Those are my favorite first-time reads of the year. Give me a book to add to my reading list for 2025!

1. Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry

I wasn’t excited to read this at first. Early on, I begrudgingly started to admit I liked it, but by the end, I didn’t want to say goodbye. These cowboys became friends. Their journey moved me. A perfect book, and one of my all-time favorites.

2. James, by Percival Everett

This re-imagining of Huck Finn starts as a thrilling adventure with the same wit and spirit of Twain’s novel, but quickly descends into a much darker, human tale of the different worlds that James and Huck inhabit. A thrilling, challenging novel.

3. Star-Spangled Jesus, by April Ajoy

April’s story of growing up and leaving Christian nationalism is different from mine but I related to so much of it. It’s genuinely funny, and painfully insightful. Most of all, it helped me feel a bit less alone. Can’t recommend it enough.

4. The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion

One of the more surprising entries in my list this year, Simsion’s Rosie trilogy really caught me off guard. A rom-com (not my typical genre) with characters I just fell in love with. Hilarious, heartfelt, and just purely charming.

5. Powerhouse, by James Andrew Miller

This tells the story of CAA, the legendary talent agency that changed how Hollywood operated. It’s extensive and engaging, with so many behind-the-scenes stories I had never heard before. A remarkable, authoritative Hollywood history.

6. Different Seasons, by Stephen King

I chose to limit myself to just one King book on the list. With this anthology, Shawshank and The Body are two of King’s greatest stories ever, while Apt Pupil and Breathing Method are excellent pitch black thrillers. A perfect anthology.

7. Wild & Crazy Guys, by Nick de Semlyen

A deep dive into the comedians who came out of SNL and SCTV and revolutionized the films of the 70s & 80s. It’s a captivating read, and gives a new perspective on the highs and lows of comedy over the years. Really loved it.

8. The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead

Another basis for one of my favorite films of the year, this is a powerful, grim story of injustice. Whitehead’s personal writing draws you into the world of Elwood and Jack, making the horrors of their tale all the more maddening.

9. Dylan Goes Electric!, by Elijah Wald

Tells the true story of how Bob Dylan became a hero of the folk music scene before revolutionizing it. It thoroughly covers how audiences revered Dylan, and also felt betrayed by him at the time. Really engaging and illuminating.

10. Matilda, by Roald Dahl

I didn’t read many of Roald Dahl’s books as a kid, but my kids and I have been devouring every one of his novels we can get our hands on. Matilda was our favorite of the lot. A funny, moving story about growing up different. A classic for a reason.

More:

Terrence Malick
Noah Baumbach
Domee Shi
Alejandro Iñárittu
Rian Johnson
Yorgos Lanthimos
Osgood Perkins
Wes Anderson
Luca Guadagnino
Mona Fastvold
Steven Soderbergh
Danny Boyle
Maggie Gyllenhaal
David Lowery
James Cameron
Kogonada
James Gunn
Derek Cianfrance
Travis Knight

Chalamet fills his Bob Dylan with the right amount of mystery and enigma. It’s a riveting role that he nails.

Ed Norton and Monica Barbaro shine too, filling out these other sides of Dylan perfectly.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN really worked for me.