February 2026

 

February was a very cold (and snowy) month. Perfect for a comfy chair and a book or two. And I read a book or two, or three, or....

 

As usual a mixed bag. Some were good, some meh, some excellent, A few (less than usual) rejects which I'm not bothering to list. 

 

There are two entries in my personal prompt  "books with the word 'last' in the title." This has now been going for a year and I see no end.

 

Fiction: 

Departure by Barnes, Julian

Really liked this one 

The Old Fire by Dusapin, Elisa Shua; translated from the French by Higgins, Aneesa Abbas 

Excellent! 

The Infamous Gilberts by Tomaski, Angela 

A good read about a seriously dysfunctional family.

Meredith, Alone by Alexander, Claire 

It's been over three years since Meredith left her house.

Murder Will Out by Breedlove, Jennifer K. 

Not just murder; ghosts too. Nice debut mystery. 

What a Way to Go by Mackie, Bella

What a fun romp!  

A Family Matter by Lynch, Claire 

Dual time line (1982-2022) Family breaks up in 1982 when wife leaves husband for a woman. Husband gains custody of their only child (a three year old girl) because of wife's lesbian relationship.

We Run the Tides by Vida, Vendela

So-so coming of age, San Francisco, 1980s,   

Listen by Bronwasser, Sacha; translated from the Dutch by Colmer, David

An awful use of the second person narrative style.  

The Land in Winter by Miller, Andrew 

Not bad, but I wish I'd skipped this one. 

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Matchar, Emily 

Another one I wish I'd skipped. Not bad, but...not good. meh

Fireflies in Winter by Shearer, Eleanor 

This historical novel about Jamaican Maroons in Nova Scotia should have been interesting but I was bored.  

  

Her Last Breath  by Adams, Taylor

A well paced thriller with as many twists and turns as the cave it is set in. 

Her Last Flight by Williams, Beatriz  

An OK read.  

 

Nonfiction:

Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America by Sherman, Sean

In addition to the information about food and the recipes there is historical and geographical background. An excellent resource. 

Cocina Puerto Rico: Recipes from My Abuela’s Kitchen to Yours by Castro, Mia 

Another beautiful cookbook.

The Greek House: The Story of a Painter's Love Affair with the Island of Sifnos by Brechneff, Christian  

I really enjoyed this.  

 

Talkies by Eddie Cantor; Illustrated by L. T. Holton

Essay in Redbook (magazine) February 1930. 

  

January 2026

  

One of my October birthday gifts. I loved it!

A really good reading month - or should I say "months" as it took me over two months to read one of my gifts. Fortunately it isn't something that has to be read straight through and I was able to set it aside now and then to read some library books. Most of them were very good. 

Non-fiction was a mix. The two WW2 (one from the ETO and one from the PTO) were both very good. Strata was disappointing.  

Fiction:

The Crimson Petal and the White by Faber, Michel 

900 marvelous pages  

Cursed Daughters by Braithwaite, Oyinkan 

Multi-generational tale of a Nigerian family.

The Book of I by Greig, David

"I" doesn't refer to the first person singular, it refers to the Isle of Iona. A place I tried to visit years ago but could only view across a narrow strip of extremely rough water. (The ferryman refused to make the crossing.) 
The Weekend Crashers by Brenner, Jamie

Are the guys crashing the knitters' retreat, or are the women crashing the bachelor party? Whichever, high-jinks ensue.
The Rest of Our Lives by Markovits, Benjamin

An impromptu road trip by an ailing man.
The City in Glass by Vo, Nghi

Back in November I wondered if I might start a new theme - Books with "city" in the title. So I picked out a few. I decided not to vigorously pursue the theme, but I glad I considered it because it led me to this great story!
Beasts of the Sea by Turpeinen, Iida; translated from the Finnish by Hackston, David

A fine fictional account of Bearing sea explorations the led to the discovery of  Steller’s sea cow..

Is This a Cry for Help? by Austin, Emily 

A librarian's struggle with mental illness...
The Last Language by duBois, Jennifer

Meh. Maybe, after a year, it's time to let the "Books with 'last' in the title fade out. I seem to be rejecting or reluctantly reading a lot of them. (see February 2025 post.) No, I'll stick with it since there are five of them on my holds list!

 

Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Mushtaq, Banu; translated from the Kannada by Bhasthi, Deepa

A disappointing collection. Maybe something is missing in the translation? It seemed like I  was reading the same story over and over. 

