2025 Favorites—Fiction
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In my ongoing project to read 50 Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction I read four this year.
- Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington— Tarkington won two Pulitzers in his time, this being his second win. And yet, while he was hailed as an one of the most important writers of his time his legacy has not continued. The title character is a young middle class woman who desperately wants to climb the social ladder. Unfortunately, her desperation is her undoing. Pulitzer Prize winner 1921.
- Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler— Follows an older couple on a trip to a funeral and unspools their lives together, their unmet expectations, disappointments, and their commitment to each other. Pulitzer Prize winner 1988.
- James by Percival Everett— A retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's perspective. This is the best kind of this type of novel; reexamining the original, well-known narrative and adding meaning and strength to it. Pulitzer Prize winner 2025.
- The Old Man & The Sea by Ernest Hemingway— You're probably familiar with this one. If, like me, you haven't revisited it since high school I would recommend taking an afternoon to sit with it as it is still wonderful. Pulitzer Prize winner 1952.
Just Darn Good Books
I also read a number of novels that weren't Pulitzer Prize winners. Here are some that I loved.
- Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon— Technically this won the Pulitzer Prize in 1974 but the prize advisory board rejected it as being "obscene." It is at turns confusing and opaque while still managing to be being beautifully written.
- Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead— Whitehead is another winner of multiple Pulitzers (Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys). This is his take on a crime novel telling the story of the owner of a furniture store who slowly descends into a life of crime.
- Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow— This book has long served as my father's alter ego. Henderson is a middle-aged man who goes to Africa to find purpose and gets involved in a number of misadventures.
- The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida— Set in Sri Lanka in the 1980s, Maali Almeida is a dead photographer who is attempting to solve his own murder.
- The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker— In the vein of Circe or Song of Achilles, this is a retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of Briseis and other women taken captive by the Greeks. While the aforementioned novels are better, this one still has a lot to say about the plight of women during wartime.
- Weather by Jenny Offill— A librarian struggles with anxiety before and after the election of Donald Trump.
What fiction did you enjoy reading this year?
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I've been reading the A Court of Thorns and Roses series to see what all the fuss is about. I'm caught up now and it's pretty fun, but has some cheesy moments.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell - I think I saw @ashley_p recommend this one? And I loved it! It's about a shape shifting creature who falls in love with a human woman.
Fledgling by Octavia Butler - Obviously I was going to enjoy this. A vampire who looks like a young girl tries to solve the mystery of her murdered family. I'm running out of new Octavia Butler books to read and that's a sad thought. I also read a short story collection of hers (Unexpected Stories) and my feelings were mixed there.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi - this book absolutely gutted me. It's a beautiful story of grief and love and gender exploration that had me in actual tears multiple times.
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata - I loved this book but it's not for everyone. A girl, convinced that she is an alien waiting for her real people to come collect her, experiences sexual abuse from a teacher and a complicated relationship with her male cousin. A disturbing but riveting read.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - probably the tamest read that I enjoyed. A young man runs away to join the circus during the Great Depression.
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich - A nun runs away from her convent to assume the identity of a priest serving an Ojibwe reservation. This one dragged in some places but was an interesting story overall.
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon - I keep hearing that Rivers Solomon is the new Octavia Butler, but I'm not convinced. This book is a sci-fi, sort of Hunger Games on a spaceship. The main character is autistic coded and uses her intelligence to try to help her enslaved community.
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In my ongoing project to read 50 Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction I read four this year.
- Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington— Tarkington won two Pulitzers in his time, this being his second win. And yet, while he was hailed as an one of the most important writers of his time his legacy has not continued. The title character is a young middle class woman who desperately wants to climb the social ladder. Unfortunately, her desperation is her undoing. Pulitzer Prize winner 1921.
- Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler— Follows an older couple on a trip to a funeral and unspools their lives together, their unmet expectations, disappointments, and their commitment to each other. Pulitzer Prize winner 1988.
- James by Percival Everett— A retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's perspective. This is the best kind of this type of novel; reexamining the original, well-known narrative and adding meaning and strength to it. Pulitzer Prize winner 2025.
