By Steven R. Porter
Rhode Island is known nationwide for its vibrant arts community. But the state’s published authors, despite their talent and success, are too often an afterthought. The year 2025 saw an absolute cornucopia of great fiction and non-fiction releases offering an abundance of nourishment for the mind and soul that all deserve far more attention than they received. Here are my top ten local books of the year, but if you dig a little deeper at your favorite indie bookstore, I know you will easily uncover a dozen more.
1. The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie (Berkley) – The Washington Post called it the best mystery of 2025, and it has a Rhode Island setting to boot. But Vanessa Lillie’s sequel to Blood Sisters is more than a dime store mystery/thriller novel as it tackles deeper issues such as cultural identity and Indigenous heritage.
2. Beneath the Poet’s House by Christa Carmen (Thomas and Mercer) – Winner of a Bram Stoker Award for her last book, The Daughters of Block Island, up-and-coming horror writer Christa Carmen returned in October with a solid, classic, gothic haunted house tale that is equally humorous, heartfelt, and frightening.
3. Lincoln’s Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War by Michael Vorenberg (Knopf) – Perhaps no American topic has been written about more than Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Yet Brown University professor Michael Vorenberg covers new ground challenging historical convention that the war simply ended at Appomattox, and that the truth was far messier and far-reaching than we have previously understood.
4. Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America’s Nicest Judge by Frank Caprio (BenBella Books) – Who wasn’t heartbroken when they heard news of the passing of beloved RI icon Judge Caprio in August? But thankfully, the judge left us this collection of unforgettable transformative stories and life lessons from his courtroom that stand as a beacon to the concept of compassionate justice.
5. Rhode Island Food Crawls by Jamie Coelho (Globe Pequot) – If you were born in Rhode Island, then being a “foodie” is a birthright. And now Rhode Island Monthly editor Jamie Coelho has produced a thoughtful and delicious volume of hidden, local restaurant gems sure to be hotly debated around every RI dinner table. Did your favorite neighborhood establishment make the list?
6. The Housewarming by Kristin Offiler (Thomas and Mercer) – Fans of psychological thrillers were delighted to discover this Block Island tale of a summer getaway gone wrong from debut novelist Kristin Offiler. A sizzling, enchanting, and quintessential RI beach read.
7. Hospital Heroes Save the Day by R.W. Alley (Astra Young Readers) – Celebrated internationally for his work as illustrator for Michael Bond’s Paddington Bear series, Barrington’s R.W. Alley has produced a wonderful new Richard Scarry-style throwback kids book full of action, energy, and unforgettable characters all designed in his own classic, whimsical style.
8. Through Our Eyes: An Indigenous View of Mashapaug Pond edited by Dawn Dove, Holly Ewald and Loren Spears (Stillwater) – Originally published in 2012 with only limited distribution, Through Our Eyes was re-released in October and is a poignant and beautiful collection of poetry, collages, and photography that provides a powerful Indigenous perspective of Providence’s last remaining natural freshwater body.
9. I Am Ingrid: The Adventures of the World’s Greatest Guide Dog by Aria Mia Loberti (Scholastic) – East Greenwich resident and URI grad Aria Mia Loberti exploded on the scene in 2023 as the breakout star of the Netflix miniseries, All the Light We Cannot See. And now with her first children’s book, she has written a sweet and heartfelt story that teaches kids what guide dogs do, inspired by her own guide dog, Ingrid.
10. The Fire Service of Sachem City by Tom Trabulsi (Stillwater) – Former firefighter Tom Trabulsi’s novel about the day-to-day lives of New England’s firefighters is an epic fictional gem. His experience working in the Pawtucket Fire Department provides true authenticity and characters that are hard to forget, in a book you’ll find impossible to put down.
Honorable Mention: Something Extraordinary: Selected Short Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Prose from the Association of Rhode Island Authors, an ARIA Anthology – Still can’t make up your mind which book to buy? Then start with ARIA’s annual anthology Something Extraordinary, which features outstanding short works from 29 different RI authors. There is sure to be “something extraordinary” here for everyone.
Steven R. Porter is the author of Confessions of the Meek and the Valiant, Manisses, and Fiddlehead: A Baseball Story. He and his wife Dawn own the independent bookstore Stillwater Books and publishing company Stillwater River Publications in West Warwick.