LibraryLover23's 2025 Reading List

2025 Reading List

January
1. J Is For Judgment by Sue Grafton
2. Burn by Peter Heller
3. Andromeda by Therese Bohman
4. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
5. The Forgotten Beasts Of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
6. Haven by Emma Donoghue
7. A Room Full Of Bones by Elly Griffiths
8. Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

February
9. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
10. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
11. Beach Read by Emily Henry
12. Strength In What Remains by Tracy Kidder
13. Kingdom Of The Blind by Louise Penny

March
14. Braving The Wilderness: The Quest For True Belonging And The Courage To Stand Alone by Brené Brown
15. Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
16. Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey
17. Water, Water: Poems by Billy Collins
18. Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, And Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed
19. On The Beach by Nevil Shute

April
20. The Quiet Side Of Passion by Alexander McCall Smith
21. The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
22. Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks

May
23. Book Lust To Go: Recommended Reading For Travelers, Vagabonds, And Dreamers by Nancy Pearl
24. Passion Project by London Sperry
25. Precious And Grace by Alexander McCall Smith
26. The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
27. Patriot: A Memoir by Alexei Navalny
28. The Stranger Times by C. K. McDonnell

June
29. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
30. The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind - And Almost Found Myself - On The Pacific Crest Trail by Dan White
31. The Man Made Of Smoke by Alex North
32. Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy The Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James

July
33. Now Or Never: Thirty-One On The Run by Janet Evanovich
34. There Is No Place For Us: Working And Homeless In America by Brian Goldstone
35. The Walkers Of Dembley by M.C. Beaton
36. King Of Ashes by S. A. Cosby
37. Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, And Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb

August
38. One For The Road: An Outback Adventure by Tony Horwitz
39. Death At High Tide by Hannah Dennison
40. If It Bleeds by Stephen King

September
41. Run For The Hills by Kevin Wilson
42. Countdown City by Ben H. Winters
43. Daughters Of The Bamboo Grove: From China To America, A True Story Of Abduction, Adoption, And Separated Twins by Barbara Demick
44. The Women by Kristin Hannah

October
45. Agatha Raisin And The Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton
46. Forest Walking: Discovering The Trees And Woodlands Of North America by Peter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst
47. Heartwood by Amity Gage
48. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
49. Slaying The Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster And Found An Inspired Happily Ever After by Cherie Lowe
50. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder

November
51. Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
52. Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker
53. Bill Bryson's African Diary by Bill Bryson
54. Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
55. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

December
56. The Hidden One by Linda Castillo
57. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
58. At Midnight Comes The Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming
59. I'll Be Home For Christmas: The Library Of Congress Revisits The Spirit Of Christmas During World War II edited by Tom Spain and Michael Shohl

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Welcome back!

>4 drneutron: Thank you!

1. J Is For Judgment by Sue Grafton (Kindle)
PI Kinsey Millhone is hired by California Fidelity Insurance to find out if a man spotted in Mexico is really Wendell Jaffe, a man everyone thought was dead. Jaffe’s life insurance policy was just paid out to his wife, and now CFI wants their money back, but only if Kinsey can prove she has the right person. This was another good entry in this series; I like the way Kinsey methodically works the case by using her sneaky methods. In this one, Kinsey also learns some new details about her extended family members. I’ll be curious to see if that storyline plays out in future installments.

J Is for Judgment is the next one for me in this series. I've been listening to them, and they are good on audio.

Happy 2025

Happy new reading year!

Hope you have a great year of reading!

>7 BLBera: They would be fun on audio!

>8 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul, Happy New Year to you too!

>9 EllaTim:, >10 thornton37814: Thank you both and the same to you!

>11 Berly: Thank you, Happy New Year to you as well!

2. Burn by Peter Heller (291 p.)
Lifelong friends Jess and Storey return from a hunting trip deep in the Maine wilderness only to discover that in the towns they come upon, houses are burned to the ground, residents are missing or killed, and there is no cell phone service. Trying to piece together what happened, they have to rely on their survival skills and try to determine if anyone they come across is friend or foe. This was a tense read with really beautiful, lyrical writing when it came to the nature descriptions. As the story progresses, it incorporates more flashbacks to reveal parts of Jess and Storey’s past. I felt like this changed the tone of the book somewhat, from suspense to being more contemplative. Still, it was a good read.

