Welcome to December, readers! Once again, we’re revisiting the favorite nonfiction stories that defined our year—the pieces that moved us, reframed our thinking, or even nudged us to action. Each week, it’s a joy to read and recommend writing that lingers long after we’ve closed our tabs. This year-end collection celebrates the most thoughtful storytelling we’ve found and loved on the web.
So, get cozy with a favorite beverage, and dive in. We’ll be rolling out year-end essays and lists throughout the month, so be sure to bookmark this page. May you discover something here that delights, inspires, or even challenges you in the best way.
Best of 2025: The Stories You Missed
In a year of exceptional reading, these overlooked stories refused to let us go.
Best of 2025: All Our Number Five Story Picks
Every story we selected for the number five slot in our weekly newsletter, in a handy digest.
Best of 2025: All Our Number One Story Picks
Every story we selected for the number one slot in our weekly newsletter, all in one place.
Best of 2025: The Most Popular Editors’ Picks of the Year
These audience hits were the most-viewed picks on our site in 2025.
Best of 2025: Our Most Popular Originals of the Year
Our 10 most-read Longreads essays of 2025.
A Year in Reading: Restraint as Wisdom
We live in a culture built on ignoring limits—of land, of bodies, of attention—and these stories kept returning me to that truth.
A Year in Reading: Inward Journeys
Navigating a world in flux demands some understanding of who you really are, and some of my favorite pieces from this year speak to that need.
A Year in Reading: When the Going Gets Tough
These are the stories I couldn’t stop thinking about—the ones that ask us to sit with darkness and still find reasons to keep going.
A Year in Reading: When We Are Redefined
From bull rides to military parades, the world transforms us in surprising ways. The best stories get close enough to document our transformation.
A Year in Reading: Backrooms, Backcountry, and Back Home
From two side of the world—these are the stories shining a light on the overlooked corners often holding the pieces together.
