PawsforThought reading in 2025, part 2

Hello dear friends!



2024 was not the easiest of years and so far 2025 hasn't been better. In May, my dad died after having suffered from Lewy-Body dementia for years. My mum, brother, and I have been trying to get everything settled with practicalities, administrative stuff and dealing with our own grief but it's not been easy by any means.
Things have also been a bit tough at work and I’m incredibly grateful for my co-workers, especially my work bff H.

On the bright side, I was approved for a home loan guarantee so I’m now looking at buying a flat (instead of renting because the renting market is ridiculous). I’ve been to one viewing so far and am hoping to find something soon-ish. To take my mind off the tough stuff, and to give myself a carrot in terms of decluttering before the move, I have put up the majority of the things I’ve decluttered for sale and have made a respectable sum of money. That will be added to my moving budget.

At the end of 2024 I seemed to be getting my reading mojo back. I read most days, sometimes for as much as 2+ hours. I hope that will continue in 2025.
In 2025, I’m planning on reading more classics and books I have on my TBR list. As I also want to join in on some group reads and challenges here on LT, I’ll do my best to weave them together. Aside from the TIOLI challenges, which I always keep an eye on and try my best to join in on (occasionally even adding challenges myself), there are some others I’ll be trying to join in with in 2025. More on that below.

I think my taste in books is pretty varied, but most of my reading ends up being classics, golden age crime novels, children’s books, fantasy and comedy. I hardly ever read non-fiction, but when I do it tends to be related to language, arts, mythology, ethnology, history and culture.

I love knitting and sewing and try to do some crafting when I have time, energy and inspiration. I am moderately active in the Needlearts group here on LT. If you want to know what I’m up to in my knitting and sewing head over to my 2025 thread there.

Currently reading

Read in 2025



1. They Came to Baghdad - Agatha Christie
2. Hercule Poirot's Christmas - Agatha Christie
3. Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case - Agatha Christie
4. Hemsöborna - August Strindberg
5. Hangsaman - Shirley Jackson
6. The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Leo Tolstoy
7. Jeppe på berget - Ludvig Holberg
8. Kappan - Nikolaj Gogol
9. Peer Gynt - Henrik Ibsen
10. En dag i Ivan Denisovitjs liv - Alexander Solzhenitsyn
11. Anteckningar från ett källarhål - Fyodor Dostoevsky
12. Eugen Onegin - Alexander Pushkin
13. White Nights - Fyodor Dostoevsky
14. The Persians - Aischylos
15. Seven Against Thebes - Aischylos
16. The Suppliants - Aischylos
17. Cover Her Face - P. D. James
18. Agamemnon - Aischylos
19. The Libation Bearers - Aischylos
20. The Eumenides - Aischylos
21. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman - P. D. James
22. Prometheus Bound - Aischylos
23. Antigone - Sophocles
24. Oedipus Rex - Sophocles
25. Electra - Sophocles
26. Philoctetes - Sophocles
27. Oedipus at Colonus - Sophocles
28. Ajax - Sophocles
29. The Women of Trachis - Sophocles
30. Alcestis - Euripides
31. A Mind to Murder - P. D. James
32. Hippolytus - Euripides
33. The Phoenician Women - Euripides
34. The Suppliant Women - Euripides
35. Herakles - Euripides
36. Ion - Euripides
37. Iphigenia in Aulis - Euripides
38. Iphigenia in Tauris - Euripides
39. Orestes - Euripides
40. Bacchae - Euripides
41. Medea - Euripides
42. Helen - Euripides
43. The Trojan Women - Euripides
44. Hard Times - Charles Dickens
45. The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories - Susanna Clarke
46. The Big Four - Agatha Christie
47. Rosens namn - Umberto Eco
48. Fursten - Niccolò Machiavelli
49. The Faerie Queene - Edmund Spenser
50. Sonetterna till Orfeus - Rainer Maria Rilke
51. Leoparden - Giuseppe Tomas di Lampedusa
52. Aeneiden - Virgil
53. The 101 Dalmatians - Dodie Smith
54. Roman Elegies - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
55. Döden i Venedig och andra berättelser - Thomas Mann
56. Sagor: Första boken - Jakob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm
57. Sagor: Andra boken - Jakob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm
58. Pietr-le-Letton - Georges Simenon
59. Le charretier de la Providence - Georges Simenon
60. The Bachelors - Muriel Spark
61. Monsieur Gallet décédé - Georges Simenon
62. Le pendu de Saint-Pholien - Georges Simenon
63. Mördaren ljuger inte ensam - Maria Lang
64. La tête d'un homme - Georges Simenon
65. Världen av igår - Stefan Zweig
66. The Collector - John Fowles
67. Farligt att förtära - Maria Lang
68. Främlingen - Albert Camus
69. Antigone - Jean Anouilh
70. Nekrofilen - Gabrielle Wittkop
71. Fedra - Jean Racine
72. The Only Good Indians - Stephen Graham Jones
73. Fantomen på Operan - Gaston Leroux
74. A Single Man - Christopher Isherwood
75. Lek ej med kärleken - Alfred de Musset
76. Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
77. Äcklet - Jean-Paul Sartre
78. Vile Bodies - Evelyn Waugh
79. Slow Productivity - Cal Newport

