Mary Heim (2:34)

That is worthy of a celebration. If we all read one book this year, we have cause to celebrate for sure.

Roxanna Kasamkara (2:42)

I think so. I think, you know, for everybody, whether it was the national political environment, whether it was global climate crisis, there was just a lot going on. So I think everybody know, pat yourself on the back if you read a book.

Mary Heim (2:55)

Yeah.

Roxanna Kasamkara (2:56)

And if you, you know, enjoyed reading. I think that's, you know, let's, let's give ourselves some, some handshakes for that. For me, I did actually, as I said, surprising to me that I read a lot of great books and how I picked this list just so everyone's knows this is not my favorite books nor is it like the best, objectively best books. I really thought about books that I'm still thinking about, you know. So some of these are my favorite books, some I'd say the best books. But there are a lot of 4.5 star and 5 star reads that I totally forgot about after I read them and those I didn't include. So these 10 books are the ones that really stayed with me and I'm, I'm excited to share them with everyone. What about you, Mary?

Mary Heim (3:40)

I love that. Yeah, I too, I think I've shared this before. I pick my top 10 list on vibes. I go into my Goodreads or Storygraph and I screenshot. I go through the books that I read in a given year and I screenshot just whatever speaks to me and I'm like, oh, I loved that. Oh, that was a good one. Oh, that still sticks with me. Oh, I really, I cried. I remember crying at that one. And that is how I pick my list. I whittle it down if it's more than 10 and I really. So I'll talk about this a little bit more as we go on, but I read 107 books this year, which is shocking to me because I haven't gone over a hundred since having a kid. Clearly reading became a really great coping mechanism for me this year and an escape for me. It was really joyful. I peppered in a couple graphic novels this year, which was, I'll talk about this too, was a really great way for me to keep the joy of reading as a reliable and accessible coping mechanism. When life was really hard without being like, okay, time to put my brain on and get into a book that it was like I could just open up a graphic novel and it like carried me through, I jumped right in. I didn't have to do a ton of hard work to be able to rely on this thing that brings me joy. So that probably, you know, accounts for the skew over 100 a little bit. But I read a lot of really good books. I wish I had some stats to share with you from my reading spreadsheet and Roxanna, I debated sharing this, but I'm going to be vulnerable and I'm going to tell all of our listeners that I abandoned my spreadsheet in March when we found out that my son was terminally ill in utero, and I just never picked it back up. Would I have loved to have all of the magic spreadsheet information to reflect upon this year? Of course. But it just wasn't a priority for me this year amidst everything else. And that's okay. And I'm planning to get back to it in 2026. I. I'm excited to get back to it, but I really don't feel any strong feelings one way or the other that I didn't keep on my reading data the way that I would have liked to. And I wanted to share that just in case anybody else had the same experience or life got in the way. Maybe you didn't track a single book this year in any way, shape or form, but if you enjoyed your reading, great job. That's what matters the most. And so, yeah, hopefully my sharing that is beneficial to somebody else who needed a little bit of that permission that if anything about your reading life did not go how you thought it would go at the beginning of the year. That's okay. That's totally okay.

Roxanna Kasamkara (6:19)

You know what, Mary, I'm so glad you shared that because this is the time, you know, the end of the year, the beginning of the new year, when everybody hears all these amazing stats and how many books people read and you can get a little bit in your feelings about it and oh, I should have done this and I should have done that. And I'm so glad that you just normalized it. You know, I too didn't keep up with my reading log at all. I was so good until April, then I fell right off. So what I did was I actually took my you can export your Goodreads CSV. So I always put everything Goodreads because as soon as I finish a book, I just put it in and I put in my stat so you can export your Goodreads data. And that includes like author, you're published, you know, all that stuff. Any reviews, it includes a lot of stuff. I just took that and I first of all threw it in ChatGPT and NotebookLM and just said, find me some my own stats.

Mary Heim (7:15)

There you go.

Roxanna Kasamkara (7:16)

And then when I had a little bit more time when we were prepping for this episode, I actually cut and pasted it into my reading log. So that was how I got my numbers. I. And I. If I'm totally honest, I probably won't track next year either. I have not had one year where I have tracked regularly throughout the year. And frankly, I'm okay with that. I just track at the end of the year. I either do a speed one before we have to. Before we have to talk, you know, before we have our discussion, or I do, you know, I export it in. I love having the tracker. I use it, but I don't use it along the way. So I read, you know, a lot less than you. I read 68 books this year, but that was, I mean, on par. I read 70 books in 2024. I was still at 22,000 pages, so I was good. I read a lot more in 2023, but, you know, that's really neither here nor there for me. Like, I just. I read the books I read that year, and that's great.

Mary Heim (8:09)

Totally.

Roxanna Kasamkara (8:10)

I had 26, five star books last year. I was only 19. And I do really think that's attributed largely to the Emma M. Lyon phenomenon, of which I read eight books and then reread those eight books, and they were five stars each time. So, you know, it is what I mean. I loved it. It got me through the. The. The back half of the year, so I was happy to see that. And I had a lot more genres this year. You know, I did. I had general fiction, but I had 15% general fiction last year. It was a third of my reading fantasy. I had. I had a lot of 16% historical fiction. Again, that was all Emma M. Lyon. I had 15% lit FIC, which last year I said I wanted more of. So I was glad I did that. And you'll see a lot of. Not a lot, but some of the reads on this, on this list are those litfic ones. Yeah, I read 13% middle grade. Like you, Mary, I found it just, you know, a great escape. But also I learn a lot from middle grade without having to kind of contemplate, you know, like, go deep. And I. I needed things to kind of pull me through in terms of pacing. So middle grade was great. I didn't read as much memoir or as much mystery. I didn't read as much romance, which again, last year I said I didn't want to because I just wanted to read the really good romances and I did. So it was a good year. I mean, I, I had some decisions for last year that I wanted to do. I did that and I read a lot of variety. I think my reading is shifting a bit, so that was good to see. And my biggest stat that I was happy of was I read 20% POC authors. You know, last year it was abysmal. It was at 10% and I really wanted to get that up. So I want it to be higher. But I was, I was happy to do that. And I read mostly fiction this year. 96% fiction, Mary, because I just probably same. I couldn't find memoirs that I really connected with and I couldn't read any kind of self improvement. I just had too much going on. I was just like, let me get through this year doing what I'm doing and then people can teach me how to do things better if I really want. But right now I'm good with how I am.

Mary Heim (10:13)

Yeah. Have you seen that meme that says I've done enough self improvement? It's the circumstances turn to improve. It's that. That's how I feel.

Roxanna Kasamkara (10:22)

I think that's totally right. And next year I'm turning 50, which is a big one for me. And my mantra is, you know, ID GAFF50. IDGAF50.

Mary Heim (10:31)

Yeah.

Roxanna Kasamkara (10:32)

And so you know what I like, my old mentor told me, like once you reach 50, like other. Yeah, other people can change. Like, you know your strengths and you know your weaknesses. And I'm kind of feeling alike like that. So I'm, I'm good with where I am.

Mary Heim (10:45)

I love that. I love all of that, Roxanna. And that's such good information. I love how even in a challenging year, I mean, I know you mentioned Emma and Lyon accounted for a lot here in your stats, but doubling that POC percentage, that's a big. Like that. That's a big one. And you're inspiring me too, to think about. Even without stats, what are my intentions? Right. For my 2026 reading, what would I like to kind of focus on? I will say it was hard for me to rank my books and narrow them down this year. Not because I read all of my most favorite books in the whole world, but I did have a lot of five star reads. But I didn't necessarily have an obvious 10. I like to call them heart print books. Right. It could have been the way the year went. It could have been my brain or the books themselves. While I loved a lot of excellent Books this year, there just weren't as many that I went, oh yeah, this is obviously going on my forever shelf. This book became a part of me, et cetera, et cetera. I really do have an inkling that this was probably mostly influenced by my state of mind through the year. That said, though, if I looked at this year on paper based on number of books and average rating alone, I wouldn't hesitate to call it an excellent reading year for me. And even without the Reading Tracker, I have that information. And you know, before we kind of get into the nitty gritty, I do think I'll have one more thought on the Reading Tracker to share that it is a spectacular resource. I mean, what Katie has created is a masterpiece and I. What I love the most about it is that it can be as extra. I can be as extra as I want to be or as minimal as I want to be in using that tracker. And I think the thing that is getting me that I'm excited, excited about returning to in 2026 is that the barrier to entry is not a big one that I can be like. I am literally just gonna start with like title, author, rating.

