Beth's Reading Spot (BLBera) - Part 4

Another reading spot

My name is Beth, and I am a recently retired English instructor. I love retirement, especially being able to travel during the school year! This year I have been to Scotland and Iceland. Besides travel and reading, I also like to sew and spend time with my granddaughter Scout -- who is TWELVE. She is almost as tall as I am.

I read eclectically, mostly fiction, but I do tend to always have a volume of poetry and a book of essays going as well. I belong to a book club that has been going since 2002, and I sometimes do group reads here on LT. Otherwise I don't plan my reading. I always resolve to read more from my shelves, but those shiny new library books do distract me.

As 2025 comes to an end, I plan to continue my rereading of Shakespeare's plays and I hope to continue to read books from my shelves.

Currently Reading

Plans?
Book Club
November: Foster ✔️
December: Persuasion ✔️
January: Because of Winn-Dixie

Shared Reads LT
October: Solito✔️
November: American War/One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This ✔️
January: The Fifth Season

Women's Prize for nonfiction longlist - alphabetical order by author surname:

Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World by Anne Applebaum
Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age by Eleanor Barraclough
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV by Helen Castor
A Thousand Threads by Neneh Cherry SL
The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke WINNER
Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton SL
Ootlin by Jenni Fagan
Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Fearless WW2 Resistance Fighter Elżbieta Zawacka by Clare Mulley SL
By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land by Rebecca Nagle
Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin by Sue Prideaux
What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World’s Ocean by Helen Scales SL
The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale
Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men by Harriet Wistrich
Tracker by Alexis Wright
Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China by Yuan Yang SL

Plans - part 2

The Women's Prize for Fiction longlist for this year!
https://womensprize.com/prizes/womens-prize-for-fiction/
Tell Me Everything SL ✔️
Nesting ✔️
Birding
All Fours SL
Dream Count ✔️
The Ministry of Time ✔️
The Dream Hotel ✔️
The Persians SL
The Safekeep SL WINNER ✔️
Somewhere Else by Jenni Daiches
A Little Trickerie
Amma
Good Girl SL
Fundamentally Nussaibah Younis SL ✔️
Crooked Seeds
The Artist Lucy Steeds

The Booker Prize 2025 longlist books I might read

• Love Forms by Claire Adam
• The South by Tash Aw
• Flashlight by Susan Choi SL
• The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny  by Kiran Desai SL
• Audition by Katie Kitamura  SL
• The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits SL
• The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller SL
• Endling by Maria Reva 
• Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga 
Reply | More

Eighteenth-century women writers:
Fanny Burney
Evelina
Cecilia
Camilla

Ann Radcliffe
The Romance of the Forest
The Italian

Charlotte LEnnox
The Life of Harriet Stuart
The Female Quixote
Henrietta

Charlotte Smith
Emmeline
Elegiac Sonnets
The Old Manor House
Desmond

Elizabeth Inchbald
A Simple Story

Maria Edgeworth
Castle Rackrent
Belinda
The Absentee

Read in 2025 - Q4
🎃October🎃
87. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?*
88. Bad Indians Book Club*
89. Solito*
90. The Plot*
91. Aerth*💜
92. The Teacher of Nomad Land*
93. The Last Bookstore on Earth 🎧
94. The Serviceberry
95. Turning to Stone

Books read: 9
By women: 6
By men: 3

Novels: 5
Memoir: 1
Nonfiction: 3

From my shelves: 6
Library: 3

🍁November🍁
96. The Black Wolf*
97. The Wilderness 💜
98. Heart the Lover 💜
99. Death in Focus*
100. Yellowface*
101. Heartwood
102. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This* 💜
103. Whale Fall
104. One Under
105. The Quiet Librarian 🎧
106. Voracious*
107. The Antidote

Books Read: 12
By women: 10
By men: 2

Novels: 10
Essays: 1
Memoir/food:1

Library: 6
From my shelves: 6

🤶🏽December🤶🏽
108. The Red Queen
109. Persuasion* REREAD 💜
110. Jane Austen's Bookshelf* 💜
111. These Days* 💜
112. Snowblind 🎧
113. Evensong
114. Seduction and Betrayal: Women and Literature* 💜
115. Celestial Lights*
116. Brightly Shining*
117. A Horse at Night*
118. The Librarians
119. The Radiant Lives of Animals*
120. Because of Winn-Dixie* REREAD

Reading in 2025 - Q3
⛱️July⛱️
54. Fundamentally
55. Love's Labor's Lost*
56. The Creak on the Stairs*
57. The Marriage Portrait* REREAD
58. Romeo and Juliet*
59. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida*
60. To Track a Traitor
61. Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio*
62. J Is for Judgment 🎧
63. The Elements* 💜

July reading
Books read: 10
By women: 5
By men: 5

Novels: 8
Plays: 2
Translation: 2

From my shelves: 7
Library: 3

☀️August☀️
64. The Small and the Mighty 🎧
65. Saint Mazie*
66. The Paris Express 💜
67. Hell and Other Destinations*
68. 33 Place Brugmann
69. Plaid and Plagiarism*
70. White Nights🎧
71. Theory & Practice
72. Scotland: The Story of a Nation*
73. Nesting 💜
74. The Eyes and the Impossible* 🎧 💜
75. A Midsummer Night's Dream*
76. Prince of Darkness*

August reading
Books read: 13
By women: 10
By men: 3

Novels: 9
Play: 1
Nonfiction: 2
Memoir: 1

📗September📗
77. The Safekeep*
78. Richard II*
79. A Life of One's Own*
80. Tilt
81. French Leave*
82. The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin 🎧
83. A Game of Sorrows*
84. Foster REREAD
85. Ripeness* 💜
86. Knave of Diamonds

September reading
Books read: 10
By women: 9
By men: 1

Novels: 8
Nonfiction/memoir: 1
Play: 1

Translation: 1

From my shelves: 6
Library: 4

* From my shelves
💜 Favorite

Reading 2025 - Q2
☔️April☔️
34. Henry VI Part 2*
35. Lethal Prey 🎧
36. Dream Count
37. Henry VI Part 3*
38. The Husbands*
39. Humanly Possible* 💜
40. Game On 🎧
41. Oh Pure and Radiant Heart* 💜

April Reading
Books read: 8
By women: 5
By men: 3

Novels: 5
Plays: 2
Nonfiction: 1

Library: 3
From my shelves: 5

🪷May🪷
42. Macbeth*
43. In This House of Brede* 💜
44. 1979*
45. The Redemption of Alexander Seaton*

May Reading
Books read: 4
By women: 3
By men: 1

Novels: 3
Play: 1

From my shelves: 4

🎓June🎓
46. Three Days in June 🎧
47. The Mighty Red*
48. Going Rogue 🎧
49. The Dream Hotel 💜
50. Visitation*
51. The Wedding People
52. Small Bomb at Dimperley*💜
53. Richard III*

June reading
Books read: 8
By women: 7
By men: 1

Novels: 7
Play: 1
Translation: 1

From my shelves: 4
Library: 4

* From my shelves
💜 Favorite

Read in 2025 - Q1
❄️January❄️
1. The Shadow Murders
2. The Serviceberry 🎧
3. Three Guineas*
4. A Small Place
5. There Are Rivers in the Sky 💜
6. The Ministry of Time
7. The Philosophy of Modern Song*
8. The Measure* 🎧
9. Framed in Fire
10. Blackwater Falls*
11. The Two Gentlemen of Verona*

January Reading
Books read: 11
By women: 8
By men: 3

Novels: 6
Translation: 1
Essays: 3
Memoir: 1
Play: 1

From my shelf: 5
Library: 6

💌February💌
12. Catalina 💜
13. The Children of Sisyphus*
14. The Comedy of Errors*
15. Lud-in-the-Mist*
16. Glass Houses
17. My Good Bright Wolf 💜
18. Locked In*
19. Another Life
20. A Presumption of Death 🎧
21. James 💜

February Reading
Books read: 10
By women: 5
By men: 5

Novels: 7
Play: 1
Memoir: 1
Poetry/memoir: 1
Translation: 1

From my shelves: 4
Library: 6

🍀March🍀
22. How to Solve Your Own Murder*
23. A House for Mr. Biswas*
24. The Attenbury Emeralds* REREAD
25. The Night War 🎧
26. Silas Marner
27. Titus Andronicus*
28. The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies 🎧
29. Gliff 💜
30. Novelist as a Vocation*
31. Passiontide 💜
32. Henry VI, Part 1*
33. Creation Lake 💜

March Reading
Books read: 12
By women: 8
By men: 4

Novels: 9
Essays: 1
Plays: 2

Library: 6
From my shelves: 6

* From my shelves
💜 Favorite

You Must Read This

Flournoy has a new novel coming out, which I am excited about. But her 2015 novel is one to check out, if you haven't already read it. These were my comments from 2015:

The Turner House - Flournoy was one of the five under 35 honorees for the National Book Award this year, and based on her first novel, she certainly deserves the honor. This first novel tells the story of Viola and Francis Turner and their thirteen children. It's also the story of their Detroit home. The story focuses on ChaCha, the oldest Turner child and on Lelah, the youngest. The story moves from the present back to 1945, when Francis and Viola moved to Detroit from Arkansas.

I love that Flournoy has created living and breathing people. This is not a novel about a dysfunctional, downtrodden family. Instead it is the story of family, and both the good and bad that happens in every family. Cha Cha, as the oldest, thinks: "How easy it was for him to slip into this paternal role, even when despairing in his own right. It was a gift and a burden. He thought back to the summer of '67, before fires and bricks and trains to Glory, when it was still Lelah's summer. How vastly different Lelah's experience must have been from his own, even though they grew up in the same family, in the same house, in the same neighborhood, in the same city called Detroit."

