2025's Scented Shelf

33 Books That Shaped My Year

Hello, dear readers. I figured as the years draws to an end, it would be nice to partake in a little end-of-year ritual , sharing all that I have read.

I set a pretty ambitious goal this year thanks to my cousin- to read my age in books each year. Well, this week, I hit my goal! These reads spanned many genres, but true to form, I gravitated toward the nonfiction and those that tickled my olfactory curiosities. If you’re here for the scent, don’t worry, I’ve specifically called out those gems below. I also added stars to books that I would particularly recommend.

I’ve listed all 33 below, in the order I read them (most recent first). For the full catalog (and maybe to add me as a reading buddy?), here’s my StoryGraph profile. Always interested in recommendations, so send them my way.

The List: 33 Books, 365 Days of Inhalation

1. ★ Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance ★ by Robert M. Pirsig
   A philosophical journey blending memoir and metaphysics, following a father-son motorcycle trip across America to explore the nature of quality and existence.

2. No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
   A semi-autobiographical novel delving into alienation and despair through the confessions of a troubled young man in post-war Japan.

3. Determined by Robert M. Sapolsky
   A neuroscientist’s argument against free will, examining how biology, environment, and chaos shape human behavior.

4. ★ The Glass Bead Game ★ by Hermann Hesse
   In a futuristic intellectual utopia, scholars play a complex game synthesizing all knowledge, reflecting on art, science, and spirituality.

5. All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks
   A feminist exploration of love as a transformative force, challenging societal norms and advocating for emotional honesty and community.

6. Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature by Patricia Ononiwu
   Kaishian Essays celebrating the queer diversity in ecosystems, blending mycology, ecology, and personal reflection on nature’s boundless forms.

7. Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker
   A journalist’s quest into the world of wine experts, uncovering the science and obsession behind tasting and smelling vintages.

8. Parade by Rachel Cusk
   A fragmented narrative weaving artists’ lives and identities, probing creativity, gender, and the act of observation.

9. Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen
   A fictional reimagining of the abolitionist’s life as a modern concert tour, blending history, humor, and queer commentary.

10. A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
    In a fantasy world of leviathans and shadows, investigators unravel magical conspiracies tied to corruption and power.

11. Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil Poetic essays on food’s sensory joys, from fruits to feasts, evoking tastes, smells, and cultural memories.

12. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
    A raw memoir of child stardom, abuse, and recovery, exposing the dark side of fame and family dynamics.

13. ★ Aeropolis: Queering Air in Toxicpolluted Worlds by Nerea Calvillo ★ An examination of air as a queer, polluted medium, using art and activism to reveal invisible toxins and environmental injustices.

14. ★ The Tainted Cup ★ by Robert Jackson Bennett A fantasy mystery where a brilliant investigator and her assistant solve crimes in a world of bio-engineered horrors.

15. The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality by Andy Clark
    A philosophical dive into predictive processing, showing how brains simulate and construct our perceived world.

16. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
    Epic smutty fantasy romance continuing a dragon-riding saga.

17. ★ Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow ★ by Gabrielle Zevin
    A story of friendship and creativity spanning decades, as two game designers navigate love, loss, and virtual worlds.

18. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
    A critique of religion, advocating for atheism through science, reason, and evolutionary biology.

19. All Fours by Miranda July
    A woman’s midlife odyssey of self-discovery, exploring desire, art, and reinvention with quirky introspection.

20. Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration by Sara Dykman
    A memoir of cycling across continents to track monarch butterflies, blending adventure, ecology, and conservation.

21. In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
    A memoir of abusive love, structured like a haunted house, dissecting queer relationships and trauma.

22. ★An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us ★ by Ed Yong
    An exploration of animal perception, including olfaction, unveiling sensory worlds beyond human experience.

23. Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine by Hannah Fry Insights into algorithms’ impact on society, from healthcare to justice, urging ethical AI use.

24. My Time to Stand: A Memoir by Gypsy-Rose Blanchard
    The true story of escaping maternal abuse and Munchausen syndrome, leading to a notorious crime and redemption.

25. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
    A guide to antiracism, blending memoir and policy to dismantle racist ideas and structures.

26. The Extinction of Experience by Christine Rosen
    An analysis of how technology erodes direct human experiences, from nature to relationships.

27. The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
    Essays on Indigenous ecology, promoting gift economies inspired by berries and reciprocity with nature.

28. Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer
    A blend of science and Indigenous wisdom, illuminating mosses’ roles in ecosystems and human stories.

29. The Man Who Tasted Words: A Neurologist Explores the Strange and Startling World of Our Senses by Guy Leschziner
    Case studies of sensory disorders, like synesthesia, revealing the brain’s intricate handling of taste, smell, and perception.

30. A Court of Silver Flames (2 of 2) by Sarah J. Maas
    The conclusion to a fantasy romance series.

31. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
    A tale of a scent-obsessed murderer in 18th-century France, crafting the ultimate perfume through deadly means.

32. A Court of Silver Flames (1 of 2) by Sarah J. Maas
    The next in this fantasy romance series.

33. Second Place by Rachel Cusk
    A woman’s encounter with a enigmatic artist, exploring art, envy, and existential boundaries in a remote setting.

Scented Highlights: The Olfactory Bouquet of the Year

Of course, I must point out the works that spoke to the nose. It is a surprisingly short list given the number of olfactory texts I am in the middle of. Seems like I have some more reading ahead of me

• Aeropolis queered polluted air, treating toxins as olfactory archives of injustice. This is the perfect example of the type of writing I hope to do.

• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. If you work with or are interested in scent, I am sure you have heard of this one. I finally broke down and read it. Brilliantly written.

• An Immense World a lovely exploration of animal senses and how senses shape our entire worlds.

• The Tainted Cup A beautiful case of world building in this sci-fi mystery. There is special use of scent as a trigger of memory, which made this that much more interiguing.

• The Man Who Tasted Words very a la Oliver Saks. If you are interested in strange perceptual phenomena, this is a great read.

• Cork Dork Most people assume because I am a perfumer that I also carry the skills of a sommelier (Not the case). This did make the craft a lot less mysterious and has changed how I have tasted wine ever since.

• Bite by Bite such a nice way to get to know familiar and unfamiliar ingredients.

P.S. If you missed any “Scented Shelf” installments, they’re all archived here. Pour yourself a coffee and catch up.

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