Roxanna Kasamkara (12:36)

Right.

Mary Heim (12:37)

And then you can go back and as my kind of capacity continues to increase, I can build off of that because I do think this is good inform. It's great information to have, especially when you're trying to figure out really continuing to know thyself as a reader and like you said, wanting to increase your books read written by authors of color and, you know, all of these things that it can give you such good data but it doesn't have to be a big barrier to entry. So that's my last little plug for like anything. Let your tracking meet you where you're at, right. And that your reading should serve you. So I'll hop off my soapbox. But I kind of love Roxanna that as I was prepping I was like, oh no, I'm going to come with no stats. And here you are, like, I did this all at the last minute. So yeah, I'm just so grateful for you, friend.

Roxanna Kasamkara (13:23)

We're in the same boat, honestly. Yeah, it's. I think I love the Reading Tracker as well. I found it so helpful. But I usually do it in January. So guys, if you haven't done it yet. And I'll do exactly that, Mary. I'll put in top three and that gives me a lot. And there's actually a sheet in there called year over year stats. So this year I entered 20 and it's Katie's kept it really like high level. So you can enter just like number of books read average rating, you know, number of PoC, like, you know, maybe the three or four stats you want to enter. It's really easy. It took me 10 minutes and then I could see my reading because I have all my old reading trackers. I could see my reading from 2021 and that actually was really helpful. So even if you just do that, you get so much information from that. And that's what I love. She always says, like, hide the fields you don't want. Just enter the stuff that's meaningful for you and off you go. So I think it's. It's great to use as that if you can. And if you didn't get to it, there's always 2026, my friends.

Mary Heim (14:21)

That's right. Well, Roxanna, let's get started on the good stuff. Why don't you kick us off with your like, number 10 book of the year. Let's start at the. Start at the end and go to the beginning. What Was your number 10 book of the year?

Roxanna Kasamkara (14:35)

So my number 10 book of the year was called the Last Dragoners of Bulbasur by Indra Das. If I had a superlative for this book, it would be the best feat of literary magic. Okay. This little novella was just an unexpected gem for me. It's a sweet, very dreamy coming of age story set against the backdrop of 20th century Calcutta. So our protagonist is Rue. And he doesn't know his family background or his culture, so he really struggles to fit in. But he has these weird dreams of his grandma leading him out back and showing him this huge bush with these special seed pods that turn out to be baby dragons. But are these dreams? Or are these memories? But every time he remembers this, his family makes him drink the special tea of forgetting to forget that. So Rue continues to have these strange, mystical experiences with dragons. But after every experience, his family makes him drink the Tea of forgetting. And they do this because they're so afraid that his unique origins will set him apart and not allow him to integrate with his Indian classmates. But what they don't understand is that they're robbing him of any true sense of identity. This book is dreamy, it's haunting, it's gorgeous. The prose is lyrical and it lulls you into the strange rhythm. It just. It's so melancholic, but beautiful, you know, Rue's family shows him his roots over and over again and then denies them. So he understands and then forgets over and over. It's just such a strong, powerful metaphor for immigrants who are trying to embrace their identity but also blend in. But DAS never makes it preachy or hits you over the head with it. You never actually see it as a simile. You're in the story. It's just a beautiful piece of literary fiction. And honestly, at 119 pages, it packs such an emotional punch in such a short space. I really don't understand how DAS accomplished so much and created such a strong mood in such a short book. But this had to be on this list for that reason, and that is the Last Dragoners of Bobasar by Indra Das.

Mary Heim (16:40)

Well, Roxanna, you're starting off strong because I absolutely added that one to my TBR as I was listening to you talk about it. Well, okay, so I'm going to break a rule here, and I'm going to do a two for one on my number 10. I'm going to start with a superlative book, a book that I didn't want to need this year, but served a really important purpose for me. And it didn't feel. It just didn't feel like a fit to add it to my top 10. But I wanted to make sure to include it. And that is the book Empty Cradle Broken Heart by Deborah L. Davis. Like I said, I didn't want to include this one because I didn't love it for what it was, but I loved the role that it filled in my reading life. This was the only baby loss book I read after losing my son Henry at about five months pregnant. And I found it really comforting and helpful to read. It's full of practical information on actually surviving pregnancy and infant loss. But what I liked even more about it was that it was filled with tons and tons of stories from parents who lost their babies, both antepartum and postpartum. And it really just made me feel less alone this year. I hope, listeners, that you never need this book, but if you do, or if you're supporting someone who does, this absolutely earned its spot as kind of an honorable mention. For me, that's Empty Cradle, Broken Heart by Deborah L. Davis.

Roxanna Kasamkara (17:58)

I'm really glad you shared that, Mary. As I said, off air, for the people who need this, it will be really, really important and it could change their lives. So thank you for sharing that one.

Mary Heim (18:07)

Yeah, yeah. Thank you, friend. And now we'll kind of into the reading that I really enjoyed. I'll start with my top 10 book of the year, and that is God of the woods by Liz Moore. I was late to the party on this one, but I had saved it specifically for I didn't get to it in August like in summer of 2024. And I really wanted to read it. When we were in the Wisconsin Northwoods, my family has a family cabin. We go up there almost every year. And I was like, this is a book I want to read when we are in the north woods. And I really, of course, really, really enjoyed it. Most everybody has read this book by now, so I won't belabor the plot, but if you're a late adopter like I am, know that this story follows the mysterious disappearance of a young boy at his family's ancestral Adirondack home where his sister also went missing years ago. This is a mystery, of course, it's a family drama. It's page turning like a thriller, but with the writing of really well done literary fiction. This broke me out of a massive book slump and I found myself absolutely captivated and just could not put it down. I am committed to digging into Moore's backlist now after how much I loved this one and I can confidently agree that it is worth the hype. That's God of the woods by Liz Moore.

Roxanna Kasamkara (19:18)

You have a great history of really reading some bangers when you go to the cottage, Ameri, because last year you read sandwich there.

Mary Heim (19:24)

Yes, I'm two for two.

Roxanna Kasamkara (19:26)

Yes, that's amazing. And you might see some Lismore coming up on my list. Hint, hint.

Mary Heim (19:31)

Ooh, I love it. Okay, well Roxanna, what do you have next for us?

Roxanna Kasamkara (19:35)

Okay, so my number nine is another novella actually. It's called the Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Zed Hussain. And this book is the best book that defies description if I had to give it a superlative. So you all know that I love a book that is short, weird and wonderful and this one delivers on all fronts. So this one is about a jinn king, the Lord of Tuesday, who wakes up on a mountain after a thousand years of imprisoned slumber. He's arrogant and bombastic and he's ready to raise hell. So he comes down that mountain expecting to an easy conquest. He's going to take the wealthy spectacular city state of Kathmandu and just create chaos. But he finds a world vastly different from what he remembers. He finds a Kathmandu that is ruled by an AI powered system called Karma. AI that gives happiness points to its citizens and they're all lulled into this complacency. So the only person that's willing to join him on this revolt is an old soldier, this Gurkha soldier named Ban Gurung, who has a really long vendetta against the very heart of the AI. So they go on this rollicking adventure until they finally face off against Karma AI and her forces. In the upheaval that follows, old crimes will come to light and the city itself will be forced to change. So, as I said, this book defies genre and description. Indra Das, the author of the last book I talked about, called this sweeping science fiction, fantasy, myth and satire in a wildly imaginative vortex. And I think that's true. This book is fast, it's sharp, it's funny, and it's absolutely packed with ideas all in under 200 pages. It's a brilliant commentary on surveillance, freedom, and what it means to be human. But again, this one never feels preachy. If you want something smart, cheeky, and totally different from anything else on your shelf, the Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesdays it so that is the Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Zed Hussain.

