Readers want one of two things in 2025: to be cozy, or very unsettled, says Mid-Continent Public Library reader engagement librarian Angie Strathman.
“I think people are picking sides, whether they want to lean into the darkness and uncomfort or escape from it with something a little more comforting,” Strathman told KCUR’s Up To Date.
Psychological thrillers and horror titles are popular right now. And they’re even making waves among the scary-hesitant, such as Mark Luce, chair of the English department at The Barstow School and lecturer at the University of Kansas.
Luce says he “doesn’t read horror,” yet one of his top reads of the year was a collection of horror prose by Argentine author Samanta Schweblin, “Good and Evil and Other Stories.”
“I’m strangely compelled to keep reading, because I want to know how weird it’s going to get,” Luce said.
But if you’re not sold on a scary story right now, Strathman, Luce and Seven Stories bookstore owner Halley Vincent offered a wide assortment of titles they loved reading this year. Plus, we rounded up some favorite reads from KCUR listeners.
Mark Luce’s recommendations
“Good and Evil and Other Stories” by Samanta Schweblin and translated by Megan McDowell (horror, short stories)
This is a collection of six tales that explore the dark corners of humanity. There’s a reason Schweblin, who is Argentinian but lives in Berlin, has received accolades from all over the globe. She writes masterful horror prose, putting readers in surreal and uneasy situations that are unforgettable.
“The Day After the Waste Land” by William Averill, illustrated by Kent Smith (poetry)
Averill and Smith reimagine T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” in this poem and pop-art book set in the streets, alleys and basketball courts of Lawrence, Kansas. Part homage, part fever dream, it’s personal, charming, cheeky and profound.
“Five-Carat Soul” (fiction, short stories) and “Kill ‘Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul” (nonfiction, music) by James McBride
This pair of books is a great introduction to one of the best American writers of our time. “Five-Carat Soul” packs a punch in several short stories that explore a wide array of topics, including a lost train set and an orphan who claims he’s the son of Abraham Lincoln. “Kill ‘Em and Leave” examines the legacy of soul artist James Brown and the way his sound influenced American music.
“Apex Hides the Hurt” by Colson Whitehead (literary fiction)
In this underrated gem by the author of “The Underground Railroad” and “The Nickel Boys,” an unnamed “nomenclature consultant” must attempt to reconcile the past and future as he decides how to re-name a town. What follows is a thoughtful exploration of forgotten history and the way we reconcile historical harms.
“Antarctica” by Claire Keegan (short stories, literary fiction)
This collection of surreal stories is set in pillowsoft prose. Taking place in the poorer quarters of Ireland (though a couple are in the U.S.), these stories dance with danger and crackle with carnality. Keegan is an unparalleled wordsmith.
“Royal City: Compendium One” by Jeff Lemire (graphic novel)
Lemire rocked my world with the graphic compendium Essex County, which traces the high and lows of a rural life in Canada. In this newer collection of graphic narratives, a writer returns to his small town and his dysfunctional family. Poignant and haunting, the story explores the ripple effects of grief and the fading of once-promising communities.
“Meditations: The Annotated Edition” by Marcus Aurelius, translated, introduced and edited by Robin Waterfield (philosophy)
This excellent translation of one of philosophy’s greatest works comes complete with annotations and slowly walks you through Aurelius’ struggles to live a life of wisdom, justice, and courage in a world that doesn’t always value what it should.
Halley Vincent’s recommendations
“I, Medusa” by Ayana Gray (mythology, fantasy)
Known for her head of snakes and fearsome appearance, Medusa is usually a side character in Greek mythology. This retelling of her origin story reframes the narrative, depicting Medusa as a villain and victim of the Olympians’ games – neither good or evil.
“The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans (literary fiction)
At 73, retired lawyer Sybil Van Antwerp reflects on a life full of regrets, secrets and unspoken truths. The story is told entirely through letters, both sent and unsent. It’s thoughtful, heartening and quietly suspenseful, uncovering the power of connecting with people whom we may never meet in person.
“Nobody’s Girl” by Virginia Roberts Giuffre (memoir)
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, with co-writer Amy Wallace, is Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s most outspoken victim. She tells her story of abuse, exploitation and daring escape in this posthumous memoir. It’s unflinching, deeply human, and worth your time and thought.
“The Woman in the Wallpaper” by Lora Jones (historical fiction)
Set in a wallpaper factory outside Paris during the French Revolution, the story follows sisters Lara and Sofi as they notice eerie parallels between the designs they produce and the suspicious death of the factory owner’s late wife. Things take a darker turn when Lara begins to see her own life reflected in the wallpaper — but by then, it’s already too late.
