Kieran.Stories

It is that time of year. It’s cold. But there’s lots to be excited about. Next year will be my last year as an unmarried man. I’ve already met and proposed to my future wife, this isn’t just wishful thinking. Although I suppose it was. I have also read books this year which I will remember for a long time. These are my ten favourite reads from July to now. My January to June post is here. I hope everyone has a good rest this December, and I look forward to seeing your ‘best of’ lists.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005)

I read this quite soon after The Unconsoled by the same author. I think that book changed my brain chemistry. Never Let Me Go is more conventional, but the way Ishiguro reveals his world is so idiosyncratic and engaging. It has more in common with The Remains of the Day than I expected. Same story, different skin. I look forward to reading Kathy H. again, I won’t forget her easily.

Eastmouth and Other Stories by Alison Moore (2022)

I have strong memories of reading this collection in a shelter looking at the gap between Lytham and Southport, on my lunch break. There are too many favourite stories to list. But this was a collection that felt tailor made for my tastes. I can see myself going back to it for inspiration and motivation.

Little Scratch by Rebecca Watson (2020)

I read this novel after listening to an interview with Rebecca Watson on Robin Allender’s podcast, The Allender Calendar. They discuss if the novel is in fact experimental. Maybe it’s not. Either way, it’s a brilliant read in which the ‘experimental’ element (sentences run concurrently on the page, often to mirror the ‘real’ action against the thoughts of the narrator) feels absolutely necessary.

Poor Ghost by Gabriel Flynn (2025)

I read this book in Pendle on a weekend away. I love the way Flynn weaves the two narratives together. When a novel is constructed like this, I’m usually waiting to get back to the more interesting half. But I was just as interested in Luca’s ups and downs (mostly downs) in America, as I was in his return to Manchester. Andy is such a finely written character and the dynamic between him and his ghost writer Luca is brilliantly realised.

Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson (2016)

I think I resisted Shirley Jackson for a long time because I was scared her work would not live up to its reputation, but the work is totally peerless. The writing is so clear, and the ideas so immediate. I will be looking out for more of her work next year (very, very late to the party). My favourite stories from this collection were ‘Louisa, Please Come Home’, ‘Jack the Ripper’, and ‘The Bus’.

Cold Hand in Mine by Robert Aickman (1975)

Again, a writer I had been putting off for a while. And again, these stories are now burned into me. They are on the longer side, but they never feel too long. Not every writer can pull that off. Some short stories drag more heavily than novels. I think Aickman is a genius. It’s the double of ‘Pages from a Young Girl’s Journal’ and ‘The Hospice’ that sold me when I was reading Cold Hand in Mine. There’s real power here. There’s magic.

Municipal Gothic: Thirteen Ghost Stories by Ray Newman (2022)

A fantastic collection by Ray Newman which I read over Halloween. I was struck by the sheer variety of stories. We’re in the world of hauntings. But the hauntings are so various and the styles so numerous that it’s never dull. If I had to pick a story, it would be ‘Director’s Cut’, or possibly ‘Who Took Mary Cook?’. But then there’s the first story, ‘The Curse Follows the Seed’, which reminded me of the best episodes of Inside Number 9.

The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe (2024)

This was my first Jonathan Coe. I wanted to see a take on cosy crime after sitting through the Thursday Murder Club film on Netflix, which was (in my humble opinion) shite. While this novel delivers on that front, it turns into something else, and then into something else again. Inventive and very readable. Also, it’s one of the few books this year that I read with my partner. I read it first. As a fan of Friends, she got something else out of it. It’s nice when that happens. (Addendum: I don’t mean to come across as anti-cosy. I don’t think you should dismiss books outright based on genre. If a book is good, it’s good. I’m currently reading The Christmas Clue by Nicola Upson, almost the definition of cosy crime, and I’m loving it.)

The Building Inspector by Myriam Frey (2025)

A collection of short stories from Nightjar Press. I hope the first of many, because this is an excellent book by Myriam Frey. I read it in one sitting, in the dead of night (basically by candlelight). Scary, sharp stories. Instead of being weighed down by the ongoing story of the inspector, the collection lives by its central character. At once terrifying, infuriating, and all too real. Pick this up.

Best British Short Stories 2025 ed. Nicholas Royle (2025)

I finished the latest Best British from Salt last week. I think it’s the best one I’ve read so far. I said in my little read-by-read on Bluesky that Ian Critchley’s ‘Ghost Walks’ was my favourite in the anthology, and I’ll stand by that. I think it’s the most fun I’ve had with a story all year. Other highlights for me include ‘The Headteacher’ by Okechukwu Nzelu, ‘Fabrication’ by Imogen Reid, and ‘Flatten the Curve’ by Naomi Wood. But there’s not a dud in this book.