Contents: Stone slabs for Shaista Mahal - Fire rain - Black cobras - A decision of the heart - Red lungi - Heart lamp - High-heeled shoe - Soft whispers - A taste of heaven - The shroud - The Arabic teacher and Gobi Manchuri - Be a woman once, oh lord!

  

Nonfiction:

Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi-Occupied France by Gorham, Christopher C. 

Midnight in Broad Daylight: A Japanese American Family Caught Between Two Worlds by Sakamoto, Pamela Rotner 

 

Veteran Who Served for Both Japanese and US Forces Turns 100  by Damask, Kevin

Serendipity. I ran across this news story shortly after I finished reading Midnight in Broad Daylight.  

Strata: Stories from Deep Time by Poppick, Laura  

This really should have some visuals: photos, charts, timelines, etc. And I don't care what everyone she interview was wearing or how long their hair is.   

Ladies' old-fashioned shoes by Greig, T. Watson

Love these shoes! 

 

  

Checked out from library but decided not to read:

One Last Shot by Cayouette, Betty 

I was put off by the writer's introduction TMI! Then the awful characters. 

6:40 to Montreal by Jurczyk, Eva 

Boring, made it to p. 65 

Blue Ticket by Mackintosh, Sophie 

December 2025

 

I haven't worked my way through the blind books I received for my birthday in October and now there's more! So now I have another TBR pile! 

I'm not doing an end of year recap, nor am I making any predictions for 2026 other than "Read." 

December brought lots of good reading, some duds. I continued with my theme of books with the word "last" in the title. I'm still not sure if I want to embark on one with "city" in the title. All library books. Once again my "owned but unread" TBR gained on me.

Fiction:

The Silver Book by Laing, Olivia

Excellent novel about the making of two films (Fellinii's Cassanova and Pasolini's Salò) and the death of Pasolini.

Deeper than the Ocean by Ojito, Mirta 

I really liked this multi-generation, dual timeline story, Mara in 2019 explores her Canary Island/Cuban ancestry and finds all sorts of family secrets.

The Ferryman and His Wife by Grytten, Frode ; translated from the Norwegian by McCullough, Alison

Last day in the life... 

Sacrament by Straight, Susan 

Nurses on and off duty in San Bernardino hospital during Covid surge in the summer of 2020. 

The Sunshine Man by Stonex, Emma

Very different from Stonex's  The Lamplighters but every bit as good.

The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore by Fajardo, Anika 

An adult orphan travels to Cali, Columbia to learn about her birth parents.

The Man Next Door by Roberts, Sheila 

Three generations of whiny, nosy women in a slow paced  story that can't make up it mind whether it's a mystery, drama, or romcom.

City of All Seasons  by Langmead, Oliver  

This was an OK read, not great, not bad.

The Restoration Garden by Blaydes, Sara 

I liked the idea of this but the execution was rather flat. I never got a real feel for the garden, the house,  nor either of the time lines (present day/1940). The characters' motivations didn't make much sense. 

The Italian Secret  (Billie Walker Mystery #3) by Moss, Tara

Another just OK read. I figured out the "secret" way to early. It could have been tighter.I don't think this is an author I will follow.

 

The Last Queen by Rochette, Jean-Marc
Graphic novel about WW1 soldier, an artist, and a bear. The best of this Month's "last" books.

Last Call at the Savoy by Carleton, Brisa 

A very nice addition to the "last" titles. I do enjoy novels set in hotels and resorts. 

Last Call at the Nightingale (Nightingale Mysteries, #1) by  Schellman, Katharine  

I almost didn't finish this and was thinking "too bad because it's the first in a series and the all have "last" in the title." After setting it aside for a week or so I finished it and enjoyed the last half. So maybe I'll read the others. #2 is now in my library TBR stack

 

Nonfiction:

The Route 66 Cookbook: The Best Recipes from Every Stop Along the Way by Ly, Linda 

I probably won't try to fully reproduce any of the dishes presented but there is a nice mix. Lots of burgers, some Mexican dishes, a taste of German cookery, and, when we make it to the terminus, seafood.  I liked the historical notes on the various eateries along the way. 

