2025 wrap-up | book stats and favourites, life off the page, and personal reflections
Reflections on a year of reading, writing on Substack, and life changes
Book friends, we made it to the end of 2025. Having been on turbo boost for much of the year, I am relieved it is over and look forward to some rest before the new year.
This is my last post on Reads With Alicsia for the year—a yearly wrap-up instead of my usual monthly. My monthly wrap-ups have been a wonderful record of 2025, documenting what my physical journal often captures as a daily slog. They weren’t always easy to write—I had to push through at times—but I’m grateful I did. They’ve become my space for intentional reflection.
I was exhausted approaching year-end (more rested now, with some time off), but I’m also grateful for it: much came from fruitful work and happy new life shifts.
This 2025 reflection holds a little bit of everything: books, life, and the messy in-between.
Read on for the deep dive. I share below my highlights from writing and curating this newsletter, and the section is indeed long. Day-to-day, writing this newsletter often feels like poking at my keyboard into the void. But looking back, I’ve done so much: built community, had intimate chats with admired authors, and grown in ways I cherish.
There are also in-depth notes on my year of reading, and intimate reflections of my life off the page. Come with me on this reflection.
What writing gave me this year: reflections on a year of consistent newsletter writing
I started Reads With Alicia in September 2024 with a book review of Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano after I found myself talking about it incessantly with everyone who so much as hinted a passing interest in books. Now, there are over 3,000 of you reading with me.
Throughout 2025, I published consistently, with at least a post a week other than during my summer hiatus and on holiday weeks. It was harder than I anticipated, especially as I had a ‘bank’ of posts for weeks when I couldn’t write. Some book reviews flew out of me, like James by Percival Everett, Piglet by Lottie Hazell, and The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada. But on other days it was commitment to my readers and publishing schedule, rather than love for writing, that kept me going. In each case, my writing discipline grew, and I’m glad to look back on a fulfilling year of this little bookish newsletter.
Highlights include immense growth for my little Substack: a few Notes went viral, including when people from BookTok moved to Substack en masse, and my newsletter swelled to over 4,000 subscribers in a very short period. To celebrate, I published a roundup of 14 books about living life on your own terms.
Since then, subscriber numbers have mostly been on a downward trend, which was an odd experience after a sudden spurt, but I’m rather sanguine about it. Readers for which this newsletter resonates will stay, and that more book friends will join us with time. I don’t know when my subscriber numbers will tick up again, and I can’t fully say I don’t care, but I’m certain that that is not why I write. I feel greatly privileged to share my bookish thoughts with like-minded book lovers, and for the community I have found through Substack.
Introducing paid subscribers and exclusive content
I am also grateful that, along the way, I gained paid subscribers. At the start of this year, with encouragement from friends, I launched paid subscriptions. I already had a few kind friends with paid subscriptions because they’re lovely and supportive, but I wasn’t sure if other people would sign up. I thought hard about what value I could bring to those who upgraded their subscriptions that would also be sustainable to me, and came up with these:
exclusive regular content, including monthly book releases and personal monthly wrap-ups
full archive access (most posts are locked for paid subscribers only after a week)
book club guides—perfect reflection points for solo readers or group discussions, with all the book club questions you could ask for (pun intended)
author deep dives—I share research about the authors behind the writing, their influences, and plenty of fun facts
personalised book recommendations—paid subscribers can reach out to me anytime, and I’ll take special care to suggest your next great read
To my wonder, complete strangers alongside new Substack friends chose to support me by upgrading their subscriptions. Whilst my income from Substack is far from earning a living, I’m grateful to be a paid writer, and that the money earnt from writing for Reads With Alicia pays for some of the books I buy to review. I don’t write for subscription numbers or income, but both offer a little validation and spur me to keep bringing you my best work.
If you would like to support me with a paid subscription, I would be very grateful.
Author conversations and bookish connections
To this end, I put myself out there, reaching out to authors for reviews. To my delight, some actually said yes! This month, I published my first two author interviews, with debut author Morgan Dick (I also reviewed her family drama, Favourite Daughter, separately) and journalist activist Lucy Webster, whose memoir, The View From Down Here, came out in paperback recently. It’s a privilege to speak with people whose books I admire, and also so fun asking all my nosy questions. I have a few lined up for next year already, which I can’t wait to share with you.
Equally exciting was authors (or their publicists) reaching out with review copies of their books, which is a privilege and also a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I only say yes to books I think I’ll like, and I do my best to be fair and honest, but at the same time, want to help authors when I can. It’s a learning process—one I am excited to continue. If you have a book you would like me to review, do reach out.
Others generous with their time include the incredible guest authors I’ve had the privilege of featuring here: Jam Canezal, Daniel Puzzo, Michelle, Ashley Honeysett, Shruti Koti (click their names to check out their posts).
On the flip side, I have had the honour of writing a guest post and being interviewed on my reading habits for a couple of Substacks I’m really excited about:
‘The Slice: Alicia Loh.’ Bookpeach, 31 January 2025. https://bookpeach.substack.com/p/the-slice-alicia-loh
‘12 books that taught Alicia something.’ Al-Bayt al-Hikmah, 23 April 2025. https://arbaazkhan1999.substack.com/p/12-books-that-taught-alicia-something
Bookish connections are clearly a major theme, and a final highlight is my ‘seasonal reads’ series. This year, I published spring, summer, and fall editions, bringing readers 111 book recommendations, alongside other media, from friends around Substack and in my offline life. It’s been a really fun way connecting with people and finding new books to read. I’ll take the opportunity to thank the following people for taking part: Michelle, Jam Canezal, Books on GIF, Ashley Honeysett, Daniel Puzzo, Kolina Cicero, Alli, Soph, Yuri Minamide, Shruti Koti, MD, Arbaaz khan, Kelly Bunch, Mallory Stock, Morgan Dick, Emma, Alexandra Kelebay, Grace T, Angie C, Elley L, Freddie S, and Zhi Ling L.
I fully intend to continue my seasonal reads series, and would also love to feature you if you would like. I would also love to collaborate with more people on Substack. Comment on this or DM me!
When I write for Reads With Alicia, I often feel I’m just poking away at my laptop, but looking back, it’s clear that I have done a lot to be proud of, and have much to appreciate thanks to this newsletter and you, my wonderful readers.
Book Reads Wrapped: book stats and the ones that stayed with me
During the year, I often felt like I wasn’t reading a lot, and there were months when I barely read at all. But looking back, it’s been another great year of reading, with several books that really left an impression.
With a week left, I’m hoping to finish Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier after hearing so much about it from Kolina Cicero, Jam Canezal, and Shruti Koti, MD, and maybe one more after it. Here are my 2025 stats:
This graph feels right. May was a big lull in my reading life, as I had family visiting through the month, and I knew I read less over the summer, though I read more in June than I thought. More book stats below:
