As with all my annual end-of-year lists, the following books were new to me this year, but not necessarily new in 2024. I hope you find a few of these recommendations inspiring for your own To Read Pile in 2025 and beyond.
10. Murder at Teal’s Pond – David Bushman and Mark T. Givins
I should note I’m still in the middle of this one but I’m enjoying it enough that it barely edges out a few others that could have made this list. And this one might be graded on a steep curve because I grew up in the village where the crime took place back in 1908, so I’m very familiar with all the locales, names, etc., but this look into the death of a young woman that (partially) inspired the show Twin Peaks has been quite gripping and I highly recommend it to fans of historical true crime.
9. Life on Mars – Tracy K Smith
A printed copy of her poem “The Good Life” has followed me around for years and I finally took the time to read the rest of the collection. It didn’t disappoint. Getting to thank her in person for this poem and this book was a highlight of 2024!
8. Here at Eagle Pond – Donald Hall
I imagine some people hearing a description of this book might cry tears of boredom but I really loved this thoughtful, calming collection of essays about poet Donald Hall’s ancestral estate in New Hampshire and all the stories associated with each room, season, outbuilding, and local event. I quite enjoyed how it all ties together with familial bonds and love for the little things.
7. We’ll Always Have Casablanca – Noah Isenberg
This examination of the origins of the film Casablanca, its unique and winding road to production, and its lasting effect on the world was a lot of fun to read, very well researched, and never felt bogged down or bone dry. If you like the film or stories of old Hollywood, you’ll enjoy this one.
6. Fairy Tale – Stephen King
I read online complaints that this one took too long to get interesting, but those must be from “new to King” folks who don’t realize the slow build-up is all part of the ride, and by the time the real magic kicked in, I was long hooked into this age-old story of a young man setting off on a journey filled with strange places, new friends, dire enemies, and loads of action in the second half. Each time I thought the book might stumble, it found its footing and showed a lot of heart. King does a great job of building a unique world and I’d love to see even more stories from this fairytale land.
5. Paris in Our View – Poems selected by Shakespeare & Co.
I picked up this collection in the famed bookshop in Paris (if you ever get the chance, obviously don’t pass it up!) and the book did not fail to impress. This is easily one of the better poetry collections around and it inspired me to write more than a few of my own poems about my time there. The poems within are all about the city of Paris in one way or another, accompanied by unique sketches of Paris as seen out the windows of notable Parisian locations. It’s one of my most treasured Parisian keepsakes. A stellar collection.
4. The Horse – Willy Vlautin
There were a few moments where I thought this one might not hold up all the way through, but Willy Vlautin doesn’t fail to deliver a deep, authentic, and rich story of a washed up songwriter living in isolation who encounters a dying horse, with a series of flashbacks that tie the man’s storied and wild life to his last-ditch attempt to save the horse’s life. It pairs well with his other “horse” book Lean on Pete. As I suspected, Vlautin remains undefeated.
3. Old Taoist – Stephen Addiss, Jonathan Chaves, J. Thomas Rimer
This biography/poetry collection examines the obscure Japanese poet Kodojin and his life story as best the authors could piece it together through a lot of meticulous research, as well as his Japanese poems and his poems written in the Chinese style. It also includes a bunch of his paintings. The poems are brief but beautiful, and these inspired me to write a full collection of poems influenced by his style. A gorgeous book, especially for poets out there looking for some inspiration.
2. You Like It Darker – Stephen King
Look, I like a good Stephen King novel, but I LOVE a good Stephen King short story collection. In most short story collections by anyone at all, there are always a few stories that don’t grab me as much as others, but this one had top notch bangers the whole way through. Pretty much not disappointed by any of them. A great collection that mixes all the things that makes King great: unexpected monsters, otherworldly visitations, strange powers gifted to normal people, fateful (or chance?) meetings, ghostly apparitions, and all-too human marauders who might be right outside your door right now. If this is King as he nears the end of his career, it’s safe to say the man hasn’t lost a single damn step along the way. He’s only gotten better. And here’s hoping he’s actually nowhere near finished!
1. Circe – Madeline Miller
I kept hearing “This book is so good” from people in my life and I finally cracked it open to discover—yo, everyone, stop and listed up: This book is SO good. Miller has an eloquent writing style that flows so well, so beautifully descriptive while keeping the story moving and lively. I kept thinking, “This is how I wish I could write” every few pages. The trope of writers re-envisioning an old myth of legend with their own interpretation is a popular one in fiction (obviously) but it’s an easy way to make a great tale rather trite, silly, or boring, and this avoids all of that. It’s a singular and powerful story that I still think about all the time. Best book by a mile this year. (PS: I still don’t know how to actually pronounce “Circe”…alas.)