Category Archives: Books & Reading

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (October 2025)

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October was a fun month of reading—full of variety and great books. Each book was such a different reading experience: domestic mystery/thriller, literary fiction in translation, contemporary fiction, and a memoir. I even added a new country to my literary travels around the world which was truly satisfying as the year is soon coming to an end and I still have a few regions to visit (current progress).

What have you been reading lately?

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham (2025)
Narrated by Helen Laser & Karissa Vacker

This was a quiet, slow-burn mystery/thriller about a woman who took a summer job at a vineyard in coastal South Carolina to escape staying with her estranged mother and to try to finally move on from her traumatic past. Soon after arriving, however, she finds an old diary written by one of the vineyard’s owners and becomes obsessed with it as she begins to realize it’s linked to her sister’s disappearance over 20 years ago. I really enjoyed the simmering tension with its twists and turns. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Read My Own Shelf: BOTM

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk (2009)
Translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones (2019)

This was an unusual murder mystery that sparked very mixed feelings in my book club. The story centers around Janina, an eccentric older woman in a remote Polish village near the Czech border. She’s into astrology, translates William Blake poetry, and cares deeply about animals. When a neighbor is found dead—and more bodies turn up under mysterious circumstances—Janina throws herself into the investigation convinced that the animals, in particular the deer, are taking revenge on the humans who harm them. I liked Janina’s quirkiness, though her astrology was a foreign language for me, and appreciated the setting which was a new experience for me.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood (2018)

This was a heartwarming story about the unlikely friendships between Harriet, a retired English teacher who leads a book club for incarcerated women; Violet, a member of the book club recently released after serving time for killing a woman in a drunk-driving accident; and Frank, the grieving husband struggling to come to terms with his wife’s death. I loved the story of second chances and forgiveness—and the parrots were an unexpected delight. ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro (2019)
Narrated by Dani Shapiro

When I first read that this memoir was about a DNA test that would reveal that the author’s beloved father was actually not her biological father, I assumed the story would focus on her search for her biological father. And partly it was, but that wasn’t actually the heart of the story – and that’s what I liked about it. It became an investigation and mystery about how much her Jewish parents, now both gone, knew and understood about the fertility treatments they pursued in the 1960s. And then it was a thoughtful reflection about what truly makes us who we are. It definitely exceeded my expectations. ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Related posts:

  1. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (April & May 2025)
  2. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (February & March 2025)
  3. Reading Lately (September 2019)

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (September 2025)

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I’m still working on getting back into the groove with both reading and writing. I’m happy with my reading progress, though I need to stay on top of the writing a bit better. As I shared in my summer reading update, a priority for the fall would be to return to my literary travels around the world. I’m pleased to have completed two books that let me check off two new regions—Central America/Caribbean and Oceania—for that challenge. I also continued to make progress on my ongoing Nordic Literature Reading Challenge with a Nordic Noir from Denmark.

How has your reading been going lately?

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (2022)

In this middle grade graphic novel, a young Black girl moves with her dad to a new state where it turns out that Swim 101 is the only elective left for her to take. She overcomes her fear of water and with the help of an elderly neighbor who was once a swimming champion, she helps her new middle school swim team have a successful season. Besides the themes of family, friendship, and community along with the engaging artwork, one of my favorite aspects of this graphic novel was how it delved into the history of swimming in the Black community and how racism played a role in Black Americans’ ability to swim. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A “CS Reader Medal”; A book with a sports or arts connection

Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2) by Rebecca Yarros (2023)
Audiobook Narrated by Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton

Last summer it was the first in the series; this summer it was the second. I had some trouble remembering the details of the characters, setting, and story from the first book, but it didn’t prevent me from having another extremely engaging and enjoyable listening experience. I just focused on what was going on at the moment. I really enjoyed the friendships, camaraderie, chemistry, action. What a cliffhanger at the end, though! I may need to listen to the third installment sooner rather than later so I don’t forget as much. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A big book

The Lost Man by Jane Harper (2018)
Audiobook Narrated by Stephen Shanahan

I loved how this book took me to the Outback in Australia, a vast, remote, and sparsely populated area of the country. It’s about the cattle farming Bright family who is shocked by the death of the middle brother. He left behind his wife and two young daughters, as well his mother and two brothers. The circumstances of the death are mysterious—and the older brother is determined to find out what happened. It’s a story of family, relationships, and second chances with strong characters and a fascinating sense of place. ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐⭐️

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer (2023)

I was drawn to this story because of its setting in the Caribbean in the 1830s when slaves were freed but forced into apprenticeship instead. The story follows Rachel as she escapes the plantation where she’s been for years and begins a desperate search to find her five children who have been taken from her and sold over the years. Her journey starts in Barbados, continues to British Guiana, and then to Trinidad. I appreciated the glimpse into this historical period (her children all in very different circumstances), but the excessive mind-reading and convenient plot turns made it hard to fully connect with the story. ⭐️⭐️(⭐️)

