Meme by quillpunk at booknook (just updated for 2025-2026)

In 2025:
I Read: how many books in 2025?

44 books (0 DNF technically) and started 8 books that I have not yet finished (only one is tempting me to DNF it though... looking at you MEG - maybe watching the movie again might help? Or that might make it worse. The book is so dry...) There were a few Kindle buys (that I bought forever ago) that I started on my Christmas vacation that I'm not really impressed by either so I may or may not end up DNFing them...

My Reading Goal: did you have a goal, and how do you feel about it?

End goal is technically 100 (every year) so I didn't quite make it, but I always start at 25 & if I pass that, go up by 25 every time for the Goodreads Goal (thanks to suggestion by my best friend). So I didn't quite make it to 50 but I'll take it.

I Challenged Myself: did you do any reading challenges? how did you do? did you like it?

I didn't end up trying to really challenge myself - I kinda forgot about the reading challenges. I did try thestoryinside but I got stuck on Meg by Steve Alten book. This year I think I got distracted by a new (to me) podcast so for a few months at work I listened to that more often.

A New Genre I Attempted: did you try a new genre, and if so, how did you feel about it?

Like when I read fanfiction, I usually stick to the Romance genre - mostly because it holds my attention - besides of course the superheroes genre (Marvel/DC especially). In 2025 I did start reading a new BOOK genre for me horror/thriller with Meg by Steve Alten... mostly because I really liked the movie and it was picked out for me by a bookclub. I am not really enjoying it though, it's a little too dry for me and it can't hold my attention (I haven't even gotten to point where they actually dive yet although he just arrived at the location). I'm going to try again maybe after watching the movie, maybe that might help? I think I'm more into movie/show horror genre than the book version I guess.

An Author New-to-me in 2025 I Really Enjoyed:

C.M. Stunich, Sal Thomas, Debbie Johnson, Jessica Gadziala, Debbie Johnson, Caroline Linden

My Favorite Book of the Year:

Probably be a tie between:
- The Long Game by Rachel Reid (but you have to at least read Heated Rivalry first if you skip all the other books in the Game Changers series) - I cannot wait for the show to do it, and I hope they keep going with the faithful adaptation style like they did for Season 1.
- Blizzards & Bastards by C.M. Stunich - I know it's probably trash but it's cheesy & highly unrealistic but if you love puns with Christmas and Why Choose Romance, I definitely recommend it, but it's definitely not for everyone. I did do the audiobook and I liked everyone's voices - it was even duet style which is my favorite type of audiobook. (I may or may not have listened to it back-to-back...) I will admit the only thing that book needed was more MM interaction, I think the book hints that guys like each other like that, but it's not exactly shown at all in the book. Would I read a sequel if there ever was one? Yeah probably.

Books I Read in 2025 That I Recommend:

- The Game Changers Series by Rachel Reid plus her other non-connected Hockey Romance book The Shots You Take.
- Blizzards & Bastards by C.M. Stunich - It also mentions Lovelight Farms by BK Borison which I also read this year oddly enough, but I actually liked one of its sequels more:
- Business Casual by BK Borison
- Debbie Johnson books: A Very Irish Christmas (it does sorta have a love triangle though fair warning - I think that part was unnecessary, but she does end up with the guy I liked so I'm pleased about that), Jenny James Is Not A Disaster, Statistically Speaking
- Zomromcom by Olivia Dade
- The Accidental Housemate by Sal Thomas
- Fake It Like You Mean It by Megan Murphy
- My Big Fat Vampire Wedding by Jessica Gadziala
- Haley and the Yeti by Laura Langa

In 2026:
My Reading Goal: do you have a goal, and how do you feel about it?

Like every year I'm going to start with 25 and hope to get 100. I mostly want to tackle my in-house TBR pile & maybe do some fun reading challenges.

I'm Going to Challenge Myself: do you plan on doing any reading challenges?

Not sure... there's a new Book Bingo.

My TBR List: do you have one for 2026? how long is it? any plans?

1162 according to Goodreads.... lol. But I'm going to try to tackle the ones I actually have in my house first or in my audiobook libraries of libro.fm & Audible. And try to stick to only buying sequels or from authors I know I loved before in I buy any physical books and only buy audiobooks on sale from those apps. I need to stop spending money.

Books I'm Especially Interested in Reading in 2026:

Tackling my Marvel & DC books I haven't read already would definitely be amazing. But I'd say tackling at least at least 5-10% of my TBR (that I already own) pile would be amazing.

A Book Coming Out in 2026 That I'm Excited About:

- Father Material by Alexis Hall - June 2, 2026

Not sure of any others right now.

Other Book-Related News for 2026 I'm Interested In:

Not that I know about?


There is a new book club community bookclub_dw and for those that don't know about it there is thestoryinside which is buddy-system type bookclub.