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Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

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Re: Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

#251
I replied to the dead "What did you read in 2025" thread, so I'll just paste it here.

Usually I hit a book a week pretty reliably, but this past year has been particularly crazy according to my audible purchase history. There are around 80 titles that I've added in 2025 and I've completed the vast majority of them. Some stand outs for me:

Dungeon Crawler Carl - One of the few novels that I think it actually much better in audio format. The narrator is excellent and it's a fun adventure that never takes itself too seriously. I'm not into litrpg typically, but I really enjoyed the 7 novels in the series so far.

The Laundry Files - I've made it through seven of these books and I really like the mix of mundane government IT with supernatural horrors. Tropes come up like the government tracking paper clip usage, and then you'll get a mystical explanation that makes sense in world so suddenly tracking individual paper clip usage doesn't seem so ridiculous. Generally a fun series, but it seems to be moving towards a revolving cast that I'm less interested in continuing on with.

The Library at Mount Char - One of my favorite books this year. Quite dark and mysterious. I liked the payoff and character arcs. But really it's the well maintained atmosphere that pulls everything together.

There Is No Antimemetics Division - What might the science and research of literally unknowable things look like? Things your mind rejects or presences which can influence your mind to make themselves invisible and leaves no memories behind. Weird novel that doesn't hold your hand too much.

Heavy Weather - A sort of modern cyberpunk meets western novel. Storm chasers following a predicted F6 super tornado across the US south.

The Running Man - I'm not typically a King fan, but I do like some of his works. I have fond memories of the movie from childhood nostalgia so finally gave it a try. I do think it's one of his better works according to my tastes.

Mickey7 - I'm a sucker for time loops and death loops and adjacent novels. This was a short but fun book.

The Society of Unknowable Objects - Small group of people collect mysterious objects from around the world to keep humanity safe.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - Another one dealing with memory. What would it be like to be immortal, but everyone you interact with forgets about you minutes after you leave them.

Edge of Tomorrow - Time loops!

The Troop - Decent read if you like horror novels. One of the better horror novels I read for the year.

Re: Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

#252
post #246

This year I've been diving into Game dev books and Harry Potter fan fiction. There's a lot of great reads out there. I assume having an entire world built for you removes a lot of the heavy lifting (as a writer). GameDev: - The Masters of Doom - The Doom Guy - Play Nice - Press Reset - Blood, Sweat, and Pixels - Console Wars - Ask Iwata - Embed with Games HP Fanfic: - All The Young Dudes (by MsKingBean89) [student li…

Shareware Heroes is worth checking out, if you liked Masters of Doom.

Re: Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

#253
post #219

Sci-fi nerd recommendations follow. I binged the entirety of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. The cover, & the fact that it was on Kindle Unlimited, made me think it was probably cheap crap, but I was impressed with how well-written it was, and how much I empathized with the characters. (I probably should have read it slower; by the last two books, I was just flowing with the text, not paying as much attention to the…

For the Stormlight Archive: You have to world build. The first book definitely felt like a slog for the first half-ish. Not much that feels like major plot events happen yet, but if you look at it with the understanding that it's intended to be 10 books, a lot of exposition is needed. The payoff is worth it, IMO.

I think it's Sanderson's attempt at "epic fantasy" and it falls a bit flat for me as well compared to his tighter shorter novels. Of course we have to focus on the world building because it's literally Sanderson's only talent outside of just being a prolific writer. His characters are all very flat and similar. Especially the women. His character arcs are nothing to speak of. His relationship building is cringe worthy. But he always makes interesting worlds and explores the ramifications of culture and magic systems.

Re: Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

#255
I got back into using e-readers so I read a lot more this year than usual.

- More than Human by Theodore Sturgeon

- Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman

- Hogg by Samuel R. Delany

- The first dozen Discworld books (in publication order) by Terry Pratchet

- The Wall by Mary Roberts Reinhart

- Columbine by Dave Cullen

- Garth Marenghi's TerrorTome

- Stray Bullets: Killers by David Lapham

- Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses by David Lapham

I might be missing a few.

Re: Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

#256

Been a year of re-reads and some classics I never started b/c of thickness. Standouts for me were “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Norwegian Wood.” “Kafka on The Shore”, “Norwegian Wood” - Haruki Murakami “A Tale of Two Cities” - Dickens “Count of Monte Cristo” - Alexandre Dumas LotR, “Hobbit” - Tolkien “World Atlas of Coffee” - James Hoffmann “Anathem”, “Diamond Age”, “Termination Shock” - Neal Stephenson “A Timeless Way…

Curious about your view on The Count of Monte Cristo. It's one of my more disappointing reads of the year. I'm familiar with the story line from various film adaptations, but I wasn't prepared for the sheer amount of repetition and drawn out bullshit. That's when I learned it was originally published in a journal where Dumas was paid by the word over 18 parts. Then all the meandering bullshit and repetition made so much more sense.

Re: Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

#257

Demian by Hermann Hesse. I wanted to scream "Stop overthinking!" to the protagonist. Something I can relate to. Siddharta by Hermann Hesse. Helped me understand that a perfect life is a collection of ups and downs and that one must accept it all. Amerika by Franz Kafka. Could relate to the protagonist because people take advantage of his naivety. Factfulness by Hans Rosling. Made me see the world in a less pessimisti…

Yeah, I too finally read Siddharta. It might have had a bigger impact on younger me. Older me feels like I could have written it. ;-)

Re: Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

#258
post #246

This year I've been diving into Game dev books and Harry Potter fan fiction. There's a lot of great reads out there. I assume having an entire world built for you removes a lot of the heavy lifting (as a writer). GameDev: - The Masters of Doom - The Doom Guy - Play Nice - Press Reset - Blood, Sweat, and Pixels - Console Wars - Ask Iwata - Embed with Games HP Fanfic: - All The Young Dudes (by MsKingBean89) [student li…

Shareware Heroes is worth checking out, if you liked Masters of Doom.

Thanks, haven’t heard of this one!

Re: Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

#259

Sci-fi nerd recommendations follow. I binged the entirety of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. The cover, & the fact that it was on Kindle Unlimited, made me think it was probably cheap crap, but I was impressed with how well-written it was, and how much I empathized with the characters. (I probably should have read it slower; by the last two books, I was just flowing with the text, not paying as much attention to the…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?

#260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I couldn't get past the awful sex scenes of "Altered Carbon". OK, after having watched the TV series I should have known, but reading it is completely different. Also, the main character is so dislikeable. It has been a while since my last Heinlein, you reminded me I should read more.

I finally read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and it was phenomenal, I'm sure an excellent re-read

Perhaps his best work IMHO.
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