A Year of Books: A Recap

Hello besties,  

So today is book week, our first one. Alongside my neurodivergence, I am a through and through book girl and my aim is to have a library (you need a thousand books) and I have about three hundred, so only seven hundred more to go. 

Our first book week is about getting to know each other and then go through some of my favourite 2025 reads.   

Let us start with basics,  

Favourite author? Mine is Rebecca Yarros despite her controversy, I do love Colleen Hoover and Freida McFadden.  

Favourite genre? Fantasy. All day. I do love a thriller with plot twists and a romance that has your heart beating. I love a good drama but, in the end, I always go back to fantasy or romantasy. 

Favourite books? I have to say Verity by Colleen Hoover; I read that book literally in a night and did not sleep. I also have my basics, Harry Potter etc butVerity  has had me in a chokehold. 

Now in 2025, I very much did not reach my goal. I wanted to read a hundred books, and I think I have read seventy five? So not even near, but next year we are aiming for better – a hundred books in 2026? An average of two books a week? Part of me thinks this is a little high, especially for me.

My least favourite read of 2025, was a book my cousin got me for Christmas in 2024, one of her favourites, called Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I am not saying it wasn’t a well written book, I found it hard to get into it. I debated for a while DNFing it and I have never DNFed a book. For myself it was predictable and a typical Hallmark movie, which is a good comfort book for some but I realised I do not like that type of book.

Now my top two favourites, which includes a series which I have not finished yet. With first, my favourite books are The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros including Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm. When I say this series has me in a choke hold, I can not even pinpoint it, the dragons, Xaden oh Xaden and Violet who is meant to be a scribe but becomes one of the best and powerful riders. People don’t believe in her and she shows the world why she should not be underestimated. If you haven’t read it please add it to your TBR. It was also the book that introduced me into romantasy/fantasy, and I have never looked back.

Coming in at second place is the ACOTAR series by Sarah J Mass. This series comes away from dragons and into the world of faeries, I am currently three books in. I believe it could have ended after book three, at times it felt forced, without giving spoilers, it just ended in the perfect place and I am finding it really hard to get through. This series has had me kicking my feet and praying for a faerie lord to come and sweep me away.  

Not to mention both series’ has me blushing, hard core red face but the perfect amount. If you have not read these two series, get reading because I promise you that you will not look back.  

With 2026 here, I have already started thinking about my TBR for this year and given I have over three hundred books in my bookshelves. I think I have got it down to a couple of series/books I’m most looking forward to.

So, 2026 anticipated reads are as follows.  

Caraval series by Stephanie Garber 

Boys Of Tommen by Chloe Walsh  

Never After by Emily McIntyre  

Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi (mixed emotions) 

Variation by Rebecca Yarros 

There are more on my TBR, but these four I am most looking forward to and anticipating reading and have been for a long time, for 2026. 

Also I want to get a little more into thrillers, especially Freida McFadden. I am collecting all her books, and want to read them all in time.

Tell me besties what is your most looked forward to and anticipated read for 2026?  

Next book week (in two weeks time) we will be talking about books, films and series’ and if they are worth watching? Do they bring everything to life?

So tune in and for when we discuss all things autism and neurodiversity. 

I hope to see all my besties there.  

Until then, I hope you had an amazing Christmas and New Year, if you celebrate!  

Love always,  

Your autistic bestie  

Book of the week: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden AND A court Of Frost And Starlight By Sarah J. Mass (I will get though it I promise!)