 

The history of the bistro chair – a Paris icon by Pappas, Charles

Ah, yes, I remember it well. In the early 90s when I was recovering from major surgery My doctor was dubious about my upcoming Paris trip (arranged and paid for prior to the unexpected medical hing). He was concerned that I would spend too much time on my feet. I told him not to worry, this wasn't my first Paris trip--it was my tenth. I would find a nice cafe  and sit and sip and let Paris walk by. It was a splendid week!

 

Ancient Carved Ambers in the J. Paul Getty Museum by Causey, Faya 

  

Checked out from library but decided not to read:
Lucky Seed by Huang, Justinian 

Felt like I was being yelled at.
Canticle by Edwards, Janet Rich 

Started out OK but got boring fast.

Suggested in the  Stars (Scattered All Over the Earth #2) by Tawada, Yōko 

Last year I enjoyed the first book, but this one was a reject. 

Rabbit Cake by Hartnett, Annie

A lot of reviewers found this charmingly quirky.  I found it annoyingly silly. I quit at p. 60. I was disappointed because I liked Harnett's The Road to Tender Hearts.

November 2025

A sign? I did some browsing at a local library the other day. I decided to see if there was anything of interest to me on the New SCF shelf and the Langmead looked like something I might enjoy. Next display over was the New MYS section with the Murphy book which had just gone onto my TBR list. I found a comfy chair and read a couple of random pages in each and decided to check them out. 

 

Next I got out my phone and looked at my list of possibles at this library and there was the Jemisin series! So I added book #1 to my stack. Next morning my daughter was perusing my shelf, "Hum, cities. Do I see a new theme here?"

 

"Well maybe, but I'm not stopping the "last" theme. See, there are two of those on the shelf. I also have holds placed on another five!"

 

She told me she had read and liked the Jamisin book and had read something else by Langmead and liked it. Then she took off to her cozy reading spot and I started my morning adventures on "The Internets." I opened LibraryThing, clicked on "folly" (left column menu on Home: page) and selected "Book of Yours" (which brings up a random title from my collection). What was the book?  This Is Not Your City  (Caitlin Horrocks) a short story collection I read and liked back in 2012!

 

All things point to a new theme, but I'm also keeping the "Last" one. Here are the word 'City' in the title books I picked up on this library trip: 

  City of All Seasons by Langmead, Oliver K. 
  The Ivory City by Murphy, Emily Bain
  The City We Became (Great Cities, #1) by Jemisin, N.K.

I can't help thinking there must be a book or two out there somewhere that have both "last" and "city" in the title. 

 

Here's what I read this month (liked them all unless otherwise noted).

 

Fiction: 

The Lamplighters by Stonex, Emma 

Three man Cornish lighthouse crew goes missing.

Heartwood by Gaige, Amity 

Female solo Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing in the Maine woods. 

Love After Love by Persaud, Ingrid

One of my not-so-plain-brown-wrapper birthday gifts. (see October 2025 post) This one set in San Fernando, Trinidad and New York City. I really liked it.

Evensong by O'Nan, Stewart 

Aging women taking care of aging women in Pittsburgh.

Some Bright Nowhere by Packer, Ann

Dying woman's husband and her besties cope with care giving. Set in Connecticut & Maine.
The Eleventh Hour by Rushdie, Salman 

A good collection. I highlighted my favorites. 

Contents: In the South -- The musician of Kahani -- Late -- Oklahoma -- The old man in the piazza. 

 

The Ivory City by Murphy, Emily Bain

This mystery set at the 1984 St. Louis Fair was OK. She got the historical setting, the fashions (both personal dress and interior decor), and available technology just fine but I wish she (or an editor/fact-checker) had spent more research on the language of the time.

The Gardener's Plot: A Mystery by Benoit, Deborah J. 

Another OK mystery. 

Queen Esther by Irving, John

I wish he hadn't written this mess. 

 

Nonfiction: 

Athens: Food, Stories, Love: A Cookbook by Kochilas, Diane 

Loved it! It's more than a cookbook.

The Art of Jacques Pépin: Favorite Recipes and Paintings From My Life in the Kitchen by Pépin, Jacques  

I don't cook much these days but I sure like foodie picture books.  

The Other Girl by Ernaux, Annie 

The author's musings on the child her parents had and lost before Annie was born.

Things That Disappear by Erpenbeck, Jenny; translated from the German by Beals, Kurt

A delightful little book of brief essays. 

