Wait, that won’t fly. I have no dog.
My annual summary from Goodreads reveals I completed 2,000 fewer pages this past year than the previous one. Sliding from 49 books in 2024 to 40 in 2025 does not represent a good report card.
Who’s to blame? Not a dog nor I.
It’s the fault of the San Antonio Spurs. A subscription to FanDuel makes most games available for watching in the comfort of my living room in Austin. This loyal fan has not enjoyed access to this many basketball games in years. But the schedule’s heavy, consuming my normal evening reading hours.
Below are books I completed in 2025. I left my personal ratings and reviews for most on Goodreads. Among the ones that rang the five-star bell for me were: The Mystery of the Crooked Man by Tom Spencer (no relation); The Silence of the Choir by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr; How to Read a Book by Monica Wood; Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty; The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins; and A Small War at Close Quarters by a close friend, Vic Hinterlang.
The Silence of the Choir by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr: Sarr packs a punch as powerful as Mount Etna, the backdrop for the book’s setting in Sicily. The story of immigrants, their perceptions and how they are received is applicable to all countries grappling with the complicated issue. It’s a reminder of how mob mentality can trump rationality, and the necessity for those (like myself) on the sidelines to raise their voices to object.
My most disappointing reads when contrasted with their critical acclaim were 2024’s The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and 2014’s Outline by Rachel Cusk. What’s wrong with me?
In case you’re thinking I’m difficult to please, more than 20 books satisfied me at the four-star level: The Director by Daniel Kehlmann; Culpability by Bruce Holsinger; Winter in Madrid by C.J. Sansom; Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively; A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson; End of Story by A.J. Finn; The Time in Between by Maria Duenas; and The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich.
We Do Not Part by Kang Han: This novel unspools plot so slowly, it’s as though time stands still. How many ways are there to describe snow and extreme cold? It turns out that Han found a multitude to ensure you feel the unrelenting blizzard. The author blurs the line between dreams and reality to the point the characters, and therefore the reader, fail to discern the distinction. Can the dead return, and what of bilocation? The sensitive writing propels you forward as you learn the horrors inflicted upon a Korean village.
Also, A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda; Devil is Fine by John Vercher; The Imagined Life by Andrew Porter; Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney; Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson; Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister; 33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen; We Do Not Part by Han Kang; The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; The Horse by Willy Vlautin; Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera; Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett; The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths; and The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez.
The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez: I sometimes rely on Kirkus Reviews, but the dismissive tone of the first line of the one about The Great Divide shocked me: ‘An anti-imperialist fairy tale about the building of the Panama Canal.‘ Henriquez’ book examines the enormous construction project from a Central American and Caribbean perspective instead of one from El Norte. I felt we in El Norte actually got off fairly easily. I also found it approachable for high school students yet still compelling enough for adults wanting a flipside of the story.
Please feel welcome to disagree with my ratings and share your opinions by “chatting back” on this post. Would love book recommendations here as well.
If the Spurs reach the playoffs, my reading grade this year might be even lower. Maybe Coach Mitch would write an excuse note for me to post?
Postcards from Barton Springs 