Preface

Back when I was a teenager I had yet another blog, and one of the key posts there was a note with a list of books I’d read that year. I kept updating it constantly. At the end of the year it was nice to look back and see the result, plus having that list helped me remember what I’d actually read. Time to bring that list back.

What I Read in 2025

  1. The Last Day of Summer. Andrey Podshibyakin. A light thriller about mysticism and teenagers. Easy to read and holds attention well.
  2. Maniac Fischer. The Story of Russia’s Last Executed Killer. Elizaveta Buta. A very detailed biography of the killer.
  3. The Shadow of the Wind. Carlos Ruiz Zafón. The first of four books in the “Cemetery of Forgotten Books” series. A mystical story about growing up, love, and adventure. Holds attention brilliantly.
  4. The Inheritance Games. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Book 1 of 3 about a girl who inherits from a stranger. Lots of mysteries, action, and events on every page.
  5. The Hawthorne Legacy. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Book 2 of 3. The story continues with even wilder events. A bit juvenile, but that only makes it easier to read.
  6. The Final Gambit. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Book 3 of 3. The concluding book of an interesting story.
  7. “The Newest History of Russia in 14 Bottles of Vodka: How Russia’s Main Drink Is Mixed Up with Business, Corruption, and Crime” by Denis Puzyrev. A wonderful history of the vodka industry across the last few decades.
  8. “The Angel’s Game.” Carlos Ruiz Zafón. The second of four books in the “Cemetery of Forgotten Books” series. Expands on one of the characters from the first book and tightly sets up the third — “The Prisoner of Heaven.”
  9. “The Prisoner of Heaven,” Carlos Ruiz Zafón.
  10. “The Labyrinth of Spirits.” The final book in the “Cemetery of Forgotten Books” series. A wonderful series with an overarching plot full of puzzles, riddles, and interconnections.
  11. “The Dorm on Blood,” Alexey Ivanov. Didn’t work for me at all — there are interesting quotes and ideas, but you have to dig them out from a lot of pseudo-profound text.
  12. “Plant It and It Will Grow.” Andrey Rubanov. A pleasant book about growing up, changing your mindset, and adapting to the harsh conditions of prison life.
  13. “The Midnight Library.” Matt Haig. A multiverse about regrets and lost possibilities.