Best of 2025: Our Most Popular Originals of the Year
December 15, 2025 at 03:30PM
Thoughtful stories for thoughtless times.
Longreads has published hundreds of original stories—personal essays, reported features, reading lists, and more—and more than 14,000 editor’s picks. And they’re all funded by readers like you. Become a member today.
This week, we’re continuing our Best of 2025 series by celebrating the original writing we publish on Longreads, including personal and reported essays, as well as reading lists.
Today’s list compiles our 10 most-read Longreads original features. At number one, Andrew Chamings revisits a 50-year-old murder—the details of which remain a mystery to this day. We’re proud to report that this piece led to a book deal for Chamings. The nine essays that complete this list deal with everything from a look at life, death, and duality through the eyes of a cat; a celebration of ice cream trucks; a love letter to swamps; and more.
This list would be impossible without readers like you! Thank you for your support in 2025. We’re really excited about what’s to come in 2026.
—Brendan, Carolyn, Cheri, Krista, Peter & Seyward
Explore all of our annual collections since 2011.
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2025/12/15/best-of-2025-our-most-popular-originals-of-the-year/
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