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A Honest 2025 Reading Wrap-Up: My Top Reads of the Year & a 2026 Reading Goal Reset

I started 2025 with the best of intentions: tackling that massive TBR pile. But, as most book lovers know, the books kept coming in faster than I could read them! I quickly developed a habit of prioritizing my book subscription boxes and new releases immediately upon arrival in a desperate effort to keep them from sticking on my TBR to long. I was reading mostly new releases - many of which ended up falling in a 3 star range, while neglecting 5 star potential that has been collecting dust on my shelves for years now. 

So, instead of forcing a "Top 10" list, I'm going to focus on giving you guys my honest year-end reflection. I'm putting the data on the table, sharing the books that truly stood out, and hitting the reset button for 2026. Keep reading to see my stats, see my top reads of the year, and to find out what Reading Goals will be following me into the new year.



My 2025 Reading Stats
Total Books Read: 40 Books 
Average Rating: 3.5 Stars 
Most Read Genre: Romance
Best Reading Month: January

The Books that Saved 2025
Despite it being a slow reading year, there were still a few titles that really stood out. These were the books that were worthy of all the hype, and I gave a 4 star or higher rating too. These were the best books I read in 2025, and although none were a 5 star, some of them got pretty close.
  1. Wild Love by Elsie Silver: The writing had me in a chokehold, I loved the cowboy vibes, the millionaire who would fly in his girl's favorite chips just to make her smile, and of course the steamy romance. Read my full review here.
  2. Hooked by Emily McIntire: I loved this spicy Peter Pan retelling focusing on the story of Hook stealing the girl, it was fun, deliciously dark, and kept me on the edge of my seat.
  3. Leave Me Behind by K.M Moronova: This was the perfect unhinged Dark Romance book to get me out of a reading slump, and kept my interest up until the very last page. My full spoiler free review can be found here.
  4. Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood: By far this was my favorite book I read by her this year! I  loved this swoon-worthy romance.
  5. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry: I loved the story, the characters, and the cozy coastal town setting. My full spoiler free review can be found here!
  6. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: I originally was a hater and dnfed this book, but after picking it up a second time I couldn't put it down and flew through it. This book proved that sometimes it's not the book, it's our mindset and reading mood that can determine our overall enjoyment of a book.
  7. Willing Prey by Allie Oleander: Probably one of the spiciest books I read this year, it was a little outside of my comfort zone, but I happily ate it up and left no crumbs. Don't sleep on this one ladies, the spice is immaculate!

My 2026 Reading Goals

In 2026, I'll be carrying over some of my previous reading goals while also implementing a few new ones. Although it's easy to get caught up in reading whatever the newest hyped up books are, I find that a lot of times by prioritizing these newer more talked about books, I'm neglecting to find older gems that are just as worthy of all the praise. Plus I really would love to find some new 5 star reads in 2026, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Here are my reading goals for the new year:

  1. Read More, Buy Less: As someone who has a substantial TBR pile (more like TBR room if I'm being honest) I have plenty of unread books that deserve my attention, so the goal is to prioritize the books I already own and tackle my physical book collection. To achieve this, I will prioritize using the library, as well as Kindle Unlimited to read new books, opposed to adding more physical books to my already over-stuffed shelves. 
  2. Less Scrolling, More Reading: My biggest waste of time over the last year has been mindlessly scrolling through videos. It's so easy to get distracted by our phones, so this year I'd like to focus more on using my free time for reading, opposed to mindless scrolling. Some ways I plan on implementing this includes putting my phone on "do not disturb" when settling in for a reading session, or better yet, leaving my phone across the room to eliminate the temptation to reach for it.
  3. Get Back Into Reading Journaling: One of my favorite hobbies over the last few years has been book journaling. But with the chaos of wedding planning, trips, and all of life's twists and turns, I haven't opened my book journal in months. This is something I want to commit to getting back into for 2026, as it brings me a lot of joy, allows me to get my creative energy out, and is a great way to reflect on my reading. 
That concludes my honest reading-wrap up for 2025. While it wasn't a year stacked with endless 5-star reads, I'm optimistic to see where my 2026 reading takes me. Now I have to ask: What was the best book you read in 2025? 

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