Review: Unhallowed Halls

Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was so much more twisted than I expected??? But I really enjoyed it.

There was a lot going on in this one, but it also made it a little more unexpected which was nice.

It begins with the new girl at school, not like other girls because everyone around her is from rich and prominent families but she's just there because she did something bad and now she's here to try and learn how to control her powers.

The academia side of things was weird, with just a whole lot of references to ancient Greek philosophers and the like; it was too much but also somehow not enough at the same time? Like, it's constantly referenced but also these kids never seem to be in class? The whole structure of classes etc was very confusing, because it was all over the place. Kinda seemed like the kids just do whatever they want.

The relationship between the group was a weird dynamic, but I did end up growing to love them. They're a rag-tag bunch but they're not all stereo-types, thankfully - just the queen bee. She's always there as a protagonist in this kind of story, I guess.

The magic was ... interesting. It was a bit odd, but I did love how much of it revolved around nature and for this reason I really loved Oak. I wanted more of him, tbh.

Overall, it did wind up feeling a little long, but I'm okay with that when it's a fully contained story - I'd rather put up with an extra 100 or so pages to wrap things up completely than end up having to read more books in the series.

I'd definitely recommend this one to fans of Dark Academia looking for something a little different. It's a bit light on both the 'dark' and the 'academia', but it's still a fun story and quite intriguing. So definitely worth a read if you're on the fence!

View all my reviews

Review: The Cutting Garden: A Graphic Novel

The Cutting Garden: A Graphic Novel by Darcy Van Poelgeest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Absolutely gorgeous visuals. The art throughout this story is stunning, with beautiful use of colour to affect mood.

A mysterious girl, Adeil, tells a mysterious story to a florist who makes an arrangement for her. Chapters are separated by detailed illustrations of flowers and plants, and the whole thing does give a strong appreciation of the natural world, which quite appealed to me - especially when depicted so beautifully.

The story itself is too thin to really engage on a deeper level, but it's interesting enough to keep you hooked throughout. I think unfortunately it asks more questions than it answers, leading to a lack of satisfaction when the end comes around.

There are some really interesting threads to the story, so I would really have liked to know more. I think there's a lot of symbolism and analogy here that's simply lost in its attempts to be subtle. I love the gentle poetry of it, but it just seemed too convoluted to be able to try and tease out all the intricate meanings behind each sentence.

The watercolour art is beautiful, though, and honestly just taking in the pages was such a pleasure. I think if you took a panel from this featuring one of the women, and hung it in your house, it would be something you'd be constantly thinking about. This artwork really provokes thought, and I suppose the scarcity of the story sort of assists that.

So for me, it's a 3-star graphic novel that gets a bonus star simply for the artwork and how engaging I found it. I'll happily recommend this to graphic novel fans looking for something thought-provoking.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

View all my reviews

Review: The Library of Amorlin

The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Max Meyers, Jesse Vilinsky
Presented by RB Media

This was an interesting new fantasy, but didn't totally sell me.

There's a magical library that is home to a multitude of beasts (as opposed to a multitude of books, which was half of why this title interested me), and a con artist is signing up to be the assistant librarian to escape being sent back to a cell.

Naturally, the head librarian is handsome, looks to be slightly older than our protagonist (though in reality he's really, really old) and is ridiculously powerful. Plus he's brooding and moody and he doesn't trust her but wow she really intrigues him like no one is his hundred years has.

So the cliches bothered me a bit.

The protagonist, Kasira, is not a particularly likeable anti-hero. Her whole thing is how she's a masterful con artist, and she's a brilliant liar, everything is lies, lie lie lie, etc. So much deception (so very 'not like other girls'). To the point that it was like, please show some growth at any stage now. She just stayed in this same character mold for the entire book and it got really tiring. It also, as a consequence, grated on me the longer it lasted and made her a rather unappealing lead.

Allaster, the head librarian, also didn't do much for me, though I liked him more. I think the narrator did him a little dirty because the 'growls' were whispered and in general I feel things were delivered with the wrong inflections. But same kinda deal where there just wasn't a lot of character growth beyond him coming to like (like, like) Kasira.

