I read fewer books this year than I have probably since I started blogging ten years ago, so there’s actually not ten books here. That felt like too many, and there were only six books that I rated 4.5 or 5 stars. Two of which are a duology and three of which were rereads (though I do still count rereads because if a book was that great more than once, it deserves recognition more than once). I know the title says ten, but it’s just too much to change titles for recurring posts. It’s easier for me and better for everyone because I’m less likely to mess up URLs when linking. Just trust me 😅

Anyway, there were a lot of numbers in that paragraph for a book blog, so let me just show you the actual books now!

Honorable Mentions

I actually did want to start with a few honorable mentions. These were close to getting a higher rating and do stand out in my mind. The Sun Blessed Prince had fantastic writing and characters, Go Luck Yourself was a great enemies-to-lovers romance, and Love at Second Sight had such a delightful friend group.

[ The Sun Blessed Prince Review // Go Luck Yourself Review // Love at Second Sight Review ]

How to Howl at the Moon by Eli Easton [Audiobook]

A man moves into a town where, unbeknownst to him, the residents are dogs who have become human, and draws the attention of the sheriff. This one was a reread. And listen, I know this has its problematic elements (some of which are addressed), but ultimately it’s fiction and the romance and story are just so cute. I also really love the audiobook narration.

[ My Review ]

Fire Spells Between Friends by Sarah Wallace & S.O. Callahan [Audiobook]

A fae and a human in an alternate historical time who are already friends with benefits and slowly realize the depth of their feelings. Just such a cozy, lovely book with lovable characters. It is the second in a series, but it’s about different main characters.

[ My Review ]

Lovesick Gods // Lovesick Titans by Amanda Meuwissen

A superhero and supervillain romance that starts as an enemies-with-benefits / revenge plan but turns into real feelings. This was the other reread, it’s a duology. I just LOVE the relationship and dynamic between these two. The chemistry. The way they take solace in each other. The ANGST. It’s so good. The series also tackles mental health and grief and can get heavy/emotional at times but is overall heartwarming.

[ My Review ]

Thirsty by Lucy Lehane [Audiobook]

A human and a vampire make a deal for the human to learn more about supernaturals, though both start out with ulterior motives and develop real feelings. It was great, the characters were fun and interesting and I felt for them, the story was fun, and the romance was nice.

[ My Review ]

Seven Wonders by Jay S. Wright & EM Jeanmougin

The seventh in one of my favorite series, so no surprise it’s on this list. A whole bunch of supernaturals, including a ridiculous and weirdly lovable spider shifter, this time working together (kind of) to stop a curse. I love these characters so much and loved what a mess they were and how half of them just could not get along 😄

[ Review Coming Soon ]

Favorite Game:
Baldur’s Gate 3 & Palia

Is it cheating if I say Baldur’s Gate 3 again? That’s the truest answer. There was one other game that really grabbed me this year though, and that was Palia. A completely different kind of game, basically an MMO farming sim, but I’ve really been enjoying it! It’s free, it’s chill, it’s pretty, the NPCs are wonderful, and it turns out I enjoy the social aspect of having other real people around, working together, etc. Here’s my referral link if anyone wants to try it (I get a few little in-game items).

Favorite Movie:
The Wild Robot

This was amazing! The visuals were so cute and beautiful. The story was beautiful. It made me cry! Multiple times! I only watched this because it was available, and then I ended up loving it.

[ Amazon ]

Favorite Podcast:
Burnt Cookbook Party & Midnight Burger

I started both of these this year, they’re still ongoing (one of them I’m not even caught up on yet), both of them took a few episodes for me to get into, but I love them both now! BCB is a really fun DnD podcast with lovable characters, well-thought out story/lore, and players who often make things chaotic in a great way. MB is a sci-fi narrative podcast about a spacetime-traveling diner and the characters who live in it, with adventure and friendship and danger and complex relationships.

Check out my other end of the year posts!

Cover Love: Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2025
Bookish Musings: Top Ten Characters from Books I Read and Games I Played in 2025
Bookish Musings: Top Five Books/Series I Read in 2025 + Some Non-Bookish Things