
Top 5 books I meant to read in 2025
Hello friends!! Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday!! This week’s topic is top 5 books I meant to read in 2025!!
Ahhhh!! Not sure about everyone else, but the end of 2025 has snuck up on me. Back in June I was prepared. In fact, I was 6 books ahead on my reading goal. June was a great month. Then in August I did the MS Readathon and smashed through 15 books. That pushed me to 16 books ahead. My reading goals were going to be knocked out of the park.
Then it all kind of went to hell in a handbasket. I barely read anything in September, and in October I had my worst reading month this year — only finishing FIVE books. Needless to say, I think I’m only 2 book ahead now.
However, I am delighted to say that I am killing my 12 in 12 challenge — for the first time ever. I’ve finished 10 of the 12 books and am halfway through number 11. I may even finish the challenge this month!!
My 25 in 25 is in a very sad state though. I don’t even think I’ll manage a bingo let alone the whole list. Although…. maybe if I focus on it like a bingo board I could tick some more books off… Hmmm… ideas!
Anyway, the below five books are 2025 releases that I really and truly did mean to read this year. I was so excited for ALL of them. Like, desperately wanted to read them. I even reread previous books in the series in anticipation! I don’t know what happened. And while I haven’t given up on them yet, I’m not sure I’ll get there in the next 6 weeks.

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Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, and is now being hosted here @ Meeghan reads.

top 5 books I meant to read in 2025
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales — Heather Fawcett

Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow — Jessica Townsend
In the magical city of Nevermoor, long-buried secrets are coming to light, and Morrigan Crow’s life is about to turn upside down.
When Morrigan is invited into Nevermoor’s wealthy Silver District, she discovers a world of extravagance and a family mystery she’s eager to unravel. She could never imagine where it will lead: a white wedding, a golden dragon and a red pool of blood.
Embroiled in suspicion and danger, Morrigan leaps head first into a murder investigation, while also grappling with her ever-growing Wundersmith powers. And although her friends are there to help, she fears that could change if they learn she’s keeping a terrible secret of her own.
As shadowy forces awaken in Nevermoor, can Morrigan find a killer and solve the mystery in her own past… before the clock strikes midnight?

Thief of Night — Holly Black

Charlie Hall, glue trap for disaster, crooked from the day she was born, who’d never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on, may have finally met her match.
After defeating Salt and stealing her lover — the powerful shadow, Vince — back from under the noses of the powerful Cabal leaders, she thought she’d won. Agreeing to become the Hierophant and risking her life hunting down dangerous rogue shadows seemed a small price to pay if she got to do it while being tethered to Vince.
But Vince is no longer the man she loved. The tethering process wiped away his memories of the last year, leaving only Red — the ruthless shadow who spent years as a killer for a cruel, mercurial billionaire. Red doesn’t remember Charlie and doesn’t like her.
So when Charlie is ordered to track down the Blight responsible for a massacre at a local church, she’s worse than just alone, heartbroken, and outmatched. She’s vulnerable. In a world where shadows have wills of their own, the question isn’t just how to survive. It’s how to protect yourself from the on thing you can never escape — your own shadow.
Onyx Storm — Rebecca Yarros
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves — her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find — the truth. But a storm is coming… and not everyone can survive its wrath.

Mate — Ali Hazelwood

Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind. Coming forward as the first Human-Were hybrid was supposed to heal a centuries-long rift between species. Instead, it made her a target, prey to the ruthless political machinations between Weres, Vampyres, and Humans. With her enemies closing in on her, she has only one option left — if he’ll have her.
As Alpha of the Northwest pack, Koen Alexander commands obedience. His authority is so absolute, only a fool would threaten his mate. It doesn’t matter if Serena doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.
But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her — and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation…

PARTICIPANTS
What are the top 5 books you meant to read in 2025?



6 Comments
Samy @ insamyniac
Onys Storm I think I checked out for a few pages but let it go after a while, and I don’t know Mate but Ali is great, so I might look into it at some point!
meeghan
Linking is up now!! Sorry, inlinkz wasn’t working when I posted yesterday 😭
Mate is the sequel to Bride, which I loved. I’ve loved every book I’ve read by Ali… and it’s only been out for a little while, but I didn’t rush out and buy a copy of this one (surprisingly). That’s the only reason it’s on the list right now.
Samy @ insamyniac
Yeah, no worries! You can remove my link from my previous comment, since I added it via inlinkz now.
I didn’t know there’s a sequel to Bride! I love her books too! Looks like I got one more to read this year, or at least soon <3
meeghan
I hope you enjoy it!! Please let me know if you get to it 💖
dbsguidetothegalaxy
Lol, Mate is on my mental list but not my actual one. Tell me your thoughts whenever you get to Onyx Storm!
meeghan
Ugh! I will! Eventually… when I start reading it. Maybe I need summer to roll around because that’s when I read the other two. It’s still so cold here, and I am cranky that it continues to feel like winter at the end of spring. 😡