The year’s reading in covers
July onwards (because it was getting a bit much)

Challenges & group reads



I joined the Émile Zola Rougon-Macquart in 2024 and almost immediately fell behind. I’ve started to catch up slightly and hope to continue reading this series in 2025 (and beyond – there are 20 books!). The group’s reading plan for 2025 is as follows:
January: La Curée (The Kill)
March: L'Argent (Money)
May: Le Rêve (The Dream)
July: La Conquête de Plassans (The Conquest of Plassans)
September: Pot-Bouille (Pot Luck)
November: Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies Paradise/The Ladies' Delight)
As I got behind, I’ll be reading Son Excellence Eugène Rougon (His Excellency Eugene Rougon), which was slotted for November of 2024, in January and try to catch up with the rest in due time.

Paul has set up a fun new challenge called The European Grand Tour, which I’m going to at least dip my toe into during next year. I haven’t set any specific goals yet—it’ll depend a bit on my other reading. The months and themes I’m planning to take part in are as follows:
January: Europe in the 19th Century - European Literature of the 19th Century
February: A Wider Scandinavia - Books by authors from Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland
March: Into the Red Zone - Books from authors from Countries which were part of the Warsaw Pact
April: Scimitar and Cross - Books from authors from European Countries within the Ottoman Empire
June: Caesar to Meloni - Books written originally in Latin or Italian
July: The Germanic World - Books written by authors writing in German from Germany, Austria, Switzerland
August: Anita Fameulstee Memorial Month - Books by authors from the Benelux countries
October: La Belle France - Books by authors from France
November: The Iberian Peninsula - Books by Spanish authors

There is also the British Authors’ Challenge that I try to join in with every year, and almost inevitably fail. I’m especially looking forward to PD James in April, which Amanda chose after I suggested it. The months and themes/authors I’m hoping to join in on are:
April: PD James
May: Nancy Mitford
June: Tudor & Jacobean Eras (1485-1625)
July: Dodie Smith & Mervyn Peake
September: Alan Moore
October: Christopher Isherwood
December: Historical Mysteries
Wildcard: Susanna Clarke & Terry Pratchett

I tried taking part in the Discworld group read in in 2024, but it didn’t go very well. The group is planning to read the Tiffany Aching books in 2025, and I’ll see if I join in or not. These books are some of the shortest Discworld books, so that’s a plus.

