asking for trouble

Books, Comics & Zines I Read in 2025

I’ll be updating this page throughout the year, hoping to meet my reading challenge of 48 books (eligible books are numbered below) as well as a few other reading goals. You can follow me on Goodreads or Storygraph or read about what I read in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 & 2017.

2025 books

As a reminder, I am no longer using Goodreads star ratings. My favourite reads are marked below with a single star. I’m also adding a note with where I got the book for myself.

5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
99p offer. Why did I do this to myself? I almost DNF-ed during the author’s introduction when she said she knew nothing about Scotland before writing it, and I regretted it once I saw the terrible attempts at Scottish dialect/accents. I was interested enough to see how the time travel part happened and then kept going mostly so I’d be fully capable of mocking and trashing it thoroughly to everyone who has recommended it to me in the past. My main issue is that you could remove the time travel part completely and make her cover story true and it would change virtually nothing – she adapts immediately with very little culture shock and barely even thinks about her former life – including her husband that she quickly replaces. The other is how there is zero plot – they just bounce around from location to location being hunted, captured, beaten, almost-raped, actually raped, managing to escape, repeat forever. Also constant rape for plot reasons that has no lasting effect on the characters. ALSO SHE INTERACTS WITH NESSIE!! Avoid, unless you can turn your brain off completely and have nothing else to read. Read Kidnapped, it does all the Scottish/Jacobite part so much better with actual drama and it’s even out of print!

4. Lesser Evil (Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy #3) by Timothy Zahn
From my unread folder. Last in the second new era Thrawn trilogy and a pretty satisfying end. Rather too many space battles but it’s not called Star Wars for nothing. I’m still not convinced he’s been used well in the TV shows but we shall see,

3. Postcards From the Edge by Carrie Fisher
From my unread folder. This was exhausting to read, mainly written in a long run-on monologue of internal thoughts. At least partly based on her own experiences in Hollywood and rehab – the film set section had a lot of cool details. Very witty and fun overall but I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel.

2. The Secret Cyclist
99p offer. Quick read from an anonymous rider in the peloton c2019. This is just before I got into cycling, which was also when the post-covid era began so it was mostly about riders and incidents I am only partly familiar with and I enjoyed learning more about some of that. A lot of fans/media really bang on about how much everything changed in 2020 but most things seem the same here. Not really essential but easy to read while sick.

1. Space: The Human Story by Tim Peake
99p offer. Easy readable overview full of stories about the humans behind the space program, mainly astronauts and cosmonauts. As a space nerd there wasn’t a lot here that I hadn’t already read somewhere else but it’s nice to have it all in one book, and especially covering all nations and eras. Of course, there’s his own experiences too and those are interesting enough that I will look out for his memoir too.

marceline

Hello! I’m Marceline Smith, the designer and owner of Asking For Trouble. I create illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts using my cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii. This is my business and personal blog where I write about my creative doings, inspirations, travels, Japan trips and daily life. Read more »


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