2026 Q1 Reading Stats

2026 Q1 Reading Stats

January - March

Total Read: 21

Pages Read: 5,587

Audio Time: 23.37 hrs

2026 Reading Goal: 80

2026 Reading Goal %: 26.25%

Favorite Non-Fiction: Nobody's Girl - Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Favorite Fiction: His & Hers - Alice Feeney

Additional Stats

Popular Genres

contemporary fiction | trauma | abuse | memoirs | biographies | crime fiction | mystery

BIPOC Authors

rupi kaur | Toni Tone | Cynthia Erivo | Yoko Ono

Banned Books:

the sun and her flowers | milk and honey

Goodreads Choice Winners

The Housemaid's Secret

Books Reread

the sun and her flowers | milk and honey | Gone Girl

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A to Z Reading Challenge - Completed

I finished the A to Z Reading Challenge a few weeks ago. I did a mixture of Fiction and Non-Fiction. 

A to Z Reading Challenge 

A -- Ain't Burned All The Bright - Jason Reynolds ‡

B -- The Bell Jar (50th Anniversary) - Sylvia Plath ‡

C -- Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins Reid

D -- The Devil At His Elbow - Valerie Bauerlein

E -- Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters - Andrew Morton

F -- From Here to the Great Unknown - Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough

G -- The Guncle Abroad (The Guncle, #2) - Steven Rowley

H -- The House of Hidden Meanings - RuPaul

I -- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou ‡

J -- Journey Into Darkness (Mindhunter, #2) - John Douglas & Mark Olshaker,

K -- Karma - Boy George

L -- The Lightmaker's Manifesto: How to Work For Change Without Losing Your Joy - Karen Walrond

M -- Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life is Not Okay - Cyndie Spiegel

N -- Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice - Virginia Roberts Giuffre

O -- The Opposite of Loneliness - Marina Keegan

P -- Pretty Girls - Karin Slaughter

Q -- The Queen's English: The Young Reader's LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases - Chloe O. Davis

R -- Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Rase a Little Hell - Karen Walrond

S -- Sociopath: A Memoir - Patric Gagne, PhD

T -- The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club, #1) - Richard Osman

U -- Under the Whispering Door - T.J. Klune

V -- The Virgin Suicides (25th Anniversary Edition) - Jeffrey Eugenides ‡

W -- What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry, MD. PhD

X -- Anxious People - Fredrik Backman

Y -- You (You, #1) - Caroline Kepnes ‡

Z -- Zero Days - Ruth Ware

One Word Title -- Acres - Kendra Barnes

Color on the Cover -- The Color Purple - Alice Walker ‡

Number in the Title -- 11/22/63 - Stephen King

Animal on the Cover -- Lily and the Octopus - Steven Rowley

Template can be found on Pinterest via @the.readindraven

* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times

‡ Books that are Banned

Goodreads Review - "Apollo 8"

 

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Informative. Engaging. Inspiring.

“Round the moon and back…”

Apollo 8
Mission Type: Lunar Landing Preparation
Crew: Frank Borman, James Lovell Jr., William Anders
Launch: Dec. 21, 1968
Splashdown: Dec. 27, 1968

This is a very insightful book about how we made it to the Moon by the end of the 1960s. It provides valuable background on the early space program, including the experiences of the Mercury missions in low Earth orbit and the Gemini program, which astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell were part of before the Apollo 8 mission. Each program pushed humanity farther from Earth, building toward that historic achievement.

This mission is also known for the iconic “Earthrise” photograph taken by William Anders.

We’ve come a long way since the beginning of the space program, and it’s exciting to think about what lies ahead.

———————————————

Here’s a bonus content for my review. It’s not much but as a veteran, I really loved this part.

During the first rendezvous flight where Gemini 7 and 6 (yes, it’s in that order because of when they lifted off) were orbiting around each other, there was a playful moment between the two crews. It’s an “inside joke” with the military involving the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy that dates back to 1972. The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is awarded to each season’s winner of the US collegiate football series but it can only be awarded to one of the three military academies; Army, Navy, and Air Force. After Gemini 6 completed another pirouette around Gemini 7, the right-hand window of Gemini 6 was covered with a sign. Wally Schirra had smuggled aboard a piece of blue cardboard bearing bright white letters that read, BEAT ARMY. When one of the academies play another academy there’s a saying that is used that ’s become so popular. If you’re a fan of the Air Force, you would say “GO AIR FORCE, BEAT NAVY” or ARMY. Borman was Army. Lovell, Schirra, & Thomas Stafford were all Navy so he was outnumbered on this one.

