Thank you again for doing this each year--The Correspondent seemed as if it might be too precious for me but now I'm convinced to try it. Epistolary novels are so hard to do well...
I adore Mia McKenzie after discovering her work in 2025. 'Sky Falling' made me laugh out loud multiple times. 'These Heathens' was so different in style and just as well written.
Love this list, filling up my TBR!! But it seems like the copy-paste got scrambled. Some descriptions have no title, others seem to end mid-sentence. And, wasn't The People's Project an edited collection? I only mention cuz I'd love to know what the intended descriptions were, not to proofread. 🤗
any creative person who finds themselves in the City of Angels. Silverberg is a witty, charming storyteller with a bold, unique voice.
Scorched Earth: Poems by Tiana Clark
This was an absolutely magnificent collection of poetry. Clark has a really deft hand with poetic forms. I especially enjoyed the emotional tenor of the poems, the sensual imagery, the voice, the range.
A gorgeously tender, criminally under-appreciated novel about a person who is, in the early days of new and joyful marriage, grappling with grief, anger, and finally understanding who they are really meant to be
When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris
A debut novel telling a beautifully, intricately rendered story about creativity and ambition and the things that unexpectedly derail us
I love that you write these reading round-ups. I've been in your book club since the beginning and the majority of the books I love and remember come from you and your team. Love that you mentioned First Time Long Time, Scorched Earth and Yesteryear.
The way I went through this updating my "to read" list and placing library holds. 🙏
Thank you again for doing this each year--The Correspondent seemed as if it might be too precious for me but now I'm convinced to try it. Epistolary novels are so hard to do well...
Favorite Reads of 2025, by author's last name:
Our Wives Under the Sea, by Julia Armfield
Spent, by Alison Bechdel
Beautyland, by Marie-Helene Bertino
The Girls, by John Bowen
The Waters, by Bonnie Jo Campbell
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, by Michael Chabon
Greenwood, by Michael Christie
Muybridge, by Guy Delisle
The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich
My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Book Two, by Emil Ferris
Shark Heart, by Emily Habeck
Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?, by Lorrie Moore
Moon of the Crusted Snow, by Waubgeshig Rice
Margo’s Got Money Troubles, by Rufi Thorpe
Rejection, by Tony Tulathimutte
I adore Mia McKenzie after discovering her work in 2025. 'Sky Falling' made me laugh out loud multiple times. 'These Heathens' was so different in style and just as well written.
I publish a whole blog of my own with my favourite reads each year: https://open.substack.com/pub/kschatch/p/if-you-only-read-five-fiction-books-d5c?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
The world is full of SO MANY GOOD BOOKS. Thanks heaps for the list!
My TBR is groaning!
Love this list, filling up my TBR!! But it seems like the copy-paste got scrambled. Some descriptions have no title, others seem to end mid-sentence. And, wasn't The People's Project an edited collection? I only mention cuz I'd love to know what the intended descriptions were, not to proofread. 🤗
I don't see that here so I'm not sure what you're referencing.
This was the only place I got lost:
any creative person who finds themselves in the City of Angels. Silverberg is a witty, charming storyteller with a bold, unique voice.
Scorched Earth: Poems by Tiana Clark
This was an absolutely magnificent collection of poetry. Clark has a really deft hand with poetic forms. I especially enjoyed the emotional tenor of the poems, the sensual imagery, the voice, the range.
A gorgeously tender, criminally under-appreciated novel about a person who is, in the early days of new and joyful marriage, grappling with grief, anger, and finally understanding who they are really meant to be
When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris
A debut novel telling a beautifully, intricately rendered story about creativity and ambition and the things that unexpectedly derail us
Thank you for this! Sorry you didn’t have a great year.
If you liked Careless People, I recommend Empire of AI by Karen Hao. It is in my top 10 of all time!
Thank you for this list!!
Moderation was my favorite. Thank you for finding these books for us.
love, love epistolary novels and am quite fond of you, Miss Roxanne
I love that you write these reading round-ups. I've been in your book club since the beginning and the majority of the books I love and remember come from you and your team. Love that you mentioned First Time Long Time, Scorched Earth and Yesteryear.
I received two copies of The Correspondent as Chanukah gifts. I gave one to my sister and just moved the other to the top of the pile. Thank you!
TILT was one of my favorite books I read all year, along with JAMES.
Thank you! 🩷