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!

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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

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