2025 Year in Review

In 2025,  I read 88 books and listened to 41 audiobooks. I love stats, so it was fun to see that I read just over 38000 pages, with 300 as the average. I rated 14 books as 5 star reads (see below) and gave an average of 3.7 stars.  On Goodreads I was a top 5% reader and also top 5% reviewer.

My top favorites of the year were The Prisoner of Zenda (reread) and it's sequel, Rupert of Hentzau (new-to-me). I had loved the first one, and because I loved it so much, I never wanted read the second. I just couldn't imagine how it could measure up. It did! They are both SO good, and I highly recommend them.  (reviews are here)

 Here are my other five star books this year (most of which were rereads): 

-The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (reread) 

-The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. -Tolkien (reread) 

-The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (reread) 

-This Rotting Heart by Celeste Baxendell  

-Ties of Starlight by Celeste Baxendell 

-The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Dolye (reread) 

-Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope (reread) 

-Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope 

-The Lost Queen: The Life & Tragedy of the Prince Regent's Daughter by Anne M. Stott 

-The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (reread) 

-The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones 

-Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter by Dan Jones 

-The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation by Ian Mortimer 

I read a LOT of great indie spice-free fantasy (and will gladly give recommendations), but mysteries were still my most-read genre. Overall, it was a stellar year of reading. 

How was it for you? Remember, if you read more than 4 books, you beat the median and had a great year!