Spending so much time at my workbench this year, plus more time on public transit, meant I listened to a record number of audiobooks. According to my StoryGraph wrap-up, I devoured a total of 123 books in 2025!
Sidenote: I did not start the year intending to read 100+ books! 😂 My goal was 54, and while I blew past that mid-year, I'm even keeping the same goal of 54 for 2026. Truthfully this just isn’t something that I feel the need to move the goalpost on. I just want reading to be enjoyable and zero pressure!
Sidenote #2: As someone who boycotts Amazon (and therefore the app that shall not be named but starts with Goodr...), I eagerly switched to The Storygraph to keep track of my book journey. I gladly upgraded to a paid subscription because I love supporting companies that create awesome tools which give me joy. I wasn't paid to write this, I just really love the app! If you're into reading, I recommend checking it out!)
While most of my reads were audio, I did squeeze in a few digital and physical books.
Clearly, my love of sci-fi is still going strong, with a whopping 60 sci-fi titles on the list! While the summary above gives a good overview, the amount by which sci-fi dominated my reading material really becomes obvious in this chart of all the genres I read in 2025!
In that diverse list of genres, one overarching theme involves exploring the structures of our world—both the physical ones, like transportation infrastructure and plant life, and the invisible ones, like data bias and "enshittification," and the interplay between both.
And now, here are my 15 favorite books from last year! So many good ones!
Sci-Fi & Speculative Fiction
One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky — A short and hilarious take on a time-travel war where the past is constantly being rewritten. The author narrates the book himself and his narration is absolutely perfect!
I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin — Pargin weaves deep social commentary into an absurd, fast-paced plot. This book’s take on the "reverse apocalypse"—the idea that billions are actually gaining safety and health while we focus solely on the misery—challenged my own cynicism and disillusionment with end-stage capitalism.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel — A mysterious, adventurous journey across time that explores the interconnectedness of our lives. As soon as I finished, I immediately hit "play" again; it’s one of those rare books where a second pass—knowing how the threads of the story are intertwined—allowed me to better enjoy the "aerial" view.
Doors of Sleep by Tim Pratt — A fast-paced and adventurous world-hopping sci-fi romp that I couldn't put down! (The sequel, Prison of Sleep, was also terrific! All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable ride.)
Interference by Sue Burke — This is Book 2 of the Semiosis Trilogy. The world-building in this series about alien lifeforms is amazing.
Other Sci-Fi Favorites:
-
Midworld by Alan Dean Foster
- The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
- Scythe by Neal Shusterman
- The Wrong Stars & The Dreaming Stars by Tim Pratt (Yes, Tim Pratt is officially a new favorite of mine!)
- The Unfamiliar Garden by Benjamin Percy
- How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu
Non-Fiction & Society
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez — An infuriating and illuminating look at how a "male-as-default" world affects everything from workplace temperatures (which are typically 5 degrees too cold for women—suddenly my years spent shivering in downtown Chicago offices makes sense!) to the design of piano keyboards, mobile phones, and transportation infrastructure.
Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality by Deborah N. Archer — A heavy but necessary read about how roads and public transit are used to control mobility and reinforce inequality. I was struck by the never-ending examples of how the interstate system was "aimed like a gun" at the heart of Black communities.
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow — Doctorow perfectly captures the frustration of the modern internet, breaking down the stages of platform decay, from being good to users, to being good to advertisers, to being good to shareholders, to becoming "a giant pile of shit". 💩 It’s a vital look at how monopolies and lack of regulation are breaking our digital lives. Plus, not gonna lie, hearing all the permutations of "enshittification" (for instance: “big tech’s enshittifactory impulses” and "the Inshiternet”) is very entertaining.
The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters by Christine Webb — As an animal and plant lover, I know humans tend to place ourselves way "above" other species, but I hadn't realized the extent to which this permeates nearly all aspects of our lives. This book challenged my perspective on our place in the natural world and gave me a lot to think about in terms of how to change our society's anthropocentric bias.
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty — A laugh-out-loud and informative deep dive into all sorts of questions about death.
Other Non-Fiction Favorites:
- See You Again in Pyongyang by Travis Jeppesen
- The Language of Climate Politics: Fossil-Fuel Propaganda and How to Fight It by Genevieve Guenther
Contemporary Literature & Fantasy
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi — This YA novel was brilliant, and I wish it would've been around when I was growing up. I’ve since read the prequel, Bitter, and enjoyed it even more!
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt — A charming story; one of the main characters, Tova, just stole my heart. The protagonist Marcellus provides such a unique POV—it's absolutely delightful!
This Is the Only Kingdom by Jaquira Díaz — A powerful novel that was amazing to listen to. Not only is Almarie's Guerra's narration outstanding, but all the Spanish phrases warmed my heart. As a Puerto Rican, I related so hard to many of the "little" things in the book.
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko — An epic fantasy with incredible world-building. I’d read it before and wanted to re-read it as a refresher before I tackled the rest of the series. Narrator Joniece Abbott-Pratt is one of my favorites!
Other Fiction Favorites:
- Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko
The 5-Star Standout
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong — While I read so many great books last year, this is the only one I rated a full 5 stars*. This book is a masterpiece of language. It’s a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read, and it explores identity, trauma, and love in a way that is raw, heartbreaking and breathtakingly beautiful. The author narrated the audiobook himself, and listening to this was an incredible experience. I got goosebumps so many times. The narration and story have settled deeply into my bones and stayed with me all year long.
* As an online seller, artisan and author, I have complex feelings about the "Algorithm of Reviews" and how we rate creative work. Stay tuned for a follow-up post where I explore into Review Culture and why handmade sellers are so sensitive!
My Complete 2025 Reading List
Below is my Storygraph-generated collage of all the books I enjoyed in 2025. Tt's a long scroll! My current reading queue has 200+ books (and I’m adding more all the time; clearly I'm kinda out of control. 😉) If you have any recommendations, or questions about any of the books you see here, please share in the comments. I always love hearing what books people are into!
You can also view my top books for 2024.
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