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Books

Notable books read in 2025

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According to Goodreads, I read 52 books in 2025, averaging about 1 book a week. Here are some of the more enjoyable reads, of my favorite fiction and non-fiction choices.

The Sentence, by Louise Erdrich

Despite the beginning section of this story, I fell in love with Tookie, an Ojibwe ex-con, and all the other characters in this wonderful book, much of which takes place in the author’s bookstore, Birchbark Books. Although I did peter out a bit about two-thirds of the way through the book, overall I found it well paced, and easy to move through. So well written – it deserves another read through, just to absorb all the great words (and sentences!).

The beautiful poster lady: a life of Ethel Reed, by William S. Peterson

What a serendipitous find! Many years ago, in graduate school, I wrote a paper about the artist Ethel Reed (1874-1912), as I was intrigued by a short section of a book, about the history of illustration, that mentioned Ethel Reed, and stated that her fate was unknown. I didn’t get very far in my research for my graduate paper about what happened to her, but fortunately Dr. Peterson did. I stumbled onto this book at a bookstore in Rockland and was so thrilled to find it, and to finally discover what happened to Ethel. Sadly, her life beyond the mystery wasn’t happy, but I was still glad to learn about it, and see her beautiful posters and book art displayed in this lovely book. I was so taken by the book that I wrote Dr. Peterson, and he responded in a very appreciative way.

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade, by Janet Skeslien Charles

A magnificent story, based on real people involved in getting books in the hands of soldiers in World War I France – I was engaged and engrossed all the way through. I loved the characters, setting, story, charm, humor, and warmth. At first, I was disconcerted with the more modern-day story, but I soon fell in love with Wendy and Roberto, and so was thoroughly charmed by that section, too.

The Emily Dickinson cookbook: recipes from Emily’s table alongside the poems that inspire them, by Arlyne Osborne

A friend mailed me this book, as a distraction from an upcoming shoulder surgery. And indeed it was, as well as being a perfect book post-surgery, for curling up with, reading a few pages each time. It was a lovely blend of poetry, stories about Emily, delicious looking recipes, and had a beautiful layout with visual appeal.

The British booksellers, by Kristi Cambron

Another in the “the power of books during war time” genre, this book goes back and forth between periods of time in the character’s lives, and has likeable characters, good story, appealing setting, and interesting history (WWI and WWII Britain). The love the main characters have for each other is endearing.

A marriage at sea: a true story of love, obsession, and shipwreck, by Sophie Elmhurst

I have read quite a bit of “sea stories” but was not familiar with this one. I really liked the style of writing in telling the story – I had no idea how it would end, so I found myself turning page after page to find out what happened to this British sailing couple, Maurice and Maralyn, throughout their journey in life together, including many days adrift at sea. After finishing the book, I took a deeper dive into their story, which is always the sign of a good book.

The seamstress of Acadie, by Laura Frantz

I always believe that historical fiction is a wonderful way to access history, and this novel did it beautifully. While I was familiar with the Acadian expulsion, I really didn’t know much about it. I not only learned a lot, but was entertained by a good story, with interesting characters. And I love a good ending, which this one has.

Stargazing year: a backyard astronomer’s journey through the seasons of the night sky, by Charles Laird Calia

I have always loved the idea of the night sky, and gazing at the stars. This book drew me in, with the dreaminess and gentle tone, and humor. I didn’t absorb it all, so I may have to go through and reread it – maybe out loud to Michael. I love how the author took us through the year, and interwove his past history (his mother, an astrologer, was very intriguing). Great dialogue, including with his young daughters, and overall such a beautiful, well-written book.

Still life, by Sarah Winman.

This is a fantastic read, with a touch of whimsy and wonder, and quirky characters and beautiful writing. Admittedly, much of the earlier part, which takes place in a village in England, is quite depressing and dismal, but once the characters take off on a road trip to Italy, the magic happens. Towards the end, the earlier story of one of the main characters drags on, and I lost interest. But still, most of the book is a lovely tale of post-World War II Italy.

The New York Times:  Footsteps: From Ferrante’s Naples to Hammett’s San Francisco, literary pilgrimages around the world.

This is my kind of writing – literary pilgrimages and travel writing makes for a wonderful combination, and on top of that, wonderful writing about both familiar writers and people I knew nothing about. I also liked the blue type, the illustrations, the cover, and the nice short chapters. Delicious!

So, from stargazing to the Canadian expulsion, and all in between, a wonderful variety of books sparked joy in 2025 – and this year is already off to a great start, too! (January is the best time to curl up with a good book). May the new year bring many wonderful books your way!

