Everything I Read in August, 2025

August:

89. Perry Mason: The Case of the Rolling Bones by Erle Stanley Gardner - Ohmygoodness, this one is so convoluted, I'm not sure how to describe it but I'll try. Perry Mason gets a job helping a trio of people who believe a man named Alden Leeds is being blackmailed. Alden is wealthy from a gold strike in Tanana, Alaska, years before. There are lots of complications to this tale: a girlfriend who is lying about her past, a former partner in the Klondike who may be dead or may be pretending to be Alden Leeds, the murder of a con man, and . . . everyone's lying. Even Perry Mason isn't shy about fibbing and misdirecting people. That's what made it confusing for me. So many unreliable characters! Still, I'm glad I read the book. It's been eons since I watched the TV show but friend Ryan mentioned that the Perrys of book and TV are different and I agree. From what little I recall, he seemed more strait-laced on the TV show. The Perry Mason of this book was edgier and deceptive in his own right. Check out the cover in my flatlay, below. It's a 1960 printing, very pulp-fictiony-cool. 

90. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane - Two couples, two generations. Brian and Anne Stanhope move next door to Francis and Lena Gleeson. Brian and Francis worked together early on in their careers so the Gleesons are excited when Brian and his wife move next door. But, there's something very strange about Anne. She's unfriendly, even hostile. And, yet, Peter Stanhope and Kate Gleeson (their children) become friends, until one fateful night changes the trajectory of both families' lives. So . . . I guess this is a family saga? I'm not sure how to mentally label it, but it's very character-driven and touches on all sorts of topics: family, friendship, love, mental illness, alcoholism, abandonment by a parent or both parents, trauma and its reverberations. It took me a week to get through Ask Again, Yes, not because I didn't like it but because I would stay up way too late reading obsessively and then not be able to read for a day or two due to fatigue. I enjoyed it — all the angst, the horror, the good and the ugly made it surprisingly gripping and the ending was very satisfying. 

91. Miguel Street by V. S. Naipaul - A fictionalized account of the author's childhood in Trinidad, Miguel Street is told as a series of vignettes, each focusing on a particular character. They are not told in timeline order. You may read the story of a person who ends up in jail or leaves the country in one chapter, for example, and then they show up as a secondary character in other tales. Very entertaining, at once charming, funny, unnerving (there's a lot of misogyny and beatings), and an interesting glimpse into life in an impoverished area. I was most interested in the culture and the patois. 

92. And Then, BOOM! by Lisa Fipps - A story in verse about a boy whose life keeps taking more punches. Joe lives with his grandmum (originally from England) in a gingerbread-style house. He has never known his father and his mother occasionally "gets the itch" and disappears. When Joe's mom is arrested, things go from bad to worse. Briefly homeless then living in a trailer, Joe and his grandmum do their best to survive but they're always hungry, always unable to pay all the bills. Then, tragedy strikes again and this time Joe's on his own. OMG, this book made me ugly cry. So good. I love the fact that there were always characters who tried to help, even if it wasn't enough. An excellent book to remind people of the importance of social programs for those who fall on tough times through no fault of their own. The ending is lovely and upbeat. A wonderful middle grade book, highly recommended. 

93. Catwings Return by Ursula K. Le Guin - The second in a series of children's books about cats born with wings, I found an ugly old copy of this book on a free books cart at the library when we went to drop off donations. The catwings have been living out in the country where two very kind children feed them; but, now two of them want to return to the city to check on their mother, a regular cat. They arrive to find that her dumpster home is gone and the buildings nearby are being demolished. After finding a kitten who also has wings (their sister), they search for their mother and find that she's now living in a new place and well cared for. The way I described it sounds a bit dull but it's quite an adventurous little book and I'm tempted to buy the entire series for fun. Free books are trouble. 

94. The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman - At 68 pages, I'm not sure whether to call this a short story or a novella but it feels like the latter. Lucas just wants to be left alone and he's doing quite well at avoiding people. He works from home, orders Thai food delivery, and enjoys playing video games. He doesn't need the complication of having other humans in his life. Then, someone ditches a frying pan in an inappropriate place and Lucas gets caught up in the neighborhood intrigue as the board refuses to throw away the pan for fear people will see it as an invitation to dump things. But then it happens, anyway, and the pile of refuse grows. A delightful, silly and humorous tale. I particularly loved the fact that a woman staying in a nearby apartment was there while a doctor pretended she was in a coma to give her a break from her exhausting family life. I could have used a coma break a time or two, many years back. This was a free e-book download and my third read by Backman. I've loved everything I've read by him, so far.

95. William, An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton - My Persephone read of the month has a nice preface by Francesca Beauman, the owner (or one of the owners) of Persephone Books. Thank goodness she described the contrast between the first, very placid part of the story and the outbreak of war because I was bored out of my mind for a time and almost quit reading. William Tully is a clerk at an insurance company in London. He's small and rather dull, not a very likable character. When he comes into a small inheritance after discovering a passion for speaking out  against the government (particularly against the military and war), he quits his job and meets Griselda, a suffragette who is also a passionate speaker, and they marry.

 Just before they leave for their honeymoon in Belgium they see the headlines about the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and think nothing of it. They spend 3 quiet weeks in an isolated Belgian valley cottage, then suddenly the woman who brings them breakfast leaves a note (which they can't read) and doesn't show up to leave food for their evening meal or make their breakfast. With no idea what's happened, they arrive at her farmhouse to find danger, chaos, and a level of cruelty that they never could have imagined. For about 100 pages, the book focuses on what happens to William and Griselda and the horrors they witness and experience. Will they make it out of Belgium alive? Well, there's just not much more I can say without spoilers but I can tell you the story is so visceral and fast-paced for a time that it had my heart pounding. Considering the start, I would never have expected to give the book 5 stars, but once you get past about the 50-page mark, the pages fly. 

96. Well Done by Barbara Morrow - A reread, this children's book is one I bought when we were living in Ann Arbor at the scariest library sale, ever. So crowded. I'm a little crowd phobic. Well Done tells the story of a king and duke who don't like each other. If the king tells the duke to do something, the duke will always say, "No". This leads to a war in which the duke's people retreat to his castle grounds, leaving their livestock and fields. The king's siege on the duke's castle lasts so long that the duke's people begin to starve. Finally, the king says he's going to let the women and children go, but then he'll burn the duke's castle down. The duchess comes up with a plan and asks the king to let every woman take what they most value with them. He agrees and they all come out of the castle carrying their husbands. Youngest claims this is a true story. I am skeptical but it's a story I have loved since I bought it and the kids loved it, too. 

97. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner - This month's selection for the Contemplative Reading Project is a memoir by the singer in Japanese Breakfast about losing her mother and how she and her mother were most closely connected by the Korean foods her mother cooked and which she also ate on visits to Korea. This one was particularly rough in the middle because that was the point where she went into detail about her mother's cancer and decline. While my mother lasted a lot longer than Zauner's, it brought back some traumatic memories of how brutal a death it was, how exhausting to be a caregiver, and how traumatic to see my mother take her last breath (on a day that I was alone with her). However, I loved the descriptions of food and Zauner's stories about growing up Korean-American, as well as her struggles to become successful as a singer. The final part of the book, after her mother's death, is very uplifting so I'm glad I stuck it out but if I'd known there were details about a cancer death I would have skipped this book entirely. I didn't even bother reading about it; I just bought a copy blind. I'll be more careful in the future.

98. The Fall of Kelvin Walker by Alasdair Gray - The Fall of Kelvin Walker is set in the 1960s. Kelvin Walker is a Scot who has left his father's grocery store in search of a new life in London. Flush with cash, he goes to get something to eat before finding a place to stay and meets Jill. They talk for a while and he invites her to choose the most expensive place she can think of to eat supper, which it turns out he can't afford. Jill invites him home to her grotty flat, where she lives with Jake; and, Kelvin makes himself at home while absurdly trying to get a job by posing as someone well-known to get an interview. He gets kicked out repeatedly but eventually gets a very good job at the BBC based on his sharpness and ability to be adaptable in interviews. He rises rapidly but not everyone is happy about it. The book is wrapped up with the word "GOODBYE" on the final page (I kind of loved that). Kelvin is a strange character who means well and has a unique talent with words. But, too much confidence leads to his fall. An enjoyable, offbeat, very British read. The most common descriptor at Goodreads is "dour". Hmm. Kelvin is stern and unbending but confident so I'm not sure the word "dour" works for me, although when the fall comes, it is harsh. 

99. Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin - Yep, I bought the set. The first Catwings book is set in an alley in the poorest part of town, where Jane (a normal cat) and her winged kittens live. It's a rough place and the kittens are always in danger, although uniquely able to escape potential captors, due to the fact that they have wings. After some humans spot them and try to snatch the kittens, mama Jane tells Thelma, Harriet, James, and Roger that they must escape to the countryside to protect themselves. It's a long journey and one of them is attacked by an owl, but eventually they find two kind young humans who are willing to care for them without giving their secret away. A lovely little story. I'm glad I bought this set. 

