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.