These audience hits were the most-viewed picks on our site in 2025.
texas monthly
Posted inCuration
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories from Yasmin Tayag, Elliott Woods, David Ramsey, Larissa Diakiw, and A.S. Hamrah.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Inside the Deadliest Immigration-Related Disaster in US History
“He went in search of a better life for his family. His brother refused to let him go alone. Only one survived the journey.”
Posted inFeature
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.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Baby Whisperer
“Marian Fraser once ran the go-to day care for Waco’s elite. But the community turned against her after she was arrested for the death of a child in her charge. The evidence against her was circumstantial, yet many came to believe there had long been a dark secret to her success.”
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week we are featuring stories from Robert Sanchez, Amos Barshad, Mark Dent, Zoya Teirstein, and Caity Weaver.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The (Mostly) True Story of Galveston’s Legendary Deaf Lifeguard
“LeRoy Colombo was a champion swimmer and even landed in the Guinness Book of World Records. But his legacy is complicated.”
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Hannah S. Palmer, Jeremy Thomas Gilmer, Spencer Campbell, Mia Sato, and Dina Gachman.
Posted inEditor's Pick
All Hail the Mighty Snail
“Meet the Texans who love (like, really love) their pet gastropods.”
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Aaron Parsley, David Peisner, Leah Zani, Joseph Earl Thomas, and Matt Reynolds.