OMG, bookworms, stop the presses! The reading year is almost officially over, and you know what that means. Just like you spent all week refreshing your feed for your Spotify Wrapped stats, we’ve been counting down the minutes to dish on the Bookstr squad’s most unhinged, iconic, and absolutely mandatory reads of 2025. This isn’t your grandma’s book club recap, bestie.
We’re talking full-blown tea on who was living in the Omegaverse (guilty as charged), which thrillers had our designers sleeping with the lights on (shoutout to Kayla!), and the one author who basically became a main character in all our lives. From tackling epic TBR piles (Kate is thriving!) to finding new literary loves (looking at you, Alyssa C. and your Ali Hazelwood obsession), our team read a collective 477 books this year. Seriously, where did we find the time?!
Get ready to dive deep into our individual stats — Top Genres, Author Faves, and the books that genuinely changed the game. Spoiler alert: 2025 was a year of surprising genre swaps, triumphant returns from reading slumps (Sari for the win!), and so much romance.
So, grab your biggest mug of coffee (or wine), cozy up, and let’s see which Bookstr team member was vibing with your shelf this year!
1. Kayla, Graphics
This year, I have challenged myself to explore new genres outside of my comfort zone of fantasy and sci-fi. With the help of my mom and our monthly (sometimes more than monthly) book club, I’ve read so many new genres, including a newfound love for thrillers! I’ve discovered many new authors this year, such as Sarah A. Parker, Keri Lake, Frieda McFadden, and Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I met my reading goal of 30 books with a month and a half to spare, dove into more audiobooks, and got a Kindle to start reading e-books again!
2. Alyssa, Editorial
This year was full of Ali Hazelwood re-reads (Love Theoretically and Bride, I’m looking at you) and new releases that I devoured (Deep End and Mate, ilysm). I got completely lost in graphic novels and manga — Lore Olympus and A Sign of Affection were impossible to put down, and I fell hard for new-to-me authors like Victoria Lavine and Jillian Meadows. I also listened to so many great audiobooks that kept me company as I did projects around my house and had cozy, lazy evenings. 2025 was basically a nonstop mix of swoony love stories, surprises, and books that I’m still thinking about months later.
3. Kristi, Executive Editor
We’re 3 years strong with the heavy Omegaverse reads, and I don’t see an end in sight.of the 142 books I’ve read thus far this year, 62 were OV, and I don’t regret a thing. Of course, I read quite a variety of other genres, but above and beyond any, omegaverse came in as the top genre each month. Romantasy, fantasy, and thriller coming in, respectively, under that. There is just something so alluring about the A/B/O genre, the dynamics, how love works, etc. I cannot get enough!
4. Paige, Social Media
Although this year was not a knockout in terms of total books read, I certainly found a lot of new favorites this year! For much of the year, I stuck mostly within my favorite genres, sci-fi/fantasy and horror, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the other genres I explored, such as nonfiction and romance. I was particularly impressed with Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, as one of the only non-fantasy books I devoured this year. This was my first TJR, and it inspired me to try a few other new-to-me authors like Rachel Reid, Joe Abercrombie, Gus Moreno, and Sable Sorensen! It was a great year for trying new things, while always keeping a reliable old fantasy close by.
5. Sari, Marketing
This year marked my triumphant return from a multiyear reading slump. This year brought many surprises, such as an unexpected job offer at a library. In many ways, this reshaped my destiny, putting me in the pathway for questions about popular series and authors. For the first time, I allowed myself to read books simply because they are popular, and I was surprised how many lived up to the hype! I also tasked myself with discovering new genres — never read memoir, romantasy, or horror at all before the library. I grew very close to the bookish community this year, and my eyes are open for new literary delights in 2026.
6. Alyssa, Marketing
This year, I am pretty happy with not only the books I’ve read, but the amount! I tried to build more time into my calendar for reading, and thankfully, I did. I also read a greater variety of books than normal, rather than the standard mystery to romance to fantasy schedule I normally stick with. I also really got into Ali Hazelwood’s novel (I know I’m late), and now I’m a permanent fan to say the least! I’m hoping I continue to read things I normally wouldn’t since I always find some of the best novels that way!
7. Kate, Editorial
This year, I’ve finally made a real dent in my TBR, and I couldn’t be more proud – pats self on back. I’m still completely addicted to a steamy Why Choose and Enemies-to-Lovers romance (thank you for your service, Tate James), but I also ventured out of my comfort zone and read some new authors. I’m genuinely excited to read more from author Sable Sorensen. May 2026 can’t get here soon enough so I can read book two in The Wolves of Ruin series!
So, there you have it — the definitive proof that the Bookstr team is truly living a double life: one moment, we’re deep in the trenches of Omegaverse smut (I’ll never change!), and the next, we’re dissecting the literary genius of V.E. Schwab and Taylor Jenkins Reid. Whether we were crushing massive reading goals (Kayla and Alyssa C. FTW!), venturing into terrifying new genres, or simply re-reading the Ali Hazelwood backlist for the hundredth time (Alyssa C., we get it), 2025 was truly a main character year for our shelves. The major takeaway? Community is everything (shoutout to Sari’s library gig!), and there’s always time to squeeze in a few dozen more steamy, thrilling, or fantastical pages. Here’s to closing out a ridiculously good reading year and setting our sights on even spicier TBRs for 2026!
Looking for more bookish commentary from the Bookstr team? Check out our Bookstr Talks page.
Discover more recommendations from the Bookstr team on our Bookstr Team Recommendations Bookshelf on our Bookshop!
