10 Books to Read Before the End of the Year

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

As the year winds down, I’ve been thinking about the stories that have shaped me. The books that made this year unforgettable, the ones I’ve could’ve skipped, and the ones waiting for their turn to be read. Every reader has that stack of books quietly watching from the shelf, the ones that promise to make us feel something before the clock resets and it is officially 12:00 AM on January 1, 2026.

This post is my personal reading list for the final stretch of the year. The sweeping novels filled with love, heartbreak, and the messy beauty of life. These are the books that I hope will make me pause, reflect, remember and reread throughout the better part of the upcoming year. The stories where I remember what is means to live a thousand lives through stories. Told by authors who know how to capture the ache and wonder of being.

Whether you’re researching for your next book to read or simply looking for a reminder of why we love reading, these are the stories I hope to be closing my year with (because let’s be honest the mood reading be mood reading). As a result, maybe, they’ll find a place on your list too!

Ten Before the End of 2025

1. KATABASIS by R.F. Kuang-Two rival scholars, one missing mentor, and a descent into Hell itself. Katabasis is a dark academia tale where ambition burns the brightest in the shadows of the underworld.
2. ALCHEMISED by SenLinYu– a fallen alchemist with fractured memories and a captor who wields death itself. Helena fights to uncover the truth buried in her mind before the past consumes what’s left of her soul.
3. LADY OF DARKNESS by Melissa K. Roehrich-Bound by blood, driven by vengeance, and haunted by the ghosts of her past. Scarlett’s quest for revenge ignites a battle between duty, desire, and the darkness that rules her world.
4. ZODIAC ACADEMY by Susanne Valenti & Caroline Peckham-twin princesses dropped into a deadly academy of Fae, fangs and chaos. They fight, flirt, and wield their magic to survive the throne already painted with their names.
5. THE RUIN OF KINGS by Jenn Lyons– a thief turned prince in a world of gods, monsters, and lies. Kihrin’s story isn’t about saving the world, but surviving the destiny that demands he destroy it.
6. THE SHADOWS OF WHAT WAS LOST by James Islington– I can already tell this will be a series I won’t be able to put down. Davian fights fate itself and burdened with a forbidden power. His discover of his true magic sparks a war between gods, men and the destiny history tried to erase.
7. THE WILL OF THE MANY by James Islington-a boy hides behind a false name at a deadly academy outwitting an empire built on stolen power before his secrets can strip away his will. FOREVER.
8. I, MEDUSA by Ayana Gray-Medusa has always been nothing more than a footnote in the tales of gods, remade by betrayal and fury. But Meddy’s transformation into Medusa becomes a story of vengeance, power, and reclaiming the voice the gods tried to silence. THEY CAN NOT.
9. SILVERBLOOD PROMISE by James Logan– a fallen heir and a dead father’s secrets. Lukan’s hunt for truth will drag him through a city where loyalty is a gamble and every hand could be his last.
10. MASK OF MIRRORS by M.A. Carrick– This has been on my books to read list for a while and I keep putting it off. I don’t know why because it is a city of masks and magic, a con artist chasing survival, and secrets that shimmer like gold until they cut like glass—and Ren’s greatest deception might be her undoing.

now, Tell me your “before the year ends” read—what’s waiting on your nightstand right now?

Read These Next:

The Truth About Book Preorders

Is The Serpent’s Chains Worth Reading?

The Top 5 Dark Romances You Need To Read

Sci-Fi Sagas That Will Haunt Your Soul