In 2025, I read 45.5 books. (The .5 is for Le Morte Darthur, which I am halfway through—I started it in August, but sometimes reading medieval literature in the middle of a school semester is not the most leisurely reading experience.) Admittedly, my Reading Recap Part 2 for this year is on the slim side. My reading for most of the second part of the year featured nonfiction and rereading Harry Potter. Also, many of my new reads were series, which I’ve grouped together here. So, without further ado, let’s dive in, starting with a recent fantasy classic:

The Eye of the World & The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time Series) by Robert Jordan (3.5/5 Stars?): My question mark for my rating reveals how uncertain I feel about my first impression of the Wheel of Time series after reading the first two books. Part of my uncertainty comes from the uneven pacing: parts of both books dragged on. To be fair, it’s been a busy year and sometimes world-rich fantasy (like The Wheel of Time)can be hard for me to engage with during busier seasons. However, there were stretches of both books that grabbed onto my attention and wouldn’t let go. I’ve heard that this is kind of the nature of this series and that it’s worth it to push through. Right now, I’m not sure if I’ll read more, or if this series will become an on-again, off-again focus of the next decade or so, rather like reading through The History of Middle-Earth series.

The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson (5/5 Stars): As a descendant of Vikings, I like learning about Norse Mythology, and this was my first time to read The Prose Edda, one of the major sources we have for Norse Mythology. I read this book in almost one sitting (the Penguin Classics edition specifically), and it was a delightful read. It’s fairly short and readable, so if you are also a Norse Myth buff or just intrigued, I recommend picking up this book.

His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik (4.5/5 Stars): Where has this book been all my life? I can’t believe I haven’t read His Majesty’s Dragon, first of the Temeraire series, sooner. A mix of historical fiction and fantasy, this alternate reality (in which nations’ armies have dragons and dragon riders) is somewhat of an older audience version of How to Train Your Dragon set in 1800s Europe. I barely put this book down and really enjoyed the characters and the world. While there were a couple of smaller subplot directions I did not care for towards the end (mostly the pacing of the main character’s romance), I thoroughly enjoyed this book and want to read the rest of the series soon.

The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (3/5 Stars): I finally finished my big Sherlock Holmes collection, including reading the fourth novel! And… I feel mixed about it. It’s similar to the first novel (which I did not enjoy, per a previous Reading Recap) in that the first half is Holmes solving the case and the second half is the backstory of the victim. I’m not a huge fan of that structure, as the pacing seems weird and it doesn’t feel as satisfying for a mystery story for me, as I enjoy the process of solving the case with a quick bringing of all the pieces together at the end. However, that unlike the first Holmes novel, the writing and characterizations are on par with later Holmes material, so I did enjoy that aspect of The Valley of Fear over the first novel.

All the Wrong Questions series by Lemony Snicket (4/5 Stars): I’ve written about Lemony Snicket’s style before, and I’m pleased to find that the All the Wrong Questions series (which is only 4 books) uses that same playful style, only this time with stories focused on a young Lemony Snicket. The first book and the third book both lagged pacing-wise for me, but the second and fourth were hard for me to put down. I’m pretty sure I read the fourth one almost one sitting. As a side note, if you’re looking to this series for deeper backstory/lore on A Series of Unfortunate Events, you will be disappointed, but there are some references to familiar faces, and the style matches the tone of that series. Overall, a great middle grade read.

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes (4.5/5 Stars): I absolutely adored Wishtress. I had a hard time putting it down (a recurring theme of this Reading Recap), and not just because the weather was getting cooler and cozier (AKA perfect reading weather). The world was compelling, the conflicts and wrestling with guilt and mistakes, and the character dynamics were fantastic. Great themes, too. One of my favorite reads of the entire year!

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Stay tuned for a Writing Update and State of the Blog post in mid-January. I wish you all a Happy New Year, and a 2026 full of great books!