I DID however love the beasts and the variety of them. I think a read would have given me a better visual of them all, but I still enjoyed their presence in this book. They add a lot of light and heart, and for that reason I do wish they'd been better utilised. They're a fun, unique pull for this story and they would have been a more interesting focus than all the con-artist-this and brooding-librarian that.

As far as the audio goes, I did really enjoy both narrators, though Kasira's narrator was the better of the two. Perfect delivery, excellent inflection, and presented in such a way that I could become absorbed in the story without really hearing the voice as a separate thing. Would happily listen to either of these narrators again.

An interesting idea, but it did feel a little long and monotonous by the end. I think fantasy fans needing a mythical creatures kick might enjoy this one more than the romance fans, as the relationship is VERY slow-burn and PG. Nothing really much there at all, to be honest. But the world-building is pretty cool and the creatures are fun so there's still some points of interest. I'll probably still recommend it, as there's enough different about it that I think it's worth giving a go.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

View all my reviews

Review: Teen Titans: Raven

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This did some great work putting the 'teen' back in Teen Titans.

Raven has amnesia and is troubled by nightmares, and the voices inside other people's heads.

A fresh introduction to the Titan we know and love, this story goes out of its way to emphasise the life of a teen - it's not enough that Rachel is dealing with these supernatural things, she's also trying to juggle schoolwork and boys. I enjoyed the fresh take.

The art style uses colour in an interesting and unique way, keeping things visually clean and easy to follow while allowing art to tell its own story.

A simple, easy read, this is quick to get through and holds interest throughout. Perhaps not a lot of excitement to rate this higher for me, but I thought it was a strong entry for the series and I'm keen to read more.

View all my reviews

Review: Daredevil: Back In Black

Daredevil: Back In Black by Charles Soule
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the first two ARCs but with the annual things got weird and never really improved from there.

This was actually my first Daredevil story and unfortunately this didn't sell him on me at all. I enjoyed the stuff with Blindspot, and I liked the story - it was solid, interesting, and more than just beating up thugs.

But the two confusing stories in the middle seemed really pointless, and add Punisher into the mix and it's just bland brawn, with everyone fighting everyone and arguing over who is good and who is bad without any real depth or story.

So while the first portion was interesting, it wasn't enough to have me keen to read more DD.

Maybe DD fans will get more out of this than me, and perhaps sticking to just the Soule run would be a more entertaining option, but I won't be raving about this one.

View all my reviews

Review: Empire of the Dawn

Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bruhhhhhh

What an epic ending. I am ... emotional. To say the very least.

Highly, highly recommend this series if you want to feel all the things.

Honestly no notes on this grand finale. This was absolutely a worthy end to roughly 2400 pages of emotional damage.

It's been a while since a book (/series) has effected me this much so I'm really happy to have given my soul to it.

You should give yours, too.

View all my reviews

Review: Something Bad Happened Here

Something Bad Happened Here by Zoe Rosi
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by Andy Stevenson
Presented by Xpresso Book Tours

This started pretty dull and never really improved, unfortunately.

An okay listen in lieu of nothing else, but ultimately disappointing.

A woman moves to a new area after the death of her mother, wanting some time away from everything. Unfortunately, the cheap house she moves into was once the scene of a grizzly murder, and now strange things are happening that she can't explain.

Firstly, I'm not sure why we needed to go through all the boring process of her acquiring the house. Completely superfluous stuff, and the changing perspective didn't really add much.

There was a lot of excess stuff in this one that just contributed nothing to the story, so by the time the horror started to make itself known it wasn't enough to erase the tedium of the whole thing.

Then the time jumps around a little bit, making it hard to follow what's happening when.

I also had a problem with the narrator, and question the choice to have a male narrator on a book told from a female perspective. This guy made the ladies sound like ridiculous caricatures and it gave the book a sense of parody rather than anything dark or ominous. I wouldn't recommend the audio version for this reason. Perhaps in print there's a little more to get behind.

