2025 was a long year. Very eventful, and socially fulfilling, but that is a conversation for another day. Today, I wish to share the literary journey I unintentionally embarked upon - of discovering new books and authors, the one I intentionally embarked upon, of trying to read just a little every day - albeit that was not a very successful one, I feel satisfied regardless, as 2025 was more enriching than 2024 in this context.
First and foremost, I will admit that I went overboard while buying books for 2025. I bought a total of 16 books, only one of which I finished reading completely. But that does not mean that I did not read at all apart from that book. Below I will list the books that I partly read and hope to finish reading soon, however this list includes not just some of the books that I bought this year, but also those that I already own, or have an e-copy of.
1. Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
After being introduced to Atwood by The Handmaid's Tale, I decided that I want to read more of her works. And my second target was Alias Grace. However, the book has been a read-in-progress for the last 3 years, and I have read around 2/3 of it. I cannot write a complete review yet, but I love the detailed and colourful description of things, and the way Atwood has painted pictures for us, the reader to view in our mind's eye.
2. At Bertram's Hotel - Agatha Christie
A book picked up for casual reading, I did not make it past the first chapter before I was swamped with so much work, it just lay in my travel bag for months before I put it back on the shelf
3. An Interview with a Vampire - Ann Rice
Another book that was picked up for casual reading when the curse of coursework hit me, before I could completely read it.
4. Why I am an Atheist - Bhagat Singh
This book had been on my TBR (To Be Read) for a long time. Why I am an Atheist is the title of an essay written by Bhagat Singh - an Indian Revolutionary, a response to the people who believed him to be an atheist because of vanity, but it is also the title of the book that is a collection of essays and letters written by him. I read two of his works from that book - the essay in question, along with a letter he had written to his father from jail. Although I am not an avid reader of essays, Why I am an Atheist was one of the most well-structured pieces of writing I have read in my life. I will be writing a proper review for this book later.
5. The Day I Became a Runner - Sohini Chattopadhay
This book describes itself as 'A women's history of India through the lens of sport'. It is an anthology of stories of sportswomen of India, specifically in the sport of Running. It starts off with Sohini telling her own story of how running became an integral part of her life. This book too is partly read, and I will share more when I have read more.
6. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism - Sushana Zuboff
This is a non-fiction that examines the challenges from the form of power that is "Surveillance Capitalism" and the quest by powerful corporations to predict and control our behaviour [Annotation from the book]. This is, I think, one of the most relevant books to read in today's age, when we all experience the phenomenon of surveillance firsthand. This book is also, unfortunately, incomplete as of now, but you will find it in my TBR list for 2026.
Now I shall talk a little about the books that I did complete reading, although there are only three of them. The first is called "Azadi, Freedom. Fascism, Fiction" by Arundhati Roy. Roy captured my attention when I read her work, "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness." The book Azadi is a collection of essays and speeches made by Arundhati Roy, spanning the years 2018 to 2020. This book opened my eyes to histories I had not heard of before, and while I itched to write a review, I couldn't let myself write one until I had learnt the history of the conflict in Kashmir in depth, as I did not want to treat this book as my sole source of knowledge of the matter.
The second is "Gently Falls The Bakula" by Sudha Murthy. This was Sudha Murthy's first novel in Kannada, written 3 decades before its English publication in 2008. The novel is set in the 1980's and explores the theme of commitment towards the professional and personal aspects of our life. This concept can be applicable even in today's decade as the line between work and personal life grows thinner, and boundaries are difficult to maintain. I also realised that, having read some of Murthy's later works, they show the way in which her writing style improved from when she wrote her first novel, in which I personally found the narrative repetitive, especially towards the end.
Lastly, I read 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus. It follows the life of a young chemist, who happens to be a woman, and lives in an age where 'tis very hard for women to be believed qualified in their education, and who becomes a mother of a bright child. She raises that child alone, for her partner passes away in an accident before she is found to be pregnant. It shows how, when given a platform to speak - a TV cooking show, she takes the opportunity to share her knowledge about chemistry and life, and inspires women to be more than what they were stereotyped as. The book is a recent publication, having come out in 2022, and has been adapted into a TV show of the same name, starring Brie Larson - we most popularly know her for the character 'Captain Marvel'.
This year had many firsts for me. I bought my first textbook, a reference that has the basic concepts of my course in a concise manner. I listened and completed my first Audiobook ever - Shadow's for Silence in the Forests of Hell, a thrilling and captivating story and my first Brandon Sanderson Book. The story is set in the Cosmere - a fictional universe in which many of Sanderson's books are set, a universe I have yet to explore but am very much excited for. I attended a Literary Festival for the first time in my life this year, and got introduced to not just amazing people but beautiful art, new artists, new art forms, and new discourses.
2025 was very busy and very intense, emotionally, intellectually and professionally. With all that was read and done, I do not think I would have it any other way.
