This will be my fifth year using your Favourite Books of the Year video as a guide for my reading year ahead haha. Time has flown! Thank you so much for your videos. Have read a few already, really enjoyed The Coast Road.
You are truly the most thoughtful and considered booktuber and my top resource for recommendations. 😊. As to this list-I have read several, have reserved quite a few at my library and am looking forward to hunkering down. Thank you- and Happy 2025!🎉
I appreciate your recommendations I literally check your page every few days for a new video! Lol I love them so much! I live in America (North Carolina) and our country is such a dystopian dumpster fire according to the news (yet when you look outside it’s snowy and beautiful) so I feel like I’m living in the matrix when I consume online content- yet yours is always so cozy and warm and fun and I can’t say enough how much I appreciate your videos and book recommendations!! Helping me get through 2025 (just started but already have 2 terrorist attacks so yeah sticking my head into a book!) lol
I’m going to start a new TBR list with just your books so I can focus on them in 2025. I picked up four books from my library based on previous videos last week and can’t decide which one to start first. I’m so glad to have found you.
Happy New Year! I always look forward to your "favourite books" video and again this year you're recommending some great books. I've only read Fire Exit and loved it. The Coast Road is on my TBR and I hope to get to it soon. I've requested a few others from my library and am looking forward to reading them.
So many on here that I want to read! I’m really intrigued my the Dalton books, they don’t look on the surface like books I would like, but your description makes me want to give them a whirl!
I have read the Dalton books and fell in love with them! I lived in northern Maine back in 1978-80. It's fun to read about a place that's familiar. Can't wait for book #3!
Great list! I also listened to Margo’s Got Money Troubles on audio and thought it was fantastic. Apparently it has been commissioned for a TV adaptation, with Elle Fanning back as Margo!
The Last of Her Kind was also one of my favorites this year! I also somehow totally missed The Safekeep, but now it's flown to the top of my TBR list! I hope you've been well!
I always end up with so many great recommendations from your videos! Just wanted to say I listened to The Axeman’s Carnival and it is brilliantly narrated. So I’d highly highly recommend that you reread it in that format. You might end up loving the book even more! ❤
Thanks for this great video ❤ I've read and loved the Dalton books, The Safekeep and The God of the Woods, and have just started reading The Axeman's Carnival and am already really invested in it. Happy new year!
I instantly ordered The Last of her Kind ! I had a baby in June and Moon Road was the first book I finished (after 6 months!) on your recommendation. Loved this. Thank you and happy reading in 2025.
I have Long Bright River on my shelf, and now I want to read it soon as I did really enjoy The God of the Woods. Shannon Bowring sounds like an author I would like to discover this year, too.
Echoes sounds really interesting. Thanks for bringing that book to my attention. So happy to see The Axeman's Carnival on the list, as I have a copy sitting atop my bedside TBR. I'm not sure I'll get to it before the Women's Prize longlist drops, but I definitely plan to read it this year. Wishing you a wonderful reading year in 2025, Mercy. Cheers!
I was so excited to see The Last of Her Kind on this list! I love Sigrid Nunez but haven’t read this one yet, so now I’m super hyped to read it this year.
The only way watching this video could be better , would be chocolate to snack on while watching. I look forward to your favourites every year Mercedes ❤☘️👋🍀📕☕️📚💐🤗
Great to hear about your favourite books of the year😊 I’ve read a few of them, thanks to your previous reviews, and Moon Road is my next read. The Axeman’s Carnival sounds intriguing, I’ve added it to my list😊
I loved Come and Get It! I liked Such a Fun Age, but much preferred Come and Get It. Thanks for a great list of favourites, Mercedes. Our reading tastes are very similar, so I always appreciate your recommendations. I made a list while watching.
Paused this and bought Margo’s got Troubles on audiobook straight away❤I always trust your recommendations , such a great list Mercedes so thank you for sharing them with us😊
Loved loved loved your favorites, have added a bunch to my TBR. I wanted to recommend a title to you since you like young girls/coming of age stories. It’s called “Naked Girl” and is set in the late 70s, early 80s in Miami. The author narrates the audio book herself and I’m loving it; I’m about halfway through.
Omg I had the same thoughts about Long Bright River being adapted! Cannot wait for both of her books to come to the screen. I will definitely read Axe Mans Carnival in 2025. I loved Pet!
