The Books We're Looking Forward to in 2025

[@kurtfox4944]

'The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.' - Mark Twain

[@RyanRBurns]

Thanks for continuing to edit in the covers when you reference something. You guys are the best on youtube and I’ve read a handful of ones you mentioned and have really enjoyed the material. Keep it up in 2025!

[@Lifeonbooks]

Sorry if we missed any! There were a lot of books mentioned in this episode.

[@kurtfox4944]

My reading goals: - Support my local library. Read 1 book per month from the library - One non-fiction book per month - Take 2 / Deeper Dive. Re-read 4 books that I have read before (from over 10 years ago) - Try again. Re-read a lauded book that I DNF'd from over 5 years ago. If translated, try a different version

[@Lifeonbooks]

Love that library goal.

[@SeyePhi]

love this dynamic you two have and the back n forth discussing books. Hope for more big episodes in 2025. May the beards grow forth .

[@semiote]

Just discovered your channel and loving it! I read Miss Macintosh, My Darling in 2022 and absolutely adored it. Be prepared for the least eventful novel you've ever read: it's like ambient music in literary form. Some find it intolerable for this reason, but it was right up my alley. Dreamy, meditative repetitiveness, like an early Brian Eno album.

[@TheRunbarryrun]

Hey man, buying books and reading books are two separate hobbies. 😊

[@PauloSantosPinto]

My reading goals are: enjoying what I'm reading and no care about how many books I read. I finished Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar and I was blown away by it. Now, reading The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty. Happy 2025.

[@Lifeonbooks]

I've heard good things about Martyr, I'll have to get my hands on a copy.

[@PauloSantosPinto]

@@Lifeonbooks it's a great debut novel, written in a very poetic way. BTW, I enjoy your podcast vy much and I just ordered from Rick Harsch's book store. Thanks!

[@user-mc9sg9fw3w]

You have inspired me to seek out more books from independent publishers. Also, Endurance is awesome!

[@Lifeonbooks]

I've heard nothing but good things. Excited to read it.

[@irena7777777]

@@LifeonbooksEndurance is brilliant. Very enjoyable and keeps you enthralled

[@philstrand]

As a Bolaño obsessive myself, I consider Nazi Literature in the Americas to be for the obsessive Bolaño completist who’s read most if not all his other works. Readers looking for a narrative thread or a cohesive plot will find neither, and it might turn off new readers to Bolaño. For such readers, I’d recommend starting with the short stories, then 2666 (a gargantuan masterpiece), By Night in Chile, and A Little Lumpen Novelita. The guy read everything and had such range and curiosity that he tried almost everything in his brief literary career. To read Bolaño is to wander some parallel plane, caught in a dream suspended above an abyss. A rabbit hole leading straight into the void. Enjoy. I too have wanted to read Something Happened for a long time now. There’s a great episode about it on the Backlisted podcast which I highly recommend. Thanks for all the year-end vids to keep us merrily distracted from the chaos that is reality!

[@SeyePhi]

I love big books and I cannot lie.

[@jackwalter5970]

Oh no! I loved The Savage Detectives! Almost finished with The Last Samurai and it's great too! Happy 2025, guys! Andy, check out Chris Vai's Leaf by Leaf video on Miss Mackintosh.

[@Lifeonbooks]

Dang you're flying!

[@nickbrodie]

My goal is to only read thin books so i can end up with a total of 600 read next year.

[@Lifeonbooks]

@@nickbrodie 1000 or bust

[@genesisacevedo1733]

My first language was Spanish and i speak it at home but all of my education and preferred language is English. So my Spanish is broken. I can read it but i can’t comprehend well. Goals: 1. Read a novel in Spanish 2. Read a nonfiction based on event or time period high lighted in some of my favorite fictions. 3. I’ve reading slow this last 1/2 of the year. I want to read even slower. 4. Write about what I’m reading. so i could remember what i loved so much about the book. 5. Read some of the books on your list😅

[@battybibliophile-Clare]

I just was so excited by your plans for the next year. I love the long form of your video. I've just bought two of the hooks mentioned.

[@Lifeonbooks]

@@battybibliophile-Clare well you gotta tell us which ones!

[@battybibliophile-Clare]

@Lifeonbooks well they are Miss Macintosh My Darling and Omega Minor. I shall watch again in the morning and sort another couple of books to buy, as I got lots of Amazon vouchers over Christmas.

[@AloBal-n1g]

Every author has the masterpiece book .you stay with the masterpieces.

