This year I challenged myself to read 25 new books, and kept track of my progress through my Goodreads account. I am proud to say that as of last week, I successfully completed this challenge! Now I can spend my December re-reading some of my all-time favourites (I’m coming for you again, Gatsby!).

Today, I decided to re-visit all the books I read this past year, and challenged myself to write one-sentence reviews. If you’re looking for some new reads to wrap up your year, check these out! 

Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, by Vincent Lam

Written by a Toronto-based doctor about being a medical student in Toronto: this book gives you more insight into the world of medical care than Grey’s Anatomy ever could.

Not That Kind of Girl, by Lena Dunham

While some excerpts were great, others weren’t, so I defiantly wouldn’t say that it defines a generation.

2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke

I don’t even know how to begin explaining my love for Clarke’s work, or 2001: he spins a masterful tale about life on Earth and beyond.

The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath

This book is full of female, twenty-something angst, and I love it; funny and sad, Plath will welcome you into her world and make you feel at home.

The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway makes me feel in a way that no other author can, and this book is no exception; I don’t even know how to describe it except by saying “it’s real.”

A Dance With Dragons, by George R. R. Martin

I still hate all the Starks.

2010: Odyssey Two, by Arthur C. Clarke

Dave Bowman comes back!

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

I really don’t understand the hype around this book — it was only alright.

A Long Way Down, by Nick Hornby

Another book full of angst, but also ripe with strange friendships that develop over a pact to not commit suicide.

2061: Odyssey Three, by Arthur C. Clarke

You never know what you’re going to find in space!

Into The Wild, by Jon Krakauer

One of the greatest pieces of non-fiction I’ve ever read, and a compelling story about one young man’s journey to find himself.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, by Tom Stoppard

If you want to know what the character’s in Shakespeare’s Hamlet do while off-stage, read this play, because it’s hilarious.

The War of the Worlds, by H. G. Wells

Martians that can’t cope with Earth’s atmosphere or various diseases, so despite their invasion, humans still come out as victors.

Annihilation, by Jeff Vandermeer

Area X is full of secrets that will drive you mad, potentially to the point of death.

Armada, by Ernest Cline

This book is full of totally awesome nerdy references, but the ending falls short.

Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut

Only Kurt Vonnegut writes like Kurt Vonnegut, and you don’t realize how true his satire is until it’s over.

Choke, by Chuck Palahniuk

This book made me pretty uncomfortable, but that’s what Chuck Palahniuk does, so I’d still call it a success.

Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton

DINOSAURS!

The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P., by Adelle Waldman

Hipster romances in Brooklyn.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

This book tells the story of a wonderful world of magic, but tries too hard to make a sub-par romance spark.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving

I’m still concerned about what actually happened to Ichabod Crane.

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

This story will melt your heart in a spooky way.

Bird Box, by Josh Malerman

The story is gripping, and will leave you turning pages and trying to figure out what is happening, but in the end, you’ll be let down.

A Study in Scarlett, by Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock and Watson meet for the first time and it’s hilarious.

Fans of the Impossible Life, by Kate Scelsa

Very similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and would have probably been better if I was still 16.