Some interesting ideas but poorly executed, and not really enough to make the excess stuff worth slogging through. Added to that, painful narration of the audio version. Okay in a pinch, but otherwise not much here.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

View all my reviews

Review: The Red Winter

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun fantasy debut from an Aussie author!

Sebastian is our reluctant hero, returning to finish unfinished business from 20 years ago. Back then, he helped to hunt the Beast of Gevaudan as it terrorised the countryside - now it's returned and the son of his estranged lover has come to beg him back to finish the job.

It sounds messy but it's actually a bundle of fun, jumping between the present and the past, alongside snippets of history relevant to the story. Certainly never a dull moment, this one is packed with action, mystery, intrigue and charm. There's an eclectic cast of characters supporting Sebastian, and they add energy to the story with their unique personalities.

The writing is easy to follow, and the pace is fast but not blindingly so. There are quiet moments in which we get to know the characters and learn to love (or loathe) them.

There's also a fantastic story around the beast itself, and the magic of this particular world is brilliant.

An incredibly satisfying fantasy, featuring characters I'd happily read more of. Highly recommend for fans of high fantasy looking for something a little different.

With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC

View all my reviews

Review: The Beast King: Master of Medicines Vol. 1

The Beast King: Master of Medicines Vol. 1 by Tatsukazu Konda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a cute start to the series!

It's been ages since I tried a new manga series and I grabbed this based on cover alone. So happy that it lived up to my expectations.

It's a fairly simple story - a girl is saved by the king of monsterkin and ends up in debt. His demand? She has to help him save the life of monsters.

There are some cute creatures in this first volume, and the budding relationship between Tina and the Beast King is quite sweet. I'm looking forward to seeing more of their teamwork.

I'm actually really keen for Vol 2, this was too cute. Definitely a good filler for people who want more Delicious in Dungeon kinda vibes.

View all my reviews

Review: Without a Trace

Without a Trace by Mari Hannah
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

God, this was awful.

Towards the end of the book (Chapter 88, I think) there's a summary of everything - honestly just read that instead and save yourself the trouble.

Poor writing, zero plot, characters having the same conversations over and over and over again and actually very little happening. Maybe readers who have known this character for the previous six books will appreciate her more but to me she was horrendous - conceited, dramatic and not even good at her job. The constant show of how 'tough' she is was just ridiculous and bogged the story fown endlessly.

Also it spends the first half of the book talking about luggage??

Absolute rubbish from start to finish.

Will happily never read a book from this series again.

This was book 4 from my Advent 2 Challenge

View all my reviews

Review: Counterattacks at Thirty

Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn Won-Pyung
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly? A bit of a nothing book about being nothing and nobody and trying to rebel against a broken system but failing because the system has all the power.

Hmmm ...

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, to be fair. Nothing really happens, but I think that's kind of the point?

The writing is straightforward, and there are a lot of references to Korean culture and the nuances of language. I think Korean readers will enjoy those details a lot, as it will probably resonate a little more.

I don't know that it's strong enough for me to recommend it, but if you're already considering it, I'd give it a go. It has an interesting way of looking at things that seems particularly relevant in the current climate.

This was Book 2 of my Advent 2 Challenge

View all my reviews

Review: The Ex-Wives Club

The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun little audio that I listened to free thanks to Kindle Unlimited.

It's a short crime story built on interviews with suspects in the death of Ian Curley - essentially a rich jerk that has wronged everyone he's ever met.

There were definitely a lot of names in such a short space of time, so the characterisation wasn't great. I did get the ex-wives and daughters etc a little bit confused - not at all helped by the fact that this was something I listened to while working so was not at 100% focus.

Still an easy way to spend the time and I enjoyed the conclusion, even if it seemed to not quite suit the story I listened to.

I think I might have to keep exploring Sally Hepworth's books, they're a lot of fun!

View all my reviews

Review: The Seven Dials Mystery

The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Mia McKenna-Bruce
Presented by Harper Collins UK Audio

This was actually my first ever Agatha Christie novel and, while I enjoyed it, I don't think it was a great one to start with.

