Julia’s 2025 Reading Wrap Up/Favourite Books of the Year

Sunrise on the Reaping delivers emotional depth and character insight into Haymitch’s past.

The journey, trauma, and resilience that shape him are gripping and heartfelt.

With Collins’ sharp writing and rich, humanizing details, this prequel stands as a worthy and compelling addition to the Hunger Games universe.

Bounty Inc is a cosy-dark space adventure packed with humour, heart, and a ragtag, diverse crew finding their footing together.

The story balances lighthearted banter and found-family moments with darker backstories and high-stakes action. A subtle romance, inventive tech and magical abilities, and a universe full of variety make it both sharp and surprisingly heartfelt.

A thrilling, fun, and satisfying read.

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy continues the Montague Siblings series with Felicity front and center.

Adventure, witty banter, and complex female friendships take the spotlight.

Felicity’s quiet asexuality is handled with care, adding a validating layer of representation alongside her clever, independent, and courageous journey.

Moontangled is a short, sweet addition to the Hardwood Spell series.

Sapphic romance, friendship, and fae intrigue blend with just the right touch of peril and cosy charm, making it perfect for a relaxed, immersive read on a summer afternoon.

Silence of the Dead kicks off a darkly humorous, cosy-dark fantasy series with necromancer Holtar and his wisecracking skull companion, Seymour. The book blends clever banter, absurd moments, and a vividly chaotic city with thoughtful glimpses into the characters’ pasts. The mystery is secondary to the tone, relationships, and worldbuilding, with humour and darkness perfectly balanced. No romance dominates, female characters are respected, and the story’s sardonic charm makes this an irresistible series opener.

The Inside Story of the British Bureau for the Arcane surprised me, in a good way.

Dark, gritty, and thoughtful, this short urban fantasy balances action, intrigue, and morally grounded characters.

Arlo leads with quiet defiance in a complex magical world, and the story’s pace keeps you hooked from start to finish.

I read the original version of In Solitude’s Shadow a few years ago and quite enjoyed it.

The revised edition is tighter, smoother, and more polished, with improved dialogue, stronger character arcs, and richer worldbuilding.

Multiple POVs, political intrigue, and high-stakes battles make this a compelling and emotionally charged fantasy adventure.

A satisfying conclusion to the Tournament of Shadows series, full of warmth, friendship, and loyalty.

The story balances cosy banter with tense confrontations, steady romance, and found-family dynamics, giving a comforting, magical ending that wraps up the threads beautifully while leaving room to imagine more.

A fierce and clever reimagining of history, full of action, heart, and sharp social insight.

Jane McKeene is a witty, determined, and vivid heroine navigating a brutal, racially stratified zombie apocalypse.

Layered worldbuilding, strong supporting characters, and tense pacing make this a thrilling and thought-provoking read.

Clever, heartfelt, and endlessly quotable, this second Impossible Times book blends high-stakes time travel with genuine friendships, humour, and emotional depth.

Nick and his friends face impossible choices, paradoxes, and chaos with wit and resilience, making this a smart, engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable read.

A sharp, inventive fantasy that blends a vivid, lived-in world with quirky, memorable characters.

Ana and Din’s dynamic, layered relationships and the atmospheric setting make every page immersive.

Clever, atmospheric, and full of heart, it’s a satisfying standalone that teases even more to explore.

Dark, strange, and deeply moving, this story balances brutality with moments of hope.

Willem’s journey as an outcast and the morally complex world around him create a fable-like, philosophical tale where monsters and humans alike reveal both cruelty and compassion.

Grim yet hauntingly beautiful, it lingers.

A fast-paced, witty, and action-packed story where vampires, humans, and moral complexity collide.

Sarcastic banter, larger-than-life villains, and loyal, compelling characters keep the tension high, while the world deepens with every page.

Fun, gritty, and satisfying, it’s urban fantasy done with heart.

A warm, magical escape with playful humour, gothic charm, and a found-family feel.

Margaret and Lord Riven’s growing partnership radiates tenderness and clever banter, while the quirky inn and its strange, endearing inhabitants create a cosy, immersive world.

Short but deeply satisfying, it’s romance and folklore done with heart.

A brutal, layered tale of vengeance and survival, soaked in blood but tempered with moments of wit and humanity.

Rawlins’ cold-blooded quest unfolds against a rich, unforgiving world, where loyalty, violence, and morality collide.

Dark, gripping, and unflinching, it leaves you tense and immersed in every shadowed alley.

A tense, intimate prequel that captures the heart of the Blood Scouts world.

Oksy’s determination and vulnerability pull you in from the first page, and the novella balances danger, fear, and small moments of trust with emotional weight.

Sharp, heartfelt, and immersive, it’s a perfect introduction to the series.

A gritty, human story where loyalty, survival, and the cost of leadership are front and center.

The book balances brutal war and heartfelt camaraderie, capturing both the horror and the quiet triumphs of its characters.

Deeply immersive and emotionally resonant, it lingers with the weight of lived experience.

A heavy, poignant volume where heartbreak and quiet heroism coexist.

The story dives deep into loss, kindness, and the human, and goblin, struggle to survive.

Dark, emotionally resonant, and full of subtle character growth, it’s a turning point for the series that lingers with you long after the last page.

A quieter, deeply satisfying volume where small shifts ripple into something much larger.

The story balances slice-of-life warmth, sudden bursts of action, and layered character growth, with goblins and side characters stealing every scene.

Poignant, more grounded, and immersive, it’s a book that lingers long after reading.

A clever, chaotic, and laugh-out-loud adventure full of absurd plans, talking animals, and a bumbling yet endearing protagonist.

The story hums with humour and energy, keeping you entertained from start to finish, light, sharp, and impossible not to enjoy.

A dark, expansive tale that balances human emotion with sweeping dynastic intrigue.

Ancient rulers, shifting loyalties, and morally complex choices make the world feel alive and unforgiving.

History itself is a puzzle, and every revelation reshapes what you thought you knew.

A harsh, raw, and morally thorny world where nothing is simple and every revelation opens new questions.

This story digs into the roots of demons and humans, leaving you unsettled yet captivated.

Dark, brutal, and deeply compelling, it pulls the rug out from under every assumption, making the past feel as urgent and dangerous as the present.

A tense, sharp, and immersive opener where magic feels alive and unpredictable.

The story hums with risk, strategy, and moments of power as the protagonist navigates a hidden, ruthless magical society.

It’s engaging, addictive, and full of surprises, a world where stakes are high and every choice matters.

A dark, moody city hums with danger and twisted magic. Fetch Phillips, a hard-boiled “man for hire,” moves through alleys of werewolves, cat people, and vampires, balancing humor, grit, and melancholy.

The city feels alive, morally complex, and quietly heartbreaking, with every corner hinting at secrets and betrayals. A tense, character-driven noir that lingers long after the last page.