The books that had the most impact on me this year were:

How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa that documents the convergence of social media and authoritarian government in the Philippines that she describes as a petri dish whose global rollout effects are now clear. 

Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka was even more darkly hilarious than his Booker winning Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, with caricatures of many familiar cricketers.

Calling In by the African American feminist and civil rights activist, Loretta Ross, decried the practice, especially on the political left, of applying ideological purity tests and calling out or cancelling people and groups who could instead be seen as trusted, problematic, or potential allies and provided guides to “calling in” instead. Her own history as a survivor or rape and incest, of working with people from radically opposed points of view, and of her missteps, added to the book’s credibility.

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak traced the journey of a drop of water from ancient Mesopotamia through 19th century London and contemporary Iraq and England. 

Wishing you all joyful year-end festivities and the best in 2026.

Kind regards,


Ingrid Srinath


On 18 Dec 2025, at 00:48, Thaths via Silklist <[email protected]> wrote:


On Wed, Dec 17, 2025 at 10:39 AM Bruce Metcalf via Silklist <[email protected]> wrote:
Thaths wrote:
> I think I added it to my To Read list after reading Bruce's review.
> Finally got to reading it this year.

And...?

Sorry, I thought I had shared my opinions upthread, but I realize that I only described the book, not my opinion of it.

I really liked it. The author's breadth and depth of knowledge (about Science, Philosophy, History,...) was awe inspiring. And the imagined past (Reconquista of Feringia by Islamic empires, "Discovery" of New World from the Pacific by a Chinese fleet, Emergence of a Deccani resistance to Islamic expansion, The birth of Democracy in the Haudenosaunee nation,...) is plausible.

Thaths
--
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Homer: D'oh!
Carl:  Unless you're crooked.
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