December 2025. What are you reading?

[Anonymous]

I just finished “An Echo in the Bone” (7th in the Outlander series)…another good installment, though the battle scenes weren’t my favorite. I was thinking I’d need a break before starting the 8th book, but the last 50 pages may have changed my mind!

I’m also wrapping up 4,000 Weeks (Time Management for Mortals), which I liked more than I expected to. It pairs well with “Essentialism,” which I will need to revisit.

I read Kevin Kwan’s “Lies and Weddings” over the long weekend…enjoyable, but a bit predictable. Still a fun ride.

I started “Dark Renaissance” (NF about Christopher Marlowe) today…debating committing to it or starting “Coming Up Short” (Robert Reich).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished “An Echo in the Bone” (7th in the Outlander series)…another good installment, though the battle scenes weren’t my favorite. I was thinking I’d need a break before starting the 8th book, but the last 50 pages may have changed my mind!

I’m also wrapping up 4,000 Weeks (Time Management for Mortals), which I liked more than I expected to. It pairs well with “Essentialism,” which I will need to revisit.

I read Kevin Kwan’s “Lies and Weddings” over the long weekend…enjoyable, but a bit predictable. Still a fun ride.

I started “Dark Renaissance” (NF about Christopher Marlowe) today…debating committing to it or starting “Coming Up Short” (Robert Reich).

I read the Outlander books in a marathon. I couldn't stop! But then we waited a decade for Bees to come out and I could get past the first 50 pages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Heartwood by Amity Gaige A thriller told from 3 different POV’s. It was very easy to transition between the different chapters.The MC is a nurse who decided to hike the AT after being a hospital nurse during COVID. I wish her character had been fleshed out more!

Leaves of Grass audio by Walt Whitman. 18 hours long and listened in the evenings. Very glad to have listened. He loves his country and I didn’t realize he had served as essentially a male nurse during the Civil War. Powerful.

Leaves of Grass is phenomenal. You will love the very last poem. It's amazing. He greatly admired Abraham Lincoln. I think there are mentions of him in Leaves of Grass but also maybe in other poems outside of it. I think When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed is one. And I remember one about watching his funeral train go by.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm trying to read Hamnet but not getting into it (only 20 pages in). Was supposed to be read for my book club this week and we'd go see the movie, but I can't make the movie night, so not as inspired.

I have the Everlasting by Alix Harrow and am excited to get into it.

The Correspondent unexpectedly arrived at the library from my holds.

Jan Karon has a new Mitford book out for Christmas and that also came in from holds.

I loved Hamnet. So fantastic.

I thought Hamnet was spectacular. That said, if I recall correctly, the very beginning (e.g. first 30-40 pages) were a bit confusing and less "readable" than the rest of the book. So it may be worth just digging in for bit more!

I also thought Hamnet was stunning.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

I recall really loving Hamnet when I read it but I also couldn’t tell you a single thing about it now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heartwood by Amity Gaige A thriller told from 3 different POV’s. It was very easy to transition between the different chapters.The MC is a nurse who decided to hike the AT after being a hospital nurse during COVID. I wish her character had been fleshed out more!

Leaves of Grass audio by Walt Whitman. 18 hours long and listened in the evenings. Very glad to have listened. He loves his country and I didn’t realize he had served as essentially a male nurse during the Civil War. Powerful.

Leaves of Grass is phenomenal. You will love the very last poem. It's amazing. He greatly admired Abraham Lincoln. I think there are mentions of him in Leaves of Grass but also maybe in other poems outside of it. I think When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed is one. And I remember one about watching his funeral train go by.

Yes, so beautiful and moving! I am now inspired to visit Lincoln’s final resting place in Springfield, IL. Incredible how inspirational Walt Whitman’s writing is.

[Anonymous]

Just read Small Things Like These - it's short and fantastic. Now on to The Correspondent

[Anonymous]

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.

This is the book I always recommend to people who say they don’t read much but would like to. I loved it.

[Anonymous]

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.

This is the book I always recommend to people who say they don’t read much but would like to. I loved it.

Me again. I wanted to add that this is one of the few books with an absolutely perfect ending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just read Small Things Like These - it's short and fantastic. Now on to The Correspondent

The Claire Keegan novella?
I really enjoy her work so much, despite the enormous (historical / research) flaws.

[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.

This is the book I always recommend to people who say they don’t read much but would like to. I loved it.

Me again. I wanted to add that this is one of the few books with an absolutely perfect ending.

same. I hope they don't screw up the movie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have the following books stacked on my bedside table:

The Bookclub for Troublesome Women (for bookclub)
Stone Yard Devotional
Fourth Wing
The Dutch House
The Bee Sting
The Luminaries
Martyr!

and yet I am reading fanfic instead. :-/

This was a DNF for me. I was very bored. Which was kind of upsetting, because I have loved her other books so much. Maybe I’ll try it again?

[Anonymous]

Just finished Malibu Rising by TJR. I liked it for the most part but all of her books make me feel a little down and I’m not sure they are supposed to? Idk I tend to like books with a strong mother character so I feel like I should have liked it more.

I also read a couple Elin Hilderbrand books, including the Identicals which I liked.

I need to branch out. TJR and Elin’s books end up all feeling kind of the same to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the following books stacked on my bedside table:

The Bookclub for Troublesome Women (for bookclub)
Stone Yard Devotional
Fourth Wing
The Dutch House
The Bee Sting
The Luminaries
Martyr!

and yet I am reading fanfic instead. :-/

This was a DNF for me. I was very bored. Which was kind of upsetting, because I have loved her other books so much. Maybe I’ll try it again?

I finished it because it was a book group read, but it was disappointing. It felt "assembled" in contrast to my favorite Patchett book, i]Commonwealth[/i], another story about siblings who are effectively abandoned by their parents. I probably read Commonwealth about 10 years ago and I still find myself wondering how those characters are doing.