———————————————

Quotes to remember from the book:

“But death was always a part of the piloting calculus, and this time would be no different.”

“Our rockets can fly from place to place, but only the mind of man can cross the new frontiers of space.” - Lyndon B. Johnson

“There was the ongoing problem of how a man preserves his last scrap of privacy—to say nothing of dignity—in a spacecraft with no proper toilet facilities. Urinating in space was not a problem, and the doctors, it turned out, had decided that they would need only occasional samples. This meant the men could usually relieve themselves into a tube and then vent it through a small port on the exterior of the spacecraft, where it would instantly burst into a shower of glittery crystals, a phenomenon Wally Schirra had dubbed the constellation Urion."

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Apollo 8 Astronaut and commander Frank Borman leads the way as he and James Lovell, Command Module (CM) pilot; and William Anders, Lunar Module (LM) Pilot head out to the launch pad for the historical first manned Apollo mission to travel to the lunar vicinity, and first manned mission launched via the Saturn V vehicle. Photo Credit: NASA

"Earthrise" photograph by William Anders

Apollo 8 Mission Patch

List of Songs from "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" series (Episode 8-9)

I’ve put together a complete list of all the songs featured in the Hulu series. Here are the songs from Episode 8-9, as well as a Spotify playlist. 

Spotify Playlist Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette

Episode 1-4

Episode 5-7

Episode 8 | Exit Strategy

Smoke Rings - k.d. lang

No Ordinary Love - Sade

Exit Musice (For a Film) - Radiohead

Smile - Timi Yuro

Episode 9 | Search and Recovery

All I Need - Air, Beth Hirsch

Here With Me - Dido

"Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" is available for streaming on Hulu.

List of Songs from "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" series (Episode 5-7)

I’ve put together a complete list of all the songs featured in the Hulu series. Here are the songs from Episode 5-7, as well as a Spotify playlist. 

Spotify Playlist Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette

Episode 1-4

Episode 5 | Battery Park

Good - Better Than Ezra

Whitewash - Please

No More "I Love You's" - Annie Lennox

Name - The Goo Goo Dolls

Episode 6 | The Wedding

Headshots - Suzanne Vega

Common People - Pulp

Venus in Furs - The Velvet Underground, Nico

Lo Boob Oscillator - Stereolab

Suzanne - Nina Simone

Express - Area

(Nice Dream) - Radiohead

Crazy for You - Slowdive

Episode 7 | Obsession

Sullen Girl - Fiona Apple

"Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" is available for streaming on Hulu.

List of Songs from "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" series (Episode 1-4)

I’ve put together a complete list of all the songs featured in the first four episodes currently available on Hulu as well as a Spotify playlist. 

Spotify Playlist Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette

Episode 1 | Pilot

Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer

Loaded - Primal Scream

Crazy - Seal

Life's What You Make It

I Touch Myself - Divinyls

Weather With You - Crowded House

So What'Cha Want - Beastie Boys

Blood of Eden - Peter Gabriel

This Woman's Work - Kate Bush

Free Your Mind - En Vogue

We Got A Love Thang - CeCe Peniston

Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau Twins

Total Control - The Motels

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over - Lenny Kravitz

Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover - Sophie B. Hawkins 

Set Adrift On Memory Bliss - P.M. Down

Episode 2 | The Pools Party

My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) - En Vogue

Cannonball - The Breeders

Human Behaviour - Björk 

Blue Light - Mazzy Star

I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses

Together We're Alone - Einstein's Sister

Lullaby - Low

Come Undone - Duran Duran

Episode 3 | America's Widow

No Rain - Blind Melon

Solitude - Ella Fitzgerald

Camelot: Finale Ultimo - Frederick Loewe, Richard Burton, The Camelot Ensemble, Original Broadway Cast of Camelot, Franz Allers

Fade Into You - Mazzy Star

be not depart from me - jung jaeil, Budapest Scoring Orchestra and Choir, Jung Eun Hye

Glory Glory Hallelujah - Robert J. Walsh

Ave Maria, Op. 52, No. 6., D. 839 - Franz Schubert, Martha Psyko

Roads - Portishead

Episode 4 | I Love You

Secret - Madonna

Connected - Stereo MC's

No Ordinary Love - Sade

You Wreck Me - Tom Petty

Lover, You Should've Come Over - Jeff Buckley

Linger - The Cranberries

"Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" is available for streaming on Hulu.

