The end of the year invites reflection. For readers, that means looking at what we read, how we read, and what all those hours with books taught us.

Here’s what our 2025 reading year looked like and what we learned from it.

The Numbers

Books completed: 68

Pages read: Approximately 24,000

Average book length: 353 pages

Abandoned books: 12 (DNF rate: 15%)

Re-reads: 7

Format breakdown:

• Physical books: 47 (69%)
• Ebooks: 14 (21%)
• Audiobooks: 7 (10%)

Genre breakdown:

• Literary fiction: 22 (32%)
• Genre fiction (mystery, sci-fi, fantasy): 18 (26%)
• Nonfiction: 20 (29%)
• Poetry/short stories: 8 (12%)

The Surprises

We read more genre fiction than expected. Usually we skew heavily literary. This year’s mystery and sci-fi reading felt like expanding comfort zones.

Poetry became a regular habit. Starting the year reading one poem daily led to deeper engagement with the form. By December, poetry felt essential rather than occasional.

Re-reading was more satisfying than anticipated. Seven re-reads sounds high, but returning to favorite books with more life experience revealed layers we missed first time through.

Audiobooks worked better than expected. Previously skeptical about audio, we tried it properly this year. Seven books isn’t many, but they were legitimately good reading experiences.

We abandoned more books without guilt. The 12 DNF books represent new willingness to quit things that aren’t working. Life’s too short.

The Patterns

Strong January, weak August. Like most readers, we started the year with high motivation. Summer saw the predictable slump. Autumn recovered.

Series reading dominated Q2. April through June involved completing three different series. Immersive but left us craving standalones by July.

Nonfiction clustered around topics. We didn’t plan it, but nonfiction reading fell into themes: three books on climate change, four on publishing/writing, several on political/social issues.

Friday became poetry day. The poem-a-day habit stuck best when assigned to specific day. Friday felt right for ending work week with something literary and short.

Physical books won. Despite ebook and audio experiments, we kept returning to print. The tactile experience matters more than we consciously acknowledge.

The Standouts

Best book of the year: “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin. Expected to like it, didn’t expect to love it. The friendship at the center felt real and complex in ways fiction rarely achieves.

Biggest surprise: “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir. We don’t usually love problem-solving sci-fi, but this was genuinely moving while being scientifically clever.

Most challenging: “The Overstory” by Richard Powers. Took three months to read, required real attention, but ultimately rewarding. Sometimes the difficult books earn their difficulty.

Most disappointing: Won’t name it to avoid attacking someone’s work, but a highly-anticipated literary novel felt mannered and emotionally distant. The hype exceeded the substance.

Best re-read: “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel hit completely differently post-pandemic. What felt speculative in 2014 now reads as eerily prescient.

What We Learned About Our Reading

We prefer character-driven over plot-driven. Books that prioritized complex characters over intricate plotting consistently worked better for us.

We struggle with books longer than 500 pages. The commitment feels daunting. We completed several long books but they took disproportionate time and energy.

We read better in the morning. Evening reading often meant falling asleep mid-page. Morning reading with coffee worked better for retention and engagement.

We need variety. Reading three literary novels in a row led to exhaustion. Mixing genres and tones maintained enthusiasm.

We’re more affected by prose style than we realized. Beautiful sentences make us willing to forgive weak plots. Clunky prose makes us abandon even interesting stories.

Books That Changed How We Think

“Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer shifted how we see ecological relationships and reciprocity with the natural world.

“How to Do Nothing” by Jenny Odell reframed our relationship with productivity culture and attention economy.

“The Anthropocene Reviewed” by John Green modeled how to find meaning in everyday things during overwhelming times.

“The Overstory” (mentioned above) made trees feel like characters worth caring about and thinking about differently.

These books didn’t just entertain—they adjusted our worldview. That’s reading at its best.

The Reading Community

Book club remained essential. Monthly meetings created structure and social connection around reading. The accountability helped, but the conversation mattered more.

