What are you reading in 2025?

[rosarugosa]

I read some really good books in May!

• The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger - somewhat of a murder mystery, with his usual rich sense of place and strong characters. It was good, but I did not love it as much as the other two I've read my him.
• The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer (NF) - this was a sweet little book by the author of Braiding Sweetgrass (which I haven't read, but I know that many of you have). The author uses the serviceberry tree as an example of nature's gift economy and reciprocity. She talks about how indigenous people similarly shared resources among themselves, and how our world would be a better place if we adopted some of these perspectives and practices.
• The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri - a poignant novel about a Syrian refugee couple. With so much current focus on refugees and immigrants, I think books like this and American Dirt really have enhanced my ability to empathize and have compassion for people in these horrible circumstances. I don't promote "open borders," but I do promote some degree of care and compassion for our fellow humans, and these books help me to put myself in their shoes.
• Falling by T.J. Newman - a suspenseful novel of a hijacking with a pilot facing an impossible choice.
• The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer - really good historical novel about WW2 Germany from the perspective of a German family, intertwined with an American family's struggle through the dustbowl/great depression years. I thought it gave good food for thought in terms of "what would I have done in their circumstances?"
• Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres (NF) - I would say this is a must read for fans of The Glass Castle or Running with Scissors. It's a memoir by a girl raised by abusive religious zealots, and her relationship with her adopted black brother.

[iris lilies]

I have the Beekeeper book in digital form because I briefly joined the book club at my condo, and that title was the selection for the month. But I didn’t read it. It sounds pretty good though.

Jesus Land sounds good.

[catherine]

I just started Rot by Padraic Scanlon about the Irish potato famine and how British colonialism doomed millions of Irish to starvation and diaspora.

[iris lilies]

I just started Rot by Padraic Scanlon about the Irish potato famine and how British colonialism doomed millions of Irish to starvation and diaspora.

There is a new film out about “the clearings” in Scotland you and your husband might like. Too bad I cannot remember the name of it.

[littlebittybobby]

okay---usps just dropped off a VERY rare 58 Packard light switch(always good to have a spare), and the autographed Gary Lavergne book about the dreadful day in Dallas when an illegal alien with a background of violence shot half-dozen people in downtown Dallas that were just trying to have an evening of socializing, until this jerk came along. One major point of the book is Texas could NOT give him "the chair", due to a flaw in the criminal statute. Well, he was fouind guilty, and rotted in PRISON for the rest of his life, considered a fate "worse than death", which is the title of the book. But yeah---not only is it autographed, but it's in extremely good condition, and i'll keep 'er in the packaging it was shipped in, and wash my hands of grimy filth, before i read. Yup.

[frugal-one]

I read some really good books in May!

• The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger - somewhat of a murder mystery, with his usual rich sense of place and strong characters. It was good, but I did not love it as much as the other two I've read my him.
• The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer (NF) - this was a sweet little book by the author of Braiding Sweetgrass (which I haven't read, but I know that many of you have). The author uses the serviceberry tree as an example of nature's gift economy and reciprocity. She talks about how indigenous people similarly shared resources among themselves, and how our world would be a better place if we adopted some of these perspectives and practices.
• The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri - a poignant novel about a Syrian refugee couple. With so much current focus on refugees and immigrants, I think books like this and American Dirt really have enhanced my ability to empathize and have compassion for people in these horrible circumstances. I don't promote "open borders," but I do promote some degree of care and compassion for our fellow humans, and these books help me to put myself in their shoes.
• Falling by T.J. Newman - a suspenseful novel of a hijacking with a pilot facing an impossible choice.
• The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer - really good historical novel about WW2 Germany from the perspective of a German family, intertwined with an American family's struggle through the dustbowl/great depression years. I thought it gave good food for thought in terms of "what would I have done in their circumstances?"
• Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres (NF) - I would say this is a must read for fans of The Glass Castle or Running with Scissors. It's a memoir by a girl raised by abusive religious zealots, and her relationship with her adopted black brother.

Appreciate your synopsis and rating of books you’ve read!

[rosarugosa]

Thanks, Frugal-one. I'm glad you find it worthwhile.

I hope you enjoy your new autographed book, Bobby!

[hana]

Been reading the Florence Fairweather series By Russel Cooper about a all female spy ring that answered directly to Churchill. It's a fun series that plays with the wartime tropes. In book one a German spy gets plastic surgery to look like the engineer who designed the Spitfire to steal it's plans. Book two involves rescuing a gunner from a POW camp, and in book three Florence and crew investigate when a British spy in the High Command goes dark. Fun characters, especially Alice, an older woman who is officially Housekeeper to the Head of Military Intelligence, and a master spy who recruited Florence to the world of spycraft. She may look like a Vicar's wife, but she can take down an army with just a potato peeler.

There's a sequel of sorts called the Friday Street Murder Club featuring the identical twin grandsons of one of the spies. The grandsons who are retired from MI6 are trying to live a quiet life of beekeeping and crosswords on the family farm when they're called to solve a cold case by their friend's daughter.

[rosarugosa]

That does sound like a fun series, Hana!

[littlebittybobby]

okay--got started on the first part of "Worse Than Death". Well, the nightclub/Bar in Dallas, Texcess, where the 1984 mass-shooting by a criminal illegal alien took place was closed fri-sat-sunday after, so the police could investigate and the owners clean up the bloody mess, but opened up on Monday, so that regular patrons could commiserate about the tragedy. The building still stands, but apparently is used to house an "Urgent Care" clinic.(see photo) An appropriate use for an already stigmatized property(see photo). But yeah---I'm not sKimming through this one; I'm studying it like a textbook, so I don't miss anya the details. See? Like--two of the victims were sent to Parkland Hospital, irony of ironies, the same one where JFK and Oswald AND Jack Ruby died. Yup.

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