libraryperilous learns to love reading again in 2026

Well, that was a year. Of not reading. Here's to reading joy in 2026!

I'm Diana, and I like science fiction, historical fantasy, classics, and mysteries. I'd like to read more contemporary mysteries and crime novels in 2026. I have a couple of shelves of nonfiction, mostly about birds, maritime history, and marine biology, that I may get to someday.

My cat's name is Coconut.

PS: I'm over my middle grade phase. :(

>1 libraryperilous: Happy New Thread! I hope you will have a lot of reading joy in 2026 📚

Happy new thread, and a year of great reading!

Happy new year and happy new thread! I hope this is a much better reading year for you.

>1 libraryperilous: Happy New Year and Happy New Thread, Diana! I hope you find piles of wonderful new reads this year.

>1 libraryperilous: Happy new year; happy new thread!

>2 Alexandra_book_life:, >3 haydninvienna:, >4 Sakerfalcon:, >5 Bookmarque:, >6 clamairy:, >7 hfglen: Thanks for popping in, everyone, and for the good reading wishes!

>5 Bookmarque: Gorgeous! Thank you!

I just had an interesting "conversation" with Google AI about the Mets. Most of it was inaccurate or made up entirely, including predicting that I wanted to hear certain things about players, like that one of them likes to BBQ. Uh, no, I'm looking for scouting info on his new pitch. That's on top of AI recommending multiple phantom books!

I'm not anti-AI. In fact, How To Speak Whale is one of my favorite nonfiction books, and it's astonishing how rapidly LLM technology has proved fruitful for scientific endeavors. But I really wish the text predictions being forced upon us as casual users were more scientific in their responses. I'd settle for basic accuracy, tbh.

In case you're wondering, I'm still in a reading slump, so this is what I'm doing with my time instead.

Happy New Year and new thread :)

Happy New Year, Diana!

I hope your reading slump will abate soon. Is any genre teasing at the back of your mind, whispering "read me!"?

Happy new year, Diana! Sorry you're in a slump :( I hope you can break free of it soon.

Happy new year and happy new thread, I hope you have much time and energy for reading.

>10 Narilka:, >11 norabelle414:, >12 Marissa_Doyle:, >13 curioussquared:, >14 Karlstar: Thank you for stopping by, everyone! Happy new year and 2026 reading to all of you as well!

>12 Marissa_Doyle: I've been toying with the idea of trying a contemporary crime/thriller novel, specifically Haven't Killed in Years. I read the first chapter and *cackled* at the last paragraph.

>1 libraryperilous: Just popping in to add to the Happy New Year and Happy New thread wishes!

I hope 2026 is a better reading Year for you. We all go through the occasional slumps!

Give my best ear-scritches to Coconut.

>16 terriks: Thank you! Coconut spent this morning snuggled near me the space heater. :)

Guess who managed to bust her reading slump!



Image: a beige hamster wearing pink sunglasses "drives" a Barbie-pink toy car over grass (or a Christmas tree branch?) twinkling with fairy lights. The text reads, "the horrors persist, but so do I."

1. Immortal: Romantasy set in the same universe as her Celestial Kingdom duology, but with new human and immortal characters. It was easy to get swept into the story, but I wish there had been more political intrigue and less romantic pining. However, I loved the plot twists and the general 'cozy, but make it real stakes' vibe. Sue Lynn Tan is a reliable favorite of mine. 4.5 stars.

2. Patchwork: A Sewist's Diary: memoir of a young woman's relationship with sewing her own clothes. "Again and again, I fumble with needle and thread. This is a love story." Ballard ends a failed relationship, moves for graduate school, and seeks answers to her biracial identity. Through it all, "Sewing is a kind of productive daydreaming: Maybe I could feel this way, if I made this garment for my body. Maybe I could be this kind of person." Absolutely lovely, and a tribute to the love and care within a person's chosen craft. Ballard also gifts us brevity. Each short chapter records a new sewn garment, and the book is less than 150 pages. An underrated gem. 4.5 stars.

🥳

Belated Happy New Year and Happy New Thread.

I am pleased you have broken the slump.

Having read >1 libraryperilous: I thought of two contemporary crime novels that might suit your mood.

Firstly, Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. It is a humorous murder mystery and moves along swiftly.

Secondly, Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent. This is a more serious novel. Susie Dent works as a lexicographer with the Oxford English Dictionary. Her novel is a mystery set amongst people in a dictionary company and it presents words that have fallen into disuse.

Now that I think of it A Case of Mice and Murder and A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith might also be of interest to you. These books came out last year and are cosy murder mysteries set in the world of London's legal centre where barristers are based.

I hope some of these might be of interest to you.

>19 libraryperilous: Hurray for chasing away reading slumps!

These books sound lovely :)

>19 libraryperilous: WooHoo! Break out the hats and noisemakers! So happy for you.

>18 libraryperilous: Good for you! Your reading slump has been officially run down by the charming occupant of this little Barbie car. ;)

Yes!! You persisted!!

