Review of 2025 Reading Year

Another productive year with 39 books read, including four non-fiction. The male to female author ratio was 24:15 and the same ratio applied to previously read against new to me writers. The eleven reading group selections included three I did not fancy, but the other eight helped the ratios with majority female and new to me authors; also, two make it onto the highlights reel. It was a good year for the Book-et List - four ticked off leaving six outstanding.

 

My nine best books of the year are: (Month of full review in brackets.)

 

Phosphate Rocks – Fiona Erskine: Interestingly constructed mix of science, memoir, and whodunnit set in the chemical industry. (Feb)

 

Should We Stay or Should We Go – Lionel Shriver: Darkly playful exploration of late life choices. (Apr)

 

Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell: Moving re-imagination of how the loss of the playwright’s son affected the man himself and his family. (Apr)

 

All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr: Masterful twin track tale of two young people caught up on opposite sides of the German occupation of France in the Second World War. (Jun)

 

The Bee Sting – Paul Murray: Set in Ireland, the disintegration of a family, comic and tragic by turns, is told from the wildly different perspectives of Dad, Mum, Daughter, and Son. (Jul)

 

Bridge of Clay – Markus Zusak: Another tragi-comic family saga, this one set in Australia where five brothers make their rough and ready way following the loss of both parents. (Aug)

 

The Muse – Jessie Burton: Two timelines – 1960s swinging London and 1930s revolutionary Spain – become improbably but cleverly linked as mysteries unfold. (Sep)

The Heart’s Invisible Furies – John Boyne: Cleverly constructed story of a life in seven decade-skipping episodes - each told with wit, humour, and wisdom – and together providing satirical comment on the last seventy years of Irish society. (Oct)

 

You Are Here – David Nicholls: No longer boy meets no longer girl on a hike. Will opposites attract or will ingrained habits get in the way? Funny and moving by turns. (Dec)