What are you reading in 2025?

[hana]

Just finished the Journey of a Thousand Li by Tao Wong series. Long Wu Ying's journey started as a farm kid who was conscripted by the Imperial Army, while recovering from an injury he is recruited by the Verdant Waters Sect to the life of a cultivator. Now as he journeys on the path of immortality while trying to navigate Sect politics, international politics, and internal struggles when all he wants to do is quietly wander the world with his found family. It's a complete 12 book series, a must read for martial arts and old school kung fu movies.

[Tradd]

Just started this new book last night and stayed up very late reading. About halfway through.

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11.

Very highly recommended.

[Tybee]

Will check that one out, Tradd.
Am reading a book of Ann Beattie short stories and Willa Cather's The Professor's House.

[flowerseverywhere]

Reading “secrets of secrets” by Dan Brown. On page 121 of over 600. So far I don’t think it is up to par with DaVinci code, but I have barely scratched the surface. It involves a lot new age thinking which makes it more entertaining.

[Tradd]

Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America. Just came out earlier this year. It was referenced in an Ezra Klein podcast within the past week or two, titled "Blue Scare."

[catherine]

Reading Against the Machine: The Unmaking of Humanity by Paul Kingsnorth. It's in the vein of the philosophies and cautionary tales of Neil Postman and Lewis Mumford, with Wendell Berry thrown in. I sometimes get bored with books that are preaching to the choir (me) because I don't need convincing that we're on a runaway train with technology and we've lost our souls by abandoning nature.

But I'm finding it comforting to read this book and validate my quest for the simple life, particularly in these times when the news is full of stories like 90000 square foot gilded ballrooms being built and mountains being hollowed out to give birth to artificial intelligence progeny that will change our lives immeasurably, and the isolation driven by shallow virtual relationships. .

The book goes back into history about how the West came to where we are, and it challenges key assumptions about the wisdom of the structures that underpin the culture and our humanity.

[pinkytoe]

As someone who has always had a buttterfly brain, I am getting some insight from a book called Taming the Molecule of More. All about dopamine and how it influences where we put our attention. We all get a little hit every time we click on "new" content on our phones/social media. Has me thinking I will take a complete news break like the author tried instead of clicking on every update about national news. It will be hard since I've always been an information junkie but there are certainly better ways to spend one's time.

[rosarugosa]

These were my books for September:

• The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig - this was a decent novel about a young boy growing up in the sixties. There was a lot to like about it in the way of the characters and relationships, but it was so slow moving that I found it to be a bit of a slog. I kept waiting for it to pick up the pace, but it never did. I might be willing to try another by this author though. Important Note: the bartender drove and old Packard.
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - this was an entertaining read, pure fluff, but pretty fast and engaging. It's about a fictional famous actress and her life and loves. A lot of folks are crazy about this author, but I probably wouldn't read another by her.
• Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak - pretty decent horror novel, with a very likable female protagonist (young woman in recovery from drug addiction). Super fast read.
• Harry's Trees* by Jon Cohen - I loved this one! It was a very sweet story about a grieving widower and his efforts to assuage his guilt and build a new life, with fairytale-like elements.

*Kay, I think you would like this one if you haven't read it already.

[KayLR]

Funny, Rosa. I answered this post The other day but it's disappeared. Thanks for the recommendation. I just ordered it thru my Libby account!

[rosarugosa]

Funny, Rosa. I answered this post The other day but it's disappeared. Thanks for the recommendation. I just ordered it thru my Libby account!

My post had disappeared too, because I posted it during the window of time that the site was having technical issues. Luckily, I had saved a copy of the post for a friend who has said that she values my book recommendations, so I was able to re-post without much effort.