  • Read Around the World: Central America & Caribbean (Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad)
  • Read my own shelf: BOTM

The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup (2019)
Translated from the Danish by Caroline Waight (2019)
Audiobook Narrated by Peter Noble

This Nordic Noir is not for everyone. It’s a dark, gruesome serial killer story. There were several times I considered putting it down, yet something about it kept pulling me back in. The killer always leaves a handmade chestnut doll at the scene, and before long, a connection emerges to a young girl who was kidnapped and murdered a year earlier. Two detectives reluctantly cooperate to solve the case. Over time, the detectives grew on me and I was increasingly intrigued by the plot. After finishing, I discovered there’s a second installment with these detectives, and I just might add it to my TBR once it’s released in English despite my hesitations with this one. ⭐️⭐️(⭐️)

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Related posts:

  1. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (April & May 2025)
  2. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (February & March 2025)
  3. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (April 2024)

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (June, July, & August 2025)

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This summer reinforced just how powerful a dedicated reading challenge can be. Having that structure kept me on track, gave me a sense of momentum, and took the uncertainty out of choosing what to read next. Also, I loved the sense of community with my work colleagues that came about as a result of this shared reading challenge.

An added bonus was that as part of this reading challenge, I was able to count two books toward my ongoing Nordic Literature Reading Challenge, which was especially satisfying. Sadly, my literary travels beyond Europe stalled, so that will be a priority for the fall. Luckily, I already have plenty of books on my shelf that fit that goal.

How was your summer reading?

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (2020)
Audiobook Narrated by Julia Whelan

After long being on my radar but me being uninterested in reading it due to it being fantasy, I finally read it since it was selected for my book club. It generally alternated between Addie’s current life in 2014 in New York City and her past starting 300 years ago in France when she sold her soul to live forever. The cost was that no one would remember her. However, that changed in 2014 when she met Henry who actually did remember her. I enjoyed the structure with the alternating timelines, and the glimpses into how she learned to live with the conditions of the curse were interesting. Despite it beginning to feel a bit repetitive over time, I did really enjoy the story, probably aided by the fact that the audiobook was excellent.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A book from an author’s backlist; A book with a dual timeline; A banned book

Dream State by Eric Puchner (2025)

Set in Montana, this is a story about college friends that takes place over decades. It begins with a wedding in 2004 at which the bride makes a decision that will dramatically change the lives of the groom and best man, two college friends, and have long lasting effects on their families to come. It is not a light and easy read, but a deep and thought-provoking read about relationships and the long lasting consequences of our actions. The element of climate change interspersed throughout was unexpected but interesting. I really enjoyed the book. Might I be biased because it’s by an author from my alma mater and featured friends from there and even included chapters that took place there, and I read it for a college girlfriend reunion? Maybe so. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A book about friends; A book that spans decades
  • Read Around the World: North America (Montana, USA)
  • Read my own shelf: Gifted

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (2013)

This story takes place in Iceland in the 1820s and is based on the true story of the woman who was the last person to be executed in Iceland. Agnes was charged with the brutal murder of two men and sent to an isolated farm to await execution. As winter passes and her execution nears, Agnes shares her story with the local priest assigned to her spiritual care, and over time, the family’s initial hostility softens as they begin to understand the circumstances around her situation. I enjoyed the book, especially the strong sense of time and place, but I wasn’t totally enthralled by the story itself. ⭐️⭐⭐️

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown (2025)
Audiobook Narrated by Helen Laser and Peter Ganim

This was a  mystery and coming-of-age story that takes places in the 1990s rural Montana and dot-com era in San Francisco. Jane grew up with her father in an isolated cabin off the grid in Montana. All she knew about her past was that they used to live in the Bay Area but moved after her mother died in a car accident. As Jane became older she began to question the world beyond their cabin. When Jane unwittingly becomes a piece of a horrible crime, she strikes out on her own to navigate next steps. It questions the role of technology in our lives and was a fun and engaging throwback to the 1990s.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Guest List by Lucy Foley (2020)

This features an exclusive wedding on a remote Irish island. The story with its alternating perspectives between the bride, the bridesmaid, the best man, the plus one, and the wedding planner certainly kept me turning the pages eager to find out what happened next. However, they were all such unlikeable characters! And they had so many secrets amongst themselves. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A wedding-themed book; A book from your TBR list
  • Read Around the World: Western Europe (Ireland)
  • Read my own shelf: BOTM

Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson (2025)
Audiobook Narrated by Marin Ireland