Wonderful characters and wonderful writing.

And, of course, the house: "Humans haunt more houses than ghosts do. Men and women assign value to brick and mortar, link their identities to mortgages paid on time. On frigid winter nights, young mothers walk their fussy babies from room to room, learning where the rooms catch drafts and where the floorboards creak. In the warm damp of summer, fathers sit on porches, sometimes worried and often tired but comforted by the fact that a roof is up there providing shelter. Children smudge up walls with dirty handprints, find nooks to hide their particular treasure, or hide themselves..."

This was one of my favorite reads of 2015. If you like stories about family, unsentimental and strong on character, you will love this novel.

Her new novel is The Wilderness

That's all. The rest is for you.

Happy new thread, Beth!

Thanks Meg.

Happy new one Beth!!

I just reread Foster for my book club. Here are the original comments I made:


Foster is a novella about which David Mitchell says, "As good as Chekov. There's nothing wrong with it. Not a word."

The narrator is a young, unnamed girl who is taken to stay with a childless couple as her mother waits for the birth of another baby. She doesn't understand a lot of what happens around her, but she comes to enjoy the quiet order of the Kinsella household. It's a lovely account of a few weeks in the life of a girl who is growing up and realizing that not all families are like her own.

I would add that the ending is a bit ambiguous. There is a lot of silence in this novel, gaps in the narrator's knowledge. It should be a good discussion book.

I do love a shelfie Beth!

Congrats on a new thread, Beth. I love that you mark your favorites with a Purple Heart. It makes it easy for me to collect those book bullet wounds. ;-)

>16 Caroline_McElwee: I am glad you like it, Caroline. Your lovely photos are an inspiration.

>17 Donna828: Hi Donna! Well, it's only fair. I get a lot of recommendations from you.

Happy new thread, Beth!

What a lovely reading spot in >1 BLBera:! Happy new thread Beth!

>1 BLBera: A great reading spot. I have little spots around the house and feel the best with the pile of books beside my comfy chair that doubles as a side table ;)

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Beth.

>10 BLBera: I love that colourful welcome!

Happy New Thread, Beth! I have Ripeness on hold at my library.

Thanks Susan, Anita, Paul and Deborah. I do love my reading spots.

Happy new thread, Beth. I love your reading spot!

>9 BLBera: Adding The Turner House to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Beth!

>15 BLBera: Dodging that BB as I have already read it :)

Happy new thread!!

Happy new one, Beth!

Happy new thread, Beth!

Thanks Joanne, Stasia, Jim, and Katie.

Hi Beth, I see you are reading book #85 Ripeness. i 'm reading it right now too. i will be very interested to see what you think!

>30 mdoris: I just finished it, Mary. I really liked it. Moss is so good with character.

I am on the home stretch and will finish it tonight or tomorrow. i am really liking it too. I wasn't too sure at the beginning because the writing is unusual, long sentences, long paragraphs, no quotation marks for dialogue but you are right she is very good with character and with description. I can practically feel that i'm swimming in the pool in Italy! It is interesting having the narrator from two different ages. She is quite the writer!

I'm looking forward to your comments/review on Ripeness, Beth. I love Sarah Moss and this one is on my "read soon" list.

>29 BLBera: >30 mdoris: >31 BLBera: I really enjoyed Ripeness

85. Ripeness, Sarah Moss's new novel, looks at questions of belonging and family. When Edith was sixteen, she was sent to Italy to accompany her sister Lydia during the last weeks of Lydia's unwanted pregnancy. Lydia is a ballerina and intends to give up the baby and return to her company after the birth.

Three decades later, Edith is living alone in Ireland, recently divorced. When her friend Méabh gets a letter from a half-brother Méabh didn't know existed, Edith's memories of Lydia's baby surface.

Moss alternates the present with Edith's memories of her sixteen-year-old self. She wonders what happened to the baby.

Stylistically, Moss doesn't use quotation marks, switches point of view between the sections and has long sentences. I know that bothers some people, but I think it works here. This is a novel to think about, not a novel of action. Edith is a great character, complex and fully realized.

I really liked this. Sarah Moss fans will too, I think.

>32 mdoris: I will watch for your comments, Mary.

>33 lauralkeet: I hope you like it, Laura. I will look for your comments.

>34 Caroline_McElwee: It was great, wasn't it?

86. Knave of Diamonds
In this latest novel of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, we meet Mary's uncle Jake, who disappeared from her life after the death of her parents and brother. He's a con man and thief and has avoided her because of Holmes. He wants Mary's help to find the Irish Crown Jewels, which he helped to steal. The real jewels were stolen in 1907 and have never been found. This is an entertaining story that explains what happened to them.

>36 BLBera: Ooh, that's quite enticing, Beth. I'm looking forward to it!

I really enjoyed it, Laura. Moss is so good with character.

>37 BLBera: Good reminder to get back to that series. Quite a nice one!

The Librarian of Burned Books DNF
I always think I will love a book with a library or bookstore in the title, and I am almost always disappointed. I am DNFing this one after 140+ pages. There are three separate story lines and I only really care about one, and I already can guess how that will play out. So, this one goes to a new home, and I am looking for a fresh read.

>41 BLBera: Ugh, that's disappointing. I hope your next book is more satisfying Beth.

I think it also suffered in comparison with the Moss, Laura.

>41 BLBera: I've occasionally been disappointed in library and bookstore stories. The disappointment usually stems from my own inattention. I bought one such book believing—erroneously, of course—that it was true, i.e. nonfiction. Bah! I should read it, but attentively.

HI Beth, I agree! After the Moss book it might be difficult to find a book that does not disappoint. Thank you for your review >35 BLBera:!

Thanks Mary.

September was a good month in reading for me.

September reading
Books read: 10
By women: 9
By men: 1

Novels: 8
Nonfiction/memoir: 1
Play: 1

Translation: 1

From my shelves: 6
Library: 4

My favorite book was Sarah Moss's new one Ripeness, but I also loved The Safekeep and Tilt. Three of the books from my shelves are now in new homes. Next year, I need to track how many books I actually pass on.

Too bad about the DNF of The Librarian of Burned Books . I DNF books not infrequently, but usually about 20 - 40 pages in, so I don't often mention those. I hope your next read it is a good one, Beth.

>44 weird_O: Sorry I missed you Bill. The nonfiction ones may be better.

>48 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah.

>41 BLBera: I too always look at titles like this with optimism. Hope that the next book is better!

It was, Charlotte. I am learning that I can put down books. There is so much good reading out there that it is a shame to waste time on mediocre books.

87. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
First, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a great title. Set in a future where earth is mostly uninhabitable, the novel follows Rick Deckard, a San Francisco police office whose job is to "retire" rogue androids. The film "Blade Runner" is based on this novel. I've never seen it, and while I am tempted, I imagine it is too violent for me.

Dick is an amazing writer. His descriptions of the barren, dust-filled world are poetry, and his characters are nuanced and ask important questions -- in this novel, the question is not whether androids dream but what makes us human.

This novel fits well with my book club selection this month AI 2041. A book that I must make progress in because we meet on Friday.

>51 BLBera: I agree! I'm much more willing to skip something if it doesn't work for me than I used to be. I think I'm just more confident that it's ok to not like a book that others love!

>53 japaul22: Hi Jennifer. I hope the shutdown doesn't last too long. Yes, I look at all the books on my shelves and the books that I am anxious to read and realize that life is too short.



Oh, and happy banned books week!

Hello hello and happy Fall thread... poking my head in, in a vain attempt to catch up here at least a little.

Agreed that "Library" titles are often really disappointing. I'm a big sucker for them for obvious reasons, and haven't found one I liked a lot since Susan Orlean's The Library Book. The Library at Mount Char was one of the worst books I've read in recent years.

Caught up on your thread at last, Beth. It's been whizzing along. I might copy your banned book week image. I love it!

Hi Lisas!

>57 BLBera: Do you think the disappointment stems from high expectations? I loved the Orlean book as well. I still have a couple of "library/bookstore" books on my shelves. I should give them a try so I can get rid of them...

>56 labfs39: Copy away, Lisa. I copied it from the Banned Books webpage.

>51 BLBera: I agree: keep the time for the good books! I'm enjoying another book about books at the moment, bibliomaniac. The author tours bookshops talking about his love of books and second hand discoveries. I'm about half way through and one of my own favourites, *News from Nowhere* has been namechecked, and several others I'd love to visit.

I have also been disappointed by books about bookstores and libraries. But there are some good ones! I am a fan of Shadow of the Wind for example.

Happy newish thread, Beth! Happy October too!! I'm still hanging around, just not visiting so much. Hope all is well!

I find the bookshop titles a bit hit and miss. My take is they just put "book"whatever in the title because they know it will catch reader's attentions and they're right. I have lots of books with those kinds of titles in my stacks.

>58 charl08: That does sound good, Charlotte. I've often thought that there is a market for indie bookshop tours. :) Maybe a new career? Sign me up.

>59 banjo123: Shadow of the Wind is amazing! I loved all of those books.

>60 Carmenere: A Lynda signting! Thanks for stopping by. I know what you mean. I seem to be on LT less this year.

>61 Familyhistorian: You are probably right, Meg. I have quite a few of those titles as well. It remains to be seen which ones are books that I will love.

I meant to say also, thanks for posting the Banned Books graphic. Though it's a shame that I'm even saying that...

My library currently has a display of books about libraries, but I gave it a miss. I have enjoyed some books about libraries, but as Meg said, it's hit and miss.

