Bethanne's Best Books of 2025: Where Fact & Fiction Blur

The best fiction seems real, the best non-fiction books read like fiction. That, at least, is Bethanne Patrick’s take on the best books of 2025. Selecting her favorite four fiction and four non-fiction books, the LA Times book critic suggests that all eight of these books brilliantly blur the line between fact and fiction. Take, for example, Murderland, Caroline Fraser’s new non-fiction linking 1970s serial killers to environmental toxins from mining. “People love true crime as if there’s something called untrue crime”, Patrick notes. “Fraser shows that what really happened and the way it blows up in our minds—that’s where fact and fiction blur.”Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe