Reading Year in Review
23 Books Read in 2025!
With the end of the year approaching, I thought it would be fun to look back on all the books I read in 2025. As always, I wish I could have read more, but nevertheless, this was a fun year of reading! I typically only enjoy fantasy, but I branched out this year and tried some horror, historical fiction, mysteries, and contemporary fiction. As a writer, I have discovered that reading other genres is a good way to learn and expand my own writing skills and I found many of these books inspiring.
I am currently reading Empire of the Dawn, the third and final book of Jay Kristoff’s latest trilogy, to wrap up the end of the year. At over 750 pages, the book will probably end up on my 2026 reading list! This is a book I made a special trip to the bookstore on release day just to buy in person. The story follows Gabriel de León, a half-vampire trained in a religious order, that hunts down the vampires that have taken over the world. During his legendary conquests, he meets a young girl that has powers to heal people and repel vampires. She is the lost grail that is prophesied to bring about an end to the darkness smothering the world and Gabe is determined to help her. If you love snarky (yet lovable) characters, clever twists and turns, and the world building of epic fantasies, then this trilogy is a must!
For an end of the year recap, I have listed all of my 2025 reads below and separated them into my favorites and not so favorites. I want to remind everywhere here that reading is subjective! Out of these 23 books, I chose three of my favorites for the year and have included a brief review of each. Maybe one of these books will make it on your reading list for 2026!
What were some of your 2025 favorites? I would love to hear from you! My TBR list is long and growing longer every day, so I am excited to dive into the year ahead with a whole bunch of new books.
Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!
~Elise Posledni
#1 The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My favorite book of the year! This follows a young girl named Vasya and her family in northern Russia during the 14th century. The story starts when her familiar household spirits and customs are threatened by the arrival of a priest in town. Vasya is a strong minded, kind hearted character that was easy to root for as she navigates this shifting time in her life and their community. The writing in this book is simply beautiful and you feel like you truly part of a dark, winter fairytale. We are introduced to many folktale creatures of the time – including the Vazila, a creature that guards the stables and livestock, the Bolotnik, a fearsome swamp monster, and, of course, the Upyr, or vampire. The author has a Russian degree in which she studied Slavic paganism and how it mixed with the arrival of Christianity in the Russian countryside, so the setting and descriptions in the book are so detailed I felt like I was there. It’s reads part historical novel, part dark fairytale, and part horror story. I absolutely loved it!
#2 The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
I was speaking with someone at a writing conference and upon hearing I love horses and fantasy, she said: “Oh, so you probably love The Scorpio Races.” I hadn’t even heard of the book before and I can’t believe it took me this long to read it! This YA novel follows a young orphan girl named Puck Connolly and her brothers on the fictional Irish island of Thisby that hosts an annual race on capaill uisce (water horses that are captured from the sea). Unlike horses, the capaill uisce are dangerous predators and can be deadly to ride and train, but Puck needs money to save her family home. She hatches a plan to win the race and prove herself a worthy rider amongst a community steeped in the tradition of the annual race on the beach every November. I loved this book for its mix of mythology and horses, plus it has wonderful characters, a captivating setting, and a cute love story.
#3 Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
This book is not something I would typically ever read, but it was given to me by a friend and once I started reading it, I could not put it down. The story follows a new mother, who has quit her dream job as an artist to raise her son. Her husband has a higher paying salary and travels for work, so they both decided it would make the most sense for her to be a stay-at-home mom. The book follows her struggles with the societal expectations of being a stay-at-home mom, as well as her own internal struggles with her career, needs, and desires. Oh, and she turns into a dog every night. She is nightbitch. If it sounds strange, it is. I still have mixed feelings about the ending of the book. However, there were some really poignant observations this book made on society and the role of women that resonated with me. Plus, it was strange and thought provoking enough that it kept me thinking long after I turned the final page. P.S. I also watched the movie and would recommend it as well (although it’s not as good as the book, obviously).
Other Honorable Mentions:
Finding the Bones: Stories & A Novella – Nikki Kallio
Pet Sematary – Stephen King
Courting the Sun – Peggy Joque Williams
Blackwood Farm – Anne Rice
Servant of Earth – Sarah Hawley
The Snowbirds – Christina Clancy
The Magicians Trilogy– Lev Grossman
Out of the Box: The Mostly True Story of a Mysterious Man – Julie C. Morse
Overruled – Christy Wopat
The Halllmarked Man – Robert Galbraith
Legends & Lattes – Travis Baldree
Beltany (Circle Nine #1) – Valerie Biel
Ehh…Maybe:
Tuyo – Rachel Neumeier
The French Photographer – Natasha Lester
Blood Mercy – Vela Roth
Family Secrets – Shawn McGuire
The Secrets in Shadow and Blood – Lana Pecherczyk
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon – Kimberly Lemming