The Annual Marc awards!

 So 2025 has been a mixed year.  I managed 79 books- even managed to finish my NYE read on NYE so as to not complicate the count from year to year. There were  a couple of disappointments and two DNFs.

In the order that I read them, my top reads of 2025 were

1- The Constant rabbit - Jasper Fforde

This is a few years old, but my first time reading it. In a world where rabbits have gained sentience and grown to human size, is there any way that humans and Lupus can coexist?

This was a brilliantly funny way to discuss some hard hitting real life themes of xenophobia and acceptance.

2- A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World- CA Fletcher

Again, this book has been around for a few years, but it was my first time.

In a post apocalypse world where basically humanity faces extinction due to 98% infertility rates in men and women, mankind has separated into far distant communes. When the narrator's dog is stolen by a visitor to their island, they set out in pursuit to get their dog back, leading to a trek across a desolate future British Isles.

The imagination on display here is formidable and the writing is fantastic.  I felt every emotion the lead character felt. One of my favourite post apocs.

3- Thornhedge- T. Kingfisher

The story of Sleeping Beauty from the POV of the fairy with the sleeping princess as the villain in a humane cage.

This was just beautifully written and told. Toadling is such a great character I didn't want the book to end.

4-Miss Benson's beetle - Rachel Joyce

This probably looks like an odd choice in between all the post apocalyptic mayhem and high fantasy concepts but it charmed me completely.  I loved the characters and was totally caught up in their quest to find the beetle, and themselves. Gorgeous gorgeous book.

5- A song for Quiet- Cassandra Khaw

A mindblowing story about a musician who can change worlds with his music, and the eldritch detective chasing him to stop it happening. All told in Khaw's incomparable prose.

6- Grace - AM Shine

The latest book by the author of The Watchers. This totally caught me from left field with some of the plot turns. And they were all earned.  the clues had been there from the start.  Add to that, Shine's deeply atmospheric prose and this was a definite highlight.

7- King Sorrow - Joe Hill

King's son proves once again that he's just as good as his daddy.  This epic story feels like its a half of its 900 page bulk.  The eponymous dragon is probably the best villain of the year. There were plot turns in this that made my jaw hit the floor.  Again, they were all earned.

8- Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke- Eric LaRocca

My first LaRocca book but certainly not my last.  This drove the chill bone deep in the title story. Probably the most psychologically twisted thing I've read in years.

It's definitely my favourite title of the year too.

9- Boys in The Valley- Phillip Fracassi

Another new writer to me. and another where I've gone out to find everything I can that he's written. Everything about this book is perfect.  The claustrophobia of the setting, the depiction of the characters, the steady increase of threat until the final 200 page outburst of violence where it's unclear who, if anyone might survive the night.

10- Watching Evil Dead- Josh Malerman

A brilliant dissection of the horror genre and the nature of creativity through the lens of one night introducing his now wife to the classic film series that is The Evil Dead. I wasn't holding out much hope before I started this, but, as you can tell from its placement here, it well and truly won me over.

10- Good Boy- Neil McRobert

The eagle eyed amongst my readers might spot something strange here, but this was too good to leave off the list.

Honourable mentions go to Grady Hendrix's Final Girl Support Group, Guy Kay's Written on the Dark, Sonny Morraine's Your Shadow Half Remains, and Charles Lambert's Little Monsters.  It was close but I already had 11 in my top 10.

My DNFs were intermezzo by Sally Rooney- where I felt huge sections written by Yoda they were, I really just don't get on with her writing- and Satantango by Lazlo longnameIcantbebotheredwith- This dragged for me.  I'm not into sentencs that go on for two pages.  It felt as dry as one of Ghandhi's flip flops to me.

The worst books that I actually finished were When the Moon Hatched by Sara A Parker- dreadful faery porn with occasional dragons- A Cruel Fate by Lindsey Davies- this was a real shame because I liked the last of her books I read but luckily this was very short- and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Arnfield- there's a good idea or 6 floating around in that book, but I thought the execution was just dull as a vey dull thing.