Due to travel, all except one of my December reviews were written in January or February. I need to get better about reading and then reviewing right away.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

What a ride. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this. Donna Tartt has been on my TBR for awhile given her reputation. I liked this more than thought. I believe this was one of the few true Dark Academia books that I have read. I am not that fascinated with collegiate life. I have two post-secondary degrees and did not like my experiences in either of them that much. I saw school as a drag and a means to an end. I was not interested in drugs, partying, or alcohol either.

I was not predisposed to love the characters or the plot. In fact, I did not like them as people and the plot bordered on the melodramatic. The writing flowed though. Tartt was able to balance setting, characters, mood, and dialogue very smoothly. Her writing cadence worked for me. It was a tad long especially after the reveal and the story takes its sweet time to play out, but I enjoyed the whole way through. I have The Goldfinch as well and look forward to reading it in the near future.

November 30-Dec 2, 2025.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Corey Allen (Narrator)

The first of three audiobooks I listened to on the way to my long (delayed) journey to Tokyo. I enjoyed this short YA poetry book about growing up and playing basketball.

December 3, 2025.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, adapted by Lulu Raczka, performed by with a full cast

This Audible exclusive full cast audio was getting a lot of buzz. As Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite novels, I had an open mind. However, I did not realize this was an abridged adaptation and not in love with ut. I noticed the changes and the use of modern words. I did really like the cast especially the two leads. I would recommend it to people if they want to experience a shortened version of this classic. Most people do not want to read classics and I think this kind of adaptation did a good job overall. It was not the best adaptation though. I think watching a TV or movie version would have been just as good.

December 3, 2025.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston with Natalie Naudus (Narrator)

I listened to this on most of my flight to Tokyo. I dozed for couple of times through this book which was fine since romances are great for that. This was a good romance with a magical realism and sci-fi twist. I liked this more than Red White and Blue which was a decent romance too. I prefer romances with fantastical elements so I really liked the time bending. The characters and found family aspects were good as usual from McQuiston. One of the leads was a Chinese American lesbian and well drawn. I had a difficult time on the flight and this novel eased things.

Dec 3-4, 2025.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

This was a lighthearted historical novel with wry humour. While it did not shy away from describing the historical realities for some of the characters in Soviet Russia, it did not dwell on it. This is a novel of hope and optimism. It bordered on being twee since there were hijinks and there was no real villain. It was not gritty historical fiction. It was decently written with characters, setting, and world building worked well. I got the sense the author spent a lot of time in nice hotels. A nice read.

November 24-25, 2025.

The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean with Jennifer Jay Myers (Narrator)

As this is my third Orlean book, I firmly like her style. This is her most famous work having been adapted very loosely in the movie “Adaptation”. I watched the film years ago and found it funny and knew it was not like the book. While I like the micro history on orchids, some of the other tangents in the book felt aimless including the anticlimactic end where she does not even see the Ghost Orchid. I understand she wanted to write a longer book from her original essay, but this may have had one too many extraneous tangents. I was not interested in that much discussion of Florida Man. I also preferred when Orlean narrated her work and the narrator here was only okay. I still look forward to her other essay compilations and her recently released memoir.

Nov 24-26, 2025.

A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt

I read this for an Indigenous Voices challenge on GR. It was a nice and short story. It’s auto fiction which I did not mind. It leaned more into a memoir and had no plot which was fine with me. It was more an exploration of the author as the character and state of mind. It was similar to some of Ocean Vuong’s work and the author referenced their work in this book too. I am glad I read this since it was from a perspective I do not usually read.

November 29, 2025 on Kobo Libra 2.

The Queen in the Cave by Júlia Sardà

Sarda is one of my favourite children’s book illustrators. As usual the art is great. The story was alright. A bit dark for a children’s novel and the message was a bit muddled.

November 17, 2025.

Learn Japanese with Paul Noble for Beginners Complete Course by Paul Noble (Narrator)

First started this in June but had too much going on then so I restarted in October. This was probably more detailed than I needed. I did learn the basics of Japanese grammar and syntax. I only needed to know service phrases. Japanese is difficult and different than my other three languages. As excited as I am about going to Japan, the language is intimidating. The Paul Noble language books have been a great discovery this year. I was recommended by Japanese person who said that their partner learned a lot from them. I can see why.

