Review: Dolly All The Time (by Annabel Monaghan)

My Rating: 5 stars

I’m usually not much of a romance reader, not because of anything wrong with the genre, but mostly because of my own misplaced biases when it comes to real-life romantic relationships.  For the most part, my general attitude toward romantic love is a cynical one (probably attributable to the fact that I’ve seen and/or experienced my fair share of bad relationships in real life), to the point that, over the years, I’ve pretty much internalized the romance trope of “happily ever after” as a fictional illusion that only occurs in fairy tales.  Okay, to put it more bluntly – since I’ve never bought into the idea of “happily ever after,” it makes sense that given this concept’s prevalence in romance novels as well as my lack of belief in its existence (in reality that is), I’m generally not interested in reading about it over and over again in romance novels.  That being said, this doesn’t mean that I don’t read romances at all, rather it means that I am incredibly picky with the romances I do choose to read.  While there isn’t any specific “criteria” per se in terms of what types of romances I prefer to read or not to read, I do tend to be drawn to those that have more or less the following elements: 1) a strong female protagonist with a growth arc that allows her character to evolve and grow (basically the opposite of the stereotypical “damsel in distress” trope), 2) witty banter (the fun and non-offensive kind), whether between the main couple or the other characters in the story, 3) a believable main couple that I can root for (if they have sizzling chemistry, all the better, lol), 4) humor, whether ironic or sardonic, as long as it’s not hurtful or mean, 5) delightful, funny, and/or endearing supporting characters (which sometimes can make or break a story even more than the main couple), and 6) emotional depth that has the ability to make me both laugh and cry. [Sidenote: If you’re thinking at this point that it sounds like I’m describing a Jane Austen novel, you would be absolutely right, since Austen is one of my favorite authors].

Annabel Monaghan’s newest work, Dolly All the Time, is exactly one of those romances that encompasses all 6 of the above elements, and then some!  The main protagonist, Dolly, is capable, competent, dependable, hardworking, yet at the same time also has a fun personality – I was drawn to her from the start.  But more than anything, I connected with Dolly on a deeper level because of her role as a caretaker – a reliable “fixer” who finds it “easier to take care of things than to ask for help,” resulting in her putting everyone else’s needs in front of her own. I’ve been the main breadwinner and caretaker of my family since I was 18 years old (I’m in my forties now) and, like Dolly, my “whole identity [was] tied up in doing everything for everyone.” I’ve never known how to not be responsible, to not fix things, to not try to help come up with a solution to a problem. At one point in the book, Dolly notes the following: “One thing about caretakers is they are never carefree.  Without our cares, we’d just be takers like everyone else.” This is probably my favorite quote from the book because it so succinctly encapsulates the essence of who Dolly is as person, but at the same time, it also captures perfectly what those of us who are lifelong caretakers instinctively understand:  that we will always have a fear of asking for things for ourselves not because it goes against our selfless natures, but rather, because we can’t afford to be selfish, especially when everyone is relying on us to keep all the plates constantly spinning. And it is precisely because of this that I cried tears of joy when Dolly, in falling in love with Stewart, finds it in herself to let go and loosen up, even if only for a little while: “My favorite thing about myself…is that I don’t need help.  I make do.  I’m someone who can make something out of nothing.  This summer I loosened up on that a little, sort of pretending I was a different kind of person.  I wasn’t gripping my righteousness so tightly…I actually felt like myself, just not so tired.  Not thinking of every single other person before myself.  I’d like to figure out how to be her all the time.”

With the character of Dolly, Monaghan created a character so relatable that I honestly never want to stop reading about her.  I feel like I have so much to learn from Dolly — through her, I see what’s possible, the light at the end of the tunnel.  I honestly haven’t felt so inspired by a book in a long time and yes, I want to hold onto that feeling for a while longer (which is one reason why aim taking my precious time writing this review).  I love this book so much that, as soon as I finished it, I went and added all of Annabel Monaghan’s books to my TBR (and hope to incorporate as many of them as I can in between my other reads, especially during times when I’m craving a lighthearted pick-me-up).  

Given how much I loved this book, it’s probably quite obvious that I would highly recommend it, but more so, I would actually recommend listening to the audio version narrated by the inimitable Julia Whelan (one of my favorite audiobook narrators).  Her performance of this book truly elevated it to the highest levels — for me, it definitely made the difference between a 4-4.5 star read to a solid 5 stars! 

