2025: What I Read

The list of books I read this year and my thoughts on (most of) them.

Date Read	Book Title	Author
01.01–13	She Who Became the Sun	Shelley Parker-Chan
01.14–24	The Blue Place	Nicola Griffith
01.25–30	Stay	Nicola Griffith
02.01–14	Always	Nicola Griffith
02.15–27	Bastard Out of Carolina	Dorothy Allison
02.28–03.16	The Forgotten Beasts of Eld	Patricia A. McKillip
03.17–04.04	To Shape a Dragon’s Breath	Moniquill Blackgoose
04.05–10	The River Has Roots	Amal El-Mohtar
04.11–17	Our Wives Under the Sea	Julia Armfield
04.18–25	Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit	Jeanette Winterson
04.26–30	He Who Drowned the World	Shelley Parker-Chan
05.01–13	Circe	Madeline Miller
05.14–17	I Who Have Never Known Men	Jacqueline Harpman (Trans. by Ros Schwartz)
05.18–26	Tipping the Velvet	Sarah Waters
05.27–30	Spear	Nicola Griffith
05.31–06.21	Hild	Nicola Griffith
06.22–07.05	Affinity	Sarah Waters
07.06–20	Ship of Magic	Robin Hobbs
07.21–08.03	Mad Ship	Robin Hobbs
08.04–16	Ship of Destiny	Robin Hobbs
08.17–31	The Moonstone	Wilkie Collins
09.01–10	Sense and Sensibility	Jane Austen
09.11–17	Pride and Prejudice	Jane Austen
09.18–23	Northanger Abbey	Jane Austen
09.24–30	Emma	Jane Austen
10.01–08	Persuasion	Jane Austen
10.09–19	Mansfield Park	Jane Austen
10.20–23	Frankenstein	Mary Shelley
10.24–31	Rebecca	Daphne du Maurier
11.01–11	A Passage to India	E. M. Forster
11.12–24	Around the World in Eighty Days	Jules Verne (Trans. William Butcher)
11.27–30	The Ice Palace	Tarjei Vesaas
12.01–15	Middlemarch	George Eliot
12.16–21	Silas Marner	George Eliot
12.22–24	Elizabeth and Her German Garden	Elizabeth von Arnim
12.27–31	Peter Pan	J. M. Barrie

General Notes:
I find rating books really difficult. I don’t usually pick up books that I know nothing about, so the likelihood of not finishing them or not liking them is generally low. Still, I definitely appreciate some books more than others.

If any books in the above table are not referenced below, it’s probably because I found them averagely enjoyable and not worth expanding on further due to neither loving nor disliking them enough to do so.

Also, I rarely listen to audiobooks on their own, so wherever audiobooks are indicated below, I’ve listened to them while reading the physical book at the same time. I enjoy the immersive experience that doing so brings.

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The Radiant Emperor Duology

She Who Became the Sun / He Who Drowned the World

Audiobooks Narrator: Natalie Naudus

The first book was enjoyable enough and I learned quite a bit about Ming dynasty China and the historical characters and context of the time. I probably should have left things there, but my curiosity got the better of me, and once I started the second one I didn’t want to give up on it. As the storylines continued in the sequel, most of the characters became (more) obnoxious and difficult to sympathize with, and I eventually stopped caring altogether, but powered through to the end nonetheless. So, I’d say the first book was satisfactory as a historical fantasy set in a time and place I don’t usually read about, but the second one wasn’t worth the time or effort, mainly because the characters are insufferably and incessantly self-aggrandising.

Aud Torvingen Series

The Blue Place / Stay / Always

I felt like reading something familiar so I turned to Nicola Griffith next. I had read the first two books in this series a couple of decades ago and remembered enjoying them, so I decided to get my hands on the third to (re)read them all together. This “noir suspense” trilogy has got plenty of mystery, action, and emotional depth…and is very gay and very well-written.

Aud (rhymes with cloud) is as flawed as she is brutal, as emotionally clueless as she is intelligent, and the series had me chuckling at times and sobbing at others. The books are both entertaining and moving, and I highly recommend them! All three were also republished this year and should be easy to find.