Oh, why someone hasn’t hired you to promote books is beyond me because every book sounds great when you talk about it. My tbr is all shot to pieces now. Lots of new books to read, yay!
loved these recommendations and how thoughtfully you described them! will for sure pick up margo, road to dalton and the damages. thanks so much for making specific recommendations for audiobook narrations as i mostly read this way. i've read god of the woods and enjoyed it a lot, the only thing that left me unsatisfied was that alice's narrative didn't feel complete. my favourite reads last year were clear by carys davies, the poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolver and mrs s by k patrick. based on this list, i think you would enjoy them all 😊
I hope you enjoy them when you get to them :) I've read The Poisonwood Bible and enjoyed it (although not the final section v much) and I need to read more Kingsolver. I dnf'd Mrs S as whilst I'd loved the premise the writing style just didn't work for me. I have Clear lined up on audio so thanks for reminding me to pick it up :)
Buying your top two from audible immediately! The god of the woods was on my radar but now utterly convinced. Never heard of The Axemans carnival but the audible sample was great so going to give it a go :) My fav book of 2024 was ‘All the colours of the dark’ I adored it and read it again immediately after my first read! I also really enjoyed ‘The Husbands’ by Holly Gramazio although technically this is a 2025 read for me :)
Yay! I hope you enjoy them both :) I have the kindle sample of All the Colours of the Dark and I've heard lots of people rave about it so I need to give it a go.
I own a few of these that I haven’t read yet. Some were on my TBR already, and the rest have been added, so I hope to get to all of them eventually! Some of my favorite reads in 2024 were The Bee Sting, Demon Copperhead, Beautyland, There There, White Teeth, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, Notes on an Execution, Our Wives Under the Sea, In Memoriam, and The God of Small Things. Thank you for the video!
It is so funny that you mentioned Mare of Eastown when discussing Long Bright River because when I watched that show the first time, I literally just kept thinking about how much it reminded me of Long Bright River. Very similar both in plot and setting but also tone. I read The Unseen World and I really enjoyed it this year, tho it wasn’t my favorite of Moore’s. I read two Sigrid Nunez novels this year and loved them both. The Friend was so much better than I thought it would be. I can’t wait to read even more of her stuff. My favorite book of the year was The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. Have you read it? I know you’ve enjoyed other Mitchell books in the past. I couldn’t believe how enjoyable and smart it was. I flew through it and felt just giddy reading it. It made me want to revisit his other works which I have struggled with in the past. Loved watching this video. Can’t wait to see what you pick up and read in 2025. Cheers Mercedes!
Same, they felt so similar thematically. I reread The Unseen World and still loved it but not as much as the first time I read it. I think The God of the Woods is the strongest. I still need to reread Heft though. Glad to hear you loved 2 other Nunez books. I'm excited that she has so many others books! I read Thousand Autumns when it came out and remember enjoying it but I think I'd enjoy it more on a reread because I have more historical context now.
Almost finished The Axeman’s Carnival on audio and loving it. I also had God of the Woods in my top reads, along with Abby Geni’s new collection, Roman Stories, The Book of Disappearance, My Friends, Lost in Mecca, A Flat Place, Nenah Cherry’s autobiography and one book you’d love, Land in our Bones by Layla K Ferghali (think Robin Wall Kimmer but set in Lebanese tradition).
@ it’s on herbalism and traditions like wayfinding - sensemaking - it’s beautiful. Also she is from Lebanon so talks about the regional conflicts. The audio is truly wonderful as well.
I've made a list of these titles and make my way through as many as I can this year, because unfortunately, I haven't read any of these in 2024. Hope that 2025 will be even greater reading year for you 💛.
The Coast Road is on my 2025 TBR. I might be assigned Come and Get It as a Booktube Prize judge. I have Margot on my shelf TBR. I'll be reading The Road To Dalton this month. I have The God of the Woods out from the library. The Axeman's Carnival sounds brilliant! Lots of overlap in our books.
