Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

best and worst book from every month of 2025 ✨

can you believe we're a week into the new year? I hope it's not too late for me to be posting 2025 content 😅

*disclaimer! a lot of the ones on the 'worst' book of the month list weren't actually horrible or ones I wouldn't recommend. many of them were actually 3 or even 4 stars! I've just had a great reading year overall.

(also, I accidentally had the dungeon anarchist's cookbook in 'best books' when it should've been the strength of the few 🤦‍♀️)

are any of these some of your best/worst reads as well? any on the TBR?

JANUARY
best book: kindred by octavia e. butler
worst book: masquerade by o.o. sangoyomi

FEBRUARY
best book: ninth house by leigh bardugo
worst book: shroud by adrian tchaikovsky

MARCH
best book: the tainted cup by robert jackson bennett
worst book: record of a spaceborn few by becky chambers

APRIL
best book: a drop of corruption by robert jackson bennett
worst book: the galaxy, and the ground within by becky chambers

MAY
best book: paladin's grace by t. kingfisher
worst book: hell bent by leigh bardugo

JUNE
best book: babel by r.f. kuang
worst book: six wild crowns by holly race

JULY
best book: the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon
worst book: assassin's quest by robin hobb

AUGUST
best book: dungeon crawler carl by matt dinniman
worst book: carl's doomsday scenario by matt dinniman

SEPTEMBER
best book: katabasis by r.f. kuang
worst book: the ballad of songbirds and snakes by suzanne collins

OCTOBER
best book: the left hand of darkness by ursula k. le guin
worst book: the dungeon anarchist's cookbook by matt dinniman

NOVEMBER
best book: the strength of the few by james islington
worst book: howling dark by christopher ruocchio

DECEMBER
best book: red city by marie lu
worst book: 3 days, 9 months, 27 years by john scalzi

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #topbooksof2025 #5starbooks

6 hours ago (edited) | [YT] | 22

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Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

it feels like there were so many fantasy and sci-fi releases from all the big authors this year?! these are the ones that are still on my TBR

next year, I'll have to find time to read all of these, and all the 2026 releases I'm interested in, AND everything else 😂

if you've read any of these, what did you think? or are some on your TBR too?

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #tbr #2025bookrelease

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 37

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Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

Hi friends, after posting 93 Shorts on this channel, I've finally bit the bullet and have made my very first long-form video! 🥳

It would mean the world if you guys could let me know what you think. I've been wanting to do #booktube for years now so this is super exciting for me.

There was 40 minutes of footage for this video and I expected it to end up being at least 10 minutes but here we are with 7.5 minutes. 😂

I'm taking every video I do for now as a learning experience though so I'm not too fussed. Just excited to keep making more!

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 10

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Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

books with older female main characters (fantasy and sci-fi) 🧙🏻‍♀️

I've put together a list of ones I'd recommend, and, a list of ones on my TBR that I'd love your thoughts on if you've read any!

the books in alphabetical order (so that this post reaches the right people but you still have to interact with the carousel to see which are read vs. unread 😈):
a day of fallen night by samantha shannon
a sorceress comes to call by t. kingfisher
a witch's guide to magical innkeeping by sangu mandanna
city of stairs by robert jackson bennett
legends and lattes by travis baldree
paladin's grace by t. kingfisher
tehanu by ursula k. le guin
the art of prophecy by wesley chu
the fifth season by n. k. jemisin
the ninth rain by jen williams
the shadow of the gods by john gwynne
the sword of kaigen by m. l. wang

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #bookrecommendations

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 28

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Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

how my november reading month went and plans for december

I've been in a bit of a slump for the past month, both in terms of reading and posting. life's been busy but in a good way and so I'm trying to not feel bad about not hitting my November goals.

to go on with that theme, I'm skipping the TBR list for december and planning to just go with the flow. I also want to get back into the groove of filming and editing but not pressure myself too much. let's just see how things go!

(and please forgive me if I haven't replied to you, I'm still catching up on messages and comments 🫶)

how did your reading go in november?

the strength of the few by james islington (ARC from ‪@TEXTPUB‬)
howling dark by christopher ruocchio
red city by marie lu (review copy from ‪@PanMacmillanAus‬)
sunrise on the reaping by suzanne collins

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #jamesislington #christopherruocchio

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 34

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Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

things I do to fill my cup

I haven't been as active lately and I've taken the time to just slow down a bit to try and fill my cup

here are a few of the things I love doing when my cup is feeling a bit empty

how full has your cup been lately? do you do any of these things too?

(quick update: I've just finished the strength of the few. just wrapping my head around my thoughts but will share more within the next couple of days!)

1 month ago | [YT] | 29

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Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

I had a really up and down time with reading in october but overall, still had a great time 🥰

ngl, I spent way more time on netflix (building the band, physical: asia, nobody wants this, pop star academy: katseye) than reading but I had a blast so no regrets 😂

how did your reading go in october?

finished:
a witch's guide to magical innkeeping by sangu mandanna
the lesser devil by christopher ruocchio
the left hand of darkness by ursula k. le guin
the dungeon anarchist's cookbook by matt dinniman

currently reading:
howling dark by christopher ruocchio

I was hoping to get to the light of all that falls but didn't get a chance to. with so many other books I want to get to in november, I probably won't get to this for a few more months.

(also I've just hit 1,000 subscribers! this will never not be crazy to me 😭 huge thank you to you all for the support ❤️)

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #mattdinniman #christopherruocchio #ursulakleguin #sangumandanna

2 months ago | [YT] | 29

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Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

top 5 fantasy & sci-fi book releases from the last 5 years

2021: jade legacy by fonda lee
the last book in the green bone saga and one of the best conclusions I've ever read. emotionally devastating in the perfect way.

2022: the hunger of the gods by john gwynne
the middle book in the bloodsworn saga had non-stop action. it gave me the same feeling that words of radiance did with the multiple perspectives coming together.

skipping 2023 because we have 2 bangers for 2024.

2024: the tainted cup by robert jackson bennet
I'll never stop shouting this from the rooftops, everyone needs to read the tainted cup! it's a sherlock-style murder mystery in a fantasy world and it's criminally underhyed.

2024: the mercy of gods by s.a. corey
another one that I don't see enough people talking about from the authors of the expanse series (I still need to read this). the mercy of gods is an incredible start to a brutal space opera.

2025: katabasis by r.f. kuang
and last but not least, katabasis is my pick for 2025. it's an incredible academic and philisophical fantasy that's unapologetically nerdy. r.f. kuang can do no wrong in my books.

#booktube #bookrecommendations #fantasybooks #scifibooks

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 32

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Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

my official application to be your book bestie!

do we have anything in common? 🥹

#booktube #booktubeintroduction #scifibooks #fantasybooks

2 months ago | [YT] | 35

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Laura Tien • SFF BookTube

I've been accumulating books and leaving them on the dining table rather than putting them away but I finally got the job done 😂

which of these should I read first? any on your TBR too?

gardens of the moon by steven erikson
hyperion by dan simmons
the fellowship of the ring by j. r. r. tolkien
the left hand of darkness by ursula k. le guin
blackveil by kristen britain
best served cold by joe abercrombie
chain-gang all-stars by nana kwame adjei-brenyah
jade legacy by fonda lee (read)
the ballad of songbirds and snakes by suzanne collins (read)
katabasis by r.f. kuang (read)

#booktube #fantasybooks #scifibooks #tbr #shelfie

3 months ago | [YT] | 22

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