With 2026 staring me right in the face, I dusted off my laptop and got to work on my Reading Wrapped that nobody asked for. While I don't set New Year's Resolutions anymore, I do like to set reading goals and reflect on those goals at the end of each year. Spoiler Alert: This year I did not reach my reading goal.
In 2025, I set a goal of 52 books--one for each week of the year. This goal was completely doable and has been achieved in previous years with ease. The problem? This was truly my year of the reading slump.
I can name a couple of reasons for this: 1. A rough start to this school year that lasted until the end of October made me less interested in reading and more interested in coming home to disassociate rather than engage my brain with more words. 2. Quite a few books this year were a SLOG to get through (I'm looking at you The Heartbreak Hotel and Great Big Beautiful Life). 3. My favorite author put out a book that I genuinely did not enjoy, took me 2 months to read, and generally bummed me out (again, looking at you Great Big Beautiful Life).
Regardless, I still managed to read 48 books, which I'm counting as a win. So, as always, I'm documenting my 5-star reads for the year. If you've read this far and you're looking for new reads in the new year, maybe something on this list will catch your attention.
But first--the Honorable Mention.
Honorable Mention: Animal Farm by George Orwell (dystopian fiction)
I participate in Ohio State Alumni's Reading Challenge twice per year. One of the prompts from the last challenge was to read a 'Classic.' I won't lie to you... the book being only 140 pages was a huge draw in selecting this particular classic. Plus, I hadn't read the book since high school, so I figured, what the heck? Maybe it's cliche to say at this point, but this book is genuinely still as relevant today as it was when it was published in 1945. If you've never had to read this in English class, it's worth it to give it a shot. It's a little scary (or a lot scary) how much like these characters our society is today. Yikes!
Now for my 5-star reads of the year...
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (dystopian fiction)
Synopsis: This story follows Haymitch Abernathy through the 50th Hunger Games, when twice the number of children were reaped. It follows the story of President Snow in The Battle of Snakes and Songbirds and precedes The Hunger Games trilogy.
Suzanne Collins clearly made a deal with some witches because how she can continue to crank out these incredible books almost 20 years after her meteoric rise to fame is truly inconceivable to me. And this book? Well, it just might be one of my favorites in the entire saga. No Hunger Games book has made me cry like this book has. I don't know how Collins made Haymitch's story even more heartbreaking than the already gruesome and depressing stories of the other Hunger Games characters, but she did. I'm already looking forward to the movie coming out in November and will probably give this book another read before seeing it.
Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (romance)
Synopsis: After one incredible date, Samantha realizes her life is too much of a mess to pursue a relationship. So, she tells her perfect match, Xavier, to forget her and move on, but both Samantha and Xavier find this task difficult.
Remember how I said my favorite author really let me down this year (cough, cough Emily Henry's Great Big Beautiful Life)? Well, my other favorite author did not. Jimenez continues to write great romances, and this novel was no exception. This book is full of heart, and I loved every second of reading it.
One Golden Summer by Carly Fortune (romance)
Synopsis: Years after spending the summer at the lake and snapping a picture of a local boat, Alice returns to the lake with her Nan and runs into the owner of that very same boat, Charlie Florek.
Carly Fortune books are very hit or miss for him. She consistently writes a fun romance novel, but they don't always land. This one did. What can I say? I love a summer read and a long drawn-out romance.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center (romance)
Synopsis: Emma is a screenwriter who lands her dream job writing with her idol, Charlie Yates. She's tasked with writing a rom-com. The problem? Charlie doesn't believe in love.
Katherine Center has become a recent favorite for me. She writes romance in such a fun way. The premises are usually a little zany, but there's still heart and realism at the center (no pun intended) of it all.
If You Tell by Gregg Olsen (true-crime)
Synopsis: Three sisters share childhood trauma stemming from the abuse they endured growing up. When their childhood secrets threaten to come out, they must explore together how to deal with what they desperately want to leave in the past.
Make no mistake; this was a tough read. Based on a true story, this novel explores the trauma that three sisters endured at the hands of their mother. If you like true crime, this just might be the book for you.
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (thriller)
Synopsis: When Grady's wife, Abby, disappears, he is led to a deserted island in Scotland. Once there, he finds a woman who looks exactly like Abby, and Grady must figure out what truth is out there.
Feeney is another author that is hit or miss for me. Some of her books are better than others, but this one was a success for me. Any book that keeps me guessing until the last second would be hard pressed to not earn a 5-star rating from me. If you're into thrillers, this is a good one.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (contemporary fiction)
Synopsis: Years after a week-long love affair, Eva and Shane reconnect at an author's event. While the love they have for each other still strong, there are also many unanswered questions that persist after years apart.
You ever just read a good contemporary novel, finish the last page, close the book, and say, "Wow"? That was this book for me. This novel is a fresh story with a unique perspective on our world today and the issues that many people face. I loved it.
Most years, I don't have a 'Book of the Year.' Instead, I have a collection of 5-star reads that all jumble together in my mind (I am admittedly one of those people who forgets whole plots of stories right after reading them). This year, though, I have a definitive book of the year. Without a doubt.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (fiction)
Synopsis: Joan's goal is to make it to space as one of NASA's first female astronauts. In pursuit of that goal, she meets other NASA scientists that slowly become her family and one particular scientist that quickly becomes the great love of her life.
Holy smokes was this book great. TJR rarely misses anyway, but she outdid herself with this one. This book kept me turning the pages, made me cry, and made me want to learn more about space (and I'm generally pretty afraid of space). This is a love story, a historical fiction piece, a story about family, and an ode to women everywhere. It is a truly excellent read, and it's my favorite of 2025.
