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- [00:00]
A
Okay. Feeling scattered will persevere.
- [00:05]
B
Best year. That's our mantra for 2026.
- [00:12]
A
Literally. Oh, okay.
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B
Feeling scattered will persevere. Cheers to that.
- [00:16]
A
I love that. Cheers to that. It's all we can do, right? Okay. Welcome to Book Talk Etc, a podcast bound to grow your tbr. I'm Tina from TBR Etc.
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B
And I'm Hannah from Hand Picked Books.
- [00:37]
A
This is a conversational podcast about books and more from two Midwest Mood readers who are easily distracted by new releases. And this week we are sharing our favorite books for 2025.
- [00:48]
B
If you enjoy listening, we'd love for you to follow us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. And if you have a quick minute, please, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on social media. It truly helps us connect with other book lovers.
- [01:03]
A
Hey, Hannah.
- [01:04]
B
Hey, Tina. Are you so excited?
- [01:07]
A
Oh my gosh, I'm so excited. Yes, I am ready. Frankly though, here's the thing. I feel I'm just gonna get right into it. I feel like I've been making so much content lately and looking at these same books over and over, I'm like, I'm ready to put this year to bed. Not like the year itself, but these particular group of books. They're excellent, don't get me wrong. But I'm like, let's close this chapter. You know what I mean?
- [01:30]
B
I hear you. I hear you. I haven't made my end of year content yet, so I just put my list together today and then I'm planning on kind of putting together some content after this. So I'm in a little bit of a different position. But I hear you because I feel like once you get to that point where you've made all of your end of your lists, you've made all of your videos, all of your posts, you get so excited for the next year and you're ready to just say, okay, good night, we're ready to be done.
- [01:57]
A
Thank you for your service. Moving on to the next one because. Of course. Right. But no, I'm good. I'm excited to share these titles and I tend to be a reader that typically reads until like the 31st of December. Right. To hope to find my next great read, to add one to the list. Not this year, though. I honestly am, like, feeling settled. I'm like, I think I've got it. I don't know if I'm going to finish another book this year. Like, I really might not. I'll probably start some. But I'm like, right now I have A good round number. And so for me, I'm like, I, I, I've done it. I'm good this year. Let's move on to next year. But anyway, these are the problems we struggle with.
- [02:35]
B
Are you at 130? Exactly 161. Oh, my gosh, yes.
- [02:41]
A
I knocked out my goal. My goal was 150. And, and then I was like, okay, just kept reading. I'm like, that's plenty, that's plenty. I don't want any more. Um, and we'll talk about this for our Patreon bonus community. We're going to share some of our 2026 goals, and one of mine is actually to lower my reading number. I think I've said that on the show before for a lot of reasons, but, like, 160 is a lot, you know?
- [03:07]
B
Yeah, 160 is a lot, but it's also something to be proud of. So, yeah, it's my happy hour.
- [03:13]
A
I will say that is cool. It's my highest year ever, so I'm happy about that.
- [03:18]
B
Yeah, I don't think that I'm going to finish any other books this year either. I started one, but it's long and I'll share about that when we do our current reads at the end of this episode. But I also think that I might really love this. Like, it's potentially a five star read. And again, like, reader problems. But I'm like, I don't want this to potentially be a favorite. And then I've already put together my favorites of the year list. So this is a must carry over into 2020, 2026 read for me.
- [03:48]
A
I did that.
- [03:49]
B
Kind of a relief. I'm like, oh, I don't have to go quickly with this one.
- [03:52]
A
I, I like that you get to savor it a little bit. Yes. I did that with the favorites this year. I was reading it in 2024 and I loved it. And I'm like, you know what? I'm not doing it. I'm going to finish it in 2025 so it can be on my Listen.
- [04:06]
B
So I think we do one things we do.
- [04:08]
A
I had like 1% left and I was like, I'm not doing it anyway. That is, those are some of the things we do in order to, you know, I don't know, create bookish content. It's a little behind the scenes there for you.
- [04:19]
B
Yes.
- [04:20]
A
I'm ready, though, to share my loving lately with you. And I, I think what's happened to me is because of all of the reading I did for the Goodreads Choice Awards. I literally was just only reading. So I've been trying specifically to not focus so much on reading and do other things. Like now I've been doing reading adjacent things like setting up my reading journal. But one of the things I've been doing is I've discovered a couple of creators that are. I'm going to call maybe pop culture commentary slash storytelling creators that I've loved going through their stuff. Okay, so those are my loving lately. One creator's username is called Me Snarky and the other one is Cult of Megs. Have I brought these? I don't think so. No.
- [05:04]
B
I've never goal. I'm excited.
- [05:07]
A
Okay, I'll tell you about them now. I call them content creators. You can find them anywhere if you're on YouTube, on TikTok, wherever, Instagram. They sort of post across platforms. But the reason why I am talking about them specifically, I'll start with me snarky one. As you might guess, she's hilarious. Really, really funny. And also just so thoughtful in the way that she gets you to care about current events, but also just people from the past. So I'm just looking at her shorts right now and, and, and I don't know who half of these people are, but she just sort of. It has this way of finding things that are going on that are in the zeitgeist, if you will. So for example, I'm looking. She is making commentary on the University of Michigan coach and the things that he did and sort of breaking that situation down, you know, and some of it's more serious. Like she's talking about Rob Reiner. Some of it is more funny and sort of pulls back and it's like lighter things. Like, I see she's talking about Greta Garbo, for example. She's talking about Rachel Zoe, for example, because she just got on a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. So I'm just loving the way that this creator is able to create these short enough videos. I mean, I'm talking maybe two, three minutes and just get you to learn something new and just keeps my attention. She's also so freaking funny. And I just love the way she crafts a story. The. The reason I think I like things like this is it's scratching that true crime itch, you know, I love a true crime podcast, but I can never get too far into them because I'm always thinking, oh, this is not ethical. Right. It, like, makes me feel squirmy. Whereas I feel like I'm still getting that storytelling and I'm getting captivated by these stories, but it doesn't feel icky. And so anyway, that is my first person that I'm recommending. Her handle is me, Snarky, don't know her real name. So that is.
- [07:04]
B
Okay, we're going with the handle.
- [07:06]
A
We're going with the handle. And that's how it is sometimes online. I'm like, I don't know. They came up in my phone and that's who it is. Like, I can, when I hear their voice and when I see their face, I'm like, yeah, I know who this is. The other creator. I do know her first name. It's Megs. And she has a YouTube page called cult of Megs. And same thing she. Hers though is sort of couched around. I remember when she does a lot of different things. The one that I recently got so sucked into and literally can't stop thinking about is I remember when Judy Garland. And so she did this whole, I want to say five part series about Judy Garland's many husbands and her life. And I just was sitting here listening to, watching her. I literally went through each and every video on the playlist because I was like, I didn't know she was married four times. Like, I knew she had this, that and the other thing. So hers I think are more series based. So you'll have like four or five videos about a specific person. And Judy Garland obviously is somebody that I know, but there's other people that I'm like, I don't know who these people are, but I also don't care because I. I'm like, I just want to hear Megs tell me about it. And she does a lot of 90s throwback stuff too. So I will say, if you're looking for light entertainment, if you're looking for creators that are very thoughtful, articulate, seem to be good people and just, I don't know, entertain really. I think I need more straight up entertainment in my life that I'm not also being productive with. So I highly recommend these two people that you check them out. One is Cult of Megs and the other is me. Snarky. And of course we will link them down below.
- [08:37]
B
I love when you bring creators to follow and I will definitely be checking these people out because I agree I have been trying to find a true crime or true crime adjacent podcast that doesn't feel icky and it's really hard to do that. But I think that there is something to be said for just that storytelling element. It doesn't necessarily have to be this sinister crime that's being talked about. It's culture, it's things that are happening in the world right now told by real people who are very educated and who are able to, or I guess I should say educated on those topics and are willing to do that deep dive research to tell us this like fully fleshed out story.
- [09:18]
A
Exactly.
- [09:19]
B
It's really entertaining. So I love that you brought those for us.
- [09:23]
A
I think you would like both of them. Yeah.
- [09:26]
B
Okay. My loving lately is a website slash creator as well. And specifically one recipe and and that is Pinch of Yum. It is a account that I was initially following on Instagram, but I have recently moved to her website and she has some really, really great recipes. And there is one recipe that we have had on rotation and that is these burger bowls from Pinch of Yum. They are so good. They don't use any like taco seasoning or anything like that for these burger bowls, but you brown the meat in such a way in a cast iron skillet that like adds this char and then on top of it you add ranch flavored french fries to the burger bowls. And oh my gosh, this recipe saved my life. It is so good and it's so easy, but it's also unique enough that it just adds something different to the weekly rotation. So we fell in love with this specific recipe. And ever since I' just had my eye on her website and her recipes in general, her content is really easy to watch. And while her recipes may sometimes look a little bit complicated, they're really not. These are definitely. They take some effort but. And you usually have to grab some ingredients and things like that that you might not already have in your pantry to make these, to make these recipes. But she has like a quick and easy section. She has a casserole section. She has like her popular recipes and all of them I do feel like are pretty accessible to make and they're so flavorful and delicious. I have been loving watching her content and then this specific recipe is what got me hooked on wanting to try more of her things. So I have really been loving that specific recipe. I put it in the show notes. There are these burger bowls and then I will also link to her website and her Instagram because her content is just really great to watch as well. And that's Pinch of Yum.
