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Shawn Breathes Books presents the Besties & Worsties of 2025

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/15trc...

The awards - in chronological order:

Best opening line or paragraph
Best cover
Book I wish I’d bailed on
Favorite character
Pukeworthiest sentence
Best conclusion
Best sentence
Favorite short story
Book that’s stayed with me / is aging well
Most vivid setting
The most surprising bail
Most moving passage or scene
Goofiest, bestest quote of the year
The book I am most likely to reread the soonest
Top 3 Nonfiction
The bail I am most likely to try again
The most surprising five star read
The most disappointing read
Bookish New Years resolutions
My worst read of the year
Top 10 Fiction


The Books (in alphabetical order by author)
I’ve had to delete a lot of the Goodreads links to keep these show notes within the YouTube character limit

Making Up the Gods by Marion Agnew
  / making-up-the-gods  
A lusciously quiet character-driven novel: Shawn chats with Marion Agnew about Making Up The Gods:    • A lusciously quiet character-driven novel:...  

This Bright Dust by Nina Berkhout
  / this-bright-dust  
As Canadian a novel as can be: a chat with Nina Berkhout about her 2024 novel, This Bright Dust:    • As Canadian a novel as can be: a chat with...  

Hope Never Knew Horizon by Douglas Bruton
Here's hoping: A chat with Douglas Bruton about his novel Hope Never Knew Horizon:    • Here's hoping: A chat with Douglas Bruton ...  

With or Without Angels by Douglas Bruton
Lindy and Shawn on the fabulously ekphrastic novella With or Without Angels by Douglas Bruton:    • Lindy and Shawn on the fabulously ekphrast...  

How to Breathe Water by Sharon Butala
  / how-to-breathe-water  
My full interview with Sharon about this memoir:    • ‘A living, breathing thing as much as a me...  

Where I Live Now: A Journey through Love and Loss to Healing and Hope by Sharon Butala

Cat Brushing by Jane Campbell

Above Us the Sea by Ania Card
  / above-us-the-sea  

The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
My interview with Virginia about The Correspondent:    • Writing the self home: A chat with Virgini...  

Broken Biscuits: And Other Male Failures by Adam Farrer

Cold Fish Soup by Adam Farrer
  / cold-fish-soup  

A Wreath for the Enemy by Pamela Frankau
  / 971807.a_wreath_for_the_enemy  

About Uncle by Rebecca Gisler
Jordan Stump (Translator)

The Language of Remembering by Patrick Holloway
My 'mystery guest' chat with Patrick starts at 6:30 here:    • Friday Reads: In Praise of Blunt Female Na...  .
My full review:    • Vibrating with language: A review of the I...  

Getting It Right by Elizabeth Jane Howard
  / getting-it-right  

Odd Girl Out by Elizabeth Jane Howard

Rosa Mistika by Euphrase Kezilahabi
Jay Boss Rubin (translator)

Animal Person by Alexander MacLeod

The Pornographer by John McGahern

Galatea by Madeline Miller

Hides by Rod Moody-Corbett

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin

Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq
Deepa Bhasthi (Translator)

Gaza Weddings: A Novel by Ibrahim Nasrallah
Nancy Roberts (Translator)
  / gaza-weddings  

Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo
  / sankofa  

Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo

Dream State by Eric Puchner

The Old Haunts by Allan Radcliffe
  / the-old-haunts  
A chat with Allan Radcliffe about his fabulously quiet, queer, Scottish novel The Old Haunts:    • A chat with Allan Radcliffe about his fabu...  

The Whale Tattoo by Jon Ransom

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
My chat with Sarah about this novel on the podcast she co-hosts, Bookcast Club:    • The Bookcast Club - #3.8 the problems with...  

Small Reckonings by Karin Melberg Schwier
  / small-reckonings  
My full-length interview with Karin about Small Reckonings:    • A chat with Saskatchewan novelist Karin Me...  

O, the Brave Music by Dorothy Evelyn Smith
  / o-the-brave-music  

We Are All of Us Left Behind by Bradley Somer
  / we-are-all-of-us-left-behind  
My mystery guest chat with Bradley starts at 3:02 here:    • Friday Reads: A transformative read—oh, an...  
My 'live' interview with Bradley at his Saskatoon book launch:    • Bradley Somer’s novel We Are All Of Us Lef...  

The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman

Cool Water by Dianne Warren

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@shawnthebookmaniac.bsky.social on Bluesky
My Goodreads is   / shawn-mooney  
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