Thank you, everyone! And thank you >21 pgmcc: for the excellent mystery recs!

I have had somewhat of a relapse. I tried too hard to read outside of my preferences and/or TBRed too hard. :(

>26 libraryperilous:
Do not despair. Have a cup of tea and get back on the horse when you feel like it. There is no penalty for not reading.

Hooray for breaking the slump!

I read a book. Please clap.

3. Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales: Emily and Wendell return to Silva Lupi to retake Wendell's throne. This is more romantic prose than the previous volumes, which I think is meant to reflect Emily's (very) slightly improved social skills and her solidified romance with Wendell. The gang returns to help, including a too-brief cameo from the delightful Poe. This feels like a final volume, although the author leaves room for further chronicles. 4.5 stars. I'm looking forward to the author's February 2026 novel, Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter.

>27 pgmcc: Thank you, Peter, for this kind and wise comment. It helped me feel less guilty.

>28 curioussquared: Hooray!

>29 libraryperilous: I am too! Already preordered it when B&N had 25% off preorders.

>29 libraryperilous:
YAY! A book completed.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

>29 libraryperilous: I am very happy for you 🫶🫶🫶

>29 libraryperilous: Yayyy! Good for you - of course, I'll clap!

👏 👏 👏 👏

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Here’s hoping for many more enjoyable reads this year. 📚 ❤️

>29 libraryperilous: I've enjoyed the Emily Wilde books. I didn't know the author had a new one coming out! I'll have to put a hold on it.

>29 libraryperilous: I earmarked Agnes Aubert's mystical cat shelter before I even noticed it was by Heather Fawcett! That makes it an even stronger recommendation.

Yay, a book!

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

I think you liked that one more than me (I'm glad! I think it was more me than the book).

>29 libraryperilous: 🥳 Congrats!

Thank you, everyone! I managed to finish another book last night (well, 3 am this morning).

>31 Marissa_Doyle:, >35 catzteach:, >36 Sakerfalcon: I'm several holds deep, so I hope all of you are able to read it sooner. It sounds so cozy!

>37 curioussquared: I bounced off it a couple of times last year, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I love Wendell, lol.

4. The Pumpkin Princess and the Buried Castle: Eve and her undead friends in Hallowell try to locate a sinister enemy's buried lair. Meanwhile, Eve has become partially undead herself and learns how to deal with her new powers. This is fine but not as good as the first book in the series. That one was full of cozy-spooky (spoozy?) vibes. This one is drearier, and there's not much adventure. Also, the writing is sloppy. I expect writers to write and editors to edit. What happened here? If you like the first book, this one answers some questions and sets up a third book in the series. Maybe this really just suffers from middle-book-in-a-trilogy syndrome. 4 stars.

5. The Hyena Scientist: middle grade nonfiction about Dr. Kay Holekamp, the world's foremost spotted hyena expert. Kay has spent almost four decades, including summers in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve, studying the ethology of Crocuta crocuta. I knew that spotted hyenas are matriarchal and have a complex society. I didn't know that: females are larger than the males; cubs outrank males because rank is matrilineal; and, a female's false penis is a birthing canal. That's "like giving birth through a soda straw," says Holekamp. Spotted hyenas are apex predators who capture over 60% of their prey and often have their food stolen by lions! Holekamp also has compiled research on the language of hyenas, including their famous giggles (usually submission or distress) and physical gestures like open-mouthed submission. It's fascinating, and Holekamp is the first to say there's so much left to learn.

When I read about scientists doing fieldwork, I'm always struck by how much of it is driven by curiosity, an intrepid sense of adventure, and serendipity. Holekamp is a star! This is an excellent introduction to both field research (part of the Scientists in the Field series) and spotted hyenas' behavior. 4.5 stars.

Holekamp Lab

NB: While The Hyena Scientist is written by Sy Montgomery, it is not one of her woo books.

6. Emergent Properties: Scorn, a journalist who's also a self-aware AI, awakens to find ten days' worth of memories wiped but a nagging suspicion ze was on a big story, probably something to do with corporate espionage on the moon. Oh, and Scorn's divorced mothers both might be involved. I like a good journalism noir, and this one is really good. Scorn is incredibly smart but only 7, navigating both bad parenting and an AI-hostile society. Ze basically has an adult brain and talent for the job but a teenager's emotional angst. I loved Scorn from the first page. The sci-fi details hit the spot as well. I think this has low ratings on LT and Goodreads because it was marketed as similar to Murderbot. Scorn is not similar to Murderbot, nor is that the author's aim with this novella. 4.5 stars on both LT and Storygraph (which I use exclusively for sci-fi).

>43 libraryperilous: Oh, you got me with this one! Plus it's only $4.99 on B&N...

>44 Marissa_Doyle: It's a little rusty because of the slump, but I still have a few bullets in ye olde pistol :)

>29 libraryperilous: Applause! You have read multiple books, you are on a roll.