- [11:41]
A
I'm obviously I've looked up this burger. It looks so freaking good. This burger bowl. It looks so good. I am very hungry actually, so I will go ahead and bookmark that for later. I Will add that to our weekly rotation. Good. I love when you bring food websites because I feel like you and I are similar in that we get hyper fixation meals on our radar, and then it's like that's what we have again and again. Mine's still the dense bean salad. Don't worry, she's going. She's going strong.
- [12:11]
B
And I'm still going strong with my cucumbers, man. Like, I am still making those cucumbers and some variation of them at least once a week.
- [12:21]
A
I love it. And for Jolo Boca Flood, Jonathan, which is the. The Icelandic book exchange that takes place on Christmas Eve, Jonathan got me a bean cookbook and I couldn't be more excited. I was. I laughed so hard. I was like, oh, my God, you are. You nailed it. But also, like, the recipes look really good, so look for that in a future loving lately, potentially, if I end up loving it. But enough food talk because again, I'm hungry and we still got a lot of recording to do. I do want to talk about our latest read. It is a joint latest read, and I have no idea what you thought. And it is Best Offer Wins by Marissa Cascino.
- [13:00]
B
I'm excited to talk about it. I just finished it a couple of days ago. I know it's been a minute for you.
- [13:05]
A
Yes. So this might sound familiar to listeners who have heard me talk about this. I brought it back, I think in September is when I brought it. But it was only published recently in November. Okay. So Best Offer Wins is okay. It is set in D.C. in an insanely competitive housing market. And you are following Margot Miyake, who is now desperate to find their forever home. They have been looking for this house and, you know, looking for a house in this particular neighborhood for 18 months. They've lost 11 bidding wars, and they are over it. So she ends up getting this hot tip from somebody that there is this per. This home coming for sale in a month or so in their neighborhood that they want. And she is desperate because they ended up selling their place prior and they're living in this apartment that's not great. And they. They're waiting to have this baby until they have their dream home. So she feels like so much is riding on getting this perfect home. So she convinces her husband that the only way they're going to win this bidding war is by getting to know the sellers, right? And sort of getting in with the sellers so that they're more apt to accept their offer because they have the money for it. It's just of people Coming in and beating them with cash, this and that. So the only problem is she doesn't actually know the sellers herself, so she goes to some lengths to try and ingratiate herself with them. This book is described as dark, biting, and laugh out loud funny. And I don't like being told a book's going to be funny. Don't tell me to laugh because I probably won't if you do. But I totally agree with this. I now you know I loved it. Hannah, what did you think about this book? I'm a little nervous.
- [14:53]
B
I will say that I was really entertained and I enjoyed the journey.
- [15:00]
A
Okay. I say more.
- [15:03]
B
Wish that I had not. I don't know what my expectations were, but I think my expectations were that it was going to be like, have this, like. I don't know. I'm trying to think of how to say it without spoiling it. I think that I was really focused on a reveal and it made me not appreciate the journey. But I think when I look back on my reading experience, I think that if you look at this book as one that is going to build and build and build and build, then you will have a really satisfying reading experience. I think that's what I could say overall about my feelings about it is that it was a really satisfying reading experience. You get hooked right away and it kind of seems like this really, like, I don't know, like, almost saccharine. Like happy. Like, okay, like these. This happy couple is looking for a home. And it's exciting. And you kind of get the sense that our main character is a little too eager for a home. Like, she's kind of reached that point where she's like, okay, I am more than ready. And so you kind of get that sense. And then it just keeps building and building and building and you realize exactly how much she wants this home.
- [16:16]
A
Yeah.
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B
And I really enjoyed that journey, but I think that there was something that I kept waiting for at the end and not. And that didn't happen. And so I was a little bit disappointed by that.
- [16:29]
A
Okay. Did you finish it?
- [16:31]
B
Yeah, I finished it.
- [16:32]
A
Okay. Okay. Okay. Because there's. There's some things that happen. You're right. It sort of culminates to this big thing. Right. That's the goal of the book is for them, or the goal of the book. The goal of her. Her goal is to really sort of get them into this home and she'll stop at nothing to do that. And I think that that is what I enjoyed. Now, keep in mind, I read this when nobody had read it. It was very early, so I didn't know what to expect. It was just one that I got. And I was like, what is this? And I love books that are centering on the housing market because buying and selling a home is the most stressful thing possible. So I can totally relate to. Somebo just gets it in their head. This book gave me such massive secondhand embarrassment. I love when books do that. Well, like, it is so visceral for me. Like, I get so embarrassed for characters because I'm like, you are absolutely not going to get away with this. Like, you're. What do you mean? You're going to the same yoga class as the guy is, like, he's gonna figure you out. Like, he. She sort of just does all of these crazy things to suss her way in. And I personally loved the ending. I thought it was so clever. And for me, it's flawless. So this is, like, perfectly unhinged in a way that I was just so satisfied reading it. I'm like, yep, you did the thing that I wanted you to do that books don't often do. They don't always sort of close the loop in a way that pleases my particular brand of crazy.
- [17:58]
B
Yeah.
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A
Like, I. They don't always go there. And this one, I feel did.
- [18:02]
B
Oh, it definitely goes there. And I think that that is definitely the most enjoyable part of this book is just watching her unravel completely. And I agree that her secondhand embarrassment was. I was squirming at certain parts. I was like, why are you doing that? Why are you doing that?
- [18:19]
A
Stop.
- [18:20]
B
Stop. And I think that's the point, obviously. I think that the fact that you read this ahead of so many people is such a good example of how much expectation really can alter your experience. Because I just think that hearing what I heard about how this book ended, I had my own ideas of, like, okay, it's going to be like this, or it's going to be like this. And when it wasn't, it's really hard to not have that. I don't know if disappointment is the right word, but just like, oh, I wasn't expecting that. And then it just alters your experience a little bit. I mean, there's no way around it. Like, we are in the bookish space. We listen to bookish podcasts. We consume bookish content. Like, it's impossible to get around it. I do think that it's so interesting when I hear people say, well, I read this ahead of everybody else, and here's how it kind of defied my own expectations that were totally unbiased. So I love knowing that you read this kind of ahead of everybody and what your personal experience was in reading it because of that.
- [19:22]
A
Yeah, no, I'm glad. And we have not yet had a discussion with our patrons, so I'm curious to see what they think. And yeah, sometimes too, with thrillers, it's hard to almost have that as a book club book because there's just not a ton to say. You're like, well, yeah, this happened or that happened, but I'll be very curious. Curious to see what everybody else thinks. Anything else to add?
- [19:42]
B
I think that. Yes, I think that this one will offer a lot of discussion, though, and I think that it's one of those ones where right now I'm having a hard time fully describing my thoughts because I'm like, oh, well, if I say that I'm going to spoil it, or, oh, if I say this, like, that'll give something away. So. But I think that in a chat where everybody has read the book, I think there will be a lot to discuss because I think that this one carries a lot of nuance. I think that there's a lot of character developments that happen that are going to be really interesting to talk about in a group. So I do think that this is a really, really discussable book, which is hard to say about a thriller. And I think that that's one of the best things about this one, whether you personally loved it or not.
- [20:24]
A
Mm, yeah, No, I totally agree. But that one is Best Offer Wins by Marissa Cascino. All right, so before we hop into superlatives and of course, our Best Books of the Year list, is there anything you'd like to share about your reading life overall this year?
- [20:41]
B
My reading Life in 2025, I feel like if I were to give one adjective to describe it, it would just be hazy. I feel like I just was ha. Like, I just feel like I had a hard time really connecting with reading this year, and I haven't figured out wholly how to remedy that in 2026, but this was a rough reading year for me and 2024 was a really good reading year, and I think I had such high expectations about this year. And, you know, I also had some personal things going on that I'm sure affected that. But I'm really hoping to just sink more into my reading life in 2026 and find ways to read for myself while also obviously reading for others, too, and sharing about those.
- [21:35]
A
Yeah.
- [21:36]
B
Sharing about those books. So. But my reading, my Reading year overall just felt kind of hazy, and I'm still kind of figuring out what I need to do this upcoming year to be more intentional about, like, sinking into what I am reading.
- [21:52]
A
I love that. No, I love that you said that. And of course, we always want to have the best reading year ever, and it's just not possible.
- [22:00]
B
Some years just aren't it.
- [22:01]
A
Yeah, some years just aren't that. That's not what that is for that year. One thing I will say, though, and I think this is important for listeners to hear us say, it's sort of our philosophy of the show. Right. We've now, I've been doing this. I want to say Lily was nine months old, and she is now over five. Like, is she five and a half yet? So we've been doing this for a long time. You've now been on the podcast a year and a half plus. And with that, it's. It can feel like you are reading for other people, especially when you're somebody that, like, creates content. And it's not just podcasters. I think many people probably feel this when you're creating content that, you know other people will see because you love it. But it's hard also not to think, okay, is this book going to be something that people want to hear about? Right. It's very easy, I think, to get into your own head. So I want to say to listeners, sort of how we choose our tbr, really, in my heart of hearts, the best way is we just read what's calling to us as individuals and we'll get excited about it or not. You know, we won't love every book, but with that, the people will hear that excitement. They'll hear that authenticity, and they'll read it or not. And sort of I want listeners to know that that's the type of show that I think we are, is like, we are not necessarily always going to bring, oh, the new buzzy release. Like, what does everyone think about that? Because there's plenty of people that do that and do that really well. I just don't know that that is who we are. And I'm great with that. Right. I just want us personally to have a really solid, good reading experience. And then, you know, the show and the content will. Will follow.
