What I Read in 2025

This year, I didn’t break any records in terms of total number of books read, but I did have fun and learn a few things. Here are some of my favorites reads from this past year.

Fiction

The Mistborn Saga by Brandon Sanderson

Finished:

This was my first Brandon Sanderson series, and I was floored by the depth of the world-building, the complexity of the magic system, and the richness of the characters. My partner and I started the first book together, but lost steam midway through due to the lengthy dialogue and slower pacing. I came back a few weeks later and realized what we were missing. I made it through the first two books this year, and I’m eagerly looking forward to finishing the third soon.

The Dungeon Crawler Carl Series by Matt Dinniman

Finished:

This was my favorite series of the year! Carl and his girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, fight to survive after an alien corporation restructures the Earth’s crust into a multi-level dungeon game show. The writing is creative, engaging, and *hilarious*—I couldn’t put the books down once I started. The next book is scheduled to release in June of 2026.

The Bobiverse Series by Dennis E. Taylor

Finished:

This was a fun series. The protagonist, Bob, is resurrected as an artificial intelligence installed in a Von Neumann probe after being cryogenically frozen. The series follows their attempts to save humanity from itself and an unforgiving universe.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

This is one of our bedtime books with the kids.

Witch King by Martha Wells

I loved the Murderbot series, so when I saw this on the shelf at Powell’s I figured I would give it a shot. This novel was interesting. It had a similar structure to Murderbot, but went deeper on lore and the magic system. It was a really fun read, and the toggling between past and present throughout created an exciting pace.

Shroud by Adrian Tchiakowsky

Tchiakowsky is one of my favorite sci-fi authors. This standalone novel follows two humans as they struggle to survive on a pitch-black, inhospitable alien moon called Shroud.

Blindsight by Peter Watts

Another first-contact, hard sci-fi novel that had some really interesting concepts related to identity, consciousness, and neurology.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

This one needs little introduction, as it’s on its way to becoming a feature film. I listened to it as an audiobook, which is the best way to experience the story, in my opinion. I love the attention to detail and theme of perseverance in Andy’s writing.

Diaspora by Greg Egan

Greg Egan writes some of the most cerebral hard sci-fi I’ve come across. I read Permutation City last year and felt like I needed more. Diaspora didn’t disappoint—it explores the nature of life and intelligence against a backdrop of compelling (fictional) theories in physics and mathematics. It’s hard to summarize the world and story within it. If you’re into post-humanism, consciousness, and exploration of theories of the universe, you’ve gotta check this one out.

Non-Fiction

Boom: Bubbles and the End of Stagnation by Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber

I was a bit conflicted on this book. On the one hand, it does an excellent job of arguing the dangers of stagnation and the benefits of bubbles with examples and evidence from history. On the other hand, it felt a bit dogmatic and rigid at times. That, for me, is a good signal that this book is worth reading if you want to better understand the current trends in technology and AI in particular. I finished the book with a stronger desire for innovation and creativity than I had going into it.

Notes on Complexity by Neil Theise

An introduction to complexity theory, an examination of how interconnected systems behave and evolve. Neil provides an approachable, research-based perspective on consciousness and the interconnectedness of all things in a small package. This was one of the most intriguing reads of this year and I would recommend it to anyone who’s interested in a theory that joins philosophy, quantum mechanics, physics, and consciousness.

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Thematically aligned with where I’m at right now, this book provides a framework for doing less while accomplishing more.

The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer

I listened to this as an audiobook and had a hard time with the narrator and the receptiveness of some of the content. I stuck with it though, and found a timeless message of acceptance and self-realization.

Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Similar to Essentialism, this one was a solid contribution toward embracing finitude and focusing on what’s important rather than trying to do it all.

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