The Books of 2025

 

Ooof. Another long break from blogging. Missed fall, my birthday, Christmas and New Year. You'll notice that the cookie cake above does NOT say: "Happy Birthday, Bloggergirl."

 Of course, I have justifications, like: What came first? Reading or blogging? And: Blogging is passe. Ken Jennings said so, right on Jeopardy! Also: AI is a pain in the butt, always inserting itself and asking if it can help me write. No thanks, AI. Now get lost. Go jump in a lake of your own making.

Here are the books I finished in 2025. It's not a stellar reading year, but I had fun. Even if I wasn't blogging about it.

I put a * by my favorites:

1. A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life. (nonfiction) - Ayelet Waldman - Audiobook. Finished 1.2.25.

2. Be Ready When the Luck Happens. (memoir) -Ina Garten-  1.5.25.

3. Long Island. (novel) -Colm Toibin-  1.6.25.*

4. Giovanni's Room (novel) -James Baldwin- 1.11.25 *

5. Burning Bright (novel) -Tracy Chevalier -  Audiobook, 1.20.25

6. Who is Cynthia Erivo? (nonfiction) -Crystal Hubbard- 1.26.25

7. Waiter Rant (nonfiction) -"The Waiter" AKA Steve Dublanica - 2.4.25

8. Who is Ariana Grande? (nonfiction) - Kirsten Anderson- 2.7.25

9. The Man Who Lived Underground (novella) -Richard Wright- 2.9.25

10. Carrie (novel) - Stephen King - 2.18.25 *

11. The Only One Left (novel) -Riley Sager- 2.18.25

12. The Autobiography of Mark Twain Vol. I -(autobiography) -Mark Twain- Audiobook. 2.26.25

13. Animal Dreams (novel) -Barbara Kingsolver- 2.28.25

14. Who Was Shirley Chisholm? (nonfiction) -Crystal Hubbard- 3.14.25

15. The Poppy War (novel) - R.F. Kuang- 3.27.25 *

16. The Autobiography of Mark Twain Vol. II (autobiography) -Mark Twain- Audiobook. 4.1.25

17. Mary McLeod Bethune (nonfiction) -Sandra Donovan- 4.4.25

18.The Constant Rabbit (novel) -Jasper Fforde- 4.17.25 *

19. The Autobiography of Mark Twain Vol. III (autobiography) -Mark Twain.. Audiobook. 4.24.25

20. Three Days in June (novel) -Anne Tyler- 4.27.25 *

21. What Was the Renaissance? (nonfiction) -Roberta Edwards- 5.1.25

22. Who Is Carol Burnett? (nonfiction) -David Stabler- 5.4.25

23. Woe (graphic novel) -Lucy Knisley- 5.18.25 *

24. Severance (novel) - Ling Ma- 5.28.25

25. A Promised Land (memoir) -Barack Obama- Audiobook. 6.4.25 *

26. Jane Austen's Bookshelf (nonfiction) -Rebecca Romney- 6.17.25 *

27. The Dog Stars (novel) -Peter Heller- 6.24.25

28. Born to Run (memoir) -Bruce Springsteen- Audiobook. 7.3.25

29. James (novel) -Percival Everett- 7.7.25 *

30. Spent ("comic novel") -Alison Bechdel- 7.9.25

31. The Matriarch (biography) -Susan Page- 7.11.25

32. Honey, Baby, Mine (memoir) -Laura Dern and Diane Ladd- Audiobook. 7.18.25

33. Who Is Willie Nelson? (nonfiction) -David Stabler- 7.21.25 *

34. A Marriage at Sea (nonfiction) -Sophie Elmhirst- 7.27.25 *

35. Who Is Caitlin Clark? (nonfiction) -Meri-Jo Borzilleri- 7.28.25

36. Original Sin (nonfiction) -Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson- 8.11.25

37. The Magicians (novel) -Lev Grossman- Audiobook. 8.12.25 *

38. What Do We Know About The Lost Colony of Roanoke? (nonfiction) -Emma Carlson Berne. 8.18.25

39. The Lioness (novel) -Chris Bohjalian- Audiobook. 8.28.25 *

40. Shoes Off, Please (picture book) -Helena Ku Rhee and Myo Yim- 8.28.25

41. Becoming Real: The True Story of The Velveteen Rabbit (picture book) -Molly Golden- 8.28.25

42. Walking Toward Peace (picture book) -Kathleen Krull- 8.28.25

43. The Aviator and The Showman (nonfiction) -Laurie Gwen Shapiro- 9.8.25 *

44. Never Flinch (novel) -Stephen King- Audiobook. 9.18,25 *

45. The Light Pirate (novel) -Lily Brooks-Dalton- Audiobook. 9.24.25

46. Who Was Wilma Mankiller? (nonfiction) -Andrea Page- 10.6.25 *

47. I Am Legend (novel) -Richard Matheson- Audiobook. 10.18.25

48. All the Way to the River (memoir) -Elizabeth Gilbert- 10.21.25

49. Katabasis (novel) -R.F. Kuang- Audiobook. 10.27.25 *

50. Cooked (nonfiction) -Michael Pollan- 11.4.25 *

51. The Lake of Lost Girls (novel) -Katherine Greene- 11.11.25

52. A Free Life (novel) -Ha Jin- Audiobook. 11.22.25

53. How to Lose Your Mother (memoir) -Molly Jong-Fast- 11.25.25 *

54. Margo's Got Money Troubles (novel) -Rufi Thorpe- 11.27.25 *

55. Who Was Vincent van Gogh? (nonfiction) -Paula K. Manzanero- 12.1.25

56. Go Set a Watchman (novel) -Harper Lee- 12.5.25

57. Remarkably Bright Creatures (novel) -Shelby van Pelt- Audiobook. 12.6.25 *

58. Who Was Katherine Johnson? (nonfiction) -Sheila P. Moses- 12.7.25

59. Passport (graphic memoir) -Sophia Glock- 12.10.25

60. Who Is Beyonce? (nonfiction) -Kirsti Jewel- 12.14.25