- [23:42]
B
Yeah. I think that my philosophy before I joined the podcast, even when I was creating content for myself personally, was don't read to create content. Create content around your reading.
- [23:53]
A
Yes.
- [23:53]
B
And I think that I really struggle year, and that's something that I want to get back to in the coming year. So I know I. I just said I don't know how I'm going to remedy that. And I think that you kind of hit the nail on the head where we need to be reading and then kind of creating as a response to our authentic reading life.
- [24:15]
A
Exactly.
- [24:15]
B
Rather than the other way around. And I think that I really want to get back to that. And I think that part of that was because it was a hard year for me personally. I was almost kind of relying on the structure of certain things of like, okay, well, we have this coming up and so I'm just going to read XYZ because I don't have the capacity to think about this right now. And so I'm really just hoping for kind of some more thinking time next year to be able to get excited about the books that are coming and think, oh, well, this author has something coming out and I love that author and I want to read that or I want to make it through all of Emily Henry's books. I'm going to work on that project.
- [24:50]
A
Absolutely. And I think you should. And if it comes to the show, great. I have two things that I want to say in regards to that. And I think sometimes we read pretty widely. So I get pinched, pinch, and hold almost into mystery and thriller because people want me to talk about that. But I do love my literary fiction. I do love my horror and other areas. And so, you know, I'm. I'm going to be more mindful of that. But listeners, if there's some books that you're like, oh, another thriller or, you know, oh, I wish you'd bring more thrillers, there would be a next one around the corner. Right. So just know that we're sort of doing what's we're guide. We're letting our mood guide our reading experience. So that's the one thing. But secondly, one thing that I think listeners should know is stepping into 2020 is we are not changing the structure dramatically. The structure of the show won't change, but Hannah and I will have an opportunity to read a little more widely. Okay. So, you know, we love our topic episodes. We will still continue, continue to do topic episodes. So the plan is this. We're going to do one books on the radar, as always episode per month. We will also do our topic episode, whatever that one happens to be. Of course, we'll also do our easily distracted by new releases episode. That one we do continuously each month. And then the one that is new to the main show is something that our patrons are familiar with it is called Bookstore Browse. And so each month in 2026, Hannah and I will be bringing on a bookseller to discuss their reading life with them and to discuss their store with them and to give book recommendations to you. And I think with that, of course, we're still going to share our loving lately on those episodes, our latest read, but you'll also hear from a few more people and I think that will do a lot for our reading life. But also it's going to support independent bookstores, which is fantastic. So lots of great things to come in the coming year. I kind of got off on a tangent there, but I want you to know that I hear you and I think by doing those two things, I think that's going to help both of our reading lives.
- [26:51]
B
Yeah, I agree and I've really appreciated how supportive you've been of my reading life and, and everything. No, seriously. And I, I am really excited for the very small, but the changes that are coming in 2026. I, I am honestly just so excited for this clean slate and I'm so excited for my reading life. Before we hop in to superlatives though, I want to hear a little bit about your, like, general experience of 2025 as well. You weren't gonna get away so quickly.
- [27:20]
A
I know, I know, right? I'm like, oh, don't worry about me, don't mind me. It was good. It was really great. And that's the thing, right? I don't want to be like, oh, sorry, you struggled. I had a great time.
- [27:31]
B
No, I want to hear, I, I.
- [27:34]
A
I think that I read a lot. Not on purpose, but with that I think my intention is sort of, let's see, I think this year I was reading a lot and sort of almost chain smoking books, right? For lack of a better phrase, where the second I would finish when I was already reading another one. And while that's great to get your quantity up, that's why I'm able to read so many books. I think that it led to me maybe stepping, stepping away from some of the things that I like to pay attention to. For example, my arcs that I've been really excited about. There were some books that I did not read this year that I was super excited about because I just got caught up with some other things. I also feel like I did not read as diversely as I prefer to and that is because I sort of was just grabbing without thinking. And so I think I've learned a lot about my reading life and what I like to do. And what I want to do this year, it's not just about the number, but. But I don't know, I think if I could do this again next year, do slightly fewer books, but really sink into them and like I said, have more. I think we. I think I've said this before. I want to have more of a deep reading experience and give myself time to reflect on what it is I've just read instead of sort of hopping right into the next new thing. I think it will be hopefully even better next year. But those are my sort of quick, quick thoughts.
- [28:54]
B
Yeah, I think that you had a lot of exciting things that happened this year, too. You started your.
- [28:59]
A
Your.
- [28:59]
B
Did you start your BookTube channel this year?
- [29:01]
A
I started it, yeah. Good. Good call. I started it last year, end of last year in November. So, yeah, I had a couple months last year. But yes, this year I leaned more into BookTube. Want to continue to do that even more next year.
- [29:16]
B
Do you think that that positively impacted your reading life just in the communal experience or like the challenges that you did because of those videos?
- [29:23]
A
I think so. I think so. I do think it did lead me to read more mystery and thriller because I noticed those videos always tend to do better and I refuse to be put in a box, even though that's what I know the algorithm wants. Like, I will continue to read widely, and I think there's space, clearly there is space for readers who can read, who want to read, you know, outside of that space. It's just funny, right? Because I think once you get to be, you know, people know that you like this certain thing, it's like, oh, great, that's what I want the, that I want more of that. And that happens, too, I think, for fantasy and romance readers. But I think it impacted my reading positively, and I want to continue to do even more there. It's been a really fun challenge. I don't know why.
- [30:03]
B
I think when you find things like that that are fun, it can really positively impact your reading life. Whether that's like a series that you're doing on Instagram or a challenge that you're. Even if you're not a content creator, like if you're doing the popsugar challenge or if you're doing just anything like that that really kind of makes your reading life stand out and makes it more fun, gamifies it, or whatever it means to you to make your reading life more special and personal, I think it can really help positively impact your. Your reading overall.
- [30:33]
A
And might I suggest the Read with BTE Storygraph challenge, which is coming back, baby, for 2026. Never fear that will be posted if it's not already when you're listening to it. It'll be posted soon. We just got to build it over in story graph. But that is one way to sort of, you know, I don't know, have a little fun, gamify your reading life a little bit. All right, well, now that we've taken a moment to reflect, I do want to share some of our superlatives. Superlative. I just think it's so fun. I don't know. It's just. It's fun to look back on your year and be like, wow, I really did that. And to pick the best of the best or things that stood out for you. I'll begin with our first superlative, which is favorite cover. I had quite a few contenders with this, and actually, I was having a fun time looking through on my book Mori app to see month by month because it shows you the covers.
- [31:23]
B
That's a fun idea.
- [31:24]
A
Yeah. It's a really great way to, like, actually look at the COVID back to back. And I started to notice some things that I tend to enjoy, but the one that I think got me the most is called the Wilderness by Angela Flournoy. What is it about this cover? I. Can you tell me? Is it the patterns that I.
- [31:41]
B
It's one of my favorite covers. Now, I haven't read this one, but just of 20, 25 releases.
- [31:45]
A
So good.
- [31:46]
B
This cover is stunning.
- [31:47]
A
It's so good. It's got a bunch of animal print. You're sort of. It's very abstract. You're looking at the inside of what looks like somebody's living room. But I also really like the simple black and white font at the top and the bottom. I just looks lovely. And I enjoyed this book, too.
- [32:02]
B
It looks like the COVID of a 90s magazine.
- [32:04]
A
Maybe that's it. Yes, it does look very 90s. There's something nostalgic about it.
- [32:08]
B
Yeah.
- [32:08]
A
And that's the thing. This book starts in the early aughts, and I think that is intentional, right?
- [32:14]
B
I didn't know that.
- [32:14]
A
Yes. Yeah, you picked up on it. And this book was really good. Talk about a shocking ending. But that's a tale for another time.
- [32:22]
B
Ooh. Okay. Yeah, I remember you talking about that book. It was one that I definitely was interested in, but I just. Just didn't get to this year.
- [32:29]
A
Didn't get.
- [32:30]
B
I. I don't have my copy of best cover with me because I don't own this One, but it is Hot Air by Marcy Durmanski. It's the one about the hot air balloon. And it does have that hot air balloon type cover. It has this inflated, bubbly, hot air balloon aesthetic with colors that don't go together. It's like that. The green on pink and, like, orange on red. And it, like, has these colors that don't necessarily go together, but it does go together. It makes it really appealing and fun. Just a really different cover that, like, I genuinely don't think I've seen a cover like that before. And I really enjoyed it. It really made it stand out.
- [33:15]
A
So I love that cover. And that was one that I. I actually can't believe that was this year. I'm like. I could have sworn it was, like.
- [33:21]
B
I know.
- [33:22]
A
Years ago. Ages ago, ages ago. That one I love because it's sort of this 3D effect where the text is, like, stamped in on it. I thought it was so creative. So kudos to whoever created that. Yeah, exactly. All right, I'm going for my favorite debut. Another category in which I was like, oh, my gosh, I didn't read that many debuts this year. That is a lie. I read, like, 20 or 25. I ended up counting, so I had plenty to choose from.
- [33:46]
B
Nice.
