Monday Reading Report and 2025 Wrap-Up

I haven’t published much on the blog this year. Almost nothing, actually. I’ve had some personal challenges this year that took up time and energy I might otherwise have devoted to reviewing and book discussions. But even though I haven’t posted much, I’ve still been reading and taking note of what others are reading. So instead of talking about what I'm reading here at year's end, I thought I’d do a little wrap-up report on what I read during the year, and look at a few stats. 

I've listed the books alphabetically, with their ratings. The star ratings are those I use for rating books at LibraryThing. Here’s the system I use over there:

✭✭✭✭✭ = All-time favorites and new discoveries that I loved - not many get this rating
✭✭✭✭ = Really liked it - an author I might consider reading again
✭✭✭ = An enjoyable read, but nothing extraordinary; most books will fall into this category
✭✭ = It was OK, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to others
✭ = Mediocre; disappointing; had trouble finishing
DNF (Did Not Finish) = Books I started reading and then put aside. This doesn't necessarily mean I didn't like a book, just that I wasn't able to finish it or didn't feel like continuing with it. Might or might not finish it later.

Excluding Dr Seuss and a couple of other children's books that were re-reads of childhood favorites, I didn't discover any 5-star reads this year. However, there were a few that came very close. For top three I'd choose Huxley's Crome Yellow, Zorrie by Laird Hunt, and Ready for My Close-Up by David M. Lubin. Surprisingly, none of those were mysteries or thrillers. 

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First, some stats. Lists of books read will follow. 

• Total number of books read = 49 (almost made it to the 50-book goal)
• Number of DNF books (not included in the list) = 7 (I think)
• Number of fiction books = 44 
• Number of nonfiction books = 5 
• Total number of pages read = I have no idea, but I intentionally avoided chunksters this year
• Number of books published in 2025 = 7
• Number of books published before the year 2000 = 27
• Number of non-crime related fiction books  = 12 (ignoring the kiddie lit, which – thankfully – did not have anything to do with crime)
• Print books vs Electronic books = 18 print / 31 ebooks
• Number of audio books = 0 (I don't like them much)
• Number of library books = 0 (shame on me) 
• Best book to read aloud = Fox in Socks, by Dr Seuss 
• Best book to read if you want a good laugh = Anguished English, by Richard Lederer

Adult Titles Read in 2025: 

1. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language, by Richard Lederer; illus. by Bill Thompson (1987) ✭✭✭✭
2. The Book of Illusions, by Paul Auster (2002) ✭✭✭✭
3. The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2), by Erle Stanley Gardner (1933) ✭✭✭✭
4. Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley (1921) ✭✭✭✭½
5. Easeful Death (DCI Bill Slider #25), by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025)  ✭✭✭✭
6. The Ellsworth Case (Markham Sisters #5), by Diana Xarissa (2016) ✭✭✭✭
7. The Fenton Case (Markham Sisters #6), by Diana Xarissa (2016) ✭✭✭✭
8. The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1), by Robert B. Parker (1973) ✭✭✭✭
9. Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen (Gordon McAlpine) (2013)  ✭✭✭✭
10. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4), by Alan Bradley (2011) ✭✭✭✭
11. The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1), by Ann Cleeves (2025)  ✭✭✭
12. Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1), by Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025) ✭✭✭½
13. A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2), by John le Carré (1962) ✭✭✭✭
14. Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4), by Robert Thorogood (2025) ✭✭✭½
15. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland", by Jenny Woolf (2010) ✭✭✭½
16. Origin (Robert Langdon #5), by Dan Brown (2017) ✭✭✭
17. The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1), by Stuart Palmer (1931) ✭✭✭½
18. The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher (2016) ✭✭✭½
19. Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21), by Rex Stout (1952) ✭✭✭✭
20. Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream, by David M. Lubin (2025)  ✭✭✭✭½
21. Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12), by Eva Gates (2025)  ✭✭✭
22. Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #1), by Gladys Mitchell (1929) ✭✭✭
23. Strange Houses: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2021) ✭✭½
24. Strange Pictures: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. by Jim Rion (2022;2025) ✭✭✭
25. The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11), by Eva Gates (2024) ✭✭✭½
26. Writers and Their Notebooks, by Diana M. Raab (2010) ✭✭✭
27. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #01), by W.J. Burley (1968) ✭✭✭
28. Zorrie, by Laird Hunt (2021) ✭✭✭✭½

