Welcome to my 2025 Reading Wrap-Up! How did Reading go this year?
This year of reading was probably my best in a long time. From the very first book to the last, my reading life was shaped by romance, history, and so much more. 2025 became a year of stories—epic, emotional, and everything in between. At times, I devoured everything in sight; at others, it tested my patience. So here is my Reading Wrap-up up a look back at my reading journey: the numbers, the highlights, and the surprises that made this year unforgettable.
The Numbers
- Original Reading Goal: 50
- Total books read: 156
- Total pages read: 51,103
- Average rating: 3.7
- Average book length: 326 pages
- Official TBR Additions: 30
I didn’t set myself any formal book challenges beyond my overall reading goal. I deliberately kept it low at the start to avoid putting pressure on myself, increasing it gradually as the year went on. In the end, I read three times what I originally planned, which was both surprising and incredibly exciting.
Monthly Reading Breakdown
Best reading months: June and November, with 18 books each.
Slowest reading month: March, with 6 books.
What helped
Honestly, my slumps were mostly self-imposed — whenever I decided I was ready to dive back in, I did. Audiobooks were a huge help, making it easier to get through challenging reads. That said, I also learned that if I wasn’t enjoying a book, no amount of listening could make it easier, and those titles always dragged on far longer than necessary.
Reading Formats
I definitely became far more of an audiobook person this year, which I still can’t quite believe. They became my go-to for convenience, especially when I wasn’t sure about a book or knew it would be a more challenging read. E-books, though, will forever be my first love. My Kindle and I are inseparable — in fact, I lost it last week and nearly had a panic attack, but thankfully, it made its way back to me.
Favourite Authors
This year, I found myself returning to familiar voices while also discovering new favourites. My notable authors were:
Author of the Year: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Repeat Authors: Asia Monique, Kennedy Ryan, and Dani Atkins
Why they stood out
I have a whole post dedicated to Taylor Jenkins Reid and why she earned my Author of the Year spot. She wrote four of my favourite books I read in 2025, and I am still not over Atmosphere.
Kennedy Ryan continues to hold her place as one of my absolute favourites. This year felt like a journey of rediscovery as I dipped back into some of her older titles I’d previously missed. While her growth as a writer is clear when comparing earlier works to more recent ones, the quality and emotional depth have always been there.
Dani Atkins was a discovery courtesy of Kindle ads, and a genuinely pleasant surprise. Although I only read four of her books this year, I enjoyed every single one. Her stories quickly became reliable, emotional reads and firmly earned her a place among my standout authors of the year.
Genre Breakdown
My shelves leaned heavily towards romance, contemporary, and fantasy this year, with a strong showing from historical fiction. As we know, it ended up being my genre of the year — a surprise, but a very welcome new love. I learnt so much from these stories, and I’ve gone into more detail in a full post, which I’d highly recommend reading.
Literary fiction is something of a catch-all category, but my reading within it was anything but vague. I read widely from Black women authors, with stories set across Africa and the Caribbean. Many of these books explored lived and immigrant experiences, paired with sharp social commentary on the world we live in today. They were romantic, thrilling, action-filled, and deeply thought-provoking.
I also completed several series and tackled some seriously chunky fantasy tomes. I read 20 fantasy books, but that was only about 3 series and 3 standalones. Fantasy proved to be another welcome genre this year, particularly romantic fantasy. There were some truly great reads, and I’m excited to explore fantasy more fully next year.
Reads Breakdown
We obviously know what my top reads were, as I shared both my romance and non-romance lists earlier in the month. That said, these five are the ones that immediately come to mind — the books I absolutely loved and still think about long after finishing them:
- Sunrise on the Reaping — Suzanne Collins
- Atmosphere — Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Sweet Heat — Bolu Babalola
- Carrie Soto Is Back — Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Homegoing — Yaa Gyasi
Each of these left a lasting impression on me in very different ways, and together they perfectly capture the range, emotion, and depth of my reading year.
Books I didn’t expect to love but absolutely did.
Books I really wanted to enjoy but didn’t.
TBR Updates
This year, I shared eight monthly TBR updates, covering 30 books in total. For most months, they functioned more as a loose guide than a strict plan, shifting with my mood, time, and interests, a flexibility that ultimately worked in my favour.
My TBRs were heavily characterised by historical fiction picks, which is likely where that genre shift began. I did eventually read all 30 books, finishing the final one today. I also completed my goal of reading nine books this month, even if it was more of a struggle than I anticipated.
Ratings Overview
Reflection:
I’m quite a strict rater, so five-star reads are a rare occurrence for me — only 20 books earned that illustrious honour this year. I also had a fair number of in-between ratings, with 24 books landing at 3.75 stars and 14 at 3.5 stars. Four stars, however, was by far my most common rating, which feels very on brand for me.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Challenges & Goals
My reading goal for 2026 is 60 books, and we’ll see how I get on. I expect to read roughly the same as this year, but I’m not setting myself any strict numbers — no pressure allowed.
As for challenges, I unknowingly completed a number of Goodreads challenges this year, which was a fun surprise. I do try to engage with the monthly achievements, as they often push me towards books I wouldn’t ordinarily explore. Next year, I’d like to take the more niche categories seriously, particularly those highlighting cultures I’m less familiar with.
Genres to prioritise: Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Authors to try: Jojo Moyes, Maaza Mengista, Sally Rooney, Zora Neal Hurston.
Reading vibes: I’m feeling exploratory and curious, with a strong desire to read books from all over the world.
One realistic goal: To read as many Nigerian classics as I can. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe has been glaring at me for far too long, and I’m determined to finally pick it up. I also plan to read all of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s books so I can form a fully informed opinion of her work
One ambitious goal: To read every book on the Booker Prize shortlist. This is rather ambitious as they tend to be quite complex books, as I have been told, but I’ve chosen the Booker because it’s the most prestigious literary award I’m familiar with, and I’m deeply curious about the reverence surrounding it. I want to explore how literary prizes shape reading habits and fuel literary snobbery — and, of course, report back with my thoughts.
Your Turn!
How was your reading year? Did you discover any new favourites or surprise yourself with your reading habits? Let’s chat in the comments! I’m excited to know how your reading year went!
Final Thoughts
Overall, this reading year was expansive, surprising, and deeply satisfying. I’m walking into next year with curiosity, confidence in my taste, a refreshed TBR, and absolutely no regrets.
Thank you for joining me on ‘In Novel Company’ this year! I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my reading thoughts with you, and I can’t wait for what 2026 has in store for us!
Signed,
