I love doing Jamie’s End of Year Book Survey every year, although I’ve added a few of my own questions and removed some of hers in order to make it work a little better for me. This survey helps me look back and remember all the wonderful (and terrible) books I’ve read throughout the year! Also… buh bye 2025. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Can 2026 please be better? I know I say this every year, but wow I could use a good year. (Note: If I’ve mentioned books more than once, I’m only linking to them the first time so my post doesn’t look spammy!)
2025 Reading Stats
Number of books you read: 46 (all of them can be found pictured below)
Number of re-reads: 0
Number of books you DNFed: 41
Number of pages you read: 9,518 (not including all the pages I read of the books I DNFed. lol)
Most read genre: Contemporary romance. I read 25 of them!
Number of new-to-you authors you discovered: 21. That’s a lot!
Firsts and Lasts
First book you read: Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise
Last book you read: Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express by Rebecca Raisin
First 2025 release you read: Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise
Best In Books
1. Best book you read in 2025:
This is hard, so I’m dividing it up by genre:
Contemporary: Acting Merry by Martha Keyes
Historical: Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
Fantasy: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t:
My biggest disappointment of the year was The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst. After raving about The Spellshop last year (it stole so many answers to my 2024 end of year book survey), I could not even finish this one. It lacked all the warm and fuzzy whimsy that I loved so much about the first one.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read:
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson has a cover that would lead you to believe that the book is a fun contemporary romance with some fantasy elements. NOPE. It’s a straight-up monster romance, which is fine! But I’ve never been interested in that subgenre because they tend to be higher spice and have more explicit, often uncomfortable (for me) content. I love the Loch Ness Monster and was so excited about this book, but it gave me the ick a few times.
4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did):
Acting Merry by Martha Keyes
5. Best first book in a series you started in 2025. Best sequel of 2025. Best series ender of 2025.
First: Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
Sequel: Snowed In by Catherine Walsh
Ender: Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross (this is the second book in a duology, so not technically a series but it’s the only ending book I’ve read this year and I loved it!)
6. Favorite new-to-you author you discovered in 2025:
This is HARD, but I’ve narrowed it down to two authors in two genres:
Contemporary: Jillian Meadows (Give Me Butterflies)
Fantasy: Rachel Schneider (Metal Slinger)
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone:
I didn’t jump too far out of my comfort zone this year, but I think it’s because I’ve expanded my comfort genres a lot over the years! But maaaaaybe Falling by Christina Lauren? I do not like fallen angel stories at all, but I loved this.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year:
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. I blame Onyx Storm for my months-long reading slump that made me hate a ton of what I read this year. lol
9. Book you read in 2025 that you are most likely to re-read next year?
Acting Merry by Martha Keyes might become a holiday re-read every year!
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2025:
The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle.
11. Most memorable character of 2025:
The Ghost of Christmas Past, Nolan Callahan from Good Spirits by B.K. Borison! He makes me swoon.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2025:
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. Rebecca’s writing is stunning.
13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2025:
No thoughts this year. lol.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2025 to finally read:
I read a lot of newer releases this year, but I can’t believe how many years it took me to find The Promise of a Kiss by K.C. Bateman. I adore The Mummy movies, and am always looking for ancient Egypt/treasure hunting books. This is like a spicy The Mummy! SO good.
15. Favorite quote from a book you read in 2025:
“It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are. Sometimes I feel the same as you: I can’t risk having people behold me as I truly am. But there’s also a small voice in the back of my mind, a voice that tells me, “You will miss so much by being so guarded.”
― Rebecca Ross, Divine Rivals
16. Shortest and longest books you read in 2025:
Shortest: You Deserve Valentine’s Day Brunch by Sarah Hogle (15 pages)
Longest: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (758 pages)
17. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!):
Nolan and Harriet from Good Spirits by B.K. Borrison.
18. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year:
Violet and Tairn (and Andarna) from Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros.
19. Favorite book you read in 2025 from an author you’ve read previously:
Good Spirits by B.K. Borrison
20. Best book you read in 2025 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else:
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
21. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2025:
Newest? That would be Cole from Acting Merry by Martha Keyes
22. Best 2025 debut you read:
Another Fish in the Sea by Amy Lee. This is probably the best novella I’ve ever read! LOVED it.
24. Most vivid setting you read this year:
I have to hand this one to Rebecca Yarros. The world in the Empyrean series (so, Onyx Storm) is so vivid and amazing.
25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read:
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2025:
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
27. Hidden gem of the year:
Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer. This was really sweet, and nobody is talking about it!
28. Most unique book you read in 2025:
The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle. This book is so wacky and I loved it!
39. Book that made you the maddest (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it):
The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe. This made me soooooo mad, and I hated this book more than I’ve hated any other book this year! Give my review a read if you’re curious!
My Blogging/Bookish Life
1. Favorite review that you wrote in 2025:
So… I only wrote 14 reviews in 2024. That’s bad. I will do better. But I love all of them because they’re my thoughts and I do wish they got more attention, but oh well!
2. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog:
I didn’t post any discussions this year, but I always love the comments in my Top Ten Tuesday posts!
3. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.):
No events this year.
4. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views):
My Top Ten Favorite Items I’ve Crocheted got the most comments this year (70)!
5. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.):
No new discoveries, I’m afraid!
6. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year:
This was a roguh reading year for me, so I dropped my original reading goal from 52 books to 45 back in September. I read 46 books this year!
Looking Ahead in 2026
1. Book you are most anticipating in 2026 (non-debut):
Grim Tidings by B.K. Borrison, Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst, and Light Wielder by Rachel Schneider.
2. 2026 debut you are most anticipating:
I hate this I have no debuts on my to-read list yet!
3. Sequel you are most anticipating in 2026:
Light Wielder by Rachel Schneider!
4. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2026?
I make this goal every year, and every year something happens that messes me up… But I want to review every book I read!
Do we have any answers in common?
Pick a question or two and answer them in the comments! Let’s discuss!
Wishing you a happy 2026, full of great books!
You e had a fabulous year in books, I hope 2026 is even better!
Thank you, Shelleyrae! I hope 2026 is your best year yet!
I always enjoy reading your blog, you’ve introduced me to so many new authors. Thank you!
The book I’m most looking forward to in 2026 is Alix Harrow’s The Everlasting. My book club read her The Ten Thousand Doors of January and loved it. It convinced me to read some more fantasy, a genre I have eschewed since I was a child.
Happy 2026 reading!
Thank you so much, Leslie, that means so much to me! I am SUPER interested in The Everlasting, so I hope you’ll tell me how you liked it once you’ve read it! Feel free to comment on any of my blog posts or send me an email (the envelope icon in the top bar of my blog is an easy way to get my email address) and let me know what you think of it! I love chatting about books with people. :) I hope your 2026 is filled with many amazing reads! Happy New Year!
I did enjoy Acting Merry and moved it up on my TBR pile from your recommendation. I am working on my TTT post for Tuesday, my top reads from 2025, and it’s hard, LOL! I wish I had found these questions before I did my 2025 stats.
These are hard questions! I wasn’t even able to number my top ten! I’m going to have to think about these. I’m going to try answering my favorite review of 2025: Wild As The Stars, a historical fantasy Indie book that combines magic, dance, and the 1920s.