Close Reads Podcast 2025: A Year of Reading in Review
Dec 31, 2025
The hosts dive into their favorite reads of the year, sharing their top five book selections and discussing unique literary experiences. They reflect on audience reactions to classic titles and the importance of provocative conversations. Highlights include surprising reads like 'Bridge of San Luis Rey' and explorations of historical figures in 'Stalin, Court of the Red Czar.' The episode teases an exciting reading list for 2026, featuring Tolkien and other classics, while also celebrating personal reflections on cherished books from their childhood.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Broken Laptop, Big Disruption
- Sean describes discovering his broken laptop screen and compares a dead laptop to a lame plow horse, emphasizing practical disruption.
- David and Heidi respond with sympathy and practical suggestions, showing the hosts' real-life setbacks during the year.
Winter Camp, Phones Turned In
- Heidi recounts attending winter camp with youth, turning in her phone, and missing broomball due to a cold.
- She found the embodied, relational experience of camp renewing despite illness and lack of sleep.
Programming Books As Cultural Brackets
- David outlines the subscriber-year plan: Tolkien-themed English poems, Moby Dick, and more, framing American literature in 2026.
- He argues Tolkien and Beowulf work as bookends around Moby Dick to explore the American novel's standing.