As the new year starts, I always like to reflect on my reading in the past year, and this is usually something I do in my bullet journal without sharing. But this time around, I thought it would be interesting to show it to the world, and see how it all looks when put together.
Firstly, a small note on how I track my books. I have my biggest library on Goodreads, and although I have tried, it’s very hard to move away from it, because of how much data I already have there.
But this year, I have used Storygraph and Pagebound in parallel to Goodreads. It’s been quite hard to use all three platforms at once, but I love them all for different reasons. I want to stick to only one, but I am unable to give up on any of them just yet. Maybe soon I will do a blog post listing all the pros and cons for each platform.
For this blog post, the credit goes to Storygraph for the stats and some of the graphics. I really enjoy seeing them all in one place!
✨ I read a total of 38 books in 2025. Not as many as previous years, but still grateful I got to read this many.
✨ The first book I finished in 2025 was “The Train from Platform 2” by Stephanie Steel, and the last book I finished was “Too Late” by Colleen Hoover. I guess it wasn’t too late. 😀
✨ In terms of genres, it looks like romance dominated this year, but the thrillers followed very shortly after.
✨ My longest book ended up being “A Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness with over 650 pages, and the shortest read “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, with 128 pages.
And a few stats that I am very proud of:
✨ I have read books from 26 new authors this year.
✨ I have read 23 books from my shelves. This is a big one for me, because I have been trying very hard to read books that I already have. And my TBR still keeps growing, so it’s important for me to try and stay on track.
✨ I had no DNF’s this year, even though I want to point out, nothing wrong with DNF’ing a book. Life’s too short to finish a book you don’t get along with.
✨ In 2025, there were a lot of books I enjoyed, and only a few had low ratings. However, this wasn’t a surprise for me, as last year I intentionally picked books that intrigued me, and that I really wanted to read. I didn’t really go out of my comfort zone a lot, and the ratings prove it. Maybe 2026 will be different – we’ll see! 🙂
And now I guess it’s time for the full list, the order of them split by rating (from lowest to highest), as well as by dates read. The titles that have a link on them will lead you to my book reviews that I have already published.
From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas
And that is my reading 2025 wrap-up! 🙂 My goals for 2026 -I suppose I want to read more new authors and find books that will stay with me for a long time. Also, to publish more of my book reviews. How was your 2025 in books? Did you read any books worth recommending?
I really enjoyed reading “Frankenstein”, and I am glad I read it now, after so many years of wanting to. I usually wish I read a book sooner, but not this one, and for a couple of reasons. Had I read it in high-school, I would have read a translated version in Macedonian and it wouldn’t have been the same experience. Had I read it a few years back, I don’t think I’d appreciate the language and writing style. Now I feel it was the perfect timing, not only because I can appreciate the language more, but I also happened to read it for our book club at work, and it was so much more fun reading the book alongside other people, and discussing it along the way.
I honestly wish we felt this way about books in school. It wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but we kept sharing our progress and encouraging each other. We were sharing theories whilst trying, and sometimes failing to spoil it for someone else. It reminded me of a small time during high school, where we would discuss books like this with my literature professor, a woman I greatly admired then and still admire now.
“How slowly the time passes here, encompassed as I am by frost and snow!”
I was in love with the writing style. It was so vivid and mesmerising. In a world of contemporary fiction, “Frankenstein” was a breath of fresh air. There is so much about this story that can be dissected and analysed, and a lot of topics that can prompt a very good discussion. Who was the true villain and the nature versus nurture trope high on the list. But also the need to be accepted and the need to form connections in this evil world with no mercy.
When it comes to the plot, however, there were a few things that didn’t make sense to me. Please proceed with caution, because there are some spoilers further on:
The size of the creature.
If it’s your first time creating life, why would you go for such a big creation in size? You’d probably go for something smaller. Not an 8-foot-tall giant. Frankenstein shared little to no information about the creation process itself, so I didn’t know if there was a particular reason for the need for such a size. But maybe it came from a place of arrogance and just shows another layer of Victor’s character?
