Dearest gentle reader,

2025 was an unforgettable reading year for me.

I endured the brain-altering experience of reading The Hunger Games series for the first time. I’m pretty sure I read the longest book that I’ve ever read (800 pages set in an unbelievably descriptive, fantastical universe). I read a book that I’ve waited years for to come out, and as usual with this particular series, it blew me away. I partner-read an incredible AR book with my best friend. And I read a wildly confusing AR book all by lonesome.

21 books later.

9,617 pages.

Countless words.

And untraceable journeys into so many stories.

In this “episode” of Savanna’s Shelves, I’ll be giving my rating and a small explanation of why I felt that way. But first, I’ll give you some other stats for the year-

Favorite read of 2025: Every Spiral of Fate by Tahereh Mafi

Second favorite read of 2025: Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Least favorite read of 2025: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Favorite series of 2025: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Without further ado, please grab your popcorn and get comfy, because I am one opinionated reader, and take a look at all of the literature that I consumed in 2025.

1. Emma by Jane Austen

• 4/5 stars
• Read as an AP AR book
• Watching the 2020 adaptation before reading helped me so much! Definitely recommend watching to help guide you as far as the plot
• Emma was a funny and relatable main character
• Overall, an enjoyable and witty classical romcom

2. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

• 4/5 stars
• Reread
• Enjoyable reread, but sadder than I had remembered when I first read it
• I love Elliot.

3. Crescent City House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

• 4/5 stars
• Pretty sure this is the longest book that I’ve ever read (800 pages exactly)
• Incredibly descriptive fantasy universe
• First urban fantasy that I read, and I honestly didn’t hate it???
• I never continued the series, but I did enjoy this book a lot; it just wasn’t something that I was super invested in
• Maybe I’ll continue the series this year?? Who knows…

4. Stay Away From the Hollands by Amizah R.

• 5/5 stars!
• A five-star read doesn’t have to be a literary masterpiece; it is just a book that I adore because of how much fun it is to read, which is exactly how I would describe this book
• A great mix of romance with lots of important other plot points
• Complex and real characters and a hopeful, coming-of-age vibe

5. Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

• 5/5 stars!
• Read as an AR book
• Amazing, heart-wrenching, hopeful, raw, life-changingly beautiful story
• I will never recover from the book OR the movie, but maybe that is the entire point of a dystopian novel
• I could write and write about each character, but to keep it concise, I will say that Suzanne knew exactly what she was doing and how to do it; Snow, Lucy Gray, Sejanus: the list goes on…  wonderful characters with tragic and depressing fates

6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

• 6/5 stars.
• A six-star is the best of the best for me. So good that I will be senile in a nursing home one day, talking about my favorite six stars.
• Another example of Suzanne knowing exactly what she is doing, even though it was written YA, this book should be required reading for people of all ages
• Katniss and Peeta’s ridiculous chemistry amidst dystopian horrors… speechless

7. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

• 6/5 stars.
• Do not talk to me about the Catching Fire book OR movie. I have no sanity over these media.
• Katniss and Peeta at their peak!

8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

• 6/5 stars.
• Life-altering and bittersweet. Horrifying and hopeful.
• This YA series means so much to me because it is not just a silly romance; it is a dystopian novel that serves as a reminder of what hate can do. Go read it if you have not.

9. Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi

• 6/5 stars. (Okay, maybe I hand these out a little too much…)
• Another dystopian novel, but this one is a *tad* lighter right now because it is the first book of the series
• I loved both main characters and their stories, especially seeing all of the characters from the Shatter Me series (also by Mafi) was so much fun because that is one of my all-time favorite series
• Cannot wait for the next book and to continue Rosa’s story!

10. Fearless by Lauren Roberts

• 4/5 stars
• Honestly, a little disappointing. I probably should’ve rated it lower, but I will stick with what I rated it right after I read it
• The plot twists in this novel were very unexpected on my part
• Overall, the Powerless series was fun, but not anything life-changingly good

11. Funny Story by Emily Henry

• 5/5 stars!
• It was a funny story, btw 😉
• Super FUN and a really easy beach read for me
• Can’t wait to see the movie adaptation

12. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

• 5/5 stars!
• Really interesting thriller, had me hooked the whole book
• Loved loved Ravi and Pip

13. Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

• 4/5 stars
• Mixed feelings because it took a little bit for the mystery aspect to pick up, so I was lowkey bored
• Ravi and Pip were still adorable!

14. As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson

• 3.5/5 stars
• The plot/mystery was too repetitive and unrealistic at the same time. It was like the same things were happening over and over again, but kept getting less and less believable, if that makes sense
• I was disappointed with this book, and I feel like it could’ve just been a stand-alone or duology, rather than trying to stretch it into a trilogy

15. Every Spiral of Fate by Tahereh Mafi

• 6/5 stars.
• When I tell you that this series (This Woven Kingdom) is AMAZING, you HAVE to believe me.
• If I could swap places with any character, I am 99.9% sure that I would switch with Alizeh.
• Beautiful setting, captivating magic system, painful yearning. What more could you want?? I want for nothing. (Other than a happy ending, of course.)
• T-7 months (fingers-crossed) until the fifth and final installment comes out, and (fingers-crossed) war will be over, and my favorite characters will have the happy ending that they so desperately deserve.

16. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

• 3/5 stars
• Read as an AP AR book
• Wow, this one was rough.
• The magic system was SO confusing. I’m still lost, months later. Then I had to write an 8-page paper on said novel… I do not envy that version of myself.
• Listen, it was a cool book, and someone smarter than me might say it’s an incredible work. All I know is that I will never reach for this book again. Maybe magical realism just isn’t for me. I’m not sure where the plot was either, though.

17. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

• 5/5 stars!
• Yearly reread of one of my comfort series, book one. So so so good.
• Dystopian with romance and an unrivaled cast of characters.

18. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

• 5/5 stars!
• Yearly reread of one of my comfort series, book two. So so so good.

19. Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

• 6/5 stars.
• Yearly reread of one of my comfort series, book three. So so so good.
• This novel will change your heart. Trust me on this one.

20. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

• 5/5 stars!
• Partner-read for an AP AR book (with my best friend)
• Wowowowowow
• If you are looking for an AR book recommendation, here it is.
• Mystery, historical, and a teeny-tiny, nonexistent subplot of romance. AND a Netflix adaptation that is everything.
• I was shocked by my love of these characters and the story. Simon is now the background of my best friend and I’s text thread because we loved him so much. And Grace is a super interesting character to read about, and to see her thoughts really added to the storyline

21. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

• 4/5 stars
• This book took me almost two whole years to get through… I started it two years ago when I got it for Christmas, and then put it down, and never picked it back up
• But I decided to restart it at the end of 2025, and ended up loving it and being so glad that I picked it back up
• The culture was honestly the most intriguing part of this novel, but I loved the magical/fantastical vibe of the world, as well
• Reminds me of Mulan, which I love!!

And that about wraps it up for everything I read in 2025! I am super excited to continue reading in 2026 and see what kinds of literature I wade into. What did you read in 2025?