2025 Reading Recap
Assuming I recorded all of them in my StoryGraph account, I read 17 books last year. It’s not a lot, but it was just over the goal I had set for myself. According to StoryGraph my top mood was “emotional,” with 10 books fitting that category. This was followed by ”adventurous” and “reflective,” with 6 books each.
My top genres were literary, which included books like Hamnet and The New Wilderness and historical, which included books like Shuggie Bain and The Voyage of the Morning Light.
It’s always fun to look back at the last year of books, because sometimes people ask me if I’ve read any good books, and the only ones that I can bring to mind are the last couple I’ve read. Looking back through this list, here are the top five books I would recommend from my 2025 reads.
#5 - Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
I feel like I saw this one all over when it came out, and I’m a little late to the party in actually reading it. I think this is most accurately placed into the genre of historical fiction. It’s emotional and messy and very well written.
#4 - Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unferth
This is a literary fiction book telling the story of activists who hatch an elaborate plan to liberate the chickens from a chicken farm. This one was the first book I read in 2025, so the details are a bit hazy, but I do remember it being highly entertaining.
#3 - The Voyage of the Morning Light by Marina Endicott
I really wish I had written a review of this historical fiction book when I read it. It was incredibly thought provoking for me and I greatly appreciated the author addressing things like racism and colonialism and even gender and sexuality in such a subtle way that you were left wondering if it was on purpose or not. It’s a story that stuck with me long after I read it.
#2 - Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
I did write a review of this one, and you can find it here. This one was a dark read, but exceptionally well written. I very highly recommend it.
#1 - Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
This was my absolute favorite read this past year. It’s a fantasy, with a touch of romance, and a lot of mystery. I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful and weird world that Sanderson built for this story and the characters and storyline were just as wonderful.
