The year’s best and most interesting year-end book lists.
“Years ago, I learned it helps me to have a playlist for each manuscript, so that after a year or more away I can just hit play and quickly find my way back into the mood and tone of those pages.”
Largehearted Boy’s favorite short fiction collections of the year.
Largehearted Boy’s favorite poetry collections of the year.
Largehearted Boy’s favorite nonfiction books of 2025
Categories
Largehearted Boy’s favorite novels of 2025
Largehearted Boy’s favorite novels of 2025
“I listen to music constantly when I’m writing, which can be annoying to my wife, since I tend to play the same songs over and over again if I believe they possess some magical ability to get me in the mood for the writing I’m set to do.”
“I don’t listen to music when I write, because I need total silence to hear my own thoughts, but playlists are still an essential part of my writing process”
“My collection, The Plan of Chicago: A City in Stories, has an unusual structure – nine linked stories set in nine Chicago neighborhoods – and unusual range. The characters are Black and White, straight and gay, wealthy and working-class. There are immigrants from Poland, Mexico, Ireland, Somalia, and elsewhere. My musical playlist reflects that diversity, which is the city’s greatest strength and, too often, a source of division.”
“This is the soundtrack of my fictional rendition of growing up fatherless in Florida and, later, of raising a son in Southern California.”