Firstly, let me start with the narration, which I particularly enjoyed. She did a great job of bringing the characters to life, went at a cracking place, and somehow injected a lot of life into the story. I really enjoyed it and would happily listen to her narration again.

The story begins with a mystery of alarm clocks, but sadly the clocks are quickly forgotten and overridden by other mysteries. It seemed a bit scattered to me, and it was hard to trace a solid line of clues or happenings. I sometimes wondered how conclusions were drawn, and often found the reasoning a little bit lacking.

Added to that, the cast of characters, while delightfully diverse in attitude, was rather complex to wrap my head around because there were so many nicknames thrown into the mix. Admittedly, I think I'd have fared better with this if I'd been reading, as opposed to listening.

Still, I did really love Bundle as a character, and her balance of practicality, perseverance and still being a lady.

The adventure itself was easy to listen to and follow along, even if I wasn't keeping up with the clues, so I still enjoyed the listen. I'd happily seek out more Agatha Christie books, now that I've had this taste, and I'd still recommend this one to fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

View all my reviews

Review: The Ark

The Ark by Haruo Yuki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy heck this was fantastic! So chilling!

The story follows a group who end up locked inside an abandoned facility, with water slowly rising. The only solution is to have one stay behind to open the last entrance, meaning that person must sacrifice themselves. Then one of them is murdered.

What a great setup! I enjoyed the tension of this, and would happily read a physical copy to help that atmosphere soak in more. There are plenty of characters to suspect, and clues to work through.

There's also some great discourse around the idea of self-sacrifice, and of the ethics of potentially killing a murderer for the good of the rest.

The narrator was clear and read well enough, though I would have liked a little more differentiation between characters, and thoughts vs speaking, as these were sometimes hard to tell apart. The pace was decent though and cadence was easy to listen to.

I'd recommend this for mystery fans, though it does deserve full concentration so if you (like me) prefer audiobooks for the multi-tasking, perhaps get a physical copy of this one.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

View all my reviews

Review: Mad Mabel

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A simply delightful read!

I'm broadening my reading horizons this year but even before that decision the cover of this one attracted me, so when I saw it on NetGalley I had to give it a shot. Great decision!

This tells the tale of Mad Mabel, an 81 year old lady who was once convicted as Australia's youngest serial killer. But what's the true story behind the murders that left Mabel Waller ostracised, isolated and eyed with suspicion?

From the get-go, it's impossible to dislike Elsie/Mabel. She's instantly recognisable as the little old lady with a lot of fight left in her, and the writing does a brilliant job of showing both her hard exterior and soft centre at the same time.

The supporting characters are well illustrated, and the writing keeps the tone light while still lending a gravity to situations when needed.

We get the Then and Now of Elsie's life - in the present day, she narrates her past for a podcast, so we get alternating chapters to fully round out the story. I enjoyed this approach and followed the change easily, getting sucked in to both timelines.

It's quite a wholesome story that will inspire a range of emotions, and I think there is a lot that people will relate to, whether it's the isolation, the strong bonds of friendship or the trials of being a young soul in an aging body.

I loved this one, and highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

View all my reviews

Review: Six Strikes

Six Strikes by Antonia Grave
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Charlie Sanderson
Presented by Harper Collins UK Audio

A fantastic read!

This hooked me immediately - it follows a woman who has made it her mission to rid the world of 'fleas', i.e. sexual predators. From the very opening scenes I was hooked, because how can you not support her mission immediately?? Any woman reading this will understand exactly how our narrator feels, and she's doing what we all wish could be done.

There's dual timelines, though - we begin her story not long after her rescue from the hands of a paedophile, but we get alternating chapters where she relates her history to a 'guest' at the prison where she's now incarcerated.

This was such an addictive story, but the realness to it is what really sucks you in. She makes some pretty important points while she's out there praying on the predators.

I really enjoyed this; it was addictive, interesting, and made some valid points with a side of brutal honesty and sass.