- The Old Man & The Sea by Ernest Hemingway— You're probably familiar with this one. If, like me, you haven't revisited it since high school I would recommend taking an afternoon to sit with it as it is still wonderful. Pulitzer Prize winner 1952.
Just Darn Good Books
I also read a number of novels that weren't Pulitzer Prize winners. Here are some that I loved.
- Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon— Technically this won the Pulitzer Prize in 1974 but the prize advisory board rejected it as being "obscene." It is at turns confusing and opaque while still managing to be being beautifully written.
- Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead— Whitehead is another winner of multiple Pulitzers (Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys). This is his take on a crime novel telling the story of the owner of a furniture store who slowly descends into a life of crime.
- Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow— This book has long served as my father's alter ego. Henderson is a middle-aged man who goes to Africa to find purpose and gets involved in a number of misadventures.
- The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida— Set in Sri Lanka in the 1980s, Maali Almeida is a dead photographer who is attempting to solve his own murder.
- The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker— In the vein of Circe or Song of Achilles, this is a retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of Briseis and other women taken captive by the Greeks. While the aforementioned novels are better, this one still has a lot to say about the plight of women during wartime.
- Weather by Jenny Offill— A librarian struggles with anxiety before and after the election of Donald Trump.
What fiction did you enjoy reading this year?
@jeffmower I read Old Man and the Sea for the first time a few years ago and really enjoyed it! I think I'm one of the few fans of Hemingway's bluntness haha. James is already on my wish list. Henderson the Rain King sounds like a riot and I'm bummed the ebook isn't on Libby! Might have to track down a physical copy. Thanks for sharing your reviews!
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In my ongoing project to read 50 Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction I read four this year.
- Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington— Tarkington won two Pulitzers in his time, this being his second win. And yet, while he was hailed as an one of the most important writers of his time his legacy has not continued. The title character is a young middle class woman who desperately wants to climb the social ladder. Unfortunately, her desperation is her undoing. Pulitzer Prize winner 1921.
- Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler— Follows an older couple on a trip to a funeral and unspools their lives together, their unmet expectations, disappointments, and their commitment to each other. Pulitzer Prize winner 1988.
- James by Percival Everett— A retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's perspective. This is the best kind of this type of novel; reexamining the original, well-known narrative and adding meaning and strength to it. Pulitzer Prize winner 2025.
- The Old Man & The Sea by Ernest Hemingway— You're probably familiar with this one. If, like me, you haven't revisited it since high school I would recommend taking an afternoon to sit with it as it is still wonderful. Pulitzer Prize winner 1952.
Just Darn Good Books
I also read a number of novels that weren't Pulitzer Prize winners. Here are some that I loved.
- Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon— Technically this won the Pulitzer Prize in 1974 but the prize advisory board rejected it as being "obscene." It is at turns confusing and opaque while still managing to be being beautifully written.
- Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead— Whitehead is another winner of multiple Pulitzers (Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys). This is his take on a crime novel telling the story of the owner of a furniture store who slowly descends into a life of crime.
- Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow— This book has long served as my father's alter ego. Henderson is a middle-aged man who goes to Africa to find purpose and gets involved in a number of misadventures.
- The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida— Set in Sri Lanka in the 1980s, Maali Almeida is a dead photographer who is attempting to solve his own murder.
- The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker— In the vein of Circe or Song of Achilles, this is a retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of Briseis and other women taken captive by the Greeks. While the aforementioned novels are better, this one still has a lot to say about the plight of women during wartime.
- Weather by Jenny Offill— A librarian struggles with anxiety before and after the election of Donald Trump.
What fiction did you enjoy reading this year?
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@jeffmower Should I bother with The Silence of the Girls? I adored Circe but everything I've read in the genre ever since has been a disappointment.
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I don't know if you like Margaret Atwood, Amanda but her Penelopiad is...interesting. It's not at all like Circe or Song of Achilles but it is deconstructing The Odyssey in some weird and interesting ways. I really enjoyed Old Man and the Sea, which I was happy about since I really disliked the other Hemingway I read. I'll put up my voluminous list if people are interested in January.