Exercise



During the past three years I’ve kept track of my steps in an attempt to improve my physical health and well-being. It’s worked quite well, but it’s becoming a little boring. So this year I’m going to try something different. I have three goals with my exercise:
Increased stamina – to stave off the risk of heart and cardiovascular issues that run in the family
Increased strength – to mitigate joint and muscle pain that has been popping up
Continued agility – to make sure I can move the way I want long into the future

I’m vaguely thinking of 5 days of exercise vs two days of rest. I’ll likely still do yoga on the rest days. Forms of cardio I’m planning to include: biking (exercise bike and regular), skiing, swimming, dancing, jumping rope and possibly jogging. Jumping rope is likely to be the only one I do every week, the others will depend on the mood and weather.
Strength-wise I’m looking at bodyweight calisthenics and functional strength training. Also adding in some balancing exercises and of course stretching. I’ve been bad at yoga lately, but hope to get better again.
I will probably end up using some form of habit tracker to see if I keep up as planned.
For January I’m trying a sort-of boot camp for strength training. We’ll see how that goes.

64.
La tête d'un homme by Georges Simenon


Maigret helps a man who has been sentence to death for murder (Maigret himself being the one to arrest him) escape from prison and then tries to find out what really happened and if he really is the murderer. It becomes a very strange story and an ending at least I hadn't figured out before hand. Like the other Maigrets I've read so far, this is a solid read and I enjoyed reading it, but I would have appreciated learning about what happened with poor Heurtin after everything was over.

So sorry for your loss Paws, but glad you will soon have a new home to occupy you and enjoy.

>8 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. Though I have no idea when I will have a new home - I haven't seen any places on the market that are appealing lately and the market is stalling (people are reluctant to sell when prices are dropping). Hopefully I'll find something soon-ish.

The past weekend was a lot more adventurous and interesting than I had planned for (and hope for). Mum and I went to the summer house on Saturday to fix a few things at the end of the season and get my grandparents' and great grandparents' graves ready for the new season. However, the weather had other plans and halfway to the graveyard we had to turn around because the rain was coming down in spades. It eased up after a few hours and we thought that was it, but during the night it got much worse and the region we're in had some of the worst rainfall in decades. We were mostly spared (only had 15mm, whereas places just half an hour away had 70mm). It wreaked havoc on the infrastructure and dozens of roads were undermined, the railroad was flooded and two cargo trains derailed. One poor man died after the road collapsed when he was driving. The authorities warned against getting out on the roads because of the unstable roads so we didn't know if we'd be able to go back home, but luckily the roads we use were fine. I couldn't go into work today because all the trains are cancelled so had to WFH - and it looks like it'll be the same tomorrow.
And they've just forecast more rain on Thursday and Friday...

Wow, sounds like you are going through a lot right now, Paws. I am sorry to hear it.

Happy new thread dear Paws but at the same time saddened to read your topper updates. Take care my friend and give your mum a gentle hug as well from me.

Moving home is stressful but sorting out all the details is just as much a worry. I wish you the very best with that. xx

Happy new thread, Paws!

I'm sorry that you have had so much to deal with over the past year. I know that none of this is easy. I hope you will be able to find a flat you like before too long. Good luck with it!

Take care Paws. These are hard things.

Thinking of you, Paws. You have a lot to deal with right now.

Thank you everyone for your kind words.

I'm doing fine, considering. The grief comes in short bursts when a random thought crosses my mind.
I've been a bit worried about mum, who's gone from being a 24/7 carer for dad and running herself into the ground physically and mentally to being on her own. She's said multiple times that "everything feels meaningless". I think she's feeling a bit better now but I'm sure it'll be a long road.
We are getting to the end of all the administration so at least that'll be done with in a month or so. We're currently trying to sell dad's remaining hunting rifle - no one else in the family has a license or is interested in getting one. Hunting season just started so hopefully someone will be interested.

Reading has really been my saving grace the past few months (even if my attendance on LT has been sketchy at best). I got my reading mojo back at the beginning of the year and while there have been weeks here and there where I've barely read anything, on the whole I've read more in the past few months than I have in years.

>16 PawsforThought:. My thoughts go to your mum. When you've been caring for someone 24/7 you are exhauste but you've also loss what had been your reason for getting up each day.

Reading can be a comfort in stressful times. I am happy that your mojo returned. Take care and that goes for mum too.

