The last two Decembers I’ve shared the books I’ve read for fun throughout the year. It’s that time again, so here’s my list for 2025.
I tend to hit the ground running at the beginning of the year only to start a massive brick that takes me months to finish. Five was the (admittedly abysmal) number to beat from last year, and I did so. Part of this is due to my workload as my winters tend to be slower periods and summers tend to be busier.
“The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer” by Jennifer Lynch
Twin Peaks is my favorite TV series, so I ate this up. A nice companion piece. RIP David Lynch.
“The Subversive Copy Editor” by Carol Fisher Saller
One of the best books I’ve read about copy editing. Every editor should read this. Full stop.
“Play Nice” by Jason Schreier
Schreier’s books about the video game industry are both fascinating to those who follow it like myself while also being accessible to those who don’t. This one is no different.
“Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones
I love Studio Ghibli films, and this is my favorite, so I was long overdue to read the book it’s based on. There is a lot in the book not carried over to the film, so I enjoyed seeing those new aspects of the story.
“500 Years Later” by Matt Leone
Final Fantasy VII is one of my favorite video games, so this was a no-brainer.
“Sandland” by Akira Toriyama
I’ve been a Dragon Ball fan since I was young, but I’ve only ever dabbled in Akira Toriyama’s other work. I enjoyed this short manga a whole lot. RIP Akira Toriyama.
“1Q84” by Haruki Murakami
This is the aforementioned brick that derailed my reading for months on end. Some of my favorite stories are ones that give me glimpses of life in Japan. This was that, then some, and then some more.
“Trouble Boys” by Bob Mehr
The Replacements is a band I’ve really grown to love in the past year, and this tells the band’s wild story. A fascinating look at one of America’s most underrated rock bands.
That’s what I read this year around working on manuscripts. My TBR pile is still huge, so let’s hope next year’s list is even longer.
Timothy