2025 Reading List

Another big reading year with 211 books. Not as high as last year, but second highest overall.

You can also check out my top 10 fictiontop 10 nonfiction, and my reading stats/goals.

You can also check out my previous reading lists: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002, and 2001.

If you want to read more, check out my booklet 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading Again.

Reading Themes for 2025

  • I read a lot, again.
  • Romance was huge this year. A different genre actually dethroned science fiction for the first time ever.
Continue reading 2025 Reading List

Campaigns Should Get Weird

I love this take. Charlotte Swasey, a self-proclaimed political data nerd, says Democrats need to get weird:


“Maybe what your district needs is an entirely row-boat-based campaign. There’s essentially no downside here. If you’re running in an R +20 district, that marginal 10 votes from a careful, ordinary campaign is just not going to matter. It should be hail-mary all the way.” –Charlotte Swasey

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2025 in Music: Spotify Wrapped

This year I listened to 41,063 minutes of music, accounting for 5,413 songs and 2,625 artists. Less than last year all the way around.

Here’s 202120222023, and 2024 data to compare.

My Top 5 Songs of 2025

Lots of girl-powered punk/pop vibe in my top songs, with some harmonies and Lizzo:

  1. “Table for Glasses” by Joseph (44 times)
  2. “Love in Real Life” by Lizzo
  3. “Don’t Tell the Girls” by BIZZY
  4. “Don’t!” by L0L0
  5. “Your Story” by Millie Manders and the Shutup

That top spot has half the plays of last year. Spots 2-5 are separated by two plays and #3 & #4 are tied. #4 and #5 are repeats from last year (as is #6). All of these songs feature prominently in playlists, and I’m honestly surprised about “Table for Glasses”—I couldn’t tell you what the chorus is without hearing the song first. Mostly this means I didn’t narrow in on a few songs, I just played a broad swathe of music and this is what floated to the top.

My Top 5 Artists of 2025

My top two artists were in last year’s list, and U2 regains the top spot. Sort of surprised to see Five Iron Frenzy fall off the list (though also not).

  1. U2 – I played 1,160 minutes of U2, which is the top .3%.
  2. Millie Manders and the Shutup
  3. The Paradox
  4. Winona Fighter
  5. Semler

This year Spotify also gave you an age based on your listening habits. Mine was 18! Apparently because I listen to a lot of new music, which I guess is true. Though it cracks me up since I don’t feel like I’m into any of the music the kids are into these days (I mean, ska punk was in my top five genres).

Aside from the Paradox, I never felt like I narrowed in on a single band this year. Much of my top five songs are just from playing the same playlists over and over.

Level Up Local News

I’m wrapping up the annual fall member drive for West St. Paul Reader. Tomorrow is the last day. Whew.

These things are always a ton of work. You oscillate between letdown that no one is signing up and sheer joy when a few people join. There’s also a manic feeling that you have to keep pushing it—you never know what’s going to break through, and you’re afraid of holding something back. It’s wild.

Continue reading Level Up Local News

Banned Books and Periods

It’s banned book week and my wife is in the midst of a campaign to buy period products for the local food shelf. So it struck me as a good time to read Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.

This book was published 55 years ago, before I was born, and it’s been banned for its frank discussion of menstruation (“menstroo-ation,” which ironically is how I pronounce it in my head to make sure I spell it right) and religion. Thankfully, it’s not one of the top books banned these days, but it’s still jaw-dropping that people are that scared of periods.

It’s 2025. Can we stop being uptight about tampons?

And stop banning books?

So it’s a good time to read a banned book.

And help fight period poverty.

Pad Drive to Restock the Food Shelf

Abby and her fellow “Bleed Queens” are raising tons of money for pads, tampons, and other period products for our local food shelf, Neighbors, Inc. You can donate via Venmo to organizers Katie Dohman or Abby Hendricks. They’ll buy product in bulk at Costco and donate it to Neighbors, Inc.

They’ve done it before. To the tune of $15,000 in 2023. So when Neighbors, Inc. was running dangerously low, they asked Abby and Katie if they could work their magic.

Please consider a donation to support the cause. Or find a food shelf in your neighborhood and donate pads and tampons.

(Tampon Squirrel created by Carolyn Swiszcz in 2023.)

In Remembrance of Roosevelt Elementary School in Keego Harbor, Michigan

I just came across the story of Roosevelt Elementary School being cleared for demolition. Apparently there’s been an ongoing legal fight for the past few years between the West Bloomfield School District and residents over tearing down the school. The Court of Appeals just OKed demolition.

I don’t have anything to add to that debate. But I did attend Roosevelt for two years and the news triggered a wave of memories.

Let’s stroll down memory lane…

Continue reading In Remembrance of Roosevelt Elementary School in Keego Harbor, Michigan

The Value and Power of Screaming Town Halls

Back in 2020, I wrote Better Politics Please, an idealistic little book that dreamed of a functional, more friendly political climate. Roughly six months after it came out, January 6th happened and it all felt hopelessly naive. A presidential election cycle later it feels like we’re stuck in the same place. But every now and then the naive hope of that book shines through.

Today it comes from Republican Representative Michael Flood from Nebraska. You’ve probably seen headlines about him being booed at town halls. You might remember him as they guy who admitted to voting for the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ and missing a section that defanged the federal courts.

But the guy is actually holding town halls, when Republican leadership has encouraged their entire party not to do it.

The Daily sat down with Flood to ask why.

Continue reading The Value and Power of Screaming Town Halls

100 Books So Far in 2025

Last week I read my 100th book of the year. It happened to be The Sirens’ Call by Christopher Hayes (deep dive into how our devices suck our attention away from everything good in the world).

One hundred books? Yeah, I read a lot.

For context, I’m not on the same furious pace I set last year and I’m even behind 2023. But yeah, it’s still a lot.

Trends in 2025 reading so far…

Continue reading 100 Books So Far in 2025

Wanda Madden 1931-2025

My grandmother passed away last week, two weeks shy of her 94th birthday and 100 days after her husband died. This marks the last of my grandparents to die, so it feels like the end of a generation.

Family Remembrance

Here’s the piece I read at the funeral:

I did this a few months back for my Grandpa, and I told funny stories. I don’t have any funny stories today. Not because Grandma wasn’t funny or didn’t enjoy a good laugh—she did. I can picture her face crinkled up in laughter as she finishes a story, ending with ‘Well, I never.’ But Grandma wasn’t a character, cracking jokes that sought to be the center of attention. Instead, Grandma was a quiet rock. She held the home together. She was humble, devoted, forgiving, loving, curious. Those are the memories I have of my Grandma.

They’re simple and mundane memories—coloring at the kitchen table while Grandma cleaned the kitchen or made supper, taking us to WalMart or the bookstore, running errands to deliver Meals on Wheels, or visiting Great-Grandma Scheufler. 

Continue reading Wanda Madden 1931-2025