Upcoming reading challeges

 There are two upcoming reading challenges in November that I'm delighted and excited to participate in, mostly because I think that it will get me out of my comfort zone.

The first is Novellas in November which is hosted annually by Bookish Beck  and 746 Books. This is my first time attempting this challenge. The below is my proposed list - of course it could change.

The second challenge I'm doing is Nonfiction November. 

It's hosted by Book'd out here. While I generally do read a fair amount of non fiction I think that this is just another way to get more in.  Here's what I'm hoping to read.

Happy reading!

REVIEW Peck and Peck by Bonnie Garmus

 

I was so excited when I heard that Bonnie Garmus had a new book coming out. I adored Lessons in Chemistry largely because of the main character (although the story itself is fire too) and I was never more excited than when I learned that my hold was ready.  

In this novel, we meet Batter in 1982 NYC. Batter was named after the family dog, who assumes a heroic status in the family's home (kind of like Superman honestly) and Batter LOVES poetry. Batter, therefore, has a lot to live up to. One other thing about Batter: he is a twin, however his twin is no longer alive. That loss is something that Batter also carries around with him and poetry provides a refuge for him. His parents don't seem to understand that and hope that he'll go to college, where he'll major in something practical so that he can get a job and support himself. His best friend, Paul (who is Batter's college roommate) seemingly waits for years for Batter to snap out of the poetry funk that he's in. Batter, however, has dreams of working at the poetry periodical that is the namesake of this novel. He moves to NYC and gets a job there, making copies in "The Bunker," a room in the basement that is windowless and has mail chutes (like at the bank) from which he pulls his jobs as they come in. The rest of the novel details his bizarre experiences while working at the publishing house.

I thoroughly enjoyed how Garmus poked fun at poetry publishing while also acknowledging that poetry is beautiful if done right. I've never been a tremendous fan of poetry and I don't read it at all.  It's the one area of my reading life that is not developed at all so I'll have to take her word for it. Garmus also does a masterful job in developing Batter's character arc, going from a confused and not very confident person, to someone who is secure in who they are (AKA has less then zero f**** to give) and it's amazing to watch. Of course, Garmus does all of this with her sarcasm and wit (which is yet another reason that I love her as an author) and I found myself chuckling or snorting at various different parts. 

This one is definitely worth the read. 

REVIEW: Helltown by Casey Shermany to

 

This book is in the same vein as Truman Capote's In Cold Blood - it is a true crime/partially fictionalized book about serial killer Tony Costa, a serial killer in Cape Cod that was active in the late 1960's.  Tony Costa was an interesting dude - he was seemingly a godlike and charismatic person for many of the young hippies living in P-Town at that time.  In fact, they called him "sire," which I found odd. He was intelligent, well spoken and had an ability to draw people together Charlie Manson style.  But he was also VERY, very dark and messed up. He fancied himself as the wolf of the steppes and his favorite book was Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. He was also a drug addict, using everything from pot to LSD, pills and heroin. He gave drugs out to the people in his "family" like candy, presumably to keep them bound to him physically as well as psychically. Costa grew his own pot in the woods in Truro (which is literally the next town up the Cape from Provincetown) and this became his kill site/dumping ground for his victims. He was also an amateur taxidermist who wanted to go to medical school (yikes).

This book takes us through Costa's early life, to his killing spree, his eventual capture and the kangaroo trial that he participated in as well as its aftermath. Interestingly, both Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut were living on the Cape during this time period, with Vonnegut acting as almost a reporter (while working on Slaughterhouse-5) and Norman Mailer both writing about this scary debacle. We learn about their lives as they intersect with Costa's case.  We also learn about the historical events that may be connected to Costa's case (including the Manson family, Ted Kennedy and the Lady of the Dunes).

I was mesmerized (and disgusted) by this book. The murders were absolutely brutal and Sherman does a really good job describing them, but not salaciously ("just the facts, ma'am").  He also did extensive research, utilizing trial transcripts, police reports and other primary sources in writing this book.  The fictionalized portions were limited, seemingly, to Costa's self speak, and it didn't take away from the true crime portion of the book.  Definitely worth the read- I had no idea that this had occurred (and I'm a serial killer/true crime aficionado).  

