'Tis the season for a very biased list
The 2025 consumption wrap up
‘Tis the season for cosy reading sessions and watching horrifically cheesy romcoms. It’s also the time of year I enjoy looking back and doing my year in review, so I thought I’d drop a slither of it here. Well, sort of. It’s, truthfully, more like a very biased list of books I’ve read this year that you might like (to buy in the sales) and ones (I think!) you should avoid.
I have terrible taste when it comes to film and TV though — I’ve already watched too much Nora Ephron this December — so didn’t fancy sharing that bit of my 2025. Instead, I’ve outsourced the TV/film roundup to people whose taste I trust. But, first up, my book list specifically on love and sex.
Rereads
Come as you are, Emily Nagoski’s book on female sexuality that I actually think should be mandatory reading at 16, continues to be a book that I learn more and more from every time I pick it up. Honestly, read it. Whatever gender you are.
Attached. OH, LET ME TELL YOU HOW MAD (as in, annoyed) I AM. I lent my copy to a man this year and, well, he looked after it as well as he looked after my heart. Not well, that is, in case you needed me to be clearer. THAT ASIDE, rereading it in a year of being very secure in myself — in comparison to the first time I read it when I was an anxious mess post that situation — brought up a whole new bunch of questions and learnings.
New reads
All about love. It’s a classic for a reason but it didn’t change my life. Maybe it’s because I’ve read a lot on love and on equal rights movements — lots that draws on bell hooks’ work — that it didn’t feel groundbreaking. However, there were good points which is why I’ve added it to the list, like she talks about fear, power and the need for domination being confused for love. She’s also really clear that love and abuse are unable to co-exist, which I don’t think I’ve ever read quite so bluntly before.
Secret Sex, an anthology. This was fun. What sex scenes would authors actually write if they weren’t afraid? The stories are written by 24 authors living in Canada — but you don’t know whose is whose. Plus, it’s way better than Want (see a few books down).
Sunshine and Spice. Another Canadian one. It’s like diaspora YA. There’s stuff about being disconnected from your roots, a lot of yearning, and then a couple of spicy scenes right near the end. It’s defo not a gift for the youngest in the house but it’s definitely aimed at a younger audience and is a good entry point to spicier reads. I picked this up at the Hopeless Romantic bookshop, a romantasy themed bookshop in Toronto, and they rated it a one chilli (which I agree with).
More love, less sex
The Covenant of Water. One of my favourite reads this year. It’s about a family in Kerala, following four generations from 1900 to 1977, where each generation suffers a ‘death by water’. But it’s actually not about that, really (and I actually think that storyline ends weakly). It’s about love and grief and the interconnectedness of both. It’s about family, the changing landscape of India, religion, caste and so much more. It’s gorgeous. I’ve already gifted it once!
Open Water. My friend gifted me this and I’ve read enough of her recommendations in the past to know it had to go straight to the top of my list. Deservedly so. I devoured it in a couple of days. Honestly, it has some of the best descriptions of being in love that I’ve ever read. It deals with masculinity — specifically being a Black man — so tenderly. It’s written in what, I think, they call poetic prose.
Atmosphere. Yes, yes, I know this is everywhere. It’s by the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (which I also read this year!) and Daisy Jones and the Six. It’s a queer love story set at NASA in the 80s. Balled my eyes out a couple of times. Perfect holiday reading!
The ones I don’t know how I feel about — and would love you to read so we can discuss!
Heart Lamp. I think it’s important to have context about this anthology. The stories were originally written in Kannada between 1990 and 2023 about Muslim women in villages in Karnataka. I had to read it without centring the discomfort of people here in the West and without overthinking what they might assume about the role of women in Muslim communities. Bur the stories reflect lives back to the people they are written about, and in that lies its power. If you can read it without judgement, it’s got some powerful moments. Difficult, undoubtedly.
All fours. Oh man, was this the most hyped book of the year? I’ll say, off the bat, I loved the first half of this and felt very meh about the second half. I know this is controversial and I’m sorry. Please talk to me about it! What did I miss?
Community recommendations
Nishad says watch the film Saiyaara
‘For the first time in a while, a Hindi film has managed to grab the attention of a generation that’s half-scrolling, half-watching, and somehow still craving something real.[...] And yet, the frustration begins almost immediately, because this is still the same film we’ve seen a dozen times before: a boy who only knows how to express himself through rage — fighting, shouting, sulking, breaking things — until a girl enters his life and softens the edges. [...] There is one scene, though, that adds a layer (or at least tries to). After they sleep together, there’s a moment where he opens up. They’re lying in bed and he shares about his childhood. For a second, you think: finally … this is the first time he’s vulnerable and maybe there’s something accurate about the fact that men often find it easier to open up post-sex. That’s the one part of the film that feels emotionally aware and still I’m torn, because it’s not clear whether that choice was deliberate or just a plot device to show a steamy scene. Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that the broader structure of the film is built around an age-old template: damaged boy, healing girl, love as emotional rehab.’
Read Nishad’s full review below.
Mehek says watch the film Joyland
Director and creative extraordinaire, Mehek, has excellent film taste (unlike me, as she says in the voice note, who is useless at watching anything).
If you’re in the UK, Joyland is out on Channel 4 online from the 27th December.
She also says watch the series Normal People
‘I thought it was so phenomenal. Yes it’s white centric and focused on what it means to be not from a religious community, etc, but I think the themes it does explore that I think are really important are: this main theme of consent, and the theme of past trauma (sexual and otherwise). It’s also really tender. The fallibility of it all. It’s a great place to see sex, love, grief, trauma, consent… to see what it’s like to learn through the ages with those themes as context.’
Oh, and if you’re yet to read what Mehek has to say about living with in-laws, head here.
Jody says watch the series Heated Rivalry
Burhan says watch the series One Day (if you haven’t already)
‘I am aware I’m a few years late here but I loved it. I’d not heard of it so had no idea what I was going into. I really enjoyed the one day concept — it was a cool narrative device to show the love story over a decade in an interesting way. Also, I liked how they were bold enough to not have every day be eventful.
But, a lot of the time it feels like TV and film are using brown cast members without actually acknowledging they’re brown. Or it’s the other end of the spectrum and them being brown is the entire point of the character. I’d like some more seasoning with brown cast members. And I don’t need an explicit nod, because then it’ll be something OTT like playing Mundian to Bach Ke when they walk in. But I feel like the balance is generally off.’
Also, I’d never seen the music video to Mundian to to Back Ke until today! If you’re the same, here you go.
My anonymous friend says read Hijab Butch Blues
This one’s for my religious trauma, avoidant attachment baddies. It’s a tender, affirming memoir about letting faith and queerness coexist, learning to let yourself be loved, and being in community even when you feel like an outsider. A truly beautiful, honest read that somehow never feels heavy.
A note on book buying
If you’re in the UK and consider buying one of the above books, the links take you to Bookshop.org. Each purchase supports independent bookshops and they also send me ~10% of the sale as an affiliate. All the books I recommend are on my page here. If you’re in the US, Bookshop.org operates there too (I just don’t have a front set up!).
I know this isn’t always affordable but borrowing from your local library is another way to support authors. In both the UK and Canada, Public Lending Right programmes compensate writers when their books are borrowed from public libraries.
Anything to avoid Amazon!
And on that note, let me know what you’re reading/watching and brownie points for anything soppy and cheesy, obvs.
Finally, Happy Christmas to all those who celebrate! Lots of love x
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Brown Bodies to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.