Review: The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli (by Karina Yan Glaser)

My Rating: 5 stars

Wow!  This beautifully written middle grade novel absolutely blew me away!  I honestly can’t remember the last time I was so enamored with a book that I couldn’t bring myself to put it down, so I ended up finishing it pretty much in one sitting.

I first came across this book in an issue of Kirkus Reviews (I subscribe to Kirkus and read each issue cover-to-cover – yes, I know I’m weird) and was initially drawn in by the gorgeous cover.  Then, I saw the title – The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli -- and before even reading the blurb, I knew I had to put this on my TBR immediately – after all, it’s not often that I come across a book that has my childhood nickname (Luli) in it.  Once I read the summary (as well a as a few reviews) and found out that the story revolves around Chinese culture and history (which is also my heritage), I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to jump in.  Coincidentally, my library hold on the audiobook version came through just as I was debating which version to read, so I went with that one and I’m so glad I did, as the audiobook was absolutely superb!  The two narrators – Sura Siu for Luli’s storyline and Brian Nishii for Han Yu’s – were wonderful:  their narration was lively and animated, bringing not only the two main characters to life, but also the rest of the (relatively large) cast of characters through different voice performances.  Best of all though, both narrators’ pronunciations of Chinese words and phrases were perfect, which lent an authenticity to the audio version that, for me, definitely enhanced the listening experience (as a side note, this can be a deal breaker for me when it comes to audiobooks – I don’t have a problem with the narrator being outside the culture as long as they pronounce the cultural words and phrases correctly).  I ended up loving this book so much that immediately after I finished listening to the library version, I went and purchased my own audio and physical copies of the book so I could re-listen and/or re-read whenever I feel like it.

At first glance, the story appears to be told in two alternating timelines:  Han Yu’s story takes place in 731 China while Luli’s takes place in New York’s Chinatown in 1931.  Both protagonists set out on adventures to save their families, but the reasoning behind why they do so is markedly different.  Han Yu is one of four children who lives in the city of Chang’An (the capital of China during the Tang dynasty era) with his parents.  Alongside his dad, Han Yu works the steamed bun stall at the local market and though they don’t earn much, they live a contented life as a close-knit family.  Even though he doesn’t recognize it, Han Yu has a special ability when it comes to animals in that he can relate to them in a way that causes them to naturally flock to him.  But it’s not just tame village animals such as dogs, camels, and magpies – there are whispers throughout the village that Han Yu has the special protection of a tiger that had appeared at the time of his birth, though no one has actually seen it in real life.  When a horrible plague descends on Chang’An, Han Yu sets out on a perilous journey across China, traveling thousands of miles to Tian Shiu and Dunhuang in order to save his family.  Luli is a fifth grader living in New York’s Depression-era Chinatown with her parents, both of whom had worked hard all their lives in order to save enough money to put towards paying off the mortgage on their house.  But business at their restaurant has been slow and soon, the family finds themselves in dire financial straits.  With the help of her neighbors and the rest of the community, Luli is determined to do whatever she can to help her family save their home.

I didn’t realize this until close to the end of the book, but the story should actually be more accurately described as being told in two “parallel” timelines rather than “alternating” – reason being is that both Han Yu and Luli’s story arcs occur within the same “nine moon” cycle, just in different eras.  I felt this was such a clever way to structure the story, not to mention the insight it provides in terms of how the Tang dynasty moon cycles worked relevant to the modern-day Gregorian calendar.  But the two timelines were parallel in other ways too – the steamed buns, the animals, the art, the significance of the silk, found families, friendship, etc. – the list goes on and on.  As I was reading, I couldn’t help but marvel at the cleverness of the many connections between the two tremendously different storylines, both of which come together in the end in a way I wasn’t expecting, but I absolutely loved.

When it comes to dual timeline stories, I usually have a preference for one timeline over the other, but in this instance, I enjoyed both times quite equally.  Though with that said, Han Yu’s timeline did have a slight edge, mostly from a familiarity perspective due to my background studying Chinese history and culture.  Many years ago, I had actually gone on a tour of the Silk Road and one of the places I visited was Dunhuang (which is where Han Yu travels to in the story to find the healing grasses for his family) as well as the nearby Mogao Caves (the Thousand Buddha Caves in the book).  Reading about both of these places brought back so many memories of that trip, but more importantly, it made this part of the story more resonant for me, as I had experienced for myself the magnificence of those sites as well as the historical significance surrounding them (and yes, I also had the very interesting experience of riding a camel during that trip and I can truly say that I absolutely related to the scene in the book where Han Yu struggled to get on and off his camel, LOL).

