It’s that time again when I click on the stats tab in Storygraph and share some facts and figures about my reading over the last year. In 2025 I read 82 books, or 21,773 pages. Way back last January, when I was recovering from my shoulder operation, I was reading very short books that I could manage one-handed. So I’m relieved to see that by the end of the year, my average book length was a respectable 265 pages.

One stat that surprises me is that 30 of the books I read this year are in a series. Then again, if you sneak a look ahead to my top five, two of them are in series. 

From my own records, I see that I read 21 works in translation. The 82 books were set in 25 different countries (not counting space/fantasy locations), and were written by authors from 20 different countries. That’s a decent spread.

I don’t want to set myself any goals this year, aside from continuing to read widely. I want to give myself freedom to jump into any topics or challenges that arise without feeling that it leaves me too busy to read my own dang books. I’m just happy that in my mid-40s I am continuing to read a lot and continuing to enjoy it.

But without further ado, here are the five books I rate as my favourites from all those I read last year.

Top five reads of 2025

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
This is probably my favourite book full stop and I made a conscious decision to start 2025 by re-reading it. So it’s no surprise really that I loved it and rank it here. A beautifully crafted thriller.

The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher
In this novel Betty Rumanni tells the story of her life so far, starting with the day she was born with blue skin. Betty is trying to figure out whether to stay in America to take care of her mother, or to follow her girlfriend overseas to build a new life together. But more than that, she is trying to piece together her aunt’s story and that of her Palestinian family. This is a beautifully told modern fairy tale.

The House of Odysseus by Claire North
Elektra and her brother Orestes arrive on Ithaca from neighbouring Mycenae, fleeing from the consequences of murdering their mother. Penelope is trying to rule the island in her absent husband Odysseus’s name. It’s already a delicate operation without these delinquent teenagers showing up. And then her cousin Helen arrives with her husband Menelaus, who wants to swoop in and claim Mycenae by claiming Orestes is mad. North tells the tale brilliantly, centring the women and employing a sense of humour and love for language.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
As children, Sam and Sadie bond over computer games. They are best friends until an argument leads to them not speaking. Years later while at university they meet in a train station and gradually grow closer again until their lives and careers rely on each other. This is a gorgeous tale about the deep love of friendship, the art of computer games and the potential for catastrophe when you go into business with your friend. It’s geeky and generous and beautifully told.

The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
In this novel, three strangers are passing through a small habitat dome on a planet called Gora while they await their turn entering a wormhole to continue their journeys. A disaster leaves them temporarily trapped with just each other, their host and her young child. The visitors are all different species, living very different lives. They have expectations and prejudices to deal with, as well as concerns about their delayed journeys. This is a beautiful, humane, generous story. I loved it so much.