- [33:47]
A
But I gotta stick with my girl. Julie Chan is Dead. I don't know why this book just spoke to me. I loved it so much. I think if you are a listener who liked Best Offer Wins, this has got. Julie Chan is Dead has similar vibes of that. Unhinged. Are you serious? Are you really gonna. Oh, you're gonna do that? Okay. That sort of vibe. That's what I got with this. I just thought it was so fun. And I know this one is not to everyone's taste, and I get that, but I just, for whatever reason, had a great time with it. I definitely will read whatever it is Leon Zhang happens to write next.
- [34:22]
B
I still want to read that one. I got it as I got a copy of this one from the publisher earlier this year, and I just haven't been able to donate it because I think I might like it.
- [34:33]
A
Yeah, you're like, I gotta see what it's about.
- [34:36]
B
Yeah. Okay. My best debut is one that almost made it to my favorites of the year list, honestly, and that's Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney.
- [34:47]
A
Oh.
- [34:48]
B
This is one of the most surprising books that I read this year. I don't think I knew this would end up being such a beloved book for me when I first finished it. I think when I first Finished it. I rated it, like, four stars, but it has really stuck with me. It's kind of this story that falls into this intersection of both innocence and obsession for our main character, who is a child narrator. And I don't always love those, but in this instance, it worked so well. This was such an atmospheric and dark, really sad and really moving mystery that had one of the most unique premises that I've read in a dark mystery like this. It's basically about this young girl who is obsessed with how, like, roadkill decays and she has, like, this kind of garden ish of dead animals that she observes and she studies. And then during one of her kind of midnight excursions, she discovers a dead body. And she becomes very involved in the mystery of solving this case as it's one of her classmates. And I just think that that premise is so unique and the execution of it was equally well done. I never hear anyone talking about this book, and I really think that it's worth the read. If you enjoy mysteries that are a little bit sad and dark, I think you should pick this one up. And that's Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney.
- [36:12]
A
Yes, I remember that one. I. I don't love a little kid narrator myself.
- [36:18]
B
Yeah, yeah, I remember.
- [36:20]
A
I tried only a few pages of it. I was like, is this a child that I'm following? I'm not sure, but I could be talking to coming back to it.
- [36:27]
B
It is, it is.
- [36:28]
A
All right. So my biggest disappointment.
- [36:31]
B
Oh, I don't have any idea what you're gonna say.
- [36:33]
A
It's the Tenant by Frida McFadden.
- [36:36]
B
Oh, okay.
- [36:36]
A
I will shout that. My disdain for that book, Book from the Rooftops. I just think it was silly and an insult to mystery readers. It was very, very silly. But, you know, if it gets more people reading, then great. Love that for you. But let's, you know, transition. I am already sort of thinking, oh, my gosh, how many books is Frida McFadden going to come out with next year? Because I'm gonna have to read them because I'm gonna do the Goodreads choice thing again. So I'm already thinking, oh, my gosh, I might as well just. Just get. Rip the band aid off and read it as soon as it comes out, because I know I'm going to have to. But that one I actually was looking forward to. I thought that the premise was great. I thought the execution, though, was just so poor. So that one's the Tenet by Frida McFadden.
- [37:22]
B
Yeah, fair enough. My most disappointing. I almost don't want to talk about for that long because I know you loved it and that's Project Hail Mary might be weird.
- [37:32]
A
Now this one, you're on your own, homie. I can't defend you with this opinion.
- [37:37]
B
I know. And that's fair. That's fair. I know this is such a loved book and I, trust me, I am just as disappointed as all of you. There is a reason why, like, I'm ashamed. I honestly feel ashamed for not loving this one. But I do agree with what everybody said. The audio is the way to go. The audio was fantastic. It really was. There is another book, though, that I wanted to put for this category, but I haven't talked about it yet. And I want to provide some suspicion expense because it is a very hyped book that came out this year that I genuinely feel so alone in hating. I'm not hating. I really didn't like it and I genuinely thought I was going to love it. So you're gonna have to wait and hear about that one in January. I'm sorry, I'm not. I'm not talking about it. But because I didn't want to talk about that one, I'm bringing Project.
- [38:27]
A
Got it. Fair enough.
- [38:28]
B
Which was equally as disappointing.
- [38:29]
A
Oh, my God.
- [38:30]
B
I'm gonna build the suspension, Spence.
- [38:32]
A
Well, I cannot wait to hear about that. I love. I love a spicy opinion now and again. Ooh. Okay, I like this one, and I have a really good answer for it. The next category is best title, and it is A Guardian and a Thief by Mega Majimdar. I've. I did talk about this on the show. I talked about it, I think, last week. Oh, my God, is this title so clever. And I can't tell you exactly why, because. Because it's a bit of a spoiler. But just know that it's not as straightforward as you think. The Guardian and the Thief. Like, I absolutely loved how this book unfolded. And it's another one where I was like, okay, I got it. I see where we're going. But by the end, I'm like, jaw dropped. I was, like, listening to it, doing something else. I'm like, wait, what? I have to go back. So I highly recommend that book. I think it's excellent for book club, me and Oprah. You know, how had I think she made a good choice with this one? I really liked it, but I think the title is so perfect for that book. And that's A Guardian and the Thief by Mega Majumdar.
- [39:35]
B
That is a. That's a good one. And I Also. Well, I don't know about the book, so I guess I don't know the nuances of why that title is so good. But I. That is one thing that I want to do in 2026, I think, is pay more attention to Oprah's books because.
- [39:49]
A
Oh, yes, her book.
- [39:51]
B
Books just really have worked for me this year. So my favorite title is the True True Story of Raja the Gullible and His Mother by Ravi Alamuddin. And I just love how straightforward it is, and it's so funny. And it also just suits the book so well, and it's hard to explain if you haven't read it, but it just really, really suits the book. And I love that. And his mother is in parentheses at the end because she really is one of those characters that she's not the main character, but she also kind of is.
- [40:24]
A
Right. Tell her that in parentheses. Moment.
- [40:26]
B
Right. So I think that that's just a really clever and fun title, and it was also just a really clever and fun and also very dark book.
- [40:36]
A
Ooh, I can't wait to read that. I'm reading through the Aspen Words Literary Prize nominees this year before the winner is announced, and that's on the list, so I can't wait. Although I did put that one. We have a loose schedule going over in Discord, and I put that one in April, and I. I'm like, dang it. Now I would like to read it sooner. I mean, I could. I could read it whenever I want. I know, I know. Okay, so my best audio experience. This is going to surprise no one. It is the Favorites by Lane Fargo. I just loved this. Now, I started reading this when it was. I only had the print copy. The audio wasn't available yet. And then I got wind of all of the people that would be narrating it, and I'm like, let me pause. So I paused it and came back into it once I eventually got the audio copy. The fantastic thing why this worked so well for me is it's almost an oral history of this couple. So you're getting to know them via the people that were involved in this big scandal many, many years ago. Oh, my gosh, talk about a freaking dramatic book. These people in their drama, it was excellent. And my favorite thing about the audio production specifically is that one of the characters, his name is Ellis Dean, he was narrated by Johnny W.E. weir, who is the perfect narrator for him. They are like. It's like I was reading Johnny Weir on the page. I just loved it. Highly recommend this book and also the audio experience.
- [41:58]
B
That was one that you read at the beginning of the year too, which is kind of fun when that happens, where you can remember something from.
- [42:05]
A
Gosh, it feels like forever ago, a lifetime ago. That was my first book of the year because I always try and read one that I know I'm, like, really excited about, and it delivers well.
- [42:16]
B
Good. My favorite audiobook is one that I read over the summer, listened to over the summer, and I think you listened to this one too. I'm not positive. Heartwood by Amity Gage.
- [42:27]
A
Yep, yep, yep.
- [42:28]
B
Yeah, this was like mixed media. I had some interviews and things like that, and I thought that it was really well done on audio. I remember I made a video about this, about some of my favorite audio audiobooks because of this audiobook when I started it, and I was like, man, this is a really, really good audiobook. I feel like every narrator for each POV is doing such a good job and it made me want to make a video about books that I think are specifically better to be consumed on audio. And I just remember that experience being like, oh, wow. This is like, better, in my opinion, to be experienced on audio. So, yeah, Heartwood is. Is a really great audiobook. And I specifically remember that.
- [43:12]
A
I agree with you. I just made my video of my favorite audiobooks for the year and that one is on the list because I thought it was just so well done.
- [43:20]
B
Yeah.
- [43:21]
A
Yeah. And a really good listening experience. All right, lastly is going to be my biggest surprise now. Actually, my biggest surprise truly is my number one favorite book of the year. So I'm not going to tell you what that is right now, but I'm shocked. It. I'm shocked and shook. So I'm bringing in katabasis. I'm shocked that I loved this one too. I thought I would like it fine, but I actually ended up loving it. Had such a great time. I talked about this recently. I think the hype is worth it. And if you disagree, that's okay because I can totally see why.
- [43:49]
B
That's fair. That's fair. My most surprising is kind of random, but It's A Land so Wide by Erin A. Craig. This is a book that was released this year and I picked it up for our Folklore and Retellings episode and I chose it because it was available on the the PRH audio app and I had a copy at home as well. I had an advanced readers copy at home. So I decided to try it for the episode because it was based on Scottish folklore and I couldn't stop reading. I Still remember this one vividly in a year when again, my reading year was so like disjointed and hazy and my memory was not serving my reading life super well. So I'm really glad that I picked it up and remembered it. And the fact that I. I remembered it so well, I think speaks highly of it. So that was A Land so Wide by Aaron A. Craig.
- [44:40]
A
Good one. All right, so let's get into it. Let's get into it. I. Did you rank them?
