It's here...
2025 50 BOOKERS ROUND UP (another long one!)
Firstly thanks go to the contributors: AgualusasLover, Arran2024, Benvenuto, BestIsWest, bibliomania, cassandre, Cherrypi, ChessieFL, CornishLizard, CutFlowers, DesdamonasHandkerchief, DuPainDuVinDuFromage, EineReiseDurchDieZeit, elspethmcgillicudddy, Exloony, Frannyisreading, FuzzyCaoraDhubh, glassof, GrannieMainland, HagCymraeg, InTheCludgie, JaninaDuszejko, Jecstar, LadybirdDaphne, LessObviousName, LuckyMauveReader, MamaNewtNewt, MaterMoribund, MegBusset, MonOncle, noodlezoodle, Notmymarmosets, nowanearlyNicemum, Owlbookend, PermanentTemporary, Piggywaspushed, RazorstormUnicorn, RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie, RomanMum, SheilaFentiman, Stowickthevast, StrangewaysHereWeCome, Tarahumara, Tarragon123, TeamToeBeans, Terpsichore, TimeforaGandT, ÚlldemoShúl, Welshwabbit. Sorry if I’ve missed anyone out!
And thanks to Southeastdweller for keeping us on track through the year.
As always, this round up is only based on bolds (and duds), but these in themselves came to 826 lines representing 656 titles. It goes without saying that we’re a small self-selecting group in the grand scheme of things, so if by any chance an author does see this and comes across their name in the stinkers section, I wouldn’t get too worried if I were you. As you’ll see further down, we can respectfully agree to disagree about a few titles this year anyway…
This year the prizes longlists, the readalongs of classic works, and thread recommendations throughout this and previous years influenced the results. A nice mix I think. I’m surprised that, for once, some of my bolds made in into the top lists, also looking forward to reading some which are already in my TBR.
If you’re into the stats: 74% of bolds were fiction, 26% nonfiction, the same percentage as last year. 57% of bolds were by women authors, less than last year at 61%, and male authors rose from 36% in 2024 to 40% this year. The remainder was by other/mixed (including Robert Galbraith as I wasn’t sure what to do there!).
Top Fictions in order of popularity:
.1) Glorious Exploits - Ferdia Lennon
.2) The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
.3) Patricia Brent, Spinster - Herbert George Jenkins
.4) The Names - Florence Knapp
Dombey & Son – Charles Dickens
.5) Seascraper - Benjamin Wood
Nesting - Roisin O’Donnell
.6) James - Percival Everett
Annie Bot - Sierra Greer
The God of The Woods - Liz Moore
The Land in Winter - Andrew Miller
Fingersmith - Sarah Waters
The Safekeep - Yael van der Wouden
.7) Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell
The Women - Kristin Hannah
The Zone of Interest - Martin Amis
Tom Lake - Ann Patchett
Orbital - Samantha Harvey
Immaculate Conception - Ling Ling Huang
The Book of Guilt - Catherine Chidgey
Helm - Sarah Hall
Last One at the Party - Bethany Clift
Conclave - Robert Harris
The Hallmarked Man - Robert Galbraith
Ripeness - Sarah Moss
The House of Doors - Tan Twan Eng
Precipice - Robert Harris
Paper Cup - Karen Campbell
Top Non-Fictions in order of popularity:
.1) Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad - Daniel Finkelstein
.2) My Family - David Baddiel
Bookish - Lucy Mangan
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent - Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea
.3) Killing Thatcher - Rory Carroll
A Spy Among Friends - Ben Macintyre
Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
The Story of a Heart - Rachel Clarke
When the Dust Settles - Lucy Easthope
84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
.4) Bookworm - Lucy Mangan
Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work - Sarah Wynn Williams
Munichs - David Peace
Ootlin - Jenni Fagan
Reading Lessons - Carol Atherton
The Plague and I - Betty Macdonald
The Siege - Ben MacIntyre
Under Duds, Disappointments, DNFs and Downright Stinkers, congratulations to All Fours by Miranda July which topped the list, the runners up being A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike, Audition by Katie Kitamura, My Good Bright Wolf by Sarah Moss and Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Which brings us on to the highly anticipated:
Bloody Boring Butler Award. Named after The Remains of the Day, which has caused no end of friendly disagreement in the past, this goes to the top divisive reads for this year, which some of us loved, and some loathed:
- All Fours - Miranda July
- A Little Trickerie - Rosanna Pike
- A Case of Mice and Murder – Sally Smith
- Atmosphere - Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work - Sarah Wynn-Williams
- Eurotrash - Christian Kracht
- Night Swimmers - Roisin Maguire
- Red Sauce, Brown Sauce – Felicity Cloake
- The Crossing Places – Elly Griffiths
- The Hallmarked Man - Robert Galbraith
- The Women - Kristin Hannah
The most popular authors who did not appear on the above lists were John Boyne, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tana French and Mick Herron – we loved their writing, just not one single book stood out.
On the other hand, there were some authors whose work could either be outstanding or total drivel, depending on which book you picked up, what I called ‘the Ben Myers collective’: Colleen Hoover, David Mitchell (the comedian, not Cloud Atlas guy), Eimear McBride, Elly Griffiths, Hallie Rubenhold, Hilary Mantel, Jane Austen, Kate Atkinson, Kristin Hannah, Robert Galbraith, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ruth Ware, Sarah Moss, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Terry Hayes, Tessa Hadley - some surprises here, but that’s what makes for a fun and interesting book chat I guess.
Full lists available on request, but that’s all for now folks!
Roman :)