I really enjoyed this road trip book in which four half siblings – who did not know of each other before – are on a quest across country to find their common father. They are all so different with totally unique experiences with their dad which added an intriguing piece to the story. I loved seeing this found family flourish over time. I highly recommend the audiobook!  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A book set on a mode of transportation

Bluebird, Bluebird (Highway 59, # 1) by Attica Locke (2017)

No disappointment when I finally read this book which has been on my TBR list for a long while, and I will gladly continue the series. Set in a small, rural town in East Texas, it was a suspenseful noir following a suspended Black Texas Ranger as he investigated the murders of a Black man from Chicago and a local white woman. It had a strong sense of place with memorable characters.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A book in a series; A book with an animal in the title or on the cover
  • Read Around the World: North America (Texas, USA)

Olive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge #1) by Elizabeth Strout (2008)

My friend was right. Elizabeth Strout is a great author. Olive Kitteridge, a retired school teacher in her 70s, is the thread that binds the stories in this book together. Taking place in a coastal town in Maine, Olive is the main character in some stories while in others she just makes a cameo appearance. Olive is a memorable character – not always likeable but always honest. I grew to really like her. (FYI, reading the physical book worked much better for me than listening to the audiobook because of the jumps in time.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A book by a friend’s favorite author; An award winner or nominee (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, 2009)
  • Read Around the World: North America (Maine, USA)

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (2025)

This was the most fun book of the summer. Set on a private island along the coast of Rhode Island over a week, it is about a super rich, dysfunctional family dealing with the sudden death of the father. He left in place an inheritance game they all had to participate in, including a sibling who had been excluded from the family five years ago. There’s sibling and family drama of course, but also an unexpected romance. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A beach read
  • Read my own shelf: BOTM
  • Read Around the World: North America (Rhode Island, USA)

Island by Siri Ranva Hjelm Jacobsen (2016)
Translated from the Danish by Caroline Waight  (2020)

This was my first experience with the Faroe Islands, a self-governing archipelago in the North Atlantic that’s part of Denmark. It is the story of a young Danish woman who explores her family’s history and connection to the Faroe Islands. It was interesting to get some insight into the culture and history of the Faroe Islands, but oftentimes it was hard to follow the story as it  jumped back and forth in time and place between the three generations of the family. ⭐️⭐️

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Related posts:

  1. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (June 2024)
  2. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (May 2023)
  3. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (June 2023)

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (April & May 2025)

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My reading continued to be erratic the last couple of months. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that I don’t have specific reading challenges to keep me focused in the same way as last year. And it’s been a busy last few months.

I continue to read my way around the world (albeit slowly, see my progress) and to check off prompts for my Nordic Literature Reading Challenge (also slowly, see my progress). Luckily, once again, the school where I work has presented a summer reading challenge for faculty and staff and I am dedicated to completing it. The reading period is from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. I’ve already checked off a couple of prompts for that which is satisfying.

What have you been reading lately?

The Wedding People by Alison Espach (2024)
Narrated by Helen Laser

I judged this book by its cover (thought it might be about drunk people at a wedding) and put it off for a long time. Finally, after repeatedly hearing rave reviews, I picked it up on a whim. I was greatly surprised by how different it was than I expected and how much I enjoyed it. Phoebe finds herself to be the only guest at a grand hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, who is not a part of the group there for a weeklong wedding celebration. Everyone assumes she’s part of the wedding group, even the bride. However, the bride soon learns about Phoebe’s imminent plans and this begins an unexpected friendship. The story had humor and heart. It was predictable in the grand scheme of things, but that didn’t bother me at all because it was all about the journey of getting there. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night of the Scourge by Lars Mytting (2023)
Translated from the Norwegian by Deborah Dawkin (2025)

This is the final installment in the Norwegian Sister Bells Trilogy, a historical fiction series which takes place in a fictional remote village over a period of about 100 years starting in 1879. The last installment follows the descendants of earlier characters through World War II and the Nazi occupation. Having grandparents who were about the same age as the main character, I greatly appreciated the insight into how Norwegians lived during that time. Some became actively involved in the Resistance; others collaborated with the Germans; and many just tried to balance the fine line in between. The book was long and slow to get going which hindered my progress and enjoyment to begin with, but overall, it was a satisfying end to the trilogy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Bones Beneath My Skin by T. J. Klune (2018)
Narrated by Kirt Graves

I have mixed thoughts about this one. I wouldn’t quite call this the “spine-tingling thriller” that the description states. It was, however, certainly a “strange story.” It was a mix of genres – all of them outside my normal comfort zones. I was aware of the sci-fi/fantasy element, but I was surprised by the romance and paranormal elements. It’s about an unexpected trio who have quite the adventure together, and their relationships was what I enjoyed the most. My favorite character was Art, the eccentric and precocious 10-year-old girl who is the glue that keeps Alex and Nate together through the story. Alex is devoted to keeping Art safe no matter what, and Nate, who is grieving after the tragic loss of his parents and job, is drawn into their drama. It was a book very different from my usual reading experience and made for an interesting book club discussion. ⭐️⭐⭐️

