What I read in 2025

On New Years, 2019 a friend of mine posted a list of the books they had read in 2018. I thought it was a great idea so I've been posting such a list myself ever since, first on Facebook, now on my blog. I find it a very useful exercise in self-reflection - though I am sure it is really just another example of my narcissism. 😏

This isn't everything I read. I don't include the articles and books I read for work. I only include such works when I read them cover to cover, rather then piecemeal while doing research.

I count books just to get a sense of where my mind was that year. This past year I worked hard to read new books rather then rereading the books I loved. This was, probably a mistake. In a catastrophically bad year for our nation, I could have used more comfort reading. I had a hard time finding books I truly loved this year, chasing the feeling of new discovery kept me from enjoying the familiar. 

This meant I missed some books that I usually read each year, most notably Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Also, a lot less Tolkien or Tolkien related works then I usually read. Almost no Dungeons & Dragons related works as well. 

I focused on two classic writers this year, Mark Twain and HG Wells, or portions of their writing. Wells had no surprises really, but Twain was a bit disappointing. I also looked again at Swiss Family Robinson and remain frustrated because I have not been able to find the version I read as a kid (most people don't realize how varied versions are due to the chaos of 19th century international copyright chaos.)

I did discover three new authors whose work I admire: Garth Nix, KJ Parker, and Giles Kristian. I will read more of their works if I can find them. And one author I utterly despise: TJ Hoisington. His work is reprehensible. 

I'm not going to make predictions for next year's reads. Right now, I've been exploring the Matter of Britain, and some Christmas carryover. I would guess I am likely to reread some works however, just because I don't see myself  avoiding rereads since I need to embrace comfort reads again. 

If anyone else makes such lists, I'd love to see them. Feel free to share the lists, or links to your lists, in the comments.😀 

You can find my previous years here: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.# of Rereads: 19 (I've marked rereads below with an *)

# Military History reads: 4

# of fantasy/horror works: 41

# by or about Tolkien or Inklings: 3

# related to Lovecraft or the Mythos: 14 

# 19th century reads: 24
# Frigate Navy period reads: 5

# Wilderness survival reads: 3

# Thieves' World & related: 6
# Matter of Britain/France works: 3

# of holiday reads: 5

# science fiction reads: 12

#Alternative History reads: 13

# Mythology reads: 3

What I read in 2025:

#1. Cities and Strongholds of Middle-earth: Essays on the Habitations of Tolkien’s Legendarium

edited by Cami D. Agan

#2. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

#3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

#4. Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain

#5. Tom Sawyer Detective by Mark Twain

#6. The Swiss Family Robinson; or Adventures in a Desert Island by Johann David Wyss*

#7. Lost Souls: Get Lost Saga, Book 1 by Noah Chinn*

#8. Return to Robinson Island by TJ Hoisington

#9. Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz by Garth Nix

#10. Lost Continents: Atlantis Theme in History, Science and Literature by L. Sprague de Camp 

#11. Castaways of the Flag by Jules Verne

#12. The Great Martian War: Invasion by Scott Washburn

#13. The Barbary Pirates by C. S. Forester

#14. The Cambridge History of Warfare edited by Geoffrey Parker

#15. The Wonderful Adventures of Phra the Phoenician: A Time Travel Story by Edwin Lester Arnold

#16. Swords Against Darkness edited by Andrew J. Offutt 

#17. The Neverending Story (Die Unendliche Geschichte) by Michael Ende, trans. Ralph Manheim*

#18. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

#19. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien*

#20. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

#21. Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

#22. The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock by Francis Augustín O'Reilly

#23. Thieves' World #5: The Face of Chaos edited by Robert Lynn Asprin & Lynn Abbey*

#24. Thieves' World #6: Wings of Omen edited by Robert Lynn Asprin & Lynn Abbey*

#25. A Columbus of Space by Garrett Putman Serviss

#26. War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches edited by Kevin J. Anderson 

#27. War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells*

#28. Cheshire Crossing by Andy Weir

#29. "The Crystal Egg" by H. G. Wells*

#30. The War in the Air by H.G. Wells

#31. The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling

#32. The Annotated Supernatural Horror in Literature: Revised and Enlarged by H. P. Lovecraft, edited by S. T. Joshi 

#33. Heroes & Monsters: The Unofficial Companion to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Jess Nevins 

#34. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1 by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill* 

#35. Nine Princes in Amber: The Chronicles of Amber, by Roger Zelazny

#36. Union 1812: The Americans Who Fought the Second War of Independence by A. J. Langguth

#37. Tarzan and the City of Gold by Edgar Rice Burroughs*

#38. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 2 by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill*

#39. A Blazing World: The Unofficial Companion to the Second League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Jess Nevins

#40. Fables Encyclopedia by Jess Nevins

#41. King Kong by Edgar Wallace, Merian C. Cooper, & Delos W. Lovelace

#42. Morlock Night by K. W. Jeter

#43. Realms of War edited by Philip Athans

#44. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill

#44. The Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James by M.R. James*

#45. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill

#46. Carnival Row: Tangle in the Dark by Stephanie K. Smith

#47. Winfield Scott and the Profession of Arms by Allan Peskin

#48. The October Country by Ray Bradbury

#49. The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen

#50. The White People by Arthur Machen

#51. The Shining Pyramid & The Three Impostors: Weird Tales by Arthur Machen

#52. Robert Asprin & Lynn Abbey's Thieves' World Graphics by Lynn Abbey

(Editor) & Tim Sale (Illustrator)*

#53. Robert Asprin & Lynn Abbey's Thieves' World Graphics 4 by Lynn Abbey

(Editor) & Tim Sale (Illustrator)*

#54. Robert Asprin & Lynn Abbey's Thieves' World Graphics 5 by Lynn Abbey

(Editor) & Tim Sale (Illustrator)*

#55. Robert Asprin & Lynn Abbey's Thieves' World Graphics 6 by Lynn Abbey

(Editor) & Tim Sale (Illustrator)*

#56. Call of Cthulhu: The Shadow on the Glass by Jonathan L. Howard

#57. The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle

#58. The Hill of Dreams by Arthur Machen

#59. Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by KJ Parker

#60. The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America's Most Cherished Holiday by Stephen Nissenbaum*

#61. Elidor by Alan Garner

#62. Classic Christmas Stories* 

#63. Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien*

#64. Lancelot by Giles Kristian

All views in this blog are my own and represent the views of no other person, organization, or institution.