Ah, the end of the year. When social media — and my email in-box — are filled with Best of the Year lists.

I’m not complaining. I love ’em. But the ones I most enjoy are (of course) lists that include delightful old paperbacks finds. Or are maybe, I dunno, exclusively old paperbacks, since that’s about 90% of my own reading these days.

This year I especially enjoyed old books by Lin Carter (Flashing Swords 2), Jerry Pournelle (West of Honor), C.J. Cherryh (Faded Sun: Kutath) and Clifford D. Simak (City). Not too surprisingly, my favorite 2025 Best of the Year list (so far) has been a short post by Chris Gunter on the Vintage Paperback and Pulp Forum on Facebook, which enthusiastically included classics by Alfred Bester, Keith Roberts, Bob Shaw and others.

Chris said (in part),

Pavane and The Stars My Destination were the absolute standout favorites of the forty or so books I’ve consumed thus far this year, although I loved reading each and every one of these novels.

As 2025 winds down I wanted to share my favorite vintage paperbacks that I’ve read and collected over the past year. All of these novels were first time read throughs for me and additionally it was my first experience reading authors Keith Roberts, Bob Shaw and Spider Robinson, I was not disappointed.

Bob Shaw’s Night Walk was an action filled adventure tale that was simply a joy to read, and since he was on my TBR list of authors I was delighted to finally read one of his books… He was a favorite of my late father and now one of mine as well.

I found this copy of The Stars My Destination at my local used bookstore…. I was already familiar with Bester’s work having read The Demolished Man and as amazing as that novel is, this book was simply that much better. Pavane was one of those titles that came to my attention thanks to Outlaw Bookseller’s YouTube channel and it did not disappoint, heavy with atmosphere and incredible characters this is by far my favorite alternative history timeline novel thus far.

Read Chris’s complete post here (you made need a FB account to read the whole thing, I dunno.)

If I were more organized and a better reader, I, too, would have entire lists of vintage paperbacks to point at in triumph, instead of a teetering pile in various stages of completion. It is my hope for you that the holidays and coming New Year bring you plenty of reading time, and maybe a yellowing old paperback or two under the tree.

And who knows? Maybe, if you’re very, very lucky, your next flight to Indianapolis may experience a catastrophic navigational error, crash into the Pacific, and deposit you on the shore of an uncharted desert island with nothing but a crate of granola bars and a suitcase filled with 1970s paperbacks. A guy can dream.

Let me know your favorite Vintage Treasures from 2025 in the comments.