The end of 2025 is nearly here. I can hardly believe it. For this December Book of the Month, I have decided to continue my tradition of covering my yearly wrap – up.

How it will work:

Part one: My top five books of 2025 

• I will give a summary of my top five books of the year and also offer my reasoning for why I suggest them.

Part two: Reading statistics

• A look back at everything I read in 2025, as well as a breakdown of genres, page counts, ratings and more.

Part three: 2026 Reading goals

• My ‘New Year’s resolution’ portion, where I discuss all my reading goals for the upcoming year.

Part One: My top five books of 2025 

1. “Releasing 10” by Chloe Walsh
   – An emotional romance series set in early 2000s’ Ireland following a group of 10 teenagers navigating the hardships of life. “Releasing 10” is the sixth book in the Boys of Tommen series.
2. “Madison Mission” by Susan G. Mathis 

• A light hearted romance set in the 1000 Islands region in upstate New York. Set in the early 1900s’, the story follows the lady maid to the Boldt family and the lead contractor of Boldt Castle. It is a stand alone novel.

3. “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

• A historical fiction novel set during the 1980s’ as two women fight for their place amidst their male counterparts in NASA training. They are also battling feelings for each other in a time and place where it is forbidden.

4. “Great Big Beautiful Life” by Emily Henry 

• A quintessential Emily Henry novel, “Great Big Beautiful Life” follows two writers as they are both tasked with competing in writing the biography of socialite heiress, Margret Ives. Along the way, they do more than just compete – they fall in love.

5. “The Favorites” by Layne Fargo

• Figuring skating meets “Wuthering Heights” in this emotional and captivating literary fiction novel. Following Catarina and Heath over the course of decades, readers follow the young friends as they fall in love, break each other’s hearts and destroy each other, all in the name of love.

Part two: Reading Statistics 

In 2025, at the time of writing this, I have read 175 books. Of those books, the break down of my top genres are as follows:

1. Romance (92)
2. Thrillers (35)
3. Young Adult (25)
4. Fantasy (20)
5. Historical Fiction (15)

Part Three: 2026 reading goals 

• Every year I make goals for myself, but I have a tendency to not complete them all. For 2026, I am adamant about completing all of my goals that I set for myself.

Goal #1: Read 50 books

• Taking into account my schedule for next year, as well as looking at my past few months since school started again, I think it is a safe bet to try to read 50 books in 2026. I read consistently, but I also have to be honest with myself in what a realistic goal would be.

Goal #2: Read six classics

• I am currently in AP Lit, and we are always reading something of literary merit. Over the course of the class, I have remembered my love of classics and wish to push myself to read more of them in 2026. So, excluding any that I read for class, I want to read six classic novels over the course of the year.

Goal #3: Read with critical thinking in mind

• I love a good romance or fantasy novel, but I really want to take the time to push myself to further my understanding of novels and text and to think more critically. In doing so, I want to read some more literary fiction, as well as nonfiction and novels outside of my comfort zone.