Links I love

 

I have received good news from  the pathology reports! I have clean margins and clean lymph nodes. This is all huge and good news.  I have been officially staged at stage 1 and have consults with oncology and radiation oncology.  I will definitely have to do that and hormone suppressing therapy (yay forced menopause) and likely not chemo (although we have sent the little alien out to be tested for reoccurrence and how responsive it is to chemo). Once we have the test results back we will have a final decision on the chemo but the surgeon was pretty confident that there is low risk of reoccurrence.

1. 9 Sour Kids candies ranked. 
2. Some haunted house books that will keep you up at night. 
3. Pope Leo is gradually resuming normal duties and so am I!
4. What does a white house press secretary   do?
5. The best adventure novels.
6. Why are so many authors not naming the narrator?
7. Five essential books for understanding Chinese American history.
8. If you like true 
9. If you like true crime but get sick of the violence, here are some True Crime books that aren't violent.
10. 6 of the best book retreats across the world.
11. The real history behind Camp Crystal Lake. This cracks me up. at  freaks me out.
12. 10 creepy books that aren't considered to be horror. 
13. Best books set in India.
14. The menopause care guidelines have been updated.
15. Yikes - I also remember watchin ng Notre Dame burn. :(
16. This is so weird.a
17. Ten books everyone should experience at least once. 
18. What happens to a book that is challenged but isn't banned from a school library?
19. The real Sherlock Holmes.
20. Meet the best debut novelists of 2026.
21. What the 80 year olds with 50 year old memory are doing.
22. Jaylen Hurts has a blood clot - risk factors for them are pretty common.
23. This looks interesting.
24. Some mystery novels that are inheritance mysteries. 
25. Mystery and thrillers set in the woods.
26. Can a dream help you to solve a problem?
27. Ways to relieve stress on your body after sitting at your desk all day.
28. Dark Academia books - I LOVE this type of book.
29. Southern Gothic Horror novels are also the best. 
30. Christina Applegate was misdiagnosed? What it means for women.
31. This mystery may have been solved.
32. Who was Catherine van Hemessen?
33. Best colleges ranked.
34. one hit wonders from the 1980's that you know all the words to.
35. Some classic rock hits that almost went to different artists.
36. Tom Skerritt has passed away - I will always remember him as Dallas in Alien and Viper in Top Gun. He was 93. This year has seen way too many famous people pass away.
37. Barnes and Noble has its best book of the year list out already.
38. The forgotten stories behind campaign buttons.
39. Have sippy cups been around forever?
40. What a good girl
41. Where are the stars of the 1990's now?
42. The Roman remains in Westminster Abbey have been identified.
43. 9 books that complicate the South Asia Diaspora.
44. After hanging out for a while, a mysterious hanging rock has fallen. I brought the kids to this attraction years ago and they loved crawling through the caves. This wasn't quite as traumatic as when the Old Man fell off though.
45. Was Van Gogh's starry night inspired by a real celestial event?
46. Publisher's Weekly has also named its best books of 2026.
47. Why it feels like people are all reading the same books.
48. The books that shaped this poster''s 20's.

I'm currently reading Peck and Peck (the new book by Bonnie Garmus), and listening to The Girl With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate (who also narrates - I love it when the authors narrate their own books).  I have been re-watching Mind hunter and also watching Mad Men. I wish that they would have another season of Mind hunter but I don't think that will happen.

I have also discovered Whatnot, where you can bid live on many different items. I've gotten a ton of Christmas gifts, books, and other items there for much less than retail - including Coach purses, Adidas sneakers and other items.  Check it out.

REVIEW The French Illusion by John Grisham

 

I have always kind of liked Grisham for a quick, easy read - almost a palate cleanser- and he certainly didn't fail me with this one.  Surprisingly, this wasn't a courtroom thriller - I may be completely off here, but I think that this is the first novel where Grisham isn't doing anything in a courtroom. 

