I challenged myself to read only nonfiction books this year. Here's why and what I learned.

Earlier in 2025, I challenged myself to read strictly nonfiction books for the next 12 months. As a founder and entrepreneur, I began to crave more “real-life” stories and started gravitating towards business books or memoirs.

I’m happy to report that I completed my challenge—successfully.

I read 8 books total—far from my usual 20+ books a year (mainly fiction, in the past), but I've learned that quality over quantity goes a long way. Often times, reading tends to become a competition in the fiction book community. By slowing down and not assigning myself a reading challenge, I savored each book, each story, and gained so much wisdom in the end.

Because I am in “building mode”, I craved learning more about building and growing a business or how others did it. Real life seems more interesting than escapism or entertainment. I find this so fascinating—how a shift in professional life affects the mental. I have been an avid reader since my teenage years, and fiction has always dominated my reading list.

But I have changed; therefore, my interests have also changed. In the same way that my circle of friends has changed or evolved.

As I said, these days, I'm in awe of people's stories and how they overcome and push through unimaginable circumstances to create extraordinary careers or businesses.

We often see the "after" and fail to understand the years of nonstop grinding, the loneliness, and the sacrifices to get there. It made me think of what "success" truly means. Really puts the word "success" into perspective...

What is success?

In conclusion, the books I read this year were intentional.

I’m slowing down more and soaking in knowledge and other people’s experiences: founders and entrepreneurs who have walked this path.

And I’m learning that, in the end, they all have one thing in common: perseverance.

Here's my line-up for the first few months of 2026—because at this point, I’m on a roll.

Although I miss the feeling of getting lost in the world of fiction, I value nonfiction more in this season of my life. And that’s okay.

Who knows… I may pick up a novel one of these days.

Have your reading habits changed overtime?