Sending hugs, well wishes for the new home hunt, and general good thoughts for you and yours, Paws.

Adding to the hugs Paws. Glad your reading mojo is back when you need it most. That is a big transition for your mum.

Adding to the hugs, Paws. And for your mum as well. A difficult transition, with a lot of grief involved.

Your reading has gone really well, nice list up there!

>10 PawsforThought: A bit too much and too adventurous. Take care, Paws.

Kristen, Micky, Caroline and Ella - thank you!

The rain did return but it was much less than feared (we got 50mm in about 24 hours) and I haven’t heard of anywhere else having issues either. Hoping the trains will be able to run normally soon, because forced work-from-home isn’t fun.

Happy new thread, Paws!

What a rough year. I hope you find smoother times going forward.

65.
Världen av igår (The Word of Yesterday) by Stefan Zweig


This book is an autobiography of Stefan Zweig’s life (though he barely mentions his home life at all, and you only learn he’s married by a mention in passing) as well as a story of Europe from the end of the 1800s to the middle of World War Two (Zweig died by suicide shortly after finishing the book).
It’s an incredible book and was such a powerful read. There are multiple passages that feel scarily similar to how the world is currently. I think the world would be a much better place if people knew their history better, and reading this book would go some way towards understanding that history (and hopefully not repeating the mistakes of the past by letting fascists do what they please and making excuses like “it’s just a different opinion” or “they’re not actually serious”.
I’m so glad I read this book. The one complaint, if I can call it that as it feel more like a comment on irony and lack of self awareness is that Zweig point out how much he dislikes overly long books and puts a lot of effort into cutting out anything not strictly necessary from his works, but there are multiple passages in this book that are far longer than they need to be.

66.
The Collector by John Fowles


This is one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read. Not in a fun spooky season type way, but in a Lolita-type way. It is a story of a man so obsessed with a woman in his neighbourhood that he kidnaps her and hold her prisoner. Roughly half the book is from his perspective and then right as there is a climactic event it stops and we get to read the same story from the victim’s perspective. It’s very effective.
I really liked the portrait of the victim, who is not the perfect person the kidnapper imagines, but is never made to be to blame either (and she does a good job of humanising, but not excusing, the perpetrator). She’s just a normal, flawed person. Can’t say I enjoyed reading it but it was a very good book.

67.
Farligt att förtära by Maria Lang


This is the second out of a very long series of crime novels featuring police inspector Christer Wijk, literature student Puck Ekstedt and her fiance Einar Bure. There are very many twists and turns and a fairly large cast of characters, which made it a little tricky to keep track of it, but it's a well written story and I enjoyed reading it. One of the things I find most interesting about reading these books is the difference both in language and in societal norms when it was written (late 1940s/early 1950s) compared to now - primarily how people talk to and about each other (Sweden had a massive change in how we address people during the 1960s). It's fascinating to see.

>23 PawsforThought: I liked this one a lot, and it is looking at a reread soonish Paws.

>26 Caroline_McElwee: It certainly deserves a re-read. It is a tremendous book - I only wish I'd read i sooner!

>23 PawsforThought: I very much enjoy Zweig's books and am happy to have read that one. It is so sad that he ended his life - I am sure that he had so much more to write.

>28 alcottacre: Yes, it’s so sad knowing that’s how his life ended. As you say, he surely had so much more life in him. If only he could have made it a few more years he would have seen the nazis defeated. (But I’m glad he doesn’t have to see how so much from that time is being repeated today.)

>23 PawsforThought: Looks like one I want to read, so I've ordered a used copy. Thanks for making me aware of this one.

68.
Främlingen (L’étranger) by Albert Camus



My first book in the French theme of the European Grand Tour for October. I’ve read Camus before, a very long time ago but I hadn’t read this one before. It’s such a classic I felt I had to read it. I can’t say I liked it very much but it was an interesting read, at least. I should probably re-read La peste at some point to see if I still like that one, or if my reading taste has changed.