Highly recommend for crime fans.

View all my reviews

Review: End of Story

End of Story by A.J. Finn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting mystery but awful, clunky writing that personifies everything, continuity errors (how did that person ask for a photo if no one has heard from him?) and an ultimately disappointing ending.

The writing was very distracting for most of it - it was a lot of work to understand what the author was trying to say, and I kept thinking more exciting things had happened than actually did. It really reads as the author trying to be clever and write a literary best seller but unfortunately it comes off as pretentious and distracting. Not the right sort of style for this murder mystery, I feel.

Added to the superfluous language, the lack of care with continuity bothered me and made it feel messy. The clues seemed forced on the story and as a result things don't seem to fit right. It draws the mystery out, making it feel a little too long.

Finally, when the conclusion came about, it was too much and felt like a bit of a cop out. I was disappointed and while I think the writer was going for clever, it seemed cheap to me.

Still, complaints aside, there was enough to keep me reading and hold my interest. I was curious about the mystery and spent plenty of time trying to guess what had happened.

So if you're not too fussy, it should entertain, but it's a bit of a messy one to really get behind.

This was Book 1 of my Advent 2 Challenge

View all my reviews

Review: The Atlas Six

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Some interesting ideas, and very intriguing characters, but unfortunately so crammed full of magic-science and theories etc that it was a bit of an effort to wade through a lot of the time.

I enjoyed the start; I enjoyed the end. Most of the stuff in the middle was so academic it bled all the fun from it and left me feeling like a kid in a class that's way too advanced for me. It was also just incredibly dull.

I thought I liked the Dark Academia genre but the more I read, the more I just think, 'who decided combining magic and theoretical physics would be fun??'

Frustratingly, though, the ending intrigued me enough to look into the blurb of book 2. I'm so curious, but I don't want to sit through another 500-odd page class on science I don't understand mostly because it's been invented by someone way smarter than me.

Character thoughts? Nico, yes. Libby, yes, but make her a little less whiny; Tristan ... yes, but please show me more of what he can do. Parisa, oh yes. I like that I don't know if I like or loathe her. Reina, no real opinion because the poor girl barely rated in this book. I like her edginess though. Callum? Hard no.

Who would I recommend this book to? Smart people, and/or dumb people who want to seem smarter than they are by talking about how much they loved this erudite book.

View all my reviews

Review: Watchmen

Watchmen by Alan Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh wow ok yeah this was pretty good!

Alan Moore's writing can come across as quite pretentious but when it all comes together it really blows you away.

This was brilliantly crafted, with some incredible characters and crazy moments. Some not particularly likeable, but intriguing enough to make you want more of them.

Everything revolving around Dr Manhattan was a standout.

Definitely a masterful comic, but particularly notable because it was one of the first to push things this hard. Because of that, it might have newer readers enjoying but not necessarily understanding the fuss.

I think Rorschach's manner of speaking did end up a little too unbearable for me, and the political stuff went a little over my head, which is why it wasn't a perfect read for me. But certainly a great comic well worth reading and worth all the praise it receives.

View all my reviews

Review: There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale

There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale by Sean Astin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oh dear.

I am sorry to say I will actively discourage LOTR fans from buying this book.

Why Sean Astin chose to write a biography that shows him in such a negative light is beyond me. Did he really believe saying 'I regret my attitude/action/behaviour/thoughts' was enough to make people think highly of him after this?

This entire book makes him sound like a petulant child and, yes - sorry Sean - it makes it sound like he is a nightmare to work with.

He complains about nearly every other actor/director/producer etc that he meets, and despite relating events in which Peter Jackson repeatedly demonstrated how much he cared, he talks about how he felt left out, neglected and overlooked. Sorry, WHAT?

He was clearly desperate to be the star in a story that is literally about people working TOGETHER.