I haven’t read any of the 17 books you mentioned.. I read mostly Asian authors, Eastern Europe writers and a few American (mostly Indigenous authors) but I love watching your reviews and I like how you enjoy slow pace and plotless books.. I have found your channel years ago with your famous review on A little life. Anyway, I immediately bought The damages by G.Scott because it sounds so good and I like unreliable protagonists. So I will definitely read this one. My favorite books were actually Kala by Colin Walsh and Love in the big city by Park Sang-young, Pachinko by Lee Min-jee, Heaven by Mirko Kawakami and I also want to name Weasels in the attic by Hiroko Oyamada. You probably have read it years ago but I loved I who have never known men by Jacqueline Harpman. What a reading experience this book is. Wishing you another amazing year of reading and looking forward to your reviews !
I discovered several of your favorite 2024 reads through your channel and loved many of them. I'm one of the people in the camp for "Come And Get It" and will go to war for it. A couple of books I loved last year and would recommend include: "The Memory of Animals" by Claire Fuller (especially for a vegan audiance). "Unrooted" by Erin Zimmerman if you're interested in a non fiction about women in academia and a pledge for underfunded fields in biology that are essential despite not being "fancy." And one I think you'd really like is "Icefields" by Thomas Wharton--a literary novel about a melting glacier, memory and the early stages of climate change. I also really loved two "genre" novels. "Our Share of Night" is a character focused horror about a cult of rich people and their exploits of poor and disabled people (I found it so satisfying and immersive and the horror was not over the top). A much calmer novel is a time travel one called "The Other Valey." It was slow and meditative, some beautiful descriptions; it slowly built momentum to a very satisfying ending which I thought was also somehow ominous (if I interpret it correctly). Thank you so much for the long video, it's brilliant. As were your recommendations
@@MercysBookishMusingsI am currently trying SO hard to finish it, only because I’ve made it 5/6ths into it. It was my least favorite of hers by far, but it prompted a very thoughtful book club discussion (lol yes, I hadn’t finished it before my book club whoops!). I think you’d have a lot of interesting thoughts and I would love to hear them! It was an interesting choice for her to write from a male perspective. I’m ready for her to go back to writing women lol
Margo was a true gem, the cover seemed a little deceiving in retrospect- I like the colors but it just looked like a quick novel that could potentially be forgettable. I’ll be reading The Knockout Queen by Thorpe soon! I just read The Damages on your recommendation and it was just fantastic! Another success 😊
Yes, I agree re the cover. I do like the cover but agree that it doesn't get across the type of book it is. The Knockout Queen sounds brilliant so I'm hoping to read it soon too. Yay! I'm so happy you enjoyed The Damages!
I thought you'd like Haven. Not for everybody. I loved Safekeep, want to read Fire Exit, haven't read Swanna in Love. I loved The Friend by Nunez, but haven't gotten around to others. The Last of Her Kind sounds like one I'd really like. I've got The Echoes TBR in 2025.
I’ve read Margo’s and The Safekeep because of your videos and loved them both (freaking love Margo and Rufi Thorpe’s writing was amazing). as someone else already commented, I will probably pull from your list all year long, because your reading taste is spot on for me! but what I'm most excited to read from your picks are the Dalton books (I just wanna know those characters and love them as well). my favorite read of the year was Against the Loveless World, by Susan Abulhawa. not sure if you haven’t read it yet, but I do recommend it with all my heart. ❤it’s a beautiful book about enduring, and it focus on a palestinian woman refugee who eventually goes back to Palestine and becomes part of the resistance. not unlike Margo, Nahr was a main character that I fell in love with. would love to hear your thoughts on it if you do decide to read it!
I'm so glad to hear how much you enjoyed Margo's Goy Money Troubles and The Safekeep. I'd love to hear what you think of the other books as you get to them, especially the Dalton books! Thanks so much for the recommendation! It sounds brilliant. Did you audiobook it or read it physically?
My 5 stars were: Against Purity: Living Ethically in Compromised Times by Alexis Shotwell All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong The Altruists by Andrew Ridker Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell Edge Case by YZ Chin Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father by Alysia Abbott Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg Happy Endings by Bella Green Excellent Women by Barbara Pym The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington I want to read more non fiction and political books in 2025
@MercysBookishMusings Goodbye, Vitamin was your recommendation! ^_^ I also read Khong's new book, Real Americans, which I enjoyed as well but just not quite as much as Goodbye, Vitamin
You say that it is rare that a book written from the perspective of women but written by a male author reads true to you. Can you think if any other authors who succeed in doing so?
