YEAR IN REVIEW: A Breakdown of My 2025 Reads

YEAR IN REVIEW: A Breakdown of My 2025 Reads

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It’s that time of the year again!

I love taking the time to reflect on all of my reads for the year, as there are always some interesting surprises. It turns out, I read 68 books in 2025! While this is down from 2024 and 2023, it aligns with my reading from 2022, 2021, and 2020.

I’m honestly surprised I read so many books in 2025. I’ve been running much less due to that ever persistent ankle injury (thus, listening to fewer audiobooks) and had a stressful/busy year overall, so I had expected the number to be much smaller.

Let’s get into the specifics!

What I Read: December 2025

What I Read: December 2025

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This was the fastest year of my life.

I don’t really know how to explain it, but one moment it was January, then it was October, and now I find myself only days away from 2026. As I think about the new year, I want to set resolutions that allow me to be more present, less distracted, and slow down.

Of course, one of my favorite ways to slow is down is with a good book! December’s reads included quite a few series, along with a few non-fiction picks:
-Brimstone by Callie Hart
-107 Days by Kamala Harris
-The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
-Wayward by Blake Crouch
-Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano
-The Simple Path to Wealth by J.L. Collins

Let’s get into the reviews!

How I Saved More than $800 on Books in 2025

How I Saved More than $800 on Books in 2025

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“How do you afford to read so many books?”

It’s a question I stumbled on while scrolling through comments in the “Bookstagram”/”Booktok” community.

I’ll admit the question caught me by surprise. Are people buying every single book they read? Are they relying on paid services like Audible to get access to books?

For me, the answer is simple…

What I Read: October & November 2025

What I Read: October & November 2025

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The Christmas decorations are out, the tree is lit, and the air is cold. In my opinion it’s the best time of year to dive into a good book. And that’s just what I’ve been doing lately!

My October and November reads were an interesting mix of fiction. For the first time in a very long time, I didn’t read any non-fiction either month!

The list includes:
-The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
-The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
-Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
-Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
-My Friends by Fredrik Backman
-Pines by Blake Crouch
-Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
-Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
-Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: August & September 2025

What I Read: August & September 2025

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The end of summer/the start of fall has been absolutely chaotic. Normally, this is a time of year that I particularly enjoy as it becomes socially acceptable to pull out my Halloween decorations and there’s an occasional cool morning (this is a rare treat for Florida). But there’s just too much going on in life, in work, outside of work, in the world…. anyone else relate?

Regardless, that hasn’t stopped me from diving into reading, especially fiction. Sometimes, you just need an escape!

My August and September reads include:
-Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
-The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
-Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
-The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad
-Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
-The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis
-Old Country by Matt Query and Harrison Query
-The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
-The Poppy War by R.F Kuang
-Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness
-How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
-The Wedding People by Alison Espach

We have a lot to talk about, so let’s get into the reviews!

Review: My Experience Getting a DEXA Scan

Review: My Experience Getting a DEXA Scan

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Between watching Netflix’s You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment and reading about Cassey Ho’s 90 Day Journey to Muscle, I’ve been curious about DEXA scans for years. After adding in more weight training with Caroline Girvan’s IRON Series, I’ve been especially curious whether that has translated to more muscle mass.

But, unfortunately, the nearest location offering scans that weren’t for medical reasons/doctor ordered was hours away. However, a new DexaFit location recently popped up near me and I decided to end my curiosity and take the plunge!

What I Read: July 2025

What I Read: July 2025

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Is it too early to say that I’m thinking about getting my fall decorations out of the garage?

Maybe so.

But I’m ready for some cooler temperatures and fun Halloween vibes. I got an early start this weekend with a few scary movies. Maybe, next weekend I’ll officially break out the decorations and candles.

As summer continues to hang on for now, I leaned back into fiction. This month’s reads included:
-Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
-I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
-Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli
-You by Caroline Kepnes
-Nice Girls Don’t Win by Parvati Shallow
-That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: June 2025

What I Read: June 2025

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I read a slightly alarming fact this week.

Apparently, July 2, 2025, marked the point where we are closer to 2050 than we are to the year 2000. I find that so hard to comprehend. Even now, when someone says 20 years ago, my mind thinks the 1980’s. Time is weird and continues to get weirder as I get older.

Existential crisis aside, I did read 7 books in June. I was shocked that the list was primarily non-fiction:
-The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
-Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
-Roar by Stacy Sims
-The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
-Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
-Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
-Relentless Forward Progress by Bryon Powell

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: May 2025

What I Read: May 2025

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I have no idea how it’s already June.

This year has moved so incredibly fast, it’s honestly kind of scary. It’s made me reflect on that one quote from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I know I need to set aside some time this summer to slow down and enjoy it.

But even with time moving at warp speed, I did have a solid month of reading in May. As you can see from the list, it was an interesting mix of genres:
-Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
-The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Iversen
-The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
-Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
-The Blue Plate by Mark Easter
-Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Let’s get into the reviews!