Children's Middle Grade and Young Adult Titles:

1. The Experiment, by Rebecca Stead (2025)  ✭✭✭✭
2. Little Jeanne of France, by Madeline Brandeis (1929) (this was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
3. Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4), by James Howe; illus. by Leslie Morrrill (1987) ✭✭✭✭
4. The Velvet Room, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965) ✭✭✭✭

Children’s Books - Picture Books and Easy Reading: 

1. The Christmas ABC, by Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962) ✭✭✭✭
2. Doctor Dan the Bandage Man, by Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭½
3. Fox in Socks, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965) ✭✭✭✭✭
4. The Fuzzy Duckling, by Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949) ✭✭✭✭
5. If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998) ✭✭✭✭
6. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965) ✭✭✭✭
7. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986) ✭½
8. The Library, by Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭
9. The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1971) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭
10. The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
11. Nurse Nancy, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭½
12. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960) ✭✭✭✭
13. The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986) ✭✭✭✭
14. Tawny Scrawny Lion, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren (1952) ✭✭✭✭
15. The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen; adapted and illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book 2000) ✭✭✭✭
16. XO, OX: A Love Story, by Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017) ✭✭✭✭

Hard to Categorize:

1. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour (Miss Petitfour #2), by Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022)  ✭✭✭½

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's been quite a while since I posted a Monday reading update. I haven't really been doing much blogging here at A Little Reading (only two posts last year!), but I'm still reading and thought I might try to get the blog going again. Of course, I've said that before and yet, here I am a year later, saying it all over again. So we'll see how it goes. 

During the Christmas holidays, I read three books. Three very different books, all of them chosen to fulfill various reading challenges over at LibraryThing....

The Donaldson Case
by Diana Xarissa (2016)

The X-Files: Ground Zero

by Kevin J. Anderson (1995)

James

by Percival Everett (2024)

I haven't finished any books in this new year, but I've got a couple started.... 

The Mystery of Lewis Carroll

by Jenny Woolf (2010)

Origin

by Dan Brown (2017)

Jenny Woolf's study of Lewis Carroll has a lengthy subtitle: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland." She brings up many interesting questions about Carroll and has some intriguing - and occasionally unpredictable - answers. I'm enjoying the book, though I'm not sure I accept or agree with all her theories and explanations. 

I've just started Dan Brown's Origin (the 5th book in his Robert Langdon series), but so far it's just as fast-moving as all his other thrillers. So even though it's something of a chunkster (between 500 and 700 pages, depending on the edition), I think it might be a quick read. 

Happy New Year, everyone!
Have a great week, and Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

I have no idea what happened to the last month or so. Time flies, right? But I know what's happened to the last couple of weeks — for me, anyway. I came down with COVID right after Thanksgiving and I've been pretty wiped out ever since. I think I might be on the mend now, but I don't wanna speak too soon. I thought I was on the mend last week, too — and then, the dreaded rebound set in. So at the moment I'm in wait-and-see mode, with fingers crossed. 

But even with the brain fog, I've managed to finish a few books, so far this month....

Gambit
(Nero Wolfe #37)

by Rex Stout (pub. 1962)

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng

(21st book in the Pendergast series)

by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

(expected pub. - Jan. 2023)

Terminal Freeze

(Jeremy Logan #2)

by Lincoln Child (pub. 2008)

Those are by three of my favorite authors — I expected them to be entertaining, and they didn't disappoint. 

Not sure what's on the list for the rest of December, but at the moment I'm reading a classic bit of humor by another of my favorite writers. Because, right now, I could definitely use a few laughs....

How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes

by Will Cuppy

(first pub. 1931)

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

September seems to have disappeared while I wasn't really paying attention. But that's OK — it's never been one of my favorite months, even though it's my birthday month. Or maybe BECAUSE it's my birthday month. Anyhoo, I find it's suddenly October, a much nicer month (imho). 

I don't think I posted a reading update during September, so here's what I read last month:

J.R. Silver Writes Her World

by Melissa Dassori

Small Angels

by Lauren Owen

Stay Awake

by Megan Goldin

Back to the Garden

by Laurie R. King

And here's what I'm reading right now:

Late Harvest Havoc
by Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noel Balen

The Final Equinox

by Andrew Mayne

I haven't been posting any reviews here on the blog this year, and I regret that. I like to say at least a few words about everything I read, so in the future I can go back and see what I thought about the books. Because, you know, the memory isn't getting any better as the years melt away. So, I'm hoping to get a few reviews up this week. At least, that's the plan right now. 