>23 PawsforThought: Good review. I would like to read this one. The one book I read by Zweig was indeed a short one: Chess Story. There you do feel that every word counts.

>32 EllaTim: I’ve read this ages ago, and liked it. But I couldn’t say why. Maybe I’ll try a reread when I can find the time.

>32 EllaTim: Hi Ella! I highly recommend that you see if you can get a hold of a copy of it and read it. I can imagine that his other work is more short and concise - he mentioned that he would go over the text several times, cutting out more and more each time. It wouldn't surprise me if that procedure cut short as he died by suicide shortly after finishing writing this.

69.
Antigone by Jean Anouilh


This is a version of the Sophocles play of the same name. it's interesting, and does flesh out characters a bit, but still doesn't make me like Creon any more. I did find it a bit strange to read this very old story but have references to cigarettes and cars, though.

>33 PawsforThought:. hi Paws. I think you are probably right. It must have had an influence.

>34 PawsforThought: Cigarettes and cars. Like in a modernized version of an opera? I don’t really like this kind of modernization, but I hope the play was worthwhile anyway.

>35 EllaTim: Yeah, a bit like that. It’s not enough for me to dislike the play (still written as a play), but it did bar me a bit. Clearly set in France as well.

70.
Nekrofilen (The Necrophiliac) by Gabrielle Wittkop


This is not a book for the faint of heart. While it is incredibly well-written, it is one of the most uncomfortable books I’ve ever read - the title tells you what you need to know regarding the subject of the book. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was quite shocked. And as I brought it with me to read on a long train journey, I’m very glad the cover of my (library) copy - different from the one posted above) was very plain and the title almost impossible to read.

>37 PawsforThought: Yikes, Paws. The title does sort of give it away, I suppose.

>38 PaulCranswick: Yeah. It is a very well written book, but I do think it's a bit odd for a book with such a topic to be on so many "must read" lists.

71.
Fedra (Phédre/Phaedra) by Jean Racine


Another French classic that ended up on my list because it's on SO MANY "must-read" lists. It's another modern(ish, it was written in 1677) take on an Ancient Greek play - by Seneca, which I have not read. It's a great read, though I found it a little confusing at the start, but that might be because I started reading it when I was tired. I did get into it and it was very good. I would like to read the original story by Seneca in order to compare them, but that'll be another time.

>37 PawsforThought: Yuck, what an awful cover. I’ll pass that one!

>71 This sounds interesting. Have you ever read anything by Seneca?

>41 EllaTim: No, I’ve not read anything by Seneca. It’s on the list for “someday”.

72.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones


I had really high hopes and expectations for this book, and have only ever seen great reviews, but I’m sad to say it didn’t really live up to the hype for me. I think it’s more a “me” thing than a problem with the book (though I do think the writing in the first half of the book was not great, which caused me to consider DNF-ing several times). The second half is significantly better.
I’m a bit miffed because I really wanted to like it, but there were multiple thing that I’m not a fan of, which put me off, and somethings books aren’t for you.
I might read something else by Jones to see if it’s a one-off but it’s won’t be soon (too many other things to read).

73.
Fantomen på Operan (Le fantôme de l'Opéra/The Phantom of the Opera) by Gaston Leroux


I've wanted to read this book for a long time but haven't really dared to as I'm equally as scared of French classics as I am of Russian ones. But I did it and I'm really glad I did because I liked it! I was somewhat familiar with the story as I've watched both the musical and the film based on it. The story in the book is a bit different, of course. The main characters (Christine and Raoul) are a bit goody-two-shoes and boring but you still cheer for them, and the "phantom" does get humanised even if there's a fair amount of the typical-for-the-era "ugly=evil". It's an easy and quick read, although the very ending of the book is a bit rushed.

74.
A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood


I liked this one okay, but not more than that. “A day in the life of” is always a bit hit or miss for me and there were long (well, long for such a short book) parts that just seemed not to go anywhere or really be about anything. Which is true of life, so there’s that, but a bit slow in a fiction book. The main character is not really likeable but not a bad person so feels quite bland - a bit surprising considering the only other Isherwood I’ve read was Goodbye to Berlin, where everyone’s as colourful as they come.
I saw the film based on this book when it was new, and liked it - but good directing and great actors can do a lot.