Mary Heim (21:37)

That sounds incredible. Roxanna. You. Yeah man, you can really sell me a book. These all sound so good. I love it. All right, Roxanna. Well, my number nine book this year is Heart the Lover by Lily King. Something that you will notice about this year's list for me is that a lot of these are buzzy hits that I am not bringing many under the radar gems this year. Friend. And that's okay. It is well known and understood that people love these books. I am reinventing no Wheels. But let me briefly make a case for following popular books. Is it always gonna work? No, of course not. But when your brain is broken or your heart is broken, or your reading is broken. Listen, popular books are likely popular for a reason and if need someone to do your picking for you, it is okay to grab something buzzy. Not because of its marketing. This, I think is an important point. Books can get a ton of marketing buzz and a lot of money, and that doesn't necessarily mean they're great. If something is buzzy for its reviews and not just its marketing, if you're really struggling with what to read next, that can be a good place to go. That doesn't always work for me. Sometimes it brings some real stinkers into my reading life. But this year it really helped me when I felt like I didn't have the cat capacity. I wanted to read a book, but I didn't know what I was in the mood for and I didn't know what to pick up next. So following trusted reader friends reviews, Even if I was like, well, I've never read any Lily King before, I don't know if this will be for me. I'm really glad that I picked this one up and many, you know, subsequent books on my list I did that with and they were great hits. So this was my first Lily King. I had tried and abandoned her short story collection years ago and I know now that's mostly because I just generally don't enjoy short stories. But even without the context of her characters from writers and lovers, I found this book to be incredible. This is a bit of a slices of life story following three friends from their college years through young love and into middle age, with heavy themes of grief and loss woven throughout. I sobbed through the end of this book, not just because it was sad, but because it so beautifully portrayed what love and loss really look like. The writing is beautiful but accessible. It's not sad entirely throughout. So it's not. You're just picking up a bummer. I just found myself absolutely living in the world of these characters whilst I raced through the plot. It was another hit for a reason. And this one I think may have found its way into a heart print book for me. I really loved this one. That's Heart the Lover by Lily King.

Roxanna Kasamkara (24:12)

I love that Mary. And I will say I have a couple of buzzy books high up on my list too for the same reason. You know, sometimes the great thing about a buzzy book is lot of people are talking about it and so it's easy to see if it'll be a fit for you or not. Yes. And yeah, I always trust the reviews, so that's great to hear. Okay. My number eight book is not a buzzy book though. This is another one that was completely under the radar that I just somehow stumbled upon. It's called the Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe and this superlative is the best contemporary fiction book with subtle fantasy elements. Okay, so this book is book was so fascinating. This is the setup. No one knows where the Tufa come from or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Yet when the first Europeans arrived, they were already there. Dark haired, enigmatic and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet lives in the hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their origins may be lost to history, there are clues in their music, hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations. Private Bronwyn Hyatt, a tufa herself, returns from Iraq wounded in body and in spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away in the first place. Her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex boyfriend. But more trouble lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless haint lurks nearby. A haint is a ghost that foretells death. Worst of all, Bronwyn has lost touch with the music that was once a vital part of her identity. With death shaking her family, Bronwyn will need to summon her strength to take her place among the true Toofra and once again claim her magic powers. Okay, so that was the blurb from Goodreads, but I really liked the way it set it up because I honestly had no idea how to set up this book when I was preparing for this. This book feels both mystical and deeply real, like it really is written like a contemporary fiction book. It talks, you know, about coming back from Iraq and what that's like for a vet, but then it has these mystical elements woven in. But it's done so well. This book is really about coming home, about identity, about the healing power of music and community. Even when you've rejected that community. It's also got the slow burn tension that builds to an explosive end where you just can't stop reading. This was a Kirkus Best Reviews Best of 2011 in their Science Fiction in fantasy. So I wanted to make sure I brought this to the table because it was a backlist one, but I wouldn't call it a science fiction in fantasy. Like it really doesn't feel like that to me. It feels very grounded and the fantasy elements are woven in almost effortlessly. So, you know, I picked it up because I just thought the name was so great. But I really think this would be a really good read for a lot of a lot of people that who haven't found it. So that is the Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe.

Mary Heim (27:09)

What a backless gem. I love that. Roxanna. Oh, that's so great. All right. My number eight book this year is the Serviceberry by Robin Wall kimmerer.

Roxanna Kasamkara (27:19)

Great.

Mary Heim (27:20)

The Serviceberry is Robin Wall Kimmerer's nonfiction exploration of a gift economy as opposed to the market economy we live in viewed through the lens of the reciprocity of the natural world. I read this book with my bookish friend and friend of the show Ashton. And let me tell you, while I really enjoyed this book and found so much of it resonant and useful for me as I work to really foster and nurture the Community around me. My experience of this book absolutely was made all the more impactful by sharing it with a friend. I think this is the way to read this book as a buddy read, processing in real time with someone who just having her perspective made this reading experience so much richer for me. We got into really great conversations on voice memo and it really deepened the reading experience for me. We discussed the challenge of reciprocity and community with young kids, the deep desire for shaking off so much of the faux community we've been sold online, the benefit of garden sharing and buy nothing groups, and the capitalism of it all. This was by far my favorite reading experience of the year. Even if it's my number 8 out of 10 book of the year. Just because our shared processing of this narrative absolutely also created deeper community for me on a daily basis and gave me such tangible, real insight into how I can adapt these concepts into my day to day life. That is the ServiceBerry by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Roxanna Kasamkara (28:47)

Mary, you've sold me on that one. You know I love Robin Wall Kimmerer, but honestly it was the title of this book just sounded a bit boring to me. So I never picked it up. But I didn't even know what it was about until you said that. I'm like, oh my God, I need to read this book.

Mary Heim (29:02)

You need to read this book and definitely put it on. You know, buddy read with doesn't even have to be with someone who's a big reader. Ashton was talking about one way that she could foster, continue to foster in her community was like she had said like, I think I'm gonna sell this to right? Like read a read along with my buy nothing group because we are an immediate community to one another. And what does that look like to really talk about fostering community and this gift economy, mutual aid and support. That isn't right is like driving your friends to the airport instead of calling an Uber and you know, like leaving out a bucket of your spare zucchini on your porch or at the front of your yard, like with your neighbors. I really think this one also is short enough that buddy reading it with anybody, I think it's going to feel pretty accessible. The audio was actually excellent. The author herself reads it. I listened on audio. Ashton read it on paper. And that was interesting too because there were some things I think I would catch because of listening and some things she would really catch that I would miss because of the way she was taking it in. I could have blown through this book if I read it by myself. It's a short little book. I'm so glad that we kind of drew it out over a few months, a few weeks, because it's really rich text that is very accessible. But there's so much to discuss, and I think especially discussing it with someone kind of in your circle can be a really powerful experience. If I'm pressing anything from this list for you today, Roxanna, it's this one. I think you'd really like it.

Roxanna Kasamkara (30:38)

It's on my TBR automatically. Got it. Thanks, Mary. Okay, well, my number seven book is to be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers. And this book is the best book that lives rent free in my head. Okay, so this is the setup. At the turn of the 22nd century, scientists make a breakthrough in human spaceflight. Astronauts can go into this kind of hibernation where they fly to distant galaxies. So that means they can live longer and go farther in the galaxy than they ever have before. So into this context, Ariadne O' Neill and her three crewmates are sent to a planetary system 15 light years from our sun to explore four different planets. Because of this breakthrough, a lot of time is passed on Earth before they actually wake up. And then they spend years on the planets they're studying. So this book is absolutely fascinating and immersive. The way Chambers brings these planets to life. I felt like I was there. These astronauts, feelings of wonder, suffocation, loneliness, isolation. Even though they're in this big empty void of space, it's just so, so real. And then as you go through the book, because they are so far ahead of Earth, it slowly dawns on them that they might be alone in the universe. Ooh, Mary. Wow. This book left me thinking about it for months after I read it. It just was one. It was not what I expected. I thought it would be kind of a found family book, you know, between these four astronauts. But that's not what it is. It's an exploration of these worlds and how Ariadne feels. On each of these worlds really are human feelings. And then it's about sort of the philosophy of, like, what do you do when you're the last four people sent on a mission? Do you continue that mission? Like, it was just a very interesting exploration into some of these kind of big questions about the purpose of life. When I read it, I actually rated it 3.75 because I was like, what is this? And then as I thought about it, I was like, wow, she's doing some really incredible things here. And I think now I would rate it a five. So I just wanted to share it with everybody. It's a difficult title so it's, I'll say it again. To be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers. Wow.

Mary Heim (33:00)

I have read a little Becky Chambers, but I have not read this one. So that's another one that's going through straight on my list. I was looking at the stats as you were discussing it and to put all of that in 134 pages just feels mind boggling to me. I have, I already have, I think one of my top 10 books of 2026 I have already read and it too packed such a powerful punch in a short amount of pages. I feel like books like this are a masterclass in like what a really talented writer can do with not a lot of, you know, surface area, page count in their book. This one sounds spectacular. Love that.

Roxanna Kasamkara (33:44)

Love to hear that. It's true. Short books were really for the win for me. And it wasn't because I couldn't concentrate, it was because exactly that I just felt like authors that can manage that build a whole world and you'll see all of them are really like different universes. The fact to do that and bring a plot together is just incredible to me. So yeah, I love that one.

Mary Heim (34:02)

Love that. Okay, well, Roxanna, my number seven book this year is the Millicent Quibbs School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science. Secrets of the Purple Pearl by Kate McKinnon. I am probably going to get put in co host jail by some of our listeners for including a sequel in a middle grade series in my top 10 wrap up but I just don't care. I will, I will shout Put me in jail. It's okay. I will shout my love for this series from the rooftops. I think Kate McKinnon is a comedic genius and it is no wonder that her books from this series have been in my top 10 for two years running. Now it is absolutely non negotiable that you must listen to this series on audio because her narration is, bar none, the absolute best audio narration for any book ever. The plot could be a total sack of crap and I would still rate it 5 stars, but it is not. It is excellent. This weird trio of sisters is an absolute delight. As one of three girls, sister books are totally my catnip. But this story is filled with brilliant weirdos finding their way and solving big problems by using the skills that previously ostracized them and finding their inherent worth and value through found family and love and braininess and shenanigans. It is Laugh out loud funny and it is a middle grade book. But y', all, it is a funny book to read as an adult. It is heartwarming. It is page turned. It is everything a good book should be. If I haven't convinced you yet, please just trust me that the Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon is worth its spot on your TBR. Including the second book, Secrets of the Purple Pearl. I just love this series. This is my most liked review on Goodreads ever. Are these two books. Because all I say in the review is like, if you're not reading this on audio, what are you doing? And people just agree. They just click like and agree. It's so. They're so good. They're so, so fun. Have you read these books, Roxanna?

Roxanna Kasamkara (36:07)

I haven't, but now you've put them next on my audio tbr. So I've just been honestly listening to Emma lying and me beating it. So I was looking for something new. So now it's going to be Millicent Quib that goes on there.

Mary Heim (36:19)

There you go. And the books themselves. So I actually own paper copies and audio copies because she's got really cool illustration throughout the book. However, if you have the audiobook, there's a PDF that comes along with it and she will reference like, go look at the PDF, like now is the time to go look at this picture. And I will say I didn't. I don't think that I listened all the way through the very end credits in the first one. Usually when you get to the end credits, I'm like, okay, I'm done. I listened through the end credits of this second one, Secrets of the Purple Pearl and even the end credits are hysterical. Like I it is a feat this series. Hopefully if I just keep bringing it to the podcast year in and year out in my top 10, I will, it will find all of the readers that it is meant to find. I just love it. She's not just funny, she's an excellent writer. So I hope you love it. It was, I think the first audiobook that I picked back up after not being able to hold my attention in any audio after Henry and I was completely captivated. Like I was seeking out times to listen because I was having so much fun. So I hope it's a good Emma Lyon transition for you, Roxanna.

Roxanna Kasamkara (37:35)

I love that. Thanks, Mary. Okay, my next book is the Unseen World by Liz Moore. So I loved God of the woods so much last year Mary that I had to look up her backlash list. And this is one of Liz Moore's that actually I really love and my superlative for this is best book to keep you hooked all the way through. Just like God of the woods, this book captivated me from beginning to end. It was incredible. So this story is very different though. Okay. It's set in 1980s Boston. It follows Ada Sebelius, who is a 10 year old who was raised and homeschooled by a single father, David. David is a brilliant but eccentric computer scientist who directs a computer science lab. But David's memory begins to fade due to a medical condition and Ada is forced to move in with a family friend. And then for a series of complicated reasons, starts to hunt out the truth of David's past. She can't ask him. His memory is failing and she needs to find out the history of his past. This plot is propelled forward as Ada slowly discovers more details about David's life which don't make sense to her. And so she has to keep digging. But the real heart of the story lies between the relationship between Ada and her father. And it goes through the experience that I think every child has when they realize that, you know, their, their parent isn't just who they imagined, but is a lot more than that. This just like out of the woods is multi layered. You know, there's such an intricate plot that, that every twist kind of reveals itself and you're like, and you're trying to figure out, is this a good guy, is this a bad guy, where are they? The character development is just beautiful. That's another thing I love about Liz Moore. It's never just about the mystery. She really develops these characters and she just perfectly captures that experience of growing up and realizing that the way you imagined the world around you was not necessarily what you thought it was. If you have, you know, if you read God of the woods and loved it, this is nothing like that. Plot wise, but just appreciate the, you know, magic of Lismore. I ended up pressing this into Meredith's hands and we buddy read it and it was one of my best books of the year. So pick it up. It's the Unseen World by Liz Moore.

Mary Heim (39:53)

I love that. That might have to be the next place I go in Liz Moore's backlist for sure after God of the Woods.

Roxanna Kasamkara (39:59)

That sounds so good.

Mary Heim (40:00)

Excellent. I love it. Okay, well, Roxanna, my number six book this year is the Bright Years by Sarah Damoff. This is another buzzy book that was everywhere this year. I In fact, was kind of tempted to make a subcategory of my top 10 list called Books that Made Me Weep because many of these absolutely knocked me on my emotional butt and found myself just weeping through some of the most climactic parts of these stories. The Bright years, 100% included. This story follows the Bright family through three specific points of view as this family is created, pulled apart by secrecy and addiction, and then forges ahead with hope for restoration and forgiveness. I want to promise you that from this synopsis alone, I was like, okay, all right. Like, lots of people love this. I'm not super intrigued by this one. I don't think it's for me. But I reached a point in my reading this spring and summer where again, like I said, I just could not figure out what I wanted to read next, what, what I would actually enjoy. And so I just went ahead and reserved library copies of some of the most highly rated, recommended, reviewed books from some of my bookish friends. I am so glad that I went for it with this story. It was truly a lucky accident and I'm just so thrilled to have spent time with these characters and watched the trajectory of their lives play out. Ever since losing my dad just over two years ago, I'm drawn to messy stories of real grief and redemption and family stories. This one just hit those categories so perfectly. You'll hear me echo this throughout, I think this list, but this reading year for me really sold what I've kind of always joked about and always believed that the books I love the most are the ones that make me feel something about being human. That's my main favorite made up genre. And this book truly made me feel so much about being a human. I'm so glad that I read it. That was the Bright Years by Sarah Damoff.

Roxanna Kasamkara (42:05)

So I automatically put down anything new and buzzy. As you know, Mary, but this one, now that you sold it to me, sounds really good. So I'm going to put this on my tbr. Thank you for that.