There's also so many references to him being a child of Hollywood, of having famous parents and knowing the trade, and it all comes off as so arrogant, and like he is criticising others who weren't as familiar with the industry. There was even a point where he mentioned that Orlando Bloom made some career decisions that he wouldn't have made - boy, I can see how that went really badly for Orlando. *eyeroll*

There were just so many things in this book that left me feeling disillusioned and questioning everything I'd been told about the comradery on the set of these films.

I honestly hope that if he went back and re-read his own words here (written in 2004), that he would be ashamed. That seemed to be his process in the book - do or say something self-centred, obnoxious or mean, then regret and reflect on how he wishes he'd done differently.

This book just made me heartsick.

If you have no feelings (or negative feelings) towards LOTR, and are interested in a little insight into Hollywood, you might appreciate some of the technical stuff here. But if you're a Lord of the Rings fan and want your Samwise Gamgee to stay the wholesome, devoted character we all know and love, I genuinely implore you to avoid this one.

View all my reviews

Review: The Hobbit

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**Re-read Dec 2025**

Still holds up.

This is very much a children's story, full of adventure and peril but ultimately a safe little fantasy story.

Very, very different vibe to the trilogy of films done by Peter Jackson.

It's light and whimsical, and the writing is beautifully simple. The characters are mostly wholesome, and the way the dwarves' feelings towards Bilbo develop into great respect is a wonderful journey.

There are some references to the darker world outside of this story, but it's held at length here so that none of that darkness seeps into this tale. Still, there's very clear sides for good and for evil, with strong themes of power and corruption as expected from a Tolkien story.

The dwarves aren't easily differentiated here (though I'm proud to say I CAN, in fact, remember all their names now) aside from poor fat Bombur, but because of this it emphasises their togetherness. It hammers home that they share everything - goals, dreams, hopes and feelings. Thorin is more humble here than in the films, and its easy to develop affection for him as the leader of the company.

Gandalf is definitely a loose unit, but when has he not been? It's just much clearer here that, while he's involved in the small happenings of this crew, he also has bigger, more important responsibilities that interfere every now and then.

Every read of a Tolkien book will give you more context, and more understanding of the world and its people. I'll never tire of reading his works.

Highly recommend. Obviously!


**Original Review, 2013**
I re-read this back in 2012 to coincide with the release of the films and I loved it just as much.

It's a wonderful, light story with some great characters. The hobbits are such unique little creatures, and the contrast between Bilbo and the dwarves makes for a lot of fun.

Gandalf is a bit of a question mark in this one, displaying highly irresponsible behaviours, but hey, that's what wizards are famous for, right? Also, he wanders off a bit. But the dwarves! I'll never remember their names, but if you're familiar with the films it'll help put some faces to names.

I read this after the LOTR trilogy, so it's quite interesting to see how this light adventure story gave birth to the action-packed darkness of the following three books. This book still has a little darkness, but it's more about finding your sense of adventure, and getting out of your comfort zone and enjoying life.

I'm sure this book doesn't need my recommendation this late in the game, but it has it all the same. Just don't ask me whether I prefer the book or the film(s) because I have no idea how to answer that loaded question.

View all my reviews

Review: 2025 on Goodreads

2025 on Goodreads by Various
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

GR Reading Challenge: 142/120
Pages read: 43, 862

Breakdown of what I read:
Novels: 87
Graphic Novels: 39
Short Stories/Novellas: 6
Manga: 4
DNFs: 6

Formats I read:
Physical: 82
Digital: 29
Audio: 31

TOP 5 READS OF 2025:
You Are Not Your Limits by Javeno McLean (non-fiction, motivation)
The Core by Peter V. Brett (dark fantasy/horror)
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (graphic novel, biography)
The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah (Arabian fantasy)
The Autumnal by Daniel Kraus (graphic novel, horror)



Breakdown of ratings:
5 star: 5
4 star: 60
3 star: 53
2 star: 18
1 star: 6

Thoughts on my ratings:
I found this year I was really stingy with the 5 stars - I read a lot of really good books, but most just didn't make it into that, 'will be thinking about and wanting to re-read' category. Both The Core and The Ashfire King were expected 5 star reads, as I've read and loved previous books in both series. I expected Javeno's book to be a good read as I love watching his videos on Instagram, but I didn't expect it to blow me away as much as it did. On the other hand, I expected Maus to be good as I've heard so much about it. The Autumnal was recommended as a great horror graphic novel and it was, but being months since I've read it, I'm surprised it got 5 stars from me as I've forgotten it a bit. There are other graphic novels I've read that have stuck with me more.