Bastard Out of Carolina

I purchased this book 20+ years ago and never read it until now. I think I knew it would be a difficult read. This novel…it stays with you. Based partially on the author’s own experiences, it can be emotionally heavy, dealing with matters such as poverty, racism, domestic violence, and sexual abuse, all narrated from the perspective of a child. It is also charming and humorous and full of innocence and love. It is an outstanding and beautifully-written book and shall forever be one of my deeply appreciated and respected favourites. Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld

After reading some emotionally taxing books, I decided to switch gears. I kept seeing this book being recommended online as one of the best fantasy books ever written, so I gave it a go. In the foreward included, writer Gail Carriger praises the book and its prose so highly, saying, “The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is not just a book about magic—it is magic.” I was doubtful…how magical can this book possibly be?

Before I even finished reading the first couple of pages, I understood exactly what she meant. Indeed, the writing itself is quite magical…and it cannot be described, it has to be experienced. The story is simple, but the book was very much worth reading if only for McKillip’s exceptional and unique writing style!

The River Has Roots

As soon as I finished reading This Is How You Lose the Time War last year, I looked up Amal El-Mohtar and pre-ordered The River Has Roots…and it was well worth the wait! It’s a lyrical and beautifully-written novella, poetic and magical, and just as with Time War, touched me in ways I wasn’t expecting. There was also an additional short story included in the back called “John Hollowback and the Witch” that I absolutely loved. El-Mohtar’s style of writing “gets” me…in more ways than one. I highly recommend this book!

Our Wives Under the Sea

I kept seeing this book recommended online as a deep-sea horror, which is not a category I would ever volunteer to read, but people were saying that it was really good, and featured a lesbian couple, and that was enough to get me interested. Beyond that, I had no idea what to expect going into it.

But wow…I’m very glad I listened to those recommendations!

Yes, we have a lesbian couple: Miri, a writer, and Leah, a marine researcher. Told in dual narrative form, the story follows them both after Leah’s return from a prolonged deep-sea research mission. I won’t say more because I think the mystery is necessary to maximizing the fullness of the reading experience, and I urge you not to look into the book further if you plan to read it. To give you some idea of what to expect however, I’ll say that it’s not a light read, and does have a spooky, mysterious, and haunting atmosphere, but definitely doesn’t belong in the horror genre. Though to be fair, I don’t read horror so have no idea what a book of that nature might involve.

There is so much meaning and depth (pun intended) and emotional resonance in this novel and I think of it often still. Highly recommended!

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

I tried reading this novel when I was in my teens and couldn’t get into it, likely due to being too young to understand the biblical references, and Winterson’s writing style challenging my ability to follow the narrative. I also vaguely recall trying to watching the film adaptation at the time and finding it confusing, which didn’t help.

The experience of reading it now, however, was an absolute pleasure! This semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story follows young Jeanette as she searches for her place in the world and her community, and the ways in which her relationship with her evangelist mother are impacted as she navigates her self-discovery. The novel is touching and poignant and full of charm and humour, and Winterson’s wryness and quirk, which I am now able to fully recognize and appreciate, had me gripped from the very first paragraph!

Absolutely wonderful book. Highly recommended!

I Who Have Never Known Men

This is another book that I knew nothing about but was seeing pop up everywhere online. I took a chance and am oh so very glad to have done so!

The premise is bizarre but simple: The narrator is a young woman who has lived her entire life in a prison cell with 39 other women. They have memories of their past lives, but she does not. The prison is all she’s ever known. The women are guarded by men who surround the prison cell but never speak to or touch the women. One day, the men suddenly disappear, and the women find their prison cell door open…

I don’t know how to explain this book’s impact on me. It raises more questions than it answers and drives the reader towards contemplation rather than understanding, covering themes of identity and self-discovery, community and relationship, love and life and death and survival, and all the things in between. For me, it was very relatable and emotionally potent…it really is a strange tale with a unique and touching voice. Highly recommended!

Tipping the Velvet and Affinity

Audiobook Narrator: Juanita McMahon (Tipping the Velvet)

I absolutely adore Sarah Waters and her books are fantastic. She truly is one of the best historical fiction writers ever. I started with Tipping the Velvet, listening to the audiobook while reading (Juanita McMahon is excellent!), and it was just as good as I remembered when I read it 20+ years ago. I then read Affinity, and was planning on reading Fingersmith next, but the audiobook for Ship of Magic became available through my library app, so I prioritized that over Fingersmith.