Eulogy for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis - "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette"

I'm currently watching the new show "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette" on FX (Hulu) and an excerpt of the eulogy that Senator Edward (Teddy) Kennedy gave for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was featured in the show and it was really beautiful so I wanted to provide the full eulogy here. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"She was always there for our family in her special way. She was a blessing to us and to the nation -- and a lesson to the world on how to do things right, how to be a mother, how to appreciate history, how to be courageous. No one else looked like her, spoke like her, wrote like her, or was so original in the way she did things. No one we knew ever had a better sense of self. 

Eight months before she married Jack, they went together to President Eisenhower’s Inaugural Ball. Jackie said later that that’s where they decided they liked inaugurations. 

No one ever gave more meaning to the title of "First Lady." The nation’s capital city looks as it does because of her. She saved Lafayette Square and Pennsylvania Avenue. The National Cultural Center was her cause before it was The Kennedy Center. Jackie brought the greatest artists to the White House, and brought the arts to the center of national attention. Today, in large part because of her inspiration and vision, the arts are an abiding part of national policy. 

President Kennedy took such delight in her brilliance and her spirit. At a White House dinner, he once leaned over and told the wife of the French Ambassador, “Jackie speaks fluent French. But I only understand one out of every five words she says -- and that word is "DeGaulle.” 

And then, during those four endless days in 1963, she held us together as a family and a country. In large part because of her, we could grieve and then go on. She lifted us up, and in the doubt and darkness, she gave her fellow citizens back their pride as Americans. She was then 34 years old. 

Afterward, as the eternal flame she lit flickered in the autumn of Arlington Cemetery, Jack[ie] went on to do what she most wanted -- to raise Caroline and John, and warm her family’s life and that of all the Kennedys. 

Robert Kennedy sustained her, and she helped make it possible for Bobby to continue. She kept Jack[’s] memory alive and he carried Jack’s mission on. 

Her two children turned out to be extraordinary: honest, unspoiled, and with a character equal to hers. And she did it in the most trying circumstances. They are her two miracles. 

Her love for Caroline and John was deep and unqualified. She reveled in their accomplishments; she hurt with their sorrows; she felt sheer joy and delight in spending time with them. At the mere mention of one of their names, Jackie’s eyes would shine brighter and her smile would grow bigger. She once said that if you “bungle raising your children nothing else much matters in life.” She didn’t bungle. Once again, she showed how to do the most important thing of all, and do it right. 

When she went to work, Jackie became a respected professional in the world of publishing. And because of her, remarkable books came to life. And she searched out new authors and ideas. She was interested in everything. Her love of history became a devotion to historic preservation. You knew, when Jackie joined the cause to save a building in Manhattan, the bulldozers might as well turn around and go home. 

She had a wonderful sense of humor -- a way of focusing on someone with total attention -- and a little girl delight in who they were and what they were saying. It was a gift of herself that she gave to others. And in spite of all of her heartache and loss, she never faltered. 

I often think of what she said about Jack in December after he died: "They made him a legend, when he would have preferred to be a man." Jackie would have preferred to be just herself, but the world insisted that she be a legend too. She never wanted public notice -- in part I think, because it brought back painful memories of unbearable sorrow endured in the glare of a million lights. In all the years since then, her genuineness and depth of character continued to shine through the privacy, and reach people everywhere.  

Jackie was too young to be a widow in 1963, and too young to die now. Her grandchildren were bringing new joy to her life, a joy that illuminated her face whenever you saw them together. Whether it was taking Rose and Tatiana for an ice cream cone, or taking a walk in Central Park with little Jack as she did last Sunday, she relished being "Grandjackie" and showering her grandchildren with love. 

At the end, she worried more about us than herself. She let her family and friends know she was thinking of them. How cherished were those wonderful notes in her distinctive hand on her powder blue stationary.  

