12:00: Rochester and Western New York's favorite books of 2025, part 1
1:00: Rochester and Western New York's favorite books of 2025, part 2
What was at the top of your reading list this year? As 2025 draws to a close, we bring back an annual tradition: conversations about favorite books! During part one of this two-part episode, our guests share their favorite books that they read in 2025. We also want to hear from you.* Fiction, nonfiction, adult, YA, or kids' books — we discuss it all. Our guests:
- Emily Clasper, director of the Rochester Public Library and Monroe County Library System
- Laquanda M. Fields, "the fab librarian"
- Michael Solis, executive director of Writers & Books
- Justin Murphy, freelance journalist, author of "Your Children are Very Greatly in Danger: School Segregation in Rochester, New York" and research and communications coordinator at Our Local History
- Mona Seghatoleslami, music director, host, and producer for WXXI Classical 91.5 FM
*Note: You can interact with the program live by calling 844-295-TALK, by emailing connections@wxxi.org, or commenting on the WXXI News YouTube channel.
Then in our second hour, we continue the conversation about Rochester and Western New York's favorite books of 2025. Our guests:
- Jim Byrne, adult programming librarian at the Henrietta Public Library
- Emily Hessney Lynch, owner/founder of Serve Me the Sky Digital; host of the podcast, "It's a Lot;" and adjunct professor at Nazareth University
- Adrienne Pettinelli, director of the Henrietta Public Library
- Linda Sue Park, Newbery medalist and author of "A Long Walk to Water" and "Prairie Lotus," among others
- Leslie C. Youngblood, author of "Love Like Sky" and "Forever This Summer," among others
"Connections with Evan Dawson" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
