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More books for my TBR! When you talked about Lasting Harm, I was reminded of my experience listening to Chanel Miller read her memoir Know My Name, an emotionally challenging but powerful and important book. A detail that I have retained: when Miller was asked as part of her victim statement what she would like to see happen to the man who raped her, she said he should go to jail. She didn’t realize that there is a distinction between jail and prison (length of detention). Her words were used against their intention.

12:16 Genuinely when I was telling my friend who has read The Remains of the Day I said Kazuo Ishiguro you've done it again

Doppelganger was my NF book of 2023 too, so not on this years list either, and we also share How to Say Babylon as an outstanding book of the year. Someone who I don’t think has made it to the UK in an impactful way that I think you would like and who I gave two 5 star books on my NF is the phenomenal Myriam Gurber, a SoCal Latino Lesbian writer. The earlier book is a slim novella length memoir called Mean, which I read second, but would recommend reading first as the second book, Creep, references it in quite is few of the essays. You will have the full context of that story first to better understand her comments about it. If she is known to you, it most likely from her review of the book American Dirt, which became a literary scandal that basically halted the acclaim of that book exposing that however well meaning the author set out to be, she was co-opting others stories and telling them badly. Two other highly recommended books are Liliana’s Invincible Summer, a NBA NF series where net from 2023 about revisiting a beloved sister’s murder in the 1990s at the hands of an exboyfriend and Still Lufe With Bones about forensic anthropology at sites of Genocide.

I loved A Flat Place so so much! I did a vlog on it and it's probably one that I'm most proud of. I've had a lot of mental health stuff going on and am having to switch therapists to have someone more specialized to my needs. I'm gifting this to my current therapist on my last session. I absolutely adored it!

Thank you so much for this channel! Soooo many of my favorite books are ones you have recommended. And I love supporting independent presses. I wish you all good things in 2025 and I look forward to another year of your heartfelt and authentic reviews! ✨

The Night Alphabet made my personal top 10 and I´ve heard almost nobody talk about it! So happy to hear you loved it too

Bedawi's book sounds interesting. According to Amazon it's "Perfect for Winter 2025". Might be some categorization issues there, which may explain why I had a harder time finding anything on it. "Matrescence" sounds really good too.

Thanks for such a great TBR list. I'm trying to mix in more NF and have a few waiting to be read. Including How to Say Babylon.

Fantastic list Bob, some great titles there that I've also read, some others I have bought on your recommendation not read yet, but looking forward to doing so. Finding you to be a wonderful source for ideas which match my personal tastes. Thank you for all the work you've put into producing videos this year, I'm excited to see what 2025 will bring in the book world ❤

In 2024 I read one nonfiction book Strong Female Character by Fern Brady I keep getting nonfiction books as presents but not reading them. Even this morning I got a copy of David Niven’s The Moons A Balloon 🍀👋☘️📖📚☕️📕

Love this Bob - really glad Matresence was up there. One of my fave books this year ❤

I am currently reading Question 7 which is a wonderful piece of writing. I think at this stage my favourite NF has been the Position of Spoons by Deborah Levy. It has really stayed with me. I also have a Sarah Moss book about her year in Iceland called Names for the Sea. Having been twice to Iceland in 2024 I’m puzzled as to why I haven’t read it yet! Another book for the bedside pile, a pile which is dangerously close to toppling. 😊

Great list Bob

I loved Irena Rey and starting Stoneyard soon.

This is an outstanding list! Leonard and Hungry Paul is in my best list this year; I've somehow still not gotten to Ghost Mountain. I loved James, My Friends, and Enter Ghost but didn't get on with Mammoth. The Extinction of Irena Rey is still on my TBR, too. This was fun!

great list Bobert, added some to my ever expanding tbr :-)

Thanks, Bob!🌷I’ve only read two of the books you mention: My Friends (also one of my best reads for 2024) and Enter Ghost (one of my best reads for 2023). I’m intrigued by Ghost Mountain, since the way you talked about the role of the Mountain in this novel makes me think of Elif Shafak’s Fig Tree in The Island of Missing Trees. If I only consider books published in 2024 (or at the end of 2023), I think my best reads have been Playground, Orbital, Ordinary Human Failings, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, River East River West and also the first two books part of the septology On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle. I’d love it if you also made a video with your overall favourite reads for 2024, I mean also books published longer ago😊. Happy Holidays!!!🎄🎅🏻📚

Enjoyed your descriptions of these titles. Just subscribed from New England. Independent reviewers are so much more inviting to listen to, or read than say The NY Times.

