Hi everyone, welcome to my 2025 Reading List.  I used to love reading and I haven’t consistently read for fun in years, so for 2025 I’m challenging myself to read a book a month—a pretty tangible goal in my opinion. If you’re also stuck in a reading rut, read along with me! I’ve picked out twelve books that I’m reading this year (books I keep telling myself I’ll read, but haven’t), and I’ll post reviews each month. I’m doing this to keep myself accountable. If you wanna keep yourself accountable, comment down below with your review of each book, and if you get through all twelve, I’ll send you a handwritten message of support. 

Before you read on–fair warning–this list is a weird mix. There’s YA Romance, 19th century British literature, fantasy, non-fiction, and more. Without further ado, here’s my reading list for 2025. 

January: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

First up on the list: “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover. Now I know what you might be thinking–Why tf would you start off the year with a romanticized domestic abuse story? But you know what, it’s been in the news a lot lately, and I wanted the inside scoop. Actually, at the time I’m writing this, I’ve already read this book. And you know what? It’s not at all as bad as people say. 

February: Emma by Jane Austen

Second on the list  is “Emma” by Jane Austen. I just read “Pride and Prejudice” for the first time for one of my classes, and it was actually the best thing ever. And I know everyone who reads says books are better than movies, but this time, the book was really better than the movie. To be honest, I know nothing about “Emma” other than the fact that Jane Austen wrote it. And I think that’s enough for me.

March: The Princess Bride by William Goldman

For March, we’re doing “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman. I’m assuming it’ll somewhat follow the premise of the movie, but I loved the movie growing up so I’m ok with that. Who wouldn’t wanna be a princess betrothed to an evil king who gets kidnapped by her pirate ex whom she once more falls in love with?

April: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Every single review I’ve read of this book says it’s “life-changing.” It’s on a bunch of must-read-in-your-lifetime lists along with “Atomic Habits” and “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” I personally have a vendetta against self-help books, so I’ve decided to read this instead and learn what all the praise is about. After all, April is in spring and spring is the season of new beginnings, I guess?

May: 1984 by George Orwell

I’m graduating from college in May, so why not start this new chapter of my life by being deathly afraid of the government?! I’ve tried to read this book twice before, but both times I failed. The first time I just didn’t get very into it, and the second time I got like two chapters in before I got distracted. I remember liking it the second time though, and it’s a classic, so I might as well give it a real shot. 

June: Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

June’s book of the month is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. People tend to describe this book as “lovely”, “delightful,” and “insightful”, which all sounds very polite and British. Don’t really know what I’m getting into with this one, but it’s been collecting dust on my shelf, so it’s probably time to shake it off.

July: The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X

In July, we’re switching it up with some non-fiction. I watched the Malcolm X movie starring Denzel Washington a year ago for another class, and it was kind of mind-blowing. It was the first time I’d been taught anything about him in an educational setting. I’m excited to read his life’s story from his perspective.

August: A Wizard of Earthsea by Urula K. Le Guin

For August I’m doing a total 180 and heading back to fantasy. In my super extensive research (Reddit), I’ve found that “A Wizard of Earthsea” is a fantasy-genre classic, so I’m interested to see if it lives up to its praise. On the other hand, I heard someone call it a lesser version of Harry Potter, so I’ll let you know how this one goes.

September: Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

“Midnight’s Children” is the first of a three novel series that takes place after the partition of India and Pakistan by the British colonial government. While it’s set in a historical context, it also has a fantastical aspect to it, as many of the children in the novel have magical powers. I love a good historical fiction novel, and I’ve heard good things about it so far. The premise is crazy interesting by itself, so I’m interested to see how the story plays out.

October: Middlemarch by George Elliot

This book has raving reviews on Goodreads. People are either obsessed with it or they hate it. It’s another piece of 19th century English literature about women having to marry old men to survive in society. Apparently it’s filled with many feminist themes. It’s also 880 pages long. Hopefully by October I have that kind of stamina.

November: Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

I figured if I’m doing this challenge, I might as well knock out some classics while I’m at it. That’s pretty much the only reason why I put this book on the list. From what I’ve read on Google, it’s a story about little kids doing little kid things. But people seem to like it, and I guess I’m trusting those people.

December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

“The Last Unicorn” is about a unicorn who thinks she is the last of her kind left on Earth. It’s a cute tale about its journey to discover what happened to the other unicorns. It may seem like a children’s book, but I’m excited to read something wholesome and magical, and I feel like it’ll be a good cap for the end of the year.

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Overall, I’m ready for this challenge. It’s been ages since I’ve been this excited to pick up a book. Below is a condensed version of my 2025 Book List in case it’s easier to check it out.

2025 Reading List

January: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

February: Emma by Jane Austen

March: The Princess Bride by William Goldman

April: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

May: 1984 by George Orwell

June: Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

July: The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X

August: A Wizard of Earthsea by Urula K. Le Guin

September: Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

October: Middlemarch by George Elliot

November: Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment with book suggestions or your opinions on these books!