>52 BLBera: Blade Runner is one of my all time favourite films Beth. Although I often used to go to talks by writers, I don't generally do so for actors, but I went to the 25 anniversary showing of Blade Runner, and met Rutger Hauer, who played Roy Batty, and wrote the iconic line for his character in the film :

'I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain'

There is violence in the film, but a lot of philosophy. The trouble is now, so many films were inspired by it that younger viewers don't appreciate it - it feels old hat to them, whereas I saw it when it first came out. It took 10 years for it to become a cult film, but it deserves that tag.

>63 lisapeet: You are welcome, Lisa. I was helping with a library display, and it was sad to realize how many books have been challenged recently. I mean, Captain Underpants? Really?

>64 vancouverdeb: I suppose, when we think about it, books about libraries shouldn't be any different from any other topic, with both good and bad books, but I think we expect more, right?

>65 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. I will give "Blade Runner" a try. I am interested to see how Dick's vision translates to the screen.

Bad Indians Book Club began when people asked the author Patty Krawec for book recommendations that would help them better understand Indigenous lives. But this book is more than just a list of recommended books. Krawec explores how various books and genres relate to Indigenous life and experience. She discusses memoir, science, history, and various fiction genres. There are also autobiographical snippets.

I found the discussions enlightening, with wide ranging topics that made me think about books and how I read differently. As Krawec says, "You need to think about your own grounding, belonging, the place you are from and who you bring with you so that you understand the relationships you form with the books you read."

I loved the discussions although I would have appreciated more book recommendations.

I love the cover.

Congrats to Tommy Orange who got a MacArthur genius grant.

László Krasznahorkai, Hungarian, was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature. Anyone read him? His work sounds interesting.

Solito
This very relevant memoir offers insight into the suffering and sacrifice of immigrants. When Javier Zamora was nine years old, his parents, who were undocumented immigrants in the US, arranged for Javier to travel from El Salvador to be reunited with them. Javier lived with his grandparents in El Salvador.

Zamora vividly describes the walk through the desert; he is young enough to make a game of naming the various cacti, while at the same time revealing what a dangerous journey it is: "The tree is so skinny it provides no shade. Some branches have tiny pebble-sized leaves we can hardly see. Skinny green smooth tree, I whisper. SGS tree for short. I like naming these weird-looking bushes and trees. I'm an explorer. Javier Cousteau. I like looking up at the sky while lying down in the dirt. The tree branches look like a squid's tentacles reaching for the sky." His account is full of sensory, imaginative details.

I did have a hard time at the beginning because I am not a huge fan of child narrators, but soon I was drawn into the story, and he WAS a child, so...There is some repetition as well, but overall, this is a worthwhile, relevant story.

>70 BLBera: That one was already on my radar, your review solidified the decision.

Hi Beth! I have been wanting to read the Bad Indians Club.

And hooray for Tommy Orange! So far I've liked both his books.

>71 labfs39: I think you'll like it, Lisa. And it was my first one from El Salvador!

>72 banjo123: I still haven't read his latest. I keep thinking I want to reread There, There first.

Just saw a post about The Last Bookstore on Earth, wondered if the dystopian + bookshop would work... >41 BLBera: (I'm still optimistic)

Solito sounds like an important and compelling read, Beth.

>74 charl08: - I tried TLBoE (on audio) and it didn't grab me. The author is (was?) a part-time bookseller at my local indie bookstore, Watchung Booksellers. So that's your fun fact for the day :-P

>74 charl08: I do love a dystopian novel. I might look for that one, Charlotte.

>75 katiekrug: Hi Katie. Yes, Solito is certainly relevant. One would think if people knew what immigrants have gone through that they would have a little compassion.

I would have been happy with just one storyline, that of the American Service Editions. The other two just didn't work for me. Still, it may appeal to some.

https://themillions.com/2025/10/the-millions-great-fall-2025-book-preview.html

New fall releases.

I'm looking forward to:
Bog Queen
Sacrament
Pynchon's new one
Dead and Alive
Atwood's memoir
The Year of the Wind by Karina Pacheco Medrano
Helm

to name a few

>77 BLBera: Thanks for posting that list of new Fall releases. I had a quick look through them all. I think A Guardian and A Thief and Vaim sound most interesting to me.

Hi Deborah: I paged through quickly. I'll revisit because I know there are more I will be interested in.

90. The Plot is a twisty thriller and a lot has been written about it. It's hard to say much without spoilers. Jake Bonner writes a best seller with a plot he learned about from a student. The student never wrote the book, and Jake thought the plot was too good to pass up. However, someone knows the plot is not his own.

I enjoyed it and toward the end, I did figure out, kind of, what was happening. If you like thrillers, you may appreciate this.

91. Aerth
Magnus of Arden lives on Aerth in an agrarian society that is confronting an approaching ice age. Growing seasons are short and people are taught to work together and "do no harm" and to "walk gently." Yet Magnus is restless and leaves his place on the farm to join the space program. He wants to explore and to see the colony on Mars. As he prepares to go to Mars, another planet on the opposite side of the sun from Aerth is discovered. Urth is hot, overcrowded, polluted. Magnus goes there with a team to learn about Urth but soon becomes homesick for the forests and the nature of earth. Will he ever be able to return?

This is a lovely, contemplative novel that centers on Magnus' journey, while at the same time provoking questions about what holds value. The writing is poetic; I love the descriptions:

"Landscapes roll beneath you in vast expanses of coloration, like butterfly wings, chameleon skin. Green and blue -- no, emerald, sapphire, like jewels forged deep in rock. Or...hues of olives, lime, forest, moss, spinach, kale, pine, spring leaves, new grass, keep, carrageen, fresh climbing bean. And...teal, peacock, flash of jay's wings. Kingfisher, cornflower, borage, grey-blue-green, slate, iron, sand, granite, desert, terracotta, black."

Oh, and Ali Smith blurbs it!

92. The Teacher of Nomad Land
This is a really good WWII story for young readers. It's set in Iran, not a traditional setting for WWII stories, and it tells about a different aspect of the war.

In this novel, two orphaned children try to stay together in the midst of the chaos caused by the war and the invasion of the British. Babak and Sana lost their father, a teacher, when the British invaded. The British wanted to keep Iran's oil out of the hands of the Nazis. Babak's father taught Nomad children, so Babak and Sana try to join the Nomads. On the way, they meet British and Russian soldiers, a Nazi spy, and a Jewish refugee. They have to try to communicate with all of them.

This is a good story about children persisting in the face of difficulty. It also gives a different view of WWII. Nayeri, the author, includes a list for additional reading for those interested.

I will pass this on to Scout.

>82 BLBera: - This sounds really good, Beth. Sounds like a lesson some politicians could do well to learn...

Hi Shelley: I think if a lot of leaders were readers, the world would be a better place.

>82 BLBera: This does sound good, would love to hear what Scout thinks too!

>85 charl08: I will certainly post Scout's opinion when she reads it.

Hi Beth, thanks for posting the link to the list of new Fall books. There are a number that I am interested in and now I am off the my library's website to see which ones they have or are getting! The Teacher of Nomad Land sounds interesting - another one for my TBR list.

>84 BLBera:: I think if a lot of leaders were readers, the world would be a better place. Hear, hear, Beth. That is a brilliant observation!

>87 DeltaQueen50: I look forward to seeing what you read, Judy.

>88 Donna828: Thanks Donna.

I just had a great reading retreat with MPR's Kerri Miller in Bayfield, Wisconsin. The leaves were lovely, and the resort where we stayed was fabulous with great food. We discussed Turning to Stone, which I am still reading, Serviceberries, and Fi Alexandra Fuller, which I didn't read.

Bayfield, a town of 500 in the off season, has a great independent bookstore, Honest Dog Books, and I did buy a couple of books, hand sold to me by the owner.

>90 BLBera: That retreat sounds delightful! Honest Dog Books is on my bookstore bucket list. My mom's husband's family used to own land a bit north of Duluth but they sold it recently so my chances of getting up there are slimmer than they used to be.

It was great. Duluth and the North Shore are great places, and really lovely at this time of year.

>90 BLBera: If you get the chance, get around to Fi: A Memoir of my Son too. It is an excellent, if heartbreaking, book.

Beth your weekend sounds perfect. I just put a hold on Fi, it sounds difficult but good.

>93 Oberon: It sounds too sad, Erik. Maybe someday...

>94 mdoris: It was a lot of fun, Mary. I'll watch for your comments.

95. Turning to Stone
Marcia Bjornerud loves rocks and has been lucky enough to spend her life studying them. Her book Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks is her attempt to both explain her fascination and to instill some of that fascination in us. She partly succeeds. I certainly know more about Earth's geology than I did before I read this, but there are lots of sections that are so technical that only a rock nerd could love them.

The best parts of this book occur when she talks about her personal experiences, her field trips and her students.

Some of Bjornerud's thoughts:
"In the logic of Earth, there is no such thing as a 'natural disaster.' Volcanic eruptions and tectonic upheavals are in fact manifestations of the planet's extraordinary capacity to sustain and renew itself. In other words, to be an Earthling means learning to live with the inevitability of cataclysm."

"In studying the Earth through time, it's so tempting to look for a coherent narrative arc, a tidy through line, a moral of the story...Maybe Earth's essence is simply its exuberant improvisation and continual reinvention, a never-ending jam session of rock, water, and life."

I love the cover.

>84 BLBera: I have read that reading develops empathy , well , reading fiction anyway. I agree, Beth. Beth, I am hungry for some fruit. I am either going to make a late night run to a drugstore - they sell fruit, or else eat a pear or banana, neither of which I am fond of . Or maybe unthaw some frozen blueberries, the most likely scenario.

>96 BLBera: It is a lovely cover. It reminds me of another book, the title (of course) escapes me.

>97 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. This time of year is sad here because the fresh local produce is done. Although we do have apples.

>98 charl08: The cover is great, and if you love rocks, this book is for you.