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I don't know if you like Margaret Atwood, Amanda but her Penelopiad is...interesting. It's not at all like Circe or Song of Achilles but it is deconstructing The Odyssey in some weird and interesting ways. I really enjoyed Old Man and the Sea, which I was happy about since I really disliked the other Hemingway I read. I'll put up my voluminous list if people are interested in January.
@bunkumono Do itttt! I've liked the Atwood I've read, so I'll check this one out! If the other Hemingway you read was The Sun Also Rises, I totally get it. I think I've read that one a few times trying to get the appeal, but never liked it. A Farewell to Arms was much more enjoyable for me.
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@bunkumono Do itttt! I've liked the Atwood I've read, so I'll check this one out! If the other Hemingway you read was The Sun Also Rises, I totally get it. I think I've read that one a few times trying to get the appeal, but never liked it. A Farewell to Arms was much more enjoyable for me.
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@Amanda It was The Sun Also Rises. I've heard Farewell To Arms is also worth reading. The highest compliment I can give to The Old Man and the Sea is it reminded me of John Steinbeck.
@bunkumono I really like A Farewell To Arms. It's actually one of the books that made me realize, sometime in my early 20s, that I actually like books
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I've been reading the A Court of Thorns and Roses series to see what all the fuss is about. I'm caught up now and it's pretty fun, but has some cheesy moments.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell - I think I saw @ashley_p recommend this one? And I loved it! It's about a shape shifting creature who falls in love with a human woman.
Fledgling by Octavia Butler - Obviously I was going to enjoy this. A vampire who looks like a young girl tries to solve the mystery of her murdered family. I'm running out of new Octavia Butler books to read and that's a sad thought. I also read a short story collection of hers (Unexpected Stories) and my feelings were mixed there.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi - this book absolutely gutted me. It's a beautiful story of grief and love and gender exploration that had me in actual tears multiple times.
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata - I loved this book but it's not for everyone. A girl, convinced that she is an alien waiting for her real people to come collect her, experiences sexual abuse from a teacher and a complicated relationship with her male cousin. A disturbing but riveting read.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - probably the tamest read that I enjoyed. A young man runs away to join the circus during the Great Depression.
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich - A nun runs away from her convent to assume the identity of a priest serving an Ojibwe reservation. This one dragged in some places but was an interesting story overall.
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon - I keep hearing that Rivers Solomon is the new Octavia Butler, but I'm not convinced. This book is a sci-fi, sort of Hunger Games on a spaceship. The main character is autistic coded and uses her intelligence to try to help her enslaved community.
@Amanda I'm so glad you liked Someone You Can Build a Nest In! That makes me want to find a new monster book.
Some of my favorites this year were:
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The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Trilogy about a human girl raised in the faerie court. Rekindled my love for fae folklore and urban fantasy.
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Circe by Madeline Miller. Retelling of the life of Circe, the sorceress from the Odyssey that transformed her island's raiders into swine. I love how many myths are intertwined with hers.
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The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I recommend an abridged version, because some parts drag on unnecessarily. Still glad I read it.
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The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown. A woman is gifted a magical book, and discovers terrifying individuals are after her book and others. Rec from my mom.
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The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig. My Halloween read. A group of teens lose their friend to a supernatural evil, and go back to rescue him as adults. It becomes a unique haunted house adventure. I liked its lore.
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@Amanda I'm so glad you liked Someone You Can Build a Nest In! That makes me want to find a new monster book.
Some of my favorites this year were:
-
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Trilogy about a human girl raised in the faerie court. Rekindled my love for fae folklore and urban fantasy.
-
Circe by Madeline Miller. Retelling of the life of Circe, the sorceress from the Odyssey that transformed her island's raiders into swine. I love how many myths are intertwined with hers.
-
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I recommend an abridged version, because some parts drag on unnecessarily. Still glad I read it.
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The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown. A woman is gifted a magical book, and discovers terrifying individuals are after her book and others. Rec from my mom.
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The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig. My Halloween read. A group of teens lose their friend to a supernatural evil, and go back to rescue him as adults. It becomes a unique haunted house adventure. I liked its lore.
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