- [44:46]
B
I did. I ranked them.
- [44:47]
A
Okay. I. Because I, I'm.
- [44:49]
B
Did you rank them?
- [44:50]
A
Of course. Of course I did. I'm very type B for most things. There's two things specifically that I am not. I need an end of the year episode to be ranked and I want it to be backwards. Like we need to count down. I can't just have it willy nilly. What's the other thing that I'm nuts about? Alphabetical order.
- [45:07]
B
Alphabetical order. I. I don't even know how, like when I put stuff in our new release spreadsheet too, I'm like, I, I get so. I think this is. I think this is alphabetical order. But usually when I go back in there have been changed. I'm like, I don't know my Alphabet.
- [45:22]
A
I don't know. You notice that I fixed it. I was on death's door last Sunday and you so kindly through the. Put the entire newsletter together because I was like, I. I can't open my eyes. But I opened it long enough. You're like, it's ready. It's gonna go out at 7:30. And I'm like cracking it open. And I'm like, let me just organize these links in alphabetical order really quick.
- [45:43]
B
That was an alphabetical order. I definitely, I certainly did not. But that is when I gave you the opportunity to look at it because you get it.
- [45:50]
A
You get you've got something to fix.
- [45:52]
B
Yeah, you can do it. I scheduled it for a reason.
- [45:54]
A
Now's the time.
- [45:56]
B
Okay, I think we're ready to hop into at long last top 10 favorite books of 2025.
- [46:03]
A
Okay, here we go.
- [46:04]
B
Number Kick us off, Tina.
- [46:05]
A
Kick us off, baby. It is Red Clay by Charles B. Fanter. I love this book. It's historical fiction and I am so very glad that I read it. And kudos to whoever marketed this book because the premise is really what got me to read. It starts out at this funeral of this very beloved member of a community and his entire family is there. And then this elderly white woman walks in and everyone's Kind of like, excuse me, who are you? How do you know our beloved? And that kicks off this story and she begins to tell the story of how they, the two of them knew each other because her family used to own his when they were children. Fantastic premise. This entire thing taught me things. It entertained me, it moved me, and I. I think it's fantastic and I need it to be read by more people. Highly recommend. This one is Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher.
- [46:57]
B
Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited that that one made it to your top 10. I hear you talking about it and, and it's such an under the radar book. I haven't really heard many other people talk about it, so. Good one. My number 10 is great. Black Hope by Rob Franklin.
- [47:15]
A
Love it.
- [47:15]
B
This is literary fiction. It really dissects this juxtaposition between privilege and prejudice really, really well and the intersection between race and class. It also tackles some really hard topics of grief and addiction in such a beautiful way. It was really emotionally immersive. And I think that this author just did such a good job with this character who was really flawed and unlikable at times, but really richly drawn. And also, you just had so much compassion and empathy for everything that he was going in this story. And this was a good reminder of just why I love literary fiction in general. It definitely, I don't want to say it was all vibes, no plot, but. Because there was a plot a little bit. But it also definitely had a little bit of that. That feeling, which is one of the things that I just really appreciate about literary fiction that's written really, really well. And this one did that and that is great. Black Hope by Rob Franklin.
- [48:16]
A
That one is on my tbr. I'm so happy that worked so well for you and that it made your top of list.
- [48:23]
B
Me too.
- [48:24]
A
Next for me is. I'll just go with the favorites. I listen, I already talked about her today, so she's really getting her flowers. It's. I think, though, if you've not read it yet, do it on audio, but also do it in 2026 because we're getting a Winter Games and this centers on the Olympics. So you like books that are dramatic, that center on athletics. Don't worry about it like being a romance, because I don't think it is. Personally. I think it's about this very volatile relationship and. And these interesting and super duper flawed characters that will likely irritate you, but also are very memorable. So that's my pitch for the Favorites by Lane Fargo.
- [49:03]
B
I'm so glad that one worked for you. Would you say that there is a love story in it, though?
- [49:07]
A
There is a love story in it. Well, there are people that love each other.
- [49:12]
B
Well, sure.
- [49:14]
A
Sort of.
- [49:16]
B
You know what? We'll just have to read it and find out.
- [49:18]
A
Yeah, read it and see.
- [49:20]
B
Okay. My number nine is Is Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson.
- [49:26]
A
Yes.
- [49:27]
B
This book was just really charming. I didn't know how the author was going to make me fall in love with characters who literally burst into flames when agitated. But Kevin Wilson did it. And I have loved both books that I have read by this author. I think he does a great job blending really charming characters while also providing that emotional stamina to not only pull you through the book, but also make it memorable and stay with you over time as well. And I'm so glad that I finally got to this one this year. I read this at the beginning of the year and I still remember it so vividly. It was so well done. And that is Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson.
- [50:06]
A
Great one. And I too think I burst into flames when agitated. You know, metaphorically. I mean, honestly, I really do. Yeah, I can totally relate to that. I loved this one as well. And you said memorable. Absolutely. I read this when it came out in 2019 or 2020 and I still remember it. Loved it. Yes. And I. We should say this is not just our favorite books that were published in 2025, although I have a lot of front list their books period that we read.
- [50:32]
B
Yes, I have some. I have quite a bit of front list too, but I definitely have some backlist favorites as well.
- [50:37]
A
I have mostly front list, but two, I have two back list and. Well, sort of.
- [50:45]
B
The next one's your top favorite.
- [50:47]
A
One of those. My top favorite favorite. But the next one I'll talk about is the entire Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. I reread this. I've read the first three three times now. I've read Songbirds and Snakes twice now. And then, of course, I read all of this in anticipation of Sunrise on the Reaping, which is Haymitch's story. And I loved it. I loved my reading experience. I read them back to back to back. That was a really fun mini side quest that I took. My favorite thing about Sunrise on the Reaping is that it is nostalgic, yet new. It's a new story, but it totally fits into the world. It felt like she always had this in mind and just took her time writing it. Suzanne Collins's books don't Age, honestly. In fact, they might even get a little bit more relevant to today's day and age, which is unsettling and just prescient. And I loved this. I am not generally a YA reader. I'm not generally someone that likes maybe. Would you call this fantasy?
- [51:45]
B
I think storygraph does dystopian fantasy.
- [51:48]
A
Dystopian fantasy. I loved everything about it. And I will probably continue to reread the series in its entirety throughout my life. So highly recommend doing that. It is all of the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins.
- [52:02]
B
Yeah, that was a really fun reading experience that you had. I have not read Songbird of Snakes or the Songbird one, the one about snow.
- [52:12]
A
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Yes, it. I. Yeah, I can, but I think.
- [52:16]
B
I'm gonna read Sunrise on the reaping. I. I'm not opposed to reading it. I think I just didn't see the appeal, really, until you talked about both of them. And so now I'm. I'm interested in reading both of those. I reread the Summer I Turned Pretty series this year by Jenny Han, and it didn't make my. My Favorites of the List. Favorites of the Year list list, but it was such a good reading experience and it's. It's fun to do that sometimes.
- [52:40]
A
Yes.
- [52:40]
B
Just reread some of those books. Okay. My number eight is Sandwich by Kathryn Newman. This is another one that I read pretty early in the year. I read this in February, and so many people adore this book and this author, and I truly see why. She writes a family story from a really unique perspective and does a good job to make you feel for the protagonist and really fall in love with her family as she explores parenting her children while taking care of her parents and aging herself. Truly, that Sandwich generation. I loved how reflective this was and just how compassionate and loving the story was toward itself and its characters. I read this all the way back in February, like I mentioned, and I remember it vividly. The perfect family story, in my opinion. And that is Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Human.
- [53:35]
A
That is one that I've not read. Isn't there a new one coming out or already.
- [53:39]
B
Yeah, it's called rec.
- [53:40]
A
Yes, that's already out, right?
- [53:42]
B
And it's in a. Yes, it's already out. And I think it's a companion series. So I'm not positive that you need to read Sandwich in order to read and enjoy rec, but I do think that it's like, the same family, the same world, etc. I think it's similar to, like, Elizabeth Strout.
- [54:00]
A
Series. Yes, Yes, I know. Exactly.
- [54:03]
B
That's my understanding. Yeah.
- [54:04]
A
Yeah. If you were looking at my face, you might see that I'm having a bit of an existential crisis because I realized I've got two different lists going. One. And there's one. I've got 11, but alas, one's gonna get cut and I've already decided, I think. Okay. Anyway, moving on. It's not this one.
- [54:22]
B
Got this one.
- [54:23]
A
Yellow Eye by Lee Radford. Made both of the lists. I. I'm this book's biggest fan. This book is everything to me. Me. It is also a contender for most beautiful cover. I love this cover. I think it's just stunning and insane. Fabulous. It's got gold. Anyway, One Yellow Eye, yes, is a zombie novel. However, it's a novel about grief and about caring for your ailing partner and the lengths you would go to to make them better. I could cry right now thinking of this. This book made me absolutely sob by the end. It's a slower burn. It took me a moment to get in. Because you're following Casta Shelley, who's this very broken character because there's a zombie apocalypse afoot and it's over now. But she's a part of the researcher team tasked with finding a cure. So she's trying to find a cure to this disease and her husband has it. He's the only zombie left because they eradicated the rest of them and she's keeping him in secret. Oh my God. I could cry right now thinking about this. This book is fabulous and I cannot wait to read more by Lee Radford. I think if you like, it's horror, but like, not even. I think even if you were like a literary fiction person, you could probably down with this. I think it's just so smart and really well done and I freaking loved it. It's one Yellow Eye by Lee Radford.