3. Andromeda by Therese Bohman (183 p.)
This slim Swedish novel looks at the relationship between Sofie and her mentor/boss Gunnar while they work together at a storied publishing house in Stockholm. There's not much here in terms of plot, but the characterization is strong, especially since you get to see the relationship through both perspectives. I also enjoyed the peek at what goes on in the publishing world.

4. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater (305 p.)
YA non-fiction about two teenagers, Sasha and Richard, and the consequences of Richard's impulsive, dangerous act on the bus one day. I flew through this one, in part because the chapters are super short, but also because it was a compelling read. It's a good story, but also gives you some things to think about.

5. The Forgotten Beasts Of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip (208 p.)
Sybel lives alone on Eld Mountain with her menagerie of animals until one day she is tasked with caring for an orphaned baby. From that event, Sybel's life will change in numerous ways. I enjoyed this fantasy - it had some turns I wasn't expecting and I thought the ending was well done.

>15 LibraryLover23: I read McKillip's The Bell at Sealey Head and loved it, despite her somewhat ornate prose. I need to read more by her!

>16 libraryperilous: I think you would like this one! I think it's considered one of her most well-known/best-liked books.

6. Haven by Emma Donoghue (257 p.)
Three monks in Ireland in the seventh century travel to a remote island off the coast in order to better serve God. As conditions get more difficult, the de facto leader, Artt, starts to assert more control and exhibits irrational behavior. This one didn't bowl me over, in part because I couldn't stand Artt, although I'm sure that was part of the point. I will say that Donoghue continues to impress me with her range. I think I've read three of hers so far (this one, Slammerkin, and Room) and they've all had wildly different settings, time periods, characters, etc. She's an author who can't be pigeonholed.

7. A Room Full Of Bones by Elly Griffiths (Kindle)
Fourth in the Ruth Galloway mystery series. In this series, I'm fully invested in the characters and their various outcomes, more so than in the mystery itself, which in this one dealt with the murder of a curator at a local museum. An enjoyable read.

8. Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry (audiobook)
Perry, the star of Friends and other things, details his time on that show, along with his various relationships, and his lifelong struggle with addiction. Knowing how things turned out for him certainly adds a layer of sadness to this one. Interestingly, although I always liked his character on Friends, I found myself not particularly warming to him as I was listening to this; there were certain things he said that were off-putting to me. It was interesting though.

January Books Read
1. J Is For Judgment by Sue Grafton
2. Burn by Peter Heller
3. Andromeda by Therese Bohman
4. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
5. The Forgotten Beasts Of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
6. Haven by Emma Donoghue
7. A Room Full Of Bones by Elly Griffiths
8. Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

January Books Acquired
The Half Life Of Valery K by Natasha Pulley (library book sale)

9. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (191 p.)
Tensions reach a boiling point at a boys' school when one of the students refuses to take part in a fundraiser to sell chocolates. A lot of what I heard about this one going into it said things like "controversial" and "banned," so of course I had to read it. You can tell from the beginning that things aren't going to end well and the overall tone is pretty bleak. It's also not a great time to be reading about bullies and manipulators. However, I appreciated the author's skill in writing it, it's just not a happy book by any means.

10. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen (274 p.)
This was picked up on the "blind date with a book" table at the library, so I had no idea what I was choosing...and I liked it! The tag on it said in part that it was set in San Francisco and was categorized as mystery-noir, which is what grabbed my attention. Set in the 50's, it's about a former detective who was thrown off the force for being gay. He's recruited by a woman who lives a more open lifestyle in her home called Lavender House, but who recently lost her partner to what she suspects was murder. Mills, the detective, has to solve what happened while not being able to rely on his previously used police connections. It was a good read and the first in a series.

11. Beach Read by Emily Henry (361 p.)
Witty romance with some laugh-out-loud moments about a woman who moves next door to her college nemesis. I liked that it had some more serious moments, too, which made it more lifelike. However, the romance genre is never going to be my most favorite, even though I keep trying different titles. I need more to happen than just CoupleFallsInLoveTheEnd. But this one was very funny at times, and I loved the ending.