100. Catwings Return by Ursula K. Le Guin (reread) - I reread the second book, this time the volume from the new set I purchased, so that I could read them in timeline order. Nothing has changed from the review above, except for the fact that I love this set so much I'm considering sending it to my youngest granddaughter when I finish and I loved it just as much the second time around. 

101. Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin - Third in the series, this time a regular kitten named Alexander goes off on his own through the cat door of his nice house and gets lost then chased up into a tree. Unable to figure out how to get back down on his own, Alexander is surprised when Jane, the Catwing kitten found by her siblings in the second book, flies into the tree and shows him how to get down. Jane only says two words and otherwise refuses to speak. So, Alexander decides it would be a debt repaid and a kindness to help Jane learn to speak by talking through what happened to her that led her to stop speaking. And, then he gets adopted by the farm family that cares for the Catwings kitties. Another great entry, both adventurous and sweet. 

102. Jane on Her Own by Ursula K. Le Guin - In this final entry in the Catwings series, young Jane (the cat found hiding in an attic in a building about to be destroyed in Catwings Return) decides that living in the country is too dull for her and she's ready to go exploring. So, she says goodbye and heads for the city. There, she is caught by a man and becomes a sensation, which also makes her unhappy. Finally, she escapes to find her mother. I didn't love this one as much as the others, although the final couple of pages made it more tolerable. I kind of hated that Jane left Alexander. But, in the end it says she stayed with her mother but came back to the farm to visit her siblings and Alexander. OK, whew. I'm better, now. I loved this series. The books are slim, from 42-54 pages, and all beautifully illustrated. I'm so glad I found one for free. I doubt I'd ever have known about them, otherwise. 

103. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell - First published in 1877, this classic children's story is narrated by the horse, Black Beauty. I had no idea. All I knew of this book was that "it has horses" when I picked it up at the library sale, a couple months ago. Nor did I realize it was so old! Set in England in the late 19th century, Black Beauty tells the tale of a working horse who is sold repeatedly, sometimes ending up with kind owners and grooms, sometimes with cruel ones who don't know how to treat a horse properly. It's basically a morality tale, probably typical of the time period, and can be a little preachy. But, it's also quite an interesting learning experience about horses — what different jobs they performed and loads they carried or pulled, how important the right food and correct temperature of water were for their health, the different types of bits and reins, how a small stone or an uneven road could lead to disaster without the right kind of experience or care on the part of the driver. The story comes full circle with an early character returning to Black Beauty's life at his final home. Lovely. 

104. The Faceless Adversary by Frances and Richard Lockridge - John Hayward was having a great day but now he's in trouble. The police think he killed a young woman and they have proof. But, he's never seen the girl in his life and her identity is hazy. Was John set up? If so, why? Who was the young redhead that was murdered and why would someone choose John as the fall guy? Will John and his fiancée figure it out before it's too late? The "mistaken identity" trope sucked me right in. When John's confused and the police are so sure at the beginning, there were some vague North by Northwest vibes. I loved that and the fact that I never felt lost in plot twists. My copy of The Faceless Adversary, published in 1956, was a library sale find. I'm ranking it as one of my top discoveries from a library sale. 

This was an interesting month. I started with the Perry Mason book, which I think I bought at an indie bookstore (either The Strand or Square Books) and then felt slumpy, even though I was enjoying my reads. Crying in H Mart was a difficult read so that may have contributed to the slump problem, although I thought it was excellent and it's pretty typical for me to have a reading slump toward the end of the summer. 

Of the books I read, 6 were books that I've had for over a year, 2 came from recent library sales and 1 off a library cart of free books, 3 were recently purchased (one as a set — the Catwings books), and I read one e-book. So, it was a pretty successful month for reading older books I've been hanging onto. Most will not stay in my house. Crying in H Mart was my only book club read. I started another but just wasn't getting anywhere, in spite of enjoying what little I read. And, there was another book I set aside, so I had two DNFs. I'll get back to both; it just wasn't the right time for them. 

I also read my Persephone book of the month and enjoyed it. The last photo below is just silly. As I was reading Black Beauty and getting ready to read The Faceless Adversary, I kept thinking they looked like condiments. So, I took a photo of my ketchup and mustard books. I actually don't own any ketchup or mustard, so I had nothing cute to pose them with. 

I didn't read any additional books I've been planning to read, as per my yearly goal. And, the book-buying ban has gone totally out the window. I'm giving up on it completely, but will try again in 2026. However, we have been very successful at ridding ourselves of older titles as I've gone through all of the cabinets of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and some bookshelves on a separate wall. So, 8 boxes full of books went to a local library (not my city's library but a nearby library system where I have friends to let me know when they're open to donations). And, we still have at least 8 more boxes of books that we didn't manage to haul there in time. But, they're all ready to go when they open up for the next library sale! 

Happy Reading!

©2025 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos. 

Everything I Read in July, 2025

July:

75. Wonder by E. J. Palacio - Well, that was a surprise. I have been aware of this book for many years but I never thought to pick it up until I happened across a copy at the local Goodwill shop, a couple years ago. August Pullman was born with a host of problems and even after many surgeries, his face is quite badly deformed. He's been homeschooled but at 10 his parents have decided it's time for him to go to school. At the new school, his face shocks almost everyone. But, as his fellow students get to know him, Auggie goes from being bullied and only having a few friends to being admired and loved. I laughed, I cried. You can't help but fall in love with the Pullman family. What a great book. 

76. Generation X by Douglas Coupland - I have probably had this book since the 90s (blushing). Published in 1991, it tells the story of 3 friends who have gone to live in California to find themselves, having rejected more lucrative but dull jobs (Andy and Dag) and an annoying, rich, somewhat vapid family life (Claire). This book is an absolute time capsule. MTV and CAD! Stereo consoles, K-cars, and leftover decor from the Sixties! Memories of Space Food Sticks! The most fascinating thing about this book, for me personally, was that my Millenial eldest son has the same complaints as the Gen X characters. Life was so much easier for their parents and they screwed it up for us, Andy thinks. You Boomers and Gen X had it easy and screwed it up for us, says my kid. Some things never change. I enjoyed this book mostly for the blast from the past. 

77. The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech - Naomi and Lizzie are both orphans living in Blackbird Tree (no state named, but in the US). When a boy named Finn falls out of a tree, both girls go out of their way to try to figure the boy out. Where does he live and where did he come from? As summer break begins, the two are roped into spending time with the elderly, swept up in tragedy, and transported to another country when unexpected connections lead to a huge surprise. This is a book I found while cleaning the shelves (another one!). It's got some issues. It's apparently contemporary, but the clothing descriptions, the way people talk, and the fact that there's a boarding house all make it difficult to tell whether the book is contemporary or historical. And, the connections in the end are wildly implausible. Having said all that, I read The Great Unexpected in an afternoon (something that seldom happens) because I just couldn't put it down. And, I smiled a lot. I'm glad I didn't discard this book based on the unenthusiastic reviews. 

78. Bluets by Maggie Nelson - "Lyric essay or prose poetry" says Wikipedia about the unique writing style of this thin volume of vignettes about or with some connection to the color blue. I listened to the audio while reading the book (a first) and discovered in the process that my eyeball reading and listening ear don't coordinate. I am, by nature, a contemplative reader who latches onto words or sentences or paragraphs, rereading them till I'm ready to move on. Yep, it was a Contemplative Reading Project selection. Eventually, I got tired of backtracking when the two reading methods didn't sync up and just listened. While the author's delivery is flat, I think audio is a great way to read Bluets.What I disliked was all the sexual references. In the book, Nelson says she applied for many grants for this writing project and she described the book as "hedonistic and horny." But, the literary references, the thought-provoking connections to a single color . . . there were a lot of interesting moments. I would have preferred essays so she could have taken some of those thoughts further. There's definitely plenty to contemplate and Buddy's notes were extremely helpful. 

79. Thieves' Dozen by Donald E. Westlake - Long ago, during my mystery-gobbling phase, I read an anthology that contained a story about John Dortmunder, a hapless thief. I've never forgotten it. Westlake had a delightful, comedic touch. I came across Thieves' Dozen (a collection published in 2004) while working on my huge, ongoing book purge and the writing is every bit as entertaining as I remembered. Apparently, this book contains every Dortmunder short story ever written, plus a final one in which all of the characters are basically meant to be the same thieves but they have different names as the author was exploring how name changes made the characters different in his mind. Tremendously fun reading, highly recommended. 

80. Eight of Swords by David Skibbens - The first in the Tarot mystery series, published in 2005, you will not be surprised to hear that I found this during the book purge. I sense a theme, here. Warren was a member of the Weather Underground during the 60s (a socialist terrorist organization) and he's been on the run for 30 years. Now, he's a tarot reader in Berkeley. When a teenage girl asks for a reading and he doesn't warn her of how ominous her reading is, he feels guilty and begins investigating after she's kidnapped. I thought this book was average; I enjoyed it but felt that it tried to be about too many things at once. Still, I'm glad I read Eight of Swords because I'm always here for changing things up a bit. 

81. Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume - Tony loves basketball, has some great friends and a paper route, and is starting to notice girls. When his father sells an invention hoping to get extra money to help Tony's big brother, whose wife is expecting, the family is suddenly wealthy and everything changes. They leave their modest neighborhood for a fancy house on Long Island, Grandma is replaced in the kitchen by hired help and takes to her room, and Tony is stuck hanging out with a rich neighbor who is not a person Tony can respect. I really enjoyed Then Again, Maybe I Won't. Tony is a great character. He's annoyed by the wealth and social climbing and knows right from wrong. 

Favorite line: 

The three of us stick together. That way if we have trouble finding the right classrooms we look stupid as a group instead of three individual stupids.

82. Count by Melvin Burgess - A middle grade book found on Hoopla when I was looking for a dystopian book by the same author (unfortunately not available on Hoopla or in the US, for that matter), Count is a very silly book about a boastful boy who decides to count to ten million, can't stop, and becomes a sensation until it all comes crashing down. A clever and fun read. I'm glad my British friend Rebecca led me to this author. 

83. Musical Tables by Billy Collins - Poetry! In this case, Collins focuses on short poems. I wondered, at first, if he was following some particular type of poetic style or meter but nope. He just has a fascination with short poetry and in the author's note, he quoted two very short poems that he found particularly outstanding. There's a very harsh Goodreads review in which the reviewer makes some very good points about why he gave it a single star and I kind of agree with him in some ways. But, I mostly base my opinion of poetry on feelings. Does it resonate in some way? Did I nod or laugh or smile or feel it like a gut punch? I marked a half dozen poems that made me laugh or smile and took a snapshot of one about insomnia, which I can relate to all too well (below) So, Musical Tables was a winner for me. 

84. High Wages by Dorothy Whipple - In 1910, Jane Carter needs a job that pays well and she knows Chadwick's has the best wages, so she applies. As a shop girl in Chadwick's, she helps customers select fabric, ribbon, buttons, and such for dressmaking and home decoration. Jane's boss has a tendency to cheat her out of her commissions and he's not interested in updating his shop to reflect the new, ready-made trends. But, Jane has big ideas. When she's unable to convince her boss to lease a nearby building to open a shop for ready-made clothing and hats, a friend steps in to help. Will Jane be able to make it as a shopkeeper? Jane is a great character. Men have a tendency to try to take advantage of her because she's pretty and innocent, but Jane has strength, determination, and can stand up for herself. Then she falls in love with the wrong man. Her life as a shopgirl and then shop owner is not without challenges but I loved her grit and focus. I adored High Wages. It's definitely my favorite by Whipple, so far. 

85. Walking Words by Eduardo Galeano, illus. by José Francisco Borges - Walking Words is Eduardo Galeano's take on folk tales. I had some particular favorites and some I didn't care for, but overall I enjoyed the book. The block print illustrations are wonderful. A find during my book purge. Yet another book I've had since the 90s. Yikes. Took me long enough. 

86. Take Me With You by Andrea Gibson - I bought a copy of Take Me With You after hearing the author (who was nonbinary and preferred the pronouns they/them) read from the book in a video clip sent by my friend Susan after Gibson's death. The reviews for this book are wild — quite polarized; most either love the book or hate it. It didn't feel like poetry to me, at first; it felt more like reading Hallmark sentiments. I couldn't relate to a lot of it. But, sometimes I laughed, sometimes I got a little teary. I adjusted to the style. I occasionally cringed at confessional bits (never a favorite). Sometimes the writing was profound or pithy, sometimes just a bit of clever wordplay. Most importantly, I feel like Andrea Gibson has helped me to finally understand what it means to be nonbinary. I'm sorry this tender soul has left the Earth. 

87. A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly - I bought A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice for discussion with one of my online groups. It tells parallel stories that intersect. First, Kate Connolly is a 3rd class passenger from Ireland, traveling on the Titanic to the United States with friends. You get to see what it's like to travel in steerage and the camaraderie between passengers, most of whom were not from the U.S. The other storyline is about Capt. Rostron of the Carpathia, the ship that came steaming to the rescue when they heard that the Titanic was sinking. The first part of the book is slow but when the Titanic begins to sink, the pace picks up with Rostron organizing the rescue and pushing the Carpathia to its limits while Kate is rushing to find a lifebelt and escape the sinking ship. It then becomes a story of how class didn't matter, everyone mixed and even some of the survivors helped others. It's also very focused on trauma and emotion. So . . . the bad. The book is not overly well written. The author has some quirks of language and mannerism that I would expect a good editor to help eliminate. However, I still gave it 4 stars, probably a slightly too-high rating but I liked the different viewpoint of a steerage survivor and the Carpathia captain, having read many books that were mostly told from the Titanic side only. 

88. Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill - I read about Sea of Rust when friend Carrie posted an update on Goodreads and immediately added it to my wishlist. Then she encouraged me to read it right away, so I ordered a secondhand copy (which looks good as new, actually). Described as a "post-apocalyptic robot western," it tells the story of Brittle, a Caregiver robot who survived the war between humans and AI (both robots and large databases that have become sentient). Brittle collects and sells parts from dying robots. But, Caregiver parts are becoming scarce. And, when another Caregiver decides to poach Brittle's parts by shooting her, a journey across a desert filled with rusting parts leads to a final shootout in a quest to save the remaining independent robots from CISSUS, a massive Artificial Intelligence mainframe that seeks to turn robots into facets, mindless parts of the whole (much like the Borg of Star Trek: Next Generation). Quite a wild ride, this one. Thanks for the rec, Carrie!

OK, then! This was a pretty terrific month. Of the 14 books I read, 8 were books I've had on my shelves for at least a year, 5 were recent purchases, and 1was checked out via Hoopla. Progress getting through the books I own!

There is thunder and lightning nearby, so I'm not going to dash off to open another window so that I can see how I did on my annual goals, but I did clearly read a Persephone book and plenty from my shelves, so I'm happy. On to August!

©2025 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos. 

Everything I Read in June, 2025

June:

62. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver - I've been deliberately saving A Thousand Mornings to read in June so that I'd have at least one poetry book to read, mid-year. I didn't mark any of my favorite poems. Instead, I must have been feeling a little poetry deprived because I pretty much slammed my way through it in a single evening. I try to space out the reading of poetry books but I just love her poetry so much that it's hard to put down a Mary Oliver book, although I do take time to reflect while reading. For the uninitiated, Oliver is much like another favorite poet of mine, Robert Frost, in that her focus is often on nature and she has a delightful sense of humor but is also willing to show her anger at how we treat our world or to describe the rawness of nature. Another wonderful read. I will reread many times, no doubt. 

63. Blubber by Judy Blume - When Linda does a report on whales, she gets the nickname Blubber because she also happens to be a little overweight. Wendy is the gang leader who gave Linda the nickname and who comes up with all the cruel pranks (tripping Linda, pulling her skirt up so the boys see her underwear, making her say something awful before they allow her into a bathroom stall) but narrator Jill goes along with everything until Wendy goes just one step too far. Then, she rebels and Wendy turns the bullying onto her, giving Jill a demeaning nickname and putting her through similar torturous pranks. This is such a sad book. It's mostly about cruelty and it didn't seem to me that anyone learned a lesson at all. The only way I'd consider this book in any way useful is if it was one that adults and children read together so they could discuss the pain of bullying and why it's wrong to go along with it, even if you're not the instigator.  

64. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy - My copy of The Hunt for Red October originally belonged to my father. I've had it since 1990 and the rest of my immediate family read it long ago but I had not, so I decided to add it to my challenge books for the year. I'm so excited to have finally read it! Parts were edge-of-your-seat, especially the scenes in which the Russian ship is trying to sink the Red October and there's much jockeying about, with characters saying the fun stuff like, "Right full rudder. Ease off on your bow planes," or whatever. It took a while for me to get into the story as I'm not exactly a techie but it's a good book and reading it felt like a little wave toward heaven as it was the one item I stole from my parents' house so I could have something (deliberately without great value) of my father's after he died. We watched the movie after I finished. It still holds up! I think this quote on p. 393 of the book is particularly relevant to our time:

"Mr. Ambassador, any person in the United States, regardless of his nationality or the manner of his arrival, is entitled to the full protection of our law. Our courts have ruled on this many times, and under our law no man or woman may be compelled to do something against his will without due process."

65. When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo - Darwin is Rastafarian and has taken a vow not to go anywhere near the dead or cut his dreadlocks. So, when the only job he can find is digging graves and he needs to get his dreads out of the way, he is horrified but decides that supporting himself and his mother is more important than their beliefs and he moves to the city to work. Yejide comes from a family in which the women have a strong connection to the dead that's passed down the family line. When Yejide's mother dies, she is next in line to receive the gift. Darwin and Yejide dream of each other and seem destined to meet. But, both have challenges to face. Darwin has noticed strange things at the graveyard and getting caught up in them will put him in danger, while Yejide feels her new connection to the dead is more burden than gift. All this takes place in Trinidad, a new location for me, reading-wise.When We Were Birds is a strange story but I enjoyed it. I read it for group discussion and there was a lot to talk about. The discussion was excellent. I definitely recommend it as a group read. 

66. Cats on Catnip by Andrew Marttila - Cats on Catnip is a book of photographs of cats playing in piles of catnip, eating it, rolling around, looking crazy-eyed or calm. It feels a little weird listing it as a "book read" because the only text is an introduction and the name and age of each cat pictured. Otherwise, it's just a lot of cat photos. But, whatever. Andrew Marttila is married to the "Kitten Lady" and I've followed the two of them for years. I love his photos of cats and had it in the back of my head that I'd like to see the book someday, but not necessarily buy it. Fortunately, I happened across Cats on Catnip while looking for another cat-themed book on Hoopla. I had to do a good bit of screen pinching to get a closer look at each of the cats. A real upper of a book if you love looking at cat photos. Cats on catnip are pretty funny. 

67. Tom Swift and His Rocket Ship by Victor Appleton, II - While going through boxes of books to whittle down my possessions, I found this Tom Swift (the third in the series) in one of the boxes. It was the rocket ship cover that really grabbed my eye. Published in 1954, it tells the story of a race to circumnavigate the Earth in space. Tom Swift is a boy genius who works on a private island with engineers, designers, a cook, a doctor, and others. He and his friend Bud are planning to fly Tom's rocket, soon. But, there's competition and his rivals are willing to do anything to sabotage Tom so that their leader can rule from space. A rollicking adventure, very fast-paced, and also extremely silly. Say, Tom needs a new invention or part? It's ready within days or even hours. The implausibility level is high. There are also Martians communicating with Tom but it's understandable that in the 1950s sci-fi writers knew little about whether there was life in our solar system. Worth enjoying for the adventure but it suffers from the passage of time and the writing is a bit oddly choppy, which also may be a remnant of the era. 

68. Indian Country by Gwendolen Cates - Indian Country is a coffee table book in which the photographer traveled around the United States photographing Native Americans. Gorgeous landscape photos (sometimes presented as two-page spreads, which are breathtaking) are interspersed occasionally between the portraits, along with quotes from some of the people pictured. Most focus on things like community, ancestry/history, spirituality, and nature, as well as the memory of colonization and the fact that genocide and history written by the occupiers have rendered a lot of America's first residents invisible but they're resilient and refuse to be silent. A beautiful and very moving book. I got teary reading about descendants of Wounded Knee survivors holding a ceremony in the memory of their ancestors. 

69. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen and Blair Lent - Saddest story ever. A little girl who sells matches has a bad day and is afraid to return home without any money to give to her violent father. So, she stays on the street on a freezing night and lights her matches, one after the other, imagining warm things until she runs out of matches and freezes to death. This is another book I found in a box while working on dramatically purging my personal library. It's old and grubby and I brought it home from a library sale intending to use pieces of the illustrations in collage, which I still plan to do. But, I always have to read books before taking them apart. I also can't bear to take a book apart unless it's either a terrible story (this one's obviously a classic so not awful) or in appalling condition. 

70. A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit - There's a hilariously accurate review of this book at Goodreads, in which the reviewer says A Field Guide to Getting Lost is like going to a cocktail party where you're stuck talking to an "undeniably smart" person who thinks everything they've done is worth describing in excruciating detail. I agree with that but at the same time, I actually enjoyed this book of essays about many different meanings of becoming lost. Sometimes, I felt like the author started an essay well and then went so deep into the weeds that . . . she lost me. That feels punny but it's accurate. My favorite essay was the most straightforward, about explorers and people who were captured by Indians and how they didn't just become lost; they lost their former selves. Some lost their ability to speak their original language, lost interest in wearing clothing or sleeping on beds. That essay was marvelous. In another, she describes living in the desert and being in love while she was a fledgling writer. But, then she oddly goes way off the tracks. If Solnit had stopped at her personal story, I would have loved it but the change of topic was less a segue than a jolt. At any rate, Solnit kept me busy looking things up online, which is always fun, and I was entertained enough to finish so I rated it 3.5/5. 

71. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong - The Emperor of Gladness is the story of a young man named Hai, whose family immigrated from Vietnam. At the beginning of the book he's on the verge of suicide when an elderly woman shouts to him. She is Grazina, also an immigrant but from Lithuania who escaped from Hitler and Stalin during WWII. She needs someone to care for her and he needs a place to stay. She has dementia and he helps her keep her pills straight, plays along with her memories when the pills don't work, and gets a job at a restaurant called HomeMarket to pay for their groceries. Hai is addicted to painkillers and lying to his mother about what he's doing. The Emperor of Gladness is the June selection for the Contemplative Reading Project. Even when I was only partway into the book, I felt like I needed to reread it because there's some imagery that I began to slowly became aware of and I'd like to reread to explore that imagery. Buddy is a professor and he picks up on things that I miss, so I always enjoy reading his thoughts, which you can find under the group name "Contemplative Reading Project" on Substack.

Side notes: I enjoyed The Emperor of Gladness, although the topics (depression, drug addiction, dementia) are heavy. Toward the end of the month, I went to a Silent Reading Party at a neighboring county library (where I have friends, including former blogger Brittanie) and one of the people I sat next to for the social part said, "I really want to read what she's reading," pointing at my book. When I told my eldest son about the Silent Reading Party he said, "Wow, you really know how to party, Mom!" Anyway, I highly recommend both the book and Buddy's group. And, I'll try to keep my one-paragraph reviews to one paragraph (hopefully shorter) next month. I notice they're getting way too long. 

72. Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, a retelling by Cerys Matthews, illust. by Kate Evans - Under Milk Wood is a radio play but this adaptation has turned it into a lively children's book. It's the story of a Welsh town's residents, who rise with the stars and sleep after a hard days' work. The characters are humorously described and colorfully illustrated. What I didn't like was the fact that I could recognize Dylan Thomas's style (since I read his A Child's Christmas in Wales every year) admidst the adapted bits. I wanted more Thomas, less adaptation. But, once I grew accustomed to the author's updated voice, I really enjoyed it. I found that you can find a film version with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton online and I hope to watch that, soon. I'd also like to get my hands on the radio play. 

73. Letters from Rapunzel by Sarah Lewis Holmes - I'm guessing this is a middle grade book but I'm uncertain. A one-sided epistolary, Letters from Rapunzel is not what it sounds or looks like from the title and cover. It's about a girl whose father has been hospitalized with clinical depression. After he left, the girl (who calls herself Rapunzel but is otherwise unnamed till nearly the end) finds a torn-up letter tucked next to the cushion of her father's favorite chair. He's been writing to someone who he says is responsible for his best poetry. Rapunzel writes to this person, hoping they will respond and be helpful in some way. But, nobody replies, so you read the unfolding story of her challenges at school and at home while her father is struggling and "Rapunzel" is stuck in after-school homework sessions. I loved this book. It's light with a fairly heavy topic, cleverly written and with a great ending. 

74. The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - A magical café where one can get their astrological signs read and explained shows up only on nights with a full moon. There, customers are served special drinks and desserts by giant cats. The first customer is a screenwriter whose scripts are no longer wanted. When she realizes that her signs indicate that she's doing things wrong, she makes changes to her life. This same pattern continues with other characters, all of whom are tied together as a group that used to walk to school together. Unfortunately, The Full Moon Coffee Shop is not a book I found either magical or entertaining. I thought it boring and disjointed. I read it for my Zoom book group so it will be interesting to see what everyone else thought but it definitely wasn't for me. 

Favorites were Indian Country, The Emperor of Gladness, A Thousand Mornings, Letters from Rapunzel, When We Were Birds, and The Hunt for Red October. 

Update on my yearly goals:

1. Book-buying ban. Let's just update that one with a photo of recent purchases, most for discussion (in the foreground, some bought in May). Not pictured: The Wall by Marlen Haushofer, a total impulse purchase that arrived yesterday. 

2. Read from bedroom stacks: Ditched this goal, but I did manage to read 6 that had been on my stacks for at least a year. Most of the others were discussion books or came from recent library sales. 

3. Read some specific books I've been wanting to read: Success! I finished The Hunt for Red October and I'm very happy to have finally broken through that mental block (dead person's book) in order to read it. After finishing the book, we watched the movie. It has held up brilliantly, in spite of some older technology that will make people who lived through the 80s chuckle. 

4. Read one Persephone book per month: Alas, no, but I have started reading the book I meant to read in May . . . and then June. And, it's very good, so far. 

In other bookish news, I have been doing a major book purge in my home library. Here's part of it (you can click to enbiggen: 

I've boxed those all up neatly, now, and it's only a fraction; I have 12 boxes of books ready to go. They haven't made it out the door but we'll start working on that, soon. You can see we're a little messy initially, then we go back and pack things up neatly before taking them to donate. Some we hope to take to McKay's Used Bookstore but that requires a trip to Tennessee. We shall see. At any rate, I don't know what clicked but I'm basically doing Swedish Death Cleaning, keeping only the books I intend to read or that still hold interest for me. Anything even remotely questionable is going. Biggest surprise: My YA collection. I went through a YA phase a few years after starting the blog and kept all my favorites + a few unread titles. I was shocked at how easily they went to the discard piles. I guess my YA phase has ended, at least for now. I did keep a few favorites but not many. It's wild to look at the shelves and see so many open spaces. 