The very first people we meet are Paul and Chelsea Tanner - they have just gotten married and are headed to Paris for their honeymoon, the planning and itinerary of which are very public on social media thanks to Chelsea.  The couple is kidnapped during a day trip to Normandy and what follows after is the thrill of how they're going to be gotten back (a feat which involves multiple federal agencies).I definitely enjoyed the novelty of a Grisham book about international intrigue but I also thought he did a masterful job in  presenting the intimacy of what a kidnapping does to the families of the people involved. The families were clearly feeling helpless and without agency. They were sad and stressed and the kidnapping had wide ranging rippling effects that we tend to forget during the everyday course of hearing about these incidents. I also enjoyed, and really appreciated, Grisham's exploration of power, fear and justification.  

The pacing was perfect for what I was looking for and the short chapters lets you get your reading in in short spurts.  This was a solid 3/5 for me.

REVIEW A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

 

I love me a good St. James novel especially when it's particularly close to Halloween because her books seem to combine just the right amount of dark and supernatural and mystery so I was very excited when I learned that she had a new book coming out. This novel is set in Fell, NY (the same town that The Sundown Motel was set in). Fairly early on in the book, you find out that three siblings - Dodie, Vail and Violet Esmie, have a brother named Ben that disappeared one day while they were playing hide and go seek and has not been found.  These acts happened 18 years earlier. The siblings have decided that it is finally time to return to the family home in Fell (which has remained empty since their parents' death) to find out what happened to Ben and why Violet is only called "Sister." Each of the siblings seems to have a special, natural power - Violet can see ghosts, Vail sees lights and Dodie is haunted by water that continuously drowns her. 

I genuinely enjoyed this book - it had the right amount of spookiness and terror and the pacing was very good.  The book is slow burn Gothic, which is exactly what I was looking for. However, there was simply too much going on such that St. James couldn't seem to tie it all up neatly for us. Don't get me wrong, it's really good, until the end, which was disappointing. The character that I enjoyed the most was Vail, followed closely by Violet. I could deal a little less with Dodie, who seemed like a stereotype on legs. This is definitely a good, solid read by this author, although perhaps not her best.  I look forward to her future novels.  

Links I love

 

I have had my surgery and am waiting for results. I was worried about the anesthesia but that turned out to be ok.  I'm trying to take it easy and give my body some grace while I recover. I'm still feeling pretty sore and I had a headache and sore throat for a few days (I was intubated). 

1. Grace Walker's debut book wins a major award,
2. Why you wake up earlier the older that you get. 
3. What a breast lump feels like.
4. Why witches are depicted with pointy hats. 
5. Pope Leo is getting lung surgery this week. He apparently has lung cancer.
6. Two Americans won the Nobel Prize in Economics. 
7. Here's what to do if you're unsure about your measles vaccine status.
8. Classic Mexican novels.
9. Campus mysteries that look intriguing. 
10. RJ Mitte, who played Walter Jr. in Breaking Bad, has passed away.
11. Have you ever run political attack ads - in the wrong state?
12. Books that combine true crime and a Gothic feel.
13. What does it mean to be well read?
14. The Nikon comedy animal awards are up.
15. If you use Libby, here are some tips from a librarian.
16. This just put me into overload.
17. If you're like me, you hate the longer nights and early darkness. Here are some ideas for improving your mood.
18. Best horror books of the century.
19. The biggest stars of the 70's and where they are now.
20. Sally Roony can no longer sell her books in the UK.
21. Maybe I will try to make this.
22. 20 celebrities that you didn't know were twins.
23. The scariest movie in the year that you were born.
24. Halloween traditions that don't exist anymore.
25. I love locally roasted coffee. They are online here.
26. Make a sick day kit for flu and cold days.
27. Five works of folk horror that aren't for the weak hearted.
28. Some essential books for understanding North Korea's cult of personality.
29. 9 words from the sixties that we still use today.
30. 25 songs that were written for only the movies.
31. How TikTok is changing the English language. 
32. Baby Cheetahs - on Livestream!!
33. 7 extraordinary indigenous sites from the US
34. Freddie Mercury would have been 80 this year and so his costumes are taking center stage at an exhibit.
35. Books to read before they hit the screen.
36. Ultimate fall 2026 reading list.
37. WHat do ghosts, witches and vampires smell like?
38. There are new treatment rules for menopause treatment.
39. There is a new movie - on Elizabeth Holmes?!
40. Barnes and Noble picks for the best books of 2026.
41. Trying to move past the stereotyping of the American South.
42. Five essential books to understand the Venetian ghetto and Jewish history.
43. Thoughts while re watching When Harry Met Sally.
44. 7 regency era etiquette rules that would drive people mad today.
45. 
    

