Jesse Koepke

Wow, what a year of reading! Before this year the most books I had read was 48 back in 2012. (This isn’t that big of a list, though. My wife read over 80.) This is largely thanks to audiobooks, two good series, and a year where fun stories was a lifeline. After years of being a bit lost in fiction, this year’s list is mostly that genre.

So, without further ado, here at the books I read in 2025.

1. Artemis, by Andy Weir
2. Hell Divers VIII: King of the Wastes, by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
3. Beyond Betrayal, by Phil Waldrep
4. Hell Divers IX: Radioactive, by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
5. Hell Divers X: Fallout, by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
6. Hard Contact, by Karren Travis (print)
7. The Recession Response, by Mike Michalowicz
8. The Lord and His Prayer, by N.T. Wright
9. Planetside, by Michael Mammay (ebook)
10. Requiem for Medusa, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
11. Galaxy’s Edge: Legionnaire, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
12. Galaxy’s Edge: Outlaws, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
13. Galaxy’s Edge: Kill Team, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
14. Galaxy’s Edge: Attack of Shadows, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
15. Galaxy’s Edge: Imperator, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
16. The Fall Risk, by Abby Jimenez
17. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling
18. Your Best Year Ever, by Michael Hyatt
19. Galaxy’s Edge: Sword of the Legion, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
20. Book Lovers, by Emily Henry
21. Who Was Jesus? by N.T. Wright
22. We Are Legion, by Dennis E. Taylor
23. Galaxy’s Edge: Prisoners of Darkness, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
24. Galaxy’s Edge: Turning Point, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
25. Practice Makes Perfect, by Sarah Adams
26. Two Can Play, by Ali Hazelwood
27. Galaxy’s Edge: Message for the Dead, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
28. Not In Love, by Ali Hazelwood
29. Rhythm of War (ebook, print, audio)
30. Galaxy’ Edge: Chasing the Dragon, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
31. Galaxy’s Edge: Order of the Centurion, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
32. MCU, by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards
33. Galaxy’s Edge: Retribution, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
34. Hell Divers XI: Renegades, by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
35. Hell Divers XII: Heroes, by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
36. Galaxy’s Edge: Madam Guillotine, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
37. Galaxy’s Edge: Mephisto’s Game, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
38. Wild Love, by Elsie Silver
39. Hell Divers: Into the Storm, by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
40. Solitude, by Dean M. Cole
41. Galaxy’s Edge: Uncommon Valor, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
42. Forget Nothing, by Jason Anspatch and Michelle C. Meyers
43. Forget Nothing II, by Jason Anspatch and Michelle C. Meyers
44. Galaxy’s Edge: Banshee’s Last Scream, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
45. Starsight, by Brandon Sanderson
46. The Blighted Stars, by Megan E. O’Keefe
47. Lost Planet Homicide, by Larry Correia
48. Ghosts of Zenith, by Larry Correia
49. The Five Points Ripper, by Larry Correia
50. Wild Eyes, by Elsie Silver
51. Spaceside, by Michael Mammay
52. The Tainted Cup, by Robert Jackson Bennett
53. Galaxy’s Edge: Savage Wars
54. The Path To Loving Him, by Meghan Quinn
55. A World Beneath The Sands, by Toby Wilkinson (ebook, print, audio)
56. Galaxy’s Edge: Takeover, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
57. After Doubt, by A.J. Swoboda
58. Galaxy’s Edge: Legacies, by Justin Anspach and Nick Cole
59. Dead Lions, by Mick Herron

Favorite Books

Fiction

For the first time in years, fiction outnumbers non-fiction in my list!

I finished the epic Hell Divers series and wow, every book was 5 stars right to the end. Nicholas Sansbury Smith expands the world in each entry. There were multiple points where my jaw dropped as I listened. The final book, Heroes, brings everything home in a great ending for all the characters. Smith is continuing the story in prequels set before the world was destroyed, which I’m excited to read.

As I was finishing Hell Divers, I stumbled on another incredible series, Galaxy’s Edge. Written by Jason Anspatch and Nick Cole in different seasons, this series has over thirty books and multiple spin-offs. It also has the unique aspect where almost each book in Season 1 has a different style. This keeps the style fresh, but it also meant I had to get acclimated to each book. But the tapestry it weaves over the first 12 books is just incredible. Each spin-off series I’ve read has also been solid. This is more military sci-fi than I’ve read before (Attack of Shadows was a minute-by-minute account of a massive space battle), but the mystery and mix of Star Wars-type magic is fantastic.

There were a handful of new authors I read in fantasty, sci-fi, and romance. Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup was a fun Sherlock Holmes meets fantasy. Maybe it’s because I’m in my 40s now, but I loved the “tired old guy trying to win the day” in Michael Mammay and Larry Correia’s books. I also read a handful of romance books my wife recommended, which were fun! I’ve always read other-world fiction, so it was cool to see how normal life can still fill a book. Plus romance authors often build series around side characters and have a time jump to an epilogue. I’ll be stealing those ideas for my own books.

Lastly, I finally, finally finished Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. This book literally took me four years to read in all formats: first in ebook (how I’ve read the others), then print, then audio to bring it home. It was good, but man I’m not sure if I’m meant for thousand-page tomes. I’m reading Wind and Truth in audio, so hopefully I can finish it in 2026.

Non-Fiction

Beyond Betrayal by Phil Waldrep was a helpful book while still processing things from a fallen ministry my wife and I were a part of. Waldrep said several things that I still remember to this day, including to go outside and be around people who haven’t experienced betrayal; it will remind that life and joy can still happen.

MCU by Robinson, Gonzales, and Edwards is wonderfully detailed about the most consequential studio and movie series in the 21st century. If you liked Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle-earth by Ian Nathan, or like Marvel movies, this is right up your alley.

I also loved reading about the history of exploring Egypt in A World Beneath the Sands, by Toby Wilkinson. I wanted to find moments of what it was like to unearth buried civilizations as inspiration for the current book I’m writing, and Wilkinson provided that. It also led me to find the book Mirage, by Nina Burleigh, which is all about Napoleon’s expedition in 1798, which I’m excited to read.

Reading in 2026

It always feels a bit funny writing a reading post well into the next year. Half of 2026 is already gone and spoiler, I won’t be reading 50+ books this year. But for goals this year:

• Read more print books. I have three fantasy books I’d love to read this way.
• Read more on my Kindle
• Continue the Galaxy’s Edge series. Let’s go season 2!
• Read (or start to read) the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurtwitz
• Read at least a couple Harry Potter books. (I’m making my way through the audiobooks narrated by Stephen Fry.)
• Find books about how to support my girls as they grow up (our oldest is almost 9! She wasn’t even one year old back in 2017.)

I always love seeing what themes turn up in a year of reading. In 2025 it was finding exciting fiction. Let’s see what it is in 2026.

Here’s to more reading!