7. Binti: Meh. 3 stars LT/Storygraph

8. Full Speed to a Crash Landing: Ada Lamarr, con artist, is rescued by the Halifax spaceship after her small ship Glory has a catastrophic breakdown. Everyone wants the priceless tech that crash landed on a nearby young, volcanic planet. Can Ada beat them to it with her skills? Or maybe over the head with her snark? She's certainly going to eat all of their food. This is fun! It's a novella, and the prose is tight. As in, Ada gives readers clues in just about every sentence. NB: For those, like me, who don't enjoy romance, this is billed as "sexy" but there's no spice, just a crush and some banter. 4.5 stars on LT/Storygraph. I'll read the rest of the trilogy soon.

>46 Karlstar: Thank you, thank you! *Sweeps a bow*

9. These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart: Dora's ex has been murdered at an anarchist commune, and a mysterious biotech corporation is buying out the neighborhood. Someone sends bio-clones—who look like Dora's previous, deadname self—to off her. Dora investigates the links. This is a climate dystopia neo-noir, and it's well-constructed. Explorations of community, trans identity, and anarchism help solve the puzzle, although the villain is obvious. 4.5 stars LT/Storygraph.

10. The Unkillable Princess: sequel to The Immortality Thief. Humans Sean and Tamara, and their alien Minister friend, Indigo, land on the Republican planet of Parnasse in search of Sean's long-dead sister and something called the Purifier. Political hijinks, snark, deepened friendships, and difficult conversations ensue. This is an underrated space opera trilogy. The final volume is due May 2027. 4.5 stars LT/Storygraph.

11. The Beast of Littleton Woods: Lady Hardcastle and her lady's maid, Flo, investigate the rumors of a panther seen in the local woods. A couple of human deaths occur, and it seems it may not be the villagers' overactive imaginations. Slapstick, puns, and lots of snacking ensue. Fun! 4.5 stars.

12. Prime Meridian: I only finished this because it was a shorter novella. 2 stars.

13. A Marriage at Sea: Maurice and Maralyn Bailey quit their jobs and left England in a boat, headed for adventure and then a new life in Aotearoa New Zealand. An injured whale breached and damaged their boat somewhere in the middle of the Pacific. The boat sank, and the Baileys survived the next 100+ days at sea in a dinghy and raft. Elmhirst's narrative nonfiction uses the Baileys' journals and published works, plus friends' recollections. Elmhirst recreates the timeline of their journey and the 'celebrity' tour afterwards. She also crafts a portrait of two people, not much alike, who loved each other and mucking about in boats in equal measure. Do you know what these two did after they were rescued? They used the earnings from their story to buy a new boat and sail to Patagonia, the absolute legends. 4.5 stars.

"Ludicrous, really, that all there was between them and the ocean was four and a half feet of thin material."

14. Winter: collection of brief essays that traverse the charms of winter. McDermid writes of how winter influences her writing, transforms the local landscape, and leads to warm memories. 4 stars

15. Cry Havoc and let slip the weird girls of St. Anne's boarding school. St. Anne's is isolated on a seaside cliff, crumbling to bits, and in financial straits. It's home to disaffected teachers and girls whose parents don't care much for their futures. A new teacher and a new student arrive, each fleeing scandals. Shortly afterwards, the popular head girl falls ill and other girls begin to experience similar symptoms. Fingers point in many directions. (The true villain, of course, is the system that exiles high-spirited girls to a subpar school.) Despite the failures of the adults in their lives, the girls strive to be true to themselves and manage to have fun together. I cared about them. This is a droll, tautly written tragicomic dark academia delight. Recommended. 4.5 stars

>52 libraryperilous: That second one sounds good but I don't think your touchstone isn't pointing to the correct book, and I can't figure out the author! There are so many books with that title.

>53 clamairy: It should be the right one. I had to dig through a bunch of Havocs, lol. It was published first in the UK as Havoc, by Rebecca Wait. I think you might like it. :)

>54 libraryperilous: Oh, okay! I was thrown by the missing word.

>52 libraryperilous: Oh I must read this! It sounds perfect for me!

>56 Sakerfalcon: I thought your interest would be piqued! You're a connoisseur of the genre, so I'm excited to read your thoughts.

16. On a Red Station, Drifting: This is not about refugees or resource scarcity. That's a backdrop, mentioned in a handful of paragraphs. Instead, the novella is a personality clash between a snobby scholar and a street smart middle manager. It's all framed through the lens of imperial politics and a subplot about the space station's Mind becoming ill. Fine but not special. 4 stars.

17. Sorcery and Cecilia: BFFs Cecy (Essex) and Kate (in London for the Season) exchange letters while trying to solve a magical mystery. There's an enchanted chocolate pot, two (2) evil sorcerers, and two (2) handsome, eligible yet infuriating men. This is a fun YA epistolary historical fantasy. I don't think I'll read the rest of the series, in which the characters solve different mysteries. 4 stars.

