What Should I Read Next?

Episode 508: Anne's Best Books of 2025

Host: Anne Bogel | Guest: Will Bogle (Executive Producer & Anne’s husband)
Release Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

In this milestone episode, Anne Bogel reflects on her favorite reads from 2025, sharing her highly subjective but heartfelt list of the books she loved most over the past year. Joined by her husband and executive producer, Will Bogle, Anne dives deep into the books that surprised, delighted, and moved her, spanning fiction and nonfiction, established authors and fresh voices, immersive novels, thoughtful memoirs, and delightfully unique finds. The conversation is filled with rich recommendations, reflections on reading trends, and personal anecdotes about Anne’s reading life.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Defining “Best” in Reading

• Subjectivity is key: Anne’s ‘best’ list is defined not by literary prestige but by what resonated most deeply for her as a reader.
  • “I’m not bestowing any major literary awards. This is just what I liked best. Hugely subjective.” (06:14, Anne)
• Books were chosen based on enjoyment, emotional impact, and the uniqueness of the reading experience, rather than technical brilliance alone.
• The podcast format allows for more emotion and nuance in discussing these books than her blog posts.

Anne’s Reading Year in Review

• Anne read just over 200 books in 2025, a slight reduction from previous years (08:47–09:28)
• She typically selects a handful of favorites for different formats:
  • Seven favorite audiobooks (down from 12 the previous year)
  • About a dozen print favorites (10:00–10:44)
• Not all favorites are featured today; the blog posts (linked in show notes) complement this episode (07:01–07:29)
• The episode’s goal is not to prescribe but to inspire listeners’ own reading choices.

Thematic Trends in Anne’s 2025 Reading

• Books that were unique or unlikely picks for Anne’s usual tastes.
• Immersive narratives that provided standout reading experiences.
• Tragicomedies: books that balance hard truths with humor.
• Family dramas and stories exploring relationships across generations.
• Reflection on broader industry trends: more “lady knight” stories, and an emerging focus on “coming of middle age” novels. (15:44–16:04, 35:24–35:48)

Notable Book Recommendations & Highlights

Unique or Surprising Picks

1. Love These Heathens – Mia McKenzie

• “Just so unique. The narrator… so smart and sassy and wide-eyed and fun. I was hanging on her every word.” (16:04, Anne)

2. You Didn’t Hear This From Me – Kelsey McKinney

• Nonfiction exploring gossip from ancient stories to pop culture. “Really fun blend of scholarly take and really chatty, dishy tone of voice… I was shaking because I was laughing so hard.” (17:16, Anne)

3. The History of Sound – Ben Shattuck

• Short story collection with “fun, smart interplay…a little bit of a puzzle… best short story collection I read in a long time.” (18:43, Anne)

4. A Physical Education – Casey Johnston

• “A really soulful book about weightlifting… I wasn’t expecting it to have so much emotional depth.” (19:53, Anne)

5. Endling – Maria Riva

• “Unlike anything I’ve ever read…plot stops, Reva enters the story… designed to frustrate readers who want a beginning, middle and end in a straightforward way.” (21:31, Anne)

6. The Only Plane in the Sky – Garrett Graff

• Oral history of 9/11. “Not a book you ‘enjoy,’ but I was ready…and I’m glad I did.” (22:02–22:36, Anne)

7. Crooks – Lou Berney

• Tragicomedy about a family in organized crime. “Rooting for these characters so hard…almost quit at the beginning…fell so in love.” (22:36–23:53, Anne)

Tragicomedies & Books Blending Grief and Humor

Run For the Hills – Kevin Wilson

• “Fabulous. I encourage you to listen if you haven't.” (24:06, Anne)

The Road to Tender Hearts – Annie Hartnett

• “Hardest, saddest things and also had me, like, guffawing… so tender and warm.” (24:52, Anne)
  • “A tender, heartbreaking guffaw.” (24:58, Anne)
• Wonderfully quirky, includes “a tabby cat with magical powers.” (25:20, Anne)

Immersive Reading Experiences

The Everlasting – Alix E. Harrow

• “Felt like an epic story… I was bawling before I finished, like maybe the last 4 or 5 pages.” (25:47–26:36, Anne & Will)
• “If you loved The Frozen River, take a look at this one.” (28:41, Anne)

Cover Story – Vari McFarlane

• “Right book at the right time. Workplace enemies to lovers, set in Manchester. I would have opted for audio if available, for the accents.” (28:41–29:38, Anne)

Next Time Will Be Our Turn – Jessie Q. Sutanto

• “Had my calling cards of wistful, reflective, looking back…just felt like listening in on a really beautifully told conversation.” (29:40, Anne)

The Academy – Elin Hilderbrand

• “Her boarding school novel…hooked in a way I didn't anticipate… a lot of fun.” (30:44–31:43, Anne)
• Anticipating a possible sequel due to the ending.