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (2024)
Narrated by George Weightman and Katie Leung

I knew going in that this book was outside my comfort zone with its time travel element, but the blurb and then accolades (a book on Barack Obama’s Summer 2024 Reading List and a Modern Mrs Darcy minimalist pick in Summer Reading Guide 2024) convinced me to give it a try. Unfortunately, it was not for me. Even though I had a physical copy, I chose to listen to it. Part of my dissatisfaction might be that I chose the wrong format for me because I had a hard time keeping track of the five expat characters. The story was certainly original but not particularly hilarious as the description promised. The time travel element was too tough for me to wrap my head around. At the end, I didn’t really understand what had happened. As I told a friend after I’d finished it, I was not smart enough for that book. Obviously, I am of the minority opinion.  ⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A genre outside my comfort zone; A book from any summer reading list
  • Read my own shelf: BOTM selection

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (2024)

I needed something back in my comfort zone after the previous paranormal and time travel books, so I picked this out of my list of unread ebooks. I was at first turned off by the affair-resulting-in-pregnancy between Margo and her college professor, and then I was dubious about her choice to start an OnlyFans account to earn money as a sex worker. But over time, I grew to admire Margo for how smart and determined she was to become financially independent and how she handled her relationships with her mother, estranged father, and the world in general. It was a welcomed return to realistic fiction, very contemporary which was fresh. And it was set in LA County which was a bonus. I look forward to seeing the adaptation filmed on the college campus mentioned in the book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Summer Reading Challenge: A book with an adaptation; A book set in California
  • Read my own shelf: Purchase

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Related posts:

  1. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (February & March 2025)
  2. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (April 2024)
  3. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (June 2024)

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (February & March 2025)

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My reading has been quite irregular and unusual over the last couple of months. I’ve been slowly reading my way through a doorstop of a Norwegian book (still not done!). Meanwhile, I’ve been listening to audiobooks on drives and walks, so all my finished books recently are audiobooks. Usually, there’s much more of an even split. There was also travel and illness, both of them potential opportunities for more reading, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. I was also busy planning a trip to South Korea which was time-consuming (and from which I’ve now returned). But when looking back at what I did complete, even though fewer than usual, they were generally very enjoyable and satisfying. On top of that, I added three countries –South Korea, Jordan, and Canada – to this year’s Read Around the World challenge, which felt especially productive.

What have you been reading lately?

Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim (2021)
Narrated by Sue Jean Kim and Raymond Lee

The setting — Korea during the 20th century, starting in 1917 during the Japanese occupation and continuing through Korea’s independence in 1945 — was exactly what I wanted as I looked forward to a trip to South Korea. The story followed Jade, a courtesan-in-training, and JungHo, an orphan-turned-revolutionary. Their lives intertwined with various characters from different walks of life and political sides both in Pyongyang and Seoul. Even though there were a lot of characters and relationships to keep track of and the development sometimes felt a little disjointed and uneven, I greatly appreciated the insight into Korean history and enjoyed following Jade’s coming of age during this turbulent time. ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

Note regarding audiobook verses ebook: I mostly listened to the book. Though the narrators were great, I think I would have benefited from reading more of the book so I could have seen the characters’ names, especially the male names, and kept better track of them. If you’re more of a visual than auditory person, I recommend reading it rather than listening to it, unless you’re familiar with Korean names.

The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan Fallon (2017)
Narrated by Jorjeana Marie and Lauren Fortgang

This book has been on my radar a long time. The setting and premise intrigued me: two American military wives in Jordan in May 2011 during the rise of the Arab Spring. Cassie is familiar with the customs and expectations; Margaret is newly arrived and naive. After a fender bender, Margaret leaves her son with Cassie while she goes to the police station to handle the situation. However, Margaret doesn’t return as expected and Cassie becomes increasingly concerned. The structure was engaging. The story alternated between Cassie’s first person narration of the current day and Margaret’s journal looking back into the past (which Cassie is reading). The setting was interesting, but unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of either woman so that took away from my enjoyment of the whole story.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave (2024)
Narrated by Julia Whelan

The chance to join a group to discuss the book with the author bumped this book to the top of my TBR list. It’s a slow burn mystery about two estranged half siblings, Nora and Sam, who come together after the unexpected death of their father. Though ruled accidental, they suspect foul play. Together, they begin their own investigation into what happened that night. The timeline alternates between Nora’s narration of the present and the past as experienced by the father. The merging of the two timelines to illuminate what happened was satisfying. I really enjoyed the siblings’ relationship and was intrigued by Nora’s occupation as a neuro architect.  ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum (2022)
Translated from the Korean by Shanna Tan (2024)
Narrated by Rosa Escoda

