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I generally don't like measuring fiction.

Counting how many books read, how many words.

But last year I set myself a goal of reading less and writing more. So it's reasonable to check how I did by weighing my output wordcount with my input book count.

It's fair to say I did not succeed.

I wrote notes and ideas for my own writing, but in terms of wordcount in an actual manuscript, I only managed a few hundred words.

Meanwhile, this year, I read almost a novel a week, managing 51 in total, along with some non-fiction for work and leisure too. That's UP from 49 last year.

I love reading. But I love writing even more — it just takes a bit more energy and time. Circumstances have meant there's been little of both this year, but lots of bitty bits of time where I can fit in a few pages of reading to relax.

Never mind, it was a happy failure because I read some great books.

My reading highlights this year

I've been reading a lot of books in the spy/action/tech/politics thriller genre, because my current work in 'progress' is in this genre. I love this genre anyway (though I'm often disappointed), but I also read around other genres for pure pleasure (and of course, I can learn the craft of writing from any book).

Thrillers

  • Damascus Station, David McCloskey
  • The Poet's Game, Paul Vidich
  • The Asset, Saul Herzog
  • Re-reading the old Le Carrés, and all of them count as favourites.

Other Genres

  • Moon Palace, Paul Auster
  • 4 3 2 1, Paul Auster
  • The Glass Hotel, Emily St John Mandel
  • Transcription, Kate Atkinson
  • Three, Valerie Perrin
  • American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld
  • Pachinko, Min Jin Lee
  • A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Anthony Marra
  • The Ministry of Time, Kariane Bradley
  • Beartown, Frederick Backman
  • Prophet Song, Paul Lynch
  • American Pastoral, Philip Roth
  • There is no antimimetics division, qntm
  • On the calculation of volume book 1, Solvej Balle

My reading notes

I write short notes about each book I read, sometimes including my observations on the craft of writing to learn from the book.

My plans for 2026

This year, I really will try to ease off on my reading addiction.

When I do read, I want to read a few more printed books rather than ebooks or audiobooks, so that my young children see me reading. I think that's important.

I'll read more in the thriller genre, plus I want to explore the crime genre a little more because of an idea that's burning in my head.

But most of all, I want to write. I have about 5 fairly fully formed novels and even more short stories, taking up enormous space in my head. They are increasingly noisily clamouring to get out. It will be enormously satisfying to carve out time to release them onto the page.

My 2025 in books

Looking back on a year of reading (and not writing).