Set in the 1890s, Tipping the Velvet is about Nan, a young woman who falls in love with a male impersonator (drag king) and goes with her to London to assist her with her stage act, and then all kinds of (mis)adventures ensue, both of life and love.

Affinity is an epistolary novel set in the 1870s, about Margaret, a young woman who, in an effort to give her life some purpose and pull herself out of depression, starts visiting the women’s ward of Millbank Prison to help guide and comfort the female prisoners. She ends up befriending a “spiritualist” (spirit medium), Selina, imprisoned there in relation to the death of her benefactress some years earlier. As the narrative unfolds, their relationship develops into something more. This is a thoroughly seductive tale of loneliness and love and things otherworldly.

Needless to say, anything by Sarah Waters is highly recommended reading! Both books have also been adapted for the small screen (in fact, I’m pretty sure all her books now have screen adaptations) and are worth a watch. Tipping the Velvet, in particular, is loads of fun!

Spear and Hild

Audiobook Narrator: Nicola Griffith (Spear) | Pearl Hewitt (Hild)

Drawing on Arthurian mythology, Spear is a short and charming tale that follows Peretur on her quest to serve King Arturus as one of his knights. Whilst aiding in his search for the Holy Grail, Peretur makes discoveries regarding her own history and magical connections to the powerful object. This fantasy novella is beautifully written, and Griffith’s audiobook narration, which was also very good, proved necessary for knowing how to pronounce the many Welsh and Celtic names and references used throughout. It’s worth a read and listen.

Hild on the other hand, for me, wasn’t a pleasant experience. I finished it only because I hate abandoning books, and I was curious if there would be some kind of payoff for putting myself through it. There wasn’t.

Set in Britain in the seventh century, it is a fictional account of the early years of Saint Hilda of Whitby’s life, and deals with warring kingdoms, religious and political ambition, shifting alliances, and the rise of Christianity in supplanting pagan beliefs and practices, and its use as a tool to advance political power. The book clearly was very well researched and had a lot of work put into it, but it also used a lot of Old English names and references and was too taxing a read to get any benefit out of (even with the audiobook’s help). I often thought to myself: I know I’m reading words, but I have no idea what I’m reading!

Hild was the first of Griffith’s works that I couldn’t enjoy, which surprised me because I assumed it guaranteed, and was relieved that I hadn’t purchased its sequel, Menewood, along with it.

Liveship Traders Trilogy

Audiobooks Narrator: Anne Flosnik

Oh, where do I start with this series? Putting aside the misogyny that is spread throughout it, which perhaps is not uncommon in hetero mainstream fantasy (and which I don’t read a lot of), I was enjoying the trilogy a great deal. It’s very well written, and has interesting fantastical elements and lots of characters and exciting plot lines to keep a reader going…until I started approaching the last quarter of the final book, as the author was bringing the series to a close…and when I was done, I was feeling utterly outraged!

Robin Hobbs is hailed as being one of the best modern fantasy writers, and this was my first exposure to her work. She is a very good writer, but I can safely say I’m unlikely to ever pick up another one of her books again.

When I finished the trilogy, I quickly jotted down my thoughts before I forgot them…I just needed to get my feelings out. If you’re curious, my emotionally charged notes are provided below, hidden for containing spoilers.

Side note: The audiobook narration by Anne Flosnik was excellent!

The Moonstone

Audiobook Narrator: James Langton

The Moonstone was thankfully the perfect thing to help me forget all about the unpleasantness of my previous read. This detective novel was the first classic I read this year, being my entry point into my “Rediscovering the Classics” journey, and for that reason alone it will always be cherished—but I also absolutely adored it!

It’s about a precious and sacred jewel, previously stolen from an Indian temple by a British army officer, that subsequently goes missing in England many years later after he wills it to his niece upon his death. The story has multiple narrators, each with a unique voice and personality, and a few in particular stand out as being exceptionally written and a joy to read. I laughed out loud with some characters and disdainfully (but gleefully) groaned at others. You will be thoroughly entertained—I beseech you to read this book!

