Happy new year! May 2026 be a good year for you, filled with everything nice, including some good books. But before looking ahead, it’s time to look back on the final month of 2025. After the better month November was in terms of reading, it definitely slowed down in December. This was pretty unintentional and unexpected though, because I was hoping to get more books finished than I eventually did. So, let’s take a look!
My monthly stats
This probably is the last time I’ll be doing these, because sometimes it’s time for a change. I’ve done them this year (and maybe last year? I can’t even remember LOL), and I feel like it’s time to move on in 2026. This means, leaving some things behind in 2025 and my monthly reading stats will probably one of them. Anyway… I just read a total of 5 books this past month, with 1,499 pages and 30.8 hours of audiobooks on the telly. Most of these were in Dutch, and fall into the fantasy genre. This genre has so many wintery vibes, so no surprises here. I had no DNF’s, but one book came very close to that fate. It took me an average of 5 days to finish a book, that’s significantly longer than usual. This probably has to do with my energy levels being so low and sleeping away entire nights on the sofa. Especially after work, but in weekends too. Winter is just so draining. Oh well, let’s take a look at the books I did finish, shall we?
My read books
- Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber – I was pretty excited for this book, especially after many people seeming to enjoy it and sharing their positive reviews. Although I had a good time listening to this audiobook, I still am conflicted about my opinion all those weeks later. It was not too bad, but I still have questions that remain unanswered which results in an unsatisfying ending. (7/10)
- For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn – This book totally caught me by surprise, as I went into this with little to no expectations. It’s a Booktok hype after all, so what good will it be? Oh I was so wrong! Yes, I had kind of a rough start, but once I got lost in the story, I really got lost in it. Reading into the AM was no exception here. I decided to read this as an ebook in Dutch, as I got it for a discounted price back in November. (10/10)
- Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater – This series is one I definitely read in Dutch, because the language and story are too complicated to fully comprehend in English. Not that it’s any easier in Dutch, but I at least understand the words. This author’s writing style is just pretty vague, so is the plot. It therefore took me a longer time to finish it. (6/10)
- The Alice Network by Kate Quinn – I was very much looking forward to read this book as I heard nothing but praise for it. Furthermore, historical fiction is a genre I typically enjoy. Unfortunately, I had some trouble with this one, especially with a romantic sub plot which was pretty unnecessary if you ask me. The timeline in WWI was far more interesting than the second timeline, so I was just hoping to get back to that one pretty quickly. I still want to give this author another chance, but so far, I’m slightly unimpressed. (6.5/10)
- Consider Me by Becka Mack – Unfortunately I ended 2025 on a sour note and that was quite unexpected. I wanted to read a cute romance to close out the year as I just wanted to read a book that reads smoothly and therefore could be finished quickly. Well, this Booktok ice hockey romance isn’t it. I was just bored, unconvinced and not captivated by both characters. I expected depth, but they’re kind of elaborated at surface level. Maybe I’ve read too many romances with better character arcs, but this was just underwhelming. (3/10)
My bookhaul
- Promise me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
- For the fans by Nyla K
- The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
- Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider
- The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
What did you final reading month of 2025 look like?