I'm currently reading The Last Girl and listening to Greenlights.

REVIEW Taipei Story by RF Kuang

 

This novel follows Lily Chen, a college student at Yale, who travels to Taiwan to study in an immersive, intensive language program in Taipei with other college students. The trip seems doomed to failure right from the start - Lily and her roommate have misjudged their living arrangements (the plumbing is unreliable, it is very small and cramped in the apartment, they don't like each other much), the program is way more rigorous than she thought it would be and she seems to be constantly burnt out from not being able to communicate in Chinese with the people that live in Taiwan. That doesn't stop her from really yearning and hoping that she will fit in someday due to her Chinese heritage. The novel is set in the city of Taiwan with its smells, food, cultural experiences and people. 

I generally really enjoyed this novel and finished it fairly quickly.  This wasn't a typical Kuang book (she also wrote Babel and Katabasis) and I thought that it was not only brave that she was exploring different genres but also that she generally did a good job. She was exploring themes related to coming of age, culture shock, shame at failing your heritage and being too American. The book seems to be almost completely introspective. Lily is experiencing things and we are witnessing her inner monologue as she experiences them.  I really enjoy learning about people and so I enjoyed this - even though Lily wasn't always likeable (I don't think she was meant to me). Having said that, I was disappointed by the ending, which felt more like the middle of a chapter than an actual ending - although I very much related to the feeling of goodbyes with people that you have been immersed with for a while.

I generally thought that this was a very good first effort.  

REVIEW: Black Dahlia by William Mann

 

I'm obsessed with True Crime, if you couldn't tell.  This was and is the OG true crime mystery and still hasn't been solved. It has been, in my opinion, a long time coming as it is very victim centered and works to debunk the victim blaming that has occurred for decades. 

For those of you that don't know, Elizabeth Short has been identified as the Black Dahlia - a woman that was found bloodless and bisected at her torso (and obviously dead) in a grassy lot on a very cold January morning in 1957 in Los Angeles. In writing this book, Professor Mann has relied upon documents that he got through FOIA requests which included but are not limited to autopsy reports, grand jury transcripts and police reports.  In writing this book, the author hopes to humanize Elizabeth, although he cannot give us any further ideas as to who may have committed this horrible act. Ms. Short's means were particularly limited - she was one of four girls that was being raised by a single mother in Medford, MA after her cruel father left the family.  In the wake of World War II, she was one of many young girls that migrated to LA hoping to break into Hollywood. She often left behind debts in rooming houses and relied upon men to buy her lunch at the lunch counters. Her teeth were terrible, and she often fixed them with melted wax poured into her mouth. 

What I really loved about this book was how it captured the LA of the turn of the century and really attempted to humanize the victim.  His book focuses less on who the killer was and actually focuses on SHort's last months in an effort to assist in figuring out who she was. It also was an encyclopedia of mess-ups on the part of the LAPD, including officers that go rogue and failures to account for certain suspect's and their alibis.  

I very much enjoyed this intriguing and well researched book, and appreciated the perspective that it provided.  Definitely a much needed take on an approximately 80 year old case. 

Links I love

 

It finally started to get cold this weekend. We had our first frost advisory and I had to turn the heat on. I was hoping to get to November before doing it but here we are.  I got tagged for my surgery which is on Thursday.  Things are starting to feel really real now. I am scared mostly that I won't wake from surgery, at least in the immediate future, and long term, that it has actually spread to multiple body parts.  