96. The Black Wolf
Louise Penny's new Three Pines mystery starts where The Grey Wolf ends -- Armand Gamache and his team foiled an attack on Montreal's water supply, but they realize that there is a bigger plan. Unfortunately, they have no idea what is planned and no proof there really is another plan. The novel follows the twists and turns of their investigations with plenty of twists.

I'm always happy to return to Three Pines, but these last two books have been more thriller than mystery, and I don't like the emphasis on action over character and place as much. I'm ready for Gamache and team to go back to solving murders and not having to save the world.

And I still wish Penny would ease up on the fragments...

>100 BLBera: I'm reading it too but keep getting interrupted by other things -- like reviewing a book for RL book club next week. I just love being back in Three Pines with the folks there -- that's the most important part for me whether murder or world scale plots are the problem.

>101 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. I will watch for your comments. I love Three Pines and the characters; I just have seen less of them in the last two action-filled books.

>100 BLBera:, >101 RebaRelishesReading:, >102 BLBera: I haven't read this one yet so I appreciate your comments. At least I'll know what to expect when I get to it. I share your desire to spend more time in Three Pines.

>96 BLBera: I do always admire it when people know about geology, maybe I should read this!

>103 lauralkeet: I spent the morning finishing The Black Wolf. Just posted a couple of thoughts on my thread. (spoiler -- I loved it!!!)

>103 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. I liked it; it was more of a thriller than my favorites in the series.

>104 banjo123: If you are interested in geology, this may be for you, Rhonda. She gets very technical, but I liked the book overall. Her descriptions of her fieldwork were amazing.

>105 RebaRelishesReading: I will check it out, Reba.

Hi Beth, no I have not read The Jane Austen Society but my mom enjoyed it some years ago, so I can't advise there. So many here on LT seem to be reading The Black Wolf and enjoying. I read several in the series, and then stopped reading them, but maybe I need to look into The Black Wolf.

>96 BLBera: Beautiful cover. Looks like an interesting read.

Happy rest of the week.

>107 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah. You have to read The Grey Wolf before The Black Wolf. The later is a continuation of the story that started in the first one.

>108 figsfromthistle: It was interesting, Anita, maybe a bit too technical in places.

The Wilderness
As in her first novel The Turner House, in The Wilderness, Angela Flournoy creates complex characters that we come to care about. This is the story of the friendship of four Black women over the course of about twenty years. Desiree, Monique, Nakia, and January each have a story although the narrative centers on Desiree.

The novel shows us each woman's perspective and jumps around in time, which can make it hard to follow in places, but that is a minor thing. I loved the women and their stories.

I can't wait to see what Flournoy does next. I hope we don't have to wait so long for her next novel.

>110 BLBera: Angela Flournoy is coming to the Portland Book Festival. I think that I am going to try to see her talk.

I saw her on the schedule, Rhonda. I so wish I were going this year. :( She is such a good writer.

Heart the Lover
I love this novel. Heart the Lover tells Casey Peabody's story before and after the events from Writers & Lovers, which I also loved.

This novel begins when Casey is a senior in college; she has given up a scholarship and has had to take out loans. She works two jobs and lives in a house with no heat. Then she meets Sam and Yash in one of her classes and begins a relationship that will last for the next twenty-five years.

Casey is a great character. She's not perfect, but her flaws and mistakes, especially those from her college years, are ones we can identify with. She does her best. She is someone with a goal, and she stays with it despite adversity.

You can read this without reading Writers & Lovers but read them both.

This cover is excruciatingly ugly.

I am reading Omar El Akkad's book of essays One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This and it is excellent, hard to read, but excellent.

In his chapter on language, he points out how the passive voice is used to hide the source of violence. The chapter begins:

When the past is past, the dead will be found to not have partaken in their own killing. The families huddled in the corridors of the hospital will not have tied their hands behind their backs, lined themselves against the wall, shot themselves in the heads, and then hopped into mass graves of their own volition. The prisoners in the torture camps will not have penetrated themselves with electric rods. The children will not have pulled their own limbs and strewn them all over the makeshift soccer pitch. The babies will not have chosen starvation.

When the past is past. But for now, who's to say they didn't? Who can truly be sure, but the killers and the dead?

>113 BLBera: - I just saw Jennifer reviewed this and was excited that Lily King had a new one out. I didn't realize it was connected to Writers & Lovers, which I loved.

>113 BLBera: Thanks for the nudge, Beth. I think I'll do a reread of Writers and Lovers before beginning the new one. I don't remember much, except for the garage (or basement?) apartment and the choice between two partners. I do remember really enjoying it!

>113 BLBera: I really disliked the ending of Writers and Lovers, and this new novel made me feel a little better about it. I remember thinking that Casey should not have picked either of the men she was choosing between - instead I wanted her to pick the independent path and start fresh - but I liked where she was when this book picks up. It took me a while to connect Casey from Writers and Lovers with Casey in Heart the Lover.

>115 katiekrug: If you loved Writers & Lovers, you will like this one, Katie. Casey is such a great character, and it is fun to learn the backstory.

>166 BLBera: Yes, the garage! I didn't remember a lot, but I don't think it's necessary to read Writers & Lovers to enjoy the new one. Still, it was such a good book that I might pick it up again as well.

>117 japaul22: Hi Jennifer. The ending from Writers & Lovers didn't bother me, maybe because it was the end, and we don't know where she was going...

>110 BLBera: Hi Beth. My niece in Colorado recommended The Wilderness to me. She is a retired English teacher and knows my tastes well. I'm looking forward to reading it. She also recommended Heart the Lover. Do you think I should read Writers and Lovers first? So many good books out there these days.

>119 Donna828: Hi Donna! Heart the Lover stands alone, but I thought Writers & Lovers was a bit better. And there are spoilers in Heart the Lover for Writers & Lovers although I don't think it matters a lot.

Death in Focus
Anne Perry is a good storyteller. I enjoyed her Victorian mysteries, and this novel set in 1933 as Hitler rises to power is a page turner. It also seems surprisingly relevant with descriptions of the people and their reactions to Hitler echoing the MAGA movement.

Her protagonist Elena Standish is a photographer in her twenties. At times Elena seems annoyingly naive, but if someone has never seen a dead body swimming in blood, I suppose it's natural to lose one's cool. Perhaps I had to suspend my disbelief in places, but overall, this is a good start to a series.

I've not read The Writers and Lovers yet, Beth, but I may have to re consider that.

It is so good, Deborah.

Yellowface

Kuang is a gifted writer, and there is a lot to think about in Yellowface. She packs a lot into this novel -- a critique of publishing, the toxicity of social media, racism, cultural appropriation...It's a lot.

The story begins with a theft. When June Hayward's friend Athena Liu chokes to death in front of her, June takes Athena's manuscript and passes it off as her own work. I recently read The Plot, and although Yellowface has more nuance, there is a similar attempt in the characters in both novels at justification of the thefts. As time goes by, June is faced with accusations of theft, which she successfully denies, but she continues to make poor decisions, which are very frustrating to the reader. We do, however, see that she isn't the only thief in the novel.

It's really interesting that Kuang, a Chinese woman, writes from a white woman's point of view in this novel in which issues of cultural appropriation are discussed. It's an attempt, I think, to show that this is not an issue with a simple answer.

After reading this, I have never been so happy that I am not on social media.

I listened to part of this, and I found that I was much more sympathetic to June when listening to her. The narrator does a good job.

Overall, I liked this novel, which is so thought provoking. Maybe though, Kuang packs a bit too much into it? It seemed to drag toward the end.

I will read more by Kuang.

I've put the two Lily King books on my book wish list with the idea that I will wait until after my Austen project to look them up. We'll see how I do with waiting :)

Hi Reba - They are such great novels. You remind me, I have some Austen to read as well.

>100 BLBera: I’m not in a hurry to read The Black Wolf knowing it’s a continuation, of sorts, of The Grey Wolf. Like you, I don’t like the thriller aspect. I’d much prefer a return to simple, small town murders and stories of their personal lives.

>113 BLBera: That’s a face, isn’t it? I don’t like the cover either but this is the first I’m really looking at it beyond the colors. My library has been extraordinarily slow at getting new books (fallout from the distribution issue, I assume) so I’m still waiting for this to come in. I loved Writers and Lovers and didn’t realize Heart the Lover was related to it (but I guess I could have figured it out from the name).

Your reading retreat sounds like it was fun!

>127 Copperskye: Hi Joanne - Yes it is a face on the cover of Heart the Lover, and it does make sense, but I still think it's pretty ugly.

My reading retreat was really fun.

The Black Wolf was OK. Very plot driven, with lots of action, running around trying to save the world. I hope the next one is back to a "normal" mystery.

Heartwood
This story of a missing hiker on the Appalachian Trail grabbed me from the start, and I ended up reading the book in a couple of sittings.

Valerie Gillis is a nurse, and after the stress of COVID, she feels the need to do something different, so she decides to hike the AT, as it called by those adjacent to it. She goes missing in the Maine leg of the hike, where the trail is surrounded by thick forests.

Gaige keeps us turning the pages by alternating Valerie's story, as written in her diary, with the story of Beverly, the game warden in charge of the search, and Lena, a retired woman confined to a wheelchair, who is trying to find Valerie, using her online and detective skills.

Despite the main topic of the novel (getting lost and all), the descriptions make me want to hike the AT. Maybe someday...

I love the cover.

Hi there! Skimmed through - I think it was early this year when I swore off books with "bookstore", "book shop", "library", "librarian" etc in the title because I have hated every last one of them I attempted.

I read Satantango by Krasznahorkai earlier this year. It was a wild ride and included a long scene of cruelty to an animal. I know that is a dealbreaker for a lot of people. But it was there for a reason, I think, and the book overall was intriguing although I walked away thinking I wasn't smart enough for it, probably. I will also give the 9-hour movie adaptation a miss!

