"I'm a stand-up comedian. Not a book critic. I don't want to be a book critic. And writing about books is really fucking hard. I don't want to recap the plots or write shit like "languorous prose." I can't even remember character names, much less general themes, and I have zero interest in "what the author is trying to say.""
"That said, I read a lot of fucking books, and I particularly enjoy reading fiction as soon as it is released to the public. It gives me a pleasure I can only describe as watching a film the Friday it hits theaters, as opposed to two weeks later once the critics and the public at large have weighed in. As I'm writing this piece, I have read 51 novels that were released in 2025."
"It's about the dangers of artificial intelligence on a personal level and the effects it can have on a family with the best intentions. It is a mystery and a horror story about how AI can affect children like secondhand smoke. Stories about suicide are always brutal, but this one packs an extra punch. It's a melancholy novel that will stay with the reader long after it is over."
A stand-up comedian refuses the role of book critic and finds writing about books difficult. The comedian avoids plot recaps, literary descriptors, and analyzing authorial intent, and often cannot recall character names or themes. Reading newly released fiction provides a distinct pleasure akin to seeing a film opening weekend rather than after reviews. Fifty-one novels released in 2025 were read, chosen from publisher descriptions or familiar authors. A five-year habit of tracking reads produces an annual top-ten list now published behind a paywall. Selected favorites include emotionally heavy novels about AI, suicide, and morally challenging protagonists.
Read at Vulture
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