Every Book I Read in 2025

Does a good job balancing small stories with the larger Murderbot plot. They're definitely an odd character, but I'm invested in what happens to them!

Expands on the first part well, expanding the universe and dealing with some of the consequences of their actions. Can be a little hard to follow with how many perspectives there are, but they're doing different enough things that it's not too bad. Also the audiobook narrator is top tier.

The series continues its outward expansion with more settings, characters, and plotlines. It’s done well, but remains hard to keep all the moving pieces in memory. Wraps a lot of threads up nicely though, so I’m excited to see where it goes next.

Intense, visceral, heartbreaking, heavy, and hopeful. Written in 1998 but describes news items that could have been written about today's political climate (including a US-Canadian war, the phrase “Make America great again”, and the coupling of the church to the state). Butler was either a prophet or today's American right wing isn't as original as we think they are. Outside of its political relevance, it gives interesting perspective about life after the fall of a society. It wasn't the super harsh conditions that I found most interesting, but the way (some) life just goes on, even when the foundation of a nation shifts. Civilization doesn't end for everyone at the same time (or affect everyone equally).

Its depiction of building a religious movement was especially compelling- what worked and what didn't and how you meet people where they are. The prose was fascinating too. The heaviest segments were written in the most matter-of-fact style, separating their impact from the way they were described. Tore through the book, but had to pace myself for sanity reasons. Not necessarily a fun read, but a good and powerful one.

Cozy, with a well-realized cast. The mystery itself didn't feel especially fair, but there were a lot of layers to it and it wasn't a bad time. Just expect to be along for the ride instead of solving it for yourself.

Each book is better than the last! We've got a new alien race and increasing tensions within the Bobiverse. I'm super excited to see where it goes.

Keeps increasing in scope and complexity. Keeps being an absolute blast to learn about this take on the universe.

In grade school, I was marked down on a short writing assignment because I spent the whole time describing how a space desk/computer would work. Scalzi clearly had no such discouragement and spends a lot of time describing those systems. It's a good time though, and his designs are well thought out. Builds its world well and grapples with some of its ethical questions.

The good parts were fun: a heist, a well-realized space station, and plenty of sci-fi elements. There was some good depth to the characters (helping this book punch above its weight in that regard). But clumsy opening, inconsistent storytelling, and a less-than-satisfying central mystery held it back.

This was a fun read that played with the genre of fantasy itself.

Parody is a hard line to walk. Be too funny and you're not really telling a story, just making fun of one. But be too serious and you're not a parody at all, just a humorous entrant in the genre. Tilford's debut novel is an enjoyable read, but one that errs a little too close to the silly over the story. The plot is familiar: a chosen one and their companions on a quest to defeat the Dark Lord.

It does a good job subverting some expectations while leaning into others. Making fun of common fantasy tropes is good, but take too many at face value and it feels like you're missing your own joke.

Past that, the prose itself is good. A few too many similes, but it was snappy and genuinely funny. Most of the characters didn't have much depth to them, but there's one in particular I really liked. I thought the moments of deeper introspection (like the brute reexamining how he feels about goblins) were the strongest points, but they were few and far between.

If you go in expecting a truly silly fantasy romp, you're sure to enjoy it (and I did). Just don't expect too much more.

Starts a little slow, but it really picks up as it continues. I especially like the worldbuilding and intrigue around the corporations running the game. It feels like there's a ton going on outside our POV which I'm optimistic we'll discover as time goes on. Carl doesn't come across as especially likable, but the cat and most of the rest of the cast are fun and I ultimately did really want to know what happens next.

May not be for you if you don't like reading RPG item descriptions at length. I like what they're going for, but item & stat discussion can go a little long / dry. There's some good humor in it all, but there's also some cruelty that doesn't feel reckoned with. We'll see if that smooths out in future books.

The audiobook narration is great, but the "new achievement" dialogue gets pretty grating (even when they're funny).

Does an excellent job building and expanding on the first one. I liked the way it pulled the curtain back on the previously mysterious special forces. The epilogue is a little saccharine, but the ride to get there was fun. Great world (universe?) building.

Stevenson proves once again he really knows what sets his books apart by seamlessly mixing the meta narrative into the main investigation. This self-described "holiday special" is as twisty a mystery as ever, packed full of the series' characteristic charm and humor. It was a good mystery, too, which I only guessed part of. There's an especially fun climax too.