I'm almost alarmed that I have only read four of these. All the others will have to lurk on my TBR. How will I force myself to embark on Praiseworthy despite resistance to its length?

such a thoughtful review, and many books that were absolutely off my radar but look fantastic. subscribed, and thank you very much! 🎉

Definitely checking some of these out. Thanks for your reviews. Enjoy the holidays!

Wonderful list and the three that I have read would be on my top books list too (Mammoth, Gliff, James - do we detect a trend of one word titles?). Fortunately I have six more of them on the shelf to read - including Praiseworthy!

Ghost Mountain and Mammoth are both so good. Your description of Everett’s construction of James and his writing is the best I’ve heard.

Nice to see Enter Ghost making another appearance.

great list...many appear on my list and i definitely KEEP SPENT LIGHT AND NIGHT ALPHABET AS TOP OF THE YEAR BOOKS....anyway, well done...and agree about ghost mountain and especially mamouth...well done bob cheers, happy christmas

Ghost Mountain sounds interesting. Thanks for the recommendation and review.

Our tastes overlap, so I always look forward to hearing about your favourites. Last year, I picked up Riambel and Stillborn because they were on your list and loved both. This year, we overlap on James and Enter Ghost. I probably didn’t give enough time to My Friends and Extinction of Irena Rey because I dnf’d both. I think the rest of your favourites were already on my TBR, including Gliff-which I am very excited to read next. Happy holidays Bob!

Oh, four of these are among my favourites from the year too, and three are on my tbr. This makes me think I should add the rest of them as well!

Was waiting for this! Such a good list!! Happy Chirstmas, Bob! :)

Praiseworthy sounds phenomenal, happy Christmas 🎄

I've read 4 of these and now want to read the other 8!

Grateful for this fantastic list! Thanks for what you do here, Bob. Happy Holidays!

Brilliant list, Bob. I also really loved James, and I just recently read Ronan Hession's Leonard and Hungry Paul, which is on my top ten for the year. I will seek out Ghost Mountain next. Thank you. Happy Holidays to you, Bob.

Wow I want to read them all that’s a great list.

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Happy Holiday ! Thanks for giving us your reviews of current books.

Merry Christmas! Great selection of books. My favoutites this year are Enter Ghost by Hammad and Martyr! by Kaveh Akvar

Merry Christmas, Bob! Thank you so much for your list! Ghost Mountain was already on my list for next year and you sold me on This House as well. Thank you so much for your thoughtful reviews throughout the year. As someone who turns more and more to the books on my shelves and therefore to the backlist, I know I can rely on you to give me trusted direction in what frontlist to consider. Plus I love your retro Booker shortlist reviews too and Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald stands out as a book you read and loved that I in my turn read and loved also. All that to say I wish you much joy in the coming year.⭐️🕯️

Ahhhhh, Praiseworthy. I’m so glad to have this book raised up again. I was surprised to see what a chunkster it was when I saw it at the library. I do want to jump into it. I had forgotten about the new Baltasar and I adore her work. Ronan Hession! I’m actually talking about Leonard and Hungry Paul on my faves this year all because you talked about it! 😊. Happy happy New Year to you, Bob!

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This is a stunning list Bob. So much to think about. I’ve read some of them but will follow up those I haven’t read. I have just received a copy of Praiseworthy so no excuses now. Thanks 😊happy reading.

I read The Son of Man in November and it is in my top 10 of this year. Your recap of it was done well.

thanks bob and merry christmas and happy new year.

I'm catching up on your videos and I'm thrilled you picked The Testament of Mary as I started it today !..Meryl Streep is reading it to me. 🙃

I don’t think what I am reading is much cheerier - Gliff by Ali Smith, and Kei Miller’s Things I Have Withheld, and just finished Solenoid. But they are all very good! What you said about the focus of the British press at the start of your discussion about Freedom probably helps account for how the brexit vote went I guess. Hope you have a great Christmas and new year!

Have rest and fun over the next week Bob.

Great job BOB

It's interesting to hear your thoughts on Freedom. I don't plan to read it, primarily because political autobiographies aren't really my thing. I've never voted for her, as she led the Conservative Party, but she did move it significantly toward the center, incorporating values that are typically more left-leaning. She faced a lot of backlash over her 2015 immigration decisions, which I personally found both correct and courageous. These days, she has become something of a hate figure among the angry, anti-establishment crowds, who are plenty in many countries.

I don’t think I’m emotionally strong enough at the moment to read The Lasting Harm. Maybe someday. Nollaig Shona Duit Bob ☘️👋🍀( happy Christmas) May 2025 bring you everything you hope for and more. ☕️📖📕📚

Thanks Bob. The lasting harm sounds superb. Hope you have a restful Christmas break!