With a trip to South Korea coming up, I couldn’t resist adding this to my TBR list. This was a quiet, cozy, and satisfying read. It’s about a woman who, after a personal crisis, returns to an old dream and opens a bookshop in a small residential area outside Seoul. Slowly but surely, it welcomes a regular group of customers and is transformed into a thriving neighborhood space. There are many characters that weave through the story; all of them have past or current issues that they’re dealing with. It was a heartwarming and hopeful book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Still Life (Three Pines, Book 1) by Louise Penny (2005)
Narrated by Ralph Cosham

This was recommended to me years ago, and I’ve been intrigued by the fascination so many people have with Louise Penny and her series for a long time. I don’t know why I waited this long. I really enjoyed it. I loved Inspector Gamache – so calm, observant, and thoughtful. I really enjoyed the setting and people of Three Pines, a little village in Quebec outside of Montreal, and how life in this small town was portrayed; and I was very satisfied with how the murder mystery was developed and resolved. I will definitely be reading more of this series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Related posts:

  1. Reading Lately (February 2020) & #ScandiReadingChallenge Update
  2. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (April & May 2025)
  3. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (May 2023)

What I’ve Been Reading Lately & Reading Goals (January 2025)

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New year, renewed reading goals!

Once again, I will be traveling around the world through books. Since 2021, I’ve used The Book Girls’ Book Voyage: Read Around the World map to guide my reading. This year, I’ve created my own map and tweaked the regions to suit my interests. I separated Central America and the Caribbean from North America and included Middle East/North Africa instead of just the Middle East. My goal is to read more books set in countries I have not yet visited through books and set in regions I have not read as much from yet, in particular South America and Africa.

A highlight of 2024 was the diversity of books I read both in regard to author perspective and genre, and I want to continue that intentional reading this year. Sadly, the Diversity Across Genres reading challenge is not being hosted again this year so I am still finalizing how I’ll be accountable for that goal.

Other reading goals are to continue my exploration of Nordic literature with my ongoing Nordic Literature Reading Challenge (progress here), read women in translation from around the world, and read my own bookshelf (physical, digital, and audio).

Do you have any reading goals for the year?

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham (2023)
Narrated by Karissa Vacker

I started the year off by finishing an unread BOTM selection that had been lingering on my shelf for a while. I needed something engrossing enough to keep me coming back, and this mystery/psychological thriller delivered. A mother’s toddler son was taken from their home in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep. The case went cold, but she was desperate and kept the search going, determined to find her son. The story was a little slow to get started, but as more information was gleaned about their pasts and her investigation moved forward with the help of true crime podcaster, it picked up and finished strong.  ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

  • Read My Own Shelf: BOTM selection

Untamed by Glennon Doyle (2020)
Narrated by Glennon Doyle

This is a memoir with the subtitle “stop pleasing, start living” for other editions. My book club chose it because it was a book that someone brought for our holiday book exchange (we all brought a book from our shelves, read or unread) and we decided it sounded like a good way to start off the new year. It turned out to be too much of a self help book in my opinion, and I only finished it for the sake of book club. I did admire the author’s honesty and courage to share so much personal information, and she did have some interesting observations on parenting and life in general, but overall not for me.  ⭐️⭐

  • Read My Own Shelf: Gifted

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (2024)

The setting was what drew me to this book, the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, a place I’m familiar with from visits since high school. The story centers around the disappearance of a 13-year old camper during the summer of 1975. This camper happens to be the daughter of the wealthy family that owns the summer camp, and coincidentally, her older brother also disappeared 14 years old and was never found. Told through multiple perspectives in various time periods, it was an intriguing mystery with family drama and secrets and interesting characters that I really enjoyed.  ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

  • Read My Own Shelf: BOTM selection

James: A Novel by Percival Everett (2024)
Narrated by Dominic Hoffman 

This was a fantastic listening experience; both the story and performance were exceptional (though I wish I’d had a map to better visualize the journey). It’s a retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain told from the perspective of Jim, an escaped slave and friend of Huckleberry. Huck fakes his own death to escape his abusive father while Jim runs away to avoid being sold and separated from his family. Together, they travel down the Mississippi River meeting all sorts of people and enduring a variety of experiences. I loved Jim, especially how he moved between his true educated, intellectual, and compassionate self and the carefully crafted persona he put forward to white people in order to survive. The relationship between him and Huck was heartwarming. This is not a light or easy read—the pre-Civil War era is not kind to Black people—but Jim’s story is extremely engaging and compelling. Highly recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Author/Genre Diversity: Black / Historical Fiction
  • Read Around the World: North America (USA)
  • Read My Own Shelf: Audiobook courtesy of librofm’s Educator ALCs

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Related posts:

  1. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (June 2024)
  2. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (April 2024)
  3. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (November 2024)

What I’ve Been Reading Lately & Reading Challenges Update (December 2024)

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Even though I didn’t quite follow through on all my end-of-year reading intentions, I’m happy and satisfied with how the 2024 reading year wrapped up! Unfortunately, I got waylaid with delays from library holds and an attempted read that ended up not working for me. Instead I seized the moment and jumped into a holiday read that crossed my path.