Jane Austen’s Books

I loved each and every one of her six (completed) novels and couldn’t possibly rank them in order of preference…each one is special in its own way.

Audiobook Narrator: Wanda McCaddon

I started with Sense and Sensibility for being the one with which I was most familiar. I’ve watched the Emma Thompson film adaptation a countless number of times and really liked the 2008 BBC miniseries as well. I’ve also watched the older adaptations from the 70s and 80s. But I’d never read the book—nor anything else by Austen—until now. Needless to say, I loved it.

Audiobook Narrator: Carolyn Seymour

Then I read Pride and Prejudice because it seemed to me to be the most popular of her novels, and because the BBC miniseries is a favourite for many…I had only watched it once a long time ago and didn’t really get the craze around Colin Firth. That was then. Now…well, the book is fantastic and the miniseries equally so! The actor playing Mr Collins, David Bamber, was particularly good.

Audiobook Narrator: Wanda McCaddon

Northanger Abbey came next. I knew that it was partially a satirical take on the gothic novels of the time, and even though I’d never read any, I still understood the references and general tropes of the genre. The parodic tone was clearly lighthearted and affectionate, and I found the book to be both hilarious and charmingly sweet.

Audiobook Narrator: Wanda McCaddon

I then moved on to Emma, which I had been dreading…because I had watched the Gwyneth Paltrow (whom I now find intolerable) film when I was a teenager and all I could see in my head was her pouting face and overall immature and whiny countenance and didn’t want to picture her when I was reading the book. Thankfully, I discovered the 2009 miniseries starring Romola Garai, Michael Gambon, Jodhi May, and many other familiar-to-me actors. I watched part of the first episode so that I could have updated visual references to fuel my imagination, and then I started reading the book, and all went smoothly from there. I enjoyed the book far more than I expected—and the miniseries, to which I returned after finishing the book, really is very lovely!

Audiobook Narrator: Nadia May

After Emma came Persuasion. The buildup towards the last few chapters was engrossing, and the climactic scene was perfection. I mean…I cried. I think I watched the adaptation with Ciarán Hinds (whom I love) when I was much younger, though I could be wrong and thinking of his Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre…either way, he is the only Wentworth I can accept.

Audiobook Narrator: Johanna Ward

And last but not least, Mansfield Park! And it was such a pleasant surprise. Being the longest one of her novels, it did seem to drag on for me at times, but I also can’t imagine it being any shorter. I liked that this and Persuasion had a more serious quality overall, as I was ready for that shift in tone after the first four novels.

I went through these books so quickly for the pleasure of finally experiencing them…and I definitely hope to re-visit them in a couple of years or so…and while I can’t pick favourites, I think when it comes to characters, I am most like Fanny Price and Elinor Dashwood.

Also, all the audiobooks were excellent and brought the characters to life most splendidly. I especially loved Wanda MaCaddon and Nadia May, whom I at this point looked up, and found out, are the same person!

Frankenstein

Audiobook Narrator: Simon Vance

Oh, what a poetic and sublime novel this was!

Frankenstein is a pathetic, self-absorbed, and self-pitying narcissist, and the Creature is a tragic and most unfortunate being for whom my compassion flowed with ease. Though, there was a limit to that compassion…he did, after all, make his own set of inexcusable choices, taking some horrific actions during his short and sorry existence.

There was also a minor subplot with a thread of anti-Islamic expression woven into it, which I wasn’t expecting and found curious. Shelley’s bias towards Christian supremacy seemed evident in this, which is ironic given the entire narrative’s emphasis on extending empathy towards those we do not understand or deem inferior.

Anyway, while we may all know the general story, the writing is fantastic and it must be read!

Fun fact: while it is often depicted in movies that Frankenstein uses lightning to animate the Creature, the book never actually reveals the method by which the Creature is brought to life.

Simon Vance’s narration was also very moving. I tried a couple of other narrators first but his version was the winner.

Rebecca

Audiobook Narrator: Holliday Grainger

I initially felt that Rebecca didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. I thought perhaps I’d have liked it more if I hadn’t seen it being talked about and so highly praised all over Youtube and Reddit. Then again, I’ve read and loved many other books that were highly recommended online. That’s not to say it wasn’t good or enjoyable, quite the opposite, in fact. It is very well written and du Maurier is excellent at detailing scenes and setting the mood of a place and knows exactly how to creep out a person in this Gothic novel. But it left me wanting…something more.

