Letās seeā my top books of 2025 in no particular order areā¦
The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien (I read it for my first time this year, then reread it)
Diary of a Country Priest by George Bernanos (really, so, so good)
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry/ To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (two really enlightening pieces of literature about prejudice and the Black experience)
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Iāve likely left out some that I loved, so if I think of more Iāll add another comment!
And my resolution for 2026 would be to try and follow the Goldberry Books reading challenge! So far they only have the 2025 one up, but hopefully soon Iāll find the 2026 one here- https://www.goldberrybooks.com/reading-challenge
Memorable moments include visiting the Louvre museum in Paris for the first time . . . and my resolution for 2026? Read Le Comte de Monte Cristo. The whole thing.
Yes, I love artā classical and contemporary! :) I thought A Tale of Two Cities was great, though Dickensā narration style sometimes got on my nerves a littleā¦ and the ending was wonderful.
The ending was certainly beautiful. I think it's my favorite Dickens so far; his writing style seems to be more polished in A Tale of Two Cities than any of his other novels.
My top books of 2025 -- not counting rereads -- are probably Persuasion by Jane Austen (Anne Elliot is the best), A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (I have not been held in such suspense over a book for so long), Pilgrim's Inn by Elizabeth Goudge (her reflections and character dynamics are stunning), and On Fairy-Stories by J.R.R. Tolkien, (because wow. And yes. And obviously.)
A great moment in 2025 -- and this includes reading, I guess -- was beginning to read and edit Fiona Altschuler's magnificent book The Great Divide! Her characters are superb, her writing is lovely, and her dialogue is like nothing you've ever read. It's a bridge fine and strong and beautiful, my friends! I am basking in the bits of fairyland I've smuggles back across.
A goal for 2026 is to finish editing the first book in my series, to finish drafting the second, and to begin work on the third. And to read more books than I did last year... we'll see how it goes! Writing and reading goals are my favorite :)
Thanks for the detailed reply! I love hearing about othersā best books of the year :)
Persuasion is so good, and Anne Elliott is really the best! I also read A Tale of Two Cities this year, but it didnāt get into my top fewā¦ I did enjoy it though, and especially the ending!
Reading and writing goals are truly great. Hope you have a great year!
Top books of 2025. . . That's really hard, I read some great books this year!
Some highlights though would probably be. . . The Otherwhere Post, the Grishaverse books, Mistborn, Glass Across the Sea, Lianna and the Hombit, and The Night Circus. Also the Silmarillion but my library hold expired and so I was unable to finish it, so I'm not sure that strictly counts, š
I would like to try to spend less time on a screen in 2026, (and somehow still do the same amount of typing. . . We'll see how that goes. . .) I would like to actually start my own substack too, š
I feel like 2025 was a really good year for me, as I sent query letters for the first time and started my blog and got some short stories published.
I hope this coming year is wonderful and productive and magical for you! I have really been loving all your posts. š Happy New Year!!!! šš¶āØ
Letās seeā my top books of 2025 in no particular order areā¦
The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien (I read it for my first time this year, then reread it)
Diary of a Country Priest by George Bernanos (really, so, so good)
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry/ To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (two really enlightening pieces of literature about prejudice and the Black experience)
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Iāve likely left out some that I loved, so if I think of more Iāll add another comment!
And my resolution for 2026 would be to try and follow the Goldberry Books reading challenge! So far they only have the 2025 one up, but hopefully soon Iāll find the 2026 one here- https://www.goldberrybooks.com/reading-challenge
Lovely books! What was one of your favorite things about The Lord of the Rings?
What a fun reading challenge -- that looks so cool! I like the broader variety of books it includes.
Thanks so much for the comment! ā¤ļø My favourite thing about The Lord of the Ringsā¦ well, I canāt just name ONE š
The charactersā really, so great.
The plot is magnificent and the world-building is really something else. It was such a delightful read.
I can't name just one either :) Yessss there is nothing like those characters and that beautiful world!
My top five books of 2025 would be:
Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Last Samurai, by Helen Dewitt
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
Memorable moments include visiting the Louvre museum in Paris for the first time . . . and my resolution for 2026? Read Le Comte de Monte Cristo. The whole thing.
The Lourve museum sounds so cool! And I also read A Tale of Two Cities this yearā¦
It really was! Do you like classical art?
What did you think of the book?
Yes, I love artā classical and contemporary! :) I thought A Tale of Two Cities was great, though Dickensā narration style sometimes got on my nerves a littleā¦ and the ending was wonderful.
Nice!
The ending was certainly beautiful. I think it's my favorite Dickens so far; his writing style seems to be more polished in A Tale of Two Cities than any of his other novels.
Beautiful idea! Sorry I'm late on this.
My top books of 2025 -- not counting rereads -- are probably Persuasion by Jane Austen (Anne Elliot is the best), A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (I have not been held in such suspense over a book for so long), Pilgrim's Inn by Elizabeth Goudge (her reflections and character dynamics are stunning), and On Fairy-Stories by J.R.R. Tolkien, (because wow. And yes. And obviously.)
A great moment in 2025 -- and this includes reading, I guess -- was beginning to read and edit Fiona Altschuler's magnificent book The Great Divide! Her characters are superb, her writing is lovely, and her dialogue is like nothing you've ever read. It's a bridge fine and strong and beautiful, my friends! I am basking in the bits of fairyland I've smuggles back across.
A goal for 2026 is to finish editing the first book in my series, to finish drafting the second, and to begin work on the third. And to read more books than I did last year... we'll see how it goes! Writing and reading goals are my favorite :)
Thanks for the detailed reply! I love hearing about othersā best books of the year :)
Persuasion is so good, and Anne Elliott is really the best! I also read A Tale of Two Cities this year, but it didnāt get into my top fewā¦ I did enjoy it though, and especially the ending!
Reading and writing goals are truly great. Hope you have a great year!
Top books of 2025. . . That's really hard, I read some great books this year!
Some highlights though would probably be. . . The Otherwhere Post, the Grishaverse books, Mistborn, Glass Across the Sea, Lianna and the Hombit, and The Night Circus. Also the Silmarillion but my library hold expired and so I was unable to finish it, so I'm not sure that strictly counts, š
I would like to try to spend less time on a screen in 2026, (and somehow still do the same amount of typing. . . We'll see how that goes. . .) I would like to actually start my own substack too, š
I feel like 2025 was a really good year for me, as I sent query letters for the first time and started my blog and got some short stories published.
I hope this coming year is wonderful and productive and magical for you! I have really been loving all your posts. š Happy New Year!!!! šš¶āØ
Thanks so much for sharing! I would love to see your Substack if you start it :)
And happy New Year everyone! š