- [55:41]
B
Yeah, I think you would love this. Sounds really good. Yes.
- [55:44]
A
You would totally love that. Yeah, I can say that pretty confidently.
- [55:48]
B
Gosh. I love a book that really, like emotionally and psychologically tackles a topic and in horror and I just love it.
- [55:59]
A
I love it. Grief horror is my favorite.
- [56:01]
B
Me too. Okay. My number seven is Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash.
- [56:09]
A
Oh, yes.
- [56:10]
B
Yes. This is another mystery novel and I think that I'm finding my brand of mystery that really works for me, which is kind of like this dark historical fiction style mysteries that have these really unique premises and like that. When I picked this up for a buddy read this past spring, I was not Expecting to love it this much, my buddy reading friend Emma picked this one and I was like, okay, I'll do it. And I ended up loving it and I'm so thankful for like Book Club reads and buddy Read reading for that reason. This is a dark literary suspense about the lifelong implications and fallout from mass hysteria. And there were a lot of conversations around that in this book, which I found really interesting and poignant. The storyline itself is a little bit disjointed with its timeline, but if you can handle some time jumps, this is so worth the journey. It has the most well drawn queer characters at its heart and has a lot of psychological and emotional richness that really carries you through. A really fascinating look at 90s American history and culture. And gosh, I think about this book on a weekly basis. Truly, it was just so fascinating and I remember these characters so well and I think they'll stay with me always. And that is Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash.
- [57:34]
A
You are just like, I am the biggest fan for One Yellow Eye. This is your book that you are the biggest fan. This is my book. Yes, yes, I know.
- [57:43]
B
I always find a way to talk about it.
- [57:45]
A
Not in a bad way, just in a way that I'm like, I need. I'm gonna add it to my list right now. I always laugh because I do that live when we're recording. I just add it to my tbr if there's like a hand and I'm like, I wonder if anyone ever notices like that they can tell what we're recording. Because I'll randomly add like four books to my tbr. At any rate, I will go on to my next book, which is another book in the horror space. It's Bad Eater and Other Names for Cora Zhang by Kylie Lee Baker. This one is okay. You might also there's elements of grief in here too, because the book opens and the woman witnesses her her sister being killed in a hate crime. Crazy. And she works as a crime scene cleaner and begins to suspect that Asian women are being targeted by a serial killer. And that's sort of the premise of this book. But you're getting that straightforward, almost thriller element mixed with some very spooky horror elements that I loved. You're also getting culture because they are like sort of culturally significant things that are happening to the woman. And I think this book is just fantastic. I can't wait to read more by her. Another book that's made me cry in the horror space, which, like, doesn't always happen. But I mean, the way she spoke about Hate and the way she spoke about, you know, the COVID 19 pandemic and everything that we lost and everything that people lost and it just really got to me. And I remember where I was when I was finishing this one up. Loved it. That's Bat Eater and other names for Cora Zang, Kylie Lee Baker. I also love this cover even though I don't like wings things. So, you know.
- [59:23]
B
Yeah, that is another one that I think that I would really like. I've had a lot of people recommend oh yeah to me this year, so it sounds right up my alley. My number six is the War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. I know, I know it's middle grade and that is not a popular genre. Okay, I know, I'm just acknowledging it and I, I am aware of it and I really do try to only bring it when it is absolutely a five star banger for me. But listen, this is my top 10 list and this was one of my favorite books of the year. Not because my kids enjoyed it, not because I was reading it for, you know, teens, but because I personally as a 33 year old woman thought that this book was impactful and important. And I think anyone and everyone should read it. Whether you, you know, don't or do like children's literature. I was hesitant. But my middle grade evangelist friend Katie, she is, she is like the queen of middle grade. And when recommends a book to me and says I have to read it, I'm like, okay, this is a winner. She convinced me to read this one and I am genuinely forever grateful that I listened. This one is centered on one girl's ache for belonging during World War II and unexpected kindness that brought her to claiming her own worth. And it also showed a part of World War II history that I haven't heard as much about with kids being sent off to stay with strangers to, in other cities because, because their city was not safe from war violence in, in their own town that was happening. That was just a part of history that I hadn't heard of that much. And I really, really loved, I really, really loved the story and these characters. I still remember them. And it had that found family element that I just love so much in books. So, you know, sometimes we just need someone who is an evangelist, if you will, for certain genres of books. And, and you know, that's my friend Katie with middle grade. That's me with middle grade with you guys. There are some that are just worth reading. So I loved this one. That's the War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
- [61:28]
A
Okay. Damn. I'll put it on my tbr. Oh, man. I really am. But I need to pull it up.
- [61:36]
B
Oh, my gosh, it's so good. And it's, you know, the nice thing too about books like this is they really are quick.
- [61:42]
A
Yeah.
- [61:43]
B
You know, they're such quick reads.
- [61:45]
A
So I love that.
- [61:46]
B
Definitely worth it.
- [61:48]
A
I love that you have a friend that is. Is like, hey, listen, I'm going to like, make sure to hand push this one at you because it's not necessarily one that you read a genre that you read often.
- [61:59]
B
Yes.
- [62:00]
A
My next one I want to give with a caveat because you might notice, Tina, there's no mystery and thrillers on here. And that is true because I keep that list separate. I cannot combine the two. I simply can't and I won't. Maybe it's my way of giving myself the best 20 of the year. I don't know. But you will get that on all of the places here soon enough because that is a separate list. But this one is what Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown. And you could put this book anywhere. You could put it in mystery, thriller, you can put it in historical fiction, as they did for the Goodreads Choice Awards. You can put this in literary fiction. And I think it matches all of them. I personally call this literary suspense. I loved this book. This book is about a teenage girl who's, you know, maybe 17, 18 in the beginning, and she lives off the grid with her. Her dad. And she knows, like, okay, they live a different way of life, but she's not altogether unhappy. She just knows that they live differently. And then she gets old enough to where she starts to get very curious about where her dad disappears to and like, what's going on and she starts to investigate. I will say no more than that. This one took me in places that I so was not expecting. It's well crafted, it's well narrated. I mean, there were some elements to this that put me on the edge of my seat multiple times. And it's just a different story. It's also, I can see why Goodreads put this under historical fiction, because in my head, historical fiction ties to something very specific that happened during that time period. For example, World War II. This one, there's something very specific that I think it's influenced by. One is the dot com era. But there's something else that happens in this that I'm like, oh, my God, I can't believe. Believe that this was included because it Makes perfect sense. Why haven't we seen more books like this? Anyway, I loved it. Five stars, obviously. What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown.
- [63:53]
B
I love the variety that we're bringing. You know, we've got middle grade, we've got Thriller, and then we've got my next one, which is horror. And that is the Staircase in the woods by Chuck Wendig. This is one of our BTE community reads from the year, I believe it was back in May. And I don't know what it is about Chuck's books, but they are so memorable to me. This one is about this staircase in the woods that is stumbled upon by these teenagers who are having like a bonfire type party in the woods one night. And they stumble upon this staircase and it leads them to this house that is. I don't even want to say haunted, but it's alive. It is a presence. This house has a. Has a presence. And these characters end up coming back to this place because one of their friends from long ago got stuck, got trapped in this house. And so they come back to try to free him. And it's very scenic in that, like, each of the rooms in the house kind of have these specific scenes attached to them that I remember so vividly. There were certain rooms these characters went in where I'm like, man, that room was really particularly creepy, or that room would have creeped me out the most in this house. And I think that this book explored, you know, mental illness, grief, depression, and a lot of really, really challenging topics in a really, really good way. And I think that Chuck Wendig does this a lot in his work. I think he just has a really good grasp on the human experience and he's able to translate that into horror really well. And I loved what he did with this one. Haunted he house stories and you know, adjacent. Like haunted adjacent house stories don't always work for me. It's actually a trope that I tend to be kind of like, I'm not sure about. But this one made me want to try more books within that kind of niche sub genre and trope of horror. So I'm thankful for this book, for challenging me in that way. And that is the Staircase in the woods by Chuck Wendig.
- [66:08]
A
I'm so glad you love that one so much. I enjoyed it. I think it is very clever. I mean, he's just very smart in the way that he constructs what sounds like a story you've heard before, but totally takes it in a completely different direction. And I am somebody that loves A haunted house. Like, fantastic. I will read it any. I want, any weird house in my fiction. So I think it works for both types of people because it's just a really well done story.
- [66:34]
B
That's good to know.
- [66:35]
A
Another story that I found to be flawless, frankly, is this one here. It's Broken country by Claire Leslie Hall. I loved this book. I loved it so much. It's historical fiction. There is a love story in it, and there's a bit of a love triangle. And this one is just basically about this family, or I should say, this woman who falls in love with a man, you know, as one does when.
- [67:00]
B
She'S young and gosh dang it.
- [67:02]
A
Gosh dang it. And his life takes a minute, a different journey, a different trajectory, and she ends up marrying this town. Sweetie. And then the original love comes back years later and they sort of have this connection. I think this book will piss some people off. I think it's one of those that's pretty complicated. It's not going to have, you know, right answers. You're probably not going to like all of the characters, but by gosh, by the end of it, I was like, crying. I loved this book so much. I was. I just felt for Beth, even though I didn't. She wasn't my favorite person in the main character. I still was like, I don't know what I would do in this situation. And I love that the author went there, so to speak. And I definitely put this author, Claire Leslie hall, on my radar and I know on so many other people's radars. So I love this one. It's Broken country by Claire Leslie Hall.
