my top 5 books of the year

The time has come, for the third year in a row, for me to recap my favorite books. Numerically speaking, it was a shameful year of reading. I only read 8 books, and 5 of them were over the summer. I could leave this little fact out and make it seem like I read 15 — and that these were the cream of the crop — but I shall preserve my integrity. Truthfully, the other three I read were nothing special, I had to go back to my Goodreads just to remember what they were, and I don't feel like writing about them.

5) White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky ★★★★☆

This year has been so long, I thought for certain that I read this in 2024, but apparently it was this year, so I can include it here. Like many others, I fell for the Jack Edwards propaganda, which I'll gladly do again. I really liked this story, and per my extremely eloquent Goodreads review, "man gets friendzoned and its awesome." It was quite simple yet very beautiful, my favorite genre. 

4) Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris ★★★★☆

Black Butterflies is set in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, following Zora, a woman who stays behind during the siege, as she sent her husband and elderly mother to safety with their daughter in England. I think I read this book in two days; I could not put it down. The story was so tender and real and spoke to the power of the human spirit and community during the devastation of war. I am putting it at number 4 because I genuinely enjoyed reading it the entire way through. So many books make you wait until the end for it to all come together, but this book had me hooked through its entirety. It also got me out of a reading slump too, as this was the start of my summer reading kick.

3) Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan ★★★★☆

NOW WE ARE GETTING INTO THE GOOD STUFF. Claire Keegan I was not familiar with your game, but now it seems to be my life mission to read everything you put out. Small Things Like These is set in a small town in Ireland, Christmastime 1985. Already, I'm seated. Bill Furlong, a father of 5 daughters and coal merchant discovers a Magdelene Laundry while delivering an order, forcing him to confront his past and the complicity of the town.  

This story was tender yet chilling. As soon as I finished this it, I wanted to flip to the first page and begin again. I also learned something new, as I had never heard of Magdelene Laundries prior. 

2) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen ★★★★☆

Every time I read Jane Austen, I unearth another piece of myself. Elinor Dashwood has got to be one of the most perfect characters in all literature. I felt for her so deeply and saw myself reflected in her in so many ways. I was so happy she got her happy ending. I didn't really care for Marianne and Colonel Brandon though. I wouldn't care about the age gap so much if he didn't act like a father figure the entire story. Nevertheless, this is only a minor qualm, and Sense and Sensibility was one of my favorites of the year. I read this on vacation in Cape Cod, so perhaps there's some sort of positive correlation there. I left a piece of my heart with that wild Atlantic ocean...

Side note, but the spelling of "Elinor" is so stunning, and it will be added to my baby names list. 

Another side note, but I see a lot of people saying you are either a Bronte girl or a Jane Austen girl. I'm trying to figure out which am I, because Wuthering Heights is my favorite book of all time, but I just love Jane Austen. I'm also making my way through Jane Eyre right now, but it's quite challenging and 150 pages in I'm not really hooked. 

Final side note: I tried watching the movie of this with Hugh Grant in it, and I could not get through it. Maybe it's because the book was fresh in my mind, but why was it so bad... Hugh Grant, you've never failed me up until that moment.

1) Foster by Claire Keegan ★★★★★

My only five star read of the year!!! This book was achingly sweet, tender, and melancholic.  The narrator is a young girl, perhaps 5-7 years old.  She comes from a dirt-poor farm family, and is sent to live with foster parents, finding new warmth and affection in their care. From her little eyes, the detail and richness of the story is revealed not just in what she sees, but more so what's left out. 

Keegan's masterful penmanship emphasized my affinity for conciseness; my belief its often more affecting than sprawling, long works. I fell in love with the characters, despite spending just over 80 pages with them. This novella is magic. I know that Small Things Like These was acclaimed by many, but Foster wiled me deeply. 

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School has killed my love for writing. Everything that ends up on paper sounds ridiculous and unpolished, so forgive me for my pithiness and lack of proofing.

To whoever is reading this, I wish you a happy holidays. I hope 2026 brings you joy and magic like Ticonderogas on the first day of school, a new Moleskine and fountain pen, the first sunburn of early June, and the first snowfall of December, where everything is blank and quiet. 

💌

Amelia