Mary Heim (42:13)

Yeah. This year I really, I will say this. I previously it was like, I do enjoy being swept up in like the excitement of a buzzy book. And you know, when everyone was reading Fourth Wing, I was like, oh, let me go get Fourth Wing and see what this is all about. I enjoy that kind of communal reading experience, but I too have sometimes been like, ugh, those buzzy books are just not for me. And this year taught me otherwise. And that's not always going to be the case, but I think it's helped me Hone in my nuance a little bit of sometimes buzzy books are buzzy for a reason. And they don't have to be for me, but some of them are definitely going to be for me and to not just write it off. So I'm glad I helped move this one back to your tbr. I think it's going to be a good reading experience for you, Roxanna.

Roxanna Kasamkara (43:03)

Okay, I'm excited for that one. Okay. My number five book is my first middle grade of this list. It is the Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman. Did you read this, Mary?

Mary Heim (43:14)

I did. I loved it. It didn't quite make my list, but I bought it for all my nibblings for Christmas this year because I wanted them all to read it. I really adored it because of you. Because of you.

Roxanna Kasamkara (43:27)

I'm so glad because I thought this one might hit. So. This one is so beautiful. Okay, so here's the setup. Deadwood Forest is stuck in autumn. Leaves are always falling. Everything is kind of in that in between stage. Claire, with an E is an undead fox and he's rumored to be the ugly monster of Deadwood. But Claire isn't a monster at all. He's an usher and he guides animal souls to their place of eternal rest, peace, pleasure, progress or pain. He lives alone and helps each soul find the right door. Things are going swimmingly until Ginger Snipes arrives, a badger soul who is annoyingly chatty, disarmingly honest, and very hard to guide. For the first time. Ginger Snipes is a soul that can't pass through a door that breaks the rules of Deadwood and puts Claire's jobs and his place in the forest at risk. Claire and Ginger Snipes set out for answers, seeking Hesterfowl, a visionary grouse who is warned that trouble is coming. So that's all I'll tell you. But this book was so magical. No, I found this at Type Books in Toronto because my daughter Kiran took it off the shelf and said, mommy, this is a book that is made for me. And I was like, you're totally right. Just the COVID look like it. And it is beautiful. It is cozy fantasy at its best, but it becomes something bigger, you know, this year, books that don't hit you over the head but deal with really deep themes really resonated for me. And this one really deals with grief in a really thoughtful way. You know, like I'd put it as under the whispering door combined with kind of monk and robot. It's tender, it's kind, it's very gentle, but it is about death and grief and family bonds. So I thought this one was, you know, warm and witty and funny but unexpectedly profound. And it made me think I could have put this at number one. I loved it so much. And that's the Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman.

Mary Heim (45:25)

You know, it's funny, Roxanna, I really debated this one was so close to going on my list and as you're talking about it, I'm like, oh, should it have? It might have. If I could have a top 11, I think this one would have made it on. It is really as lovely as you said. And I I really love middle grade for how beautifully it can handle such heavy topics. That doesn't feel like it's hitting you over the head with it. This one did it so well. I'm so glad you brought this to our whole reading community this year. I know a lot of people loved this one because of you, so a really good one on your list. All right, well, my number five this year is the Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune. Now this is backlist TJ Klune that was re released this year, so it had previously been released, I think under in via a different publisher. And since TJ Klune has been picked up by Tor, they re released all of his kind of backlist novels. So even though it's got a ton of reviews on Goodreads and it's been around for a while, it felt new to me. On a whim, my book club decided to pick it up and honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I've read all of TJ Klune's recent novels since House in the Cerulean Sea, but I haven't dug back into the ones that came before. You definitely can notice a bit of an interesting divide in his earlier books versus his kind of newer, more commercial, immediate commercial success books. But let me kind of go into the details here. So this plot sounds absolutely madcap. A guy down on his luck returns to his family's cabin in the remote woods of Oregon to try and recoup and figure out his next life steps. But he finds a giant hulking dude named Alex and a tiny, super powerful little girl who calls herself Artemis Death Vader inhabiting the cabin instead. From there it is a race against the clock and the besuited government baddies to get Artemis to safety because it is clear that she is someone special and they have to find some semblance of peace and happiness. Maybe they're hoping along the way, it is clear from this novel that it is early TJ Klune work. There was a very spicy scene near the end that I was not expecting. Based on vibes of this book. Right. It was reading like action adventure, found family, cozy fantasy. I didn't. I didn't love it. I just wasn't expecting it. You know, I had this same issue with Sangu Mandana, her cozy witch book that I was like. Like, oh, here I'm reading this cozy found family. Oh, oh, okay. Some chili peppers. And that made this book. It kind of knocked down the star rating for me just because I was not expecting to find that. But as I sat on this book, I thought, okay, maybe if I had had different expectations going in, if I knew that this was coming along the way. And again, I think this is just very clear. TJ Klune does a beautiful job of including queer love stories in his novels. This was just much more explicit than any of his current books, newer books. I don't think that that's true for a lot of his more backlist titles. Like the Wolf Is It Wolfsong series, I think, also has a lot of kind of more multi chili pepper scenes and things like that, so. But it just wasn't the TJ Klune that I was familiar with. But after sitting with it, this story has stayed with me. And even that kind of disruption in my reading experience aside, the rest of the book was just filled with so much heart that even almost a whole year later, I can just remember distinctly hugging this book at the end and loving it so much, even with some of those caveats. So it absolutely had to find its way onto my best of list. My initial review was that this was full of exactly as much found family and heart and joy as you would expect to find in a TJ Klune novel, just with some extra action adventure thrown in. I really loved it. It kind defies some genres for me, and I think that a lot of people could find a lot to love in this story. That was the Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune.

Roxanna Kasamkara (49:35)

Okay. I wanted to dive into TJ Klune's backlist, so thank you for giving us a little bit of, you know, warning there so we know what we're getting into. Thank you, Mary.

Mary Heim (49:43)

Yes, totally. I think with that caveat, if it doesn't take you by surprise, you're probably not gonna have any reservations with it. Or if that's not for you, you really can just skip over that chapter and be like, like. Okay, here we go.

Roxanna Kasamkara (49:56)

Here we go. Okay. For my number four, Mary, if they're going to kill you, they're going to kill me too, because I am also bringing a sequel in a middle grade series, but it was so good, it was on my top 10, so I just had to do it. It's the Mystery of Morgan Grow, which is Nevermore, the Nevermoor series number four by Jessica Townsend. Okay, I won't belabor this because, because, you know, it's a fourth in the series. But guys, if you haven't read Nevermoor, what are you even doing with your lives? Okay, this book was slated to come out and then pushed and pushed and pushed and a lot of people were worried, but man, it was just such a good book. So it takes us right back into Nevermoor with Morrigan Crow and all her friends and found family. But. But this time it combines it with a murder mystery. So I'll just give you a brief setup here. When Morrigan is invited into Nevermoor's wealthy Silver District, she discovers a world of extravagance and a family mystery she's eager to unravel. She could never imagine where it will lead. A white wedding, a golden dragon, and a red pool of blood. Embroiled in suspicion and danger, Morgan leaps head first into a murder investigation while also grappling with her ever growing, I'll just say powers so I can avoid any spoilers there. And although her friends are there to help, she fears they could change if they learned that she's keeping a terrible secret of her own. This book was so satisfying. You know, the mystery was purposeful, but it also moved the series arc forward and really deepened Morrigan's growth. It really, you know, books where the protagonist ages as the book goes on. Again, so masterful when an author can do that because it takes so much skill, right. To emotionally and age them as they go forward. And so, you know, this dealt with big identity questions. As Morrigan's getting to be 13, she's growing into adolescence and becoming more complex. Her sort of father daughter relationship with Jupiter is really maturing beautifully. But there's a lot of parenting. You can just see Jupiter really struggling with it. He's never been kind of the hands on father character. But with all that, it still is full of magic, wonder, imagination, creativity, all the stuff we love about the Nevermoor world. It's really like to me, what Jessica Townsend is doing is akin to what Louise Penny is doing for adult. She is doing for middle grade. Right. She's Moving forward a larger plot. But then she's also moving together a plot in each of these books. And I included it because of that. It was so masterful. Books that are so masterful, but I don't actually think about them all the way through because I'm just so embroiled and like, the story is incredible. So it was, it was beautiful. I loved it. Kiran, my 11 year old, loved it. And so I think, you know, this is a book for everyone. If you haven't read Nevermoor, start with number one. But if you haven't read this one, please dive right in. That is Silverborn the Mystery of Morgan Crow by Jessica Townsend.

