🎧 Best Books of the Year!

We couldn’t close out 2025 without a Best Books of the Year episode with my “real life book club” members Yasmin and Steph.Since I closed the 10 Things To Tell You podcast this summer, I’ve decided to post this annual year-end conversation on Secret Stuff, free and public for all to enjoy just like you did on 10TTTY, but now in a different spot.JOIN SECRET STUFF on SUBSTACKIt was a weird reading year for everyone, as you’ll hear us discuss, which led to an uncommon mutual favorite novel, and also some differences of opinion on some of the picks. This conversation felt like the best parts of book club, gushing over a shared love and dissecting our differences of opinions on a different title.Of course, we also couldn’t help but talk about the books we didn’t like in 2025 in a bonus conversation for Secret Stuff members only.If you're a bookworm, make sure you check out:2026 Secret Stuff Book SelectionsSLOW READ: The Stand (which starts January 1!)______Favorite Books of 2025:Mutual Favorite:The Correspondent by Virginia EvansYasmin’s Favorites: Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter’s Memoir by Molly Jong-FastThe House of My Mother by Shari FrankeSteph’s Favorites:Heart the Lover by Lily KingMargo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi ThorpeLaura’s Favorites:What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown Annie Bot by Sierra GreerDidion and Babitz by Lili AnolikThe Names by Florence KnappAlso Discussed:Small Things Like These by Claire KeeganAn American Marriage by Tayari JonesThe Great Believers by Rebecca MakkaiFriday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe HaileyOlive Kitteridge by Elizabeth StroutWriters and Lovers by Lily KingColored Television by Danzy SennaA Little Life by Hanya YanagiharaParable of the Sower by Octavia ButlerSorrow and Bliss by Meg MasonThe Knockout Queen by Rufi ThorpeFear of Flying by Erica JongThe Measure by Nikki ErlickThe Husbands by Holly Gramazio This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit secretstuff.substack.com/subscribe