Hi everyone and welcome to my 2025 End of Year Book Survey!
This survey is hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner. All banners below are also hers.
**2025 READING STATS**
Number Of Books You Read: 55
Number of Re-Reads: 14
Genre You Read The Most From: My reading was about 50% fantasy + 50% romance
1. Best Book You Read In 2025?
I was hesitant to read Sunrise on the Reaping at first, because I thought we’d had enough Hunger Games and this wouldn’t bring anything new. I was wrong. This was a genius piece of storytelling that broke my heart and renewed my Hunger Games obsession. Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen was a fantasy I picked up on a whim because I saw someone mention it online and I liked the thought of warriors bonding with massive wolves. It ended up being an instant fave and I can’t wait for the sequel. And A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping was the cozy and sweet found family read I needed most of all.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
While Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry was one of 2025’s most popular reads, I found myself in the minority of not loving it. I did like it at first, but the pacing and especially the ending ruined it for me. For the first 90% or so of the book, it’s a rather slow read. Almost a little dragging at points. And then the last 10% of the book felt like an overload of plot twists and revelations and smut and gore and more plot twists and gore and revelations and I feel like I’m still processing what actually happened.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
I’m not a big dark romance fan, so imagine my surprise when I absolutely adored Lights Out by Navessa Allen, a stalker romance! (It helps that said stalker is also kind of a cinnamon roll)
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I don’t know if people actually read If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia because of me, but I was pretty vocal about my love for this one 🙂
5. Best series you started in 2025? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender of 2025?
Series starter: I already mentioned my love for Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen earlier in this post.
Sequel: Enchantra by Kaylie Smith was amazing!
Series ending: I did a Throne of Glass re-read this year and there’s no denying the absolute brilliance of series ender Kingdom of Ash.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2025?
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
I don’t often pick up a thriller, AND I don’t often pick up a book where I know the ending will be sad, but I did pick up Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson and I loved the read (even if I sobbed all the way throughout the final few chapters).
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen was so unputdownable!
9. Book You Read In 2025 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
This December I became aware of the Heated Rivalry TV show adaptation that’s been taking over the internet and so I decided to pick up the book the show was based on. Because I can never just “casually” like something, it then took over my entire personality (and I have zero regrets). I just recently finished this and I’m already missing Shane and Ilya dearly, so yes, chances are very high I’ll pick this up for a re-read soon.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2025?
How pretty is the cover for A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna?
11. Most memorable character of 2025?
Ilya Rozanov from Heated Rivalry and The Long Game by Rachel Reid holds a special place in my heart. He’s a menace on the ice, but with a vulnerable heart of gold.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2025?
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, hands down.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2025?
Again, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, hands down.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2025 to finally read?
Why did it take the TV show blowing up for this book to get on my radar? It’s a shame I didn’t read this earlier, but also I am so happy I got to read it now.
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2025?
“You were capable of imagining a different future. And maybe it won’t be realized today, maybe not in our lifetime. Maybe it will take generations. We’re all part of a continuum. Does that make it pointless?”
― Suzanne Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2025?
Shortest book:
Roots of Darkness (The Ashen #2.5)
(176 pages)
Longest book:
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7)
(980 pages)
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
There were a few plot twists in Silver Elite by Dani Francis, some I saw coming but also some that managed to take me completely by surprise and shock me!
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Shane and Ilya forever! The Long Game was even better than Heated Rivalry, the amount of love and devotion that poured out of these pages own my heart.
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
The found family from the entire Windy City series by Liz Tomforde, especially in this series ender Rewind it Back.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2025 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna!
21. Best Book You Read In 2025 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:
I picked up Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli because I kept seeing it around the blogosphere and on social medical and I’m glad I did because it was a fun, enjoyable read that brought the rivals-to-lovers, the chemistry and the banter, while also highlighting the struggles women (and especially women of color) face in the workplace, especially in male-dominated fields.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2025?
Rowin Silver from Enchantra by Kaylie Smith. It’s the tattoos and piercing. Maybe also the adorable fox familiar.
23. Best 2025 debut you read?
I can’t believe this was a debut with how much I loved this!
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
It may not be an epic fantasy world, but this small town set in the nineties still came alive so beautifully that it felt like I was walking around it myself.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming was as absurd and hilarious as the title and cover might make you think… and then some!
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2025?
This was a re-read, and yet I still bawled my eyes out…
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
I loved Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis so much, it was so cozy and whimsical! The main hero is just such a cinnamon roll and I loved that!
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
I’m repeating myself here, but this book crushed my soul into a million little pieces and I highly recommend it.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2025?
It’s definitely unique when you can laugh this much with a dark romance book.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
I loved this book, but I was so mad Jet didn’t get more time!
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2025 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2026?
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2026 (non-debut)?
3. 2026 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
I can’t find any debut authors on my 2026 TBR list! If you do, please send me your recommendations so I can check them out 🙂
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2026?
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2026?
In 2026 I’ll have been blogging for 10 years! I could say I’d like to write more reviews and request/read more ARCs, but honestly I just hope to keep blogging light, fun and casual so I can keep doing it for another 10 years!
Tell Me:
What’s your favorite book read in 2025? Favorite new author? Favorite OTP?
I’ve only read the original three Hunger Games, but I keep thinking I should get to the others because I keep seeing good reviews.
I hope you’ll love them! Especially Sunrise on the Reaping was amazing!
LOL, I love how you make books your personality and don’t do anything “casually”! I might have to give Heated Rivalry a try, I’ve literally been seeing it everywhere!
Haha, some books/fandoms definitely end up taking over my entire personality 😀 But I do hope you’ll love Heated Rivalry if you decide to try it! It’s very spicy very quickly, but the emotion and romance is there too.
Dire Bound and A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping are both on my list! I keep hearing good thinks about both. The Lemming book was WILD but it made me laugh. Good Spirits is one I’m hoping to start in the near future. Happy reading in 2026!
Hope you’ll love Dire Bound and A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping! Haha, the Lemming book was wild but hilarious indeed, I’m definitely looking forward to trying more books by her 😀
Ooh, I love this list and this book year-end post. I might make one too.
It’s a fun post, hope you’ll decide to try it 🙂