“Elvira’s Cookbook From Hell” by Cassandra Peterson (cookbook)
Funny, spooky and full of well-crafted recipes, Kansas-born Cassandra Peterson -- better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark -- infuses every page with her signature charm, making this new cookbook perfect for fans or anyone looking for playful flavor year-round.
“Startlement: New and Selected Poems” by Ada Limón (poetry)
Ada Limón, the 2022 U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, brings together nearly two decades of her work in this poetry collection. Limón masterfully explores love, loss, belonging and our connection to the natural world.
“Hansel and Gretel” by Stephen King, illustrated by Maurice Sendak (horror, picture books)
A darker and more twisted retelling of the classic fairy tale fuses Stephen King’s chilling storytelling with “Where the Wild Things Are” creator Maurice Sendak’s vivid illustrations. When Hansel and Gretel stumble upon a sinister house in the woods, the familiar story takes on a nightmarish edge. Perfect for older kids, teens, or adults, it makes a memorable gift that’s equal parts nostalgic and spine-tingling.
“Dinner at the Night Library” by Hika Harada (cozy fantasy)
A young worker cares for donated collections at a mysterious library that only stocks books from deceased authors. It’s a cozy, thoughtful story about the quiet worlds that books hold, and is perfect for anyone needing a soothing read.
Angie Strathman’s recommendations
“I’ll Tell You When I’m Home” by Hala Alyan (memoir)
As poet and novelist Hala Alyan prepares to welcome a child via surrogacy after a history of infertility, she reflects on home and family in relation to her struggling marriage and her family history of displacement and exile. Structured around nine months of pregnancy, the memoir’s disparate threads eventually cohere into a moving and powerful portrait of what has shaped her, what she would like to pass down to her own child, and what she hopes to leave behind.
“Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir” by Tessa Hulls (graphic memoir)
This introspective and weighty graphic memoir traces three generations of Chinese American women and how currents of history, culture, and trauma affected each of them personally and their ability to relate to each other.
“The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre” by Philip Fracassi (horror)
People are dying at the Autumn Springs Retirement Home. That in itself isn’t so unusual, but the frequency and gruesome natures of the deaths are. These residents aren’t just helpless victims, they also show they have plenty to live and fight for, especially our final girl Rose Dubois. It’s a fun take on a popular trope that also subtly touches on some of the horrors of aging.
“Lightbreakers” by Aja Gabel (literary fiction)
Noah, a physicist, begins experimenting with a technology using memory and entanglement with past selves as a form of time travel. Noah’s interest is both professional and personal, as he hopes the technology might give him more time, and a second chance, with his daughter who died as a toddler. Gabel’s literary speculative novel thoughtfully and beautifully explores the response of science and art to grief, time and memory.
“Don’t Trust Fish” by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat (picture book)
What begins as a fact-based introduction to the classifications of animals takes a turn when it comes time to introduce the fish. Our unreliable narrator has lots of big feelings about those untrustworthy swimmers.
“The Tainted Cup” and “A Drop of Corruption” by Robert Jackson Bennett (fantasy)
Imaginative world-building, complex characters and intricately plotted mysteries make the first two installments of the “Shadow of the Leviathan” series so compelling. Bennett masterfully paces his reveals as we continue to learn more about the Holmesian detective duo of Ana and Din and the magical origins of their world.
“The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne” by Chris Sweeney (narrative nonfiction)
Roxie Laybourne’s expertise in bird taxidermy and feather identification led to the birth of the field of forensic ornithology. Sweeney documents how Roxie’s obsessive knowledge helped solve crimes, reduce airplane bird strikes, and paved the way for others in this fascinating biography.
“Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World” and “44 Poems on Being with Each Other: A Poetry Unbound Collection” edited by Pádraig Ó Tuama (poetry, essays)
The host of the Poetry Unbound podcast edits these anthologies with entries from an array of contemporary poets, while sharing how each poem opened up his world and inviting readers to find their own response to each. These anthologies will introduce readers to new poems and poets and teach reading with better attention, curiosity and generosity.
KCUR listeners’ top reads of 2025
- “Everything is Tuberculosis” by John Green
- “The Three-Body Problem” by Liu Cixin
- “I Was Right On Time: My Journey from the Negro Leagues to the Majors” by Buck O’Neil and David Conrads
- “Be Ready When the Luck Happens” by Ina Garten
- “Hamnet” by Maggie O’Farrell
- “From Under the Sun” by Kordel Lentine
- “Kingdom Quarterback” by Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd
Guests
- Mark Luce, the Barstow School
- Angie Strathman, reader engagement librarian, Mid-Continent Public Library
- Halley Vincent, owner, Seven Stories bookstore