There was honestly so much to love about this book that I feel like I could gush about it forever.  I especially love how well the historical and cultural elements were incorporated into the story, all of it blending together in a way that created a truly immersive experience (especially the audio version).  I also appreciated the emotional depth of the story, which was so well done in both timelines – just the right amount of emotional pull without going overboard – that I found myself both laughing and crying in equal measure.

Given how much I loved this book, I of course highly recommend it, though with the caveat that the audio book version is the best way to experience this one.  Fortunately, the audio version also has the Author’s Note in it, which is also a must-read in and of itself, as the author, Karina Yan Glaser, provides valuable insight into the structure of the book – such as why she chose to set the story in Chang’An (Han Yu’s timeline) and New York City (Luli’s timeline) specifically.  Also, since this is a historical novel, Glaser also discusses which aspects of the story are real versus fictional (i.e. Han Yu’s friend and traveling companion in the story is based on a real person – the famous Tang dynasty poet and politician Du Fu).  As is the case whenever I read historical fiction, I always make it a point to read the Author’s Note as closely as I read the book itself, as I love finding out the “behind-the-scenes” stuff and also learning about the inspiration behind various aspects of the story.

If you get a chance to pick up this delightful book, definitely do so, as it is a fantastic read that I would actually love to experience again in the future.

Review: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (by Jesse Q. Sutanto)

My Rating: 5 stars

I’ve been wanting to read one of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books for ages, so of course I was overjoyed when one of my book clubs picked the first book in her Vera Wong series for our monthly read.  After reading so many “heavy” books in recent weeks, this hilarious cozy mystery was the perfect palette cleanser.  I honestly don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard (and so much) – it’s definitely not an exaggeration to say that this was the (literally) “laugh out loud” funniest book I’ve read in ages!

As the elderly protagonist of the story, Vera Wong is a busybody who is meddlesome and nosy and yes, sometimes downright annoying in the way she likes to stick her nose in other people’s business, but she is also competent, efficient, endearing (in her own way of course) and always makes the most mouthwatering dishes (oh and let’s not forget her special skill of brewing the most perfect teas).  Growing up in a Chinese household, I was surrounded by my fair share of meddlesome aunties, so Vera’s antics in the story were both familiar and resonant.  I recognized Vera’s bluntness and her tendency to speak brazenly but matter-of-factly about things without taking other people’s feelings into account; the way she charges head and does what she wants when she wants, all rules be damned; her constant nagging and critiquing of not only her son but also all the young people in her orbit, though not in a grating way like the typical “tiger mom” but rather in a genuinely caring and protective “mama bear” way.  I love how Sutanto portrayed Vera in this realistic, yet nuanced way – on the one hand, Vera is a very traditional Chinese mother, yet on the other hand, she is also mindful of the younger generation’s mainstream cultural phenomena Tik Tok, Google, Buzzfeed, etc.  Indeed, I found the funniest scenes in the story to be those where the younger folks are shocked by Vera’s knack for discerning things that they didn’t think she would understand.  I also laughed so hard at the scenes where the young people in the story are simultaneously flustered and a tiny bit scared of Vera, yet they are also in awe of her and can’t help gravitating toward her, despite the obvious differences in the ways they see the world.  On the surface, the friendship between this elderly Chinese grandma and the young twenty/thirty something characters shouldn’t really work (because of the generation gap and all), but in this story, it not only works, it’s also beautifully rendered.

For me, being familiar with the culture also made this an especially engaging reading experience, as I was able to pick up on things that others might not have – such as the difference between the spelling of Vera’s last name (“Wong” versus “Wang”), for example.  I love being able to recognize these types of little details in stories – like finding Easter eggs – which in my opinion, makes the experience much more fun.

This was a delightful, heartwarming, and absolutely hilarious read – one that I absolutely recommend without question.  I’m looking forward to reading the second Vera Wong book (which I have on my shelf) as well as the Aunties series, which I heard is also excellent.  Sutanto is one of those authors who writes in a variety of genres – from cozy mysteries to thrillers to literary and contemporary fiction, as well as young adult and middle grade books.  I admire authors who are able to write across genres like that, so I’m definitely interested in checking out a few of those books as well.

Review: The Book Witch (by Meg Shaffer)

My Rating: 5 stars

The Book Witch is another fun, charming, delightful read from one of my favorite contemporary fantasy authors, Meg Shaffer.  I read and loved both of Shaffer’s previous books (2023’s The Wishing Game and 2024’s The Lost Story), both of which were so imaginative and brilliantly crafted that, when I heard she would have a new book out, I couldn’t help wondering how she would be able to top those two wonderful works.  Well, top those she did, as this newest work is not only wildly creative, but also simultaneously compelling and whimsical – storytelling at its finest, in my humble opinion. 

The story revolves around a whimsically named protagonist, Rainy March, whose job as a book witch is to defend works of fiction by acting as a “fixer” – with the help of a magical umbrella and an adorable cat named Koshka, she goes on missions to save beloved stories from being negatively altered and disappearing into oblivion. Whether it’s locating and escorting a runaway protagonist back into their story so they can live their “happily ever after” (as she does with Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice), rescuing kidnapped detectives so they can finish solving the cases that are central to an entire mystery series (which she does for the noir Duke of Chicago series) or preventing entire fictional worlds from being burned down by enemy book burners hellbent on destroying stories that don’t conform to their tastes, Rainy is good at her job, partly because of natural talent and partly because she is a strict rule-follower.  That is, until she falls in love with the Duke of Chicago on one of her missions and continues to maintain a relationship with him – a decision that nearly causes her to lose her job as well as her magical powers after she is caught breaking rule number seven, which states that “real people belong in the real world and fictional characters belong in works of fiction.”  But then the beloved grandfather who raised her disappears, along with a precious book that was a gift from her deceased mother, which prompts Rainy to defy all the rules and conjure up the Duke to help her solve the case and find her grandfather before it’s too late.  Together, they jump in and out of famous book worlds such as The Great Gatsby and Alice in Wonderland in a race-against-time adventure that ultimately leads Rainy to uncover secrets that will change her life forever.

Structurally, this book is divided into seven parts, with each part named for a specific literary genre such as romance, mystery, fantasy, etc. – a “genre mashup” of sorts that not only correlates to the story’s actual plot points, but also reflects the book’s own impossibility of categorization into one specific genre (while, strictly speaking, I would classify this book as a fantasy, there are actually elements of multiple genres in here).  In addition to the clever structure, Shaffer’s writing flows so smoothly here that the reading felt effortless, yet also captivating – I definitely could not stop turning the pages.  In terms of plot and characters – well, let’s just say that Shaffer definitely did not disappoint in both areas:  I loved these characters just as much as I loved the characters in her previous books, and the plot went in a direction that I absolutely did not see coming, but in a good way (this is where the “wildly creative” piece comes in – read this book and you will know what I mean). 

I don’t know how Shaffer does it, but now after having read all three of her books, I am in awe of the way she is able to blend reality and fantasy elements so seamlessly into her stories. I’m usually not much of a fantasy reader, but Shaffer’s books are exceptions, as she blurs the line between the realistic and fantastic in such a way that I don’t feel like I’m reading a fantasy.  This brings me to another feature of Shaffer’s books that I absolutely appreciate and love – each of her books addresses contemporary societal issues (in this instance, the recent battles over book banning being the most prominent), but she weaves these into the story so seamlessly that, in most cases, you don’t even realize she’s doing it. 

My impression whenever I read one of Shaffer’s books is that she is a true book lover, as her passion for books and reading definitely shines through with each book.  Both of her previous books were homages to childhood classics (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Chronicles of Narnia, respectively), but this newest book steps it up a notch in that it is an homage to all books – both modern and classic – as well as the act of reading in general and its power to change lives.  Indeed, avid readers and book lovers will appreciate the various references to literary works and characters that Shaffer scatters throughout the story (including an Easter egg reference to her own debut novel, which I enjoyed seeing) -- though with that said, my absolutely favorite book-related reference isn’t to a fictional character, but rather, to one of my real-life book icons, LeVar Burton (and it’s obvious in the two scenes where she has LeVar make “cameo” appearances that Shaffer adores him as much as those of us who grew up watching Reading Rainbow still do).

