What are you reading in 2025?

[littlebittybobby]

I will throw him a bone: the murdered wife’s name is Ellie Torgeson Harris

okay---so sad about your friend Ellie. That said, she must've been very naive. Yup. Too bad.

[littlebittybobby]

okay---i'm gonna hafta delay research on the case until later. See---i needta make a run to Rader, Zurra, ta look at some junk cars. Yup. BTW---there's a church cemmeterry there that has nearly 100 Raders buried there. Rader, as in "BTK". Little known fact: more than 15 years before BTK was apprehended, another Rader---Greg--who was a solid citizen who worked at Droopy Drawers U, was caught stalking and then attacking LeeAnn, the local newscaster. Greg took three bullets, which ended his nasty habit at the 'partments near the bike shop. (see photo).

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[KayLR]

Currently reading "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng. I've never seen the movie or series. Good read so far.

[Tradd]

Just finished Adam Higginbotham’s book on the Challenger disaster. Great week. Read it in a weekend. Now on his Chernobyl book.

[rosarugosa]

My July reading list:

• Migrations by Charlotte Mcconaghy - I really liked this moving story set in a somewhat dystopian future. The world is much the same as our current world, but lots of species are extinct or going extinct, e.g. no more wild populations of many animals, seagulls by the water are a rare sighting, no backyard birds. Sadly, it was all too easy to imagine! The characters and the storyline were decent, but it was this vision of the future that got to me the most.
• The Women by Kristin Hannah - this book generated a lot of discussion online, with people passionately loving it or hating it. I was surprised to find that I liked it OK, with no passion for or against. I think there is a place for historical fiction that piques our interest in something, even if it isn't some definitive masterwork. It was a novel with romance elements and lots of action and adventure, focusing on military RNs who served in the Vietnam War. Sometimes a book like this will send the reader off for a deeper dive on the subject, and other times, it may just generate some awareness that wasn't there previously. I'll probably fall into the latter category, although I did do a bit of Googling afterwards.
• After Annie by Anna Quindlen - I usually like this author, but I wasn't crazy about this one. It's about a youngish wife and mother of three, who drops dead of an aneurysm on page one (so I'm not spoiling any surprises). It was a bit depressing.
• Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent - I seem to like characters that are "on the spectrum," so I really liked the character of Sally. I thought this was an engaging novel, although some elements were a bit far-fetched, and some of the plot devices have been a bit overused in recent years, in my opinion.
• The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose - speaking of characters on the spectrum, Molly the maid makes a return appearance in this sequel to The Maid, which I had really enjoyed. Like The Maid, I found the mystery plot a bit weak, but I really enjoyed the characters. Apparently this is a series now, with two other maid mysteries published. I probably won't read any of the others, since I have so many books on my list, and series often get to feeling like I'm reading the same book over and over.

[catherine]

Thanks for the recommendations, rosa! A couple of them do pique my interest--Migrations, and After Annie in particular. I also like Anna Quindlen a lot, but frankly never read her fiction, so I might try this one.

I started reading The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. The only reason I didn't finish it is because I was tired and fell asleep--but the book is more fable than novel. 74 pages broken up with illustrations and white space. The book, about a simple man who tends sheets and plants oaks, makes me feel peaceful. I'll finish it tonight.

For research on my next book project chapter, I'm reading The Ecology of Wisdom --a collection of writings by Arne Naess.

[rosarugosa]

Catherine: I think you probably would like Migrations. I have another by her on my list: Once There Were Wolves.

[pinkytoe]

I am enjoying a non-fiction book - Slow Medicine. The author describes her medical education back in the 60s-70s and how it has changed into Fast Medicine. Doctors used to "examine the patient" and were taught the cues that explained the body's health status. It has been my experience with doctor visits lately that they never even touch anymore. Just tests and drugs. Anyway, it is an interesting book to me.

[KayLR]

Just finished "The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart," by Holly Ringland and just started "Broken Country," by Clare Leslie Hall.

I suppose it's there for dramatic storyline, but I hate it when strong female characters make stupid decisions about men and sex. Or maybe I'm just a dried up old lady.

[iris lilies]

Just finished "The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart," by Holly Ringland and just started "Broken Country," by Clare Leslie Hall.

I suppose it's there for dramatic storyline, but I hate it when strong female characters make stupid decisions about men and sex. Or maybe I'm just a dried up old lady.

No, women need to stop being stupid.

Just watch the weekly. “ Catfished” videos on Youtube. Old ladies my age, 75% of them, believing young handsome men with $$$ are after them and they send their life saving to the scammers. The Woman last week sent over $200,000. The one this week was $17,000 out.