‘I read 240 books in 2025 and these 5 should be added to your list’
In 2025, I managed to read 240 books, which I know just is not achievable for a lot of people. I’m not here to try and convince you to read more volume, necessarily. Just more often. And these are some books that can help you to achieve whichever Goodreads goal you’re going to choose for 2026.
Books are the perfect way to transport you to totally different worlds, with new characters and experiences in every single book. Even the books in a series are completely different, often focusing on different people in each novel.
Last year, I read genres that I really didn’t expect to enjoy, and books which genuinely floored me and made me so emotional. When it comes to books, variety is the spice of life, and if you read one of my recommendations (or more) I really hope you enjoy them.
The Boys of Tommen series by Chloe Walsh
Slightly cheating choosing a series here, but I have seen so many people online saying this series broke them and put them back together again, and I didn’t believe them in the slightest. I’m not usually one to get emotional over romance novels, so I thought it was all talk.
However, there’s something different about this series. I can’t put my finger on it. But it does 100% deserve all the hype its gained on TikTok. It’s dark, despite the fact that there’s romance in every book, and it’s nothing like anything I’ve ever read before. Each book is also so huge, but I devoured the series in around three weeks, which is almost 4,000 pages! Take from that what you will…
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A bit late to the party with this one as it came out before I was born in 1992, but I absolutely devoured this. It was dark academia at its finest, with mystery, creepiness, and a set of friends where you couldn’t help but question everyone’s motives for every little thing they did.
I couldn’t get enough of this book, and read it in a matter of days, and if you’re a literary fiction fan, I feel as though you’ll thoroughly enjoy this read, too.
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
When I heard that Stephen King’s son (yes, Joe Hill is SK’s son) was releasing a book about a dragon I was gobsmacked. I never thought he’d touch the dragon fantasy genre at all. Am I complaining that he did? Absolutely not. This book was perfection from start to finish.
I laughed more than I cried, but I certainly did cry. It’s a hefty tome, but every single one of the pages needs to be in the book. Sometimes when I read longer books I find myself mentally making edits. But, no. This book was so, so good. Don’t let its size put you off.
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
I absolutely loved reading Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, but never had the guts to start Babel. But when I managed to get my hands on a FairyLoot version of Katabasis, that was the push I needed to read another one of her books.
I am so, so glad that I did choose to pick this one up, as it was absolutely amazing. It follows the protagonists’ journey to hell, and it was packed full of philosophical references (which spoke to the undergrad philosophy student that I used to be).
It was a really fun read with lots of twists and turns that kept me gripped, and I really didn’t expect it to be one of my favourite books of the year – but it floored me.
Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
Just when I thought I’d read every single notable romantasy going, I stumbled upon this, and was left amazed. Imani Erriu has a stunning style of writing, and it made Heavenly Bodies, and its sequel Fallen Stars, an absolute joy to read. It was magical, the plot was amazing, and I really enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers romance elements, too.
It’s another TikTok famous book that really deserves its status, and Emmy Rosam, notable for her YouTube channel and other social media platforms, said it was one of the best romantasies she’d read, saying she’ll always hype it up.