18. How To Steal a Galaxy: sequel to Full Speed to a Crash Landing. Ada Lamarr, snarky con artist, finds herself planetside and looking swanky at a museum's charity gala. Of course, she's there to steal something. Also of course, sexy nemesis Rian White is there to foil her plans. Or get caught up in them. This is fun, contains good social commentary, and is a fast read. I stayed up late to race through it, much to Coconut's dismay. 4.5 stars.

>58 libraryperilous: This is a nice list of books 😊 I really like Aliette de Bodard's Xuya universe, have you read anything else by her?

>59 Alexandra_book_life: Thank you! I love The Tea Master and the Detective, and I have a couple of other novellas on my Kindle. I also read a short story set in her Aztec universe. I believe Sakerfalcon has read the novels in that world, but I think they'd be too bloody for my taste.

>60 libraryperilous: The Tea Master and the Detective is my favourite, I think (so far). I've read the first two books in de Bodard's Aztec trilogy. They were good, but not as good as the Xuya books, and definitely bloody.

19. Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter: In 1920s Montreal (but really, any city in any decade), pragmatic widow Agnes Aubert runs a financially precarious cat shelter. She finds herself renting shelter space from disheveled dark lord magician Havelock Renard, who once almost brought about the apocalypse. Havelock isn't quite who she thought, and needs must if she wants the cats to survive the cold winter.

This is a delightful cozy fantasy. It's warm and witty but not twee. The magic system has bite and the stakes are real. A note on the minor romance subplot: You might consider this Howl's Moving Castle with cats, but I've never liked Howl and I fell for Havelock right away. It's also a relatable romance. Two people begin to like each other and make smaller gestures of support.

4.5 stars. Warmly recommended.

the bulk slept or groomed themselves, characteristically disdainful of all but their own concerns, even and including an impending magical cataclysm. Clowder was licking her rear end.

>62 libraryperilous: Oh, I think this has moved to the top of my "to read next" list!

>63 Marissa_Doyle: Yay! I hope you enjoy it.

I did knock off a half star because the magic became too convenient and handwave-y during the resolution.

>62 libraryperilous: I think you had me at "cat" 😁 This sounds delightful!

>65 Alexandra_book_life: It was a cozy delight! Banshee was my favorite cat. 😻

>57 libraryperilous: I checked and it's not out in paperback until the summer here :-(

>62 libraryperilous: I'm so looking forward to this!

>58 libraryperilous: Sorcery and Cecelia is the best of the trilogy. The others are fun but just don't have quite the sparkle of the first book.

>67 Sakerfalcon: Agreed--Sorcery and Cecelia is the best.

>67 Sakerfalcon: Oh, boo! The hardcover released in the UK last year. Maybe you can snag it in a Kindle sale sooner than this summer (if it's something you'd enjoy reading on Kindle). Looking forward to your thoughts whenever you get to read Havoc!

>67 Sakerfalcon:, >68 Marissa_Doyle: Thank you. I think I'll skip the other two titles.

20. Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake: collection of (im)practical* advice from marine life. Vlad Stankovic's muted jewel illustrations are lovely. The pithy advice is juxtaposed with a unique fact about each species. As you traverse from the sunlight to the abyssal zones, the book's pages become light to darkest blue. Live your life like the abyssal creatures, who "survive here not through size, strength, or cunning, but by doing absolutely whatever we want." A cute gift book. 3 stars.

21. A Case of Mice and Murder: Gabriel Ward lives a *very* precise life, ensconced in the Inner Temple, where he works as barrister and is known for his *very* erudite legal acumen. After he trips over the body of the Lord Chief Justice, he finds himself tasked by the Temple Treasurer with investigating the murder. This is an excellent historical mystery, and I found both Gabriel and his burgeoning friendship with a young socialist constable delightful. The solution to the mystery left me a little bereft. I liked that character. 4.5 stars.

22. Guilty by Definition: lexicographer Martha Thornhill returns to Oxford for an editorial job with the Clarendon (Oxford) English Dictionary. She and her staff receive mysterious, clue-laden letters from Chorus, an anonymous writer who wants Martha to investigate the disappearance of Martha's dynamic and brilliant sister, Charlie. The team's hiding their own secrets and fears, but they mostly talk to each other instead of hiding things. The language and literature lessons are a bonus, and Dent alternates between defining obscure words and using context clues. Oxford and its surrounds become almost a character. I've added it to my travel spreadsheet. 4.5 stars.

23. Last Chance to Save the World: a bit of a sloppy ending to the series. There's not too much sci-fi here, although they are on climate-ravaged Earth, so the cli-fi elements resonate. I found the ending funny. Overall, I recommend this series to readers in search of fast-paced, fun sci-fi. Also, Revis is good at writing a parody of—let's be honest—Elon Musk: "Then again, I suspect that artificial is the only sort of intelligence that can put up with the asshole." 4 stars LT and Storygraph.

