First, in seeing someone's comment below I want to second "A Gentleman in Moscow"! Fun fact: It has a really cool writing structure (the internet says "accordion style") where in the beginning each chapter starts out in tiny increments of time, and by the middle there's larger and larger jumps, and then it goes back to getting smaller and smaller towards the end. I didn't realize it until someone told me after and my mind was blown.
Overlapping favs of ours from the year: "The Choice" & "How To Stay Married" - both SO good. I love Michael Pollan, so your post was my nudge to add "How to Change Your Mind" to my library holds.
My top books of the year (any of which could be good for your fiction-filled 2025!):
1. "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore - an atmospheric mystery that deals with class, privilege, missing rich kids, and takes place at a summer camp in the Adirondacks (a great summer read).
2. "The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon - a midwife in Maine in the late 1700's knows all the personal details of the town because of what she does, but some people (ahem, not wonderful husbands) don't like her knowing all that she does. LOVED the depiction of her marriage and all the messy but intimate details of the work that she did.
3. "The Book of Doors" by Gareth Brown - one of the best crafted (slightly fantasy) books I've read in a long time. I also audibly reacted to some big plot twists that I didn't see coming at all.
4. "You Could Make This Place Beautiful" by Maggie Smith (non-fiction) - a beautiful story of starting a new life post-divorce. Had similar vibes to "How to Stay Married".
I am so thrilled you replied with your recommendations, Libby!
1. I can't wait to watch for the accordian style plot structure in "A Gentleman in Moscow", thanks for that tip!
2. Love hearing about our shared overlapping faves. 😍
3. OK "The God Of The Woods" is coming home with me soon. If the inside of the book is as beautiful as the cover and that gorgeous title, I'll be so happy. I've been eyeing this one on shelves...
4. I have not heard of "The Frozen River". Color me intrigued.
5. I think "The Book of Doors" might be my jam. My favorite fiction book ever is "The Time Travelers Wife" (slightly fantasy, generated a huge emotional response in me) - I'm putting this one high on my list
6. "You Could Make This Place Beautiful" - I read this in 2023 and thought it was stunning and genre-bending. Is it poetry? Is it prose? Poetic prose?
Yay, thanks for sharing your own post with your Top 10! Love your list. I have had "A Gentleman in Moscow" and Amor Towles on my radar for a while but haven't picked it up yet...this is my nudge! And James Percival Everett ... I've seen it everywhere, haven't read it yet. Thanks Chelsey!
What a great year of reading! A few on there have been top of my list in the past as well...
- Overstory 100%! it slowly grew on me, and by the end I was deeply affected by it, I recommend it often
- How to Change Your Mind, I also thought it was excellent, I love that it brings awareness to the space for broader audiences
Our fiction styles don't really overlap, but some of the books I really enjoyed this year were:
- "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow," and it reminds me of the long wandering walks in the sun I'd take while listening. It brings back the nostalgia of the video games of my youth, and has an emotional, winding journey throughout the characters' lives
- Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky has been on my list for a long time, and I finally read it this year. I loved the mind-shifting perspective in terms of human timelines and developed, evolved consciousness
Yes, I think think the theme with The Overstory is it slowly grows on people...like a tree, perhaps?? I read "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" a couple of years ago and thought it was excellent - I'm not a video game person but I feel like I learned so much about that world, and the writing was gorgeous. I have not heard of "Children of Time"...but your description is making me add it to my list. Thanks for chiming in, Jared!
I had been waiting for this post!!! :)
First, in seeing someone's comment below I want to second "A Gentleman in Moscow"! Fun fact: It has a really cool writing structure (the internet says "accordion style") where in the beginning each chapter starts out in tiny increments of time, and by the middle there's larger and larger jumps, and then it goes back to getting smaller and smaller towards the end. I didn't realize it until someone told me after and my mind was blown.
Overlapping favs of ours from the year: "The Choice" & "How To Stay Married" - both SO good. I love Michael Pollan, so your post was my nudge to add "How to Change Your Mind" to my library holds.
My top books of the year (any of which could be good for your fiction-filled 2025!):
1. "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore - an atmospheric mystery that deals with class, privilege, missing rich kids, and takes place at a summer camp in the Adirondacks (a great summer read).
2. "The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon - a midwife in Maine in the late 1700's knows all the personal details of the town because of what she does, but some people (ahem, not wonderful husbands) don't like her knowing all that she does. LOVED the depiction of her marriage and all the messy but intimate details of the work that she did.
3. "The Book of Doors" by Gareth Brown - one of the best crafted (slightly fantasy) books I've read in a long time. I also audibly reacted to some big plot twists that I didn't see coming at all.
4. "You Could Make This Place Beautiful" by Maggie Smith (non-fiction) - a beautiful story of starting a new life post-divorce. Had similar vibes to "How to Stay Married".
Happy reading in 2025!
I am so thrilled you replied with your recommendations, Libby!
1. I can't wait to watch for the accordian style plot structure in "A Gentleman in Moscow", thanks for that tip!
2. Love hearing about our shared overlapping faves. 😍
3. OK "The God Of The Woods" is coming home with me soon. If the inside of the book is as beautiful as the cover and that gorgeous title, I'll be so happy. I've been eyeing this one on shelves...
4. I have not heard of "The Frozen River". Color me intrigued.
5. I think "The Book of Doors" might be my jam. My favorite fiction book ever is "The Time Travelers Wife" (slightly fantasy, generated a huge emotional response in me) - I'm putting this one high on my list
6. "You Could Make This Place Beautiful" - I read this in 2023 and thought it was stunning and genre-bending. Is it poetry? Is it prose? Poetic prose?
Thanks so much for weighing in, Libby!
Ok. I read The Overstory as well and struggled through it. I think as time passed I liked it more than I did when I was reading it. Here are my top 10 from last year: https://www.chelseycrouch.com/p/my-top-10-reads-of-2024?r=29rzu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Yay, thanks for sharing your own post with your Top 10! Love your list. I have had "A Gentleman in Moscow" and Amor Towles on my radar for a while but haven't picked it up yet...this is my nudge! And James Percival Everett ... I've seen it everywhere, haven't read it yet. Thanks Chelsey!
What a great year of reading! A few on there have been top of my list in the past as well...
- Overstory 100%! it slowly grew on me, and by the end I was deeply affected by it, I recommend it often
- How to Change Your Mind, I also thought it was excellent, I love that it brings awareness to the space for broader audiences
Our fiction styles don't really overlap, but some of the books I really enjoyed this year were:
- "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow," and it reminds me of the long wandering walks in the sun I'd take while listening. It brings back the nostalgia of the video games of my youth, and has an emotional, winding journey throughout the characters' lives
- Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky has been on my list for a long time, and I finally read it this year. I loved the mind-shifting perspective in terms of human timelines and developed, evolved consciousness
Yes, I think think the theme with The Overstory is it slowly grows on people...like a tree, perhaps?? I read "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" a couple of years ago and thought it was excellent - I'm not a video game person but I feel like I learned so much about that world, and the writing was gorgeous. I have not heard of "Children of Time"...but your description is making me add it to my list. Thanks for chiming in, Jared!
Family reading night? Oh my gosh... That picture made me smile so big.
You and me both, sister.