Stan and Gus: Art, Ardor, and the Friendship That Built the Gilded Age by Wiencek, Henry 

Architect Stanford White and sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Rather creepy guys. I kinda wish I'd skipped this one. 

The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer by O'Connor, Anne-Marie 

Another winner from my brown-wrapper gifts.

 

 

Sotheby's : Leonard A. Lauder, Collector | Evening Auction, 18 November 2025, Lot 8. 

Gustav Klimt: Bildnis Elisabeth Lederer (Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer)

This auction came up just as i finished The Lady in Gold. What a treat to read the the cataloge notes for this painting.  

 

Checked out from library but decided not to read:

The Everlasting by Harrow, Alix E. 

A New New Me by Oyeyemi, Helen 

Perfection by Latronico, Vincenzo  We Are Green and Trembling
We Are Green and Trembling by Cabezón, Gabriela 

The Persians by Mahloudji, Sanam 

The Dinner Party by Sandt, Viola van de 

Last Acts by Sammartino, Alexander

October 2025

 

Some of my "blind" birthday books. (There are a total of ten.) 

 

Fiction:

The True True Story of Raja the Gullible by Alameddine, Rabih 

Not his best but very close. 4+ stars 

What We Can Know by McEwan, Ian

It was good, not great 

The Turner House by Flournoy, Angela

Saga of a large Black family in Detroit 

We Need No Wings by Cardinal, Ann Dávila 

Widow comes of age at sixty. 

The Original Daughter by Wei, Jemimah James 

Sisters (one adopted0 in Shanghai

A Murder in Paris by Blake, Matthew

The murdertook place in 1945, the consequences are now. 

The Grand Paloma Resort by Natera, Cleyvis 

The dark side of luxury resorts. 

He Started It by Downing, Samantha

Diabolical family road trip 

Empty Wardrobes by Carvalho, Maria Judite de; translated from the Portuguese by Costa, Margaret Jull; introduction by Zambreno, Kate

Heart the Lover by King, Lily  

Really disappointing, almost DNF

Vintage 1954 by Laurain, Antoine 

Fun light read. 

Pocket Bear by Applegate, Katherine

A Middle Grade story about rescued stuffed animals and a real live cat that befriends them. 

Starring Adele Astaire by Knight, Eliza

Bio-fic which lacks energy.  One of my birthday books,

The Last Spirits of Manhattan by McDermott, John A.

Ghost guests at an Alfred Hitchcock party. 

     
The Dogs of Detroit by Felver, Brad

Gritty short stories focusing on grief, well written, but not to my taste. 

Contents: Queen Elizabeth - Throwing leather - Evolution of the mule - The ear of good feelings - How to throw a punch - Unicorn stew - Stones we throw - In the walls - Out of the Bronx - Hide-and-seek - Country lepers - Praemonitus, praemunitus - Patriots - The dogs of Detroit.

 

The Reunion by Angela Song    
"Having any kind of heartbeat at eighty-four years was a good sign, right?"

Nonfiction: 

We Survived the Night by NoiseCat, Julian Brave 

Excellent A huge amount of information about the history, politics, customs, and lives of  Native Peoples of Canada and USA. 

This Is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web by Berners-Lee, Tim  

Filled in some gaps,

Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization by Queeney, Tim

Uneven, I skimmed a lot.  Also Googled a bit because this could have used some better illustrations.

The Roma: A Traveling History by Potter, Madeline

Learned a lot from this. 

The Girl in the Middle: A Recovered History of the American West by Sandweiss, Martha A. 

Native American history, plains.

 

COMIC: One Sioux chef's attempt to reclaim Native American cuisine by Rachel Faulkner White, Chelsea Saunders, LA Johnson

 

The Golden Melons of Samarkand by Anna Ansari

 

DNF:

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Desai, Kiran 

Booker shortlist - but I'm not reading six hundred and something pages of bad writing. 

American Soul: The Black History of Food in the United States by Malik, Anela  

Learned nothing from this. A coffee table book that is heavy and awkward to hold. For all its size, it's shallow.
The Wayfinder by Johnson, Adam 

Way too much of a good thing! Read 300 of 736 pages. Library get it back and I won't pick it up again. 

 

Checked out from library but decided not to read:
Little Movements by Morrow, Lauren 
What a Time to Be Alive by Chang, Jade 
If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You by Stein, Leigh

Misinterpretation by Xhoga, Ledia