Lists
Category
Best Books of 2025: Fiction
It was a decent fiction year for me: not too many absolute standouts, but quite a few solid reads. Thanks to the International Booker, I read a number of translated works (into English) – it was a very mixed bag, with several favourites, a couple of mehs and a winner (Heart Lamp) that didn’t work for me at all. But reading more than half of the longlist was a very enriching experience, which I think is the point of the International Booker. I also read a few of the big commercial releases of the year, not something that I always do. It confirmed my experience that I tend to like these books, but they are rarely my firm favourites (although one of them is on this list).
Best Books of 2025: Science Fiction & Fantasy
The most striking aspect of my SFF reading in 2025 was that there was very little SF in the SFF. I only read a few science fiction books, which is very unusual for me. I mostly attribute this to the fact that there seemed to be less interesting science fiction published last year, not many big releases (with the possible exceptions of Tchaikovsky’s Shroud, a minor Scalzi and the final instalment in The Sun Eater series). There is so much more excitement around fantasy at the moment that SF seems to be somewhat crowded out of the market. I will make a more conscious effort this year to ensure I don’t neglect one of my favourite genres like this again.
Best of 2025: Experiences
My overall goal these days is less buying and more doing. Of course, the line between the two is not always rigid, experiences and hobbies often also involve consumption, but work with me here. When reflecting on that noble goal, I realised that my ‘best offs’ mostly focus on things and that I should broaden my perspective on this front as well. I have to admit that compared to books where I have a bit more expertise, many of my favourites in other categories are rather basic. This is not a problem for me, I’m just warning you that you that there’ll be no hidden gems here.
Best of 2025: Books
It has not been easy to put this list together: I read 161 books last year and apart from a few absolute standouts, there were dozens of good books that could all have made the cut on a good day. It is particularly true for non-fiction, where I could almost have separate top tens for certain topics. Anyway, I have suffered, I have doubted, I have agonised and here is the list.
Things I Want: The 2026 Edition
It’s usually around my birthday that I try to publish the annual Things I Want list. This time I’m about a week late, which is pretty good by my standards and releases everyone from the pressure to actually get me anything that’s on the list. Wanting material things these days seems vaguely embarrassing, considering everything else that’s going on. Then again, it’s the ‘everything else that’s going on’ that makes me long for pretty/fun/useful distractions. So be things as they may, here’s this year’s list.
Best of 2025: Beauty & Style
I’ve had a deeply weird start to the year, I guess it’s the combination of fascism, perimenopause, trying to write and watching Heated Rivalry too many times that has been affecting me. As a result, my 2025 wrap-up content is late, but I am planning to get it all out in the next couple of weeks. As you can see, I have consolidated my beauty and style favourites into one post this time, because the vast majority of my faves are the same as last year (or go back even more). Everything I said in my 2024 beauty and style posts still stands, as does the information in my morning and evening skincare routine roundups. Which is great for me as a person, but less great for blogging content. So here are the handful of things I have added to my increasingly stable list this year:
Summer Favourites 2025
With temperatures reaching almost 30 degrees Celsius in Luxembourg today its perhaps premature to pronounce summer to be over, but for an Estonian like me, September is definitely an autumn month. So let’s take a moment to look back to my summer favourites: most of these are not limited to hot weather, in case you are interested in trying them out. Not all are new launches either, as I am trying to appreciate things that have stood the test of time rather than always chasing newness.
Best of 2024: Science Fiction and Fantasy
It has taken me a while to get the last ‘best of’ post out, but here it is, the overview of the SFF books I enjoyed most in 2024. It is rather long, but with the world events being what they are, I wanted to give you are range of options for escapism. I have already done a very tight selection for my overall best books list, which has already been out for a while; if you only want the crème de la crème, read that.
Best of 2024: Non-Fiction
I should probably stop repeating that it has again been an exceptional year of non-fiction for me, as I do not see this changing any time soon. There is so much great non-fiction around and I am always drawn to reading it; I very rarely struggle with this genre. If there is one thing I would like to do more, it’s to read more older texts and classics. I have read so many introductions and overviews that I really should be tackling the original sources rather than reading another summary.
Things I Want: The 2025 Edition
New year, new me, new list of things I want! Frankly, these posts are rather embarrassing to make, as they lay bare my materialistic tendencies for everyone to see. Not that they are otherwise particularly hidden, considering I’m a lifestyle blogger, but still. On the other hand, they are a good exercise in examining what one wants, what one needs and what one can afford. To be clear, there are many things on these lists that I cannot or will not buy in the end. It is a a shopping list for a richer and more stylish version of me. As I know that many readers find these lists fun, I’m continuing the tradition.