Let's wrap up our December reading month & talk about our 2026 reading goals!

Books Discussed:

The Strength of the Few - James Islington

House of Flame and Shadow - Sarah J Maas

A Day of Fallen Night - Samantha Shannon

The Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings) - JRR Tolkein

The Bright Years - Sarah Damoff

Iron Gold - Pierce Brown

The Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson

Oathbringer - Brandon Sanderson

A Sea of Unspoken Things - Adrienne Young

The Unmaking of June Farrow - Adrienne Young

A Sky Beyond the Storm - Sabaa Tahir

Broken Country - Clare Leslie Hall

Fallen City - Adrienne Young

The Ex-Wives Club - Sally Hepworth

The Poet Empress - Shen Tao

The Elsewhere Express - Samantha Shannon Yambao

People We Meet on Vacation - Emily Henry

The Housemaid - Frieda McFadden

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Instagram: @freyv_reads

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(00:00) intro & current reads

(12:36) december recap

(30:06) 2026 reading goals

(53:47) january news

2025 wrapped! Let's talk about the best and worst books we read this year, going month to month. THANK YOU for listening this year, and can't wait for more episodes to come in 2026!

Books Discussed:

The Strength of the Few - James Islington

Oathbringer - Brandon Sanderson

Red Rising - Pierce Brown

The Favourites - Layne Fargo

Love in the Time of Serial Killers - Alicia Thompson

Blood Over Bright Haven - ML Wang

Pumpkin Spice Cafe - Laurie Gilmore

Sunrise on the Reaping - Suzanne Collins

Deep End - Ali Hazelwood

Wild Reverence - Rebecca Ross

Immortal Dark - Tigest Girma

Us Against You - Fredrik Backman

Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah

Atmosphere - Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Summer We Ran - Audrey Ingram

Jade War - Fonda Lee

We'll Always Have Summer - Jenny Han

Jade Legacy - Fonda Lee

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales - Heather Fawcett

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir

Metal Slinger - Rachel Schneider

Words of Radiance - Brandon Sanderson

Mate - Ali Hazelwood

Red City - Marie Lu

The Poet Empress - Shen Tao

Morning Star - Pierce Brown

Heartstopper - Alice Oseman

Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson

His and Hers - Alice Feeney

The Blood Traitor - Lynette Noni

All I Ever Wanted Was to be Hot - Lucinda Price

Reckless - Lauren Roberts

Holding the Reins - Paisley Hope

A Familiar Stranger - AR Torre

A Torch Against the Night - Sabaa Tahir

Save Me - Mona Kasten

The Raven Scholar - Antonia Hodgson

Our Infinite Fates - Laura Steven

The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson

Wild Side - Elsie Silver

Kingdom of Copper - SA Chakraborty

Regretting You - Colleen Hoover

The Will of the Many - James Islington

People Watching - Hannah Bonam Young

The Defender - Ana Huang

The Cursed Melodies - Connie Glynn

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Watch our video podcasts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponaTimeZonePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jaime's socials:

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Instagram: @jaimefok

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Freya's socials:

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Instagram: @freyv_reads

Tiktok: @freyvalerio

(00:00) intro & current reads

(15:22) year in review

(27:42) january

(36:28) february

(45:35) march

(48:16) april

(52:55) may

(56:55) june

(01:00:58) july

(01:07:53) august

(01:12:29) september

(01:15:02) october

(01:20:01) november

(01:23:48) final thoughts & happy holidays!

Let's go over the Goodreads Choice Awards nominees and winners of 2025! Why is the romantasy category so confusing...?

Books Discussed:

Just Friends - Haley Pham

Of Flame and Fury - Mikayla Bridge

The Princess Knight - Cait Jacobs

The Ballad of Falling Dragons - Sarah A Parker

When the Moon Hatched - Sarah A Parker

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Watch our video podcasts on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponaTimeZonePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jaime's socials:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@jaimefok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: @jaimefok

Tiktok: @jaime.fok

Freya's socials:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@freyvalerio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: @freyv_reads

Tiktok: @freyvalerio

(00:00) intro & current reads

(09:27) wicked: for good debrief

(16:12) the ballad of falling dragons announcement

(19:15) fiction

(27:18) historical fiction

(31:04) mystery thriller

(34:40) romance

(39:20) romantasy

(47:14) fantasy

(54:29) sci-fi

(56:18) horror

(57:35) debut

(58:51) audiobooks

(59:12) YA fantasy

(01:03:27) YA fiction

(01:05:08) nonfiction

(01:09:17) final thoughts