Unabridged: Most Anticipated Books of 2025 with Sara Hildreth and Cree Myles

Summary

The Stacks Podcast: Unabridged Episode – Most Anticipated Books of 2025 with Sara Hildreth and Cree Myles

Release Date: January 17, 2025
Host: Traci Thomas
Guests: Sara Hildreth (Creator of Fiction Matters) and Cree Myles (Creator of Always Black Book Content Machine)

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Introduction

In this special bonus episode of The Stacks, host Traci Thomas welcomes two esteemed guests, Sara Hildreth and Cree Myles, to discuss the most anticipated books for 2025. This episode provides exclusive insights tailored for Patreon and Substack subscribers, focusing on the evolving landscape of book recommendations and literary discussions.

Reflecting on 2024: A Year in Books

The conversation begins with reflections on the previous year’s reading experiences.

• Cree Myles shares her mixed feelings about 2024:
  “I felt like it was a good but not great reading year for me... I had a lot of disappointments in my new release reading” (04:03). She attributes some of her disappointment to reading “James and Martyr” early in the year, which set a high benchmark that other books couldn’t match.

• Sara Hildreth echoes a transformative experience:
  “I was just tired of it... I was feeling, like, pressure to read things that I didn't want to read because of my job” (05:00). She emphasizes a shift towards reading for personal fulfillment rather than external expectations, highlighting her emotional connection to books like “Martyr”.

Anticipations for 2025

Looking ahead, the trio discusses their hopes and goals for the upcoming year in reading.

• Cree Myles expresses excitement for finding her "book of the year" without the overshadowing presence of a single standout book from the previous year:
  “2024 was the year of James... I'm excited this year to find, like, my book of the year” (04:56).

• Traci Thomas shares her intentions to diversify her reading choices:
  “I’ve always read a super diverse group of books. I just feel like I'm not gonna feel as guilty about it when people” (11:24). She aims to continue exploring a wide range of genres and authors without succumbing to restrictive reading lists.

Navigating Identity Politics in Reading

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the impact of identity politics on reading choices.

• Traci Thomas voices her concerns:
  “I'm just really want to leave that behind because I don't think it's useful” (07:37). She critiques the pressure to only read books by authors who share one's identity, arguing that it limits literary exploration and critical engagement.

• Cree Myles supports this viewpoint, emphasizing the importance of diverse conversations:
  “All of these, like, books are in conversation with each other... if we silo our reading, we don't get that full experience” (10:48). She advocates for reading across different perspectives to enrich understanding and discourse.

Cree Myles Introduces the Reader's Almanac

Cree unveils her upcoming project, the Reader's Almanac, scheduled for mid-January release.

• Cree Myles describes it as a personalized reading guide crafted from her 2024 readings:
  “It's a reading guide, basically... putting them into this almanac divided by, like, reading mood” (12:04). Features include seasonal recommendations, a world map for international reads, and flowcharts for 20th-century classics.

• Traci Thomas expresses enthusiasm:
  “I cannot wait to see this” (14:07), highlighting the collaborative effort with her friend Katie from Clumsy Words, who designed the almanac.

Enhancing Critical Engagement Through Community

The episode underscores the value of community interactions in shaping critical perspectives.

• Cree Myles reflects on their group interactions:
  “I feel like we're all kind of like, narrowing in on our or sharpening our critical voices... getting more out of every book I read without feeling like I have to love every book I read” (07:02). This collaborative environment fosters deeper analytical skills and a balanced appreciation of literature.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Traci wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to join The Stacks community for full access to the conversation and additional exclusive content. She directs interested individuals to subscribe via Patreon or Substack to engage with the book club and other literary discussions.

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Notable Quotes

1. Cree Myles:
   “2024 was the year of James... I'm excited this year to find, like, my book of the year” (04:56).

2. Sara Hildreth:
   “I was just tired of it... I was feeling, like, pressure to read things that I didn't want to read because of my job” (05:00).

3. Traci Thomas:
   “I'm just really want to leave that behind because I don't think it's useful” (07:37).

4. Cree Myles:
   “All of these, like, books are in conversation with each other... if we silo our reading, we don't get that full experience” (10:48).

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Key Takeaways

• Growth and Reflection: Both guests acknowledge the challenges and rewards of their 2024 reading journeys, emphasizing personal growth and a desire for more diverse literary experiences in 2025.

