the end is near! | the end of the year book tag: 2025 edition

Hello again, dear friends! I hope all is well for you, and if it’s not then I hope brighter days head your way soon! Well, friends, we are nearing the end of 2025 already—can you believe it?! We’re so close to having made it through another wild year! I, personally, am still stuck in the time warp I’ve been caught in since March 2020, so I’m amazed that so much time has passed (it seems to have somehow passed simultaneously at a slow rate and at the quickest rate physically possible, lol). Anyhoo, seeing as the end of 2025 is now looming, that means it’s time to once again take part in doing Ariel Bissett‘s End of the Year Book Tag!

Now, if you’ve never heard of this particular book tag, it’s one that many online book community members take part in each autumn. The name is a bit of a misnomer, as the tag isn’t meant to be done in December, but rather at the start of the “end of the year season: (i.e. in September or October). Basically, the purpose is to look back at our bookish year so far, and to consider how we want to spend the rest of our bookish year. It’s a really fun tag, and I love seeing other folks’ answers! So, let’s not dilly-dally any longer, let’s hop into the End of the Year Book Tag…

I don’t think so? I don’t put too much pressure on myself to finish books by a certain time, so I’m not too pressed about finishing up any current reads.

For once my answer to this is “yes”! It’s Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood, which is a contemporary cozy fantasy all about a witch who needs to prove her worth to her coven. I’m actually currently reading this book as well, so I guess it could also count for the previous question too. Anyhoo, it’s a really cute read and it’s got great autumnal vibes!

Honestly, there are so many! Specifically, this year we are practically being spoiled with new books starring lady nights—and not one, not two, not three, but four books about lady knights are releasing this autumn! One already released in late September and so my preorder of the audiobook came in on release day (The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino), another one I was fortunate enough to receive an ALC of the audiobook (The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri), and yet another released in mid-October thus my preorder has come in (The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs), so that leaves me with one book more starring lady knights that I’m looking forward to—that being The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow! I should also mention that I’m really looking forward Adrienne Young’s new Adult high fantasy, Fallen City, which releases in November and Kamilah Cole’s new Adult fantasy, An Arcane Inheritance, which releases this December. Although neither of those two involve lady knights, both still seem very, very interesting and right up my alley!

Aside from the books I mentioned above, I’m also hoping to get to …

• A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid I loved the first book in this duology and it wrapped up pretty concretely, so I’m interested in seeing how Reid expands the story and world and where she takes the characters of Effy and Preston.
• Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber I wasn’t a fan of Garber’s debut novel, Caraval, but I did enjoy her prose. I’m looking forward to finding out how she makes the transition from YA fantasy to Adult fantasy.
• Red City by Marie Lu A fraught relationship between alchemists from rival syndicates? Sign. Me. Up! This book sounds incredible and I can’t wait to dig into it!!

I’m holding out hope for The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow to become a new favorite of mine! I’m so excited for this book, especially as I believe it grew out of Harrow’s well-loved short story “The Six Deaths of the Saint” (which I’ve never read myself, but which I’ve only heard amazing things about). I’ve also been seeing almost universal praise for this book in the early reviews from readers who received ARCs. Plus, from what I know of the general plot and themes of The Everlasting, it genuinely does sound like something I could easily become obsessed with!

As usual, I never make plans for my reading in any sense, whatsoever. I don’t even have a goal of how many books I want to read next year, haha! For me, personally, planning out my reading makes it feel less like a hobby and more like homework, which completely sucks the fun out of it for me. The only thing I can say for certain is that I’m sure next year I will be reading, lol!

Do you think you’ve found your favorite book of 2025 yet? If so, what is it? If not, are there any books on your 2025 TBR that you’ve yet to read but think could be a new favorite? Are there any upcoming releases coming out in the remainder of 2025 that you’re still excited for? And have you started making reading plans for 2926?

Learn more the author of this post:

Lila @ Hardcover Haven

Lila is a 30 year old anthropology student and lover of literature who's been book blogging for an eternity. Her hobbies include reading, singing, writing, arts and crafts, and snuggling her two cats, Snoopy and Clementine.