12. Strength In What Remains by Tracy Kidder (284 p.)
Nonfiction look at Deo, a man who escaped the genocide and civil wars of Burundi and Rwanda in the 90's. Deo made his way to America and through hard work, luck, and the kindness of others managed to make his way through Columbia University, finish his medical schooling, and is now running a nonprofit hospital back in Burundi. A truly inspiring story and very well-written.

13. Kingdom Of The Blind by Louise Penny (Kindle)
Number 14 in the Three Pines series finds Gamache, Myrna, and a man they haven't met before as executors in charge of a woman's will. Gamache and Co. are unsure why they were chosen to carry out the woman's last wishes, and the plot thickens further when a body turns up in her old house. As usual, this was a solid mystery with twists, turns, and an exciting denouement. I felt that it dragged a bit in the middle, but I especially appreciate how previous plotlines get carried over and become part of the next (and sometimes the next) book's storyline.

February Books Read
9. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
10. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
11. Beach Read by Emily Henry
12. Strength In What Remains by Tracy Kidder
13. Kingdom Of The Blind by Louise Penny

February Books Acquired
Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver (BotM)
The Road From Coorain by Jill Ker Conway
The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, And Death On Mount Everest by Mark Synnott (library book sale)

14. Braving The Wilderness: The Quest For True Belonging And The Courage To Stand Alone by Brené Brown (audiobook)
I enjoyed this one, but the message within seems farther away than ever, sadly. Published in 2017, she touches on how divided we are and ways to bridge those gaps while still staying true to yourself. I listened to the audiobook, which was a good format for absorbing the info.

15. Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito (Kindle)
Yowza, but this one was weird. I was into it though. Kind of like a car wreck you can't look away from. The book opens with Winifred Notty traveling to Ensor House, lonely on the moors, where she'll be a governess to the family's two snotty children. Winifred is the epitome of an unreliable narrator. What happened before she came to Ensor House? Is she going to kill the family? Eat them?? Good thing the book was short because I don't think I could've handled a long-term stay in Winifred's mind. It was certainly never boring though.

16. Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey (306 p.)
Set in Alaska, Birdie longs for a change for herself and her daughter, Emaleen, which she's granted when shy, reclusive Arthur invites them to live with him in his remote cabin. Far away from all responsibilities except simple survival, Birdie finds true happiness. But Arthur may not be all that he seems... This magical realism novel had me at "Alaska;" I'm a sucker for anything set there. The descriptions of the natural world were particularly enjoyable. This one worked for me - I enjoyed it.

>25 LibraryLover23: Argh! I had this one on reserve from the library, but missed picking it up by one day… now I have to put it back on reserve. 😂

>23 LibraryLover23: Nice haul there! I love TJ Klune, so I'll have to keep an eye out for The Bones Beneath My Skin. Happy weekend!!

>23 LibraryLover23: Ooh I hope you enjoy Butcher & Blackbird. It's dark comedy but struck just the right tone for me.

>27 drneutron: Lol! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it. It was wild.

>28 Berly: Thank you, hope you had a great weekend as well!

>29 elorin: Thanks! I've read some positive reviews of it, so I'm looking forward to it.

17. Water, Water: Poems by Billy Collins (124 p.)
It's been a long time since I've read a poetry collection, but I really enjoyed this one. I appreciated the conversational style of the poems, but how they still made you stop and think. Favorites included "When a Man Loves Something," "The Cardinal," "Emily Dickinson in Space," "BC/AD" and the melancholic "Anniversary."

>26 LibraryLover23: I haven't read it, but I wonder if Alexi Zentner's Touch would also work for you? It's set in the Canadian wilderness and has magical realism elements. Not Alaska, but similar vibes, I would think. :)

>32 libraryperilous: Thank you for the recommendation! It does sound like similar vibes. Making note of it!

18. Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, And Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed (Kindle)
A book about books, what's not to like? This is a collection of essays about the author's reading habits and the books she's enjoyed, literature classes she's taught, etc. A few titles that she recommends caught my interest as well.

19. On The Beach by Nevil Shute (312 p.)
Oh-so-devastating look at the effects of a nuclear holocaust. While radiation slowly makes its way south throughout the world, people in Melbourne, Australia, await the fallout while still trying to lead normal lives. Published in the 50's, it gives a rather sedate view of humanity still trying to cling on to life. I feel like if this were written today, it would be more like the Purge movies. It was very readable, but also bleak.