24. The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan: orphaned cheetah cub Chase lives in a zoo. Her keeper, Basma, decides to introduce her to Finnegan, a stray dog Basma adopted. Finny helps Puff work on her anxiety, and Puff helps Finny move on from an abusive former owner. Adorable! Warga was inspired by true zoo stories of cheetah-dog friendships and cheetah ambassador programs that raise conservation awareness. I no longer favor middle grade, but I'll always adore a good animal friendship story—especially one with a happy ending and a cheetah in it. 4.5 stars

*"Every once in a while you should eat the yellow snow," per the methane ice worm.

>21 pgmcc: Thank you, Peter, for these excellent recommendations! I immensely enjoyed two of them and will read the Stevenson book soon. :)

>71 libraryperilous:
I am glad you enjoyed them.

>70 libraryperilous: Both The Case of Mice and Murder and Guilty by Definition are jumping and waving on my tbr 😊

>70 libraryperilous: I felt the same way when I finished the Sally Smith book! I did not want it to end the way it did and yet I really enjoyed the book. I'm reading the sequel now. Gabriel is such a likeable character.

>73 Alexandra_book_life: I recommend both, but especially the Gabriel Ward series. As >74 clamairy: noted, he's very likeable!

>74 clamairy: I am, alas, fourth on hold for the next book in the series, and then we must wait until January 2027 for the next one.

I simply have Too Much Stuff, including Too Many Books. I'm at the point where I don't even want to look at my bookcases. They're clutter! I have six cases' worth of books (+ puzzles) and room for two cases. That's on top of all the other stuff I need to sort, store, and eventually move. Google Gemini told me to fill the two cases with sentimental keepers and cart off the rest. That seems ... oddly reasonable for AI advice.

I started a project to reread (or finally read) the books on my shelves. I've discovered I don't really care about most of them. Same with the puzzles: a hobby that fizzled quickly—and makes my cat stressed and unhappy.

I'd probably be looking at between $200-400 if I sold items to Half Price Books. The nearest store is two hours away, and I'm not in the mood to cart everything there and stand around. I've no patience for selling items online. Donating to the local library it is. That's fine! People like my items because they're in good condition and the puzzles are lux.

Anyway, I typed this as an attempt to work up my nerve to do a big purge. Thoughts? Tips and tricks? Jeers and roasts?

>76 libraryperilous: You could send all the books to me (except for a minor matter of several thousand miles of ocean intervening).

Seriously, good luck.

Good luck! I too have too many books and puzzles but whenever I try to get rid of any I only send a few out the door. Puzzling is something I do in waves -- I'll do several in a month, then none for a few months, then several in a month again. I'm better at giving away puzzles I've completed than books I've completed.

>78 curioussquared: I bought way too many puzzles when I started the hobby. Now my tastes in puzzles have changed, plus the cat, plus I'm mostly over it. I know it's money already spent, but yikes! Can I borrow Goose to tear up my books and puzzles and make the decision easier? ;)

whenever I try to get rid of any I only send a few out the door

Ironically, when I do this, I think more about the money I've spent. Weird.

>77 haydninvienna: Ha! (and the pounds it would cost to ship all those pounds)

>79 libraryperilous: Lol! Goose would be happy to help but it would feel a bit sacrilegious 😂

I'm in a reading slump again, so I'm working through my Kindle science fiction and rereading my physical copies of middle grade novels.

25. The Starlight Watchmaker: short middle grade science fiction (written for reluctant or dyslexic kids) about a lonely android watchmaker who uncovers a mystery and makes some new friends. Sweet. 4 stars.

26. The Flamingo Ballerina: Fifi the flamingo crash lands at a ballet school, where she makes some new friends, meets arrogant swans, and helps human Darcy become a confident dancer. Sweet. 4 stars.

27. The Citadel of Weeping Pearls: the citadel disappeared decades ago, taking everyone on the station with it into space so deep only time travel can find it. The empress needs the citadel's unique weapons, and loved ones of citadel members also seek it. This is fine, but the SFnal elements are a reach. There are quite a few awkardly-written sentences. Not one of de Bodard's best. 4 stars.

28. The Haunting of Aveline Jones: an excellent, spoozy seaside Halloween story! It's just the right length, the amount of creepy is perfect for a wimp like me, and Aveline is a curious, normal girl who enjoys uncovering spooky things. 4.5 stars. Keeper!

29. The Littlest Elephant: picture book recounting orphaned elephant Ruby's life as she nervously prepares for her tuskday celebration. She has good and bad memories of her life on the savanna. Lita Judge's illustrations are muted, but the color palette gives savanna. Nothing special. I've satisfied my curiosity about Applegate's One and Only series. 4 stars.

>81 libraryperilous: Sorry about the slump! I just completed my first puzzle, and I will wait a while before I buy and start another. My back was aching the entire time. It was worth it, but I am not in a hurry to do another.

Happy Opening Day! Let's go Mets!