Not liking your creation.
When Victor was creating this creature, and it was (I’m assuming) lying on a table, surely he could see what it looked like right before it came to life. So how come then, all of a sudden, when the creature was alive, he didn’t like it and was disgusted by him? And then on top of that, he just left. Abandoned the creature instantly. Then he comes back, realises the creature is no longer there and does – absolutely nothing. Surely you would be worried about where your new 8-foot-tall friend (THAT YOU CREATED!) has wandered off to and what he might be up to?
The creature’s story.
This was the part I struggled with the most. I think of this creature, no matter how tall, and I see him as a toddler. For he was just created and is finding his way in this world. So, some of the parts, like where he discovered food, water, shelter and the need to be loved – I absolutely understood where they came from. But what I couldn’t get past was the way he was talking and describing his adventures. The way he was talking was the same as Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein. It is simply not possible to have such rich vocabulary in such a short amount of time. It’s not as if he was sitting and reading academia in a library all this time.
Aside from these thoughts, where I struggled with the plot and the reasons behind certain actions, I really enjoyed this book. I read it fast, it evoked positive feelings and when I remember it in the future, I know I will remember it fondly. And that is everything I need to call it a good book!
“But I have one want which I have never been able to satisfy; and the absence of the object of which I now feel as a most severe evil. I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection.”
About the Author:
Mary Shelley (née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, often known as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley) was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, travel writer, and editor of the works of her husband, Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley. She was the daughter of the political philosopher William Godwin and the writer, philosopher, and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft.
The spooky season is my favorite season of them all. Cozy blankets, pumpkin spice latte, candles and October TBR books with eerie atmosphere. What’s not to like about that?
You probably already know this, but just a reminder that I share my current reading updates on my Instagram posts and stories, and my Goodreads and Storygraph account, so don’t forget to follow my Instagram and other socials (all listed at the bottom of the blog) to see what I am reading at any given time during this month. Sometimes my TBR varies, as I add additional books during the month.
And with that being said, let the October TBR commence.
The October TBR Raffle
I am usually filming my TBRs on my Instagram Stories. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, and check my Raffle draw (usually posted as a highlight or a reel).
My TBR Raffle game is simple: I have a number of prompts that I put in small papers, into a jar. I draw a prompt, and I fit in a book that matches my prompt. Here is a list of the current prompts I have. Feel free to leave any prompt suggestions in the comments. Once the prompt is drawn, I put it back into the jar, so it has an equal chance to get drawn again. I draw a total of 6 prompts, which result in 6 books for the month. If I fail to read a book, it automatically goes into the next month.
My October TBR
✨ 1. TBR Vet
One of the oldest books on my TBR, and a classic horror novel, I couldn’t not add Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to my TBR this month. It feels like ti was meant to be. I have read so much about the book, I vaguely know the plot, but I have never read it, so quite excited for this one.
Synopsis:
Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature’s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.
Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.
✨ 2. Travel (Set in Destination)
Set in the remote snows of contemporary Norway was enough for me to add The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge on my list. The fact that it has a very spooky cover and synopsis that promises chills, that was just a huge bonus!
Synopsis:
Part ghost story, part Nordic thriller – this is a twisty, tense and spooky YA debut, perfect for fans of Coraline and Michelle Paver.
Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, as if their emotions and memories have been absorbed into the material. It started the day she fell from the tree at her grandma’s cabin and became blind in one eye.
Determined to understand her strange ability, Martha sets off to visit her grandmother, Mormor – only to discover Mormor is dead, a peculiar boy is in her cabin and a terrifying creature is on the loose.
Then the spinning wheel starts creaking, books move around and terror creeps in . . .
✨ 3. Mystery
I’ve had The Wych Elm by Tana French on my TBR list for quite some time. And after having mixed feeling about The Searcher, I decided to give Tana another chance. I’ve heard some good reviews about it, and the sysnopsis seems quite appealing to my taste.
