2025 Books Round-Up
All the 12 books that I read last year felt like a peek into a different world. Some were practical, some were heartbreaking, some were jaw-dropping, and others were the mental fuel I needed to cross a literal finish line.
- The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher
- The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman
- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
- As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
- The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee
- The Eyes of Gaza by Plestia Alaqad
- Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
- The Wife and the Widow by Christian White
- Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
- The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel
- The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson
- Just Run (E-book)
The Standouts
If I had to pick the "goldmines" of the year,
1. The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher
This takes the top spot for non-fiction. It is a simple, practical guide to arguing less and talking more. It’s packed with easy-to-follow frameworks that I found myself applying to my daily life almost immediately.
Read the full book review here
2. The Wife and the Widow by Christian White
My very first thriller, and it was utterly amazing! Set on a remote, eerie island in Australia, it follows two women whose lives collide in ways I never saw coming. I truly could not put this one down.
Read the full book review here
3. As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
I have to mention this one because it is an incredibly beautiful book. It is the kind of story that will make you cry, make you feel gooey inside, and make your heart skip a beat all in the span of a few chapters. Packed with so many emotions, it’s an exploration of love and burning hope amidst the Syrian revolution.
4. The Eye-Openers: Gaza & North Korea
What I loved most this year was how reading shifted my perspective on the world. The Eyes of Gaza gave me a heavy, necessary insight into the reality of living in a war-ridden country. Meanwhile, The Girl with Seven Names left me so obsessed with the reality of North Korea that I spent my evenings watching documentaries just to learn more about the lives of people there.
My Approach to Reading in 2026
If you followed my reading journey over the last two years, you might have noticed a shift. Starting in 2024, I committed to posting a detailed review of every single book I read. In the beginning, this was a discipline that kept me accountable to my goal of reading one book a month and helped me process what I was learning. However, about six months into 2025, I decided to stop.
The truth is, the habit of reading has now taken deep root in my life. I no longer need the carrot of a public review to keep me turning pages. Moving forward, I’m changing my approach to sharing. I won't be posting a review for every book I pick up. Instead, I’ll focus on annual round-ups like this one, and reserve deep-dive reviews for the books that truly move me, the ones that leave me with too many thoughts to keep to myself. I want the reviews you read here to be born out of genuine inspiration, not just a sense of duty.
Embracing Multimodal Reading
The biggest change for me this year is moving away from the "one book at a time" rule. Inspired by Scott H. Young’s approach to reading more by building a system, I’ll now always have three (or at least 2) books in rotation:
- One Physical Book: For quiet mornings or that dedicated wind-down time before bed.
- One E-Book: Perfect for a packed train or waiting in line when carrying a hardback isn't practical.
- One Audio Book: My companion for when I’m running, cooking, or doing chores.
By having a book available in every format, I will no longer have an excuse not to read because "the book is in the other room" or "my hands are busy".
This multimodal approach is also my secret weapon against the dreaded reading slump. In the past, I felt a heavy obligation to finish every book I started, even if I wasn't enjoying it. That ends in 2026. If a book doesn’t interest me or I find myself stalling, I will simply move on.
Life is too short and my "antilibrary" is too full of wonders to linger on a story that doesn't resonate just for the sake of finishing it.
Closing: How about you?
As I step into this new ritual of multimodal reading and curated sharing, I’m curious about your journey. Do you prefer the weight of a physical book, or has the convenience of an e-reader won you over? Are you a "one-at-a-time" purist, or are you joining me in the multimodal chaos this year?
Whatever your style, I hope 2026 brings you stories that challenge your perspective and books that feel like a goldmine. Let’s make this a year of reading for the pure joy of it.
Drop your current read (or reads) in the comments below, I’d love some inspiration for my antilibrary. 😊
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