To say 2025 has been a wild year would be an understatement. The year has certainly had its ups and downs. But with it has come plenty of time to do some reading, and with the end of the year fast approaching, it’s now time to do a little bit of reflection on the year and the books I’ve read.

This year, I set out with a goal to read nine books. Unfortunately, I only completed two out of the nine books I set out to read. I’m currently reading a third, but the odds of me finishing it before the end of the year are slim and none. A lot of the books I’ve been reading lately have been more along the lines of non-fiction, which has made reading more of a drag, but they wound up on my book wishlist, and so I set out to read them.

The first book I completed this year was The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson. I actually started reading this book back in October 2024, and it took me eight and a half months to finish it. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration tells the story of the Great Migration through the eyes of three individuals who lived through it. The book provides great insight into the Great Migration in a way that is captivating. There’s details that I don’t recall learning about in school. Wilkerson does an amazing job of weaving the stories of the three individuals she interviewed for this book with the history of America and the Great Migration. Overall, I rated the book a three out of five, only because there were times where I struggled to maintain interest with continuing to read it.

The other book I was able to finish this year was The Industries of the Future by Alec Ross. I started this one a couple days after I finished Wilkerson’s book in July, and it took me exactly three months to finish it. Published initially in February 2016, The Industries of the Future takes a look at our economic future, focusing primarily on the ever changing technologies that shape our world. Reading this book nearly 10 years after it was initially published, I found myself seeing many of the topics discussed in it become realities today, or at the very least, starting to take shape. It was quite fascinating to read about topics that were only just starting to take shape 10 years ago that are now part of our everyday lives. Overall, I also rated this book a three out of five, partly because there were times where I struggled to maintain interest and partly because I felt like there was a lot of focus on the author and his experiences during his time as the Senior Advisor for Innovation for the Secretary of State under Hilary Clinton.

I’m currently reading Conscious Business: How to Build Value Through Values by Fred Kofman. I started it the day after I finished Ross’ book in October, and I’m still working my way through it. I’ll probably end up finishing it in January or February, but either way, it’ll be the first book I’ll finish in 2026. I won’t dive too much into this one right now since I’m still reading through it, but it’s about how conscious business plays into organizations and businesses. So far, it’s been insightful for me as a person, as someone who works in retail management, but in the same vein, I also find myself not agreeing fully with what the author is saying. I just reached chapter four as I write this, so maybe I’ll feel differently when I finish the book. Guess we’ll have to wait until I do my 2026 recap to see for sure!

Looking back, I know I had large gaps of time where I wasn’t reading every day. It’s a habit I’ve been working to develop for some time now, and I’ve had periods where I’ve been very successful with it. Unfortunately, there have been times where when I’ve missed a day, I end up missing several days until I can get myself back into the habit again. I’ve noticed it’s been more prominent with the books I’ve been reading lately because it’s been harder for me to get invested in them like I do with fiction. Non-fiction has always been a fascinating read for me, but it’s also been something I struggle to maintain interest in continuing to read, even if it’s a topic I’m interested in. A fiction book could be something I could read in a day or two if I’m very invested in it. A non-fiction book could take double that, if not longer, depending on how interested I am in the topic, as seen above. It’s not the main reason why it took me so long to read the two books I read this year, but I’m sure it was a contributing factor. Work scheduling broke the habit at times, but I think my disinterest furthered the streaks of days where I wasn’t reading. Things will (hopefully) be changing in 2026 with my work/life balance, so here’s to 2026 being a better year for building a reading habit, completing books, and meeting my goals (and maybe even having a stronger appreciation for non-fiction)!