Stats

Total books read: 100 (exactly the same as last year)

Total pages read: 30,793 (about 1,000 more pages than last year)

 

Longest book: Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi (592p), followed by:

A Taste of Gold & Iron by Alexandra Rowland – 570p

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco – 564p

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson – 547p

How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr – 513p

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon – 472p

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson – 464p

Shortest book: The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow (36p)

Average book length: 307p (slightly higher than last year)

Most popular (on Goodreads): Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (shelved 2,428,685 times)

Least popular (on Goodreads): Night Beast by Ruth Joffre (shelved 436 times)

Average Goodreads rating: 4.0 stars (exactly the same as last year)

Highest rated book on Goodreads: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (4.55 stars)

Most-read genres: fantasy (26%), contemporary romance (21%), and horror (13%). Science fiction and nonfiction tie for 4th place, with 11% each.

Author breakdown by gender: 86% female authors, 10% male authors, 4% non-binary authors (exactly the same as last year)

BIPOC Authors: 32%

LGBTQIA+ reads: 39%

Sapphic reads specifically: 25%

Intended audience: 93% adult, 7% YA (exactly the same as last year)

New-to-me authors: 47% (interesting!)

2025 releases: 37%

Oldest book I read in 2024: Carmilla by J. Sheridan LeFanu, first published in 1872

 

 

Top 10 Favorite books of 2025:

Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake (horror, dark academia); Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk (horror); Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang (dystopian literary fiction); Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood (contemporary romance)

We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin (contemporary fiction); The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (science fiction); Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen (fabulism); How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler (fantasy)

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland (fantasy); Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin (horror)

 

 

Runner-Up Favorites of 2024

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon (fantasy romance); Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi (nonfiction); Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (dystopian, horror); The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (nonfiction)

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke (nonfiction); Mate by Ali Hazelwood (romantasy); Wasteland by Oliver Franklin-Wallis (nonfiction); Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang (horror, satire)

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft (fantasy, dark academia); First by Ali Hazelwood (science fiction romance)

 

Best sequels

 

Favorite contemporary romance

 

Favorite romantasy/SFF romance

 

Favorite YA

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (dystopian) and The Thrashers by Julie Soto (thriller)

 

New-to-Me Authors I’m Excited to Read More From

Emilia Emerson & Eliana Lee’s cozyverse series was perfect seasonal reading, and I can’t wait to pick up the spring and summer sequels as well as look out for their future projects.

Julie Chan is Dead was such a creative and fascinating debut novel, so I’m really curious to see what the author does next. The next 3 authors on here already have other books out that I plan to pick up in 2026.

 

Most disappointing

I’ve given past books from both of these authors 5 stars, and both unfortunately let me down this time.

This was my first read of the year, a romantasy pick with a pretty cover and good reviews, and it was very underwhelming for me.

 

Current reads heading into 2026

I started these 3 in 2025, but they’ll count towards my 2026 stats once I finish them.