We kicked off this episode in full-on “good riddance” mode. 2025 wasn’t kind, and we didn’t hold back about it. From the jump, it was clear this final Fully-Booked: Literary Podcast episode of the year was going to be equal parts therapeutic rant and joyful book celebration.
We imagined a collective planetary sigh happening at midnight on New Year’s Eve and joked that instead of Groundhog Day, we need some kind of New Year’s Day omen, maybe if the groundhog sees its shadow, it’s going to be a terrible year. Someone petition this. Please.
The whole energy was about reset and reflection. It’s been a year of major personal changes, weird vibes, and uneven reading experiences.
We were ready to share our best reads, but also acknowledge that how much, or how little, we read doesn’t determine our worth.
Read one book? Still a reader. Listen to audiobooks only? Still a reader. Let’s normalize all of it.
Note
The following is an editorialized transcript of our weekly literary podcast. If you would like to listen to the podcast, click the play button above orlisten on your favorite platform with the links below.
Reading Discourse, BookTok Drama, and Why Your Book Count Doesn’t Matter
Shirin brought up the yearly cycle of judgment, some people bragging about reading hundreds of books, others accusing them of having no life or being unemployed. The BookTok drama this year reached a fever pitch with someone ranting about how anyone reading 150 books must be jobless. Cue a million response videos and eye-rolls.
The truth? People read differently. Some years you fly through books, some years it’s a miracle to finish one. And that’s fine. Meaghan mentioned she read around 120 books this year, thanks to her Kindle and Goodreads tracking, but also emphasized how much mood and life circumstances affect reading habits. When you’re dealing with personal upheaval, job changes, stress, and grief, reading can take a backseat. It’s not about discipline. It’s about capacity.
We also shared personal stories about unemployment and how, for both of us, reading became nearly impossible during those periods. It’s hard to focus on fiction when you’re panicking about the future. So the idea that people who read a lot must be carefree is just wrong. Everyone’s pace is personal.
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Our Top Five Reads of the Year (With a Few Extras)
Once we got into the actual list, things got fun. We went back and forth, counting down from five, sharing why each pick stood out.
Shirin’s #5 was The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose. Even though it took her a while to finish, the thriller held her attention and had a solid twist. Meaghan didn’t like it but didn’t knock Shirin’s enjoyment; it just wasn’t her thing.
Meaghan’s #5 was Quicksilver by Callie Hart, a fantasy novel she finally got around to this year and loved for its plot twists and complex decision-making. She’s saving Brimstone for the dead of winter when she’s ready to hibernate with a big book. Shirin had it on her “must-read-next-year” list because she started but couldn’t juggle the audiobook and physical book together. Rookie mistake.
Shirin’s #4 was Death on the Downline by Maria Abram, a dark comedy thriller about MLM culture that made her laugh out loud. She loved how the protagonist wasn’t fully invested in the culty world of multi-level marketing, which made her perspective refreshing and sharp.
Meaghan’s #4 was We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark, an ARC she finished just before the episode. It’s a high fantasy vampire story set in a Roman-esque world, complete with tournaments, politics, and slow-burn romantic tension. She felt unexpectedly attached to the characters and is looking forward to where the series goes.
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Shirri’s #3 was a two-parter; she added Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins as a bonus because it made her feel genuine grief for Haymitch and did a great job tying together the timelines from The Hunger Games and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. She’s genuinely hyped for the 2026 film adaptation.
Meaghan’s #3 was The Eyes Are The Best Part, a horror novel featuring a woman pushed beyond her limits by the men in her life. It’s grotesque, emotionally raw, and disturbingly satisfying. She felt the character’s descent into rage and disillusionment was justified and deeply resonant.
Shirin’s official #3 was The Oxford Soju Club by Jinwoo Park, a warm, culture-rich novel centered on Korean food, friendship, and personal growth. It pulled her out of a reading slump and left her wanting to cook every dish mentioned.
Meaghan’s #2 was Breathe In Bleed Out by Brian Macaulay, a slasher novel set at a mysterious desert retreat. She loved the chaos, the slasher tropes, and the gripping pace that kicked into overdrive in the final third. A movie adaptation? Yes, please.
Shirin’s #2 was The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden, a book that turned into a spontaneous book club when she got multiple people in her life to read it. She connected with the whole reading experience, especially with the recent film adaptation being surprisingly decent.
Meaghan’s #1 was Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker, a haunting, layered novel set in NYC during COVID, blending Chinese folklore, crime scene cleaning, racial trauma, and grief. She was hooked from the first page, got actual jump-scares from the book, and now needs everything Kylie Lee Baker writes.
Shirin’s #1 was Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, the third book in the Empyrean series. She devoured it immediately, obsessed over its arrival date, and then reread and wrote about it multiple times. It was pure book joy, and for her, that’s what makes a number-one pick.
Honorable Mentions and the “I’ll Get to You Next Year” Pile
Shirin and Meaghan both had long lists of honorable mentions and future reads. Highlights included:
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, which Meaghan finally read and loved.
- Thirsty by Rachel Harrison, a vampire book that Shirin has and wants to read.
- Assistant to the Villain series, which Meaghan recommends for anyone craving cozy fantasy with humor and heart.
- Phantasma by Kaylie Smith, a book Shirin DNF’d but keeps thinking about, which usually means it deserves a second shot.
Shirinn also plans to finish Stephen King’s Fairy Tale, even though she’s dreading the inevitable dog death. (We feel you.)
RelatedYour Plays, Our Pivots: Fully-Booked’s No-BS 2025 Recap
Looking Ahead to 2026
The episode wrapped with some excitement about 2026 book releases and film adaptations. We’re getting:
- People We Meet on Vacation on Netflix in January
- Wuthering Heights in the movies in February
- Reminders of Him and Verity from Colleen Hoover later in the year
We’re curious how these will play out. Sometimes adaptations are magic. Sometimes they’re hot garbage. Either way, we’ll be watching, reading, and talking about them all.
As we closed the episode, we shared our gratitude for everyone who listens, reads, and follows along. We’ll be taking a short break to regroup and plan new content, but we’ll be back in January.
So that’s it. That was our 2025 in books. It was messy, funny, sometimes slow, sometimes chaotic. But we made it. And we’re still reading.
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