This will be my fifth year using your Favourite Books of the Year video as a guide for my reading year ahead haha. Time has flown! Thank you so much for your videos. Have read a few already, really enjoyed The Coast Road.
Aww, that's so lovely to hear :)
I’ve added four of these books to my TBR. Thanks for a great video 💜📚
You consistently make me add so many books to my TBR 😄 I love it, thank you so much!
So happy to see Swanna in Love here,that was one of my favourites of 2024 too.
I thought the 'voice' of Swanna was so authentic and I just loved it.
You are truly the most thoughtful and considered booktuber and my top resource for recommendations. 😊. As to this list-I have read several, have reserved quite a few at my library and am looking forward to hunkering down. Thank you- and Happy 2025!🎉
That's such a lovely thing to say so thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the books when you get to them :)
I appreciate your recommendations I literally check your page every few days for a new video! Lol I love them so much! I live in America (North Carolina) and our country is such a dystopian dumpster fire according to the news (yet when you look outside it’s snowy and beautiful) so I feel like I’m living in the matrix when I consume online content- yet yours is always so cozy and warm and fun and I can’t say enough how much I appreciate your videos and book recommendations!! Helping me get through 2025 (just started but already have 2 terrorist attacks so yeah sticking my head into a book!) lol
I just read Swanna in Love and I loved it. It will definitely be on my favourites list for 2025 😊
I’m going to start a new TBR list with just your books so I can focus on them in 2025. I picked up four books from my library based on previous videos last week and can’t decide which one to start first. I’m so glad to have found you.
Margo's Got Money Troubles totally went on my audiobook wish list
You speak so thoughtfully about your choices! My library hold list just got a lot longer. Great video and Happy New Year🎉
I've been waiting for this! Your book lists are where I get most of my book recommendations from 😊
Happy New Year! I always look forward to your "favourite books" video and again this year you're recommending some great books. I've only read Fire Exit and loved it. The Coast Road is on my TBR and I hope to get to it soon. I've requested a few others from my library and am looking forward to reading them.
So many on here that I want to read! I’m really intrigued my the Dalton books, they don’t look on the surface like books I would like, but your description makes me want to give them a whirl!
I have read the Dalton books and fell in love with them! I lived in northern Maine back in 1978-80. It's fun to read about a place that's familiar. Can't wait for book #3!
You’ve totally sold me on Axeman’s Carnival! Some great picks here. I’m going to make a list on my library app now 😍
It looks like Europa is a publisher with similar taste to you! I’m hoping to pick up The Road to Dalton this year. Great list!
Great list!
I also listened to Margo’s Got Money Troubles on audio and thought it was fantastic. Apparently it has been commissioned for a TV adaptation, with Elle Fanning back as Margo!
I know - I can't bloody wait 🤣
Great video, Mercys! Happy New Year!
The Last of Her Kind was also one of my favorites this year! I also somehow totally missed The Safekeep, but now it's flown to the top of my TBR list! I hope you've been well!
I loved Come and Get It as well. Brilliant exploration of money and privilege and flawed characters. Thanks for all the other great recommendations.
I always end up with so many great recommendations from your videos! Just wanted to say I listened to The Axeman’s Carnival and it is brilliantly narrated. So I’d highly highly recommend that you reread it in that format. You might end up loving the book even more! ❤
You’ve really sold me on the Liz Moore book - I’m not really a thriller reader but this now sounds intriguing to me.
Liz Moore is one of my favorite authors of all time! She excels at literary fiction mysteries. My favorite is The Unseen World
❤❤❤❤ Thank you. Definitely appreciate what you do and how you do it. I will be adding a few of these books to my TBR.
Been looking forward to this 😍
Thanks for this great video ❤ I've read and loved the Dalton books, The Safekeep and The God of the Woods, and have just started reading The Axeman's Carnival and am already really invested in it. Happy new year!
I instantly ordered The Last of her Kind ! I had a baby in June and Moon Road was the first book I finished (after 6 months!) on your recommendation. Loved this. Thank you and happy reading in 2025.
