As the year winds down, I pause and look back at the stories that kept me company. Reading has always been my favourite way to unwind and escape. It is a quiet pocket of calm in otherwise busy days, and this year, books played that role more than ever.
I began January with a modest goal of 60 books, only to raise it to 75 midway through the year once the momentum kicked in. Not every pick was a win though; there were a few disappointments and some DNFs, largely because I spent too much time chasing curated lists instead of my own reading instincts.
While most of my reading usually happens on a Kindle or via Audible, this year saw a surprising return to physical books. The real highlight, however, was joining a book club that perfectly matched my vibe. I finally found my tribe and a space where conversations about books feel just as rewarding as reading them.
I love fantasy books. Sci-Fi is usually beyond my understanding and too dry for my liking but, this year, a sci-fi book was the only one I enjoyed in this category. Project Hail Mary was not only entertaining but also made me think of how we think a hero should be. RF Kuang was a good read, and Wicked was way too long but interesting in parts, but all others were big disappointments. Would you review any of them differently?
Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
This is NOT a book for younger audiences as it is filled with sexual innuendos and references. This layered novel looks at the Wicked Witch we thought we knew, turning her from a one-dimensional villain into a deeply complex, misunderstood antihero named Elphaba. Through her story, we learn about other characters and the political situation in the land where the Wizard of Oz has declared himself the emperor.
Against this backdrop, we learn Elphaba’s story, from her tumultuous childhood to her time at Shiz University, and ultimately her transformation into the infamous Wicked Witch of the West.
Read my full review here: Wicked Review
Chosen by K.F. Breene
It is a romantasy book that has a decent storyline. Shanti is on the run and lands in a village that is under constant threat. She has to learn a new way of life while she heals and the village chief sure looks good.
It is a blend of action, humour, and superpowers with just a hint of lust in the first book. I did not find the storyline interesting enough to continue.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Babel would be classified as historical fantasy fiction as it has a good blend of all these genres. The narrative is set in an alternate 1830s Oxford, where translation and silver-working magic fuel the British Empire’s dominance.
The story follows Robin Swift, a Chinese orphan brought to England to study at Oxford’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation (Babel). He meets others like him who Englishmen have fostered for this purpose—Ramy and Victoire among his best friends (along with a local, Letty). As he delves deeper into the world of languages and colonial exploitation, he confronts the brutal realities of the Empire and the moral compromises of academia.
The heavy focus on translation theory and political discourse slows the pace quite a bit at times, but the history is interesting, and a lot of it was new information for me. The characters, concept, and storyline are fascinating and real enough to believe that they actually exist.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
The end of the world is swifter and different from what anyone imagined. Everyone indoors has been eliminated, and Carl is alive only because his girlfriend’s cat jumped out the window, and he followed. Now, both of them are part of an alien reality game show in which they must survive alongside other participants.
It has a dose of humour, and fans of video games might find it more interesting. I couldn’t finish it because it felt repetitive, and Book 1 just covers two levels of the game!
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book, and I don’t know how to describe it. The writing was interesting, as were the story and characters.
The chapters introduce 6 stories before abruptly cutting off and moving to the next, in a different time and place, as if we’re climbing stairs. Then we descend the steps, revisiting these stories and seeing how they connect with a single thread.
There’s no profound revelation or ending as such. I feel the whole point of the book is how it is written. Each character’s story is presented in a unique style, referring to the writing styles of other authors (this I found after reading more about the book).
It was a good read, but I needed context to appreciate it. The chapter on Sloosha’s Crossing was very difficult to read. A few pages in that language would have been tolerable, but around 100 pages trying to figure out what is being said was too much.
Read it for the experience.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The origin story of so many horror and romance stories that have stemmed from it! This book doesn’t give us an insight into the main character. Instead, we follow the characters whose lives have been affected in some way by Count Dracula.
There were no emotional or philosophical discussions in the book, unlike those in Frankenstein. This story focuses more on the lurking fear of something that lives on the edges of society and transforms people into the undead. The book is about a doctor and others who try to save their loved ones from falling prey, and the measures they have to take to ensure that no one else suffers a similar fate.
A good read if you have the time, but it didn’t induce any urgency of fear or excitement.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I usually avoid sci-fi as I don’t understand it and the technicalities make the reading very dry. But, this book was a fun read. I had seen the trailer for the soon to be released movie and it intrigued me enough to give it a go.
I tried the Audible version narrated by Ray Porter and I found it hilarious – the writing and the narration. There were many science details I couldn’t fully comprehend but I didn’t feel as if it took away from the story.
Ryland Grace finds himself on a spaceship with a mission to save the world from alien microbes killing the sun. Rocky enters his life and they must figure it out before it is too late. Their banter and synergy makes this an entertaining read. The science part is interesting too, from whatever I could understand of it.
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L.Wang
This book was so highly rated and I could see the promise it held. I liked the concept and the storyline, but I felt there were too many dialogues and descriptions that made this unnecessarily long. I could speed read multiple pages without missing much.
The Matsuda family seems like most noble born where the man is a stoic head, the woman is confined to the house, and the son does everything to win his father’s approval. We follow Mamoru as he trains to uphold his family’s legacy as protector of the borders, But, a new student’s questions makes him doubt his loyalties. When the village is attacked, everyone’s sense of loyalty and duty is tested.
It was weird to hear Robin speaking in Hindi with his son in a fantasy world. The politics of the world could have been better explored where people don’t just accept it but revolt.
The end doesn’t tie up everything in a nice bow, probably because it was initially supposed to be a series, but the author decided to make it a standalone.
Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
The book is part of the witches series of Discworld. I confess this took a while to finish because it didn’t hold my attention enough. Tiffany has caught the attention of the Wintersmith and he’s hell bent on becoming human enough to be close to her. But, that means severe winter forever. Tiffany, with the help of her witch mentors, must find a way to stop this nonsense and bring summer back (although it is flattering to see snowflakes and glaciers in your likeness).
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Katabasis is a mix of academic life, relationships, philosophy, and an intro to the concept of hell! It looks and feels like a heavy book (literally and figuratively) but it is just right.
The story starts with post-grad Alice Law who is about to enter Hell to retrieve her advisor, Prof. Grimes so that he could pass her in the finals increasing her chances for a good job. Peter Murdoch, her nemesis, catches her in time and joins her on her quest. They must look past their differences to traverse this landscape if they are to make it out alive. In between their journey, we are given the backstory of how they got here.
Through their time in Hell, they also come across various interesting characters and we are given some seeds for thought on life and its purpose as Alice strives to come out of Hell alive.
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
This loveable character we’ve seen on screen was why many people would want to read the book. But beware, the book dates back a hundred years when racism was acceptable and words like darkies and the N word were commonly used. The version I read to my kid didn’t censor these words. I chose to skip over these words as I didn’t think he’s at an age to understand the context, but if they’re reading on their own, you might want to have a discussion.
Other than that, it’s a fun story about how a man learned to talk to animals and help them.
Also check out my other lists for 2025:
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Love, Life, & Beyond 
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