Hello there 2026!

I hope you are all well this fair morning!

I’m here with a round up of my 2025 reading. I figured since you hadn’t had any bookish content in 2025; I’d share some of my stats with you all!

I know lots of people have moved over to Storygraph – I did give it a bash, but it was just a bit much for me… so here’s my stats from Goodreads!

Started the year strong… but I was very late to the Final Year party (exceptional).

The World Book Day books were BANGING. Benjamin Dean’s (YA) one is one I think about regularly!

My classes continue to be obsessed with graphic novels… so I was always seeking these out second hand! The Amulet series is one that ALWAYS flies off the shelf (or out of the boxes in my case ha).

Some utter faves wrote more books this year – LD Lapinski, Patrice Lawrence, Laura Ellen Anderson and Lisa Thompson. V lucky to get to read so many!

Dragonborn is a book I still think about today and I read it WAY back early in the year. As you can see, the illustrated novel/graphic novel trend is continuing.

I read a lot of kids’ horror books in 2025 and I can’t wait to see that genre just keep growing – Jennifer Killick and Christopher Edge in particular can just keep writing because they nail it EVERY time!

2025 brought more Investigators into our lives and my class and I couldn’t be happier! I also read some banging books on Netgalley this year!

As you can see, graphic novels is a proper common theme in my life now! 2025 brought me the finale of Vivi Conway, which I am so sad is now over, but very lucky that I got to experience!

My fave Maz Evans released a Shakespeare inspired book which just brought me such joy! Then Emma Carroll released a Dracula book, which made both of us in this household so happy! Alex T Smith featured in a lot of the reading I did this year too… he’s a legend.

More kids horror from Christopher Edge and this time probably the scariest kids book I have ever read? I didn’t read much YA this year, but obv I read from my fave Sara Barnard – this was gorgeous.

Barrington Stoke sent me a few bangers this year, and I am very lucky to get to share them with my class! I found this adorable picture book about psoriasis (something COVID kindly gifted me) and it made me feel so seen.

Funny books can never have too much love in my life and Phil Earle is releasing an absolute winner next year – keep your eyes peeled for this!

Another YA made an appearance; this time from Benjamin Dean, who I just think is amazing. This was when we were on holiday and I had an absolute riot of a time reading these! Mystery, humour, fantasy and delight. The Starlight Rebel is something else that I think everyone should read.

2025 saw a lot of illustrated novels in my life, and they brought me (and my classes) lots of joy!

More delights from some faves – Dan Smith continues to write books that are just incredible – and Tom Palmer writes sporty books that kids love!

I read a load more picture books that I ever log… but Make It All Go Away was special!

I vividly remember standing in Lighthouse Books in Edinburgh crying my eyes out at Always Remember. I am a proper sentimentalist!

2025 brought me a book about one of my favourite characters in children’s literature ever – Coach from the Run series by Jason Reynolds. I am so grateful that I was sent a copy early; it is a book series that I cherish. Was also very lucky to be sent other proofs from the group below that I adored – keep an eye out for The Last Wolf by Rob Biddulph AND Tiny Hercules by Jon Lock (both brilliant… very different!).

I got to read the newest (ie this year publishing) Sam Sedgman AND MG Leonard books on Netgalley in 2025. What a lucky duck I am!

Phew! That was an adventure!

I hope you enjoyed that quick round up. I’m happy to chat any books with you! Let me know in the comments or Instagram (@thisgeordieteaches)

S x