Congratulations on your baby! I hope it's all going well and you're getting some sleep! So glad to hear how much you enjoyed Moon Road :)
I have Long Bright River on my shelf, and now I want to read it soon as I did really enjoy The God of the Woods. Shannon Bowring sounds like an author I would like to discover this year, too.
Echoes sounds really interesting. Thanks for bringing that book to my attention. So happy to see The Axeman's Carnival on the list, as I have a copy sitting atop my bedside TBR. I'm not sure I'll get to it before the Women's Prize longlist drops, but I definitely plan to read it this year.
Wishing you a wonderful reading year in 2025, Mercy. Cheers!
I was so excited to see The Last of Her Kind on this list! I love Sigrid Nunez but haven’t read this one yet, so now I’m super hyped to read it this year.
The only way watching this video could be better , would be chocolate to snack on while watching. I look forward to your favourites every year Mercedes ❤☘️👋🍀📕☕️📚💐🤗
Great to hear about your favourite books of the year😊 I’ve read a few of them, thanks to your previous reviews, and Moon Road is my next read. The Axeman’s Carnival sounds intriguing, I’ve added it to my list😊
Noted all of these books to my TBR. Mercy try out : The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
I am so pleased that you loved The Axeman’s Carnival so much! Catherine Chidgey is just awesome 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤
She really is :D I'm so excited for her new book and her backlist!
I loved Come and Get It! I liked Such a Fun Age, but much preferred Come and Get It. Thanks for a great list of favourites, Mercedes. Our reading tastes are very similar, so I always appreciate your recommendations. I made a list while watching.
I'm glad to hear that you felt the same about Come & Get it :)
Paused this and bought Margo’s got Troubles on audiobook straight away❤I always trust your recommendations , such a great list Mercedes so thank you for sharing them with us😊
Yay! I hope you love it as much as I did :)
Loved loved loved your favorites, have added a bunch to my TBR. I wanted to recommend a title to you since you like young girls/coming of age stories. It’s called “Naked Girl” and is set in the late 70s, early 80s in Miami. The author narrates the audio book herself and I’m loving it; I’m about halfway through.
And I DNF’d it today so please disregard my recommendation. Graphic SA on a minor is a no no for me. 😢
Booo - sorry to hear you ended up not enjoying the book!
Omg I had the same thoughts about Long Bright River being adapted! Cannot wait for both of her books to come to the screen. I will definitely read Axe Mans Carnival in 2025. I loved Pet!
Oh, why someone hasn’t hired you to promote books is beyond me because every book sounds great when you talk about it. My tbr is all shot to pieces now. Lots of new books to read, yay!
Awww, that's a lovely thing to say. Thank you :)
Great suggestions. Listening to your post was expensive for me because I ended up purchasing so many books that you recommended!
loved these recommendations and how thoughtfully you described them! will for sure pick up margo, road to dalton and the damages. thanks so much for making specific recommendations for audiobook narrations as i mostly read this way. i've read god of the woods and enjoyed it a lot, the only thing that left me unsatisfied was that alice's narrative didn't feel complete. my favourite reads last year were clear by carys davies, the poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolver and mrs s by k patrick. based on this list, i think you would enjoy them all 😊
I hope you enjoy them when you get to them :) I've read The Poisonwood Bible and enjoyed it (although not the final section v much) and I need to read more Kingsolver. I dnf'd Mrs S as whilst I'd loved the premise the writing style just didn't work for me. I have Clear lined up on audio so thanks for reminding me to pick it up :)
Always extraordinary
Happy New Year
Buying your top two from audible immediately! The god of the woods was on my radar but now utterly convinced.
Never heard of The Axemans carnival but the audible sample was great so going to give it a go :)
My fav book of 2024 was ‘All the colours of the dark’ I adored it and read it again immediately after my first read!
I also really enjoyed ‘The Husbands’ by Holly Gramazio although technically this is a 2025 read for me :)
Yay! I hope you enjoy them both :) I have the kindle sample of All the Colours of the Dark and I've heard lots of people rave about it so I need to give it a go.
this is such an interesting, eclectic list! definitely going to check out The Axeman’s Carnival (and probably Pet too!)
I own a few of these that I haven’t read yet. Some were on my TBR already, and the rest have been added, so I hope to get to all of them eventually! Some of my favorite reads in 2024 were The Bee Sting, Demon Copperhead, Beautyland, There There, White Teeth, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, Notes on an Execution, Our Wives Under the Sea, In Memoriam, and The God of Small Things. Thank you for the video!
Thanks for letting me know your fav reads of 2024 :) I really want to read Beautyland!
Great video, really interested to read swanna in love and fire exit now
Just come across your video. You read a great selection. Those books sound interesting and I added a few to my list. How do you pick books to read?
I follow some of my favourite authors and publishers :)
It is so funny that you mentioned Mare of Eastown when discussing Long Bright River because when I watched that show the first time, I literally just kept thinking about how much it reminded me of Long Bright River. Very similar both in plot and setting but also tone. I read The Unseen World and I really enjoyed it this year, tho it wasn’t my favorite of Moore’s.
I read two Sigrid Nunez novels this year and loved them both. The Friend was so much better than I thought it would be. I can’t wait to read even more of her stuff.
My favorite book of the year was The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. Have you read it? I know you’ve enjoyed other Mitchell books in the past. I couldn’t believe how enjoyable and smart it was. I flew through it and felt just giddy reading it. It made me want to revisit his other works which I have struggled with in the past.
Loved watching this video. Can’t wait to see what you pick up and read in 2025. Cheers Mercedes!
Same, they felt so similar thematically. I reread The Unseen World and still loved it but not as much as the first time I read it. I think The God of the Woods is the strongest. I still need to reread Heft though.
Glad to hear you loved 2 other Nunez books. I'm excited that she has so many others books!
I read Thousand Autumns when it came out and remember enjoying it but I think I'd enjoy it more on a reread because I have more historical context now.
Almost finished The Axeman’s Carnival on audio and loving it. I also had God of the Woods in my top reads, along with Abby Geni’s new collection, Roman Stories, The Book of Disappearance, My Friends, Lost in Mecca, A Flat Place, Nenah Cherry’s autobiography and one book you’d love, Land in our Bones by Layla K Ferghali (think Robin Wall Kimmer but set in Lebanese tradition).
Oh, thanks for the recommendation of Land in our Bones. It sounds great!
@ it’s on herbalism and traditions like wayfinding - sensemaking - it’s beautiful. Also she is from Lebanon so talks about the regional conflicts. The audio is truly wonderful as well.
I've made a list of these titles and make my way through as many as I can this year, because unfortunately, I haven't read any of these in 2024.
Hope that 2025 will be even greater reading year for you 💛.
I hope you enjoy them when you get to them :)
You too, Anna! xx
The Coast Road is on my 2025 TBR. I might be assigned Come and Get It as a Booktube Prize judge. I have Margot on my shelf TBR. I'll be reading The Road To Dalton this month. I have The God of the Woods out from the library. The Axeman's Carnival sounds brilliant! Lots of overlap in our books.
I hope you enjoy them all :)
I haven’t read any of the 17 books you mentioned.. I read mostly Asian authors, Eastern Europe writers and a few American (mostly Indigenous authors) but I love watching your reviews and I like how you enjoy slow pace and plotless books.. I have found your channel years ago with your famous review on A little life. Anyway, I immediately bought The damages by G.Scott because it sounds so good and I like unreliable protagonists. So I will definitely read this one. My favorite books were actually Kala by Colin Walsh and Love in the big city by Park Sang-young, Pachinko by Lee Min-jee, Heaven by Mirko Kawakami and I also want to name Weasels in the attic by Hiroko Oyamada. You probably have read it years ago but I loved I who have never known men by Jacqueline Harpman. What a reading experience this book is. Wishing you another amazing year of reading and looking forward to your reviews !
I still haven't read I Who Have Never Known Men even though I've heard so many people rave about it! I'd like to read Love in the Big City too :)
@@MercysBookishMusings oh I think you would love it, the atmosphere, the storyline, oh yes ! and I loved Love in the Big City !
I discovered several of your favorite 2024 reads through your channel and loved many of them. I'm one of the people in the camp for "Come And Get It" and will go to war for it.
A couple of books I loved last year and would recommend include: "The Memory of Animals" by Claire Fuller (especially for a vegan audiance). "Unrooted" by Erin Zimmerman if you're interested in a non fiction about women in academia and a pledge for underfunded fields in biology that are essential despite not being "fancy." And one I think you'd really like is "Icefields" by Thomas Wharton--a literary novel about a melting glacier, memory and the early stages of climate change. I also really loved two "genre" novels. "Our Share of Night" is a character focused horror about a cult of rich people and their exploits of poor and disabled people (I found it so satisfying and immersive and the horror was not over the top). A much calmer novel is a time travel one called "The Other Valey." It was slow and meditative, some beautiful descriptions; it slowly built momentum to a very satisfying ending which I thought was also somehow ominous (if I interpret it correctly).
Thank you so much for the long video, it's brilliant. As were your recommendations
Thanks for all the recommendations :) They all sounds like books I'd be interested in!
I could underline every single word you said about The Last Of Her Kind!
Do you plan on reading Intermezzo this year? I know you’ve loved Sally Rooney in the past. I would love to hear your thoughts!
I do have it and I tried the first couple of chapters and really didn't like it but I may give it another go.
@@MercysBookishMusingsI am currently trying SO hard to finish it, only because I’ve made it 5/6ths into it. It was my least favorite of hers by far, but it prompted a very thoughtful book club discussion (lol yes, I hadn’t finished it before my book club whoops!). I think you’d have a lot of interesting thoughts and I would love to hear them! It was an interesting choice for her to write from a male perspective. I’m ready for her to go back to writing women lol
Margo was a true gem, the cover seemed a little deceiving in retrospect- I like the colors but it just looked like a quick novel that could potentially be forgettable. I’ll be reading The Knockout Queen by Thorpe soon! I just read The Damages on your recommendation and it was just fantastic! Another success 😊
Yes, I agree re the cover. I do like the cover but agree that it doesn't get across the type of book it is. The Knockout Queen sounds brilliant so I'm hoping to read it soon too. Yay! I'm so happy you enjoyed The Damages!
😊
I thought you'd like Haven. Not for everybody. I loved Safekeep, want to read Fire Exit, haven't read Swanna in Love. I loved The Friend by Nunez, but haven't gotten around to others. The Last of Her Kind sounds like one I'd really like. I've got The Echoes TBR in 2025.
I’ve read Margo’s and The Safekeep because of your videos and loved them both (freaking love Margo and Rufi Thorpe’s writing was amazing). as someone else already commented, I will probably pull from your list all year long, because your reading taste is spot on for me! but what I'm most excited to read from your picks are the Dalton books (I just wanna know those characters and love them as well).
my favorite read of the year was Against the Loveless World, by Susan Abulhawa. not sure if you haven’t read it yet, but I do recommend it with all my heart. ❤it’s a beautiful book about enduring, and it focus on a palestinian woman refugee who eventually goes back to Palestine and becomes part of the resistance. not unlike Margo, Nahr was a main character that I fell in love with. would love to hear your thoughts on it if you do decide to read it!
I'm so glad to hear how much you enjoyed Margo's Goy Money Troubles and The Safekeep. I'd love to hear what you think of the other books as you get to them, especially the Dalton books!
Thanks so much for the recommendation! It sounds brilliant. Did you audiobook it or read it physically?
Best book of the year for me was All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker. Xx
I have that one on my list to give a go :)
I’d recommend reading
Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey
The Alternatives by Caolinn Hughes
My 5 stars were:
Against Purity: Living Ethically in Compromised Times by Alexis Shotwell
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong
The Altruists by Andrew Ridker
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
Edge Case by YZ Chin
Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father by Alysia Abbott
Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly
Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke
You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg
Happy Endings by Bella Green
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington
I want to read more non fiction and political books in 2025
Thanks for letting me know. I've read a couple of these but quite a few I haven't heard of so need to go look into them 🤓
@MercysBookishMusings Goodbye, Vitamin was your recommendation! ^_^
I also read Khong's new book, Real Americans, which I enjoyed as well but just not quite as much as Goodbye, Vitamin
📖🪱💚💚💚
You say that it is rare that a book written from the perspective of women but written by a male author reads true to you. Can you think if any other authors who succeed in doing so?
I don't read many books by men so I can't be much help here - sorry!
Just based on your reasoning for why you enjoyed swanna in love you may enjoy a girl returned by Donatella Di Pietrantonio 😊
Thanks for the recommendation :)