2025: Review in Books

This year, I didn’t always log rereads, so most of these are the new books I read. In 2025, I was working on a gothic horror kind of project that I have ultimately shelved for the time being, until I can take a sabbatical in England to study the geography, history, local plant life, and castle architecture (dream big!). I have since shifted my focus to a different project that requires less historical research to pull off. Let me know if there are any takers on funding that sabbatical, though!

Best Scary Things

I think you should read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and Diavola by Jennifer Thorne close together. I listened to both on audiobook, and they would be complimentary.

Good Use of Magic

I listened to Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young on audiobook with the audio speed turned down so it was read slightly slower than standard, which is not a thing I usually do, but it added a really languorous, calm pacing to the telling. I really enjoyed it that way. I think the use of magic in this book was lovely. The story was ultimately about the characters making human choices (not the magic), which is important when magic is involved in storytelling. Overall, well done.

Best Nonfiction

If you are interested in the history of chemistry and medicine, or if you think you know everything there is to know about alchemy from osmosis through your consumption of fantasy books and movies (or New Age self-help), you should probably check out the The Secrets of Alchemy by Lawrence M. Principe to learn about the long history of these endeavors that have led to modern day medicine and chemistry. It was an academic read (slow, small print, in paperback, in the wee hours after work and on weekends), but it was worth it.

2023: Review in Books

I read quite a bit this year, mostly on audiobook.

Favorite Thriller/Mystery

Louise Penny’s Glass Houses

Louise Penny’s Three Pines series and her character Armand Gamache are familiar friends to me by now. I love how Penny approaches the nature of artifice. She builds a world, not unlike our own, but full of a gentle magic. Gamache and the community of Three Pines can be overcome by the dark things of the world and not be overwhelmed by them, at least not permanently overwhelmed. The answer to these dark, terrible acts is always the rise of something good - joining in community, forgiveness, and grappling with trauma through art and poetry.

Favorite Horror

Felix Blackwell’s Stolen Tongues

This is a scary one. There is a haunting and a monster, and it reads really well on audiobook. I highly suggest the audiobook version since the horror is so related to what can be heard.

Favorite Fantasy

Steven King’s Fairytale

This is a portal fantasy that theorizes about the nature of…stories? The hero’s journey? It’s quite a fun, easy listen (audiobook) for those who like to be a little disturbed. I’ll also say that King knows how to pull at a person’s heartstrings, but I think almost crying at certain parts is probably a requirement of most good books.

Favorite Odd One

Erin Sterling’s The Ex Hex

I don’t usually read romance or urban fantasy. That’s just not where I gravitate toward. However, this book is both. I was reading (audiobook) a lot of intense thrillers with world-ending consequences and suddenly felt I needed to read something with lower stakes. This fit the bill and was a truly enjoyable read/listen. It’s an enemies to lovers romance, and both parties grow to become better versions of themselves and deal with old sore spots and past personal issues.

PS. I also self-published another notebook. Check it out :)