In this first installment of our annual year-end wrap-up, we dive into the opening half of our top ten reads of 2025, counting down numbers ten through six and revisiting the books that surprised us, challenged us, and stayed with us throughout the year. Along the way, we’re joined by several friends who drop in to share the titles that meant the most to them in 2025, adding their voices to the conversation and widening the circle of celebration. It’s a relaxed, book-loving episode filled with reflection, enthusiasm, and a few unexpected discoveries. Tune in and settle into the first part of our favorite tradition. 2026 Novella Book Club We have announced the four novellas we will be reading for The Mookse and Gripes Novella Book Club in 2026! * January: Daisy Miller, by Henry James * April: An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter, by César Aira * July: The Hour of the Star, by Clarice Lispector * September: Prelude, by Katherine Mansfield Discussions will be hosted at The Mookse and the Gripes Discord (see below!). We’ve got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you’d like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you’ll have a few months to get ready for each. Here’s what we have in store: * Episode 125: Flannery O’Connor * Episode 135: William Faulkner * Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor * Episode 155: Naguib Mahfouz There’s no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you’re prepared for these as they come! Shownotes * Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, by Marguerite Young * Schattenfroh, by Michael Lentz, translated by Max Lawton * Middlemarch, by George Eliot * The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro * The Ghost Writer, by Philip Roth * 84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff * Lies and Sorcery, by Elsa Morante, translated by Jenny McPhee * The Summer Book, by Tove Jansson, translated by Thomas Teal * Giovanni’s Room, by James Baldwin * The Unconsoled, by Kazuo Ishiguro * Mr. Fox, by Barbara Comyns * Happiness Is Such, by Natalia Ginzburg, translated by Minna Zallman Proctor * Daniel Deronda, by George Eliot * Phineas Redux, by Anthony Trollope * The Sea, the Sea, by Iris Murdoch * The Bell, by Iris Murdoch * How to Cook a Wolf, by M.F.K. Fisher * Seeing Further, by Esther Kinsky, translated by Caroline Schmidt * River, by Esther Kinsky, translated by Iain Galbraith * Grove, by Esther Kinsky, translated by Caroline Schmidt * Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Anne Burns * Pale Fire, by Vladimir Nabokov * Pnin, by Vladimir Nabokov * Ada, or Ardor, by Vladimir Nabokov * Dracula, by Bram Stoker * Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley * A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens * Life with a Star, by Jiri Weil, translated by Rita Klimova and Rosalyn Schloss * Is a River Alive?, by Robert Macfarlane * Angel, by Elizabeth Taylor * Great Granny Webster, by Caroline Blackwood * Pilgrimage, by Dorothy Richardson * Vengeance Is Mine, by Friedrich Torberg, translated by Stephanie Gorrell Ortega * Amongst Women, by John McGahern * The Dark, by John McGahern * The Barracks, by John McGahern * How to Survive a Bear Attack, by Claire Cameron * The Hustler, by Walter Tevis * The Man Who Fell to Earth, by Walter Tevis * Mockingbird, by Walter Tevis * The Steps of the Sun, by Walter Tevis * The Queen’s Gambit, by Walter Tevis * The Color of Money, by Walter Tevis * Rhine Journey, by Ann Schlee * Daisy Miller, by Henry James Join the Mookse and the Gripes on Discord Want to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we’re discussing? Join us over on Discord! It’s the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you’re reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind. We’re also just now in our third novella book club, where we’re reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark. It’s a fantastic book, and we’d love to have you join the discussion. It’s a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you’re reading. The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this literary journey! A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you’d like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they’re released to the public. We’d love for you to check it out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mookse.substack.com/subscribe