• No one expected Leo to be Pope, except those who knew him as Bob.
• Just short of it's 200th  birthday, a natural history museum shuts down.
• Some of these look good.
• Five funny science fiction books.
• According to some editors, these are the best movies to watch during spooky season.
• Some "dad jokes" that will leave you in stitches.
• The Nobel Prize in Medicine goes to three scientists who were researching brain activity.
• Nine novels about people that are the poorest people in the room.
• Michael Douglas in the limelight.
• 11 contemporary books perfect for autumn reading.
• 7 smells that defined fall in the 1980'a.
• Locations from horror books that you can actually visit.
• Here is the National Book Award shortlist for poetry and the shortlist for fiction. The list for translated literature is also out.
• Oprah has selected her latest book club read.
• Epistolary thrillers that let the evidence do the talking.
• On the life and death cycles in Sylvia Plath's work
• The best new historical fiction coming out this month.
• Best epics for for those that like fantasy books.
• 18 books about librarians.
• Why does the Headless Horseman carry a pumpkin?
• Decline in reading is the main threat tMusto the EU book trade.
• The Kirkus book awards for 2026 have been announced.
• Thrillers most famous lawyers.
•  Must read historical mysteries of the fall.
• The biggest scary movies for each year in the 80's.

I am currently reading A Box Full of Dreams by Simone St, James - it's her most recent and has the perfect creepy vibes for right now.  I'm listening to This is Me: A Reckoning by Hayden Pannetiere and is narrated by her, which is very odd given her recent, tragic death.

REVIEW The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

I read this book in high school and loved it and that feeling still remains after this reading. I picked this book up because my daughter is reading this and wanted to be able to talk about it in a more in depth way.  The narrator of this book is Nick Carraway, Gatsby's neighbor, although he is definitely from a different socioeconomic class than Gatsby is. At the beginning of the novel, Nick has only heard of Gatsby and his parties. Everyone seems to have been to one. One night Nick gets invited to a party and it absolutely changes his life. We learn about a man whose reputation really outshines his substance. He is rumored to have studied at Oxford, been a war hero and has so, so many outlandish stories.  But when we get down to it, we learn that Gatsby is tragically flawed and that is his undoing.

Although some might find the plot slow, I didn't feel that way at all.  The prose and tension building is beautifully written. It really makes you sit back and really re-assess your priorities in life (much much less than a cancer diagnosis is but there we are). Its deconstruction of the American Dream is absolutely brilliant.  This novel, though short, definitely deserves its status as the great American novel. 

I am selling my copy - you can find it here. 

REVIEW The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hilderbrand

 

This is the sequel to the Academy which came out last year I believe.  The characters from last year are now Seniors, worried about SAT's, college applications and graduation. Additionally, the teens we met last year are also going through some interesting experiences.  The Golden couple - Charlie and East - are fighting a lot. The star QB - Dubs - and his go to wide receiver/best friend are seemingly estranged. ANd there's a new day student - Pippa Sacks - is really upsetting the social landscape at the boarding school. And the Dean is also dealing with financial issues.Over the summer, the school somehow lost like 7 million out of its operating budget. 

This book was exactly what I needed to read after reading about white supremacy in the last book that I reviewed. This is fast, frothy and light, but also kept my interest. Who doesn't like a boarding school novel? Especially in the fall? I enjoyed how the book took apart the college application process as well as the life at a boarding school.  There never really was a moment where I thought that the book should move more quickly, the pacing was pretty good. What I didn't not particularly like is that everything seemed to resolve too neatly.  They were sometimes abrupt. However, that being said, it's still a very compelling read and I would recommend it. 

If you like Elin Hilderbrand, I'm selling an autographed copy. If you are a Pangobooks member, you can also make me an offer.  

REVIEW: American Reich by Erich Lichtbau

 

A co-worker told me about this book first, which put it on my radar and then I read about it on NPR and thought that it was a sign that I needed to read it so I got it from my library. This book looks at the simmering growth of white supremacy in Orange County, CA through the lens of the 2018 murder of Blaze Bernstein, a gay Jewish man, by Sam Woodward, a high school classmate Neo-Nazi. It also incorporates other cases (more superficially) and the history of white supremacy in the United States.  Sam Woodward was part of a shadowy Neo-Nazi group called the Atomwaffen Division and he lured Bernstein out, then stabbed him 28 times before hiding his body in a local park. Woodward was ultimately convicted of the homicide in 2024 and is currently serving a life sentence for the crime.

This book was as fascinating and essential as it was shocking and disheartening to me. It details the surge of Neo-Nazism in the last decade and clearly links that surge to the presidencies of Donald Trump, whose statements have seemingly provided permission for these groups to operate openly, as opposed to in the shadows that were previously in. This book not only details the history but also discusses the number of murders linked to these groups that never actually reach the national news media. It was truly shocking. This book was truly engrossing, well written and necessary. Lichtbau has clearly done his research and has made that research accessible to all in this book. It is a valuable expose of the far right that everyone should read regardless of your political persuasion. Run out and get this one ASAP.