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

I keep trying to bring this blog back to life, but I don't seem to be having much luck. This has been a really hectic summer around here, and I haven't had much time for reading or blogging. Yeah, I know — excuses, excuses.....

And since I haven't had a huge amount of time for reading, I've mostly been looking for quick reads that don't challenge my brain too much. Mostly whodunnits, thrillers, and lots of children's books. Comfort reads. Here's what I've finished in recent weeks:

Chrysalis
by Lincoln Child

(Jeremy Logan series, Book #6),

Death by Beach Read
by Eva Gates
(Lighthouse Library series, Book #9),

And the kiddie lit:

Amelia Bedelia

by Peggy Parish
illus. by Fritz Siebel
(First book in the series)

Mrs Armitage on Wheels

by Quentin Blake

Many Moons

by James Thurber

illus. by Louis Slobodkin

Afternoon of the Elves

by Janet Taylor Lisle

This week I'm finishing up yet another book for young readers...

Howliday Inn
by James Howe

(Bunnicula series, Book #2)

...and another thriller...

The Omega Factor

by Steve Berry

So far, it looks like not much is going on this week, and it's way too hot to try to do anything outdoors. Maybe a good time to get some reading done. I've got my fingers crossed! (Not really — the arthritis put a stop to that years ago.)

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

I'm a little late getting this posted. I'd like to say I've been so busy with holiday fun, I just haven't had time to read or blog today. But that would be a bit far from the truth. I've mostly just been sitting around, watching Wimbledon on TV and playing with the NY Times Spelling Bee word game. So, not a lot of excitement around here on this July 4th. Which is OK — I like a quiet life. 

Haven't done a great deal of reading lately, anyway. Universal forces seem to be conspiring against me this summer — whenever I settle down with a good book, something else crops up that needs tending to. But at least it keeps me moving and prevents total stagnation. And at my age, you do need that push. 

Since my last update, I've only finished two books...

Black Orchids

(Nero Wolfe #9),

by Rex Stout

and...

The Marlow Murder Club,

by Robert Thorogood

Both of those were very enjoyable, and would have been quick reads without all the real-life interruptions. 

This week, I'm hoping to finish this one....

Death by Beach Read

(Lighthouse Library Mystery #9),

by Eva Gates

Then, I might get back to one I had to put aside for other things last month...

The Omega Factor,

by Steve Berry

That should be enough to keep me occupied for the next few days. Happy 4th of July to everyone here in the U.S., and...

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

Reading Update - 30 May 2022

I haven't posted a reading update for quite a while. As usual, the year seems to be getting away from me — here we are at the end of May already. And I ask my usual end-of-the-month question: How did that happen?

In the last few weeks I've finished several recently-published books...

The Hidden,
by Melanie Golding

The Christie Affair,
by Nina de Gramont

City of the Dead,

(Alex Delaware #37)
by Jonathan Kellerman

The Children on the Hill,

by Jennifer McMahon

The Fashion Orphans,

by Randy Susan Meyers

and M.J. Rose

...and a couple of vintage mysteries...

The Case of the Silent Partner

(Perry Mason #17),

by Erle Stanley Gardner

The Moving Target

(Lew Archer #1),

by Ross Macdonald

All were enjoyable. Some more than others, of course. Hope to get some reviews up this week. 

At the moment, I've got three or four books going. This week, I'll be trying to finish The Omega Factor, a new thriller by Steve Berry, coming out next month.

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

Reading Update - 21 February 2022

February is not my favorite month of the year. It's cold. It seems like the longest month of the year even though it's the shortest. And it's spelled funny. It's just usually a very frustrating time of year. But even with all that frustration, I generally get a lot of reading done in February. This year, for some reason .... not so much.

So far this month, I've read a bunch of children's books, but haven't finished any grown-up books. Second childhood? Perhaps. Anyway, here's what I've read this month....

But I do have a couple of adult books going, too. Right now, I'm about halfway through this one....

It's definitely a grown-up read. Now I just need to keep myself from sliding back into toddler mode so I can finish it! 

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.