I thought, too, it might have been due to the audiobook narration. Holliday Grainger did well, but her reading seemed somewhat flat. Then again, it wasn’t Grainger’s narration, it was the main character who was herself a bit lifeless and insipid on account of her naiveté…and then it hit me! I realized what it was that left me feeling unsettled and unsatisfied with the book. But I can’t say what it is without giving anything away, and this book is best experienced without having any prior knowledge of its contents.

I will note that there is a connection between this and another well-known classic that I didn’t catch on to until the end (and won’t reveal here), but once the connection was made, the parallels between the two books became clear. I’m glad I didn’t “see” it prior to the ending, as it would have made the book somewhat predictable and I might have been distracted by it.

So yes, it is indeed a very good novel that’s worth reading.

A Passage to India

Audiobook Narrator: Sam Dastor

Very interesting novel. I don’t know what to comment on, honestly.

This was my first exposure to Forster’s work, so I’m not sure if his style of writing here transcends into all or only some of his books, but I initially found that it required repeated effort on my part to digest or make sense of. He also has a tendency to write dialogue in a way that confuses the reader as to whom is speaking at any given time. But eventually, the book became “easier” to read.

On the whole, I enjoyed the book and was very moved by it at times (eliciting many tears), and would encourage its reading. However, there is also much to critique about it.

For the actual story, some of the relationship dynamics felt forced and unrealistic (mainly between Dr Aziz and Fielding). Other interactions here and there were puzzling. Some scenes were treated with gravity, others rather comically. There is, of course, also a lot of racial and religious stereotyping and caricaturization.

I do feel, however, that he was sincere in his attempt to humanize “the other” and touch on the intricacies and complexities that occur in relationships between people, whether of the same or opposite gender, when they occupy roles on a larger sphere as colonizer and colonized…that is, when there is inherently a great difference in position and power between parties no matter how friendly and well-meaning the circumstances may be…and he does reveal at times the ugliness of attitudes of imperial superiority. But he doesn’t quite get it right when it comes to the Indian characters…not unsurprising, perhaps, given the European, and undoubtedly Orientalist, lens through which the book is written. So, I finished the book feeling that things ended somewhat flatly. Let’s say, it wasn’t radical enough for me.

Still, it was a compelling and engaging novel overall. The film adaptation, which I watched afterward, lacked the intimacy of the book (and featured a rather long, strange, and puzzling scene that I could have done without), but was well done and enjoyable nonetheless.

Around the World in Eighty Days

My sister had read some of Jules Verne’s books and spoken to me about them previously, so I thought to give him a try. William Butcher’s translations were highly recommended online, so I went with his Oxford World Classics edition.

I was also feeling nostalgic for the 1989 miniseries, starring Pierce Brosnan in the lead role, that I had watched (and was obsessed with) as a child and was eager to watch again.

The book was a fun and entertaining read! The miniseries completely re-wrote most of the adventurous detours and obstacles that Phileas Fogg and his companions had to overcome…but I didn’t mind it at all. I absolutely loved the comedic spirit that Eric Idle as Passepartout and Peter Ustinov as Detective Fix brought to their parts. They exemplified their characters, and were brilliant and hilarious, both together and apart.

The Ice Palace

In a rural Norwegian village two young girls befriend each other at school, then one of them disappears shortly afterwards. This is an interesting and strangely haunting winter tale about adolescent friendship, loneliness, and dealing with and healing from the trauma of unexpected loss.

I can’t really say what I made of this story…it was…different and unusual. I also found the Norwegian movie adaptation, Is-slottet, on Youtube, which helped me visualize some of the things described in the book. I think it’s worth trying, and I’m sure I’ll be revisiting The Ice Palace in the future, as I believe I’ll get more out of it upon a second read.

Middlemarch

Audiobook Narrator: Nadia May

I was nervous about Middlemarch. I was concerned about the length of the book, about Eliot’s writing style, and considering that it took me forever to find a copy of it in the Penguin Classics edition I wanted, I was worried that all my effort would result in being wasted on a book I’d end up not enjoying.

