Hello and welcome back to post number two in the Countdown to 2025 series!

In today’s post, we’ll be taking a look at my favorite books that I read this year, AND we’ll check out my current TBR for the new year at the end of the post!

Without further ado…

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

⭐️3.5/5

I really did enjoy this series. I went with my mom down to a local bookstore, and after I asked for a clean book, the bookstore lady suggested The Inheritance Games. So I chose to believe her and I bought the first book.

It is very well written. I don’t read a lot of mystery, so this was a fun change. The characters were vibrant and all the pieces fit together so well.

The first book (if I can remember correctly) was mostly clean. But then the second and third books got progressively closer to crossing my boundaries that I decided to quit the series and not read any of the spinoffs.

Vivid + Radiant by Ashley Bustamante

⭐️5/5

I loved these two! I was in a reading slump at the beginning of the year and these books got me out of it. They were so much fun. I don’t remember any part being boring. With plot twists at every turn and larger-than-life characters, I finished these books really quick. Plus, I loved the clean, sweet romance.

There is a final book in the series, but it came out a few months after I had finished the first two, and I was worried that I wouldn’t remember all the details, and therefore the story wouldn’t make sense. I’m hoping to re-read the series in 2025 and finally read the ending.

Rise Of The Vicious Princess + Return Of The Vengeful Queen by C. J. Redwine

⭐️5/5

Clean romantasy with political intrigue by a Christian author? Sign me up!

I really really enjoyed this series. It was so much fun to read and the writing style was wonderful. It was so intense and I read it so fast. I would recommend this series to literally anyone who’s looking for an enchanting but intense read.

The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine

⭐️4.5/5

This was my first fantasy re-telling that I’ve read (other than the ones that we wrote in fifth grade), and it did not disappoint! And I really enjoy Redwine’s writing style. The characters were an absolute joy and the plot was intriguing. There were a few strange parts, hence the 4.5 rating. But I still loved it.

My 2025 TBR

1. Crossed by Allie Condie. I just finished Matched, and it left on such a huge cliffhanger that now I have to read Crossed. Honestly, I didn’t really like Matched. But I might as well read the next one.
2. A Noble Warrior by Lucy Peterson. I’ve heard some really great things about this book and it sounds like a super fun story. Plus, I’m hoping to get into fairytale retellings, and this is a great book to start with!
3. Where Darkness Cannot Follow by A. M. Daylin. I got this book for Christmas and it sounds super intriguing, and I can’t wait to read it!

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post!

What were some of your favorite books you read this year? What’s on your TBR? Have you read any of these books?

Have a blessed day!