Heartstopper Volume 6 by Alice Oseman

The finale of Heartstopper. This was nice as the rest of the series was. It almost felt like an epilogue but there was some good character development for Nick. I am not a superfan of this series and haven’t seen the show. I did appreciate the graphic storytelling style and the lighthearted nature of the series. I hope Oseman does more graphic novels in the future.

August 3, 2026.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

This 2009 Pulitzer winning short story cycle novel centred around small town Crosby, Maine. Olive Kitteridge is featured in most of the stories and she was an interesting character. The writing was well done and easy to read, but many of the stories were depressing and sad. The stories reminded me of the aughts and the time before the Great Recession. There was feeling of downturn and boomers aging right before the social media and smart phone boom. It did feel of its time. It was reminiscent of Richard Russo since Empire Falls which was the 2002 Pulitzer winner. I much prefer Strout’s style though. I do not need plan to read Olive, Again, but I may read more from Strout.

Aug 2, 2026.

Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie with Fenella Woolgar (Narrator)

This was another collection of Christie short stories and all narrated by one person. Woolgar was great. There were a couple of repeats from other collections we had listened to already, but it was good to listen to them with a different narrator. The cold and winter theme was suitable for our hot summer weather. It made me want to read more cold setting stories.

July 27-August 7, 2026.