In truth, she did everything she could -- and more -- for each of us. She made a rare and noble contribution to the American spirit. But for us, most of all she was a magnificent wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, aunt, and friend. 

She graced our history. And for those of us who knew and loved her -- she graced our lives."

Audio of the eulogy can be found here: 

Edward M. Kennedy, Eulogy for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis on American Rhetoric

"Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" is available for streaming on Hulu.

Goodreads Review - "His & Hers"

His & Hers by Alice Feeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Twisty. Gripping. Suspenseful.

"We all hide behind the version of ourselves we let the rest of the world see."

WOW! Just WOW! I won't give away the page number but during the first 1/3 of the book, I took a wild guess as to who I thought was the murderer and then I added another one to the list shortly after that and it turns out that I was right. I loved how I kept getting pulled in different directions as to who it was.

It was one of the first two that I thought all along but then there were twists towards the end that led me into another direction until the very last part where it was revealed who it was and I was right all along. It was just a lucky guess and I thought I had spoiled it for myself but the twist and turns had me second guessing the whole time.

Highly recommend this book especially if you've read a lot of suspense/thrillers. This one will leave you guessing the entire time.


A few quotes to save for later.

"Home is not always where the heart is. For people like me, home is where the hurt lives that made us into who we are." -- Anna Andrews

"You can't help someone find their way if they won't admit they're lost." -- Jack Harper

"In the future, I expect people will long for fifteen minutes of privacy, rather than fifteen minutes of fame." -- Anna Andrews

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Rainbow Reading Challenge - Completed

I finished the Rainbow Reading Challenge a few months ago. I did a mixture of Fiction and Non-Fiction. 

Rainbow Reading Challenge 

Red -- Radiant Rebellion - Karen Walrond 

Orange -- The Diary of a Young Girl (75th Anniversary - The Definitive Edition) - Anne Franke * ‡

Yellow -- Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Green -- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) - Suzanne Collins

Dark Blue -- Somebody's Daughter - Ashley C. Ford

Light Blue -- Summer Sisters - Judy Blume

Purple -- Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games #0.5) - Suzanne Collins 

Pink -- Let's Call Her Barbie - Renee Olson

White -- The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas ‡

Black -- Newtown: An American Tragedy - Matthew Lysiak 

Brown -- Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey

Grey -- Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty

Template can be found on Pinterest via @emilyreads15

* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times

‡ Books that are Banned

Goodreads Review - "Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5"

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5: The Magic of Oz; Glinda of Oz; The Royal Book of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Magic of Oz (4 stars)

This story follows Kiki Art and the Nome King traveling around Oz. Kiki wants to get away from his home and takes some magic from his father which just happens to be a word that needs to be said in order to transform anyone into anything. It also follows the adventure of Captain Bill and Trot out on a search for a birthday present for Ozma and then Dorothy and the Wizard have to come and rescue them. At some point the two groups meet up. It wasn’t my favorite of this volume but it was still fill with creativity. The Lonesome Duck is my favorite character from this story. Here’s a quote from him about his home when it was questioned as to why it was the best in all the world, “a home of any sort should be beautiful to those who live in it, and should not be intended to please strangers. The Diamond Palace is my home, and I like it. So I don’t care a quack whether you like it or not.”

*Side note: It's important to remember that this book was published in 1919 which means that some words are used in a different context like the word ‘f*ggot which was used as “bundle of f*ggots”. I looked up the definition and the older use for the word was: “a bundle of sticks”.

Glinda of Oz (4 stars)

Another adventure in Oz where Dorothy and Ozma have to help prevent a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. This book was my favorite of this volume because the but creativity was really good even with it being the 14th book in the series. There was a part where both of them were in the tent and Dorothy was thinking “how she wished that all men and women could be fairies with silver wands, and satisfy all their needs without so much work and worry, for then, she imagined, they would have all their working hours to be happy in.” and Ozma—reading her mind—responded with, "No, no, Dorothy, that wouldn't do at all. Instead of happiness your plan would bring weariness to the world. If every one could wave a wand and have his wants fulfilled there would be little to wish for. There would be no eager striving to obtain the difficult, for nothing would then be difficult, and the pleasure of earning something longed for, and only to be secured by hard work and careful thought, would be utterly lost. There would be nothing to do you see, and no interest in life and in our fellow creatures. That is all that makes life worth our while-to do good deeds and to help those less fortunate than ourselves."