There are also quite a few graphic novels not on my 'read' list at all, as I read the series in singles which I no longer record on GR (waaaay too much work) and I keep forgetting to rate the volumes as they come out. In this regard, Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon was a standout, 5 star read for me that I'll hopefully get around to adding and reviewing next year.

On the other hand, I was quite generous with my lower ratings this year. I had 6 DNFs yet only three were given 1 star. The other three I rated based on the potential of the story, rather than my bored-ness of it. I can recognise that, while something may not be interesting enough for me to continue with, there is a potential that others with more patience may really enjoy these books. This was kind of a theme for me this year, and I feel in general that I was a bit more generous. I'm trying to think more about how others might feel about a book before tearing it to shreds with my own thoughts and feelings. That said ...

Worst books of 2025 (excluding DNFs):
Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer
Colliders by Steve Foley
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Original Motion Picture Special Edition: 35th Anniversary by Peter Laird
Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto



Let's just say I will be very glad when the romantasy trend dies down.

General Thoughts
2025 was a bit of a soft year for me. Not a lot of books really stood out, but I also read a lot more graphic novels and comics this year so it was an interesting mix. I don't think I read as much fantasy this year as I normally do, and I really find myself craving good books in the genre at the moment.

I was heavily let down by the surge of romantasy books, as I don't like explicit sex scenes in my fantasy, and so many new fantasy books coming out seem to be written purely so that they can include graphic sex scenes. Thanks to this, though, it did see me return to crime and thrillers. I am still really enjoying Japanese detective novels, and have found a few more books/series in the genre that I want to read in 2026.

I also tried to branch out a little bit in my reading. I read books that have been sitting on my shelf for a while (The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough was an unexpected delight) and at the start of December I bought a mystery box of fiction titles and tried to read as many as possible before Christmas (I read 6 in three weeks among other reads- not bad!). The box includes a variety of genres so I'm looking forward to attempting the rest throughout 2026.

I played a lot more video games this year (welcome to my life, Stardew Valley) and listened to more podcasts instead of audio, so my reading did take a hit there. Still, I would find myself craving reading if I did too much non-reading, so that was an enjoyable experience. I felt a little bit of a slump just due to the lack of 5-star reads and good fantasy, but it did mean I turned more to graphic novels where I found some real gems.

2025 was an average reading year, but it's given me the motivation to branch out a bit more and maybe work more challenges in so I can broaden my reading even more. I enjoyed using NetGalley to find new books, but also read a few more on Kindle this year, where 'shopping' for books on Kindle Unlimited added a new element of fun.

I would have liked to finish the year on a round 150 reads, but that gives me a fresh goal for next year.

Away we go!

View all my reviews

Review: The Cheerleader

The Cheerleader by Marina Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Rebecca LaChance
Presented by Dreamscape Media

This one hooked me pretty well!

It's a fun little Southern mystery about a dead cheerleader and who had reason to kill her. Cue drama.

There was plenty going on behind the scenes, so we get the slow unravel, courtesy of her former best friend and a nosy journalist who team up to get to the bottom of things.

There is some interesting insight into the world of professional sport/cheerleading, but ultimately this is all about the drama. We get pages from Jentry Rae's diary leaking some clues, but we also get unreliable details from ex-bestie Shaunette, who sometimes seems to clear things up but at other times muddies the water.

This was a great mystery, and an easy listen. The narrator does a decent job telling the story, though at times the voices do sound a little too similar and it can be hard to differentiate between who said what. But her voice was lively enough and conveyed the story in an interesting manner.

I'd happily recommend this to crime fans who like a side of drama, and the audio is an easy listen.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

View all my reviews