{"id":21627,"date":"2025-12-29T05:59:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T05:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/?p=21627"},"modified":"2025-12-29T05:59:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T05:59:37","slug":"books-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/books-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Books 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I\u2019ve read over 50 <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/books\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"10349\">books<\/a> this year, the most since I started noting on this site. Retirement from full-time work is beginning to reap benefits. Looking through the whole list I find my scoring system does exactly relate to the ones that stick in my memory most. Here are the 5 stars anyway. <br><\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"display-posts-listing\"><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/the-book-of-goose\/\">The Book of Goose<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/yiyun-li\/\">Yiyun Li<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/review-flashlight-by-susan-choi\/\">Review: Flashlight by Susan Choi<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/susan-choi\/\">Susan Choi<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/review-seascraper-by-benjamin-wood\/\">Seascraper<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/benjamin-wood\/\">Benjamin Wood<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/little-monsters\/\">little monsters<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/adrienne-brodeur\/\">Adrienne Brodeur<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/there-there\/\">There There<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/tommy-orange\/\">Tommy Orange<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/golden-child\/\">Golden Child<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/claire-adam\/\">Claire Adam<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/bel-canto\/\">Bel Canto<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/ann-patchett\/\">Ann Patchett<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/winter\/\">Winter<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/ali-smith\/\">Ali Smith<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/the-unwilding-by-mariana-kemp\/\">The Unwilding<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/mariana-kemp\/\">Mariana Kemp<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/in-ascension-by-martin-macinnes\/\">In Ascension<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/martin-macinnes\/\">Martin MacInnes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/the-divorcees\/\">The Divorcees<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/rowan-beaird\/\">Rowan Beaird<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/lone-wolf\/\">Lone Wolf<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/adam-weymouth\/\">Adam Weymouth<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/highway-thirteen\/\">Highway Thirteen<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/fiona-mcfarlane\/\">Fiona Mcfarlane<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/the-blazing-heather\/\">The Blazing Heather<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/colm-toibin\/\">Colm T\u00f3ib\u00edn<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/half-of-a-yellow-sun\/\">Half of a Yellow Sun<\/a> <span class=\"category-display\"><span class=\"category-display-label\">:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie\/\">Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/tag\/%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85%e2%98%85\/\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/a><\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve read over 50 books this year, the most since I started noting on this site. Retirement from full-time work is beginning to reap benefits. Looking through the whole list I find my scoring system does exactly relate to the ones that stick in my memory most. Here are the 5 stars anyway.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"mf2_syndication":[],"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"webmentions_disabled_pings":false,"webmentions_disabled":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[953],"tags":[2058],"post_format":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21627","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-posse","7":"tag-2025-review","8":"kind-article","10":"h-entry","11":"hentry"},"better_featured_image":null,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p57zFQ-5CP","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"kind":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21627"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21736,"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21627\/revisions\/21736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21627"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnjohnston.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_format?post=21627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}