At what point do back-to-back failures turn into an achievement? Yes, I do mean the Goodreads Reading Challenge – again. I set a goal of fifteen books to read in 2025, thinking I would easily get through this without any pesky hobbits slowing me down (still not sorry). Tragically, I met another roadblock of books that slowed me to a crawl. Despite reading every day, whether it be a page or a chapter, I still didn’t hit my target. Is it an issue of time? There literally aren’t enough hours in the day.
To save more babbling, I’ll list my excuses for this failure now before moving on to list the books I did read:
- I was writing The Many Tales of Ollie Webs: The Cellar Secret.
- I was doing the illustrations for The Cellar Secret.
- Marketing. So many things to think about and do, and then do again, because marketing is a never-ending task.
- Day job (enough said).
- Doom scrolling because I have too many things to do and not enough willpower.
- Planning Power Wielders 3.
- More planning for Power Wielders 3.
- Discarding the planning for Power Wielders 3 and just going for it because clearly, that’s the only way it’ll be written.
- Sleep (occasionally).
As you can see, I had a few more excuses than usual for not reading more, but I’m going to put it right in 2026. More books in my read pile than my to be read pile. Less excuses.
Anyway, without further ado, here are the books I read in 2025, ranked from my favourite to my least favourite.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky
- Ham on Rye – Charles Bukowski
- Marble Hall Murders – Anthony Horowitz
- We Were the Mulvaneys – Joyce Carol Oates
- Sunrise on the Reaping – Suzanne Collins
- The Court of the Dead – Rick Riordan
- A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas
- A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J. Maas
- A Court of Wings and Ruin – Sarah J. Maas
- A Court of Frost and Starlight – Sarah J. Maas
- Fragile Things – Neil Gaiman
Don’t get angry – I can explain!
Let’s start at the bottom of the list. I’ve had Fragile Things on my shelf for ages and finally read it, but it wasn’t for me. I’m not a fan of horror, but I don’t mind a bit of paranormal. These stories were just weird, and it has put me off reading the other Neil Gaiman books sitting on my to-be-read pile.
Now, I’ll tackle the Sarah J. Mass books altogether, and explain that I did not buy them – they were a Christmas gift from my sister, who likes them. I’m not a fan of romance to begin with, but these books were so popular, and I know a lot of people love them. They’re bestsellers – maybe I could learn something. A Court of Thorns and Roses was interesting enough to begin with. The world was interesting, the characters and their ‘problem’ were enough to keep me reading. I realised it was a slow burn, but I got bored until it picked up pace near the end. Rhysand was the most interesting, followed by Lucien, but the subsequent books essentially made the first a waste to me. I liked that Rhys was misunderstood and was actually doing the right things, but I thought Tamlin got thrown under the bus, and Rhys became too much of a good, self-sacrificing guy. The rest of the series I’ve listed continued in a similar fashion. Lucien was the only character left for me that I had any interest in, and by the time I was a quarter of the way through A Court of Silver Flames, I gave up. I was forcing myself to read the books a paragraph at a time, and the romance was becoming unbearable. I get why people love the series – if you’re into slow burn romance and find Rhys charming, you’ll enjoy it. For me, the books were far too long for the story they were telling, and it made them repetitive. As I gave up on A Court of Silver Flames, I’ve not included it on my list.
In an entirely different vein, I rather enjoyed The Court of the Dead by Rick Riordan. Nico and Will are both interesting characters, and nostalgia always makes these books a nice read. Was it my favourite book? No. The last few books have made some of the characters, the Gods in particular, unrecognisable from earlier versions. I get that it’s character growth, but it goes a bit far for me.
Sunrise on the Reaping was another blast from the past. I like Haymitch as a character and was excited to read about his Hunger Games, but it felt very samey to Katniss’ story. Even so, the story bobbed along nicely, and it added some new angles to characters established in the original trilogy. I preferred A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but still enjoyed this and subsequently rewatched all the films (another one for the excuse list).
We Were the Mulvaneys was an unusual choice for me, but I really enjoyed it for the most part. The characters were vivid, and it felt like a close look at a normal family before a single incident changes everything. My frustration with this book came from the way the incident in question was handled by the characters. The immediate reactions were understandable, but when it turned to victim blaming I got annoyed, mostly because it never changed from that. Even so, the book is packed with vivid imagery and is an interesting character study.
Number three on my list is where the 10.5 books in 2025 comes from. I’m currently over halfway through Marble Hall Murders, and I’m loving it so far. Unless the end of the book takes a drastic turn, I’m confident it’s earned its number three position. The plot and characters are interesting enough to keep the pages turning, and Anthony Horowitz is my favourite author. I’m already excited for the TV adaptation.
Ham on Rye might seem an odd addition to this list, but I picked it up in Chester last year and finally got around to reading it. No complaints – a fascinating look at humanity through the eyes of Henry as he grows up. The simple style keeps the book moving steadily along, and the characterisation of Henry was very believable as a boy trying to find his own way in the world.
My favourite book of 2025 has been The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It was the first book I read this year, but it has still held its place at the top of the list. Charlie is instantly likeable, and his observations of teenage life are as relatable as they are often beyond his years. For introverts, this book is a must-read. Despite its simple writing style, the book tackles some heavy topics without dwelling on them. Having heard of this book and film quite often, this was my first experience of it, and I couldn’t wait to watch the film after finishing the book.
There you have it – my 10.5 books of 2025. Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts! I’m starting my 2026 reading challenge with a fifteen-book goal again, but as I’m already halfway through a book, does it count? We shall see…
I’m hoping 2026 will prove to be a good year of writing and reading. You might even see Power Wielders 3 in the first half of the year, so keep checking back for the latest news.
Have a good 2026!