I've abandoned my attempt at rereading my physical middle grade novels. I read three of them and couldn't bring myself to deaccession any.

30. Violet and Jobie in the Wild: Mice siblings are trapped and released into the wild. A tale of survival, new friends, and familial bonds. 4.5 stars.

31. Odder: Odder, an extra-playful otter, is injured and taken to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's otter rescue center. 4.5 stars.

32. Haven: Haven, a loved cat, must venture into the forest in order to find help for her ill owner. She meets a fox who craves a shiny new adventure. The descriptions of the forest are quite good. 4.5 stars.

33. A Case of Life and Limb: This is excellent: a fair-play cold case mystery, alongside a good legal puzzle, plus careful, steady Gabriel's deepening relationship to the world beyond the Temple's walls and his burgeoning relationship with a most excellent, scene-stealing cat. This is my new favorite mystery series. I'm quite annoyed we have to wait until January 2027 for the next entry in the series. 4.5 stars.

34. Serafina Makes Waves: cute picture book in which a water-averse cat learns to love swimming after jumping into the pool to rescue her favorite stuffed animal, Noodles. I liked the popsicle-pool colors. 3 stars.

35. Don't Trust Fish: Yay, a conspiracy theory picture book! Just what kids these days need. This is supposed to be funny? 2 stars.

36. The Forgotten Book Club: biblio chick lit about widow Grace, who joins her late husband Frank's silent book club. Grace finds the new companionship healing. The club decides to raise awareness of ADHD, which Frank and Grace's grandson has. They also decide to encourage lonely or introverted people to join silent book clubs for companionship. I liked this sweet and comforting novel. 4.5 stars

38. Good Night, Escargot: the popular French snail is back, and this time he is très certain that he can stay awake all night at his pyjama soirée. Or can he? As always, Escargot is a delight, and the illustrations are charming. But this picture book series has run its course, at least for me. 3 stars.

39. Murder at Gulls Nest: "That insidious thought needles her again: what kind of fool throws up thirty years of dedication to solve a puzzle, albeit a troubling one?" Nora Breen, formerly Sister Agnes, is exactly that kind of fool. Now she's hatless, wears a secondhand puce coat and clunky auld shoes stuffed with newspaper, and resides at the shabby seaside Gulls Nest boarding house. The house is full of strays, people without a settled place in postwar England's shifting culture. Then the bodies start piling up, and if Nora "wants to play detective it won't depend on Detective Inspector Rideout's say-so." This is an utter delight! It's a cunningly cozy historical mystery that probably will appeal to fans of the Gabriel Ward series. Both Sally Smith and Jess Kidd craft their main characters thoughtfully and take their readers' intelligence seriously. Warmly recommended. 4.5 stars.

>86 libraryperilous: Oh, I think that third one is going on my wishlist!

>87 clamairy: I almost tagged you in my post because I thought you might vibe with it! :)

>88 libraryperilous: It's available, so I may snag it as soon as I finish the Kingfisher.

40. Canticle Creek: Constable Jesse Redpath doesn't believe that a charismatic young man from the dusty Northern Territory town she covers is capable of murder. She takes some PTO and travels to a different dusty Outback town, west of Melbourne, to investigate his alleged crime. She finds a number of suspects and motives, but she also finds some good, solid locals who embrace her presence. This is an engrossing and well-written Outback mystery. I turned to this after (alas!) DNFing Jane Harper's new one. 4.5 stars.

41. Thistlemarsh: Mouse inherits her uncle's crumbling, Faerie-blessed estate. Mouse grew up at Thistlemarsh, but her memories are not happy ones—except the hours spent with her brother, Roger, and her cousin, Bertie. Bertie and Roger are gone, lost to the horrors of WWI. Memories of the boys' good cheer and sturdy kindness linger in Mouse's heart and touch the decrepit estate like sun glitter among the dust. She vows to meet the terms of her uncle's will and restore the estate within 30 days. The enormity of the task requires her to strike a bargain with an enigmatic Faerie, Thornwood. Naturally, being a High Faerie, he may have his own reasons for helping.

Thistlemarsh is a cozy-ish historical fantasy with Faeries sharp of tooth, intriguing fae puzzles to solve, and genuine stakes. The author makes good use of post-WWI sociocultural and technological changes to examine Mouse's dilemma. I think this will appeal to readers who like the Emily Wilde series or other stories of feral yet charming fae. Thornwood rolled his eyes. "You and your mortal sense of morality."

Warmly recommended. 5 stars.

PS: There's a silk cloth dragon.

>90 libraryperilous: Those both look good. What wrong with the new Jane Harper? :o(

>91 clamairy: It seemed more of a family drama than a mystery, and skipping around/ahead didn't change my mind. Also, she seemed to overly-rely on the dying town's atmosphere. I may try it again with those expectations. I'm on re-hold for it. I was so looking forward to it! 😔

>92 libraryperilous: Did you like The Exiles? I DNFed The Lost Man. It just wasn't grabbing me and I never went back. I liked the first and the third book in the Aaron Falk series much better than the second one. I also enjoyed her standalone The Survivors very much.