Mary Heim (53:03)

You know, Roxanna, as we sit in middle grade sequel jail together, I just, I really, it's striking me, like, what a testament to how excellent so much middle grade really is that the second and a fourth in a series could end up on our top 10 of the year. You don't really see. I'm not showing that with adult fiction.

Roxanna Kasamkara (53:24)

Right. Yeah.

Mary Heim (53:25)

And so what a testament to how excellent. What excellent books you can find in middle grade that even number four in the series is good enough to make it to what book four on your list of top 10. So someday we'll continue to. I will continue to beat the drum of my love for middle grade, you know, content jail be damned.

Roxanna Kasamkara (53:48)

Yeah. I honestly think if people haven't picked it up, this is the series to start with. This is what got me into middle grade. If you want those Harry Potter vibes from when you were young, but you want it to be more kind of complex, this is the series to pick up.

Mary Heim (54:03)

I love that. Okay, well, I'm gonna pivot us back to adult fiction with one of my favorite sub genres, feminist revenge fantasy with the Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year this year, and I'm so thrilled to say that it met every one of my hopes. Hopes for another Kirsten Miller story. I adored the Change, as so many other readers did, but I found myself only so so on her sophomore novel, Lula Dean's Little library. So I am thrilled to report that the Women of Wild Hill felt much more like an evolution of the greatness of the Change than reinventing the wheel and doing totally, you know, going in a totally different direction. But it was also different enough that it really stands on its own. You don't need to read the change to read this one. However, if you haven't read the Change and this one speaks to you, definitely start There because there are some bits and pieces from the Change that are pulled in to this story. And it was really cool to kind of see some of those sneaky little ties. This was a matrilineal, kind of sneaky witch story that follows a family of women, their ancestral home, and a 400-year-old ghost through time as we explore the ways women have always been fighting against the patriarchy in myriad ways. This was the kind of empowering, lighted on fire feminist rage fantasy that I love to read, but it was also really rooted in so much sisterly connection that it pulled on my heartstrings in ways I didn't really expect. Kirsten Miller can tell a story, and I am so excited to see what she continues to write after this one. This was a book that I absolutely was like, okay, sisters and friends, are you reading this? We're all reading this. I'm buying you a copy if you don't have it yet. I just. Oh, I loved it so much. That was the Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller.

Roxanna Kasamkara (55:58)

You know, I read the Change a couple years ago, and I didn't know that this one was out, so I will for sure pick that up.

Mary Heim (56:04)

Mary, it's so, so good. Some folks had. There is a fair bit of exposition, just because we are exploring the entire family line first before we get into present day. Some people didn't love that.

Roxanna Kasamkara (56:18)

I.

Mary Heim (56:19)

It didn't even occur to me as I was reading it because I did have a chance to read an arc, and I was like, I love everything about this. Everything about this works for me. So it may. If you are reading it and you're like, oh, this is taking a little while to get going. It will get going. I really enjoyed knowing all of kind of this family history through this line of women. So just know that. That some folks I know said they had that issue. I. I most certainly did not. But just keep that in mind as you go.

Roxanna Kasamkara (56:50)

Okay. Thank you for that.

Mary Heim (56:51)

Yeah.

Roxanna Kasamkara (56:51)

Okay. My third book is actually my. My first big buzzy book on my list, and it is the Correspondent by Virginia Evans. And I call this the best unexpected gem of this year. So Meredith pressed this book into my hands, and when Meredith presses a book to me, I listen. This was a gem of a novel filled with my favorite things. An older woman protagonist who is coming to grips with her life. A life of letters and the resilience to deal with hard things. So I won't go too much into the setup because I think most people know it by now, but I will say this is a novel of letters. But what's different is it's all about Sybil writing out. Not necessarily. Well, not at all about people writing back to her. So that beginning part can be confusing, but just what Virginia Evans was able to do in terms of, you know, creating a plot and all this character development with just Sybil's letters alone was so incredible. This novel is about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It's about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime. Sibyl Van Antwerp's life of letters might be a very small thing, but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever find that I took from the blurb. And I think it's totally true. You know, this book, people say is really uplifting and warm and cozy. I wouldn't call it cozy. I think it's uplifting, but it is at times heavy. I mean, this is a 7 year old woman dealing with the reality of her life and the tragedies and maybe the mistakes she's made along the way, but she does deal with it. Right. It's a tribute to a life past, but also a life that can be filled with abundance and surprises right up until the end. I really loved this one. It's the Correspondent by Virginia Evans.

Mary Heim (58:48)

You might be hearing from me about this book as we dip into our top three because it totally deserves its place in kind of the upper echelons of favorite books this year, doesn't it? I absolutely. Oh, just such a good book.

Roxanna Kasamkara (59:05)

Oh, I love to hear that, Mary. I love it.

Mary Heim (59:07)

Okay, okay. Well, not quite yet. So I've got another one for my number three. This is. My next book is Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross. Now I brought this one to the show recently, so I won't overkill my recap, but when I tell you this book both brought me out of and also catapulted me back into the most massive reading slump, I am absolutely not exaggerating. This is the fantastical, mystical, almost Greek God esque prequel to the Divine Rivals duology by Rebecca Ross. And while I adored that duology, I really had a lot of fun reading those books. I am so surprised to say that I think I loved this one even more. When I recorded with Meredith about this one, I had two kind of main points I wanted to hit on. The first is that you, if you didn't love the like continental alternative reality, World War II vibe of divine Rivals. Please don't count this one out. I also mentioned to Meredith that it truly read like a Circe or a Clytemnestra esque goddess retelling. And I mean that in both excellence of writing and plot. This one happens in the same world as Divine Rivals and sets the stage for much of what will happen in the later duology. But it really is the myth and the world of an entirely different time. Think about really comparing a Greek God retelling to World War II. It exists in the same world, but they are telling vastly different stories. I adored this story and it gave to me the real magic of falling deeply and completely into a world and not really leaving it until I turned that last page. And there are a few reading experiences that I adore. More than that, this was Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross.

Roxanna Kasamkara (60:48)

I love that. I know you're a big fan of Rebecca Ross, and I'm so glad this one was worked so well for you.

Mary Heim (60:52)

It was so good. I loved it.

Roxanna Kasamkara (60:55)

Okay. My number two is another buzzy book, but again, it was buzzy for a reason. Mary. Yep. This is Frozen river by Ariel Loughton.

Mary Heim (61:04)

Ah, I love that.

Roxanna Kasamkara (61:05)

So this is a couple years ago, but I read it this year and it just bowled me off my feet. Okay, now this is not a book I normally go for. Okay. It's historical fiction set in 1789 Maine, following the life of Martha Ballard, who is a midwife. So, you know, none of those things would usually attract me, but. Oh, my God, Mary. This is the kind of historical fiction that doesn't just transport you, it completely immerses you. It's the kind of book that wraps you in the world so completely you can feel the cold seep into your bones. You hear the crunch of snow underfoot, and you sense the quiet but dangerous undercurrents of a town built on power and secrets. Okay, so Martha Ballard is this midwife with an iron will and an unwavering moral compass.

Mary Heim (61:54)

Okay.

Roxanna Kasamkara (61:55)

But she finds herself pulled into a harrowing murder case when a man's body is discovered frozen in the Kennebec River. At first glance, as the midwife, she's just supposed to record the details, just another entry in the meticulous journal that she keeps about her work. But Martha quickly realizes this death is anything but ordinary. As she begins investigating, she uncovers a web of violence, betrayal, and dark secrets lurking beneath the surface of her tightly controlled community. This is the kind of book like if you want a satisfying read and a woman who says, what's on her mind. This is the book for you. Like, every time you're like, martha, just say it. Well, you know what? She says it. She has no, you know, like, martha, stand up and. No, she stands up. Up. Call that guy out. Oh, yeah, she will call that guy out. It's just. Especially in today's world, where you sometimes feel like you don't have power over the larger things, this book, to see a woman really live into her power. And, you know, she's a midwife in 1789 Maine. Like, she has no power, but she grasps it, and it's just so satisfying. But the story also just pins you along. Like, I read this in January in cold Toronto. It was perfect. And I left a message for Meredith being like, okay, I've read my best book of the year.