Synopsis:
For me it all goes back to that night, the dark corroded hinge between before and after, the slipped-in sheet of trick glass that tints everything on one side in its own murky colours and leaves everything on the other luminous and untouchable.
One night changes everything for Toby. A brutal attack leaves him traumatised, unsure even of the person he used to be. He seeks refuge at the family’s ancestral home, the Ivy House, filled with cherished memories of wild-strawberry summers and teenage parties with his cousins.
But not long after Toby’s arrival, a discovery is made. A skull, tucked neatly inside the old wych elm in the garden.
As detectives begin to close in, Toby is forced to examine everything he thought he knew about his family, his past, and himself.
A spellbinding standalone from a literary writer who turns the crime genre inside out, The Wych Elm asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, if we no longer know who we are.
✨ 4. 5 Star Prediction
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky, for some reason, has become I book I keep meaning to read and never get to it. There are a few books I’ve had this experience with, and they have all ended up being my favourites. I hope this book will follow their trail and saying that, I hope I will finally get to it.
Synopsis:
Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. And Christopher has an imaginary friend.
We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.
Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with her child. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.
At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six long days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.
Twenty years ago, Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower made readers everywhere feel infinite. Now, Chbosky has returned with an epic work of literary horror, years in the making, whose grand scale and rich emotion redefine the genre. Read it with the lights on.
✨ 5. Instagram Scroll
I actually enjoyed scrolling through my Instagram feed to find The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. There was an abundance of spooky books that I didn’t own and had to pass. My TBR list just got way bigger for next year!
Synopsis:
Four seekers have arrived at the rambling old pile known as Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of psychic phenomena; Theodora, his lovely and lighthearted assistant; Luke, the adventurous future inheritor of the estate; and Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman with a dark past. As they begin to cope with chilling, even horrifying occurrences beyond their control or understanding, they cannot possibly know what lies ahead. For Hill House is gathering its powers – and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
✨ 6. My Pick
I love it when I get the “My Pick” prompt. It gives me the freedom to choose any book I want, and I sometimes leave this empty until I pick on the spot in the middle of the month. But this time, I instantly added Bindle Punk Bruja by Desideria Mesa to my October TBR. It’s a book I had my eye on for a few months since I’ve been gifted a proof reader copy, and it’s perfect for the spooky season, filled with witches!
Synopsis:
A part-time reporter and club owner takes on crooked city councilmen, mysterious and deadly mobsters, and society’s deeply rooted sexism and racism, all while keeping her true identity and magical abilities hidden –inspired by an ancient Mexican folktale.
Yo soy quien soy.I am who I am.
Luna–or depending on who’s asking, Rose–is the white-passing daughter of an immigrant mother who has seen what happens to people from her culture. This world is prejudicial, and she must hide her identity in pursuit of owning an illegal jazz club. Using her cunning powers, Rose negotiates with dangerous criminals as she climbs up Kansas City’s bootlegging ladder. Luna, however, runs the risk of losing everything if the crooked city councilmen and ruthless mobsters discover her ties to an immigrant boxcar community that secretly houses witches. Last thing she wants is to put her entire family in danger.
But this bruja with ever-growing magical abilities can never resist a good fight. With her new identity, Rose, an unabashed flapper, defies societal expectations all the while struggling to keep her true self and witchcraft in check. However, the harder she tries to avoid scrutiny, the more her efforts eventually capture unwanted attention. Soon, she finds herself surrounded by greed and every brand of bigotry–from local gangsters who want a piece of the action and businessmen who hate her diverse staff to the Ku Klux Klan and Al Capone. Will her earth magic be enough to save her friends and family? As much as she hates to admit it, she may need to learn to have faith in others–and learning to trust may prove to be her biggest ambition yet.
And that’s my October TBR. Have you read any of the above books? What is on your October TBR list? Let me know in the comments!
Make sure to follow me on Instagram, so you can stay up to date with my current updates during the month.
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