>45 PawsforThought: I was disappointed in this book too, Paws. But the film was very good. Colin Firth was brilliant as always.

>46 lauralkeet: Glad to hear I'm not the only one, Laura. Colin Firth was superb, as always - and I recall Nicholas Hoult doing a very good job, too.

>47 PawsforThought: Oh yes, I forgot he was in that movie. Prior to that I'd only seen him in About a Boy, which I loved. Let's just say he matured considerably between the two films, and in a good way. 😀

>48 lauralkeet: Yeah, definite difference between them!

75.
Lek ej med kärleken (No Trifling with Love/On ne badine pas avec l'amour) by Alfred de Musset


I'd never heard of this play before spotting it on a "must read"-list. de Musset's name was vaguely familiar but I've never read anything of his before this. It started out well, and was pretty funny but by the end it had become a bit too drawn-out and tedious (it's not a long play, but there was back-and-forth on more or less every page). From what I've read, it's reflective of his relationship with George Sand. Not the best play I've read but perfectly fine.

And now I've officially reached 75! Only the second time during my years on LT.

Congratulations on reaching 75!

Congratulations on the 75 goal!

Felicitations on reaching the magic number!

Congratulations Paws! 🙂‍↔️🌤️🎉🥳

Congratulations on hitting 75 reads.

Congratulations on 75 reads, Paws!

Congrats on reaching 75!

Thanks everyone for the congratulations! Feels good to reach the magic number.

Congrats!

76.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra


This is one of the most classic books in literary history. I’m not the only one on LT who’s read this one lately, the November theme of the Iberian Peninsula on the Grand European Tour has led to a number of people picking it up. As far as I can tell, most people haven’t been that keen on it, but I really liked it. Yes, it is a long book and the language is very much of its time, but it’s also very funny and written with a lot of heart. I did read a shortened version, but I would like to read it again some day in its complete format. But I think that it would work better if it was read a chapter or so a day over a longer period of time.

77.
Äcklet (La nausée/Nausea) by Jean-Paul Sartre


I was a bit frightened of reading this book, as the name Sartre has a similar effect on me as Dostoevsky and Hawthorne. It’s not really a book about anything and there isn’t a distinct plot as such. We just follow along as the main character goes through his day to day life in the town of Bouville, where he researches a historical person for a book, and spends a lot of time in cafes and restaurants where he contemplates life and existence. The nausea of the title come about sometimes seemingly for no reason. I found this quite interesting and much more accessible that I’d anticipated. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed reading it, but I’m glad to have done it.

>61 PawsforThought: Well done, Paws! Yes, I can imagine that not having to finish a chunkster like this in a hurry would be best.

>62 PawsforThought: In high school we went to see a play of Sartre 'Huis clos’. I can’t say I liked it, depressing. And so I never read anything more by him. You’ve made him slightly more interesting;-)

78.
Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh


Evelyn Waugh is incredibly good at satire, and in this book he is making fun of society during the glitzy days of the 1920s, in particular the people referred to as the “Bright Young Things”. In Waugh’s depiction, they’re foolish, fairly dim-witted, and constantly on a get-rich-quick scheme because their funds have dried up. Not unlike the same class of people today. It’s great fun, although I had some trouble keeping the different characters apart, but that’s my own fault because I kept putting it aside and went long stretches of time without reading.

Merry Christmas, Paws!

Merry, Merry Christmas!

Almost forgot to post my final read for the year.

79.
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport


My boss gave a copy this book to all the technical and administrative staff at the beginning of autumn and wanted us all to read it. I completely forgot about it until late October. Finished this during my WFH days around the holidays. It’s a good enough book - not likely to cause a revolution in the workplace but has some interesting ideas about the way knowledge workers are socialised to work in this day and age, and what you can try to do to mitigate that.