• Critical Engagement: The importance of developing critical voices and not feeling compelled to love every book is a central theme, promoting a balanced and thoughtful approach to reading.

• Community Influence: Engaging with a community of readers enhances the depth of literary discussions and supports individual reading goals.

• Upcoming Projects: Cree Myles’ Reader's Almanac introduces an innovative way to organize and discover books based on mood and themes, encouraging readers to explore their literary preferences dynamically.

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For listeners eager to delve deeper into the discussion and access the full episode, subscribing to The Stacks via Patreon or Substack is recommended.

Transcript

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[Tracy Thomas]

Hello, it's me, Tracy Thomas, host of the Stacks, and I'm here with another bonus episode of the show. And today it is January. It is new book season, and I brought back two of my favorite book people, Sarah Hildreth, the creator of Fiction Matters, and Cree Miles, the genius behind Always Black, to talk about our most anticipated reads of the month. This is exclusive content for my Patreon and Substack paid subscribers. So if you're listening to this episode and you get about 12 minutes in and it cuts out, that means you're not a paid subscriber. So head to patreon.com the stacks to sign up or go check out my newsletter at Tracy Thomas substack.com you join, you get access to our incredible book community. Plus you get to know that you make it possible for me to make the Stacks every single week. Okay, enough of that. Now it is time for my conversation with Sarah Hildreth and Cree Miles about our most anticipated books of 2025. All right everybody, best bonus episode of the year. Though this year this might actually be on the main feed, so it'll be a surprise to us too. So we'll see. So don't say anything that's going to get you fired. This might end up on the main yeah, so those giggles and voices you're hearing. One is Sarah Hildreth. She's the creator of Fiction Matters Empire. It's a substack. It's an Instagram. You might know her voice from her podcast that she co hosts calls Novel Pairings. You also just might know her from being around here and telling us what books to read. So. So that's Sarah. And then on the other side of the giggles is another friend of the pod, Cree Miles, who is the creator of the Always Black Book Content Machine. I don't know. And she's also one of the or the host of the Baldwin 100 podcast, which you might know. You might know her from being here talking about all sorts of shit. But also I'm acting like you might not know them, and I know you know them. So, ladies, welcome back. So, yeah, that's what we're gonna do today. We did this in 2024. It was so much fun. It sparked our friendship of the three of us. And obviously, instead of being like, who could I talk to in 2025 about books? I was like, great, Cree and Sarah will be back. So Cree and Sarah are back. And before we even dive into 2025, I want to start with a cool, quick little, like, postmortem on 2024. What did you make of it as a year in books? How do you feel like your reading was anything you are excited to be rid of from that year? Talk about it.

[Cree Miles]

I felt like it was a good but not great reading year for me. When I looked back at especially the new releases I read, there were a lot. I had a lot of disappointments in my new release reading. But I think part of that was because I read James and Martyr at the beginning of the year and then nothing else really held a candle to them all year. And so it was just a strange reading year to read like, two excellent books so early on and then kind of be like, chasing that high. And I don't know, it's not really a fair way to approach books, but we can't help it. We can't help but compare them, especially when we, like, talk about them for a living. So I'm. I don't know, I'm excited for maybe a little bit more variety in my reading Life in 2025. I think even before I read James, I just knew it was going to be my favorite book of the year.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Cree Miles]

And there's not one book looming over 2025 in the same way. And so I'm excited to defi. Like, I. 2024 was the year of James. It was the best. It was the book of the year. I'm excited this year to find, like, my book of the year.

[Tracy Thomas]

Oh, more parody. We're looking for parody this year.

[Cree Miles]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sarah Hildreth]

I can say, like. And I think one before we got this is just like, a love on you guys. Like, before our group chat started and everything, I was very disillusioned by this space. Like, I was just tired of it. I do think a lot of times I am. I was feeling, like, pressure to read things that I didn't want to read because of my job. And so last Year I worked really hard to not do that. And usually I'm like a romantic around consuming books. Like, I just wanted to linger and, like, sit in it. And because of y'all, I was like, no, I'm going to just read shit. Like, I'm just going to, like, pick it up, read it, give it a go. Because you're right. Nothing. I finished Martyr. I swear to God, this is so dramatic. I finished Martyr on my couch. I was by myself somehow with all of these children I have and just sobbed. And I was like, I want to feel that all the time, but I can't. And so I'm just going to keep reading. So I grew a lot last year for the better. I'm. And I'm super. I came into this year. Like New Year's don't always, like, matter to me, but this year I really was like, I'm very excited about what I am going to accomplish in the book world this year because of all of that was laid out last year thanks to you guys.