©2025 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos. 

Everything I Read in May, 2025

May:

52. The Ice Monster by David Walliams - Elsie is an orphan in Victorian London living in torturous circumstances in an orphanage. After she escapes, she has nowhere to live but the streets. When a woolly mammoth encased in ice is brought to the Natural History Museum, where she occasionally sleeps in a broom closet to avoid freezing outdoors, Elsie is determined to see it. And, when a mad scientist who lives in the basement figures out how to bring the mammoth back to life, Elsie, the cleaning woman (who is hilarious and my favorite character), and the woolly mammoth are in for a wild adventure. If you can get past the extremely gross first chapter, the rest of the book is very fun. But, this is my second middle grade read by Walliams and he has a tendency toward the disgusting in his humor — not surprising if you've seen his adult comedy, but as a child, parts of his books would have given me nightmares. So, while I enjoyed this story, I will not read any more of Walliams' books. 

53. Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams - I bought Careless People because Mark Zuckerberg didn't want people to read it, which naturally made me curious as to why. The story of the author's time working for Facebook begins when it was a small company and she, as a diplomat from New Zealand who worked at the United Nations, thought it had potential to become a force for good. She wanted Facebook to be able to become involved in the creation of regulations dealing with this new form of social media and felt that would be a perfect job for her. After Wynn-Williams managed to get hired, she found that the company's founder was painfully shy and disinterested in meeting heads of state and other diplomats. But, once he began to see the benefits of knowing people in high places, exploit them, and even become more powerful than they are — relying, as they do, on reelection while he keeps his position — his greed for expansion, lack of empathy, and underhanded ways of fobbing off government regulation and lying in congressional investigations became too much for the author. Written with clarity, lightness, and precision (either she kept extensive notes or has a memory like a vault). The title is aptly based on the quote from The Great Gatsby that begins, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy. They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money . . . "

54. Idle Grounds by Krystelle Bamford - At a family gathering, the adults converge on the deck while the children play inside. When the children look out a window and see something inexplicable and spooky in the woods, 3-year-old Abi runs from the room and doesn't return. The children eventually go off to look for her and tell the grown-ups when they're unsuccessful. The adults shrug them off. Mostly told in 1st person plural with the children as the collective "we", the group decides they must find Abi and off they go. But, things go wrong, another child disappears, and they frequently become distracted, frightened, or hurt. Interspersed throughout are chapters about their grandmother "Beezy" and the family history. A book so utterly its own that I'm stunned it's got a fairly low (3.3) rating at Goodreads. I was enchanted, mesmerized, captivated, unsettled, tickled, saddened. There's a tragedy but there's also the humor of little Owen and his eggs (you just have to read it). Creepy, weird, discussable, and a book worth studying, if you ask me. Side note: Idle Grounds is the book I mentioned in April that I ordered because I wanted to read it immediately, if not sooner. I have no earthly idea why. I love the cover and I was interested in the description but I seldom feel so compelled to buy a book now. I felt like the universe was trying to tell me something. A five-star read for me. 

55. The Best of Reader's Digest: Timeless Favorites - I've mentioned before that I'm looking for a specific story from Reader's Digest that was the genesis of my interest in WWII. Well . . . it's not in this collection but I found this and one other "best of" type Reader's Digest book while working at the library sale and there appeared to be some WWII stories, so I figured I would at least enjoy those. I didn't plan to read the entire book. But, it really took me back to my childhood days, when I'd read my mother's Reader's Digests from cover to cover. A little murder and mayhem, a bit of humor, and some tear-jerkers rounded out this collection of stories and essays. My absolute favorites were a story about a couple separated during WWII and reunited by a tablecloth hanging over damaged plaster to cover it for a Christmas service, an essay about what actor Danny Kaye learned about parenthood while traveling to help promote vaccination in other countries, and the story of a Medal of Honor recipient. A very enjoyable read. 

DNF: I haven't started a book and abandoned it for a while but I thought this one's worth mentioning. The Butterfly Lampshade by Aimee Bender is a book about mental illness and it starts with a gripping phone conversation in which a mother calls her sister saying she thinks her daughter "has a bug in her". The sister is 8 1/2 months pregnant, so she sends her husband to fetch 8-year-old Francie and make sure her mother is hospitalized. You can read more about it at Goodreads. When I left her, Francie was 27 and considering a life change while reflecting on two strange things she saw as a child. I was captivated at first, then bored. I kept putting the book down and not wanting to pick it up, so I gave up around p. 70 or so. But, the book has a wide range of reviews/ratings. Some consider it magical. Some found it dull or middling. I liked Bender's writing enough that I'd like to try reading some of her other work. This one just didn't work for me. 

56. Dust by Dusti Bowling - Dust is about a girl named Avalyn who has asthma and nearly died of an asthma attack when she was living in Tulsa, as a toddler. So, her parents moved to a desert town with little wind and surrounded by mountains to avoid dust storms, a place that didn't grow allergens like ragweed. She's now in middle school. When a new boy named Adam arrives at school, dust storms appear at the same time. Avalyn is an empath who can feel someone's emotions by touching them. She knows something is horribly wrong in Adam's life, but not exactly what that is. He's quiet and unwilling to talk about his life, even when they slowly become friends. She's convinced that if she can absorb emotions, Adam has an equal ability to cause dust storms. But, in order to help him, she's going to have to betray his wishes. A story of bullying and sexual abuse, this middle grade book reminds children that it's more important to say something and get help, whether you're being abused or someone you know is, than to keep secrets. I love Dusti Bowling's books; they have heart. Avalyn is a likable character and so are her friends, all of whom are bullied. My only complaint about this book is that Avalyn's preparing for a spelling bee but the lengthy spelling words often aren't defined (a handful are). A glossary would have been a good addition. 

57. Hedy's Journey: The True Story of a Hungarian Girl Fleeing the Holocaust by Michelle Bisson and El Primo Ramón - An excellent true story about the author's mother, who escaped Hungary during WWII. Beginning her journey alone by train after her family had fled ahead of her, Hedy traveled to Austria and then flew to Spain. There, she met up with her family and they managed a number of obstacles on their way to life in the US. The book is written for youngsters as it's a picture book but there's additional information, lots of photos of Hedy and her family, and a glossary. A five-star read, in my opinion, very clearly written and gripping with subdued but lovely illustrations. 

58. Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico - Anna and Tom are Millenials, digital nomads from Southern Europe who have chosen to live in Berlin. There, they do graphic design from home and hang out with a circle of expats. They first move from one apartment to another and then when they settle, occasionally go on working vacations and rent out the apartment. They collect plants because doing so is an in thing. They go to art galleries and farmers' markets with their group. But, they're always searching for something elusive, a kind of perfection that they can never quite grasp. I read Perfection because my elder son gave it 5 stars and told me I should read it. At first, I found it pedestrian and dry. Reading it was like watching grass grow. But, then my Millenial son and I talked about the first half of the book and seeing it through his eyes made me realize there were scenes I enjoyed. I just had to bluster through the prose bits that didn't thrill me. When I finished, we discussed again and I have to say . . . reading and discussing with your grown children is such a joy. We had latched onto many of the same scenes, finding them hilarious in a subtle/understated way. It took me a week to read 115 pages of Perfection but now I can't stop thinking about it.

59. The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks - This month's selection for the Contemplative Reading Project is a book about how patriarchal society does damage to both men and women, how the first feminist movement either overlooked men or treated them with hatred, how we (both men and women) indoctrinate our children into the patriarchy, and what the author proposes to create a healthier society. The most fascinating thing about this book to me was that it's so accurate to what I've seen and experienced that I was noticing the way she describes people talking about the patriarchy/men absolutely everywhere -- in the news, social media, books and movies, even the old letters I've been reading. And, I agree with her about how our societal view of masculinity and how we raise boys needs to change, but I dislike the term "feminist masculinity". There is a growing movement of misogynists/women haters and I think their rage towards women dictates a need to leave feminism out of the terminology. My opinion. An amazing read and one I plan to reread to mark up for future reference. Highly recommended. It would require some major societal buy-in to make change happen so I encourage everyone to read and discuss this book. 

60. Room on the Sea by André Aciman - Room on the Sea begins with a man trying to see what the woman next to him is reading. They've been called up for jury duty and are stuck beside each other, so they chat. Then, they start getting coffee together, lunch, breakfast, taking long walks and chatting about their love of Naples, their frustrations. They are charmed by each other but they're also both married and, yes, both feeling adrift from their partners. The question slowly becomes, "Will they or won't they?" Will they ditch their partners or have an affair? Will they take off to Italy together? A very short novel (or maybe novella; I'm not sure) at 158 pages, I liked the simple, straightforward writing and the banter but the answer to the "Will they or won't they?" question . . . I didn't care for the direction it went and that's obviously a personal preference. Still, I'm glad I read it because it was a light, quick read that gave me a little bit of a brain break. Read for Tiny Book Group on the Fable app. 