Links that I loveree

 

These past few weeks have begun to feel like autumn.  I love this weather!  Autumn is my favorite time of year. I now switch between hot and iced coffee depending on my mood - in late spring and summer I prefer just iced coffee.

On the cancer front, I have a lumpectomy scheduled for October 15 and I have had genetic testing, which has revealed that I do NOT have any of the genes, or gene misfirings, that cause breast, uterine, ovarian or cervical cancer.  This is very reassuring.  

On the reading front, I have met my Goodreads goal of reading 75 books this year!  Everything else is now icing on the cake!  

• 10 classic novels that are the perfect fall read. 
• Kyle Maclachlan reflects on working with David Lynch.
• Cardio v. strength training for heart health.
• Are these stressors speeding up your aging process?
• Four books that complicate motherhood.
• 8 quiet books to read to block out the noisy world. 
• The real story behind the "witches" of England. On a related note, why English law used hanging to punish witches while Scottish laws used burning.
• Exercise after cancer.t 
• Obama's new podcast is the best kind of book club.
• What is healing fiction?
• October 2026 BOTM selections.
• Kit Harrington's favorite books.
• 6 mysteries set in the early historical period.
• The ten states with the worst weather.
• Top song from every year of the 70's.
• This book is on my nightstand!
• Parental rage is real, but NPR can help with some ideas to control it.
• People think of everything.
• America's best student podcasts
• First novel prize shortlist has been announced.
• 5 horror novels set in Georgia written by Georgian authors. And five horror novels set in country grand mansions. Tis the season.
• The best James Baldwin books.
• 92 cozy fall reads.
• Naps and longevity - is there a link?'
• The True story behind the Widower (which is on Netflix),
• 14 movies to look out for in the fall
• Four books for you to read if you enjoyed Practical Magic.
• Books that the author wishes that she had as an undocumented child.
• Libraries in Kentucky are seeing more books checked out with the cell phone bans.
• Secret lives of men who read romance novels.
• A 1700 year old Egyptian tomb has been discovered. This has always been really fascinating to me.
• 20 best books to read in October, according to Kirkus. And 20 books to read for book lovers, again according to Kirkus.
• Books to read if you haven't read any books as a fully formed adult.
• The finalists for the 2026 Circador prize. 
• This little guy was found on Cape Cod.
• Some books to look forward to this fall from NPR.
• 9 suspense books with unforgettable settings. 
• Books recommended by Ms Magazine.

I am currently reading Black Dahlia and listening to Greenlights.

REVIEW: Sisters of the Midnight Sun by Rebecca Wright Stevens

 

Not going to lie, I have an obsession with True Crime. This is the story of the 1993 murder of 2 sisters in the Northernmost point of Alaska. Their bodies were discovered in one of the sisters' homes. The bodies appeared to have been moved and a sexual assault seemed to have occurred. Ms. Stevens, one of the local Public Defenders, was assigned to represent one of the main suspects in the case. Her legal journey with him forms a bulk of the basis of the memoir, although she recounts her life living in Alaska as well (which is also absolutely fascinating).  As such, it is a penetrating, memorable and amazing memoir of her time in the Arctic Circle. 

What I found most fascinating was the tension between the American justice system, which ensures rights to a defendant such as a jury trial, rights of confrontation and due process and rights to privacy whereas the Iñupiaq method is infinitely older and requires that the community be involved in determining the fate of the Accused. If the community determines that the Accused is guilty, then retribution could be swift and fatal. It could also include banishment to the tundra which is also fatal. 

This is a tremendously skilled and intriguing narrative.  Stevens does a wonderful job in weaving her own narrative of her time in Alaska with her job as a Public Defender there. I loved how she described her feelings towards representing her client as well as the location. I also enjoyed learning about the tension that existed between the two cultures and gained a deeper appreciation of indigenous culture as well as the struggles that pervade it.  This was a fascinating, well paced and important book. Highly recommend.