2025: Year in Books

Happy New Year! I've been thinking about my 2025 reading habits as I try to do a version of this reflection post every year. But this year, I wanted to go beyond focusing on how many books I read or whether I met my Goodreads reading challenge goal (I didn’t). Instead, I want to think more intentionally about what my reading looked like. This is all so that reading doesn't become a numbers-driven habit that I only continue to do so I reach X number of books. 

Here’s a look at the books that shaped my reading in 2025. My Goodreads reading challenge results will still be included at the end for anyone curious!

A Book That Fell Short of Its Potential

Another book I read for my English class, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, offered a compelling look into 1600s Salem during the Witch Trials, but I found myself more engaged by its ideas than by the writing itself. The book was published in 1953, but the way it was written—long, winding sentences; abrupt breaks in the plot for the narrator’s commentary that felt unnecessary—made it seem far older than it was. It is written as a play, so the structure is more unfamiliar to me. So, I would only recommend reading The Crucible alongside the 1996 movie adaptation, which clarifies the historical context and immerses the viewer more than the book can.

An Underrated Book

I found The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls underrated, and for me, it's because the book rarely given the same level of recognition as memoirs with similar stories of moving beyond hardships. The Glass Castle is frequently sidelined by books like Tara Westover’s Educated, yet I saw the two as sister novels, as if their stories were moving in parallel. What stayed with me the most was Walls’ reflection on drive and grit, and the way she exemplified how to break away from circumstances that feel limiting.

An Unpopular Reading Take

A book doesn’t have to be enjoyable at all times to be good or transformative. For me, the impact is often stronger and more lasting when a book is difficult to get through, yet you keep going—it shows you’re reading for the ideas and underlying meaning rather than just the plot. I saw this happening to me in my book club book for my English class: The Handmaid’s Tale. It was a drag to get through at times, but it made me think so deeply about the society Offred lived in, and made me question where I saw a semblance of it in my own world.

A Genre I Finally Understood This Year

2025 was the year I finally began to dive into literary fiction, a genre I hadn’t been keenly aware of before. These books, true to the genre’s aim and essence, pushed me to think more critically about society and its fractures. Rather than prioritizing plot or drama for engagement, the books lingered on injustices I hadn’t considered yet, making me even more excited to continue exploring the genre (I already have a couple of books lined up!)

Examples: Honor by Thrity Umrigar; The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood