What are you reading now?: January 10, 2026

Still working on Warship Builders. The Freaks Came Out to Write and The Currency of Empire will follow.

Right now I'm reading "The Highland Widow," a longish short story from Sir Walter Scott's "Waverly" collection, The Chronicles of Cannongate. Then it will be on to The Penitent by Isaac B. Singer.

I'm still reading A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi. It's a chunkster but I'm enjoying it!

Just finished Lethal White and ready to start The Mummy or Ramses the Damned.

Currently reading A Dangerous Love by Brenda Joyce

I read a book recommended by a colleague: If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All. I feel stupider for reading this travesty. I wish that I could get my money back.

Now I'm starting Flight to Arras by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

One final holiday book ...


A Merry Little Meet Cute – Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone
Book on CD performed by Joy Nash and Sebastian York
3***

From the book jacket: A steamy plus-size holiday rom-com about an adult film star who is semi-accidentally cast as a lead in a family-friendly Christmas movie, and the former bad-boy pop star she falls in love with.

My reactions
This is the first in a series written by this writing duo.

Oh, my! Part of my surprise is my own fault for not reading the blurb but picking this up strictly based on the cover, which is darn cute in my opinion.

Okay, one of the leads is a porn star, so I was expecting lots of sex, but it seems that is almost all I got. Oh, yes, there is a plot, but mostly these two are just in lust and f*&king each other’s brains out over and over and over again.

Still, I did come to like Bee, her unapologetic self-esteem, and her best friend’s constant affirmation that Bee is a wonderful woman who has chosen this career and become a success. Nolan seems a little lost in the snow by comparison, and while I totally understood his need to support his mother and little sister, the constant reminders of what a great guy he really his and how much he is counting on this Christmas movie to launch a career that will allow him to care for his family got tiresome.

I also enjoyed some of the supporting characters, even if they were rather over the top.

At heart it’s still a Christmas romance with a HEA ending.

The audio is performed by Joy Nash (voicing the sections narrated by Bee) and Sebastian York (voicing Nolan). They make a good team, and this was an effective way to produce the audio version.

I’m reading On Agoraphobia by Graham Caveney. It’s very lyrical, almost poetic in its exploration of this condition. It’s a surprisingly lovely read about a darkness/ fear in one’s spirit.

I’ve also got a mystery on the go, Murder at World’s End. It’s ok, I think the idea is more clever than the execution.

Lastly, I’m slowly making my way through Trippy but Ernesto Londono. It’s about people who turn to dosing with psychedelics to improve their mental state. I’m not sure this is a book for me but I’m hoping there is something to be learned from it. My heart breaks for anyone suffering from a serious, clinical depression.

I just finished a book I had to order from Amazon uk because I was so eager to read it. The Mushroom Tapes by 3 authors, including Helen Garner. It’s about a trial in Australia and a woman stands accused of murdering her in laws and trying to murder her husband with Angel Cap Mushrooms. Fascinating! I don’t like to read true crime but this was riveting and very thoughtful. Not sensationalized just three brilliant women pulling at the threads of this case. Highly recommended.

Currently reading Death in Brittany by Jean-Luc Bannalec

Sisters in Death: The Black Dahlia, the Prairie Heiress, and Their Hunter
Eli Frankel
5/5 stars
This is the stories of two women, one who was known as The Black Dahlia and the other was known as the Prairie Heiress. Both of these women were killed by the man who was obsessed by them. This book hard to put down. Non-Fiction

Crying In H Mart – Michelle Zauner
5*****

Michelle Zauner’s memoir deals with her grief at losing her mother. More importantly, it deals with the relationship she had with her mother and father growing up, and during her mother’s fatal illness.

She handles some difficult subjects with honesty and grace. There were times when I felt she was being somewhat selfish; for example, when she objected to her mother’s friend taking over some of the caregiving. However, I recognized the range of emotions that come to the forefront when we are confronted with imminent loss of a loved one, particularly our mothers. I felt her grief, and her healing throughout.

I found it touching and heartwarming, and full of love. And I really enjoyed the food references (though I could have used a glossary for easy reference for some of the less familiar terms). I kept thinking about how I make my mother’s recipes now, some of which I’ve had to create on my own, experimenting until I get just the right flavor (or close to what I remember my mother’s dish tasted like).

I was surprised that many of the women in my book club were not fans. For them, the “Koreaness” of Zauner’s story put them off. They seemed unable to recognize the universal truths of mother/daughter relationships and of how food expresses love throughout our lives.

>11 BookConcierge: That book was good!

The new thread is up over here.