61. The Book of Delights by Ross Gay - I really enjoyed Ross Gay's Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, so when Books & Pie Carrie asked if I'd like her copy of The Book of Delights, I answered with an enthusiastic YES. And, what a delight it turned out to be, a total upper of a book. The Book of Delights is a collection of essays about things that delight the author. One of his biggest delights, which makes frequent appearances, is his love of plants, gardening, and nature. I'm a total tree-hugging, "Protect Our Natural Resources" kind of gal, so those were among my favorites. There were a couple essays I didn't love but so many more that I did that I gave it the full 5 stars. Also, it's worth mentioning that reading The Book of Delights helped me with a writing challenge I've been trying to tackle, so I doubly appreciate getting to read it. 

Update on my yearly goals: 

1. Book-buying ban - Oopsy, this year's ban is sooo not going well. Having said that, I think the only book I bought this month was Room on the Sea and that was for a book group, so it's acceptable. Still, I count 5 books from this month's reads that were recently purchased, which doesn't help with #2.

2. Read from the bedroom stacks - Sigh. Only two books came from the bedroom stacks: Dust by Dusti Bowling and The Ice Monster by David Walliams. Hedy's Journey is a book I found while cleaning a room, so we'll say it also counts since it's one I already owned and the objective is to read books I already own. The Book of Delights was brought to me recently and promptly added to the bedroom stacks but that's cheating. 

3. Read some specific books I've been wanting to read - Not completed, but yes I'm reading one of my planned books, The Hunt for Red October, and it will absolutely be finished by the end of June, so I'll say that's a 1/2-yes on this goal. 

4. Read one Persephone title per month - Ah, darn. Nope. This is the first month I've failed to read a Persephone title and it's solely because I had a DNF and a mid-month slump. The beginning of the month was great. I was rolling! And, then . . . nothing. I just couldn't get myself to read or I'd read a few pages of The Hunt for Red October and then either fall asleep or find myself drifting off, thinking about other things and staring at the ceiling like a cat who appears to have spotted a ghost. 

So, basically, this month was an utter failure when it comes to my annual goals (apart from the 1/2-yes of my planned read of a book I've put off forever), and yet I just don't feel like that matters. I'll move on and keep challenging myself to complete each of these goals as the year progresses. Plus, I read some terrific books and I absolutely do not regret buying the ones I bought. I loved most of them and one provided a break from heavier reads. And, best of all, one of the books resulted in a couple of terrific conversations with my eldest son. That's always a win. I highly recommend reading and discussing books with your grown kids, if you can! 

I didn't read any e-books, this month. Incidentally, that chicken in the top photo was made by my daughter-in-law, who is now selling knitted and crocheted things at festivals and the weekly farmers market. Isn't it cute? 

©2025 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos. 

Everything I Read in April, 2025

April:

41. Meditations: On the Monk Who Dwells in Daily Life by Thomas Moore - Way back in the 90s, when I had small children and was happy if I could squeeze in a couple books per month, I remember my mother-in-law told me about reading Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul. Maybe I even have a copy, somewhere. I collected books more than I read them, for years. Meditations is one of those I probably bought in that era. Lordy, I do hold onto books. The "meditations" are more like vignettes about meditation than meditations for the reader, but I still enjoyed this book about what it means to be a monk, what Moore's life was like when he was a Catholic monk living in a monastery and how it had an authoritarian structure, why walks in nature and other things like reading and being silent are ways of caring for the soul, and observations about religion — including how hair is cut, curled, or covered to fit religious strictures. A fascinating little book that I sometimes loved, sometimes didn't fully understand, and which is very thought-provoking. 

42. Cat + Gamer, Vol. 7 by Wataru Nadatani - I was perusing Hoopla when I discovered that the 7th volume of Cat + Gamer has been released. The 5th and 6th volumes were a little disappointing but I thought #7 was back to the fun of earlier releases. Riko plays hide and seek with her cats and finds that one is better at the game than the other. She must solve a mystery when she hears a crash noise and discovers that one of the cats has made a mess (while she's in the midst of playing a mystery game). And, she is surprised to find that her boss is entertained by the cats climbing all over her or zipping by the screen when she begins working remotely. She also has to learn how to concentrate to avoid letting the cats distract her from her work in her new home office. A great entry in this series!

43. Whose Boat is This Boat? by The Staff of the Late Show, Stephen Colbert, Andrew Boneta, and John Henry - I was watching The Late Show when Stephen Colbert talked about this crazy book. It has hardly any words in it so I almost feel like it's ridiculous to note it as a book "read" but I'm adding it for posterity. At any rate, I didn't buy a copy at the time it was released, although I probably should have because the profits went to hurricane victims. Instead, I happened to find a copy when I was working as a volunteer at our local library sale. It made me laugh so I brought it home to show to my husband and I'll undoubtedly re-donate it in May. The words are actual verbatim quotes by the president and I do recall that he asked about a boat that had been washed ashore during a hurricane. Silly, but a fun read that takes about 2 minutes, max. Great for reading to impatient cats. 

44. The Eights by Joanna Miller - Beatrice, Dora, Otto, and Marianne are among the first women allowed to attend Oxford University to obtain a degree in 1920. As they get to know each other, dive into their studies, and learn the strict rules that are meant to keep them from interacting too much with the men of Oxford, secrets are revealed, challenges faced, and yes, there is a little bit of romance and heartbreak. I absolutely loved the friendships, the setting, the challenges each faced as individuals and collectively as women dealing with misogyny, and the historical context (what's genuine and not is described in the author's afterword). Included are a glossary, a map, and a bibliography. An excellent work of historical fiction based on real-life events and favorite, so far in 2025. 

45. Normal Rules Don't Apply: Stories by Kate Atkinson - An interconnected set of short stories that begins with an apocalyptic tale called "The Void", this quirky set of stories are absolutely my kind of storytelling. It took me a while to become aware of the interconnections — sometimes as little as a word or the brief appearance of a character caught my eye — but once you start to see how things are connected, those connections and the through-line become even more fascinating. Jumping back and forth in time, you read the stories of an old man and his dog, an actress who falls for a prince, a man who takes advice from a talking dog, and a queen whose wish for a baby parallels with the story of a family with six children crammed into a vicarage, among others. And, throughout, there are mentions of The Void, a killing event that keeps recurring. But, why is it happening? Darkly humorous and smart storytelling. I found this book in the library sale and snatched it up so fast anyone nearby probably only saw a blur. It's worth keeping for a reread. Next time, I'll go into it knowing the ending and watching for the connections earlier on. 

46. Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge - Three passengers and a pilot are en route from Tahiti to a small island in the Pacific when a storm arrives. Only two survive the crash after a lightning strike but they end up on the same uninhabited and isolated island. Barry and Sophie hate each other. Sophie is  French architect grieving the husband lost in the plane crash, and Barry an American who has just left his high-paying job. The island they've landed on is small and has limited food and fresh water. Will Barry and Sophie ever figure out how to get along? And, if they do, will they survive and make it off the island? Will someone come to rescue them or will they have to figure out a way to leave their island home? By far one of the best "stranded on a desert isle" books I've read. The author has a lighthearted touch and I thought the character growth was believable. Tragic but with a beautiful, uplifting ending. 

47. Becoming Dr. Q by Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa - This memoir provides a fascinating look into how one man left difficult circumstances in Mexico, jumped the fence to the US to work in the fields, and eventually became a brain surgeon. Obviously, he's a pretty brilliant man to be able to learn a new language while studying and arrive at Harvard a mere decade after he arrived in the US. But, he's also impressively driven and upbeat and this helped both Dr. Q, as he's known, and his family to survive the long hours of medical school and residency to become one of the country's foremost brain surgeons, teachers, and researchers. At the time of publication, Dr. Q was working at Johns Hopkins (in 2012) and he had a lab for studying and trying to find a cure for brain cancer. I don't know if the lab still exists as he's moved on to Mayo in Florida and mentioned the importance of both NIH grants and the NIH database in his work. An excellent, clearly written book about a remarkable man, acquired for discussion in one of my book groups. 

48. Modern Poetry by Diane Suess - Modern Poetry is one of those volumes of poetry that I've got mixed feelings about. The words that kept coming to me as I was reading were "unflinchingly honest and raw". Friend Buddy calls it "confessional poetry" and that is certainly accurate to the style. I came away from the reading feeling like I understand the poet, her motivations, her frustrations, and some of what life has taught her. But, at times it was a little too raw for me, personally. That's a very individual thing, obviously. In general, her poetry is very accessible, something I appreciated. I particularly liked reading about her visit to the home in which Keats died in Italy and her thoughts about marriage and how she's grown cynical and uninterested in it. I'm glad I read Modern Poetry. It was this month's selection for Buddy's Contemplative Reading Project. 

49. The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson - The story of two women on the isle of Jersey during WWII: a librarian and a postal worker. Bea and Grace are the best of friends. Bea works at the post office, as the first female postal worker, and Grace has taken over the job of head librarian since her friend and boss, Ash, was evacuated from the island of Jersey. During the occupation of Jersey, they are involved in small but dangerous acts of defiance against the Nazis. While I didn't consider the writing style all that good (it was a bit wobbly, in my opinion), the characterization was terrific and the story gripping. The pages absolutely flew. So, I ended up loving this book in spite of its flaws. There is quite a bit of extra material at the end of the book that explains which bits are true and where the author took creative license. 