>93 clamairy: Your experience with her matches mine, although I enjoyed the setting of the 2nd Falk mystery quite a bit. The Survivors is my favorite. Unfortunately, the new one gave me The Lost Man vibes.

I'm not reading much, so I guess I'll do an update of what I have bothered to finish.

42. All Systems Red: reread of the first Murderbot. I had planned to reread the whole series, but, honestly, this was enough to refresh my memory. Not any ART. :( 4 stars on LT; 4.25 on Storygraph.

43. Orris and Timble: Star Stories: last in the story of Orris the barn rat and Timble the night owl. Friendship is about trust, patience, and adventures. 4 stars.

44. Wombat Waiting: Wombat, a stray dog, hears an inner voice telling her to head to a fire zone and wait for her person. 4.5 stars.

45. We Burned So Bright: An older gay couple travels cross-country to say goodbye to their son before Earth is swallowed by a black hole. Everyone they meet is philosophical and rambles on, philosophically, about the meaning of life. Which, fair, that's what one might do if one knows the world is ending. This novella also is preachy. I appreciate that many readers find comfort in that. And I certainly don't want to read the opposite of social justice! But the characters do bang on. And on. The mystery of the missing son is compelling. It's obvious what happened, but the why is bittersweet. 4 stars.

I'm currently reading Mike Chen's new space opera, Photonic Effect. It's his first pure sci-fi novel, and it's great. However, Chen deserves better editing. I've had to read multiple paragraphs multiple times just to figure out what is happening. Not just science-y happenings! I know I'm fighting a battle in a war lost over a decade ago, but: It's embarrassing how little editors seem to respect their own responsibilities these days.

46. The Photonic Effect: lovely standalone space opera, although I hope Chen writes more in this universe. The crew of the Horizon return from ten years spent in a deep space gravity well. Unfortunately, they return to a civil war, and both sides want the photonic tech the crew discovered inside the gravity well. Sabotage (multiple saboteurs!); cool tech; a tight-knit crew struggling with its loyalties. Good stuff! 4.5 stars on both LT and Storygraph.

47. The Last Dragon House: excellent and creative middle grade historical fantasy about a downtrodden boy who lucks into a job helping the cool dragons who live in a mysterious, hidden house. This was so good: warm, cozy, and with a serious 'workers of the world unite!' message deftly woven into the plot. Also, the dragons are awesome. Especially Amy, the I-dgaf-about-puny-humans book-loving death wyrm. Yes, her name is Amy. 4.5 stars.

48. Behind Five Willows: Pride and Prejudice in 18th-century Joseon Korea; pseudonymous pen pals fighting book censorship; a gilded cage is still a cage. I loved this well-written and lively YA historical novel. Recommended. 4.5 stars.

49. Death in the Strike Zone: James Creighton was Amateur Era baseball's first truly great pitcher. He pitched fast, died young, changed the game's dynamics, and was lauded upon his death. He was then slandered as a cheater a decade later by TPTB when the fashions of baseball changed and they needed some different marketing. These days, Creighton is obscure, even to most baseball fans. Because he died before the major leagues were created, he's not in the Hall of Fame. And, partly because his legacy intentionally was slandered, he's not understood as the dynamic agent of change in the sport that Gilbert creditably demonstrates he was. This is an interesting history of baseball in the 1850s to 1870s. I was persuaded by Gilbert's arguments about Creighton's pitching style and its importance. He also makes a strong case for Creighton being the first curveball pitcher. I would have enjoyed this more if Gilbert's authorial voice had been less contrarian. E.g.: It's true that 19th-century nativism contributed directly to baseball's rapid rise as America's national sport. Both the nativists' bigotry and NYC-area migration patterns in response to this bigotry were factors. But you do not, under any circumstances, gotta hand it to the Know-Nothings. 4 stars.

>96 libraryperilous: I've heard good things about Behind Five Willows on other book sites. The Last Dragon House sounds lovely. Thank you for the update :)

>97 Alexandra_book_life: Apparently, the dragon book will be a series. At least, I hope so!

50. Murder Most Delicious: cozy-adjacent murder mystery set in a tucked-away arrondissement near the Eiffel Tower. A popular chef is poisoned during a newly-arrived American sommelier's job interview. The local secret society takes her under their wing and some light crime-solving ensues. The descriptions of une Parisienne attitude were amusing. However, I was bemused by the repeated use of 'macaroons' to describe what clearly were macarons. Linguistic drift occurs, of course, but those are two distinctly different cookies. Breezy fun. 4.5 stars

51. Platform Decay: Murderbot and Three are on a planet's poorly-designed satellite torus to rescue some members of Dr. Mensah's family. Things go 'splodey. Murderbot spends a tiny amount of its processing power on emotion checks, thanks to its recently-downloaded emotional awareness module. "Emotion check: Fuck it." Not any ART. :( 4.5 stars on LT and Storygraph.

