Spencer Ruchti

Books we loved in 2025, plus what's already on our TBR for 2026 It's a new year, which means there are new books to read — hundreds of them.

It's a new year, which means there are new books to read — hundreds of them. KUOW’s Katie Campbell and Spencer Ruchti from Third Place Books are here to make building your TBRs a little easier this year.

Books We Loved in 2025 It's a new year, which means there are new books to read — hundreds of them. Honestly, it's overwhelming as someone with more than 600 books on my digital and physical TBRs.

One of my fave local bookworms joined me for today's episode of Meet Me Here from @kuow.org! @spencerruchti.bsky.social talked about some of his top reads in 2025 and what he's looking forward to this year. Get your TBRs (or crazy Excel spreadsheets) ready and listen here 👇

🎉 Congratulations to Christina MacSweeney and Jazmina Barrera! THE QUEEN OF SWORDS is the winner of the 2025 Cercador Prize! ⚔️ www.cercadorprize.com

👉 This Thurs., 11/20, at Third Place Books 🔜 Natl. Book Award-winning translator Megan McDowell will sit down with @spencerruchti.bsky.social ( #ThirdPlaceBooks & the #CercadorPrize) to discuss her #translation of Mexican author Elena Garro. 💯 recommend‼️ www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/jazmin...

Congratulations again to Christina MacSweeney!

Committee citation: “[This] study of Elena Garro, a maligned pioneer of magical realism, defies convention and embraces contradiction. This is a book of reversals and research, an unwaveringly brilliant portrait of a complex and undone life, captured in art and destruction. . .faith and persecution”

The Queen of Swords is a portrait of the influential Mexican writer Elena Garro (1916–1988), a founder of “magical realism,” and an activist on behalf of indigenous Mexicans.

The book cover of QUEEN OF SWORDS by Jazmina Barrera, translated by Christina MacSweeney, overlayed on a graphic.

🎉 The committee for the Cercador Prize confers this year’s prize to Christina MacSweeney for her translation of ‘The Queen of Swords’ by Jazmina Barrera (Two Lines Press). Congratulations to Christina, Jazmina, and @twolinespress.com!

You’ll always be #1 in my heart ❤️

Laszlo Krasznahorkai Is Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature The award comes with prize money of almost $1.2 million.

Breaking News: The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Laszlo Krasznahorkai, the Hungarian novelist, for his “visionary oeuvre.”

I love this prize! Congrats @ryanhasbadtaste.bsky.social & @spencerruchti.bsky.social! @usrofc.bsky.social

Happy to serve 🫡🫡🫡 it’s fantastic.

Ironically I’ll never have the guts to this

Third Place Books staff help bookstore live up to its name With three Seattle-area locations, Third Place Books aims to be more than a bookstore. It's a place for people to gather, share ideas and spend time together.

I ♥️ Third Place Books

@spencerruchti.bsky.social @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social

www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...

Omar El Akkad : One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This - Tin House In late October 2023, weeks into Israel’s bombing of northern Gaza, the novelist Omar El Akkad retweeted a video taken by a Gazan man. This video showed a lifeless moonscape with endless empty streets...

I’ve never met @davidnaimon.bsky.social, and yet his manner is such that I feel like we’re old friends. And I don’t listen to podcasts except for Between the Covers. This week’s is a doozy. Very highly recommended.

tinhouse.com/podcast/omar...

Disgusting

HUGE ideas!!

Oof, buddy

IS A RIVER ALIVE? coming this May

I know how the TikTok girlies feel now. @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social

NOWHERE LEFT TO CLIMB (except the Pulitzer)

Plot twist: after 15 minutes the AI author facsimile loses track of the conversation and starts ranting about how they think Nielsen BookScan works

I was just saying to myself this morning, I wonder if there’s anything more AI could do to suck all joy out of the private experience of reading.

👍

Oh, thank you András!

nightmare unleashed, no no no no no

I would have been the Tin House intern around that time… could I have sent you that package?? Congrats to László, precious baby

I agree that’s funny

I think this is correct—and astute!

“Walking thus, hour after hour, the senses keyed, one walks the flesh transparent.” - Nan Shepherd, The Living Mountain

Seattle Times headline that reads: “Despite RSVPs, Oregon newlyweds show up to mostly empty wedding reception”

Yeah, try running author events for a living…