I did a mid-year book freak out tag in July and I can’t believe we are
at the end of 2025 right now. Time to look at the books I’ve read this year,
answering some bookish questions.
How many books did you read
I set a goal for 60 books, but eventually ended up reading 64 books. Of these 64 books, I had 4 rereads, 3 non-fiction, 45 physical books and 19 audio books.
Most read genre
It is no surprise that thriller is, yet again, my most read genre. My goal was to read less thrillers, which I did, comparing to last year. Last year I read 48, this year it was only 25. Thrillers were followed by literary, mystery and contemporary.
Longest and shortest books you read
The longest book I read was 613 pages, and was of course a Stephen King book. It being “Desperation”. A good book, but because of the length I lost interest a couple of times. The shortest book was “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, with only 191 pages. A classic, but overrated in my opinion.
Favorite book published in 2025
I didn’t read that many books that were released in 2025. I had some disappointments, like “Beautiful Ugly” by Alice Feeney, which I did not like. Or “With a Vengeance” by Riley Sager, which I DNF’ed. But surprisingly my three favorite books of the year came from 2025, being “Het Laatste Verhaal van Jamie Gunn” by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid and “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins. Other books from 2025 I really enjoyed were “Say You’ll Remember Me” by Abby Jimenez and “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix.
Favorite debut book
“That’s Not My Name” by Megan Lally was a really good, especially when I learned it was a debut novel. Such a strong YA thriller, that kept em on the edge of my seat. And it’s not only enjoyable for young adults, since I’m not one.
Favorite book not published this year
That would be hands down “Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby. I absolutely loved this book. It was raw and honest and it was a very emotional read.
A book that lived up to the hype
“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabriel Zevin definitely did. I’m not a gamer, but these characters grabbed me and I loved their story. “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins, which was my most anticipated book of the year, lived up to the hype. Thank goodness!! I would have been devastated if it didn’t. And “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid was so hyped, I started reading it as soon as I got my hands on it. And this book did not disappoint.
A book that did not live up to the hype
“Jar of Hearts” by Jennifer Hillier got so much praise and everyone seems to love this book. I don’t get it, I did not like it all. I couldn’t relate to the characters, didn’t understand their motivations, hated the romantic subplot. I was so underwhelmed by this.
Book that felt like the biggest accomplishment
“We Used to Live Here” by Markis Kliewer. It was such a mind-fuck, such a complex read. So much of it isn’t explained and it has a hidden code. Somehow I understood most of, but I still have so many questions. For some reason this felt like a huge accomplishment. And “Tender is the Flesh” by Augustina Bazterrica, which was so gruesome I’m surprised I made it through without even flinching.
Favorite character
Obviously Linus and Arthur from “Somewhere Beyond the Sea”, and all the kids. Dr. Jacob Maddox from “Yours Truly”. This man is setting the bar high for guys all over the world. I loved Joan Goodwin from “Atmosphere”. And of course Haymitch from “Sunrise on the Reaping”, with Ampert, Maysilee Donner and Lenore Dove also being favorites of that book.
Least favorite character
Geo and Angela in “Jar of Hearts”. Why were they friends? And I despised Daniel Parisch from “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. As well as Jack from “Behind Closed Doors”. These last two are the epitome of what is wrong with men, toxic masculinity.
Most shocking book/ moment
“Tender is the Flesh” was definitely the most shocking book I read. Just the premise alone. But it’s so close to reality in a way. But that makes it even more shocking. “The Last Housewife” by Ashley Winstead also had some shocking moments. The whole subject matter and theme came as a huge shock to me, this book was so much darker then I expected it to be. Probably the reason why I ended up really liking it. Same goes for “Cutting Teeth” by Chandler Baker. I found it a pretty disturbing story. “Het Laatste Verhaal van Jamie Gunn” had many shocking moments that left me dropping my jaw to the floor.
Favorite couple
I absolute love, and always will love, Arthur and Linus from “Somewhere Beyond the Sea”. I would literally die for them. Brianna and Jacob, from “Yours Truly” also really stole my heart, loved them together so much. I really loved reading about A.J. Fikry and Amelia, they were so sweet.
The best written book you read
Probably my favorite would be “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, one of the last books I read this year. Such beautiful writing. I also absolutely loved the writing in “November” and “Het Laatste Verhaal van Jamie Gunn”. Thomas Olde Heuvelt, a Dutch author I had the pleasure to meet this year, has become my favorite Dutch author and one of my favorite horror authors. His style is very reminiscent of that of Stephen King, the master of horror himself. Who also happens to be a fan of Olde Heuvelt. “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler also really mesmerized me. The writing was beautiful. And “Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby. I have read only two book by him, but I think he will become a favorite author over time.