- [67:49]
B
Is this a debut?
- [67:50]
A
It is not a debut. She actually has several that I. The only reason I say that is because one of the, you know, me and my publishers. One of the publishers, I imagine, whoever published this one. William Morrow. No, Simon and Schuster, rebranded all of her previous stories. And so I was able to take off so much. Exactly. And I like when that happens.
- [68:13]
B
Yeah, me too. My next one, we're getting into the. We're getting into the books for sure, where I'm like, okay, these are like, they don't have flaws for me, that's. Obviously, you know, all books can be critiqued, but for me personally, these are near perfect reads. And so my next one, number four, is the Names by Florence Knapp. This book swept the Internet by storm when it came out, and I think for good reason. I really loved the way this one was told, how three different choices and how someone was named could have Completely altered the course of one's life. It was like a really unique sliding doors almost type story. I thought that this was a situation where a really clever idea of a story actually worked in its execution. I think some readers wanted this to be a little bit more literary, but I personally felt like its accessible narrative style was the way to go here, especially because the subject matter is really tough. And that was something that I also. I think I heard from a lot of people is this book is a lot harder than they anticipated. But, I mean, and as the synopsis says, this. This book is book is ultimately about how domestic abuse alters and shatters your life. So this is a really challenging read that's dealing with a very heavy subject matter that happens on the page. But it also ultimately is really hopeful. I thought it was beautifully done, and I loved how accessible its prose was while still being really, really well written. And, yeah, I just. I loved this one. I know this will be a book that sticks with me for a really long time. And that is the Names by Florence Snap.
- [69:54]
A
Yes, that is one that is on my long list. I just didn't get to it this year, and I. I. Yeah, I don't. I kind of don't want to, but I know that people love it so much, and I'm like, you know what? You don't have to read it in the year that it's published. Like, it is. Okay? It. The book will still be there. Read it whenever you want from your.
- [70:10]
B
Library in a couple years.
- [70:12]
A
I know. And the worst bit is I even own it myself. But at any rate, I'm glad that one ranked so highly for you. We are now getting into our top three, which is, um. I don't know. I was gonna say makes me nervous. Crazy. Why does that make me nervous? Number three is Dominion by Addie E. Kitchens. This book, I wanna eat it up. I. Okay. It's not okay. It's dark. Let me get that clear. You're following this first family, and specifically you're following the Reverend Sabre Winfrey and his wife Priscilla, who's a fantastic character, and his son's girlfriend, Diamond. Those are the narrators of this. And it's basically how a family falls apart and falls from grace. But what made this book so stand out is the. The narrative voice. It is funny, but tackles some really deep, dark things, you know, that I think take place in many communities. But specifically, the characters of this one are so funny. Precisely. Priscilla. I could only in my dreams be this mean to people. Like, not that I want to Be a mean person. But it just. The biting remarks that she has for people. I just would never in my wildest dreams be like that. And it was very entertaining to read. I. I loved this book. And again, it's one that I think more people should read. It's Dominion by Addie Kitchens.
- [71:38]
B
My mom is currently reading this one.
- [71:40]
A
Oh, gosh. I don't know if she'll like it. It's very religious. So this is. Is like, what's the word?
- [71:46]
B
Okay, well, I'm gonna read it.
- [71:48]
A
I know. What's the word? Yes, that's exactly the word. Like, it's crass. I'm like, we're Priscilla. You're the first Lady. But it's funny. It's really good.
- [71:57]
B
It sounds funny.
- [71:58]
A
It's very good. And sad, but very good.
- [72:01]
B
I honestly, I love a book that is sad and really good. That could wrap up my reading taste pretty much. Okay, top three. Top three. Three. Number three for me is, along with so many other readers, My Friends by Frederick. And I feel so basic in. In saying this one. I mean, so many people loved this, but I. I'm just one of the many that adored this book. I don't know how Frederick does it, but he takes the most unlikable characters and makes you fall in love with them by giving them such a complex emotional history and perspective. And you just can't help but see human beings as a whole differently. After reading his stories, like, I feel like I just look at humanity differently, and I'm just like, I love humans after reading his books, and honestly, that can be hard to do sometimes. And so I am thankful for him for kind of bringing that hope to humanity back through his storytelling. I love how in this one, he took characters on totally unique life trajectories, and he brought them together. I love Found Family so much. And this book did that. That trope beautifully. This has hype for a reason. I absolutely adored it and have truly loved all the books that I've read from this author. And this one is no different. So if you haven't gotten to this one yet, it's worth it. And that's My Friends by Frederick Backman.
- [73:26]
A
Yes, Backman. Backman. I love that he is just a writer for the people. You know, he just writes these things on the page that you're like, I too, have thought that. And yet I never put words to it. And. But you've captured it completely.
- [73:41]
B
Yes, I annotated this one a lot. As you can probably see from if you're watching this, I annotated it a lot.
- [73:49]
A
There's nothing I like to see more than an annotated book. Tip to tip to tail. Love it so much now.
- [73:54]
B
Love it.
- [73:54]
A
You know me. I'm the absolute freaking queen of starting an annotation and not finishing it, which I did not fix in 2025. There's always next year, baby. Okay, so my number two book is going to surprise many. I think not the fact that I loved it.
- [74:10]
B
I don't know what it is.
- [74:11]
A
Well, it's not going to surprise people that I loved it. It's going to surprise people that it's number two and I really struggled. But my number two favorite book is Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaughey. I like it. Surprising that it's number two because it's not number one. Like, what could be? This. This was my number one book. I read this in January. It was my number one book the entire year until November. And it's climate fiction set on a remote island near. Near Antarctica where a family guards the world's largest seed bank. And then a mysterious woman washes ashore. And they have to decide, what the hell are we going to do with this outsider? And you come to realize that everyone has their past tragedies and their past, you know, sort of things that they are getting over. And I loved this. This one also made me cry. The ending is fantastic. It's nature, it's apocalyptic. It's dark. But, like, also comforting. I think this one was. And correct me if I'm wrong, Hannah, would you say this one was most widely loved by the BTE community?
- [75:13]
B
Yes. I was recently talking to one of my friends about it, and I mentioned that I think this was one of our most discussed books. Like, we had the most chat.
- [75:22]
A
Yes. Going of. We were going to the.
- [75:26]
B
It's just insane.
- [75:27]
A
It was insane. We were going to the airport. I remember because. Why did I schedule the chat when we were going to the airport? Unclear. But I was like, oh, my gosh. How am I going to, like, help maintain and run this chat thing, though? Baby, listen, I didn't. Y' all didn't need me. Everyone was like, da, da, da, da, da. Because there was so much to say. I love this. If you haven't read it, please do. It's on so many best of lists for a reason.
- [75:45]
B
Yeah. I almost put this on my list and I knew it was going to be on yours, but it. It could have. It honestly could have been on mine, too. I loved this book. It also made me cry. And I would say, like, May maybe one or two books make me actually cry real tears every year, and this was one of them. I had a. I had a tear fall. There's that one scene. Those who have read it know what scene we're talking about, but I was.
- [76:09]
A
Just like, a single tear fell.
- [76:11]
B
Yes. It's an emotional read.
- [76:13]
A
So good.
- [76:14]
B
It's worth it.
- [76:15]
A
Yay.
- [76:16]
B
Okay, my number two is. I cannot believe I'm bringing a book in this genre as my number one.
- [76:22]
A
What is it I can't see?
- [76:23]
B
The Night in the Moth by Rachel Gillig.
- [76:26]
A
Oh, yeah. Yes, yes, yes. I love, love this for you.
- [76:28]
B
Just loved this book so much. I remember when I finished this one, I was like, this is why I love to read. This is why I love to read. And during a especially hard reading year for me, that is such an important feeling, which is why I was like, oh, am I going to bring a Romantasy as my number two read? But you know what? This year, this was the book that reminded me why I love to read. So I'm going to bring it.
- [76:53]
A
Regarding.
- [76:53]
B
Regardless of my own, like, I don't want to say. What is it, like, my own feelings about. Yeah, like, biases about this. About this genre. Because this was a really good book. It is a really unique romantic fantasy. It has talking gargoyles. It has ladies who wear armor. It is the most stunning love story with truly remarkable scenes that I remember so, so vividly was romantic. It was adventurous. And that's my favorite combo in a book like this. Like, well written, adventurous, lots of pining and tension with the love story. The writing was really good. I highlighted sentences, like, on a sentence level. Rachel Gillig is a wonderful writer. And I have read some other decent romanticies this year, but none of them have come come close to this one. And that is the Night in the Moth by Rachel Gillig.
- [77:53]
A
I love that for you. I also want to point out this is your only, like, romance slash romantasy on your list.
- [78:00]
B
Yeah, there was. There was one other romance that almost made the list, but this one took the cake.
- [78:06]
A
Took the cake for you.
- [78:07]
B
Okay, that's another one, like, for you with mysteries and thrillers. Romances. For me, I have a hard time putting on my favorites list. I'm like, I feel like those are almost its own category. So I have, like, my top romances of the year, but for whatever reason, I have a hard time putting them on my favorites list. I hear that usually one that makes it.
- [78:25]
A
I hear that.
- [78:26]
B
Like, my top romance.
- [78:27]
A
Okay, okay, okay. That makes sense. Are you Going to share your list of top romances of the year. Now you got maybe don't hold me.