Thankfully, my concerns were quickly allayed. There were definitely some passages that needed several re-reads on my part to comprehend, and a dictionary was frequently reached for as I made my way through the book…but I get it now, people are not exaggerating when they say that this novel is a masterpiece of English literature.

I now firmly believe in George Eliot’s writing brilliance! I “stan” George Eliot! (Did I say that right?)

She’s exceptionally good at revealing her characters by thoroughly illuminating their thoughts, feelings, motivations, and behaviours. One great thing about Middlemarch is that it has a narrator whose voice and reflections guide the reader in all these character explorations, and in looking at the larger picture of the social and political contexts in which the narrative is set, and every interaction and exchange between the characters is broken down and explained without harsh judgement. She’s an amazing observer and explainer of human behaviour. This is not a very plot-driven novel. Things happen, yes, but it’s more of a character study than anything else (the book’s subtitle is A Study of Provincial Life), by examining who the characters are and how they face and navigate the circumstances of their lives.

I will certainly want to re-read this book in a couple of years, as I know that I’ll catch a lot more the second time around than I did the first.

Once again, Nadia May (Wanda McCaddon) does an exceptional job at narrating the audiobook. She is now pretty much my favourite narrator, bringing so much life and energy to her performances! I was thrilled to see on Libby that she also reads Eliot’s other books, and couldn’t wait to tackle another of her classics.

Silas Marner

Audiobook Narrator: Nadia May

I was tempted to try Eliot’s Romola after Middlemarch, but I was also planning on reading Les Misérables in January (note: reading it now and it’s amazing) and decided to stick to shorter/lighter books for what remained of the year, so I went with Silas Marner instead.

I was nervous starting this book as well. What if Middlemarch was an exception? What if it was too good and Silas Marner turns out to be a let down in comparison? I was very wrong again.

This was such an achingly sad, tender, and delightful novel! It’s short and not at all complex…a simple story with so much heart and warmth and love…and it gave me all the feeeeels!! Oh!

It’s a beautiful tale that’s worth reading and listening to, marvellously narrated and brought to life by the one and only Nadia May/Wanda McCaddon.

Elizabeth and Her German Garden

Audiobook Narrator: Wanda McCaddon

I loved this book at first…it had humour and playful charm as the main character shares with the reader her (in)experience with planting and the joy she gets out of her garden at her husband’s family estate in Germany. But my love waned about halfway through as the main character became gradually less likeable to me.

Having said that, the narrative is layered and much is being communicated, both plainly and between the lines, about social and cultural norms, gender roles and patriarchal superiority, and of racial and economic inequity, by one who is positioned among the German bourgeois of the time (the book was written and published in the late 1890s). It started out as delightful, but it also has some darkness and sharpness to it.

It’s a tiny book, just over 100 pages, and I did find the first half of the book delightful, it made me smile…and the book does say a lot without saying much. So, I would recommend giving it a try.

Peter Pan

Oh, dear…

So there I was, with a few days left til the end of the year, and I thought it would be nice to try something light and magical to bring the year to a close.

Well…this book sucked.

I hated it. I honestly felt like I wanted to cry, or throw up, it made me so angry.

I can’t go on without spoiling it, so once again, my thoughts are hidden below.

The only thing I did enjoy about the book were the lost boys. I thought they very well represented what lost, confused, pitiful, and riotous-when left-to-their-own-devices boys would be like in a children’s tale. They made me laugh with their cluelessness, silliness, and genuine gullibility. Oh, and special recognition must go to poor Nana, she did her very loyal best.

But yeah…I hated this book.

I recall the Disney cartoon playing once or twice “in the background” in our house when my siblings and I were growing up, and I remember thinking that I didn’t see what made Peter Pan so special, and didn’t understand why Tinker Bell was so snooty. And that is precisely what made me more curious about the book. I had only vague memories of the cartoon and was open and looking forward to experiencing the source material…because, it must surely be a beloved classic for a reason, right? Right?!?

*Sigh*

My sister, who is almost a decade younger, told me that she remembered loving the movie that came out when she was a kid (the 2003 version with Jason Isaacs as Captain Hook). We watched it together, and, thankfully, it was a lovely film and a vast improvement over the book (they made all the right changes) and I quite enjoyed it.

And that’s it for 2025!

Until next year—