Book that you pushed the most people to read
Probably “Atmosphere”, because it’s the most accessible. And I believe this book can be loved by a wide array of readers. But also “Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby. I think so many people will love this. And I want them to read about these important themes. I also tend to tell people about “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, if they haven’t yet seen the movie.
Favorite book cover
My favorite book cover by far was “Water Moon” by Samantha Sotto Yambao, which reminded me of Studio Ghibli movies. And it also proved that you should never buy a book solely based on the cover. Because I DNF’ed it. But Im not getting rid of it because of the cover. If I have to choose the most beautiful cover for a book that I ended up loving, I would go for “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix or “Whalefall” by Daniel Kraus. Both stunning.
Favorite book to movie adaptation
“Gone Girl”, no doubt about that. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies and books. The book changed thrillers forever, has one of the biggest twist ever. And the movie adaptation, directed by David Fincher, is also perfection. Can’t say which of the two is my favorite.
What book made you cry
“Sunrise on the Reaping” left me bawling, I cried so hard. “Somehwere Beyond the Sea”, “Atmosphere” and “Razorblade Tears” the same. I cared so much for these characters and their story, I just felt like they were my family. I believe I also cried over “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”, and there was one passage in “Dinner for Vampires” by Bethany Joy Lenz that really got me emotional.
What book made you laugh
I think all the Abby Jimenez book that I read this year made me laugh. I read “Yours Truly”, “Just for the Summer” and “Say You’ll Remember Me” and they all brought me so much joy.
A new favorite author
I’ve only read one book by Gillian Flynn, but I can already tell that she is going to be a favorite thriller author for me. Can’t wait to read her backlist. I also really enjoyed the two books by Coco Mellors I read, “Cleopatra and Frankenstein” and “Blue Sisters”. Such beautiful writing and lovely stories. I’m also curious to read more from Octavia Butler and Chandler Baker.
The best audiobook
One that really terrified me was “Incidents Around the House” by Josh Malerman. It was a really scary story. I think listening to the audiobook made it a creepier reading experience. I also enjoyed the audiobook for “The Family Experiment” by John Marrs. Several perspectives (full voice cast) and with all the additional media sources added, it felt like a format this book was made for.
Book you’re most looking forward to reading in 2026
Although Riley Sager has disappointed me in 2024 and 2025, I still have faith in him. Because he still wrote two of my favorite thrillers ever (“Lock Every Door” and “The Only One Left”). In 2026 he will be releasing “The Unknown”. Alice Feeney has also disappointed me this year, but also wrote two of my favorite thrillers (“Him & Her” and “Rock Paper Scissors”). She will be releasing “My Husband’s Wife”, which is getter good early reviews for the lucky readers that already got to read it. “The Night We Met” is the new Abby Jimenez book, in the “Say You’ll Remember Me” series.
I set a goal for 60 books, but eventually ended up reading 64 books. Of these 64 books, I had 4 rereads, 3 non-fiction, 45 physical books and 19 audio books.
It is no surprise that thriller is, yet again, my most read genre. My goal was to read less thrillers, which I did, comparing to last year. Last year I read 48, this year it was only 25. Thrillers were followed by literary, mystery and contemporary.
The longest book I read was 613 pages, and was of course a Stephen King book. It being “Desperation”. A good book, but because of the length I lost interest a couple of times. The shortest book was “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, with only 191 pages. A classic, but overrated in my opinion.
I didn’t read that many books that were released in 2025. I had some disappointments, like “Beautiful Ugly” by Alice Feeney, which I did not like. Or “With a Vengeance” by Riley Sager, which I DNF’ed. But surprisingly my three favorite books of the year came from 2025, being “Het Laatste Verhaal van Jamie Gunn” by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid and “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins. Other books from 2025 I really enjoyed were “Say You’ll Remember Me” by Abby Jimenez and “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix.
“That’s Not My Name” by Megan Lally was a really good, especially when I learned it was a debut novel. Such a strong YA thriller, that kept em on the edge of my seat. And it’s not only enjoyable for young adults, since I’m not one.
That would be hands down “Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby. I absolutely loved this book. It was raw and honest and it was a very emotional read.
“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabriel Zevin definitely did. I’m not a gamer, but these characters grabbed me and I loved their story. “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins, which was my most anticipated book of the year, lived up to the hype. Thank goodness!! I would have been devastated if it didn’t. And “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid was so hyped, I started reading it as soon as I got my hands on it. And this book did not disappoint.
“Jar of Hearts” by Jennifer Hillier got so much praise and everyone seems to love this book. I don’t get it, I did not like it all. I couldn’t relate to the characters, didn’t understand their motivations, hated the romantic subplot. I was so underwhelmed by this.
