March 2025 Reading Superlatives

In recent weeks we have seen the announcement of many longlists and shortlists. I am always interested to see what gets chosen, and the ones which have most grabbed my attention are: the Women’s Prizes (for fiction, and for non-fiction), the Carol Shields Prize (North American women’s fiction), the Nebula Awards (science fiction and fantasy published in the United States), and the Carnegie Medals (children’s and YA books). Do look at these, and others, if you want some good ideas of what to read next. Meanwhile, here are some of the books I really liked reading in March.

Most Enjoyable Fantasy

I am always attracted by epistolary novels, and  Sylvie Cathrall’s A Letter to the Luminous Deep makes excellent use of this form. There is both mystery and romance as we see the developing relationship between E and Henerey, as well as the later attempts by their siblings to determine what has happened to them. The book’s kindness and humour greatly appealed to me, and I liked the characters. I was also much taken by its world building which included both an academic setting, and a lovely underwater house. A very enjoyable read.

Best Fictional Depiction of the Power of Reading

I have read quite a lot of American books about banning books, and this seems to be a growing issue there. Kirsten Miller’s Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books both addresses the problem, and shows how powerful books can be in liberating people. This novel is particularly concerned with issues such as racism, sexism, and homophobia, and I can appreciate that some readers might find it somewhat didactic. It has a lot of warmth, compassion, and humour, and there are some splendid characters. I loved it.

Best Non-Fictional Discussion of the Power of Reading 

Carol Atherton’s Reading Lessons: The Books We Read at School, the Conversations They Spark, and Why They Matter may sound rather earnest, but I actually found the book very readable. It helps if you know some, or all, of the texts (Of Mice and Men, Macbeth, An Inspector Calls etc), but I don’t think it matters if you don’t. Atherton includes a fair amount of interesting autobiographical detail; including her teaching experiences, and how she has been affected by reading and education. There are also references to broader debates about society which I found illuminating. This book made me think a lot.

Most Enjoyable Science-Fiction Writer

I have recently been reading a fair amount of books by John Scalzi. He is perhaps best known for his Old Man’s War series which I like; particularly the ones such as Zoe’s Tale which are less military. I prefer, however, The Interdependency, a trilogy, which is a lot of fun, and becomes more and more interesting as it goes along and the characters develop, sometimes in most unexpected ways. Scalzi has also written some very good standalone works, and my favourite is probably Fuzzy Nation. I can easily see why he is so popular with many science-fiction readers.

Best Children’s/YA Novella

Anthony McGowan has written a number of impressive novellas, but his latest, The Beck (11+) is my favourite yet. I particularly liked the depiction of the relationship between the protagonist and his grandfather. McGowan is also skilled at providing excellent descriptions of nature in very few words.

As ever, do ask if you want any more recommendations.

Happy Reading!

Frances

Please note that I have taken the idea of ‘superlatives’ from the excellent book blog Elle Thinks (https://ellethinks.wordpress.com/).