The Royal Book of Oz (3 stars)

This book was okay but it was the first of the series to be written after L. Frank Baum’s death by Ruth Plumly Thompson. The adventure wasn't too exciting but the creativity was good. This story follows the origin of the Scarecrow where he goes looking for his family. After a while, Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion get worried and go looking for him and bring him back to Oz.

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Goodreads Review - "Atmosphere"

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Emotional. Thoughtful. Unforgettable.

Atmosphere is a beautifully emotional and deeply engaging read that I absolutely loved. As a NASA and space enthusiast, I was instantly drawn in by how thoughtfully the author blends real history with fiction. The book stays impressively true to NASA’s historical facts, especially in its acknowledgment of Group 8 as the first class to include women, Black, and Asian astronauts. From there, it follows a fictional group of astronauts in the summer of 1980, alongside imagined missions set in December 1984. The dual timeline is handled exceptionally well, flowing smoothly and adding depth to the story.

I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between Joan’s story and Sally Ride’s, which added an extra layer of meaning for me. While I’m not usually drawn to love stories, this one felt different. It wasn’t overly romantic or heavy-handed; instead, it focused more on the powerful human connections that form under extraordinary circumstances, and that made it feel authentic and moving.

I was captivated from beginning to end, and the final section truly is an emotional roller coaster. One quote that perfectly captured the heart of the story was:
“Just the act of falling in love was to agree to a broken heart.”
There were so many other beautiful lines as well, and I found myself saving several to revisit later.

This was an easy five-star read for me—emotional, thoughtful, and unforgettable.

----------------

"But as Joan watched the Earth through the window now, it struck her as monumentally absurd that any of this had been a race with any opponent. Whatever the stated or unstated goals of the Apollo program, the achievements of everyone in space were shared, she thought, among us all. Humans had figured out how to put a satellite up there. Humans had gone to the moon. And sure, they were all Americans in that shuttle at that very moment. But for the space shuttle program to be an American victory felt so small compared to the victory that it could be, should be. Look what we humans had done.

“Because the world had decided that to be soft was to be weak, even though in Joan's experience being soft and flexible was always more durable than being hard and brittle. Admitting you were afraid always took more guts than pretending you weren't. Being willing to make a mistake got you further than never trying. The world had decided that to be fallible was weak. But we are all fallible. The strong ones are the ones who accept it.”

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2025 Reading Wrap Up - Ratings

★★★★★

A Map of Days (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #4) - Ransom Riggs

All the Broken Places (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, #2) - John Boyne

And How Does That Make You Feel? - Joshua Fletcher

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon - Jeffrey Kruger

Atmosphere - Taylor Reid Jenkins

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space - Adam Higginbotham

Emotional Intelligence: Good Habits - Harvard Business Review

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert - Bob the Drag Queen

Harry Styles is Life - Kathleen Perricone

In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur - Karen Walrond

Lady Gaga is Life - Kathleen Perricone 

Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Poems & Prayers - Matthew McConaughey

Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell - Karen Walrond 

Rihanna is Life - Kathleen Perricone

Room - Emma Donoghue

Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2) - T.J. Klune

Summer Sisters - Judy Blume 

Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) - Suzanne Collins

The Astronaut Wives Club - Lily Koppel

The Beauty of Different: Observations of a Confident Misfit - Karen Walrond 

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath ‡

The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding - Sarah Burns

The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty - Valerie Bauerlein

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom - Shari Franke

The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton * ‡

Wolly Olly Olly the Terrible Cow - Lindsey L. Brooks

Women Don't Owe You Pretty - Florence Given

★★★★☆ 

A Bear Called Paddington - Michael Bond

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr ‡

Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty

Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door - Roy Wenzl

Brave Enough - Cheryl Strayed

Cold Hearted (Villains, #8) - Serena Valentino

Drag Queen of Scots - Lawrence Chaney

Emotional Intelligence: Inclusion - Harvard Business Review

Evil Things (Villains, #7) - Serena Valentino

Falling Bodies (The Far Reaches, #3) - Rebecca Roanhorse

Glinda of Oz (Oz, #14) - L. Frank Baum

How Poetry Can Change Your Heart - Megan Falley & Andrea Gibson

How to Be More Paddington: A Book of Kindness - Michael Bond

How We Sleep at Night - Sara Cunningham

I Don't Need Therapy: and other lies I've told myself - Toni Lodge

I See You Seeing Me (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #4) - Issa Rae