Hi Ursula. I think you may be right about Books with books in the title, at least the fiction ones.

Thanks for the insight into Krasznahorkai. I think I will wait until I feel smarter. :) A definite no to a 9-hour movie.

Stopping by to say hello and load up on recommendations. You've been doing lots of great reading with just one exception it looks like. Thanks for the reminder of Laurie King's series. I am trying to pick one to catch up on and this might be the one.

>90 BLBera: I love the idea of a reading retreat.

>131 BLBera: There have been some fiction with Book/Library/Bookstore that I've liked, but for sure, the non-fiction ones score higher with me.

>132 witchyrichy: Hi Karen. Load the recommendations up! The latest King was good; we get some additional background for Mary.

The reading retreat was fun, and it is a lovely setting.

>133 quondame: I agree, Susan. I have loved some nonfiction books about books and libraries. I think in the future I will stick with those.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
This is an unsettling, uncomfortable read, and it should be. Omar El Akkad forces us to look at our complicity in the genocide that is occurring in Gaza. Everyone should read this.

One of the things El Akkad says that has stuck with me is that if we think certain people deserve annihilation, we "should at least have the spine to embrace it. To look upon the body of a little girl hanging from the wall, limbs severed by the force of the blast, and say: I'm fine with this. At least there'd be some measure of honesty in it."

El Akkad has taken a risk in writing this book, and I appreciate his bravery. I'm sure there will be backlash.

The cover is striking and appropriate.

Your reading retreat sounds like fun, Beth.

>121 BLBera: I didn’t realize that Anne Perry had started a different series. I’ll have to check that out. I wonder how far she got with it.

>136 Familyhistorian: I think there are a few, Meg.

We had my book club discussion of Foster today, and everyone loved the book, and we still had a decent discussion. We talked about the ending and the choice of point of view. Next month, to celebrate Jane Austen, we are reading Persuasion.

Your bookclub sounds wonderful Beth, reading great books! . How long have you been a member and how many members are there?

It does sound like a great book group, and Persuasion is a great read.

>139 mdoris: My book club has been going since 2002. It has evolved, but there are three of us who have been in it since the beginning.

>140 banjo123: We have fun, Rhonda. And we usually have great discussions.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This sounds very good, Beth. I have yet to get it. I read Persuasiona long time ago. It would be fun re- read with a book club.

Persuasion might be my favorite Austen, Deborah. I am really looking forward to a reread.

The Omar El Akkad book is so relevant.

>143 BLBera: I think it is mine too Beth, I reread it earlier this year, maybe for the 3rd/4th time.

Whale Fall
I loved this lovely, poetic novel set on an island off the coast of Wales. There is something about books set on islands...

It is 1938, and this isolated, sparsely populated island is on the verge of change as another war approaches. The population is dwindling, and the eighteen-year-old narrator, Manod, wants something more than island life. When two outsiders arrive on the island to record stories and songs and observe the islanders' way of life, Manod sees an opportunity to escape.

The short chapters read like diary entries of the day-to-day life on the island.

For people who loved The Colony and Haven, two other excellent island books.

I know I read about this somewhere on LT, so thanks to whoever commented on it.

>144 Caroline_McElwee: I am so looking forward to this reread and discussion, Caroline.

>145 BLBera: Hi Beth, I really enjoyed Haven so these other island books might be right up my alley! Thank you!

>147 mdoris: They are great, Mary.

One Under
It has been a while since I picked up a book in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' Bill Slider series. I had forgotten the wit and compassion of these novels. In this one, Slider has been promoted, and the police are being asked to cut spending. But Slider isn't ready to be a suit. When he gets the call from another DCI about a possible hit-and-run, with the victim from Slider's area, he checks out the scene and feels that something is wrong. This feeling leads him into the world of poor, neglected girls who all too easily become victims.

Slider's compassion for these young victims, and his demand that justice be available to all is what makes him such a likable protagonist. He also has a good team.

This is a good series; Harrod-Eagles knows how to pace and construct a story.

I won't wait so long before picking up the next book in this series.

I've not heard of this series before, though I am familiar with the author, mostly because she wrote a lot of historical fiction, I believe. I'll see if my library has the first in the series, because, you know, order :)

(Psst - you're touchstone goes to the wrong book)

Thanks, Katie. If you enjoyed her other books, the mysteries are well written with great characters and plenty of wit.

I have read Strange Flowers and The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan, so you might prefer those to The Spinning Heart, Beth . Joanne says on her thread that Heart Be At Peace was a much better read that The Spinning Heart, so I hope to get to that soon.

Thanks Deborah.

>135 BLBera: Ah this looks like an important read. I will add it to the list.

>154 figsfromthistle: It is, Anita. I hope you get to it soon.

Guess which stellar grandchild made the A honor roll! She gets dessert with dinner today. :)

National Book Award Winners
https://www.nationalbook.org/winners-of-the-2025-national-book-awards-announced/
The True True Story of Raja the Gullible
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
We Are Green and Trembling
The Teacher of Nomad Land
The Intentions of Thunder

I've read the El Akkad and the Nayeri books, well deserved. Congratulations to the winners.

>134 BLBera: I am currently staying in a cottage in Mt. Gretna, PA, that would be perfect for a retreat! Hmmm...wait until late spring/early summer when the huge screened in porch would be a great place to gather and talk about reading and books.

>155 BLBera: Congrats on the honor roll!

Hi Karen! Is it the same cottage that you showed us once on your thread? Yes! That would be ideal for a reading retreat.

Thanks. She was pretty blasé about it.

I am enjoying Jane Austen's Bookshelf although reading from the point of view of an English major, I am surprised by what Romney doesn't know about some of these writers.

Still, it is fun to read about book collecting and to learn about some of the writers I am not familiar with.

I am currently reading about Charlotte Lennox, someone I have never read.

In earlier chapters:
Fanny Burney:
Evelina - read years ago but will reread
Cecilia
Camilla
The Wanderer
I'd like to get my hands on Burney's letters and diaries as well.

Ann Radcliffe:
The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne
A Sicilian Romance
The Romance of the Forest
The Mysteries of Udolpho - read and did not enjoy
The Italian

I might give a different Radcliffe a try although I suspect that Gothic tales are just not my thing...

>159 BLBera: I'm not an English major and haven't read many "classics" but I'm now a little over half-way with The Mysteries of Udolpho and I'm loving it...staying up too late reading it...grabbing it first thing in the morning. I wouldn't have thought Gothic tales would have been my thing but this one has really grabbed me. Poor, poor Emily!!!

>160 RebaRelishesReading: I am glad you are enjoying it, Reba. If I read it again, I might have a different reaction, but I would rather try something else by Radcliffe.

>158 BLBera: There's so much reading inspiration in Jane Austen's Bookshelf. I bought Charlotte Lennox's The Female Quixote which I'll read early next year.

>159 BLBera:, >160 RebaRelishesReading: Reba and I are having an unofficial shared read of Udolpho right now. We're each moving at our own pace but I've been just as surprised as Reba how much I'm enjoying it and am drawn to pick it up during spare moments.

Hi Beth. Just trying to catch up with some threads.

Noting that you did not enjoy Udolpho as I visited Reba's and Laura's threads and was intrigued by their shared experience with that one. I had never even heard of it.

I am still in the queue for One Day Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This but I still want to have our zoom discussion.

I've read The Female Quixote, and I liked it. I thought it was genuinely funny, though the humor gets a bit repetitive. Worth reading, for sure.

>162 lauralkeet: Yes, Laura! And I am only on the third author! I wasn't familiar with Charlotte Lennox, and I think there are two other new-to-me authors as well. I am glad you are enjoying Udolpho. I might try another one of hers...

>163 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! I did not enjoy Udolpho, but I am glad both Laura and Reba re enjoying it.

I hope you get a copy of the El Akkad book soon. It is an important book.

>164 japaul22: Hi Jennifer. I hope life is getting back to normal for you after the reopening of the government. I haven't read anything by Lennox, and will keep your recommendation in mind. SO many books!

Voracious
I really enjoyed this collection of short essays by Cara Nicoletti. Nicoletti has a short essay about favorite books, and her experience reading them, as well as the food she finds in the books and stories. At the end of each essay, she includes a recipe inspired by the book.

The only books I can remember focusing on food are Donna Leon's books set in Venice. But Nicoletti finds food in books that range from childhood books like Charlotte's Web (pea and bacon soup) and Strega Nona (Pepper-Parmesan pasta) to books like The Bluest Eye(Concord grape sorbet) and The Odyssey (red-wine rosemary bread).

This was entertaining, and I may even try a couple of recipes. I will also pay more attention to food in books.

>166 BLBera: Hi Beth. That one sounds interesting. Have you read Brunetti's Cookbook? I'm now trying to figure out other books too that are food-ish!

I'm going to have to try One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This . You enjoyed it, it won a major prize and he is a Canadian citizen, I think.

>167 mdoris: I have the Brunetti cookbook and although I have flagged some recipes, I still haven't made anything in it. Too many cookbooks!

>168 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I wouldn't say I "enjoyed" Omar El Akkad's book, but I think it's important; it's about the genocide occurring in Gaza, so....

What we have all been waiting for: best-of lists for 2025!

You're welcome!

https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2025

>170 BLBera: - I was just thinking about NPR's list and when it would be released! Thanks, Beth. It's my favorite of the year-end lists, as I like how you can refine searches so well. I've gotten some great gift ideas for people through it.

Thanks for the list Beth! I'm waiting for the NY Times list - I think it's out tomorrow.

>170 BLBera: Ooh! A list!

