – Hannah Bonam-Young (E) ⭐⭐⭐⭐¼🌶️🌶️ ½
- The Ministry of Time – Kaliane Bradley (E) ⭐⭐¾
- Love and Other Flight Delays – Denise Williams (B) ⭐⭐⭐
- Somewhere Beyond the Sea – TJ Klune (B) ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
- Holes – Louis Sachar (B) ⭐⭐¾
- The Way You Look Tonight – Bella Andre (E) ⭐⭐
- The Happiness Project – Kirstie Pelling (A) ⭐⭐¾
- Someone You Loved – Robin Constantine (B) ⭐⭐¾
- Monster Cats Vol 1. – Pandania (B) ⭐⭐⭐
- Dare I say it – Naomi Watts (A) ⭐⭐⭐¾
- Taming Toxic People – David Gillespie (A) ⭐⭐¾
- Fireball – Lainey Davis (E) ⭐⭐⭐
- Mr Mayfair – Louise Bay (E) ⭐⭐⭐🌶️🌶️
- The Last Celestials – Becca Mionis (E) ⭐⭐⭐¾
- Babel – R.F Kuang (E) ⭐⭐⭐¾
- The Survivor Wants to Die at the End – Adam Silvera (A) ⭐⭐⭐⭐¾
- The Ragpicker King – Cassandra Clare (A) ⭐⭐⭐
- The Lake at the end of the World (B) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Rivers of London – Ben Aaronovitch (A) ⭐⭐
- Maybe Someday – Colleen Hoover (B) ⭐⭐⭐¼
- Making Waves – D.K Marie (E) ⭐⭐⭐14
- Risk – Fleur Ferris (B) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Sunrise on the Reaping – Suzanne Collins (A) ⭐⭐⭐¾
- A Thousand Broken Pieces – Tillie Cole (B) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Maybe Not – Colleen Hoover (B) ⭐⭐⭐🌶️🌶️ ¾
- Funny Feeling – Tarah Dewitt (E) ⭐⭐⭐¼🌶️🌶️ ¼
- Just for the Summer – Abbey Jimenz (B) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🌶️ ¼
- House of Saphir – Marissa Meyer (A) ⭐⭐⭐
Books I Did Not Finish
- The Gone World – Tom Sweterlitsch
- The Golem and the Jinni – Helene Wecker
- All the missing girls – Megan Miranda
- The Cut or Romance – Sarah Ayoub
- Saving Wishes – G.J Walker-Smith
🧐 Final Thoughts: Looking Back at the Class of 2025
If I had to give my 2025 reading year a title, it would be “The Year of the Great Middle.” While I managed to crush a huge list of books, looking back at my ratings, there was a whole lot of “it was fine.” I found myself trapped in the 3-star zone—those books that aren’t quite bad enough to toss across the room, but not quite good enough to keep me up past midnight.
🏆 The Standout MVP
The clear winner was “A Thousand Broken Pieces” by Tillie Cole. It was my one and only 5-star read of the year. It’s a rare book that can handle the heavy weight of grief and the beauty of love so perfectly. If you haven’t read it, bring tissues.
🔪 The “So Close” Award
I almost had a second 5-star with Adam Silvera’s “The Survivor Wants to Die at the End”. It was sitting at a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐¾, but that cliffhanger?! My heart (and my rating) took a hit for the emotional trauma of waiting for the next instalment!
🚿 The 2025 Lesson: DNFing is Self-Care
Frankly, I was a bit too polite to my books this year. I stuck with several mediocre reads that I probably should have DNF’d at that 51-page mark. Life is too short, and my TBR (To-Be-Read) pile is too long, for “just okay” stories.
🚀 My 2026 Reading Manifesto
Next year, I’m changing the vibe. My goal for 2026 isn’t just a number—it’s a feeling. I want:
- More Quirky & Fun: Give me the weird, the wonderful, and the laugh-out-loud.
- Engaging Hooks: If I’m not hooked by the 50% mark, we’re breaking up. Period.
- Less “Eh,” More “Oh My God!”: I want to find those books that make me forget to check my phone.
Even if a few duds sneak in (they always do!), I’m walking into 2026 ready to hunt down those 5-star feelings.
📊 2025 Reading Year at a Glance
| Category | Stats |
| Total Books Logged | 47 (Including DNFs) |
| The 5-Star Club | 1 (A Thousand Broken Pieces) |
| DNF Count | 5 |
| Most Popular Format | A mix of Audio (A) & Ebook (E) |
| Spice Peak | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Unfortunately Yours & Can’t Fix Cupid) |
| The Slump Buster | Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune |