This year I read far fewer books than I’ve read in a year since 2012, which is the first year for which I have a readily accessible total on hand. I’d like to say I’m striving for quality over quantity, but the fact is that I find it harder than ever to engage in the act of reading for long periods at a time. Of course, if a book doesn’t offer an immersive reading experience, then that is also a contributing factor. In an effort to combat this problem, I spent some time this year rereading a few of Anna Kavan’s books, which I’d not read in 10 or more years. This was a deeply satisfying experience, as reading her work always is.

I only gave two books five-star ratings on Goodreads: Matthew Kinlin’s novella So Tender a Killer and Leonora Carrington’s The Stone Door (of which I’d only previously read the abridged version). Below are my favorite reads of the year in chronological order by date read, with links to my reviews:

Prairie, Dresses, Art, Other by Danielle Dutton (Coffee House Press, 2024) Review

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (Putnam, 1962) Review

Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs by Rebecca Gransden (Cardboard Wall Empire, 2024) Review

So Tender a Killer by Matthew Kinlin (Filthy Loot, 2025) Review

Mevlido’s Dreams: A Post-Exotic Novel by Antoine Volodine (University of Minnesota Press, 2024) Review

The Veldt Institute by Samuel M. Moss (Double Negative, 2025) Review

The Stone Door by Leonora Carrington (NYRB, 2025; first published 1976) Review

Escapade by Evelyn Scott (Thomas Seltzer, Inc, 1923) Review