>170 BLBera: Dangerous! I just put the new Alison Roman, Dorie Greenspan and Milk Street Italy cookbooks on reserve at the library. Can hardly wait!

>170 BLBera: Thanks for the link to NPR best books list, Beth. A quick look tells me I've read four of them but haven't heard of many more!! I'll go back for a more thorough look when I have more time.

Hi Beth,

Heartwood sounds right up my alley.

>149 BLBera: You’ve reminded me that I have the first two books in the Slider series waiting to be read. I got them from Book Depository so I know they’ve been around for at least a couple years!

And the NPR list!! Thanks for the info! I love looking through it!

>170 BLBera: Pleased to see Helm made the list. Made my top list too. I prefer the US cover though!

>171 katiekrug: You are welcome, Katie. I added a couple of books to my WL...

>172 vivians: I love the end-of-the-year lists, Vivian. I will look for the NYT one.

>173 charl08:, >177 charl08: Helm is on my library reserve list. I need to check on the status.

>174 mdoris: Enjoy your cookbooks!

>175 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. A couple of the books will be on my favorite list at the end of the year as well.

>176 Copperskye: I think you will like the Slider books, Joanne. They are good procedural mysteries, and the characters grow on you.

>170 BLBera: Hi TwinB -- Yay! A book list!! What would I do without you? : )

Thanks for the list, Beth. I have read about 13, and many familiar covers/ title , and new ones that I am interested in. Thanks!

>170 BLBera: thanks for the list Beth! I follow the NYT list too but really like the way NPR organizes theirs, and they make it easy to look at previous lists too if you're so inclined.

>135 BLBera: >168 vancouverdeb: I bought a copy of this last week and plan to read it soon Beth.

>170 BLBera: That’s a fun link, Beth! Not just one list but lots of them. Very nice.

I seem to remember lots of English books for children used to mention food, candy, ginger beer in the books of Enid Blyton, butterbeer in Harry Potter. I used to wonder what it was. Is there such a thing as butterbeer? (Yes, apparently).

>179 Berly: Good question, TwinK!:)

>180 vancouverdeb: Deborah, you counted! I have barely glanced at the list although I did add a couple to my WL

>181 lauralkeet: You are welcome Laura. Safe travels to Connecticut. I looked at the NYT list as well.

>182 Caroline_McElwee: I will watch for your comments, Caroline. It is an important book.

>183 EllaTim: Hi Ella. I have never heard of butter beer.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my LT friends who celebrate. Or, as one of my favorite characters from Louise Erdrich says, Happy Thankstaking. :)

I am not even going to try and catch up to you, Beth, being 150+ posts behind. I will however, wish you a wonderful Wednesday!

>170 BLBera: ooh! I love best of lists especially how this one is set up visually.

>185 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia. I can't even try to catch up with people.

>186 figsfromthistle: Enjoy the list, Anita.

Hi Beth, I saw this link and wondered if any of these were new to you.

https://womensprize.com/juhea-kims-top-five-cli-fi-reads/

Thanks Charlotte! Three are new to me. I will check them out.

I finished my last book for November, The Antidote. Quite a strange book but I liked it. I need to think about it for a bit before I comment.

I have two writers left in Jane Austen's Bookshelf and I am enjoying it. I am gathering Austen-related books to read, and I can't find my copy of Evelina...It will turn up eventually. Maybe.

>170 BLBera: Good list to peruse. I had seen the NYT list but not yet the NPR list. Like Laura, I like how they organize their best-of list.

>190 BLBera: The Antidote caught my interest. I'll look forward to learning what you think about it.

>190 BLBera: Beth, I'm delighted to see you're gathering Austen-related books. I bought four after reading Romney's book but I'm sure there are more purchases in my future.

>192 quondame: Hi Susan. If you like odd, this may be for you!

>193 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. I will probably reread some Austen first. My book club is reading Persuasion this month.

November reading:
Books Read: 12
By women: 10
By men: 2

Novels: 10
Essays: 1
Memoir/food:1

Library: 6
From my shelves: 6

Best: Heart the Lover, The Wilderness, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

Ooh, l will look forward to hearing about the Austen related books. I was full of enthusiasm after reading Jane Austen's Bookshelf but didn't get much further than that!

>190 BLBera: I too was captured by Jane Austen's bookshelf. I've always been a fan but know little about what influenced her...and now I hope to learn more. I just finished reading my first Romney-induced book Udolpho and really enjoyed it. I plan to alternate between books that likely influenced Austen and re-reads of Austen's own books ... which will keep me busy for quite a while.

Happy December reading, Beth!

Hi Beth! I am trying to get caught up. I am happy to say that I have actually read your You Must Read This book and enjoyed it. Glad to see that Angela Flournoy has a new one out, too.

I can appreciate your comment above about getting excited about books with "library/librarian" in the title and often being disappointed. I feel the same way about "The __________________ Bookshop/Bookshop of _______" And remember many years ago when it felt like all the books were titled "The ____________'s Daughter?"

I already have >82 BLBera: The Teacher of Nomad Land on my list thanks to you and I am thrilled to see it on NPR's list, too. Also >113 BLBera: Heart the Lover. You got me with >166 BLBera: Voracious too.

The NPR best of list is great - I'm happy to see a few titles I have in my library, including two that were just chosen today as birthday books: J vs K and Don't Trust Fish which is hilarious.

When I have time I will go back and catch up on your previous thread, too. Happy December! Can Scout really be 12??

>196 charl08: Well, it may take me a while as well, Charlotte.

>197 RebaRelishesReading: I am glad you enjoyed Udolpho, Reba. I didn't like it, but I will try something else by Radcliffe.

>198 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah. I can't believe the year is almost done.

>199 AMQS: Hi Anne. It is hard to believe that Scout is 12. She is such a great kid. I gave her The Teacher of Nomad Land, which I think she will like, but guess what she's reading now? Twilight! I groaned when her mom told me, but as my daughter says, "She is reading."

The NPR list is so much fun.

The Antidote
This is my first novel by Karen Russell, and overall I liked it. I will read more by her. It is an odd book.

The novel is set in Nebraska in the 1930s in the midst of drought and dust storms. Russell has done a lot of research and the setting is spectacular, lots of history: settlement by Polish people escaping from German expansionism, the expulsion of the Pawnee, and the transformation of the prairie landscape. There is also a magic camera, a prairie witch, and a talking cat.

The story centers on Antonina Rossi, the Antidote, a prairie witch. She is what is called a vault; she listens to people's worst memories and stores them, leaving the people with no memory of what they have told her. The Antidote herself can't forget the baby that was taken from her when she was 15. There is a lot about memory here, about what happens when we forget the past and how sometimes we need to let the past go in order to move on.

I enjoyed the book, which kept me engaged, but in the end, I think there was too much going on and I am not sure it all comes together. Still, if you like odd books with a bit of magic, give it a try.

>201 BLBera: I have found Russell a bit tough to read, but I did like a book of short stories by her--St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. I think that the short story format helped keep the plotting tighter.

The Antidote sounds interesting though, maybe I will try it.

>201 BLBera: That does sound a tad left field but enjoyably so!

Congratulations on >202 banjo123: being the 1,000th post on your threads in 2025.

That sounds like a good idea, Rhonda. I did like The Antidote, but I do like odd books. However, when I was thinking about it after I finished it, I realized that all of the disparate parts did not add up to a cohesive whole.

>203 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! How do you keep track of all the numbers?!

>205 BLBera: I update them daily, Beth. To be honest it isn't that difficult once the template is set up.

It's still impressive, Paul.

The Red Queen
A disappointing entry in the Richard Jury series. Plot is not well developed, nor are any of the characters. Fans of the series can pass on this one.

>208 BLBera: Oh dear. Hope the next one is a return to form.

>201 BLBera: This does sound intriguing. Maybe one to pick up if I see it in the library.

Hey Charlotte. Grimes is in her 80s, so who knows if there will be another...Still, it was a fun series with some great characters.

You might like The Antidote; it's not perfect, but it is interesting.

Jane Austen's Bookshelf
I really enjoyed Jane Austen's Bookshelf and Rebecca Romney's account of searching for authors who influenced Austen. The insight into the the world of rare books was interesting as well.

At first I was surprised by Romney's lack of familiarity with some of the authors, but I did read and study many of them in grad school... Still, some of the authors are new to me, and I will look for works by them. I won't be rereading The Mysteries of Udolpho. :)

Authors mentioned include Fanny Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Lennox, Hannah More, Charlotte Smith, Maria Edgeworth, Elizabeth Inchbald, and Hester Lynch Piozzi.

One of the biggest takeaways for me is reinforcement of the idea that the canon is very subjective, and as Romney says, "is most useful when we say 'yes, and' -- using it as a starting point for a richer and more expansive approach to our reading." Amen.

If you enjoy reading about books and/or are an Austen fan, you will enjoy this book.

I am thinking of a reading list for next year...

Glad you liked Jane Austen's Bookshelf. I'm an Austen fan...and I did enjoy it. Rereading Emma at the moment in prep for book club meeting Monday. It's been many, many years since I read Austen and I'm so glad Romney got me back to her.

Works I am interested in:
Eighteenth-century women writers:
Fanny Burney
Evelina
Cecilia
Camilla

Ann Radcliffe
The Romance of the Forest
The Italian

Charlotte LEnnox
The Life of Harriet Stuart
The Female Quixote
Henrietta

Charlotte Smith
Emmeline
Elegiac Sonnets
The Old Manor House
Desmond

Elizabeth Inchbald
A Simple Story

Maria Edgeworth
Castle Rackrent
Belinda
The Absentee

Romney caused me to acquire quite a few of those for reading in the next year (at least, that's the plan) but I'll keep your list for possible additions to my own personal Austen Bookshelf.