50. Wilfred and Eileen by Jonathan Smith - Wilfred and Eileen meet on his last night at Cambridge. Wilfred is intending to become a surgeon and Eileen is dating his friend, David. I don't want to give anything away but their story is one of long walks and a love that is not considered appropriate by either set of parents. Wilfred goes off to war in 1914 and is severely injured. He's never the same but Eileen is a strong woman and loves him fiercely; and, Wilfred is an energetic, lively, and determined man. Lovely, gut-wrenching, and heartwarming. A wonderful story of love and determination to survive against the odds, based on a true story told to the author by one of his students and researched with the approval and help of Wilfred and Eileen's descendants. 

51. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone - Blue and Red travel up and down the strands of time, where they are on opposing sides of the time war, altering history for the sake of whatever purpose their leaders prefer. This often means killing characters who originally survived, like stopping the murderers of Caesar and taking the killers out instead of letting Caesar die. The two time travelers cross paths frequently and through notes hidden in ever more obscure places and objects, they will become unexpectedly connected. Read for Tiny Book Group on the Fable app. My thanks to Carrie of Care's Books and Pie, who told me not to worry about the details and instead enjoy the poetry of the book's writing. Yep, that worked. 

While I didn't read as much as I'd hoped (there are two books I was trying to slip in before the end of the month and then . . . sigh . . . I was too tired to read for a couple days) but the quality was pretty high. The Eights, Normal Rules Don't Apply, Castle of Water, The Wartime Book Club, and Wilfred and Eileen were my absolute favorites. Becoming Dr. Q was also excellent and particularly relevant as it's about an immigrant; it was my selection for book group discussion and I chose it because it highlights what we lose by deporting people randomly. It was not long after Dr. Q arrived that President Reagan offered amnesty to people who had entered the country illegally. Had he been rounded up and deported like what's happening today, we would have lost one of the country's most prominent brain surgeons. Everything else was very good (although Whose Boat is This Boat? is just silly). I didn't dislike any of the books I read and didn't have any DNFs, this month. So, I consider it a decent reading month. 

Update on my yearly goals:

1. Book-buying ban - This month was an utter failure. I decided to toss in a few extra books when I bought next month's book for the Contemplative Reading Project (so . . . 4 books purchased, I think?). Add to that the many I brought home from the library sale, which is allowed, and then . . . oh, darn. I saw an ad that had a book in it that I absolutely wanted to read right now, maybe yesterday, plus there was another book that has been driving me crazy with desire and two others I've been planning to eventually buy. So, another 4. Altogether, I brought home more than I can read in a month. However, I have at least 6 boxes of books, 2 bags (one for Kiddo to go through — entirely cookbooks), and a stack that are all ready to go out the door. So, the failure of my book-buying ban is being nicely offset by a good bit of vigorous weeding. 

2. Read from the bedroom stacks - I ditched this goal but still managed to read 3 from the bedroom stacks. Not enough but better than zero. 

3. Read some specific books I've been wanting to read - Nope. But, I've picked one for next month. 

4. Read one Persephone title per month - Success! I almost missed out on this one because the book I chose for April was not calling to me. Finally, I decided I should go back to the library and find a different title, Wilfred and Eileen. Fantastic choice! It's a quick read, which was perfect since I didn't get around to choosing a new title till the end of the month, and it is also a very moving, beautiful story of love and war. 

Not a great month for yearly reading goals but hopefully May will be an improvement. 

©2025 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos. 

The Eights by Joanna Miller

Beatrice, Dora, Otto, and Marianne are among the first women allowed to attend Oxford University to obtain a degree, in 1920. Other women have attended but not been allowed to receive degrees and there is still plenty of prejudice against their presence at the university. Their rooms are in the eighth corridor of their building and as they get to know each other, they're quickly labeled "The Eights" because of their lodgings. 

As a tight friendship develops, the women dive into their studies, and learn the strict rules that are meant to keep them from interacting too much with the men of Oxford, secrets are revealed, challenges faced, and yes, there is a little bit of romance and heartbreak. They are slightly older than most matriculating students because they did their part during WWI and each is aware that there are far more women than men of their age living in Great Britain due to the war's deadly annihilation of young men. 

When I started reading The Eights, I had a little difficulty keeping the characters straight in my head because it takes a little time to get to know them. I set the book aside for a few days and then located a notebook in which I wrote mini-bios of each of the women, which helped me separate them in my mind until their personalities became clear. And, then I enjoyed the reading so much that I took my time and just immersed myself in their world. 

I absolutely loved the friendships, the atmosphere, the challenges each faced as individuals and as women dealing with misogyny, and the historical context (what's genuine and not is described in the author's afterword). Included are a glossary, a map, and a bibliography. 

Highly recommended - Definitely one of my favorite reads, so far in 2025. The release date is just a few days away, April 15. An excellent piece of historical fiction based on real-life events, great for fans of historical fiction that's immersive, a great learning experience, and features strong friendships, excellent writing (sometimes I'd stop to reread sentences; I loved the author's unique turn of phrase) with a satisfying ending. I did a lot of googling of buildings to get a good look at the scenery and feel like I've just returned from Oxford, England. I can't wait to see what Joanna Miller writes next. 

I received a copy of The Eights from the publisher, Penguin Random House (thank you!), in exchange for an unbiased review and it's the first review book that I've requested in almost 2 years. Wow, did I choose well! 

©2025 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos. 

Everything I Read in March, 2025

March:

29. The Lost Library by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead - Evan is preparing to graduate from 5th grade    and he's a little nervous about middle school. Mortimer the cat guards the last books from the former Martinville library (which burned many years ago), watching over his library cart. When Al, the assistant librarian, decides to build a Little Free Library with the books from Mortimer's book cart, everything begins to change. Evan takes two books from the LFL home and makes some discoveries that make him realize that there's a mystery afoot. A famous author once checked out a book from the Martinville library, all the books in the Little Free Library were checked in on the same date, and one of the books was checked out by his father Why doesn't his father want to talk about the famous author and the library? Who was the "dear boy" beloved by the librarians who perished in the fire? What's the famous author's real name? And, who is in the mysterious Polaroid photo tucked inside one of the books? Ghosts, books, a cat (never did figure out if the cat was dead or alive, although I lean toward alive) and a mystery. I loved everything about this book. Highly recommended. Thanks to Carl (@steel_droppings on Instagram) for the recommendation. I'm keeping this one for a reread. 

30. Women by Chloé Caldwell - When an unnamed narrator moves from her mother's country house to the big city, she is at first unsure what she will end up doing but then she meets Finn and gets a job in a local library. The narrator believes herself to be bisexual but she falls hard for Finn, a woman who already has a long-term girlfriend, and they begin a torrid affair. Apparently known as a cult classic amongst lesbians, I read this novella with the Tiny Book Club on Fable as an ebook via Hoopla. Y'all know I'm not into spicy scenes — and there are quite a few for such a short book — but what I liked about the book was the emotional upheaval of the narrator as she became obsessed with her lover while knowing that they could never end up together. Also, while there's plenty of talk about what it means to be a gay woman, the story of a tumultuous affair with no chance of becoming a permanent relationship would have worked regardless of the characters' genders; the writing is strong. I may have skimmed a bit of the spice but this novella is a super quick read. 

31. The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard - I bought this book after reading that it was billed as a perfect read for those who enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold and How to Stop Time, both of which I read and enjoyed. I was disappointed with The Ghost Cat. Grimalkin is an old Victorian cat who was rescued by Eilidh, the charlady at 7/7 Marchmont Crescent in Edinburgh. Grimalkin didn't get to live all of his 9 lives, so he's offered the opportunity to return as a ghost and experience those 9 lives or go on to a sort of cat heaven. Grimalkin chooses to live his 9 lives but for most of them he's restricted to the flat at Marchmont Crescent. For 3 of his lives, he may explore. What I liked about The Ghost Cat was that it gives the reader glimpses into the history of a particular building and Edinburgh itself, with occasional historical footnotes. Unfortunately, the book is not cohesive. Each chapter is one cat life, with no real segue between them. There are also some strange anachronisms, like the cat dislikes a man so he deletes his stock purchases on a laptop. I did love the ending, which clearly ties the book to the author's life as a lover of historical buildings, cats, and the final resident in the flat. And, I loved Eilidh (ay-lee) and how her story was wrapped up. But, I repeatedly considered abandoning the book because it felt so jerky and incomplete. 

32. Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa - A reread for one of my book groups, Sweet Bean Paste is about Sentaro, who is stuck working at a Tokyo shop that sells dorayaki (pancakes with sweet bean paste) to pay off debt after being released from prison. The shop is not overly profitable, possibly because he uses pre-made sweet bean paste. Then, one day an elderly woman named Tokue asks for a job. She's been making sweet bean paste for 50 years and maybe she can help. The young schoolgirls who come to the shop love Tokue, her sweet bean paste is much better than the pre-made, and business improves until Tokue's secret is revealed. I don't want to give too much away but the story is moving and bittersweet. It's not entirely a "found family" story but it has the feel of one, in that the three main characters become close as they share their pasts and reveal their secrets. But, the author's note makes it clear the book is about everyone having value, regardless of how long they live or what one accomplishes. I gave it 4 stars the first time I read Sweet Bean Paste and then put my copy on the "good shelves" so I knew exactly where to find it for rereading. This time, I loved the story even more. I knew what was coming but it touched me even more deeply and there were even some tears. Highly recommended. 

33. McSweeney's #70, ed. by Boyle, Eggers, and Yeh - This volume of McSweeney's started out great. I loved the first story, mostly because of one particularly quirky thing that happens which feels like the kind of thing you normally see happen in real life that nobody would believe (highlight to see the details): a woman comes to the main character's apartment, asks to borrow a vacuum cleaner, and then is never heard from again. The second story, "The Serranos" is excellent. And, I loved the series of photos of lava and coral being sent back to Hawaii with apologies to Madame Pele, which I presume is also a fictional piece. The second half went downhill and I actually couldn't finish one of the stories as I had no idea what was going on. There were bits that were funny or interesting and yet . . . what the heck was it? So, in the end this turned out to be an issue I kind of hated, which I don't think the better stories deserved. 

34. A House in the Country by Jocelyn Playfair - My Persephone book choice of the month is a story about a widow who rents rooms to people who are displaced by WWII for various reasons and the characters who are living with her or visiting. Cressida Chance and her son John live on a large country estate in a beautiful Georgian house with gardens, a stable, and a forest nearby. She is generous by nature, a terrific cook, very casual and kind so guests are treated to delicious meals in the kitchen and there are usually beautiful arrangements of flowers around the house. Some of the guests are men who report for duty nearby, one is apparently an Eastern European who escaped the Nazis and had a horrific experience, and at least one has a baby and a husband serving in Africa. This book starts off slowly then picks up around the time Cressida's Aunt Jessie shows up with only a day's warning. There are intermittent reminders of the war — the bombing of a village, people having to slow down their horses to get by the tanks, and the fall of Tobruk, for example, as well as a parallel story about the real owner of the house who is the only survivor of a ship that sank in flames. The title is misleading as it sounds placid but war is all around, even out in the country. It's not surprising that this book is so authentic as it was written in 1943, a year after Tobruk. While I felt like it was a bit too philosophical (lots of long conversations that I found a bit dreary), it is absolutely amazing for the way the author sets the stage and gives you an understanding of how deeply WWII's presence was felt in England. 

35. McSweeney's #77, ed. by Eggers and Yeh - A new favorite issue, shorter than usual but with above average stories. Favorites were "Hell is a Thousand Eyeballs" by Icarus Koh and "Cote de Nuits" by James Kaelan. I also enjoyed the (very creepy) surrealist art, inside and out. The cover is probably one of my all-time favorites. It reflects the quirky interior well. 

36. Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis - Marey Boylen, aka "Mare" and her two granddaughters are driving from California to Alabama for a family reunion. The girls, both teens, don't really want to go. But, as Mare is driving, she tells the story of her time in the 6888th Postal Battalion of the Women's Army Corps for African American women soldiers during WWII. In the 1940s, at 17, Mare's home life is difficult. Her father is dead, her mother is an alcoholic and has a dangerous boyfriend. When her mom's boyfriend attacks her little sister Josephine (who goes by "Feen"), Mare is determined to protect her. Then, when Feen is sent to live with an aunt, Mare decides she has to protect herself. She lies about her age and joins the army, where she learns new skills and makes friends while dealing with challenges like bombs falling nearby and stormy ship rides, cold temperatures and lots of Spam. While I was reading this YA —which is fiction but we all know African Americans were involved in the war effort and then kept from collecting on the promised GI Bill benefits -- the current US Administration was erasing files containing the history of women, blacks, and other minorities. I didn't hear about the erasure of history till I was well into the book but it certainly felt like amazing timing. I really enjoyed this book because so much happens and I like reading different perspectives of WWII. My only problem with it was the use of vernacular, which was entirely necessary because Mare was telling her own story. It just slowed me down a bit. 

37. Deenie by Judy Blume - Deenie is 13, beautiful, and a bit judgmental. Her classmate with excema probably has something worse than she says. Allergies? Pah. The old lady with the hunchback is just gross. And, she can't imagine being singled out to ride on the special bus like the girl who was in an automobile accident. Deenie's mother wants her to be a model. She's the pretty one and her sister Helen is the smart child. So, when Deenie's gym teacher notices something strange about her posture and it turns out she will have to wear a back brace for years, she's bereft. But, now that she's got a deformity of her own, she sees others in a different light. Simple writing but a good story with a great theme about accepting others' flaws. I was most interested in the way the two sisters were labeled (because my parents did the same) and how their relationship changed a bit when Deenie was upset; plus the 7th-grade boy crush took me back to my youth. But I did appreciate the way Deenie came to her senses and realized that people are just people. 

38. My Jasper June by Laurel Snyder - It's summer break and for once, Leah isn't going to camp. Instead, she's stuck at home alone while her parents work. At first, she doesn't know what to do with herself. She wouldn't be in this boat if she hadn't made the biggest mistake of her life. But, nothing has been the same since. Then, she meets Jasper at the local farm. Jasper is a ray of sunshine and Leah wants her to be her friend. But, Jasper has a secret and she's a little evasive about her life. When Leah finds out Jasper's secret and reveals her own pain, a bond is forged. But, Jasper's life is complicated and Leah is unsure what to do to help her new friend. Recommended by Carrie of Care's Books and Pie. Thanks! I loved this story, the way the author interwove two real-life stories from her own experience. And, the ending was surprising and perfect. I read this moving middle grade book as an e-book via Hoopla. It made my eyes leak. 

39. The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 11 by Kousuke Oono - The 11th in this manga series is every bit as entertaining as the earlier volumes with Tatsu and his wife visiting a theme park and running into friends, with whom Tatsu obviously has to compete while the women look on boggle-eyed. In other stories, kitty Gin gets a bath because it's humid and the cat smells musty, Masa gets a new apartment with surprising extras, and the prospect of a fancy steak meal helps Tatsu and his wife get through a difficult day. Loads of fun. I gave it 4 stars but I think I'll go back and switch that to 5/5 because there was nothing at all I disliked (except perhaps the overuse of the word "product"). 

40. Lake Life by David James Poissant - The story of a dysfunctional family coming to terms with their heartbreak and flaws but trying to overcome them with love. The characters are mostly unlikeable, flawed people. But, skillful writing made the more uncomfortable scenes tolerable (for the most part — there was one part I skimmed due to the ick) and the story is compelling. I have a feeling the Starling family will stick with me for a long time. Trigger warning for child death. 

Not a great month, quantity-wise, but certainly an interesting one. Favorites of the month were A House in the Country, The Lost Library, My Jasper June, Sweet Bean Paste, Lake Life, and Mare's War. 

Sweet Bean Paste was my only reread and it's going right back onto the good shelves. My Jasper June was recommended by Carrie of Care's Books and Pie for the #ICT2025 reading challenge (ICT is Wichita; I enjoyed the 2024 challenge, although I didn't succeed at finishing every item but so far so good in 2025). And, while Lake Life was an uncomfortable read, the writing was exceptional and I loved the ending. I read David James Poissant's short stories (some of which are now being made into a film), The Heaven of Animals (link leads to my review), many years ago as an ARC and was mightily impressed so I'm looking forward to future releases by Poissant. 

Challenge-wise, I read only 4 off my targeted stacks and my Persephone book of the month. We recently shifted some books out of the bedroom (um . . . cookbooks; they were cookbooks that had overflowed the kitchen shelves) so I did some major book moving and decided something to the effect of screw this about the dresser piles. I don't like reading from specific piles. I will still attempt to read first from the piles on the dresser and the ones I moved to take the place of the cookbooks that I shifted back into the kitchen area, where we added some new shelves. But, if I don't see anything that calls to me, that's fine. I'll look elsewhere. I let books call to me in 2024 and holes opened up on shelves, books were moved from the floor; it was positive. So, I'm returning to that method and kinda sorta halfway abandoning the stacks-on-the-dresser self-challenge. My personal challenges to read a Persephone book each month and a few titles I've meant to read for ages are ongoing. 

In other news, I'm still enjoying volunteering at my local library's monthly book sales but I skipped working in March. However, our sales are always held at the beginning of the month and I'm scheduled to work, this weekend. Yippee! I've also been taking an online art summit, painting and doing occasional collage, and had a bit of fun at the Pop Shelf Going Out of Business sale. Favorite purchases were the matching melamine platters, plates, and tiny bowls (meant for sauce but we use them to hold any small serving, like nuts or dates) for use on the patio. Biting and stinging things are out, now, but we're supposed to have a brief cool front coming soon so we may sneak in a few more outdoor days before we're stuck inside for the summer. And, our health-challenged old lady kitties (now 14 and 15 years old) are still hanging in there. 

Happy Reading to All!

©2025 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.