[Tracy Thomas]

I love this. I can tell you are. Because you have been posting reels every day.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Yes.

[Tracy Thomas]

Which is. And not just reels. Fully made up.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Thank you.

[Tracy Thomas]

Looking beautiful as always. But, you know, the lip gloss is popping. You're doing minutes on books. Minutes.

[Cree Miles]

Had a full, like, real deal review of a January release in your. In your newsletter ahead of pub date. Like, you are. You're doing even.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Am I? Everyone, don't embarrassing. We're only like eight days in, so don't get too excited. This could go left.

[Tracy Thomas]

Yeah. By the time this airs, people are going to be like, what are they talking about? She hasn't posted 20 days. God, it's true. Oh, well.

[Cree Miles]

I also. I feel like through our group chat and then getting to like, actually hang out in real life last year and talk so much about books and criticism, I. I feel like we're all kind of like, narrowing in on our or sharpening our critical voices and how we want to talk about books. And it's just that discussion has been really helpful for me in terms of getting more out of every book I read without feeling like I have to love every book I read.

[Tracy Thomas]

Oh, yeah.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Yeah.

[Tracy Thomas]

Oh, yeah. I'm doubling down on hating books in 2025 as well.

[Cree Miles]

For real?

[Tracy Thomas]

For real. I'm publishing 2028. I feel like for me, 2024 was a weird year as well. I think because of the election. So many things got pushed earlier in this. In the year for publishing. So so many of my favorites. I think the year eight of Them I read May or earlier. There were things I read later in the year that I really liked. They just didn't quite like, crack my top 10 or whatever. I think one of the things I hope doesn't carry over into 2025, which I feel like I've seen a lot this year and maybe already a little bit in 2025, is like this identity politics reading. Because I'm so thrilled by. You know, last year, Sarah, I read True Grit because you said that I should. Or like, you said that you loved it. I don't even think you said I should. You just gushed about it and I was like, let me try. And I loved it. And like, if I read identity politics reading, which is like only reading books by like black and mixed women and like, only reading books that need attention or whatever, I would have missed out on a book that I just found delightful and lovely and, and that's not to say that I'm not going to continue to read what I want to read, which is mostly, you know, books by black people and etc. But I do think that, like, there was discourse on threads already that was about like, this book is this history book about a black person is by a white person. And so I'm not going to read it. And like, I just really want to leave that behind because I don't think it's useful. And I think that, like, as a. I feel a responsibility to read those books even more so that I can have a way in, you know, you all know I, like, I read the Reagan book at the end of last year and like, I liked it. By the time I got to the end, I had a lot of criticism for it, but if I had not read it, I feel like a lot of people would have been like, oh, this book is great. It was in the New York Times list. And I think people have since, like, thought more critically about it because I was like, willing to spend 32 hours listening to the audiobook and have an opinion. And like, I think that that's what matters is, like, if I want, if, if I want to be a critic in the book space, like, I want to be able to impact the books that are coming out across the spectrum. And also, especially because, like, I like those fucking dad books, you know, like, there's not a lot of like, black millennial women, I don't think, who are like, ass deep in fucking Reagan biography. So, like, let me tell you what I thought about it. So that's definitely something that I'm like already, can we not do that this year. And I felt like that was really big in 2024 of, like, we're reading, you know, only books by people that look like us. And I'm just like, that's great, and I don't knock you if you do it, but I want to leave that behind and that pressure behind because I don't think it's useful. And I also don't think it informs the other books. The books that I am reading like, to not be able to speak to the past of literature and, like, the past of history or whatever it is anyway. So that's, like, one of the things that I'm. I guess that's sort of more like a reading goal or like, both leaving behind and keeping in.

[Cree Miles]

Yeah, that makes so much sense because, I mean, all of these, like, books are in conversation with each other, and authors like, reading each other and building off of each other and pushing back. And so if we silo our reading, we don't get that full experience. And I also think it's just, like, the. The lens that we as individuals can bring to the books we read is so important for all of the books we read. So I think that's a great goal, and I'm. I'm curious to see what you pick.

