A year in review; book style!!!
Book questions!! I used bookofmirth's list, with some changes.
You can find my 2025 Booklist here :)
1. How many books did you read this year?
I read 28 books so far this year! (That's about 6,013 pages and about 1,503,250 words!) Some of the "books" on the list are my assigned readings from class which were excerpts from longer texts. But I'm still counting them because read them.
2. Did you reread anything? What?
I re-read Zora Neale Hurston'sTheir Eyes Were Watching God for one of my spring lit classes. I read it in high school but it was much more interesting to read at the college level, especially learning more about Hurston's anthropological and linguistic work!
Oh, I also re-read Maurice by E.M. Forster (my favorite book maybe ever) for class so I could give a presentation on the purposes of happy endings + queer narratives (talked about this again in my Edward II paper!)
Actually I think I'd also already read Plato's Symposiumfor my philosophy class a few years ago??
3. What were your top 6 books of the year?
- Illi Is The Protagonist by Mercening
- The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater
- The Dead by James Joyce
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
- Voices From Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich
- Edward The Second by Christopher Marlowe
4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?
I really liked Svetlana Alexievich! She wrote this really haunting oral history of survivors and experiencers of Chernobyl.
My spreadsheet entry in the "Enjoyment" column from after finishing the book reads: Wow. Read almost all of it on 8am shifts at the desk or before I went to bed and it gave me weird dreams. I agree with the epilogue that all the stories are circling this huge strange truth of Chernobyl. Haunting. Really interesting to read lots of different POVs of the same event. Critical thinking about audience and intention etc. My first nonfiction book of the year which Is sort of crazy!
5. What genre did you read the most of?
Definitely fiction. I read 15 fiction books, 6 poem books/collections, 4 plays, 2 graphic novels/comics, and 1 nonfiction book.
6. Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?
I have been meaning to read The Goldfinch for like genuinely years, and this was...still not the year. Sorry Judith.
7. Any book to movie adaptation combos you read?
YES! I liked Edward II and LOVED Derek Jarman's 1991 adaptation. I also really liked the new Frankenstein movie, but I haven't read the book yet, so I can't really say for really and truly...
8. Did you meet any of your reading goals?
My goal was just to. um. read any books. so. smashed that one didn't I
9. Did you get into any new genres?
I dipped my toe into nonfiction (1 nonfiction book) and also comics! I want to write a comic next year so it was nice to get back into reading them too.
10. What was your favorite new release of the year?
The Raven Boys graphic novel illustrated by Sas Milledge!!!!! God I'm so excited. It was so good. I loved it. It was exactly what I wanted and how I envisioned.
11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?
I finally read the Hunger Games books this year!!! Really awesome books, and I think they're actually great political commentary that holds up well. I'm bummed they spawned a whole knock-off genre, but they're the OG and they're great.
12. Any books that disappointed you?
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White. I really liked all the elements separately; autistic trans male protagonist in Victorian England, ghosts, blood, gore, viscera, horror, etc., but I just didn't love the writing. Just didn't click for me, I couldn't get past how modern the opinions of the main character felt. Author-scared-of-twitter-syndrome, yknow?
13. What were your least favorite books of the year?
Probably The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, although I wasn't that a big fan of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo either. I really liked the concept, RPF studies etc, but again, the writing didn't wow me.
14. What books do you want to finish before the year is over?
Brother I am so tired of reading I will be so honest with you. I need a break from my beautiful lit degree.... I would love to read Illi again and again and again until the sun explodes.
15. Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year? What did you think of them?
I read so much for class that I don't really keeping up with new releases. Maybe next year when I'm finished with my degree, but honestly, I prefer to read things my friends have recommended me or that are in genres I like already.
16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?
Lowkey The Canterbury Tales......I didn't read anywhere near the entire thing, maybe 50 pages in total, but it was....nothing like what I expected? I don't really know what I thought it was going to be, but listing the physical characteristics of every person in the party in social hierarchical order was not??? on my bingo card??? NOt negatively tho. I did find it interesting and compelling to interpret.
17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?
The Dead by James Joyce. I bought a copy instantly after finishing it, changed me 5ever.
18. How many books did you buy?
Eek. 15? Mostly class books but also my comics and a coupl extras.
19. Did you use your library?
So shameful.....I checked out 4 books on fascism.......for 5 months.......and didn't read them............in my defense I was reading all that other stuff for class
20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?
ILLI IS THE PROTAGONIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
21. Did you participate in any bookblr, booktube, or book twitter drama?
Man I could not be further from booktok. I am your evil booktok enemy I love problematic books I love narratives about scary evil wrongdoings I love to read + interpret literature that sucks!!!!!!!!!!! Booktok fears me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love being an English major. Fuck with me
22. What's the longest book you read?
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin! 512 pages. I really liked it!!! I had read most of it a few years abo but loved the rest and am looking forward to reading the second (and third..?) books!
23. What's the fastest time it took you to read a book?
A day and a half to read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Some of the poems and stuff probably took around the same time or less, but that doesn't feel fair.
24. Any books you didn't finish?
I have been reading Your Love Is Not Good by Johanna Hedva for like 5 months and I just can't bring myself to finish it. I was too sad at the time I was reading it for how sad the girl in the story is. I also started Interview With A Vampire this summer and I just.....haven't gotten into it. I don't know!!!
25. Reading goals for next year?
Read the same or more books!!! Have more fun with what you read!!! Keep reading!!!