- [78:33]
B
Maybe don't hold me accountable to it, but I would like to don't put.
- [78:38]
A
That on your accountability list.
- [78:39]
B
Yeah, okay.
- [78:41]
A
All right. I'm ready for number one. And I. I am so excited for you to share. Can't believe it. The patrons already know because I told them at Mood Reader happy hour. It's Lonesome dove by Larry McMurtry. Excuse me. This is my biggest surprise of the year, officially, because this is an epic about the American West. Excuse me. Why would I even pick this up? I can tell you why. I was looking for a book with characters that are memorable and I googled like, most memorable memorable books with the most memorable main characters. And this one came up multiple times and I'm like, huh? Okay. It's a western and it's about retired Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae and Woodrow call leading a perilous cattle drive from Texas to Montana. And I did copy and paste that from the Internet because I'm like, I don't know how to describe this book other than I loved it here. Just read it. Just do it. It's a reason. The re. There is a reason why so many people are still talking about about this book 40 years later. It is definitely got staying power. I learned so much. But I think what really sold it for me is the characters. Augustus McCrae is one of my all time favorite characters. He was just so well crafted. He was also very well narrated. Will Patton deserves his flowers for narrating the crap out of this book. It's got themes of friendship, loss, love. I mean, high freaking stakes here. Your people are dying in the fields, left, right and center. They're sleeping on the ground. There's snakes. What's going on? Like, it is fabulous. It's also really well paced and I never was bored. This book that I'm holding has 858 pages and I wanted more and I could do more. It is everything and I missed it when it was over this. Speaking of books that remind you why you love to read, this is it for me. It's making me want to watch the miniseries and you know, those like, romance books that are like, done and dusted or whatever the heck they're like, set in the West. I'm like, should I read that series? Am I a cowboy now? Do I need to go outside more? That is what this book did for me. I loved it so much. It's Lonesome dove by Larry McMurtry.
- [80:48]
B
Yeah. Well, because don't you have kind of a soft spot for Gone with the Wind too?
- [80:52]
A
I do, I do. I love reading that. Of course, not without its flaws, but I love reflecting on it and just really sort of unpacking all that that took place with that book.
- [81:04]
B
Yeah, maybe that type of.
- [81:08]
A
Now I'm like thinking setting. Yeah, maybe it works for you. Maybe it works for me.
- [81:13]
B
Like you said, maybe read. Maybe. Redone and dusted.
- [81:17]
A
Thank you for. Is that the correct title?
- [81:20]
B
I think that's one of them.
- [81:22]
A
Okay. I was just sort of pulling that from the ether.
- [81:26]
B
Yeah. Done and dusted. A Rebel Blue Ranch novel by Lila. It's Lila Sage, though, not Leila Sage.
- [81:32]
A
Let me go ahead and just.
- [81:32]
B
Forgive me.
- [81:33]
A
Add it to the tbr. Who knows? Do it.
- [81:36]
B
I just wanna. I wanna go on this journey with you. Experimenting. Read some. Read some westerns. You should also read the one that I read earlier this year, Amity. Yes.
- [81:46]
A
Try it already on the tbr, baby.
- [81:48]
B
Oh, well, I've left you guys hanging long enough. I'll share my number one, which no one is going to be surprised by. It's Hamnet by Maggie o'. Farrell.
- [81:57]
A
That's right.
- [81:58]
B
And. And yeah, I know it's so fun, like rehearing it. Cause we're like, oh, yeah, I know.
- [82:03]
A
Like we've talked about this, but I.
- [82:04]
B
Forgot this also could have been on my favorite covers. It's just. I really love this.
- [82:09]
A
Look at those tabs.
- [82:11]
B
I know the tabs. Oh, I loved this book. It is historical fiction, literary historical fiction, and genuinely one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. This one will come top of mind from now on when someone asks me what my favorite book of all time is. And the only other two books that come to mind when I think of those books of my life, as Tracy Thomas from the Stacks would say, is when I read the Count of Monte Cristo for the first time in ninth grade. And when I read Station 11, the summer of 2018, like those favorite books that have those. Oh, I remember the exact moment in time that I read this. I know that this will hold the same place in my heart. The prose was stunning. The tragedy was connecting and human. For those who haven't read this book, it is about the. The imagined life and the true life of Hamnet, which was Shakespeare's son. And it's who he wrote his kind of most beloved play, Hamlet around, because his son. Well, I won't say more, but it's a tragic story, but it's also beautiful. And the Historical perspective here is just really unique and unmet matched. And also, I read this very close to when the film was released in theaters, and I watched the movie pretty much right after finishing the book. And the movie was so beautiful. The actors did such a good job. I could cry thinking about it. It just reminded me how movies can make adaptations even like. Like it's just such an added experience. It doesn't. It doesn't take away from anything from the book, but it almost adds more. It truly one of the best books I've ever read. Also highly recommend the movie. This was easily my number one. Didn't even have to think about it. And I can't wait to read more of her books. This is an author I want to read more from and potentially read all of her books. And I might make that as a project in 2026. I don't know if I'll complete it in one year, but we'll do 2026, 2027. Maybe it's a project I want to complete. All that to say that was Hamnet by Maggie o', Farrell, my top read of the year.
- [84:30]
A
I love it. And it's another one that I need to read. It's on my list, but, you know, it's. It's one of those that's so buzzy that I'm like, now I'm into now I don't want to because I'm intimidated. Like, now I. It's too loved.
- [84:44]
B
Like, I hear you. There's some others burned me before. As we know.
- [84:47]
A
Yeah, as we know. Right? Oh, my gosh. This is so fun. And like, I feel we did it. I feel complete. I feel good. I feel like we've talked about these books. We will end the show as we tend to do with our current reads. This time I was looking for something that I would like, that would entertain, but I was like, don't let it be a favorite of the year.
- [85:12]
B
We've already done that. We've wrapped it.
- [85:13]
A
We've already done that. But I grabbed the Death of Us by Abigail Dean, and I saw an author called Ashley Aldrain, who I loved, wrote this the Push. She highly recommended this one. And I'm like, all right. I'm intrigued. This one is dark. It is about how. It's about this couple that had a home invasion years ago, and they end up splitting. And now this man who did it was caught, and he was a serial home invader and rapist. And they are at his sentencing. They're still friendly, but, like, they're at this man's sentencing and they're seeing the other survivors. And it's just a really interesting story because you're getting the present day when you're in the courtroom, but you're also getting the past when you're in the moment with them, when the thing happens. I mean, this is chilling, haunting, really well written. I'm enjoying my time with it, and I'm curious to see how it's going to end. That one is the Death of Us by Abigail Dean.
- [86:09]
B
I think this is the same author who wrote Girl A.
- [86:12]
A
Correct? Yes. Which I did not read. Read.
- [86:14]
B
I read that one and again, it was really dark. It was like really, really dark. I remember that, but I remember it being really good.
- [86:21]
A
Yeah, I think she's known for that dark, emotional type stories, Dirk.
- [86:27]
B
Yeah. Okay. My current read is one that I'm definitely going to be carrying over into next year, which I know is something that some people really don't like to do. I don't personally. It means nothing to me. So I am reading. Reading the Reformatory by Tananarive Du.
- [86:42]
A
Yay. Good for you. Yes.
- [86:45]
B
You've read this, right?
- [86:46]
A
Yes, yes.
- [86:47]
B
Okay, so this is historical fiction. Historical fiction, but also horror. And this is another, like, haunted. I guess Haunted House doesn't sound right, but it's. It's definitely like a haunt. Haunted land type story. And it is based on the Dozier School for Boys. It is set in the 1950s. We are following our main character, Robert, and he is unjustly accused of a crime and is sent to this school and things start to happen. And that's about where I am in this story. It is extremely dark. It is so hard to read already, and I'm only on page, like 90 something, but I have a feeling it's going to be really impactful. Again, one of those really emotionally resonant horror books that has a historical perspective, which are some of my favorites, hence why I'm letting it carry into 2026. Because this might be a favorite, I don't know. And I don't want to risk, you know, sneaking another favorite into 2025. So I'm excited to see where this one goes. That's the Reformatory by Tananarive Due.
- [87:59]
A
I am happy for you that you're reading this. That book is excellent. And yes, I think you will really enjoy it.
- [88:05]
B
I think so too.
- [88:06]
A
Well, that is it, everyone. Thank you so much.
- [88:09]
B
I am talking for two hours, baby.
- [88:11]
A
I am delighted that you're spending a part of your day with us. Thank you so much for all of your support this year. Links okay, we're not going to link each and every book because there's not enough space, but we will put them in different storefronts so you can see. You know, we'll, we'll list them at Link so you can know what we've mentioned. As always, if you enjoyed today's episode, you can help us by following us wherever you listen and by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps us get our show out to new listeners and grows our audience. And don't forget, if you would like access to exclusive bonus content and community, you can join us for $5 a month on patreon.com booktalk Etc.
- [88:47]
B
If you'd like to connect with us, you can email us@booktalk etcmail.com you can also connect with us both @booktok Etc. On Instagram and YouTube. You can find Tinabrec and Hannah @handpickedbooks. Talk to you next week. And in the meantime, remember, everything's better with books. I'm hearing that. You know that trending sound that's like. And with that, yes, 2025 year comes to an end.
- [89:14]
A
Yep, I'm hearing it.
- [89:15]
B
It's like the song.
- [89:16]
A
Yay, we did it. Oh my gosh, we did it.