>211 BLBera: Excellent review Beth, and I really like your comment about the subjectivity of the canon. I've favorited your list too. I bought 4 books to start with but now that I've read 2, I'm sure there will be more.

>214 RebaRelishesReading: Well, plans are meant to be revised, right?

>215 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Thanks. Regarding the canon, if we look at books about the classics that Romney cites, most are by white men, who dominated the academic world when lists of classics were being compiled. In most of these lists, there is a real absence of both women and people of color, which infuriates me. (Can you tell?) Anyway, I look forward to exploring the works of the women I haven't read. It helps to keep a list in front of me.

Interesting connection! I started reading Elizabeth Hardwick's Seduction and Betrayal, a collection of essays about women writers and women characters. The first essay is about the Brontës, and it turns out that the girls attended a school sponsored by Hannah More! Small world.

>216 BLBera: All the time, Beth, all the time :)

>216 BLBera: It infuriates me too!

Speaking of canon and the Brontës, I'm going to re-read Wuthering Heights in January. It's been ages since I read it (I was probably in my 20s), and there's a new film coming out on Valentine's Day.

>218 lauralkeet: Oh, I'll be curious what you think Laura! I tried to listen to it on audio book this year and I just hated it! And it was a five star read when I read it decades ago.

>208 BLBera: oh no. Bummer about that one. I quite enjoy that series.

Happy weekend reading!

Hi Beth. I don't know what I'm going to read next. I finished I See You've Called In Dead and loved it. I'm only two chapters into One Day Everyone and I will keep reading it but I need a counterbalance....

>213 BLBera: You have a lot of reading possibilities there, Beth.

>219 japaul22: Oh noooo ! But then again Jennifer, you also hated Udolpho *smile*

>217 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba.

>218 lauralkeet: It has been years since I read Wuthering Heights. You'll have to let me know how it works on audio. Hardwick had interesting things to say about Emily. Personally, Charlotte has always been my favorite.
>223 lauralkeet: :) I also hated Udolpho but I did like Wuthering Heights.

>219 japaul22: Hi Jennifer.

>220 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. You could probably skip this one. It is a good series. I hope this isn't the last one. It would be a shame to end on a poor novel.

>221 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. It sounds like you found something to balance El Akkad's book. I hadn't heard about I See You've Called in Dead. I will have to check it out.

>222 vancouverdeb: Yes, Deborah. There is never a shortage of books to choose from.

>170 BLBera: I got lost in the list, Beth. Thanks for posting it.

You are welcome, Meg.

I saw the movie "Hamnet" this weekend. It was great although still not as good as the book. Take a hankie if you go. It makes me want to get back to my Shakespeare reading, but that will probably be in the new year.

>227 BLBera: The new year isn't very far away, Beth :)

I loved the book Hamnet, Beth. I think I am afraid to watch the movie in case it does not measure up.

>228 RebaRelishesReading: I know, Reba! Where did this year go?

>229 vancouverdeb: I loved the book as well, Deborah, but the movie is still good. O'Farrell worked on the screenplay, so it is pretty faithful. Of course, the book was better. :)

>230 BLBera: I know...time goes so fast. Yesterday was the "5th anniversary" of our furniture arriving in Vancouver -- how is that possible?

>227 BLBera: I saw it too, Beth, and I agree that the book is far superior. I thought Jessie Buckley's performance was stupendous and I hope she wins all the awards. I did not weep (as I did while reading the book) but was just a bit teary.

>231 RebaRelishesReading: It's all relative, Reba. :)

>232 vivians: The last chapter in the book is just amazing, and they tried to replicate in the film, but it just didn't have the same impact. However, the friend I went with is now determined to read the book.

I was thinking of you, Vivian, as I finished a wonderful book, These Days, great historical fiction set during the Belfast Blitz. Have you read it? I think it may go on my favorites list for the year.

These Days
These Days is a wonderful historical novel that centers on the Belfast Blitz, during 1941. Belfast was nearly leveled by German bombs, something I was not aware of. Lucy Caldwell focuses on a few characters to reveal the impact of the bombing.

Emma and Audrey Bell are young women, trying to figure out what they want from life. The bombings impress on them the fact that today might be all they have. As one of the characters tells Emma, "I wanted to tell you that we have this moment...Even in the midst of everything. This moment..." The fact that death is so close makes both women think harder about the possibilities open to them.

The writing is beautiful, descriptive and poetic, even as Caldwell describes devastation. And the fact that she focuses on very few characters increases the impact of the story. For some people, everything is lost: "Gone: all of it gone, and with barely anyone to know, or to mark it."

I am so glad I picked up this book, which may be one of the best I've read this year.

>234 BLBera: - I LOVED this one, too, Beth. I think Vivian sent me her copy, and I am so grateful.

It was SO good, Katie. Maybe I heard about it from Vivian? I just started Evensong by Stewart O'Nan. I know he's one of your favs. It's my first book by him.

>234 BLBera:, >235 katiekrug: you and Katie both loved it? On the list it goes.

>234 BLBera: Another fan here. I got hold of one of her short stories after reading this - also recommended.

>237 japaul22: What Jennifer said! That sounds like just my kind of book.

>233 BLBera: Yes, read it and loved it! It was on the Walter Scott Prize longlist - that's how it came to my attention.

I just finished What We Can Know (Ian McEwan. I haven't enjoyed his more recent novels but this one was a complete wonder. I absolutely loved it and can't wait to talk about it with someone! I hope it gets some notice on LT.

I will add the McEwan to my list. I have felt similarly about his recent novels, so I have been waiting to hear more about it. Your recommendation helps.

These Days will be one of my favorites this year, I think.

Sorry I missed Jennifer, Charlotte, and Laura. Thanks for stopping by.

We had our book club discussion of Persuasion, and surprisingly, not everyone loved it. I just assume everyone loves Austen, but that is not the case. People felt it was slow and had issues with the language. Oh well.

We had a potluck though, to celebrate the holiday season and some good food. Also, one member attended Iceland's Noir Book Festival, and she reported on it. Colm Toíbín is nice, Ragnor Jónasson is quiet, and Siri Hustvedt is full of herself. It sounds like fun, with some interesting writers.

I am listening to Snowblind, which is apt as the high temp in Minnesota today is 0. A good day for reading and tending the fire.

Snowblind
In Snowblind, a novel set in Siglufjördur, an isolated northern town in Iceland, author Ragnor Jónasson introduces policeman Ari Thor, a young man just out of the police academy.

Ari Thor jumps at the offer of a job in this isolated place despite the fact that he is leaving his girlfriend in Reyjavík, who is unhappy that Ari Thor didn't consult her before accepting the post. He soon begins to question his judgment as the small, isolated community seems closed off to outsiders, and the weather makes him feel claustrophobic.

When there is a mysterious death, Ari Thor isn't sure it is an accident, but his boss doesn't seem to want to investigate.

Jónasson has created a well-plotted story with a spectacular setting in Siglufjôrdur, with its isolation, looming mountains, and never-ending snow.

It's a good start to a series.

The audiobook was well done and I learned how to pronounce the names!

>242 BLBera: I was a little surprised when my bookclub was split on Emma last week. Of the six of us there were two fans, two "I'd rather read adventure" and two down the middle. I also thought everyone would "of course" love Austen lol.

>243 BLBera: I hope to start this series in the new year, Beth. I can't remember whose review I saw first (did Vivian read this?), but I'm pleased to see you enjoyed it too. I'm going to read in print so my pronunciation will not improve lol.

>244 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. Yes, it is always interesting when people are not fans of books I love. But, it does make for a better discussion. One thing I found interesting is that a couple of people really had a hard time of putting Anne in the context of her times. They thought she was wishy washy.

>245 lauralkeet: I checked out the series and there are only six books, which is always a nice thing as well. I think Vivian may have read it. She has such good taste. :) I will definitely read more by this author.

>246 BLBera: Six books. I can handle that! I have some long-running series, like Inspector Gamache, that I started reading when there were fewer volumes and now just have to keep pace with each new book as it's published. But I started reading Sebastian St Cyr (another Vivian-influenced choice) when there were already many published books. It can be a bit daunting to think about how many more you have to read. So I try not to think about it lol. But I agree with you, Vivian has excellent taste.

I loved the book Hamnet and think I will skip the movie. I hate when a movie replaces the voice in my head with some actor's voice --- which is inevitable even if they do a stupendous job with the role.

>247 lauralkeet: That reminds me; it's been a while since I picked up one of the Sebastian St Cyr books. ..

>248 banjo123: Hi Rhonda - I also go with the idea that the book is better. But the film Hamnet was very good. And I see that O'Farrell has a new one coming next year!

Evensong
Evensong is the story of four women, members of The Humpty Dumpty Club, a club devoted to helping aged people in their neighborhood. They pick up prescriptions, make hospital visits, and prepare meals. Susie, the youngest, is in her 60s, while Emily, Arlene, and Kitzi are in their 80s.

This is a compassionate look at aging, showing that old people still have rich lives and a lot to offer the people around them. It also shows that one suffers losses as one ages, both in terms of people and of abilities.

This was my first novel by Stewart O'Nan, and I really liked it. I will pick up more by him.

I love the cover.

"This was my first novel by Stewart O'Nan, and I really liked it. I will pick up more by him."

Music to my ears... :)

I'm glad you enjoyed Evensong , Beth. I've enjoyed several of his books. I'm a big fan of Ragnar Jonasson. My maternal grandparents were of Icelandic background, though both born in Canada. They could speak and read Icelandic, so I am not completely unfamiliar with the pronunciations. But the spelling! Such long names , for the most part.

Finally catching up on your thread. So many good books. These Days went to my wishlist.

I've still not read any O'Nan, maybe this will be the nudge I need! Sounds like a great read.