Mary Heim (63:10)

Like, where.

Roxanna Kasamkara (63:11)

Where do I go from here? I was so. I was bereft, you know, because it was so, so good. So, you know, I will say there are triggers galore, which I usually stay away from. There is graphic childbirth. There is sexual violence. There's some other stuff. So read. You know, be careful. But this is one that will absolutely stay with me for a long time. I listened to it on audio. It made me take so many more walks in the winter than I would have, and I just loved it. That is the Frozen river by Ariel Loughen.

Mary Heim (63:44)

Oh, I love that. Okay. This is a buzzy book that missed me because I thought that it wouldn't be for me, but my beloved aunt, I reached out to her and I said, you must read the Correspondent. And she said, okay. And you must read Frozen River. And now that I have a recommendation from her and from you, I am aware of the childbirth and midwifery triggers and things like that I have found for myself. Once I've been through a challenging experience, it doesn't trigger me when I read it anymore. I'm like, I've already been through this real bad in real life, so it doesn't. I. The paper. The page can't hurt me. So I think I might have to put this one in my January frozen tbr that because wasn't the main. The main character is based on a real woman. Right. She really.

Roxanna Kasamkara (64:35)

Yes.

Mary Heim (64:36)

Okay. All right.

Roxanna Kasamkara (64:37)

And there's an author's note at the end that tells you all about it. And, like, that author's note is just the cherry on top of the cake. It's so good.

Mary Heim (64:44)

I love it. Okay, so I'm gonna take my own advice and pick up a book that I initially disregarded as not Necessarily for me because two very trusted reading recommenders have now put it in front of me. I love it. Okay, this might be my next read. Roxanna, this one sounds great.

Roxanna Kasamkara (65:01)

Please do and tell me what you think. Oh, I can't wait.

Mary Heim (65:03)

I will totally report back. Okay. All right. So shocker. The next book. My number two on the list is the Correspondent by Virginia Evans. I will not. You did a beautiful job of setting this one up, talking about going over some really important to know pieces. I'll share a little bit about my experience but again, this is one that was everywhere and friends, if you have not picked it up, it is fully worthy of its presence on all of these year end favorite book lists for sure. I will say I first tried this novel a few months back. I just couldn't get into it. I tried it on audio and I do know that the audio is really loved. I just don't think that my ears and my brain were connecting well at the time. So I set it down and I said I nrned right without prejudice and came back to it when I saw a paper copy on my library's lucky day shelf and I thought okay. All right, Buzzy for a reason. Let me give it a try. I'm so glad I came back to it and paper really worked for me this time because I just so easily fell into the world of Sybil and everyone in her life. And buddy, read this one with my sister and we just had the loveliest chats about what this made us feel about the world and being human, which again is my favorite made up genre. So it is no surprise that this and this one ended up as much of a hit as it was. I really just loved how intimately we got to know this character and how deeply we got to watch her transformation. I loved that Sybil, even in her 70s, was not. She's not done living her life. She's not done growing. She has. We see the arc of her life through her letters and we get to see her continue to grow and become a new version of the person that she is. I just really, really adored this story and I do think that I will pick it up again now that I've got some context for this story. I will read it again and again for comfort and I probably will pick it up again on audience to kind of dip back into this world and get to hear the words from Sybil herself. And of course that was the Correspondent by Virginia Evans.

Roxanna Kasamkara (67:06)

I'm so glad it was such a hit for you too, Mary. And I agree. I Think audio did work for a lot of people, but for me, because it's so many letters that Sybil is writing out to other people, I had to go back sometimes and be like, like, who did she. When did she write to this person last? What happened then? Because it's like carrying a whole bunch of different plot lines in your head. Right. So especially in the beginning when you're like, what exactly is happening here? I think audio would have been challenging for me as the first part, but I could probably go back to audio. So that's a great note.

Mary Heim (67:37)

Yeah, totally. That was exactly what happened for me, and it worked much better in print. So if you tried audio and you're like, what? Who? Just pick up the paper book. And I also think I shared this with. It may have been my mom when I recommended this one to her. Her. Don't worry if you don't know who everybody is right away. You will.

Roxanna Kasamkara (67:56)

You will just let it flow over you first.

Mary Heim (67:59)

Yes, exactly. Yep.

Roxanna Kasamkara (68:01)

Okay.

Mary Heim (68:01)

All right, Roxanna, I think I have an inkling about what your top book of the year might be, but I want to hear you talk about it. So what's number one?

Roxanna Kasamkara (68:10)

I mean, how could you have guessed, Mary? But my number one is Bum the Unselected Journal of Emma M. Lyon. And I am bringing the whole series, Rules Be Damned, Books one to eight, by Beth Brower. Okay. So I happened upon this series sometimes the Magic of Goodreads. Like, I'll just, you know, I look at one book and then something pops up into. You may have missed or you might like. And this was one of those where I was like, what? Or. Or somebody had read it. It showed up in my feed, and I was like, what is this? And I just, you know, my audio was available right away from library. The person I think had said, do it on audio. I started it and fell in love with it, and I started reading it, and I think within 15 minutes, I messaged Meredith being like, pick this up right away. And then she brought it to the show, and then I brought it to the show. So I was so. I was so happy to discover this. And I've seen this so much in the bookish community, and it really did get me through the back half of this year. You know, Emma and her exploits really got me through. So for those who haven't read it, you know, I know we've talked about it a lot on the podcast. I'm just going to give you a short little synopsis. So this book is set in 1883 London. Emma M. Lyon is a 20 something gentlewoman with more backbone than money. She comes to the quirky little community of Saint Crispian's to start over where she's inherited a house called Lapis Lazuli House House. She expects a quiet, studious, independent life, but this community is teeming with eccentric neighbors and odd traditions. Emma records it all in her sharp, witty journals. So this is an epistolary tale. Her antigenia meddles. Her cousin Archibald is chaos in a waistcoat with little income and fewer allies. Emma patches together work, draws her boundaries and insists on choosing using for herself. Along the way, she gathers unexpected friends and the community begins to knit together around her. I loved this series so much that I devoured books one to eight, one after another on audio and then went back and re listened to every single one. This was my happy place of 2025. It's, you know, a bit like Anne of Green Gables with her adventures mixed with Gilmore Girls for the community, mixed with 84 Charing crossroad for the bookish warmth and the feminist anachronistic heroines of Veronica Speedwell and Lady Sherlock. You know, Emma's voice is gutsy and sassy. Her journals sparkle with humor and heart. I will say it starts off very like fun and light. As you get through the characters really develop and you get a lot more of sort of the serious side of life. Not in a bad way, but it just, just, you know, if it was eight books of just light heartedness, I think it would get a bit tiring. But Beth Brower again, you know, takes another character and ages her and deepens her relationships and you see the tragedies that have happened to Emma as well as the people around her and how she deals with them and really develops, you know, develops herself in the face of them. This was, yeah, as I said, undoubtedly my favorite discovery of 2025 and it's going to be one of favorite, my, my best book, lifetime best books. That's the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lyon by Beth Brower.