52. Murder on the Rocks: Lady Hardcastle and her diminutive lady's maid, Flo, are invited to a fort on a British island. The American robber baron owner who owns the place intends to turn it into a hotel, and a posh set of his friends are invited for a preview. Somebody gets murdered, and then a storm prevents the police from arriving, so Lady H and Flo decide to investigate. Fun as usual. 4.5 stars.

>99 libraryperilous: The macaron/macaroon confusion drives me crazy when people get it wrong in everyday speech, so I'm not sure I could handle it in a novel :) The lack of ART was my least favorite thing about PD, too.

>100 curioussquared: Right? Even if you're eating a coconut macaron, you're not eating a macaroon! ART forever!

53. The Dentist: pacy, contemporary British police procedural. It's written by a TV/film writer, so dialogue, interior thoughts, and scenes of old-fashioned shoe leather police work drive the plot. Secondarily, DS George Cross, the main character, is autistic. This regularly is presented in the text as the reason Cross is uniquely successful at his job and also why his coworkers should accommodate his bad behavior. I grew to appreciate his detective skills, but he's an ass to his coworkers. It's a reasonable accommodation for Cross to have his own office, because he has hyperacusis. It isn't reasonable for Cross to freeze out his partner on the investigation, refuse to discuss the case and get mad at her for asking suspects wrong questions, or correct people when they use imprecise or metaphorical language. Mate, you're 50 years old and have worked on the force for decades. You know you're rude. However, I'm going to continue the series, and I recommend it to mystery fans. 4.5 stars.

54. Katrina Hyena, Stand-Up Comedian: early middle grade story about a spotted hyena who laughs at jokes instead of danger. Can Katrina convince her pack that laughter is more than a sign that a lion's nearby? So cute! 4.5 stars.

55. The 29-Minute Vegan: Moskowitz is famous in vegan circles, and Isa Does It is a fabulous cookbook. This one, however, has food that looks like the worst diner fare ever or, worse, a pile of vomit on a plate. Moskowitz likes to recreate meaty recipes. I prefer vegan recipes that highlight vegetables, beans, and grains. She's also eye-rolling with her vegan substitutes' names. This cookbook is the most cringe yet: be'ef; me'at; whippity whip. 2 stars.

56. The Reimagining of Thornwood House: Evie and her student, Ruby, whom she'd like to adopt, relocate to the cozy market town of Iskendra. Evie has accepted the job of caretaker to Thornwood House, a sentient home grieving the death of its previous caretaker. Iskendra is cozy and charming, but the house is hiding something and some of the townsfolk resent Evie's presence. Evie discovers that there's an even more powerful magic in Iskendra than she expected, and someone in the town is after it. The magic in this is delightful and the story is hopeful and comforting. I loved it! 4.5 stars.

>102 libraryperilous: The Dentist sounds like an interesting one!

>102 libraryperilous: Thornwood House sounds delightful! Adding to my wishlist.

>104 Sakerfalcon: It's perfect when you want a cozy cottagecore fantasy.

>103 Alexandra_book_life: I'm interested to read more in the series, definitely!

57. Death at the School of Translators: not bad for a self-published cozy historical mystery. The mystery is resolved too neatly. More engrossing is the well-crafted look at life in 12th-century Toledo's Jewish quarter. I borrowed this through Kindle Unlimited. 4 stars.

58. The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield: It is a truth universally acknowledged that an eager reader in possession of such a cliffhanger must be in want of a resolution. This one is much stronger than the last two entries in the series. The mystery takes a backseat to the manners of everyone at Netherfield, and this gives Gray a chance to deepen Jonathan and Juliet's friendship. Also: "Somebody had finally, truly, made Jane Bingley mad," and it's glorious. As perhaps the world's only Caroline Bingley stan, I found her character arc in this one satisfying. Recommended to fans of the series. 4.5 stars.

59. A Mouse Called Wolf: sweet early middle grade story of Wolf, a mouse who can sing, and the elderly pianist with whom he resides. My mom and I read this for our book club, and we both loved it. Thanks for the rec, Natalie! 4.5 stars.

Pleased to report that I had no trouble recognizing AI-generated novels both times I borrowed one through my Kindle Unlimited trial.

I'd wondered if I would be able to discern one, and both of these were quite obviously AI.

I'm not opposed to AI. LLMs are important tools in both the sciences and the humanities! I am opposed to reading novels that are AI- generated.

Clunky metaphors. Short sentences. Repetition of both said metaphors and plot points. Continuity errors. Cavity-inducing prose. &c.

If Amazon wanted to provide its customers with service—lol. lmao, even.—they'd make their AI labels public.

>107 libraryperilous: Heh. As a meme I saw in a writing group recently said, "I want AI to clean my house while I write books, not the other way around."

>108 Marissa_Doyle: That's the truth!

Clean my toilet so I can be on the beach! Don't write slop for me!