>243 BLBera: This kind of scandi crime is still super-popular at the library judging from how few copies there are available on the shelves to borrow!

Are you buying books for Scout for Xmas, or is this top-secret until the day?

>250 BLBera: I'm packing it for our trip -- glad to have you seconding Katie's opinion :). I've read a couple of O'Nan's books and liked them so I have high hopes for this one.

>234 BLBera: >250 BLBera: Added to the TBR!

Hope all is well.

>251 katiekrug: You are a trend setter, Katie.:)

>252 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I will look for more books by O'Nan and by Jónasson. You have an advantage with the pronunciation of Icelandic!

>253 labfs39: I think you will like it, Lisa. It is a beautiful book.

>254 charl08: I did get Scout a book, a new one by Jeanne Birdsall, the author of the Penderwick books.

>255 RebaRelishesReading: Safe travels, Reba. One of the best parts is deciding which books to take.

>256 witchyrichy: You are welcome, Karen. :)

Seduction and Betrayal: Women and Literature
This is a great collection of essays by Elizabeth Hardwick. She examines both characters and authors. Her essay on the Brontë's is amazing; she says, "The sisters seized upon the development of their talents as an honorable way of life and in this they were heroic." As a Brontë fan, I appreciate this.

But all of the essays are interesting in some way. Hardwick includes discussion of Ibsen's women, including Nora and Hedda. She writes about Zelda, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf in a section called "Victims and Victors," to name a few of the topics she covers.

I enjoy literary criticism, and Hardwick does it well; she covers topics of interest to me and writes clearly. If this description interests you, you may like this collection of essays.

>258 BLBera: Great review, Beth. Sounds like a really interesting book.

Thanks Laura. I do love essays about literature, and Hardwick is a good writer.

Hi Beth, I was so behind here but a quick run through your thread has seen me take a couple of book bullets. Both Heartwood and These Days sound like books that I would like to read. Katie has already converted me to Stuart O'Nan!

>261 DeltaQueen50: Katie should get a cut of royalties. :)

RIGHT?!?!?

Hi Katie.

Hi Beth.

>265 katiekrug: :)

I have been trying to decide where I want to travel next year, and I convinced my daughter that spring break in St. Croix would be a nice break. So, SIL wants to stay home, but my girls and I will go back in March during Scout's break and spend a week relaxing.

Celestial Lights

Celestial Lights is the story of Oliver Ines, Ollie. After leaving the village where he grew up, he attends university and eventually becomes an astronaut. The story is told from Ollie's point of view, and we also have his logs from his extended space journey, so the reader gets to know him quite well.

When Ollie is offered the opportunity of an extended space journey to explore Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, he has to choose between his life on earth and space exploration. The decision will change his life forever.

I loved this novel. Ollie is a great character, presented with compassion; his life makes us ask questions about how we judge the worth of a life.

This reminds me a lot of another book I loved, Aerth. In Aerth the main character is also driven to see new things, experience different lives and places. He also loses sight of the fact that home also has value.

Recommended. This was an Early Reviewer copy. If anyone would like my copy, PM your address, and I will pass it on.

>257 BLBera: For sure, Beth, for sure.

Brightly Shining
Ten-year-old Ronja tells the story, and she is delightful although this is not, in the end, the feel-good Christmas story I was expecting. Ronja has a tough life with an alcoholic father who can't hold a job, yet she is still hopeful. She and her older sister Melissa dream together of a better life.

As Christmas approaches, their father briefly has a job selling Christmas trees, and there is food in the house. Then, as often has happened in the past, he goes out drinking and loses his job. This time, Melissa decides to take the job in his place, and again Ronja is hopeful for a Christmas with gifts and a tree.

It's a beautiful, heartbreaking novel. There are neighbors who try to help the girls, but this isn't the happy Christmas story I was expecting. Still, I would look for more by Rishøl.

>1 BLBera: Hi Beth Wow, your reading spot looks just like mine, sofa, pillows and warmie blanket. But the computer and earphones are missing!

>269 BLBera: Brightly Shining sounds like a good read, Beth. Great comments.

>270 mdoris: :) Hi Mary.

>271 vancouverdeb: It was good, Deborah, although a little different from what I was expecting.

Happy Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas, Beth!

Have a lovely festive season, Beth. x

Thanks Karen, Susan and Paul.

Merry Christmas, Beth! Spring break in St. Croix sounds wonderful. You got me with both These Days and Evensong - thank you! I'm so glad you got the Birdsall for Scout - I hope you both love it!

You got me with your review for These Days, Beth. I hope your Christmas was a merry one. All the best for 2026!

>266 BLBera: Hi Beth - putting in a pitch for a Belize as a destination! I had a great trip with my daughter - a few days in San Ignacio visiting extraordinary Mayan ruins, and then a few days on the island of San Pedro. But St. Croix sounds wonderful as well!

HI TwinB!! Hope Christmas was Merry and here's to 2026!!

Hi Anne - I will let you know what Scout thinks of the Birdsall.

Thanks Meg.

Hi Vivian. I will add Belize to the bucket list.

Hey TwinK! Happy 2026 to you!

I enjoyed These Days earlier this year, Beth. I'm glad you are too.

Hi Beth! Happy holidays and almost New Year, and wishing you plenty of good reading.

Hi Beth! Early New Year’s wishes from me as well. Happy new year, and lots of good reading as well.

Thanks Deborah, Lisa, and Ella. I have been reading. I just haven't been posting much.

Hi Beth, I haven't set up a thread yet, but I will be in the category challenge again. Just need to get organised and set it all up.

Hi Charlotte - I will probably be here again. I will set it up on New Year's. I hope to finish Emmeline before next year.

I have been reading. Some short comments.
A Horse at Night - This is basically a long essay about reading and writing. It was OK, suffered in comparison to Elizabeth Hardwick's work that I recently read.

The Librarians a fun, light, mystery set in a small library branch in Texas. You really have to suspend your disbelief, but it's a good read when you want something you don't have to think about too much.

The Radiant Lives of Animals - In one of her essays, Linda Hogan says, Part of caring is observation." She cares deeply about her isolated mountain home and its inhabitants. She describes encounters with foxes, elk, and crows, to mention a few of her fellow inhabitants. It reminds me of Braiding Sweetgrass. If you liked that one, you would probably enjoy the Hogan book.

Final book of the year: Because of Winn-Dixie, a reread for my book club. Kate DiCamillo is wonderful. This book is her first published novel and is 25 this year.

2025 in Summary

Books read: 120
By women - 73%

Novels: 86
Essays: 8
Poetry: 1
Shakespeare: 12 plays
Memoir: 6
Nonfiction: 7

I added 11 new-to-me countries to my Global reading.

I read 61 books from my shelves, about half. I would like to up that number, but those new books suck me in.

Favorites:
These Days - Great historical fiction about the Belfast Blitz, which I knew nothing about. The writing is wonderful.

One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This - An important book about what is happening in Gaza and how we should not turn away.

James - Wonderful companion to Huckleberry Finn although it works as a stand alone. Everett's use of language is stunning.

Creation Lake - This was a wonderful surprise for me. I delayed reading it because of the widely varied opinions. I loved it, loved the protagonist who isn't a good person and all of the Neanderthal stuff.

Passiontide - My first Roffey novel. I will read more by her. This is about a murder on an unnamed island but also about violence toward women that seems to get a pass all too often.

The Dream Hotel - Prescient. This has stuck with me almost all year.

Jane Austen's Bookshelf - Enjoyed all the book nerdiness of 18th century women writers, some of whom are new to me.

Gliff - Ali Smith. Need I say more? I already preordered the companion book.

There Are Rivers in the Sky- While not perfect, I loved the story of the discovery of Gilgamesh.

Also:
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida - I thought about this one for a long time after reading it. It's one that would benefit from rereading.

Seduction and Betrayal - Elizabeth Hardwick's essays about women authors and characters was fascinating.

Heart the Lover - King is so generous with her characters. Her books make me happy.

Whale Fall - Wonderful historical fiction with such a vivid sense of place. I am a sucker for books set on islands. In some ways it reminded me of The Colony.

I hope to continue with my Shakespeare reading next year. If I read a dozen plays, I should finish reading/rereading all of the plays in two years. Most of the ones that remain are rereads for me, so I may even read more in 2026.

I would really like to read more from my shelves. I will track books acquired and books weeded next year. That should help...

Two books I eagerly await in 2026:
Ali Smith's companion to Gliff
Maggie O'Farrell's new novel

Happy New Year All!

New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.

Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026

Hello Beth, I have added your favourites of '25 to my list for future reading with thanks. Wishing you wonderful reading in '26!

Happy New Year, Beth. Thanks for your best of list - I rely on it!

Thanks Paul, Mary, and Anne. Happy New Year to you!

Hi and Happy New Year from NYC, where it's cold and I don't envy those thousands of people jammed together in Times Square.

I'm noting your favorites of 2025 and bumping some of them up my pile. And I see I didn't review Creation Lake, which I read and enjoyed—the weird twists, the disagreeable narrator, all the discursion on Neanderthals... somehow it ended up being kind of fun.

Hey Lisa! What? You're not in Times Square?!

Creation Lake was just so different; I liked the oddness.

Happy New Year.

>297 BLBera: Haha… I would say you couldn’t pay me enough to be in Times Square for NYE but you probably could. It’d have to be a LOT, though.

I was actually at MoMA that afternoon, which is 10 blocks away and, it turns out, close enough to make for a miserable trip home with all the revealers and law enforcement and street blockades and subway closures. But so it goes… I hope everyone there had a good time and didn’t wet their pants (no bathrooms and you’re there for many hours).

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you. They would have to pay me a lot to be in Times Square on NYE as well. I could be bought, though.