It’s the season for end-of-year lists, and I always look forward to sharing my top reads of the year. Recently I’ve been considering what these books have taught me as a writer.
(These aren’t necessarily books published in 2025, but I read them this year.)
Flashlight by Susan Choi: While it’s difficult to pick an overall winner, Flashlight has definitely stuck with me. This novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and longlisted for the National Book Award. It’s almost 500 pages, but don’t let the length bother you; each page is well-earned. At its heart, this is the story of a family and the aftermath after the father disappears. As a writer myself, I’m in awe of how Choi crafts her characters. The novel reminded me to give my characters foibles and faults to make them more realistic. At times, the daughter in Flashlight is borderline obnoxious, but because I cared about her, I stuck with her and wanted desperately to see how her life turned out. In fact, I wonder if her faults contribute to a sense of intimacy, almost as if the character is willing to show you (as reader) her true self, trusting that you will accept her, which in turn makes you more inclined to feel close to her.
The Antidote by Karen Russell: Ordinarily, I gravitate toward novels that are firmly set in the realm of reality, but Karen Russell’s particular brand of quirkiness is so winsome that I can’t look away. Yes, The Antidote has a prairie witch as one of the main characters—and a magical camera. It also, in its own way, brings Dust Bowl history to life. It’s memorable and haunting and has earned a permanent place on my shelves. As a writer, I don’t know if I will ever attempt to stretch “the truth” like Russell does, but it’s remarkably fun to read and a terrific reminder to stretch and take risks. I suspect that Russell had a great time writing this novel.
The Removed by Brandon Hobson: Steeped in Cherokee myth, this 2021 novel follows a fractured family after the son is killed in a police shooting. With the family’s annual bonfire approaching—an occasion marking both the Cherokee National Holiday and Ray-Ray’s death—the mother tries to call the family together. This novel tugs at the heartstrings, and Hobson’s prose, which is both restrained and lyrical, brings both the natural world and the characters’ inner emotions to life. As a writer, I strive to include beautiful language without devolving into “purple prose,” and Hobson strikes an admirable balance.
The Edge of Water by Olufunke Grace Bankole: In Ibadan, Nigeria, a mother receives a divination warning of danger for her daughter in America. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, her daughter is optimistically finding her way—until Hurricane Katrina arrives. This is a layered, polyphonic novel. While never too complex to follow, its ensemble cast and its graceful movement among various places and time periods keep the reader engaged. I admire how Bankole trusts the reader’s intelligence.
A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley: I loved Witness, Brinkley’s 2023 release, which prompted me to go back to A Lucky Man, his 2018 story collection, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. In these mesmerizing stories, Brinkley’s complex characters seek to mend broken relationships or understand the impacts of past mistakes. A teen intent on proving himself a man through the all-night revel of J’Ouvert is distracted by his younger brother. College boys follow two girls home from a party only to come face-to-face with the uncomfortable truth of their desires. At a capoeira conference, two brothers, caught in their own painful dance, wrestle with the shape of their family’s history and possible future. Brinkley’s writing reminds me to take my time with description, and I enjoy studying how he modulates his sentences to reflect mood and atmosphere.
As we begin a new reading year, I hope we can all find books that inspire us and cause us to look at the world in a fresh way.
Heather Bell Adams is the author of two novels, Maranatha Road (West Virginia University Press) and The Good Luck Stone (Haywire Books). Her work appears in New Letters, North Carolina Literary Review, Raleigh Review, The Thomas Wolfe Review, failbetter, Orange Blossom Review, Reckon Review, and elsewhere.
READ HER LIKE AN OPEN BOOK 