Let's Call Her Barbie - Renée Rosen

Mother Knows Best (Villains, #5) - Serena Valentino

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 4 - L. Frank Baum

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5 - L. Frank Baum

Parkland: A Birth of a Movement - Dave Cullen

Playing Well with Others (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #2) - Issa Rae

Rinkitink in Oz (Oz, #10) - L. Frank Baum

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - Stephen King

The Big Cheese (The Food Group, #7) - Jory John & Pete Oswald

The Dogs of Venice - Steven Rowley

The Fall Risk - Abby Jimenez

The Geography of Creativity (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #3) - Issa Rae

The Lost Princess of Oz (Oz, #11) - L. Frank Baum 

The Magic of Oz, (Oz, #13) - L. Frank Baum

The Odd Sisters (Villains, #6) - Serena Valentino

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky ‡

The Tin Woodman of Oz (Oz, #12) - L. Frank Baum

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Temple

The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot, #1) - Peter Brown

The Wild Robot Escapes (The Wild Robot, #2) - Peter Brown

The Wild Robot Protects (The Wild Robot, #3) - Peter Brown

Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne ‡

★★★☆☆ 

Abscond - Abraham Verghese

Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel - Amy Price

Death Row (Alibis Collection, #1) - Freida McFadden

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #4) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #1) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #3) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Potions and Herbology (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #2) - Pottermore Publishing

How to Be Loved Like Paddington - Michael Bond

I Almost Know What I'm Doing (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #6) - Issa Rae

Just Out of Jupiter's Reach (The Far Reaches, #5) - Nnedi Okorafor 

Mistress of All Evil (Villains, #4) - Serena Valentino

Oh. What. Fun. - Chandler Baker

Oklahoma City: What the Investigation Missed--and Why It Still Matters - Andrew Gumbel

The Art of Letting Go - Rain Naim

The Art of Strategic Procrastination (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #5) - Issa Rae

The Business of Being Me (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #1) - Issa Rae

The Last Father-Daughter Dance - Lisa Wingate

The Royal Book of Oz (Oz, #15) - Ruth Plumly Thompson

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Sublet - Greer Hendricks

Void (The Far Reaches, #2) - Veronica Roth

★★☆☆☆

How It Unfolds (The Far Reaches, #1) - James S.A. Corey

The Great Eggscape! (The Food Group, #2.1) - Jory John & Pete Oswald

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald ‡

★☆☆☆☆ 

Falling Down (The Boy in the Iron Box, #1) - Guillermo del Toro

Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare 

Slow Time Between Stars (The Far Reaches, #6) - John Scalzi 

The Long Game (The Far Reaches, #4) - Ann Leckie 

* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times

‡ Books that are Banned

2025 Reading Wrap Up

My 2025 Reading Wrap Up. This year I read 94 books and exceeded my goal of 85 books.

“The House of My Mother” by Shari Franke was the overall winner and the non-fiction winner with “Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space” by Adam Higginbotham coming in second. On the fiction side I had “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid as the winner with “All the Broken Places (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, #2)” by John Boyne coming in second.

2025 Books Read 

Non-Fiction - Memoirs:

How We Sleep at Night - Sara Cunningham

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom - Shari Franke

Non-Fiction - Audiobooks: 

Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel - Amy Price

Drag Queen of Scots - Lawrence Chaney

I Don't Need Therapy: and other lies I've told myself - Toni Lodge

Non-Fiction - Mental Health | Personal Growth:

And How Does That Make You Feel? - Joshua Fletcher

In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur - Karen Walrond

Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell - Karen Walrond 

Women Don't Owe You Pretty - Florence Given

Non-Fiction - Leadership | Business:

Emotional Intelligence: Good Habits - Harvard Business Review

Emotional Intelligence: Inclusion - Harvard Business Review

Non-Fiction - History: 

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon - Jeffrey Kruger

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space - Adam Higginbotham

The Astronaut Wives Club - Lily Koppel

Non-Fiction - True Crime: 

Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door - Roy Wenzl

Oklahoma City: What the Investigation Missed--and Why It Still Matters - Andrew Gumbel

Parkland: A Birth of a Movement - Dave Cullen

The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding - Sarah Burns

The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty - Valerie Bauerlein

Non-Fiction: 

Brave Enough - Cheryl Strayed

Harry Styles is Life - Kathleen Perricone

Lady Gaga is Life - Kathleen Perricone 

Rihanna is Life - Kathleen Perricone

The Beauty of Different: Observations of a Confident Misfit - Karen Walrond 

Fiction: 

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr ‡

Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty

Atmosphere - Taylor Reid Jenkins

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert - Bob the Drag Queen

Let's Call Her Barbie - Renée Rosen

Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Room - Emma Donoghue

Summer Sisters - Judy Blume 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Temple

Fiction - Audiobooks:

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - Stephen King

Fiction - Classics:

Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare 

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath ‡

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald ‡

The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton * ‡

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky ‡

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

Fiction - Series: 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2) - T.J. Klune

A Map of Days (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #4) - Ransom Riggs

Rinkitink in Oz (Oz, #10) - L. Frank Baum

The Lost Princess of Oz (Oz, #11) - L. Frank Baum 

The Tin Woodman of Oz (Oz, #12) - L. Frank Baum

The Magic of Oz, (Oz, #13) - L. Frank Baum

Glinda of Oz (Oz, #14) - L. Frank Baum

The Royal Book of Oz (Oz, #15) - Ruth Plumly Thompson

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 4 - L. Frank Baum

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5 - L. Frank Baum

All the Broken Places (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, #2) - John Boyne

Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) - Suzanne Collins

Mistress of All Evil (Villains, #4) - Serena Valentino

Mother Knows Best (Villains, #5) - Serena Valentino

The Odd Sisters (Villains, #6) - Serena Valentino

Evil Things (Villains, #7) - Serena Valentino

Cold Hearted (Villains, #8) - Serena Valentino

The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot, #1) - Peter Brown

The Wild Robot Escapes (The Wild Robot, #2) - Peter Brown

The Wild Robot Protects (The Wild Robot, #3) - Peter Brown

Poetry: 

How Poetry Can Change Your Heart - Megan Falley & Andrea Gibson

Poems & Prayers - Matthew McConaughey

Short Stories - Fiction:

Abscond - Abraham Verghese

Oh. What. Fun. - Chandler Baker

The Dogs of Venice - Steven Rowley

The Last Father-Daughter Dance - Lisa Wingate

The Fall Risk - Abby Jimenez

The Sublet - Greer Hendricks

Short Stories - Fiction - Series: 

Death Row (Alibis Collection, #1) - Freida McFadden

How It Unfolds (The Far Reaches, #1) - James S.A. Corey

Void (The Far Reaches, #2) - Veronica Roth

Falling Bodies (The Far Reaches, #3) - Rebecca Roanhorse

The Long Game (The Far Reaches, #4) - Ann Leckie 

Just Out of Jupiter's Reach (The Far Reaches, #5) - Nnedi Okorafor 

Slow Time Between Stars (The Far Reaches, #6) - John Scalzi 

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #1) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Potions and Herbology (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #2) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #3) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #4) - Pottermore Publishing

Falling Down (The Boy in the Iron Box, #1) - Guillermo del Toro

Short Stories - Non Fiction:

The Art of Letting Go - Rain Naim

The Business of Being Me (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #1) - Issa Rae

Playing Well with Others (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #2) - Issa Rae

The Geography of Creativity (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #3) - Issa Rae

I See You Seeing Me (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #4) - Issa Rae

The Art of Strategic Procrastination (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #5) - Issa Rae

I Almost Know What I'm Doing (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #6) - Issa Rae

Children's Books:

A Bear Called Paddington - Michael Bond

How to Be Loved Like Paddington - Michael Bond

How to Be More Paddington: A Book of Kindness - Michael Bond

The Big Cheese (The Food Group, #7) - Jory John & Pete Oswald

The Great Eggscape! (The Food Group, #2.1) - Jory John & Pete Oswald

Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne ‡

Wolly Olly Olly the Terrible Cow - Lindsey L. Brooks

* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times

‡ Books that are Banned