20. The Quiet Side Of Passion by Alexander McCall Smith (Kindle)
Isabel Dalhousie finds herself in need of help, so she hires both an au pair and someone to help her run her philosophy review journal. However, things don't go according to plan. This was an okay entry in the series. I wasn't super interested in the goings on, although these books never have much of a plot. They're more meanderings into Isabel's thought process. Just so-so for me.

21. The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett (326 p.)
A man tries to find out what happened to his teacher when he was young while also trying to solve a mysterious code found in a series of children's books. Interesting premise, and it's told through a series of recorded voice messages which was unique, but also a bit convoluted.

22. Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks (Kindle)
I'm a big fan of both Brooks and her husband Tony Horwitz's writing, so I was predisposed to love this memoir about how she handled the aftereffects of Horwitz's death. It's not a happy book of course, but Brooks writes so well that you just speed through it. I also appreciated the extra glimpses into Horwitz's life, and I'm glad to know that I currently have some of both of their books to read on my shelves.

23. Book Lust To Go: Recommended Reading For Travelers, Vagabonds, And Dreamers by Nancy Pearl (301 p.)
This is the series I turn to whenever I slip into a book funk and need to get my reading mojo going again, which usually happens once a year or so. Pearl is so enthusiastic about books that she gets me enthusiastic to start reading again. This collection focuses on armchair travel books, broken out into short sections highlighting different locations. Pearl writes in a breezy, upbeat style that I enjoy.

24. Passion Project by London Sperry (357 p.)
For all I pooh-pooh on romance novels, I sure do seem to read a lot of them. This one was pretty good. A grieving woman gets set up on a blind date and when she admits that she has no interests in life, her date decides that they'll embark on a quest to try out different activities around NYC to see if they can spark some joy into her life. I'm sure you can guess the ending. But it was interesting to have a main character who was more than a little messy in her outlook, but working towards getting better.

25. Precious And Grace by Alexander McCall Smith (Kindle)
Number 17 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. As with all of AMS's books, it's a gentle read where not much happens in the way of angst, unless you count Mma Makutsi's unhappy reaction to Violet Sephotho being nominated for a Woman of the Year award. In this installment, Mma Ramotswe helps a woman find someone from her past, while also guiding Mr. Polopetsi away from a scam. It was nice to catch up with these characters.

26. The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (273 p.)
A really good, fast read about one Texas family. It shifts perspectives and timelines, but it's never confusing or annoying. Rather it's a natural flow from one point of view to the next. Addiction and loss are the themes running through it, but there was hope too. Just an overall solid read.

27. Patriot: A Memoir by Alexei Navalny (479 p.)
Navalny's combination memoir and prison diary. This was very impactful, very sad, and very good. I made the possible mistake of watching the documentary Navalny at the same time I was reading this, so it was even more vivid reading about some of the events described in the book. I say possible mistake because it also made it sadder, both knowing his fate and "seeing" him in person. But well worth the time and highly recommended.

28. The Stranger Times by C. K. McDonnell (audiobook)
News of the weird is covered by the eccentric staff of The Stranger Times newspaper in Manchester, England. Hannah feels a bit out of her depth at first when she joins the staff, but she needs a job, so she bravely jumps into the chaos only to find that the outlandish stories they've been covering maybe aren't fake after all... This was laugh-out-loud funny and great in audiobook format. Here's a video of narrator Brendan McDonald doing all the voices. He elevated the experience for me.

May Books Read
23. Book Lust To Go: Recommended Reading For Travelers, Vagabonds, And Dreamers by Nancy Pearl
24. Passion Project by London Sperry
25. Precious And Grace by Alexander McCall Smith
26. The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
27. Patriot: A Memoir by Alexei Navalny
28. The Stranger Times by C. K. McDonnell

May Books Acquired
Silver Elite by Dani Francis (BotM)
The Man Made Of Smoke by Alex North (BotM)
Three Days In June by Anne Tyler (a gift)

29. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (245 p.)
This one took a long time for me to get into, I was very tempted to skim or skip. But I'm glad I stuck with it as it did get more interesting as it went on. It's hard to describe without giving away spoilers, as the narrator himself only learns what's going on in bits and pieces as the story progresses. It was interesting, but the interminable beginning knocks down my overall impression somewhat.

