I’ve been trying to figure out how to summarise this year. I’ve done a silly tier list before but I can’t be bothered this time around. I also do not feel like talking about all the mid or awful books I read this year because there was A LOT actually. Too much mid. So I’ll talk about some highlights which I wish there was more of…
I’ve read some classics this year and by far the ones still on my mind are East of Eden and Frankenstein. Immediate all time favourites! I didn’t like Dracula as much as I thought I would but maybe it deserves a reread one day. While we are talking about vampires… I did start the vampire chronicles this October and although the first book was just okay the second one.. Lestat? This blonde diva… and obviously I watched the movie which caused me feeling troubled and confused because I hate Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt but why were they so hot and sexy? And Kirsten Dunst ate all of them up. Do not even get me started on the new show. I’ve already watched it twice. I feel like I’m 15 year old fangirl again. Life is worth living. I will be continuing reading the books but I’m waiting for my friend whom I convicted to read and watch and now we are both obsessed and only talking about iwtv. I gave The Vampire Lestat 4 stars I think. I’m not sure why (I think I was bored sometimes) but I do not care! That’s a favourite!
If we are talking book series and screen adaptations I did reread entire Hunger Games in March and then sotr and I don’t think I must say much. That’s a classic. Made me ill. I’m already sat at the theatre. I hate younger me because why the fuck did I sell the original trilogy? Now I have to buy it again. Stupid.
Other favourite is definitely, overall, Clarice Lispector. I’ve read Agua Viva and Hour of a star. Both phenomenal. It's like nothing I've ever read before. I feel transformed. I’ll be reading more Clarice next year. I can feel my third eye opening.
Bunny is a book a started the year with. I got it for Christmas last year and the sequel is getting translated into my first language in February so more Mona Awad in 2026 (I do have 2 other books on the shelf already). I can see her becoming one of my favourite authors. I like that crazy shit.
Also shout out to The Outsiders. I’ve finished it recently and it was fantastic I can see how is a required reading in the USA. I have to watch the movie and I think there’s also a musical? We’ll see about that…
The Knight and The Moth was the only new fantasy I read this year I think? I very picky with my fantasies. But I will read anything Rachel writes. I’ll take 10 of those thank you. I wrote a whole post on it a few month ago and people are still liking it and relogging so I won’t be repeating myself.
Overall I read over 50 books which is a little less than last year and that’s probably because I was writing my thesis in the spring so it took up the time I’d probably spend reading more. But I do think it’s important to mention I tried to get through a lot of my physical tbr. Obviously I also bought/got more books so the difference on the shelves isn’t big but if I had not touch my physical tbr that pile would be even bigger. Also a lot of mid came from that physical tbr… which is a shame. I wish there was more 5star reads. I yearn for more books that I could call my favourite. I yearn for books that will alter my reality and my mind. I yearn to be changed and transformed. I’ll try to do better in 2026.
I don’t do any goals for a new year other than I just want to read and I always set the goal to 69 because that’s funny. I hope to read more classics, more gothic, more Clarice and Anais. More Mona Awad and more weird girl horror unsettling questionable shit.
With the year ending and people wrapping up their year there’s always discussion and uproar about the numbers etc. Which I do find silly. I don’t care how much you read. Reading one book a year is still more then most people read. That being said with all those statistics I can’t help but question all those conversations and tracking apps. I mean they are fun and if tracking is what motives you that’s great. But personally I wonder how worth it is to track and log in art you consume. Somehow all those stories and time I spent with something becomes a fucking number, a data base. I’m experiencing art. We are experiencing art. And at the end of every month and then every year everyone talks in numbers. I just have to stop using TikTok (but I love edits so I won’t)
When it comes to non reading goals I don’t do that. Also the whole “rebrand” thing I see on TikTok… don’t get me fucking started. Didn’t realise y’all were products. Omg I could yap for hours. Now I’m pissed off. ALL I WANT TO DO is read and watch more movies and I feel like I’ve been on my phone too much so I’m going to try to do better about that. I’m sick of ai. I’m sick of seeing hundreds of strangers every day on my phone. Why is everyone recording and posting and everyone is talking. I sound like a boomer. Anyway… I hate new years. Makes me upset and scared. Goodnight.