Online book community was mixed. Goodreads felt increasingly like performative reading. BookTok provided good recommendations but occasionally toxic discourse. We pulled back from both late in the year.

In-person conversations about books increased. Deliberately asking friends what they’re reading created richer discussions than online discourse.

Bookshop visits provided discovery. Amazon algorithms are fine, but browsing physical bookshops surfaced books we’d never find algorithmically.

What Didn’t Work

Reading challenges created pressure. We set a Goodreads goal of 75 books. By mid-year it felt like obligation rather than motivation. We stopped tracking and enjoyed reading more.

Forcing ourselves through acclaimed books we hated. Several “important” literary novels got abandoned after 100 pages. Should have quit earlier.

Reading what we “should” rather than what interested us. Cultural pressure to read certain books led to several miserable reading experiences.

Buying books faster than reading them. The TBR pile grew despite regular reading. We need to stop buying quite so enthusiastically.

Format Experiments

Audiobooks for commutes worked. The 40-minute each-way drive became productive reading time. Memoir and thriller worked best in audio format.

Ebooks for travel were practical. One device, unlimited books, no weight concerns. The convenience beat our aesthetic preference for print.

Physical books for literary fiction remained essential. Something about serious literature requires physical engagement. We tried several literary novels as ebooks and the experience felt diminished.

Poetry must be physical. Audio poetry didn’t work. Ebook poetry felt wrong. Poetry needs the page.

The Economics

Money spent on books: Approximately $840

Books per dollar: 68 books / $840 = $12.35 per book average

This included:

• New hardcovers at bookshops
• Paperback purchases
• Ebook deals
• Used book finds
• Some free review copies

Library value: Borrowed 14 books from library. At average $15 cover price, saved approximately $210.

Time investment: 68 books at ~8 hours each = 544 hours reading. That’s 22.6 full days or 6.2% of the year.

Changes for 2026

No numerical reading goals. We’re abandoning the Goodreads challenge. Reading for quantity led to choosing shorter, easier books over books we actually wanted to read.

More poetry. The daily poetry habit worked. Expanding it feels right.

Better genre balance. We want more sci-fi and fantasy, less literary fiction. This year tilted too literary.

Physical book purchases only for keepers. Library first for experimental reads. Buy only books we know we’ll want to own permanently.

More re-reading. The seven re-reads were highlights. Making space for deliberately revisiting favorites.

Less online book discourse. Twitter and Instagram book talk increasingly felt performative. Real conversations with real people about real books.

Reading journal. Taking actual notes about books instead of just Goodreads ratings. Processing thoughts more deliberately.

What Reading Gave Us in 2025

Escape during difficult periods. When work was stressful or life was overwhelming, books provided relief and distance.

New perspectives. Reading writers from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences expanded how we see the world.

Language pleasure. Beautiful sentences and perfect phrases reminded us that words matter and language is alive.

Connection. Shared reading experiences created conversations and relationships that wouldn’t exist otherwise.

Thinking space. Books made us slow down and think carefully about ideas, characters, and themes.

Comfort. Sometimes reading was just comfort—familiar pleasures, reliable structures, emotional safety.

The Bigger Picture

68 books is more than average but not exceptional for serious readers. It’s enough to maintain a meaningful reading life without reading becoming all-consuming.

The number matters less than what the reading did: It made the year richer, more thoughtful, more connected to literary culture and human experience.

That’s worth the 544 hours invested.

Looking Forward

2026 reading will prioritize quality over quantity, genuine interest over cultural pressure, and reading pleasure over reading achievement.

We’ll read what we want, when we want, in whatever format works.

We’ll quit books that aren’t working faster.

We’ll reread favorites without guilt.

We’ll talk about books with people instead of performing reading for algorithms.

That’s the plan. It’ll probably shift and evolve. Reading lives are dynamic.

But the core commitment remains: Read thoughtfully, read widely, read joyfully.

Everything else is details.

Here’s to another year of books, pages, stories, ideas, and hours happily lost in reading.