Once again, I traveled around the world with The Book Girls‘ Book Voyage: Read Around the World reading challenge. I changed “Book Set on a Mode of Transportation” to “Book Set in Another World” for some interesting out-of-this-world reads. I visited 18 countries (not including the USA), four of which were new to me in reading (Egypt, Cyprus, Panama, and Uruguay), and I traveled to more of the Middle East than in previous years.

I was so very close to completing the 2024 Diversity Across Genres reading challenge. I loved seeking out diverse authors and different genres that I wouldn’t necessarily have read if I didn’t need them for this challenge. I’m most proud of completing all the genres for Indigenous authors. View my 2024 reads.

My Nordic Literature Reading Challenge is luckily not a time sensitive one, so I can read at my leisure for that one. I would have liked to have read at least one book from each Nordic country, but that didn’t quite happen. View my ongoing progress.

Did you have any reading challenges to wrap up last month? 

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar (2024) 📖

This romance was a very pleasant surprise! A teacher enters into a fake engagement with a potential match made by her Indian family in order to avoid more matchmaking efforts by them. This is after her best friend and secret crush gets engaged and asks her to be his “best man” which she has agreed to. The premise is a bit over the top, but their relationship over time is sweet and delightful and the story has some substance. It also provided interesting insight into how traditional family and cultural beliefs, in this case Indian, affect modern relationships, which I really appreciated. ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

The Seed Keeper: A Novel by Diane Wilson (2021)
Narrated by Kyla García 🎧

I am so glad I finally read this. It’s been on the fringes of my to-be-read list for a while. The story follows Rosalie Iron Wing, a Dakhota woman who returns to her childhood home, a place she has not been since she was removed and placed into foster care as a child, after the death of her white husband. Struggling with grief and disconnection from her cultural roots, Rosalie begins to confront the past, on a search for family, identity, and a community where she can finally belong. The story spans several generations weaving together different women’s stories and sheds light on not only the hard history of the Dakhota people but also their rich culture. It was a hard story told in a beautiful way. Highly recommend it. ⭐⭐️⭐⭐️⭐

Anatomy of a Disappearance: A Novel by Hisham Matar (2011)
Narrated by Khalid Abdalla 🎧

Set in Cairo, Egypt, the story follows Nuri, a boy whose mother died when he was young and whose father then marries a younger woman, a glamorous woman who fascinates Nuri. His father, a dissident in exile from his homeland, is later abducted under mysterious circumstances. As Nuri grows up, he struggles with the mysteries surrounding his father’s disappearance and his complicated relationship with his stepmother. It was interesting to read a story set in this part of the world, a place I haven’t been in person or in a book before.  ⭐️⭐⭐️

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (2024) 📖

I’m not usually one to read holiday-themed books during the season, but this one caught my eye as a Book of the Month selection. I didn’t select it at the time, but when I saw the ebook on sale, I decided to grab it. Knowing I wouldn’t read it outside the holidays, I dove in—and I’m glad I did. Set over three snowy Christmas days in the English countryside, the story is a fun mix of romance and crime. The plot centers on two archrivals invited to the estate of a renowned crime fiction author for unknown reasons. It was a little slow to start, but then as I got to know the main characters better through flashbacks, I was pulled in. An enjoyable holiday read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Related posts:

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  2. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (June 2024)
  3. Denmark through Eyes of Indian Author Amulya Malladi

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (November 2024)

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With the end of the year fast approaching, I’m on a mission to complete my reading challenges for the year. Book Voyage: Read Around the World has been complete for a couple of months, though not as robust as I would have liked. My most urgent goal is to complete Diversity Across Genres, and it looks like I’m on pace to do that. Luckily, my current Nordic Literature Reading Challenge is not time sensitive so I’ll pick that up again in the new year! (In the meantime, you can see my progress here.)

What have you been reading lately? 

