2025 Reading Recap | The Unsung Heroes
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Dear Reader, Happy new year! I hope the holiday season has provided you with an opportunity for rest and reflection in addition to celebration with family and friends. It’s that time again – time for my annual reading recap! I just took a moment to go back and read last year’s recap. And it was yet another marker to signify my journey this year. Last year I wrote about why I read. And yes, all of those things are still true. This year, I uncovered the science behind why I read – which is something I probably knew intuitively last year but didn’t recognize formally. I knew reading was powerful, but now I know why. And through a lot of personal reflection and work, this year I was able to crystalize the significant impact reading (fiction in particular) has had on my life. (Watch this to learn more.) Last year I predicted that it was unlikely I would hit my 80+ total again. And that was most certainly true (due in no small part to the time required for the personal reflection and work mentioned above!). So with no further ado, here it is: My 2025 reading recapThis year, I read 48 books: 4 standard non-fiction, 2 memoir, and 1 narrative nonfiction. As usual, 85% of the books I read were fiction. (Full list pictured below.)
For the data nerds among us (myself included) here are some fun graphs from Storygraph -- the app I use to track my reading. ReviewsSo many good ones this year... I'd like to highlight a few that I didn't see a lot of buzz about this year for one reason or another. The unsung heroes of my 2025 list: The Collected Regrets of Clover, Every Note Played, The Poppy Fields, The Seven O'Clock Club and The Circle. And if you are a writer, a creator, or a thoughtful human, pick up a copy of Dear Writer. Maggie Smith's writing is like a warm hug. I read What Does it Feel Like? twice -- at the end of 2024 and again at the beginning of 2025. It is a semi-autobiographical novel by Sophie Kinsella. Sadly, Kinsella passed away at the end of 2025. This novel was amazing and heartbreaking. It's short and a lovely listen on audiobook with a message from the author at the end. Highly recommend. I don’t really believe in negative reviews. Especially as an author myself. If it wasn’t for you, that’s fine. Someone put their heart and soul into that work, there’s a human behind those words. I will say that $100M Offers was “not for me.” I read it on the recommendation of a sales coach. It was during a time when I was in the car a lot, so I got the audiobook. Mistake. I think I would have been able to take the information in the book for what it was – useful information – without hearing the voice of the author. It did make me think though – what was it about this author that didn’t sit well? So even a “not for me” read was worthwhile! What did you read this year? I’d love to hear!
Join the LRRC today!On the theme of reading... do you need some motivation to build a reading habit? Looking to be a part of a supportive community? Join us in the Leadership Reset Reading Circle! We’re kicking off this month with Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman. Hope to see you there! Wishing you a peaceful and purpose-filled week, Beth
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