Oct 23-Nov 17, 2025.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Literary queer horror. Not recommended to people who are afraid of the deep dark sea and claustrophobia. Other than that, this is really a grief novel. It’s very sad and well done. On the slow side even though it is short. I appreciated what it was trying to do though.

November 17- 19, 2025 on Kobo Clara BW and Kobo Libra 2.

Healing Through the Vagus Nerve: Improve Your Body’s Response to Anxiety, Depression, Stress, and Trauma Through Nervous System Regulation by Amanda Armstrong, Maria Liatis (Narrator)

This was fine. I already meditate and do diaphramatic breathing. I need to review the text for the recs. The book spent a bit too much time on how to to know if your vague nerve is stressed. It did edge slightly into the woo woo.

1.75x. Nov 14-19, 2025.

Dim Sum Palace by X. Fang

Wonderful children’s book about dim sum which is one of my favourite meals in the world.

Nov 9, 2025.

Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves by Nicola Twilley (Narrator)

I have been a Gastropod listener for many years. This was a long audiobook about the history of refrigeration, the current cold chin, and possible future. Very interesting and well done. Twilley’s Mid-Atlantic narration was good as usual.

Nov 7-14, 2025.

If You Run Out of Words by Felicita Sala

Children’s book about a daughter and father. Sweet.

Nov 14, 2025.

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

This was a journey. I did not really like this book until about the halfway mark and then, somehow, it grew on me. I did not care for the characters or the history lessons. There was some dry humour. I cannot tell if Rushdie loves or dislikes women, but they were some of the more interesting characters in the book. Most of all, I enjoyed the writing and how the writing was able to shift between realism and magical realm, and between first and third person. It did remind me of Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. It almost became relaxing to read as I felt the writing was taking me on a train ride through the protagonist and India’s history. I would not really recommend it for everyone and I am not in a rush to read Rushdie again. Still, there was some good storytelling.

November 8-16, 2025. First 40% on kobo Clara BW.

Kristy’s Great Idea (The Baby-sitters Club Graphic Novel Series #1) by Ann M. Martin with Raina Telgemeier (Illustrator)

Like many millennials, I grew up with the Babysitter’s Club books around me. I only read a couple of them growing up and was not obsessed with them. In the last ten years, there was a revival of the books, and through podcasts and the Netflix TV show, I became more interested than when I was a kid. I found this graphic novel of the first book in a friend’s rental building library. It was a great evening read for the end of the weekend. I am not a huge fan of Telgemeier’s art but this did the job.

Nov 16, 2025.

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, John Cleese (Narrator)

This a classic of religious satire and human behaviour. I have read other Lewis adult works and this was fine. it was hard for me to get into because of the style and humour. When I found the abridged Grammy winning John Cleese narration, it helped me get into it more. I listened to it in tandem. It had amusing moments.

November 28-Nov 2, 2025. Read on Kobo Libra 2.

The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater: Essays on Crafting by Alanna Okun (Narrator)

A knitting memoir from another millennial knitter. It was good for my evening walks.

1.5x. Nov 3-6, 2025.

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney, Aoife McMahon (Narrator)

Oh, Sally Rooney. Conflicted here. After Normal People and this novel why she has so many fans and I think I am a fan too. Her writing was so good that it distracted me from the not good stuff. I did not like most of these characters or care about them. I really disliked Felix whose only decent quality was that he loved his rescued dog. He reminded me too much of an ex and other f*ckbois. Simon was fine but too much of a cipher for most of the book. Alice and Eileen were almost indistinguishable from each other and they wrote too overwrought emails. Nobody has a good relationship with their siblings in the two Rooney novels I’ve read so far. Most of the characters have passive-aggressive or estranged relationships with their parents. In most (all?) of these Irish novels that I’ve read this year, Irish families were dysfunctional and derisive. It felt excessive here though as none of the four characters seem to like their families. Yet, I still really want to read more Sally Rooney. There is something very compelling about her writing from the descriptions to the dialogue. Her prose worked for me even though everything else did not. It is odd but I am really looking forward to the next one.

31% on audiobook. Narrator did a great job here and in Normal People. Oct 25-27, 2025.

24 Hours in Ancient Athens by Philip Matsyzak, Gareth Richards (Narrator), John Telfer (Narrator)

I listened to 85% of this narrated by Gareth Richards but my first copy of the audiobook was incomplete. I was able to find another copy for the remainng 15%. It was narrated by John Telfer though. I actually really like Telfer from listening to his narration of the Sherlock Holmes almost 20 years ago. As the other books, enjoyed myself as these are quick, informative, and sometimes entertaining.

