Today, I’m talking about reading firsts of 2025. First 5-star book, first series, first book by a new-to-me author, first….well…you get the idea!
Reading Firsts of 2025
I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reading Girl for Top Ten Tuesday. Our prompt today is Books That Surprised Me, but I’m going rogue with a book tag I spotted on Read Bake Create this week. (Originator of the tag is girlxoxo … but I’ve added to it to make a list of ten for TTT). I may have tweaked a few categories to tailor them to my reading list. Link back to me if you do this tag and I’ll comment and share your post!
1. First Read (and first ARC)
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Highly anticipated new release by a favorite author. (review coming on pub date: 5/6/2025)
2. First Review
My first review is Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson.
I loved Black Cake and was eager for this one.
3. First Read by a Debut Author
Tilt by Emma Pattee
Pattee has written articles for magazines and journals, but this is her first fiction title.
4. First New-To-Me Author
You Be Mother by Meg Mason
This author was recommended as a book set in Australia on the What Should I Read Next Podcast.
5. First Series
The Keeper of the Irish Secret, The Granddaughter’s Irish Secret, The Girl with the Irish Secret, and The Widow’s Irish Secret (ARC) by Susanne O’Leary.
I binge-read this four-book series for Reading Ireland Month and because I received an ARC for #4 and I’m a die-hard “read in order” reader! (review on pub day 4/30/2025)
6. First Book That I Wish I Could Get Back the Time I Spent Reading It
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Although the banter was witty, I just don’t consider suicidal ideation hilarious or so easily fixed. I couldn’t get on board with the premise, but I’m definitely an outlier!
7. First 5-Star Book
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
Wilkerson writes solid stories from an “own voices” point of view.
8. First Book by a Favorite Author
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
(see above) My first book by a favorite author is also my first read of the year.
9. First Nonfiction
Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones
I have followed Annie Jones, podcaster and bookstore owner for year,s so her essay collection is highly anticipated. Heartfelt. Reflective. Transparent. Conversational.
10. First Unsatisfactory Ending
Tilt by Emma Patee
The story is page-turning but perplexing. So many questions….why didn’t this 9-month pregnant woman just stay at Ikea? …why didn’t she stay at her husband’s place of work? ….why didn’t she head home or to a friend’s house? …why did she risk her life and the life of her baby trekking across Portland?i All this for an open-ended conclusion. Ugh! Did she make it all the way home? Did she and her baby survive? What happened to the husband? Was she able to put her life back together? If a book needs an epilogue, it is this one!
QOTD:
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I’m glad to see how much you enjoyed Good Dirt!
A memorable story! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Great post! I just did this one yesterday after seeing it on Pam’s page but I love the questions you’ve added to the list. I hope to finally read Backman this year as he’s an author that seems universally loved. I also bought Black Cake last month and I’m keen to check it out as I hadn’t heard about it before (at least not in my book sphere). Your review makes it sound like a fab read though!
Thanks Dini! I hope you love Black Cake!
Great post, and fun topic! It sounds like Tilt would be a frustrating read if there are that many unanswered questions. Can’t’ wait to read My Friends, and I’m hoping to get to Good Dirt soon too!
Tilt was compelling and frustrating at the same time! I hope you enjoy My Friends and Good Dirt!
Unsatisfactory endings really annoy me. I don’t need every conflict to be neatly wrapped up, but the major ones should be or at least give some foreshadowing about how they will soon be resolved!
Yes! Give me something!
Nice list! I haven’t read these, so I’ll have to look into them. Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Happy reading!
Good work! I’ll probably cave and use an Audible credit for the Backman book. Now that our libraries are being obliterated I’ll have to up my subscription. I LOVE the idea of You Be the Mother. I’m with you on the Wedding People–it’s been praised everywhere but I have started it yet and won’t bother now.
Wedding People has received rave reviews…very well written with witty banter…the premise was unsettling for me. Probably better to borrow than buy. You might enjoy it!
I enjoyed Beartown but haven’t got around to reading any more Backman novels (yet).
#2 in the Beartown trilogy wasn’t my fav but I did love the third installment. Backman is a master of characterization and thought provoking fiction….most of his books are very different from each other.
This is a fun prompt! Might keep it in mind for one of those weeks where the prompt doesn’t appeal!
Exactly! 🙌
Oh I love ideas like these! I want to do it myself!
Quickly—First book, first review, first new to me author, and first 5 star were all the same book—Still Life with Bread Crumbs, by Anna Quindlen.
First Debut novel–The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
First Book that was a Waste of my time—Orbital.
First DNF—Moorings at Mackerel Sky by MZ.
First book by favorite author—Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
First non-fic—-Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by again, Anna Quindlen (essays and memoir)
First unsatisfactory ending—The Limits by Nell Freudenberger
Adding…..First Classic or Long-Recommended—-The Color Purple
And First Re-Read—-Project Hail Mary!!
Thanks soooo much for sharing! You have added two great categories! I DNFed Orbital! 😂 I’m so annoyed that it beat out James for the Booker Prize ! 😡 I LOVE PHM! I could daily do a reread! Did you read via the audio format?! Soooo good!
YEs, I read PHM the first time, but listened on audio the second!! Both good, really, but now I have “Rocky’s voice”. I now say “AMAZE” to people, and “SAME SAME SAME”.
Right?! 🙌
Great post, Carol. Thanks for introducing me to a new Australian author, Meg Mason. 💖📚
Thanks Sandy! It was a fun review break!
I love the questions you added to the tag, Carol!
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/the-ks-have-it-ten-titles-starting-with-k/
Thanks Pam! It was a fun review break!
Great tag, Carol. I will be doing a read/listen for Black Cake soon, then maybe Good Dirt. I’m glad I didn’t request Tilt. I am not a fan of open endings.
After all the drama, an open ending was cruel!