Mad Honey: A Novel by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (2022) 📖

This was an excellent book that made a very strong impression on me. I can’t really share too much without giving away important story points. The story is told from the perspectives of two women. Olivia is the mother of 18-year-old Asher. She took her son and left her husband years ago when the husband revealed a darker side. Lily is Asher’s girlfriend. She and her mom had just moved to town for a fresh start. One fall day during senior year, Olivia receives a call that Lily is dead and Asher is being questioned by the police. So begins a suspenseful story of young love, secrets, murder trial, and a mother’s love for a child, with a wonderful dash of beekeeping and honey mixed in. I highly recommend it, but the book does contain many potentially triggering topics so research that if it’s important to you, but otherwise I suggest just diving straight into the book.  ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

  • Read My Own Shelf: Gifted

Whiskey Tender: A Memoir by Deborah Jackson Taffa (2024) 🎧
Narrated by Charley Flyte

This is a coming-of-age memoir by a mixed tribe Native woman. She was born to a Native American father and Catholic Latin American mother on the Arizona Yuma reservation and raised in Navajo territory in New Mexico. She shares stories of her childhood from the age of three to eighteen in the 1970s and 1980s on and off the reservation. It explores the difficulty of balancing mainstream American culture and Native inheritance as well as assimilation and respect for tradition. It provided interesting insight into the challenges of her childhood as well as Indigenous history. ⭐⭐️⭐

Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith (2018) 🎧
Narrated by Kyla Garcia

This is a young adult novel categorized as a romance, but it really wasn’t one in my opinion. It’s a contemporary fiction story set in Kansas about a Native teen dealing with a variety of high school issues, including first love. Most important is her school community’s feelings and behavior towards Native people. It becomes an issue in her relationship with her first boyfriend and with the school’s upcoming musical The Wizard of Oz with its color blind casting, which she ends up covering for the school newspaper with the new boy in town. It was a quick and enjoyable read. However, I was a bit put off by how the chapters would end so suddenly. I was listening and actually thought there was a fault with the recording and but then it happened with every chapter. ⭐️⭐⭐️

A Different Dawn (Nina Guerrera #2) by Isabella Maldonado (2021) 📖

For last year’s #DiversityAcrossGenres, I read the first in this series and really enjoyed it (Reading Lately, July 2023) so I thought I’d read the next in the series now. I still liked the cast of characters. Nina is a FBI Special Agent, and she and her team take on trying to solve the mystery of a serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight. Every 4 years for the last 30 years, the suspect has murdered a family in their sleep. I liked the premise, the pace, generally everything except for a coincidence that was too unrealistic and ruined it all for me. ⭐️⭐️

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Related posts:

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  2. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (May 2023)
  3. World Cup 2018: Time for Some Literary Connections!

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (October 2024)

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This month, I’ve really had to start being more intentional with my reading so that I’ll be able to complete my reading challenges in time. I’ve now planned my reading for the rest of the year. For Diversity Across Genres, I have a TBR title for every missing prompt – two of which I read this month – which will help me move quickly from one finished read/listen to the next one. For Book Voyage: Read Around the World, I have already read something from every world region, but I would love to add another title for South America, Africa, and/or Southern Asia so I’ll see if I can squeeze any of those in. My Nordic Literature Reading Challenge is luckily not a time sensitive one, so I can read at my leisure for that one.

What have you been reading lately? 

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (2022) 📖

This was a fun mystery thriller. A mother witnesses her 18-year-old son murder someone and is shocked and baffled. He’s in police custody and his bright future is gone. However, when the mother wakes up the next morning, it’s actually the day before the murder and this pattern continues. As time continues backwards, the mother learns more and more about how this murder came to happen. I’m not usually a fan of time travel, but this time loop premise worked for me. Some aspects of the mystery I guessed in advance, but there were still twists that surprised me. There’s some substance to it also, such as questions around motherhood and parenting. It was a fun read! ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

  • Book club read with work colleagues
  • Read My Own Shelf: Gifted

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell (2023) 🎧
Narrated by Nicola Walker and Louise Brealey with full cast, music and sound design

This is a book that needs to be listened to if you’re going to read it. The structure (which included podcast recordings) and production (with a full cast, music, and sound design) were so unique and well done. And the story was good, too. It’s a dark psychological thriller that follows Alix, a popular podcaster, who is intrigued by Josie and records her story for a podcast. As she digs deeper, she uncovers dark secrets that blur the lines between truth and deception. She soon finds herself in an unsettling friendship with her. I was riveted and have already recommended the audiobook to many. ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐

  • Book club read with friends

Murder on the Red River (Cash Blackbear Mystery, #1) by Marcie R. Rendon (2017) 📖

This book had an unexpected intersection of interests! Descendants of Scandinavian immigrants were part of the setting. In an attempt to learn more about Scandinavian immigration to that area, I came across The Great Dakota Boom: Scandinavians, an interesting 4th grade lesson from North Dakota on Scandinavian immigration to the Red River Valley area, and as well as Norwegian Immigration to Minnesota, a deeper dive into the topic.

