I started 2025 to read 25 books; my average before that was around 16 per year. I am pleased to say that I completely exceeded that goal by reading 29 books!
Now I did a mix of reading and listening to audiobooks, but I still count them. I started using both the Libby and Hoopla apps this year and relied much less on Audible. This really helped me hit my goal. Along with using Goodreads, I kept a list of books that I wanted to read and updated that throughout the year. This way, I never had to hunt for the next book. So once I finished one, I was on to the next. This was huge in hitting my goal and something I plan on keeping up with in the future.
While the list of all the great books I read this year is long, here are some of my favorites:
Fiction
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Wow, what can I say this book blew me away. I have read the first three books of this series, and each one is awesome. Matt Dinniman’s writing is pure magic and has inspired my own writing. The way he can blend the most absurd situations with heart-warming moments is something I aspire to achieve with my own writing. These books are best listened to because the production is out of this world. It’s like being in the head of a comic book character. The audio production by Sound Booth Theater and Jeff Hays is simply mind-blowing.
I actually had the opportunity to attend their first LitRPG Con in Denver, before I read the books, and it was such an amazing community of writers and fans that I raced home and started on the first book. I can’t say enough good things about this series. I have recommended these books to everyone I know. Here is a quick blurb about the book in case you never heard of it:
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman opens with Earth being abruptly transformed into a brutal, reality-TV-style dungeon by alien overlords, forcing survivors into a deadly game for interstellar entertainment. Carl, an everyman in boxer shorts, teams up with his ex-girlfriend’s sharp-tongued cat, Princess Donut, as they descend through increasingly lethal dungeon levels filled with monsters, traps, and dark humor. Blending LitRPG mechanics with satire and action, the book follows Carl’s fight to survive, protect Donut, and retain his humanity while the universe watches—and votes—on his every move.
Murderbot Diaries
Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries follows a self-aware security unit that’s hacked its own governor module so it can binge-watch soap operas instead of obeying orders, yet it keeps getting dragged into saving the humans it pretends not to care about. Sarcastic, socially anxious, and quietly compassionate, “Murderbot” uncovers corporate corruption, deadly conspiracies, and the meaning of autonomy while navigating friendships it never asked for. The series blends sharp humor, action, and heartfelt character work as Murderbot figures out what it means to be a person, without admitting that’s what it’s doing. The series is just fantastic and fun, and quick reads. I recommend reading the first book before watching the hit Apple show, which is also quite good and has successfully captured the spirit of the Murderbot Diaries.
The Life Impossible
Matt Haig’s the, The Midnight Library, is one of my favorite books, so when The Life Impossible popped up on my reading list, I had to read it. It didn’t disappoint. Matt can blend fantasy and sci-fi into real-life relatable stories so seamlessly. His stories never get too into the hard science and always find the human element, and The Life Impossible is no different.
The story follows 72-year-old retired math teacher Grace Winters, who has been stuck in a quiet, grief-filled life after the deaths of her son and husband, until she unexpectedly inherits a house on the Spanish island of Ibiza from a long-lost colleague. Leaving England with no plan, Grace discovers that her new surroundings and the mystery of her friend’s death lead her into a strange, alien world of magical-realist experiences that challenge her beliefs, help her confront past pain, and open the door to wonder, connection, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Non-Fiction
Slow Productivity
Do less, create better work. Let’s face it, we live in a world where hustle culture is king, and getting as many things done as you can, as fast as you can, is the standard. We are drilled this into us to work harder, faster; you always have to be grinding. The problem with this is that it leads to catastrophic burnout. According to Forbes, 66% of American employees were suffering from job burnout in 2025, a significant increase from the previous year, which was around 54%.
This was not how it’s always been done, and Slow Productivity questions that. It talks about how major works of art, scientific discoveries, and even breakthroughs in business were all done at a slower pace.
In this book, Cal Newport argues that our obsession with constant busyness and visible activity is undermining meaningful work and personal well-being. Instead of juggling endless tasks and chasing rapid output, Newport proposes three core principles: do fewer things, work at a natural pace, and obsess over quality. Blending research, history, and case studies, the book shows how individuals and organizations can achieve more valuable, sustainable results by resisting hustle culture and building rhythms that support deep focus and long-term creativity.
Outlive
If you want to live a better life well into old age, you should read this book. It’s that simple. I have been on my own health journey the last few years, and this book kept me going and really made me rethink food, exercise, and set realistic goals for my future. No matter what you do, if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.
Outlive reframes health care around preventing chronic disease long before it appears, rather than reacting after the fact. Peter Attia explains the “Four Horsemen” of aging: heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and metabolic disorders. He argues that lifestyle choices around exercise, nutrition, sleep, and emotional health are the most powerful tools we have to delay them. Blending science with practical guidance, he promotes a personalized, data-driven approach to training, nutrition, and medical testing so people can extend not just their lifespan, but their years of high-quality living.
Brothers
I grew up a huge Van Halen fan. I spent hours and hours trying to learn Van Halen songs in my early years of playing guitar. I have twelve different guitar-related magazines with Eddie Van Halen on the cover. Alex Van Halen wrote this book as a love letter to Eddie after his death. The book mixes stories of family, music, addiction, infighting, and enduring brotherhood with never-before-seen photos and intimate insights into one of rock’s most famous sibling partnerships. For a huge Van Halen fan, this was an amazing behind-the-scenes look at the lives of Ed and Alex.
I wish the book would have covered past 1984. I would have loved to learn more about the Sammy years and the last tour with Roth. Alex and Sammy don’t get along so I don’t think we are ever going to see that. However, this is still a must read for every Van Halen fan out there.