There are so many great lines in this book (I highlighted so much that I had a hand cramp by the time I finished reading, lol), but one of my favorites is this -- “All stories are love stories when you love stories” – as it sums up the vibe of this book perfectly.  Needless to say, I’m officially a Meg Shaffer fan now and my bookish heart cannot wait to read her next book (that will no doubt be book and/or reading-related).  In the interim though, I definitely recommend all her books and hope more people pick them up, especially fellow book lovers and avid readers who love books about books.

Received ARC from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.

Review: From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home (by Tembi Locke)

My Rating: 5 stars 

I put Tembi Locke’s memoir From Scratch on my TBR several years ago after a friend recommended it to me as one of the most beautifully written memoirs she had ever read.  However the same friend was also adamant that the absolutely best way to experience this book was via audio.  Since, at the time, I had a bit of a fraught relationship with audiobooks, I unsurprisingly put off reading this book at the time.  Now that I’m back into audiobooks, I of course jumped at the opportunity to finally experience Tembi’s memoir and I have to say that I absolutely agree with my friend’s assessment: this is indeed one of the most beautifully written memoirs I’ve ever read, and yes, the best way to experience Tembi’s story is definitely via audio.

Tembi’s memoir is, in essence, a love letter to her late husband Saro, an Italian chef with whom she had a cross-cultural romance for almost two decades until he died from cancer in 2012.  In the face of such a devastating loss, a heartbroken Tembi finds herself navigating widowhood and solo motherhood.  With her young daughter Zoela in tow, Tembi returns to her husband’s hometown of Sicily, where she finds an unlikely ally in her mother-in-law Croce, also a widow who now must endure the additional loss of her only son. In their shared grief over their beloved Saro, Tembi and her mother-in-law find solace in each other’s company -- more significantly for Tembi, she finds healing and nourishment at her mother-in-law’s table through the authentic dishes that Croce cooks for her as well as through the close-knit Sicilian community that embraces her as one of their own. From Scratch chronicles Tembi’s incredible story – at once a deeply romantic love story as well as an ode to the healing power of family, food, and culture in the face of indescribable grief.

In listening to the audiobook, I found Tembi’s narration both powerful and heartfelt.  I cried through the many moments of sadness yet also smiled through tears during the moments of joy.  I also loved the lush descriptions of delicious Italian food and the picturesque Italian countryside, which felt especially authentic and transportive through Tembi’s genuine and emotional narration.

This was a heartbreaking read for sure, but it was also uplifting and inspiring – I ended up falling in love with not just Tembi and Saro and Zoela as well as both of their families, but also with the community in the Sicilian countryside of Aliminusa.  I definitely recommend picking this one up, but have a box of tissues nearby because it will absolutely be needed. 

P.S.: I just found out that Tembi Locke published a follow up to From Scratch in September of last year, a new memoir entitled Someday, Now that chronicles her return to Sicily for one final summer before her daughter goes off to college.  I already downloaded the audiobook and can’t wait to listen!

Review: Jane Austen's Bookshelf (by Rebecca Romney)

My Rating: 5 stars 

Happy New Year!

My first read of the year is actually a book I started during the last week of 2025.  Rebecca Romney’s Jane Austen’s Bookshelf was part of my December “Jane Austen read-a-thon” project to commemorate Austen’s (one of my favorite authors) 250^th birthday and my original intention was to finish reading it by the end of the year.  But that didn’t end up happening and I’m not sad about it at all because instead of rushing through the book, I was able to really savor it.

Romney’s central goal with this book is to understand and explore the women writers who came before Austen and, in many cases, not only had an outsized influence on Austen’s work, but were also counted among the author’s favorites (as per her own letters) -- yet over the years, these writers had largely been either “erased” or “excluded” from the Western canon.  Romney is very honest about the fact that, throughout her life, she regularly purchased and read books written by “authoritative” surveyors of literature who claimed that Austen was the “first great woman writer in English” – aka there were no female writers in English who came before her and even if there were, none of them lived up to her genius so they weren’t worth reading. As a rare book seller (and collector) and huge Austen fan, Romney decided to “right her wrong” so to speak by utilizing her “tools of the trade” to investigate why these women writers – almost all of whom are mentioned in either Austen’s novels or her personal letters -- had disappeared from most literary discourse (outside of dedicated academic scholarship). This quote from the book’s introduction perfectly sums up Romney’s project: “As repayment for what she had given me, I hoped I could offer Austen this in return: a collection that reunites the novels she read, and a book honoring her own favorite authors…I wanted to know who these women were, what they wrote, and why they were no longer part of the canon.  I would read their books and I would collect copies that appealed to me for their historical interest.  I would fill Jane Austen’s Bookshelf.”