This book has a mystery element to it, but it’s more of a character-driven look at life for a 19-year-old Ojibwe woman named Cash in the Red River Valley (North Dakota/Minnesota border area) in the 1970s. Cash grew up moving from one White foster family to another and only graduated high school thanks to the support from her “guardian,” Sheriff Weaton. Her life now consists of driving trucks for local farmers, drinking beer, smoking cigarettes, and playing pool. When a Native man is found dead, Cash is drawn into the investigation. The story puts a spotlight on the lasting impact of Indigenous youth being removed from their communities and placed into White foster care. I liked Cash, flaws and all, and appreciated the unique perspective the setting offers. I’m eager to dive into more of her story in the next book in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1) by Talia Hibbert (2019) 🎧

I really enjoyed the main characters and their relationship in this romantic comedy. Chloe, a chronically ill woman in her twenties, is smart and strong and decides she needs to push herself out of her comfort zone. She enlists the help of her grumpy but attractive building superintendent in exchange for creating a website for him. As they spend more time together, their initial tension gives way to a slow-burning romance. It’s a funny, heartwarming story about embracing life and vulnerability. My only issue with it was the graphic, vulgar language used when it came to the sex scenes. For me, it was cringeworthy and just didn’t jive with the tone of the rest of the book. ⭐️⭐⭐️

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Related posts:

  1. Reading Lately (September 2019)
  2. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (June 2024)
  3. What I’ve Been Reading Lately & #WITmonth (August 2024)

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (September 2024)

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After a summer packed to the brim with reading (July and August), September with its return to school schedules and fall activities was much slower paced. I did, however, return to my yearlong reading challenges with intention which was satisfying. I have now plotted out how to complete the challenges. We’ll see if it works out as planned.

Coincidentally, all three books this month took place in the 1980s – a memoir from South Africa, crime fiction set in Iceland, and literary fiction set in the art world. That was a unique experience!

What have you been reading lately?

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (2016)
Narrated by Trevor Noah 🎧

This was a captivating account of comedian Trevor Noah’s childhood in South Africa as he navigated life during Apartheid. He was born in 1984 to a White father and Black mother, at the time an illegal interracial relationship, and had a challenging childhood in many ways. Even though it’s in the subtitle, I did not realize this was a collection of stories. The stories jumped back and forth in time a little bit, which was sometimes jarring since he re-introduced aspects and people from earlier years later on as if they were new. The book was an eye-opening look at Apartheid and, at the same time, a moving tribute to his mother. Hearing Trevor Noah narrate it himself was exceptional. ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson & Katrín Jakobsdóttir (2022)
Translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb (2023) 📖

Ragnar Jónasson is a prolific and best-selling Icelandic crime fiction writer. I really enjoyed his Hidden Iceland trilogy, aka The Hulda Series. Reykjavík was written in partnership with the then-current prime minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir (2017-2024) so I was intrigued.

This is the story of a 15-year-old girl’s disappearance in 1956 when she took a summer job as a maid in a prominent couple’s home on a remote island and disappeared without a trace. On its 30th anniversary in 1986, an eager journalist revisits the case and new information comes to light. This coincides with Reykjavik’s 200th anniversary and Reagan and Gorbachev’s summit meeting in Iceland. I felt the book was trying to have a strong sense of time and place, but for me it was just a lot of place names that I didn’t know. And unfortunately, the story was not as engaging as I’d hoped and the translation was somewhat awkward at times. ⭐️⭐️⭐

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochilt Gonzalez (2024) 📖
Narrated by Stacy Gonzalez, Jonathan Gregg, and Jessica Pimentel 🎧

I really enjoyed the author’s debut Olga Dies Dreaming (Reading Lately, April & May 2022) and was quick to select this title as my Book of the Month selection, especially after reading, “From campus to galleries, this engrossing tale of two female artists paints a complex portrait of power and privilege.” Also, I’m all in for a nonlinear timeline, multiple perspectives, and a glimpse into a world unfamiliar to me, in this case the art world. I wish I had known in advance that Anita in this story was based on a real Cuban performance artist, Ana Mendieta, who had a very similar life (NY Times article).

This story follows art history student Raquel in 1998 and artist Anita in 1985. While researching Anita’s famous artist husband for her thesis, Raquel discovers Anita, who had largely been erased from the art world. Initially, I started with the audiobook but was quickly turned off by the overly dramatic narration for Anita. I pivoted to reading which was much better. However, soon after I got immersed in the story, Anita came back as a ghost after her untimely and questionable death and this caught me off guard as I was not expecting this element in the story. I powered through and enjoyed the resolution, though I wished Raquel could have sorted out her personal and academic challenges a bit sooner. ⭐️⭐️

What have you been reading lately?

Disclaimer: AVikingInLA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Related posts:

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  3. What I’ve Been Reading Lately (December 2021) & #ScandiReadingChallenge Update