>40 LibraryLover23: Navalny's widow just started a new project with Reporters Without Borders. What a brave family.

>43 libraryperilous: Indeed! I'm glad to see the rest of the family is continuing to carry on that legacy.

30. The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind - And Almost Found Myself - On The Pacific Crest Trail by Dan White (Kindle)
White's travelogue of his time spent walking the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada, crossing California, Oregon, and Washington. The title refers to the time White was so overcome with thirst that he tried to drink water from a cactus, which only resulted in a mouthful of thorns. It's Bill Bryson-like in that it has laugh-out-loud funny bits, interspersed with some moments of snarky ill humor. Still, I always enjoy a good hiking memoir.

31. The Man Made Of Smoke by Alex North (310 p.)
Creepy thriller about a man who is haunted by his run-in with a serial killer when he was a child. At the time of the run-in, he was unable to help a victim of the killer's, so when copycat crimes start happening in the present, he's forced to confront the consequences of his actions from that time. North keeps the killer primarily in the shadows, which made the tension more effective.

32. Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy The Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James (238 p.)
The subtitle says it all - a collection of tips for making things easier on yourself. I gravitate toward books like this because I need all the help I can get. I enjoyed it, despite it being a bit dated.

June Books Read
29. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
30. The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind - And Almost Found Myself - On The Pacific Crest Trail by Dan White
31. The Man Made Of Smoke by Alex North
32. Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy The Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James

June Books Acquired
King Of Ashes by S. A. Cosby
Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab (both BotM)

33. Now Or Never: Thirty-One On The Run by Janet Evanovich (431 p.)
Inept bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is back in this 31st (!) installment of the series. As always, Stephanie works to bring in Trenton's criminals who have skipped bail, including a Robin Hood type who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, and a vampire who is so scary Lula decides to wear a garlic necklace to keep him away. It's the usual fluff, although not as whizzbang as some of the other entries. There's finally some growth in the romance department, though, with Stephanie finally choosing between her two long-term suitors.

34. There Is No Place For Us: Working And Homeless In America by Brian Goldstone (420 p.)
An examination of how low wages paired with soaring rents leads to homelessness. Not just confined to those who live on the streets, this book follows several families in Atlanta who live in extended-stay hotels, are sharing one apartment with other family members, sleep in their cars, etc. Because these people are not considered homeless by official reporting, this is a largely underrepresented group that is more prone to fall through the cracks and ironically means they're denied access to programs that could potentially help. Overall a really good, albeit sad, read that sheds light on a glaring problem.

35. The Walkers Of Dembley by M.C. Beaton (183 p.)
Fourth book in the Agatha Raisin cozy mystery series. Agatha is teamed up again with her next-door neighbor/crush, James, while they infiltrate a group of dedicated hikers to try and find out who killed their leader. I enjoy this series. More fluff, but a nice setting (the Cotswolds in England) and interesting characters.

36. King Of Ashes by S. A. Cosby (333 p.)
Southern noir crime fiction about a man who returns home to Virginia to help his brother out of a jam only to find he's in too deep. Roman is a successful financial advisor in Atlanta when he gets a call that his father is in a coma. Once back home and realizing that his brother is in trouble with local gangsters, Roman has to use all of his wits to try and resolve the mess the whole family finds themselves in. Well-paced, violent, and comes to an interesting conclusion.

37. Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, And Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb (415 p.)
I really enjoyed this look at a therapist who finds that she needs therapy herself after a bad breakup. Interspersed with her own treatment story is a look at some of her patients and their problems (identities obscured for privacy reasons). A fascinating read that highlights some universal themes in life. It was also very moving at times.

July Books Read
33. Now Or Never: Thirty-One On The Run by Janet Evanovich
34. There Is No Place For Us: Working And Homeless In America by Brian Goldstone
35. The Walkers Of Dembley by M.C. Beaton
36. King Of Ashes by S. A. Cosby
37. Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, And Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb

July Books Acquired
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (BotM)
101 Card Games by David Galt
How To Simplify Your Life: Seven Practical Steps To Letting Go Of Your Burdens And Living A Happier Life by Tiki Kustenmacher and Lothar J. Seiwert
The Women by Kristin Hannah (freebies)

38. One For The Road: An Outback Adventure by Tony Horwitz (211 p.)
Horwitz's travelogue of his time hitchhiking across Australia, including stops throughout the Outback where he met all manner of people. It's conveyed in his usual funny style, although made somewhat more poignant by my recent read of Memorial Days. Recommended if you like travel memoirs.