[Tracy Thomas]

Up because of that. Well, I don't think I'm gonna pick up anything differently. Yeah.

[Cree Miles]

Yeah.

[Tracy Thomas]

I've always read a super diverse group of books. I just feel like I'm not gonna feel as guilty about it when people.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Ten toes about it. Yeah.

[Tracy Thomas]

Before we dive in, Cree, we just talked about how you're bringing reviews back.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Yes.

[Tracy Thomas]

You're bringing your reviews back. Sarah, you've got a new thing coming this year, your Reader's Almanac. Do you want to just tell people a little bit about it?

[Cree Miles]

Yeah, I'm so. I'm working on it now, and it will be out mid January, so probably. Or before this.

[Tracy Thomas]

This will be out in mid January.

[Cree Miles]

Okay, great.

[Tracy Thomas]

It could be out now. It could be out after. Wait and see. I don't even know when this is airing because I don't know if this is on the main feed or not. I know nothing. So surprise.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Just Vibes.

[Cree Miles]

Yeah. Well, Vibes is a good way to describe my. My mood Readers Almanac is what I'm calling it, and it's been a really fun project for me because what I'm doing, it's a reading guide, basically. But instead of reading books to vet them for a guide, which I have learned recently that I. I really don't like doing Even though there are lots of there and there are lots of readers who are doing it and are great at it, and that's just not what I like doing. So I'm looking back at all the books I read in 2024 and putting them into this almanac divided by, like, reading mood. So, like, what to read? If you need a quick win, I'm doing some seasonal reading stuff. I'm doing some fun things, like, there's a world map, and you can find books from all over the world. There's a little flow chart for 20th century classics. So if you want to find, like, a great 20th century classic for you, there's a flowchart to help you. It's very fun. I think it's supposed to just be a way for readers to, like, you know, discover new things, but also be like, oh, I loved that book. And it's, like, sitting next to this other book, so maybe I'll pick that up. And it's just.

[Tracy Thomas]

But only books for 20 that you read in 2024.

[Cree Miles]

I read in 2024, so I'm limiting myself. So I'm not like, I'm not saying, oh, this is a great category. I'm gonna try to find more books for that category. If the category didn't arise naturally from my reading, it's just. It's not in there. So.

[Tracy Thomas]

So on the flow chart, though, like, it'll only be the classics you read.

[Cree Miles]

Yes.

[Tracy Thomas]

You're not adding anything in. You're not saying, like, also Jane Eyre or whatever, even though I know you read that, like, every week, but whatever.

[Cree Miles]

My weekly Jane Eyre reading. Yeah. Only ones that I read in 2024, because otherwise it gets just too much pressure on myself to add. Add things in. So it's tempting to add things in since it's the first year I'm doing it. I'm like, oh, I could pull from, like, two years ago, three years ago.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Yeah.

[Cree Miles]

But I'm really forcing myself not to.

[Tracy Thomas]

I cannot wait to see this.

[Cree Miles]

It's gonna sound good.

[Sarah Hildreth]

I'm really.

[Cree Miles]

My friend. I have to give a. I'm sorry.

[Sarah Hildreth]

I was really excited to see the Les Mis flow. I want to see that.

[Cree Miles]

Yeah, yeah. It's. It's gonna be so fun. And my friend Katie, I don't know if you guys follow her on Instagram at Clumsy Words.

[Tracy Thomas]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Cree Miles]

She's my in real life friend. She lives in Denver, and she did the design for it, and it's so good because she's so good at that.

[Tracy Thomas]

That's awesome.

[Cree Miles]

Yeah. It looks, it looks beautiful because of her, not because of me. So I'm very excited about it.

[Tracy Thomas]

I can't wait to see it.

[Sarah Hildreth]

Awesome.

[Tracy Thomas]

All right, that is the end of this bonus teaser. If you were liking what you were hearing, you can listen to the entire episode by going to either patreon.com the stacks and joining the Stacks pack, getting access to the Discord, being able to participate in our virtual book club and or you can go to TracyThomas substack.com and subscribe to Unstacked, where you're going to get my writing about books, pop culture, you're going to get other exclusive author interviews and, of course, these bonus episodes. So go to one of those two places, join us, get to hear the rest of this episode, and support the work that I do by being a part of these wonderful communities. Thank you so much. And I'll see you in the stacks.