Our 2025 Reading Wrap-Up: Favourites, Flops & Hidden Gems

December brings our Season 5 finale, and what a way to wrap the year! In this final episode of Books, Baby!, Ian, Bev, and Alo look back at a year of reading, reflecting on the stories that stayed with us long after the last page.We chat about our favourite reads of the year, the books that surprised us when we least expected it, the ones that didn’t quite live up to the hype, and our standout favourite books in translation. Along the way, we weave it all together with a look at our Spotify Wrapped stats for the podcast — the numbers, the milestones, and what they say about the year that was for Books, Baby!It’s reflective, opinionated, and full of love for books and listeners alike — the perfect send-off for Season 5 and a celebration of another year spent reading together.Books mentioned in this episode:The Rest of Our Lives - Ben MarkovitsThe Slip - Miriam WebsterA Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily HenryIndeterminate Inflorescence - Yi SeongbokDays of Reading - Marcel ProustThe Emperor of Gladness - Ocean VoungeGravity Let Me Go - Trent DaltonLessons in Chemestry - Bonnie GarmusThe Bee Sting - Paul MurraySpinning Around: The Kylie Playlist - Various AuthorsSeparate Rooms - Pier Vittorio TondelliFlesh - David Szalay Kairos - Jenny ErpenbeckGoodbye to Berlin - Christopher Iserwood On the Calculation of Volume I, II, III - Solvej BalleHeart Lamp - Banu MustaqHunchback - Sao IchikawaMedea Sang Me a Corrido - Dahlia de la CerdaReservoir Bitches - Dahlia de la CerdaBetween a Wolf and a Dog - Georgia BlainBefore Night Falls - Reinaldo ArenasHunger - Cho Jin-YoungThe Makioka Sisters - Jun'ichirō TanizakiThe Hours - Michael CunninghamMinor Black Figures - Brandon TaylorConnect with us via email (⁠[email protected]⁠) and on Instagram!Books, Baby! – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hosts:Ian – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@bookish_ian⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bev – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksgonewilde⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alo – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@books.swallows.universe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