39. Death At High Tide by Hannah Dennison (310 p.)
A so-so cozy mystery. It's set on the Isles of Scilly, which I had never heard of before, but am now intrigued by. The story follows two sisters who travel to the islands because they believe they've inherited the hotel there. I can see how this could branch off into a full series, but I won't be seeking out further installments.

40. If It Bleeds by Stephen King (Kindle)
Collection of short stories, including a Holly Gibney story that's a loose sequel to The Outsider. My favorite was the first part of "The Life of Chuck," which had an end-of-the-world scenario playing out, a theme King excels at. An overall enjoyable collection.

41. Run For The Hills by Kevin Wilson (244 p.)
A family of half siblings takes a road trip to confront the father who abandoned them. A good read with an interesting premise and characters to root for.

42. Countdown City by Ben H. Winters (Kindle)
Second in The Last Policeman series. This one was darker than the first as society is now in the full swing of breaking down as an asteroid approaches. I really like the main character, Henry, and will try to read the last book just to follow his journey to the end.

43. Daughters Of The Bamboo Grove: From China To America, A True Story Of Abduction, Adoption, And Separated Twins by Barbara Demick (331 p.)
Demick is a reporter who helped connect two identical twins who were separated at birth as a consequence of China's one-child policy. One twin was raised in America and the other stayed with her birth family in China. It was an interesting look at some of China's recent history.

44. The Women by Kristin Hannah (471 p.)
The Vietnam War experience as told through the eyes of a nurse. I give Hannah credit for writing a page-turner, but this was a bit too melodramatic for me. Not the war scenes, but rather some of the other plotlines (like not one but two true loves coming back from the dead).

45. Agatha Raisin And The Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton (Kindle)
Just when Agatha is ready to tie the knot, her long-absent husband turns up, only to then be found murdered not long after. As Agatha was seen arguing with him right before his death, she quickly becomes a prime suspect. I enjoy this series of cozy mysteries set in the Cotswolds, along with Agatha's never-ending shenanigans.

46. Forest Walking: Discovering The Trees And Woodlands Of North America by Peter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst (230 p.)
A collection of facts about North American forests, with tidbits on what to look for and activities to try on your next nature hike. Made me want to do more hiking.

47. Heartwood by Amity Gage (Kindle)
Solid mystery about a woman who goes missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail. Alternating sections are told from the perspectives of the head Game Warden who is searching for her, along with an elderly woman who takes up the case as a web sleuth of sorts. Pretty fast-paced and intense at times.

48. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths (392 p.)
Another series I very much enjoy. In this installment, archeologist Ruth travels to the university town where her friend recently died to try to finish his archeological discovery for him. The characterization is well done as always, and is what makes this series stand out.

49. Slaying The Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster And Found An Inspired Happily Ever After by Cherie Lowe (229 p.)
Story of how one family nickel-and-dimed their way into six figures of debt, and how they slowly worked their way out again. I didn't care for this one that much, the author's overall attitude rubbed me the wrong way. There are much better personal finance books out there.

Heartwood sounds good! I do prefer mysteries to thrillers. Would you say this one is too thriller-y?

Hey! Good question. It is a bit thriller-y to be honest, now that I think about it. Without giving spoilers away, there are some tense scenes. Hope that helps somewhat!

50. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder (126 p.)
Snyder uses European history lessons from the twentieth century to highlight the dangers of tyranny in today's world. Sobering and upsetting, of course, but I appreciate that he provides suggestions and ideas as opposed to just a rehashing of the problems.

October Books Read
45. Agatha Raisin And The Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton
46. Forest Walking: Discovering The Trees And Woodlands Of North America by Peter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst
47. Heartwood by Amity Gage
48. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
49. Slaying The Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster And Found An Inspired Happily Ever After by Cherie Lowe
50. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder

October Books Acquired
Code Talker: A Novel About The Navajo Marines Of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac (Little Free Library)
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
The Book Of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (BotM)
A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas (A different Little Free Library. I've learned there are three within easy walking distance of my house. Uh-oh.)

Thank you, very helpful! I think I'll pass.