This is a fascinating book that not only serves as a “primer” of sorts on 18^th century female novelists, but also a delightful glimpse into the world of rare book collecting (something which I had no knowledge of previously).  Romney begins the book with a chapter on Jane Austen (of course), then traces her “literary ancestry” with chapters on Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Lennox, Hannah More, Charlotte Smith, Elizabeth Inchbald, Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi, and Maria Edgeworth.  Romney doesn’t just provide biographical details about each writer though – she also reads the works by each of these authors and teases out the connection to Austen (some are more obvious due to direct references that Austen herself made, while others are inferred though highly plausible references). Reading this book from the perspective of a fellow Austen fan and someone who had also studied British literature in some capacity, it’s obvious to me that Romney had done her research (and done it well!), as she situates each author in the historical period of their time while also incorporating important historical and literary contexts to support her arguments.  For me though, what makes this book stand apart from other Austen-themed literary-analysis type books is the way she incorporates her own personal experience – observations from her profession in the rare book collecting space as well as detailed analysis from her own extensive reading of both Austen’s works and each author’s – to convincingly argue why these forgotten writers should be more widely read.  More importantly, she does so in way that’s sincere, witty, relatable, and easily accessible – enough scholarly detail to put it at the same level as academic literary criticism, yet written in a down-to-earth manner where it doesn’t feel like I’m reading literary criticism at all.

Reading this book not only makes me see Austen’s works in a new light, it has also gotten me interested in reading these authors’ works as well.  The way Romney describes these works and her experiences reading them, as well as her observations of the connections to Austen’s works, honestly fascinated me to the point that I wanted to experience these “source texts” for myself (one of the things I did after I finished reading was to immediately put these authors’ novels on my TBR).  This book is one of the best modern-day analyses of Austen’s works that I’ve read so far and definitely a worthy entry into the canon (if there is one) of Austen scholarship.  With that said, the biggest takeaway I got from this book is the importance of reading something because we “want to” rather than because we “should” (i.e.: it’s part of the “classics” canon).  I absolutely love this section from Romney’s concluding chapter: “Building this collection led me to question the canon.  I did not throw it out, but I’ve learned the confidence to distinguish between the taste of ‘authorities’ and my own.  Look into the past and read whatever resonates with you, not what we’re told are the ‘best’ authors.  You don’t have to read any of the books I read in my investigation.  [Italo] Calvino argues that, outside of school, ‘we don’t read classics out of duty or respect, only read out of love’.”   Wonderfully stated words of wisdom that I know will stay with me for a long time to come.

P.S.:  Romney’s book inspired me to take a quick look back at the course I took a few months ago on 18^th Century British Literature for my English Literature degree – sure enough, there was only one female writer covered in that course (yes, you guessed it – Jane Austen).  This also led me down the rabbit hole of checking out syllabi for courses on 18^th century British Literature from various schools and indeed, there are few (if any) female writers covered in those (Austen is actually not in many of those syllabi either, as some consider her a 19^th century writer due to most of her novels being published after 1800).  From what I could see based on my own studies as well as glancing through these syllabi is that the “canon” when it comes to 18^th century British Literature consists mostly of Jonathan Swift, Samuel Johnson, Henry Fielding, Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Tobias Smollett, Laurence Sterne, Samuel Richardson, and a rotation of other male poets/playwrights/writers – some more obscure and less prolific than the women writers discussed in Romney’s book.  All this tells me that Romney was definitely on to something with her project!

 

2025 Year In Review

First, a very happy new year to all!  While part of me can’t believe that it’s already the last day of the year (as it will be by the time I post this), the part of me also can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief that this most difficult and exhausting year is finally over (and, more importantly, we survived!).

My initial thought was to wait until the last possible minute to do this Year End recap because I was hoping I would be able to cram a few more books into the last few days of the year, but on second thought, I decided against it.  What’s the point of rushing, especially when the book I’m currently reading is one I’m enjoying immensely (in case you’re curious, the book is about one of my favorite authors, Jane Austen).