Hart the Lover – Lily King

• Both a prequel and sequel to Writers & Lovers. “Regret, difficult choices, what might have been… I loved exploring all those things in fiction.” (32:03–33:34, Anne)

Family and Relationship Dramas

Heft – Liz Moore

• “Really a found family story… really enjoyed it.” (33:44–35:24, Anne)

Grown Women – Sarah Johnson

• Multi-generational saga set in D.C. and Nashville.

Slanting Towards the Sea

• “Love triangle…unfolding against…Croatia and a little bit of Italy.” (33:55, Anne)

The Wilderness – Angela Flournoy

• “A coming into middle age novel… really enjoyed that.” (35:48–35:49, Anne)
• “It’s always interesting what’s on ‘Best Of’ lists that I read and…that matches up, huh.” (35:49, Will)

Near-Favorites and Honorable Mentions

Anne expands the list to include titles she “almost” selected as top favorites:

• Broken Country – Claire Leslie Hall
• Wild Dark Shore – Charlotte McConaghy
• What Kind of Paradise – Janelle Brown
• Flashlight – Susan Choi
• The Ghostwriter – Julie Clark
• Joyride – Susan Orlean
• The Other Side and Now – Paige Harbison
• A Marriage At Sea (a notable audiobook seen on many best-of lists, but “not enough emotional resonance to make it a favorite”)
• “I've really learned this year, I like books that are interesting…but it's not enough to make something a favorite.” (38:51, Anne)

Anne’s Top Six “Best of 2025” Picks

(Explicit list called out at 39:05)

1. The Everlasting – Alex E. Harrow
2. These Heathens – Mia McKenzie
3. The Only Plane in the Sky – Garrett Graff
4. The History of Sound – Ben Shattuck
5. Hart the Lover – Lily King
   • “So much better than ‘serviceable’ or whatever that review said.” (39:24, Anne)
6. Run Toward the Danger – Sarah Polley
   • “If I had to choose one favorite for 2025…it might be this. A memoir and essays…and I loved it so much. It was right book, right time.” (40:09, Anne)
   • “I read this on audio, immediately picked up the paperback and then went back through and read that so I could underline the heck out of it.” (40:24, Anne)
   • “A really unflinching look at a whole lot of painful memories…so personal.” (40:25–40:34, Anne)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Reading is personal. So these are my personal picks, your personal bests…for many of you, I love this and maybe you will, too.” (06:31, Anne)
• “Something I really learned this year is I really like books that are interesting… But it’s not enough to make something a favorite.” (38:51, Anne)
• [On The Everlasting]: “I was bawling before I finished, like maybe the last four or five pages… I was hooked. I loved it.” (26:01–26:36, Anne & Will)
• [On Run Toward the Danger]: “I listened to this…she reads it in her own voice. She’s telling her very, very personal stories… I loved it so much.” (40:09–40:24, Anne)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Defining “Best” – 05:03–06:51
• Anne’s total books read in 2025; selecting favorites – 08:47–10:00
• Notable trends and themes – 14:19–15:46
• Books that surprised Anne / stretched her reading – 16:04–23:53
• Tragicomedies and blending grief/humor – 24:06–25:24
• Immersive reading experiences – 25:44–33:34
• Family dramas & relationship webs – 33:44–35:49
• Honorable mentions / near favorites – 36:27–38:51
• Anne’s top “Best of 2025” picks – 39:05–42:10
• Discussion of reading trends, summer reading guide, and looking ahead – 42:45–45:23
• Will Bogle’s own notable reads – 45:46–47:27

Brief: Will Bogle’s Notable Books (Listener Request Segment; 45:55–47:27)

• Forest Euphoria – Contemporary blend of memoir and scientific history, “a lot about mushrooms actually.”
• The Unforeseen Wilderness – Wendell Berry – Essays on Red River Gorge and environmental history.
• Barbarian Days – Surf memoir.
• Malibu Rising – Fiction with a surf storyline.

Closing Thoughts

Anne underscores her joy in sharing books and the evolving nature of the reading life—how trends, favorites, and surprises shape every year. She encourages listeners to join the conversation, share their own favorites, and look forward to upcoming book-related celebrations and events marking a decade of the podcast and 15 years of the Modern Mrs. Darcy blog (03:58–04:44, 44:24–45:23).

“There’s such safety and satisfaction in knowing more good things await—some I’ve already read, and some I know I’m going to get to discover.” (44:24, Anne)

Connect & Share

• Full list of books mentioned: Find on the show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com
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Ending Note

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.” — Rainer Maria Rilke