Mary Heim (71:35)

I love that so much. Roxanna and I, okay, so I had to go back and look because I have read the first one. Okay, but I read it on my Kindle and I looked on my Goodreads to see when did I read it? It was apparently November of 2024 and I, I was like, okay, this is like nice. But I think think I also don't remember anything. This was early on in my pregnancy with Henry and things were already a little rocky and I think that it Was my brain not working that I don't really remember. Didn't really stick with me that I am very excited to try again on audio based on hearing your recommendation. I know this book is so beloved and I'm like, this feels. I just have a feeling that it is gonna work for me really well on audio. And it. I think it's gonna feel. All I remember is her beautiful description of her home. That's. That's it. That's all I really remember of the story from my first go. So I think it's gonna feel like reading it anew, listening to it on audio. I'm in a different headspace. And I love what a touchstone this series has been for you this year. I'm excited to like, keep going with this series and see where the story takes us us. And I love that you really like lit a fire for of love for this series in our currently reading bookish friends this year. So I am so glad that it served such a grounding and enjoyable purpose in your reading life. And so much of what you're saying about this series. I'm like, yep, check and check for my number one book of the year as well. Had very similar vibes to what it sounds like Emma Lyon was for you that this year. So I love that. I'm so happy that you have had this series to carry you through a tough year.

Roxanna Kasamkara (73:24)

Thank you. No, I'm so glad. Yes, please try it on audio. It's narrated by Genevieve Gaunt, who is now my favorite narrator. She was Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and she is just a delight. She's subtle, she never over performs, but she just. It's cinematic in that way. And I will say the first and second I think you'll listen to and be like, these are nice. They're light, they're frothy. Okay. But you wouldn't necessarily be compelled to continue, I think, until number three, because number three is when it starts getting a bit deeper and those relationships develop and then you're like, okay, this isn't just kind of funny, frothy, light humor. There's like an arc that I want to follow. So for those of you that have started been like, I like it, it's fine, but I don't get what the fuss is about. I'd say listen until number three. And remember, they're really short. They're four hours on audio. So they go by like and that's listening at one speed. So they go by quickly. So I would say do, do that to really get. Get the the joy and the magic of the series.

Mary Heim (74:23)

Perfect. I'm really. I like, I'm genuinely very excited.

Roxanna Kasamkara (74:26)

Okay. I'm excited to hear your number one now, Mary. Especially after you just said that. Okay, let's go.

Mary Heim (74:31)

I love it. Okay, so my number one book of the year. I am also cheating and bringing the full series and not yet completed series of the the Lightfall series by Tim Prebert. So I have brought this series to the podcast earlier in the year. This is a yet unfinished graphic novel series. This is totally different for me. Like I said, these three graphic novels represented an interesting kind of offshoot of my reading Tree of life, if you will this year in kind of my foray into graphic novels. I have. I haven't read a ton since dipping into this one, but this was such an important and powerful series for me this year. Okay, so I'll get into it a little bit more. I have referenced my pregnancy losses this year a lot through this episode because it would be impossible to pretend like in all of our lives. Like the challenges of my year didn't deeply impact my reading life. I read this first book and then subsequently the next two in January of 2025 when we had first gotten so some not so great news about that pregnancy with my son Henry and I simply could not pick up a single book. My dear friend and our friend of the show, Betsy, gently encouraged me into a buddy read of this series and I figured, hey, maybe words and pictures and a gentle fantasy story might be just what I need to break me out of this slump. I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge graphic novel reader, but boy am I glad that I am working to change that because this clearly was such a huge hit for me. This this year. This is a found family story, a bit of a quest, a fantastical adventure with two unlikely heroes, and as the story currently stands, we don't yet have a resolution. Actually where book three ends is that things look bad, darkness is taken over. We don't really yet see in the story how we're gonna find the light. If you know me, you know I love an allegory. And can you. You can see maybe why I love this story both on a micro and macro level. This beautiful tale really spoke to me this year and I adored how beautifull story holds hope even when things feel really hopeless. It is rooted in community and love and perseverance of what you know to be right. And if that's not the message that I need smacked into my brain every single day, then I don't know what is I have to share. Not only did I grab this book for my sweet reader nephew this year, but also my 70something mom, a devoted listener of the podcast and always down for whatever book recommendation I send her way. But not necessarily. She has, you know, fostered a love of reading in my sister Zanai. She also has spent her whole life like doing everything for everybody else. So now that she is a retired widow, I've been gently encouraging and sharing some of my favorite books with her selfishly because I really love to talk about them with her. So I think I'd shared with folks that she and I read Sandwich together last year and I handed her the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and and some other books just because I really wanted to talk about them with her and she's been game to give them a shot. I handed her this graphic novel. She stepped outside of her comfort zone and read this one, her first graphic novel, on my recommendation and really enjoyed it. It was so fun to talk it through with her and to hear her perspective on this story. As someone who had no context for reading a graphic novel, I just share that to maybe let her be a good example for listeners who think this may not be in their wheelhouse house that a good book can be for anyone, no matter the genre. I am really excited to read Book four releasing this year, but until then I am so thrilled to have found this gem and really, really grateful for the peace and the allegory, the metaphor, the groundedness, the kind of port in a storm when I really needed reading to be there for me, but my brain just simply could not grab on to a book in its traditional form. This series just gave me an incredible gift in my reading life this year, and it's one I think I will return to over and over again. Especially when the darkness feels really heavy and we're not yet sure. Ooh, this is making me a little emotional. We're not yet sure when the Light is coming this one reminds me that the light always comes. So that was the Lightfall series by Tim Prabhurt.

Roxanna Kasamkara (78:50)

I love that Mary and I added it to my TBR as you were talking and and ordered it from the library right away. This is a 4.39 on Goodreads. Like, that's incredible. And it doesn't have that many. Like it has 13,000 ratings. Like a good amount. But it's, you know, it's released in 2020. I've not heard of it and it sounds delightful. Even just the COVID image is so Beautiful. Like, gosh, what gorgeous illustrations this is. I'm so glad you brought this one.

Mary Heim (79:19)

I really hope you love it. And this is one too, like mm, lion that I would encourage you just get all three of them right away. The first one is like, oh, it's like fun and interesting and there's maybe a few little pieces that you're like, oh, yeah, this is good. But the story, I mean, it's a graphic novel. You could sit down and read the first one in an afternoon. Right. So I would encourage get all of them right away. I just blew through back to back. Betsy and I, I'm pretty sure we just read all three of them back to back. And it was just a really wonderful reading experience up there. Not only as my best book of the year, but in my top reading experiences of the year to just kind of blow through them. So Roxanna, please text me as you're done. I will text you when I finish, Emma and I would love to hear your thoughts when you read this one because I really loved it.

Roxanna Kasamkara (80:08)

See, this is also why I love doing these episodes. I always leave with an exploding TBR and I'm so excited. It gets me excited for January because I just finished talking about my best books and now I have a whole bunch of other best books to read. I'm so excited.

Mary Heim (80:22)

Yes, I know. Yeah, so much fun. It's a really nice way to catapult my reading into the new year of like, ooh, here's a bunch that I'm really excited to that for whatever reason I didn't either know about or didn't happen for me in 2025. Now I've got my off to the races list for 2026. And as always, Roxanna, this was so much fun to record with you. I always have a blast talking books with you. And I think that's a wrap on our best books of the year for 2025. As a reminder, friends, here's where you can connect with us. You can find Katie at Notes on Bookmarks. You can find Meredith at meredithmonday Schwartz. You can find our producer Megan at Most of Megan's Reads. You can find me harryreadsandmakes on Instagram.

Roxanna Kasamkara (81:11)

And you can find me @roxannethereader on Instagram.

Mary Heim (81:14)

Full show notes with the title of every book we mentioned in this episode and timestamps so you can zoom right to where we talked about them can be found@currentlyreading podcast.com youm can also follow.

Roxanna Kasamkara (81:24)

The show at Currently Reading Podcasts on Instagram or email us@currentlyreading podcastmail.com and if.

Mary Heim (81:31)

You really want to help us out, become a patron, rate and review us on Apple podcasts or shout us out on social media. It makes a huge difference in our being able to find our perfect audience of bookish friends.

Roxanna Kasamkara (81:41)

Bookish friends are the best friends. Mary thank you all for helping us grow and get closer to our goals.

Mary Heim (81:48)

Until next week and next year. Roxanna May your coffee be hot and.

Roxanna Kasamkara (81:52)

Your book be unputdownable.

Mary Heim (81:54)

Happy reading. Roxanna Happy reading.

Roxanna Kasamkara (81:56)

Mary.