So let’s get to it…

Reflecting on my reading life this year, what sticks out most for me is that this year, I read the fewest number of books since I started tracking my reads (which was around 8 years ago in 2017).  I read a total of 23 books this year, which is extremely low considering I usually average around 50-60 books in a year.  That said, the low number of books is not a surprise given that 2025 has been one of the busiest years of my life – not just in terms of work (which I don’t want to get into but will say that using “busy” to describe work is most definitely an understatement), but also having to juggle school, family obligations and some health issues.  It honestly felt as though everything chose to come at me all at once, leaving me feeling both physically and mentally drained (now you know why I used the word “survived” earlier). 

To look on the positive side – given everything I had going on, I should probably be proud of the fact that I was still able to get through 23 books, though of course, I had to be a lot more selective with what I chose to read than I have in the past.  Reviewing my reading log the past couple of days has been an interesting exercise, as it gave me insight into just how overwhelmed I’ve been this year. 

A few observations from my reading log:

• There were 4 months this year (January, April, June, July) where I logged 0 books read (though I must clarify that the books on my log are only the ones I read for pleasure – I read a ton of stuff for school earlier in the year that will not be reflected here). 

•  Majority of the 23 books – 15 to be exact – I had read from September to December, which makes sense given that August/September was around the time that I finished grad school.  At the time, I had resolved to “catch up” on as many books as I could and while I did read a lot, the list was just way too long to get through completely, so I guess many of those reads will spill over to 2026 (which I’m actually not sorry about, since all of them are books that I truly want to read). 

•  One observation that I’m not thrilled about is that, this past year, I totally bombed in the ARC department.  Despite receiving plenty of ARCS from both NetGalley and Edelweiss, I struggled to get through any of them prior to publication date (another area that I used to pride myself on). While I did go back and read some of the ARCs, in most cases, I ended up just getting the finished version after publication and reading that instead.

Overall, the biggest obstacle to my reading life in 2025 was Time – or, more accurately, the lack of time due to the chaotic “busy-ness” of the other parts of my life.

As I plan my reading for 2026, one of the goals I set for myself is to get through the 2025 releases I had missed out on – not all of them, of course, but as many as I possibly can. I also want to refocus my attention on getting to ARCs timely – which I think will be achievable since many of my favorite authors have books out next year (Ann Patchett, Lisa See, Elizabeth Strout, just to name a few) and for some of them, I already have ARCs of their new books queued up ready to go.  With all that said, the list of books “on my radar” for 2026 is already way too long, so I guess I will have some strategizing to do in terms of how to get to all the books! 😊

One strategy is something I actually started already in December: re-discovering audiobooks. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had actually tried audiobooks many years ago, but it didn’t end up working out.  In recent weeks, I finally took the time to figure out my audiobook style (mostly memoirs, essay collections, narrative nonfiction, some mysteries/thrillers, and definitely re-reads), so for 2026, I plan to increase my consumption of audiobooks with the hopes of getting to more books that I probably would not have gotten to otherwise.

Below is my recap of the books I read in 2025 (as mentioned earlier, these are the ones that I had actually logged and wrote reviews for).  For this recap, I decided to follow the format I did last year, which was listing out the books based on how I rated them. 

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Favorite Reads of 2025

 

Books I rated 5 stars:

Homeseeking by Karissa Chen (published 2025)

My Friends by Fredrik Backman (published 2025)

11/22/63 by Stephen King (published 2011)

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (published 2025)

Writers and Lovers by Lily King (published 2020) – this was a re-read for me

Heart the Lover by Lily King (published 2025)

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (published 2010)

How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang (published in 2018) – this was an audiobook

 

Books I rated 4.5 stars:

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry (published 2025)

The Annotated Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen / annotated by David M. Shapard (published in 2013)

 

Books I rated 4 stars:

The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton (published 2025)

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson (published 2025)

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (published 2025)

Run For the Hills by Kevin Wilson (published 2025)

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King (published 2025)

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (published 2025)

What We Left Unsaid by Winnie M. Li (published 2025)

Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane by Devoney Looser (published 2025)

 

Books I rated 3 to 3.5 stars:

The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei (published 2025)

Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (published 2024)

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben (published 2025)

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (published 2025)

If You Would Have Told Me by John Stamos (published 2023) -- this was an audiobook