1.5x. Oct 27-Nov 1, 2025.

The Sea by John Banville

This 2005 Booker prize winner is about a middle-aged man who goes back to a seaside town of his youth after the death of his wife. Most Booker prize winners do not have any plot, but they are all usually written well. This was the case here. This book had some low ratings on GR and TSG. The characters are not particularly likeable and nothing much happens. I found my interest waning at various times, but the writing was different than most things published today. Banville used difficult words well. The tone was similar to other Booker winners, but still distinct. I cannot describe the singularity of the prose. I grew to really appreciate it. I would be hard pressed to recommend this book to most people though.

Oct 17-19, 2025.

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

Like everyone else in North America, I read Catcher in the Rye in high school and disliked Holden Caulfield. Returning to Salinger more than twenty years later, I enjoyed myself much more in this short story and novella collection. Salinger is good with dialogue. The characters felt real and the writing was very good. It actually made me more curious about this family but I do not know if I will read more Salinger.

Oct 20, 2025.

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz, Rossmery Almonte (Narrator) Kimberly M. Wetherell (Narrator)

The audiobook was great. Almonte’s narration was excellent and audio design. I found the character work was elevated by the audiobook. It was written well but the audiobook made the pathos work amazingly well. Cara ‘s story reminded me of other immigrant women I’ve met before.

1.5-1.75x. Oct 21-24, 2025.

Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon

This was a bit out of the norm for me. It was explicit romantasy. I saw it at the library and the sprayed edges copy were really nice. I had read that this novel was fun due to the fantasy world building. It was good and there was even a nice found family aspect as well. The romance worked well even though the female lead was sheltered and clueless about the world at the start. The smut was fine; however, it was not really why I read it or why I liked it. I actually may read the sequel because the focus will be on Gwen the maid character who seemed much more interesting.

Oct 12-14, 2025.

Our Green Heart: The Soul and Science of Forests by Diana Beresford-Kroeger (narrator)

While looking through my TBR, I found that Irish-Canadian botanist’s memoir. Even more interesting, they are even local to my region. I liked her liting narration. I learned a couple of tree things. I appreciated the hopeful message that individuals can and should be considerate of how they interact with nature.

1.5. Oct 13-15, 2025.

I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O’Farrell, Daisy Donovan (Narrator)

I was looking forward to this memoir after finishing Hamnet. The nature of the stories were dark as the author detailed some very scary situations whether health or threats of physical violence. There was some good writing such as how the moving grief of her miscarriages. While the last couple of essays were hopeful ones, I found most of the book too gloomy and disheartening. It was mirthless. This is a rare case where I think I prefer the fiction work of an author over their nonfiction. Usually, I like them equally or nonfiction slightly more.

1.5-1.75x. Oct 15- 17, 2025.

The House Witch 2 (The House Witch, #2) by Delemhach

This was enjoyable and in some ways better than the first instalment. It was shorter and had less alcohol jokes and binges. There was more of a focus on the romance which was fine. I really like this series for its light hearted tone which is not juvenile. It really is an easy series to reach for when I need a wholesome break.

Sept 24-Oct 5, 2025 on Kobo Clara BW and Kobo Libra 2.

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

Trying to get through my Irish reading challenge and finally read this. I am beginning to like literary affair novels. Given the setting of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the book was quite grim. While I think aspects of it was done well, the book left me feeling detached overall. I found the attraction the 24 year old protagonist had for a fifty something man a tad unlikely. Yes, there were class, religious, and possible dad grief issues, but there was something else missing. I think I needed more interior work from the characters.

Oct 5-9, 2025.

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

A great little read! This really should be more widely read. It’s short, well done, and queer. I do not like horror but this is classic gothic style which I can appreciate. While the writing is sometimes overdone, the creepy yet sensual Carmilla was well drawn. The atmosphere of the whole level was nicely done as well. The ending was a deus ex machina and should have been further developed if this was a longer novel. Recommended.

Oct 10-12, 2025 on Kobo Libra 2.

Hamnet (& Judith) by Maggie O’Farrell, Daisy Donovan (Narrator)

Audiobook for first 20%. This has been in my library pile on and off for a year. Finally, a couple of book club friends read it recently so it got me to move it up in the queue. It still too me longer than usual to read this book because of the content concerning the death of a child and child abuse. There was a lot of tension in the first third of the book anticipating this death and the early toxic family dynamics. The book was very well written in terms of setting and characters. The protagonist was actually Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife who was described as having otherworldly abilities including possibly foresight. I found the character portrayals and the romance very well done. The use of Shakespeare as a character was just right too. I really liked Agnes’s brother Bartholomew and their wholesome relationship too. Lovely novel albeit with some sadness. This was my first O’Farrell and I look forward to reading more from her.

1.25-1.5x. Sept 21-29, 2025.

Your Letter by Hyeon A Cho

I saw this young adult Korean manhwa and webtoon recommended on Instagram. I had no to low expectations. The start of it was sad due to bullying. It got better and the ending was so sweet and lovely. It gave me that warm feeling since it was about bravery, lasting connections, and friendship. It also hinted at romance at the end but not at the expense of the beautiful friendships. Art was nice too. Enjoyable!

Sept 30, 2025.

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks (narrator)

I have been on a real memoir kick this year and it is not abating. This recently published grief memoir is about the sudden passing of Brooks’s husband Anthony Horowitz. Brooks narrated movingly narrated the upsetting and frustrating aftermath. She recounted the immediate days and months after and reflected on it a couple years later on Flinders Island, Tasmania. Even though I had read a couple of Brooks’ novels, I did not know she was married to Horowitz whose book Blue Latitudes I had read many years ago. As someone who has experienced sudden death of a loved one, I had a lot of sympathy for the author. I hope people come away from it having to reflect not only the fragility of life and also the mundane administrative tasks that can help you in advance of any death.

1.25-1.75x. Sept 15-22, 2025

Autumn Chills by Agatha Christie, Narrated by Isla Blair, Hugh Fraser, Nigel Hawthorne, Christopher Lee, Juliet Stevenson and David Suchet

After the experience with the Blue train, my husband expressed an interest in more Christie audiobooks and I found this collection of twelve novellas and short stories which overlapped with a print copy of Murder in the Mews that I had. Having listened and read so much Christie recently, I noticed some of repetitive tendencies such as using feline metaphors for characters. I still really like her as an author. This was the first time I heard a Harley Quinn story. I still prefer Marple and Poirot. I also really liked how short and satisfying these stories were. I have put the spring collection in my TBR.

1.1x. Sept 16-28, 2025.

Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie, Nigel Hawthorne (Narrator)

Three of the four stories in this collection were in Autumn Chills. I did read and listen in tandem to Dead Man’s Mirror after Autumn Chills. I really like the Poirot short stories.

1.1x-1.25x. Sept 23-28, 2025.

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

DNF 125 pages or 33%. So disappointing. I tried to read this about three times and each time that I picked it up, I was really bored. It is really rare for me to dump a fiction, but there were so many warning signs that I had to stop. The two leads were very flat. Hana had potential but I did not really feel her inner world or motivations. Keishin was a physicist with mother issues. They instantly fell in love and there was very little explanation on how or why their connection was so deep. The writing was stilted and the timeline kept jumping around so the pacing was all over the place. It was not done well and made the character development rather limited since it was abrupt every chapter. The world building was really odd as well because it was all style and no substance. This book had hype and it has good reviews. I read some critical reviews which shared my opinions of the romance and the world building. I am not Japanese so I cannot explain the accuracy of the ideas but there was something very off about the Japanese cultural appropriation. Each part started with Japanese kanji and there were Japanese idioms. I read one review criticizing the authenticity of the idioms. The author is Filipino and I am uncertain if this novel passed this through a Japanese editor or reviewer. The book was trying very hard to be a Ghibli film including random other world characters and Hana literally using the word “isekai” to explain things. That was unnecessarily meta and felt like bad fan fiction. As someone who does not mind a lot of books where there are just vibes, this book tried to have it all with the deep, rushed romance and the Japanese cozy fantasy setting.

Sept 16-19, 2025.

The Lorax by Dr Seuss

I do not think I read this as a kid. Since I learned English mostly at age 6-7, I did not have the experience of being read these more kindergarten age Dr Seuss books. This had good themes about capitalism, environmentalism, and greed. The best part was the word play. I read this out loud.

Sept 21, 2025.