December 2025. What are you reading?

[Anonymous]

“On the Calculation of Volume II” ended with a satisfying twist/cliffhanger and now I’m waiting for III to become available. I’m moving onto “Audition.”

[Anonymous]

Reading The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. It's very funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished Philippa Gregory's Boleyn Traitor, about Jane Parker Boleyn who served 5 queens and died along with Katherine Howard. It was well done.
I like Tudor era novels and am going to start Jo Harkin' The Pretender, about Lambert Simnel.

I read The Pretender earlier this year and will be interested in your thoughts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just finished North Woods based on recommendations here and really liked it. It did take me a while to get into. The initial vignettes did not grip me, but glad I stuck it out and loved the ending.

I started North Woods a few days ago after hearing people rave about it on here and I am struggling a bit to understand the hype. It’s different, for sure, but it’s not really gripping me yet. I’m about 100 pages in, should I give up if I don’t love it yet?

I am taking a break to go back to the Wedding People (which I had put down because suicide is close to home for me) and I’m so glad I pushed past the beginning. I am really loving it now

For me the book picked up after the story with the seance. I think it was at or around 150 pages?

I also loved the Wedding People!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“On the Calculation of Volume II” ended with a satisfying twist/cliffhanger and now I’m waiting for III to become available. I’m moving onto “Audition.”

Well, “Audition” was a quick read. I’m curious if anyone else has read it? I’m possibly a bit disappointed but perhaps I read it too quickly. It reminded me of “Trust Exercise” (tightly written, meta lit fic, which turns the narrative on its head mid-book, unreliable narration, etc) but I found “Trust Exercise” more affecting. I think I get what the author was doing but it feels more like, “yeah, that was kind of neat,” instead of a 2025 MUST READ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am about 1/3 into James. I think my expectations may have been too high--or perhaps I am so familiar with Huckleberry Finn that it's making the story feel like a bit of a retread. The audiobook is very well done--and I realize I haven't really gotten to the "meat" of the (original) story yet--so will continue along...

It is a very good book. But it is not a great book. And I think it has been sold as such.

Well, I finished James, and I was sort of shocked at how... not good it was, or certainly the last third.

My first impression was wrong... After the slow but decent beginning, it diverged from Huck Finn quite a bit. The middle third was the strongest, a different more sinister look at the Duke & King and I liked the episodic stories of the minstrel band, Jim's travels with Norman, etc. which both had the Odyssey-like feel of the original while being novel.

The final third -- POTENTIAL SPOILERS -- was just head-scratching. I found the "revelation" completely implausible and it had the effect of gutting any power or tension in Jim and Huck's relationship. Then the finale basically devolved into "good guy with a gun"--which perhaps would have been at least superficially enjoyable--but it wrapped up so abruptly that it felt like a rough draft.

So I don't get it. Enjoyed Erasure, and not sure why this one got all the hype.

I liked James and thought your first take on it was a little impatient, but I appreciate your coming back to say that you found it improved as you read more. I agree that the middle section is strongest and that the ending feels a bit tacked on. Still, telling the story from the perspective of an enslaved man is audacious and deserving of the attention the book has gotten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

Listening on audio (Audible), and so far I really like it. The MC has an interesting “voice”, and the audio reader is good, too.

Fingers crossed it keeps my attention. I’ve been in a slump lately when it comes to finding books that grab me - lots of DNF last month.

I think this is a love it or hate it book. I hated it but know I was in the minority. I did not finish.

I think there are certain readers who won't like Andy Weir. They are the ones who need to read and understand every bit of a book, but don't have a hard science background. Me, I have middling scientific literacy, but a lot of the technical details are over my head. I'm happy to skim those bits. His storytelling is worth it. Actually looking forward to the movie!

I loved the Martian but could not get into PHM. The technical stuff didn’t bog me down - I just couldn’t get into the story tho I tried twice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Everlasting by Alix Harrow and wow, it's my favorite book of the year. It felt so epic in scope and scale. Really loved it.

I picked this up from the Lucky Day shelf based on this post and it was really fantastic. Unexpected how much I liked it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“On the Calculation of Volume II” ended with a satisfying twist/cliffhanger and now I’m waiting for III to become available. I’m moving onto “Audition.”

Well, “Audition” was a quick read. I’m curious if anyone else has read it? I’m possibly a bit disappointed but perhaps I read it too quickly. It reminded me of “Trust Exercise” (tightly written, meta lit fic, which turns the narrative on its head mid-book, unreliable narration, etc) but I found “Trust Exercise” more affecting. I think I get what the author was doing but it feels more like, “yeah, that was kind of neat,” instead of a 2025 MUST READ.

It's on my list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Everlasting by Alix Harrow and wow, it's my favorite book of the year. It felt so epic in scope and scale. Really loved it.

I picked this up from the Lucky Day shelf based on this post and it was really fantastic. Unexpected how much I liked it.

I just finished 10000 Doors of January, also by Harrow. It was charming. Harrow is a surprisingly good writer stylistically - which is not always the case for sci-fi/fantasy authors (not really a dig, I happily read all the genre, from lowbrow to highbrow)! Ultimately, it was a little twee and pat for me - but still enjoyed it. If anyone has another “must read” rec from her works, I definitely be interested for 2026!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“On the Calculation of Volume II” ended with a satisfying twist/cliffhanger and now I’m waiting for III to become available. I’m moving onto “Audition.”

I did not like Audition. I'm glad it was short or I would not have finished it.

[Anonymous]

Earlier this year, I’d asked for “comfort reads with plots” and somebody had recommended Sarah Caudwell mysteries.

Heartfelt thanks to that poster. Just finished the Sirens Sang of Murder of the Hilary Tamar series. These books have brought so much reading pleasure! Extremely silly characters, very British humor, convoluted mysteries, and a bunch of lawyer protagonists (very DC coded!)…

[Anonymous]

I'm in a lazy re-reading phase: The Hot Zone, Freeman, Andersonville.

[Anonymous]

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid - I liked 7 husband's better, but this was still good. Won't buy, but was worth a read.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell - really liked it, bought it after reading, and have the sequel on hand to read next.

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb - enjoying this, am about 1/3 into it. Its an interesting and thought provoking read.

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali - was a decent read but didn't love it.

The Wall by Marlen Haushofer - really ended up liking this one, will buy and read again.

[Anonymous]

I mush the only one who thought Atmosphere was meh. So predictable.