By the way, someone wrote a humorous variation of On Tyranny. It's titled Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism. 😸

Ha! Making note of that one. :)

51. Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher (359 p.)
A loose retelling of Snow White with poisons, a mirror world, and a talking cat. I enjoyed this; I liked the main character a lot and I also liked how everything was wrapped up at the end.

52. Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker (304 p.)
I've read a couple of other books by this author before, one I loved and one I was meh on. However, I found this one to be very good and surprising - her previous writing all focused on her large family and her bedrock Christian faith. In this memoir, she details her unexpected divorce and shares that she no longer attends church. It's split into short essays that loosely chronicle her life in the past five years and explain where she's at now. Interesting stuff.

53. Bill Bryson's African Diary by Bill Bryson (49 p.)
Bryson's trademark wry observations are on full display here in this short travelogue about a charity trip he took to Kenya. It had some laugh-out-loud moments, like his plane trip through a storm. It also gave some tidbits on Kenyan history and offered some suggestions for helping the people there - namely through care.org, which received all profits from the initial sales of this book.

54. Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin (343 p.)
Claire was just a child when her sister died under mysterious circumstances while the family was vacationing on the Caribbean island of Saint X. As an adult, a chance encounter with one of the last people to see Alison alive leads Claire on a dangerous quest to learn more about what really happened during that fateful trip. This one was good, but I felt it dragged a bit in spots. I also thought there were a few too many coincidences happening, especially in a city as large and busy as New York. It worked best when different characters' viewpoints came into play (including Alison's) and we got to see the same scenarios in different ways.

55. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver (345 p.)
A spicy romance featuring two vigilante serial killers who fall for each other. Kind of like a male and female Dexter. This was fun; I appreciated that it had funny moments throughout and also some genuine scary tension when Rowan and Sloane were chasing down bad guys. This is the first in a trilogy featuring overlapping characters.

November Books Read
51. Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
52. Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker
53. Bill Bryson's African Diary by Bill Bryson
54. Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
55. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

November Books Acquired
A bunch, aided in part by a visit to a Christmas bazaar, the last of a Book of the Month order, and a visit to some bookstores in Philly, including The Last Word Bookshop and House of Our Own Books.

56. The Hidden One by Linda Castillo (Kindle)
Number 14 in the Kate Burkholder series. In this installment, Kate travels to PA to help exonerate an old friend who she believes was wrongfully framed for a crime he didn't commit. It was a pretty solid entry; I liked that things were shaken up a bit by having Kate be on her own in a new locale.

57. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (408 p.)
Such a good book! It opens with only one survivor, Jesuit priest Emilio Sandoz, returning from a mission to a foreign planet. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn more about the rest of the crew and what happened on their mission. The story jumps between two timelines, which doesn't always work for me, but in this book's case, I found it especially good at building tension. Great characterization too.

58. At Midnight Comes The Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Kindle)
I was happy to get my hands on this newest entry in the Clare Fergusson / Russ Van Alstyne series, especially since I was able to get some closure on a cliffhanger left over from the last book. In this entry, we see Clare and Co. getting ready for Christmas, but also dealing with a right-wing militia group that threatens to wreak havoc on their town. Not necessarily my favorite entry, but I appreciated catching up with these characters again.

59. I'll Be Home For Christmas: The Library Of Congress Revisits The Spirit Of Christmas During World War II edited by Tom Spain and Michael Shohl (210 p.)
Letters, diary entries, pictures, and reminisces of what life was like during World War II for American soldiers and those waiting for them back home during the Christmas season. Very moving, one story in particular about a soldier who had a gift for his dad saved in his pocket was particularly gutting.

>66 LibraryLover23: I have The Sparrow on my TBR, but I imagine it's depressing.

Happy holidays!

>67 libraryperilous: Thank you, happy holidays to you too!

It's harrowing at parts, but also really good. I get going into it with some caution!

December Books Read
56. The Hidden One by Linda Castillo
57. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
58. At Midnight Comes The Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming
59. I'll Be Home For Christmas: The Library Of Congress Revisits The Spirit Of Christmas During World War II edited by Tom Spain and Michael Shohl

December Books Acquired
Mr. Monk Is Open For Business by Hy Conrad
Hidden Potential: The Science Of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant
The Unabridged Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe (gifts)