I saw this on The Artsy Reader Girl last year, and just didn’t get it put together. So, this is my first year, but I do plan to make it an annual post now. I didn’t read as many books as I had wanted to in 2025, so this may not be very interesting, but it is for the memories, right? So, here goes!
2025 Reading Stats
Number of books you read: Eight.
Number of re-reads: Zero.
Number of books you DNFed: One.
Number of pages you read: 2,327
Most read genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, and Romance all tie for most-read.
Number of new-to-you authors you discovered: Seven.
Firsts and Lasts
First book you read: The Story She Left Behind
Last book you read: Death on the Island
First 2025 release you read: The Story She Left Behind
Best In Books
1. Best book you read in 2025: 6:40 to Montreal. It was hard to pick just one though!
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t: Sole Survivor. I didn’t hate it, but I thought I would like it more than I did.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read: 6:40 to Montreal
4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did): I didn’t push anybody to read anything, but I do hope I was able to convince some to read the ones I reviewed.
5. Best first book in a series you started in 2025. Best sequel of 2025. Best series ender of 2025.
I didn’t read any series at all. I need to change that in 2026.
6. Favorite new-to-you author you discovered in 2025: Poppy Alexander
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone: Sole Survivor. It is more of an autobiography, and I usually don’t read many of them. Not that I don’t want to – I’m just not drawn to them as much.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year: 6:40 to Montreal
9. Book you read in 2025 that you are most likely to re-read next year? I’m not sure I would read any of them again next year. I might in a few years, though.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2025: The Battle of the Bookshops
11. Most memorable character of 2025: Norman Ollestad from/co-author of Sole Survivor
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2025: The Library of Lost Dollhouses
13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2025: Sole Survivor
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2025 to finally read: not applicable this year LOL
15. Favorite quote from a book you read in 2025: “This wild world holds more than you can see; believe in make-believe.” ― Patti Callahan Henry, The Story She Left Behind
16. Shortest and longest books you read in 2025:
Shortest: Cat’s People (304 pages)
Longest: The Story She Left Behind & 6:40 to Montreal (both 352 pages)
17. Book that shocked you the most: Death on the Island
18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!): Núria & Collin from Cat’s People
19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year: Clara and Wynnie in The Story She Left Behind
20. Favorite book you read in 2025 from an author you’ve read previously: The Story She Left Behind (Patti Callahan Henry)
21. Best book you read in 2025 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else: I don’t think that any of the books I read were from recommendations…
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2025: Charlie Jameson in The Story She Left Behind
23. Best 2025 debut you read: 6:40 to Montreal
24. Most vivid setting you read this year: Sole Survivor
25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read: The Library of Lost Dollhouses
26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2025: Cat’s People
27. Hidden gem of the year: 6:40 to Montreal
28. Most unique book you read in 2025: Cat’s People
39. Book that made you the maddest (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it): Cat’s People. I wanted more of it!
My Blogging/Bookish Life
1. Favorite review that you wrote in 2025: The Battle of the Bookshops. You can read that here.
2. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2025? I didn’t :/
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog: Blue, Lucy, Luna {4 Years} …of course!
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.): Does being present when someone else gets a book signed at a Children’s Ministry event count?
5. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views): Friday Favorites : [12.19.25]
6. Post you wished got a little more love: All of them LOL
7. Best bookish discovery (book-related sites, book stores, etc.): I discovered a book-binding shop in Italy. I wish I could remember the name :/
8. Favorite bookish-related photo you took in 2025? Reading at the beach 🙂
9. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year? Scheduling/making the time
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? No. I set a goal to read a certain number of books this year, but I did not.
Looking Ahead in 2026
1. Book you are most anticipating in 2026 (non-debut): There are so many, but to pick one: The Midnight Train by Matt Haig (out May 26)
2. 2026 debut you are most anticipating: Scavengers by Kathleen Boland (out January 13)
3. Sequel you are most anticipating in 2026: The Midnight Train
4. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2026: Read more books, and write more reviews