[@karakask5488]

I just found you guys today! Love the podcast, just two bros talking about books. I've had Last Samurai on my shelf for a while, so maybe I'll join your book club!

[@Lifeonbooks]

@@karakask5488 thank you so much 🙏

[@marcelhidalgo1076]

Sensini is an absolutely beautiful story from Last Evenings on Earth

[@lazlopez9368]

Whats up guys. Great show! Just sharing with everyone that according to an article I read the title 2666 is in reference to the length (miles) of Chile.🙏🏻

[@Lifeonbooks]

ah interesting! I guess knowing that I would pronounce it "Two thousand six hundred sixty six".

[@kurtfox4944]

_Naked Lunch_ Did you understand it? Not a lick .... hahahahaha

[@TimeTravelReads]

It would be helpful to hear your American literature recommendations. I have an American history project reading nonfiction history, but I might want to add a little literature and historical fiction too.

[@24hourcoffee]

A.B.C. Always be comprehending

[@Lifeonbooks]

🤣🤣🤣

[@BetheQuail]

I’m intrigued by the Bolaňo drama because those books were released in the US when I was very into South and Central American literature, but I just couldn’t get into any of them.

[@Lifeonbooks]

@@BetheQuail I've enjoyed most everything I've read from Latin America so far, but TSD just ain't doing it for me. I'm going to give Nazi Literature in the Americas a go, and then I'll render a more final judgement on Bolano.

[@OscarHernandez-mj3ps]

I love to read. I wish I had the privilege to buy books

[@jessicayork9035]

I really want to read Miss MacIntosh My Darling. I just stumbled on it yesterday looking at Instagram. Being from Indiana like her, I'm interested in her writing. Looking forward to Andy's views on it!. My 2025 is going to be War and Peace, hopefully Ducks Newburyport, Virginia Woolf and some Victorian classics that have been on my shelf. I would love to get to Infinite Jest too but we will see...

[@Lifeonbooks]

That's a lot of big books!

[@AloBal-n1g]

2025 in literature i think will be more daring.because people study individually from personal computers.i graduated the open university .you study individually.second factor is globalization also because of computers good book will bring scenes from all the globe.🌈

[@dwritesbooks5772]

Curious what you guys will think of the book What Death Taught Terrence!

[@ashulman2008]

I was half and half on savage detectives. I missed what people love about it even though there was some great stuff there. I just lost the thread. Loved the tunnel though, but you have to love writing for writings sake, or else it’s going to leave you saying wtf.

[@Lifeonbooks]

I think part of my problem with TSD is that I'm reading the Tunnel concurrently, and it's tough to compete with the Tunnel on prose.

[@juanpiedrahita-garcia5138]

Can you please post the link for the Slovenian publisher you were talking about?

[@Lifeonbooks]

coronasamizdat.com/index.php

[@lavenderlady7441]

hey 😊

[@satdenkoenig]

I’m at around the same part as Tony. Really just trying to power through the rest of it at this point

[@Lifeonbooks]

I'm a bit further on now, but unfortunately my opinion remains the same.

[@irena7777777]

I listened to it. Hadn’t a clue what was happening most of the time.

[@achunaryan3418]

Jeans jeans jeans :FIDE

[@AloBal-n1g]

No teachers no country 🚦

[@TheBirdyyeses]

No love for Archipelago Books 😢

[@Lifeonbooks]

Andy has a bunch from Archipelago. They are a little tougher to get in the US though.

[@mjdeluxe]

Archipelago does not miss. They're up there with deepvellum/dalkey archive for me. Will Evans is really on a roll lately. I could not be more excited about they're acquiring of Fum d'Estampa. Elizabeth Duval is going to pop off in the states when her stuff becomes accessible in the US

[@hillbillyjackwagon]

I DNF'd the hell out of 2666, so I feel vindicated by your response to the Savage Detectives. For your Vietnam reading, I recommend the memoir "Hell Looks Different Now" by Doc McNiff. My dad is mentioned in the book, so I'm admittedly biased. Looking forward to 2025 and maybe tackling Tolstoy for the first time.

[@Lifeonbooks]

@@hillbillyjackwagon whoa thats cool about your dad though!

[@martyclark-np7ov]

2666 is so bad, I really don’t understand how anyone could like that book.

[@AloBal-n1g]

War is the ultimate life experience.read homer.

[@nationalskaren]

18:13 unless you pronouce something badly 😂

[@leopercara3477]

Bolaño is overrated garbage and I read him in spanish. You don't need to do this to yourself.

[@martyclark-np7ov]

Bolano stinks. You think savage detectives is unenjoyable? Try 2666.