“We Used to Live Here” by Markis Kliewer. It was such a mind-fuck, such a complex read. So much of it isn’t explained and it has a hidden code. Somehow I understood most of, but I still have so many questions. For some reason this felt like a huge accomplishment. And “Tender is the Flesh” by Augustina Bazterrica, which was so gruesome I’m surprised I made it through without even flinching.
Obviously Linus and Arthur from “Somewhere Beyond the Sea”, and all the kids. Dr. Jacob Maddox from “Yours Truly”. This man is setting the bar high for guys all over the world. I loved Joan Goodwin from “Atmosphere”. And of course Haymitch from “Sunrise on the Reaping”, with Ampert, Maysilee Donner and Lenore Dove also being favorites of that book.
Geo and Angela in “Jar of Hearts”. Why were they friends? And I despised Daniel Parisch from “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. As well as Jack from “Behind Closed Doors”. These last two are the epitome of what is wrong with men, toxic masculinity.
“Tender is the Flesh” was definitely the most shocking book I read. Just the premise alone. But it’s so close to reality in a way. But that makes it even more shocking. “The Last Housewife” by Ashley Winstead also had some shocking moments. The whole subject matter and theme came as a huge shock to me, this book was so much darker then I expected it to be. Probably the reason why I ended up really liking it. Same goes for “Cutting Teeth” by Chandler Baker. I found it a pretty disturbing story. “Het Laatste Verhaal van Jamie Gunn” had many shocking moments that left me dropping my jaw to the floor.
I absolute love, and always will love, Arthur and Linus from “Somewhere Beyond the Sea”. I would literally die for them. Brianna and Jacob, from “Yours Truly” also really stole my heart, loved them together so much. I really loved reading about A.J. Fikry and Amelia, they were so sweet.
Probably my favorite would be “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, one of the last books I read this year. Such beautiful writing. I also absolutely loved the writing in “November” and “Het Laatste Verhaal van Jamie Gunn”. Thomas Olde Heuvelt, a Dutch author I had the pleasure to meet this year, has become my favorite Dutch author and one of my favorite horror authors. His style is very reminiscent of that of Stephen King, the master of horror himself. Who also happens to be a fan of Olde Heuvelt. “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler also really mesmerized me. The writing was beautiful. And “Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby. I have read only two book by him, but I think he will become a favorite author over time.
Probably “Atmosphere”, because it’s the most accessible. And I believe this book can be loved by a wide array of readers. But also “Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby. I think so many people will love this. And I want them to read about these important themes. I also tend to tell people about “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, if they haven’t yet seen the movie.
My favorite book cover by far was “Water Moon” by Samantha Sotto Yambao, which reminded me of Studio Ghibli movies. And it also proved that you should never buy a book solely based on the cover. Because I DNF’ed it. But Im not getting rid of it because of the cover. If I have to choose the most beautiful cover for a book that I ended up loving, I would go for “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix or “Whalefall” by Daniel Kraus. Both stunning.
“Gone Girl”, no doubt about that. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies and books. The book changed thrillers forever, has one of the biggest twist ever. And the movie adaptation, directed by David Fincher, is also perfection. Can’t say which of the two is my favorite.
“Sunrise on the Reaping” left me bawling, I cried so hard. “Somehwere Beyond the Sea”, “Atmosphere” and “Razorblade Tears” the same. I cared so much for these characters and their story, I just felt like they were my family. I believe I also cried over “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”, and there was one passage in “Dinner for Vampires” by Bethany Joy Lenz that really got me emotional.
I think all the Abby Jimenez book that I read this year made me laugh. I read “Yours Truly”, “Just for the Summer” and “Say You’ll Remember Me” and they all brought me so much joy.
I’ve only read one book by Gillian Flynn, but I can already tell that she is going to be a favorite thriller author for me. Can’t wait to read her backlist. I also really enjoyed the two books by Coco Mellors I read, “Cleopatra and Frankenstein” and “Blue Sisters”. Such beautiful writing and lovely stories. I’m also curious to read more from Octavia Butler and Chandler Baker.
One that really terrified me was “Incidents Around the House” by Josh Malerman. It was a really scary story. I think listening to the audiobook made it a creepier reading experience. I also enjoyed the audiobook for “The Family Experiment” by John Marrs. Several perspectives (full voice cast) and with all the additional media sources added, it felt like a format this book was made for.
Although Riley Sager has disappointed me in 2024 and 2025, I still have faith in him. Because he still wrote two of my favorite thrillers ever (“Lock Every Door” and “The Only One Left”). In 2026 he will be releasing “The Unknown”. Alice Feeney has also disappointed me this year, but also wrote two of my favorite thrillers (“Him & Her” and “Rock Paper Scissors”). She will be releasing “My Husband’s Wife”, which is getter good early reviews for the lucky readers that already got to read it. “The Night We Met” is the new Abby Jimenez book, in the “Say You’ll Remember Me” series.
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