Books

Notable books read in 2024

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According to Goodreads, I read 45 books in 2024, and here are some of the ones I enjoyed most:

The frozen river, by Airiel Lawton

This was my favorite book of 2024 – a choice of the Long Island Community Library book group. The novel, based on the real life person of Maine midwife Martha Ballard, brings  this late 18th century historical period in Maine history to life in such a vivid way, with humor, good writing, and exceptional storytelling. I was riveted!

Northern lights, by Desmond Holdridge

This is an amazing true tale of three lads who sail a small sailboat in the early 20th century from Nova Scotia to Labrador.  I read this book out loud to Michael and we both loved it – the writing, the story, the drama, the setting. Of course, I always wonder about books like this, that are written after the fact, with total recall of details and conversations. But still, a rollicking good yarn!

The Paris novel, by Ruth Reichl

This book came into my life at the perfect time – I needed something light and delicious. I have mostly read Ruth Reichl’s non-fiction, but was eager to read this novel about a young American woman who experiences the culinary delights and experiences of Paris and the French countryside.  I loved every page, and the characters and setting. I made me really want to go to France. It was also fun to read the author’s note about who in the book was real – it’s a good sign when a novel makes me want to do more research.

Stability: how an ancient monastic practice can restore our relationships, churches, and communities, by Nathan Oates

This wonderful book introduced me to an idea that was new to me: stability, especially in the concept of the Benedictine vow of stability. As someone who has been married to the same man for almost 30 years, lived in the same house for about 28 years, and has had the same job for over 27 years, this resonated with me. In my younger years I did move around a bit, and while I can still be somewhat restless, I am very content to stay in my home and community – and church! for the rest of my life. Evergreen is a very small island church, but there is a core group of us who show up every Sunday – I am so grateful for those who make that commitment. When we did our independent studies at Evergreen last summer I shared this book, and the concepts within, with my church group. I found the book to be very readable, insightful, and charming.

New girl in Little Cove, by Damhnait Monaghan

I came across this title somewhere and recommended it to the Long Island Community Library to purchase.  I am so glad they did, because I ended up really enjoying his wonderful tale of a young woman who arrives in a small outport village in Newfoundland to teach French at the local school. Definitely my kind of book! I especially love the setting – we have been to Newfoundland three times and it’s one of my all-time favorite places on the planet. The author did an amazing job of telling this story, based on her experiences. She hit the right notes of plot, characters, pacing, wit, and the local flavor. I’m also very glad this book is in paperback, as it was perfect to carry on my commute on the ferry.

The sea around us, by Rachel Carson

We had recently read James Stavridis’ The sailor’s bookshelf : fifty books to know the sea, and this was one of the ones he recommended. I was more familiar with Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, although I had never read it. But this book, originally written in 1951, was so elegantly and beautifully written, and sheer poetry at times. I read it out loud to Michael, and we loved the enchanting names of geographic places, real and imagined. It’s a timeless classic (although interesting to think of the knowledge we’ve gained since then about the “sea around us”).

Simon the fiddler, by Paulette Giles

Paula Johnson recommended this book to me – I had read “News of the world,” and didn’t love it as much as most people did. But this book is truly magnificent – the characters, setting, and writing. Perhaps it was the music that really pulled it all together. I play the “fiddle” (violin) – poorly, but I still love playing. So this book, about the adventures of a fiddler at the end of the Civil War, really struck a chord. After I finished it, I found out that Simon and Doris were characters in “News of the World,” so I may have to look at that book again to find out how they first appear. I’m so glad the author created this book around them. It was fun to learn that Paulette Giles is also a musician and plays with a band.

Blooming of Delphinium, by Holly Varni

Like The Paris novel, this book came at the right time in my life, when I needed something light and lovely. The characters are wonderful, and the chemistry between the two main characters, Delphinium, a florist, and Elliot, the director of the assisted living facility in Moonberry Lake, was engaging. I loved the seniors who camp out at Delphinium’s flower shop, and the overall warmth and generosity of spirit in the novel. I’m a sucker for most novels about flowers, and people who love flowers, and this one hit the right notes.

Books

Notable books read in 2023

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It’s that time again, to reflect on interesting and notable books that I read last year. According to my Goodreads site, I read 48 books, with the shortest book being “Flunking sainthood: a year of breaking the Sabbath, forgetting to pray, and still loving my neighbor” by Jana Riess at 179 pages, and “The dollmaker” by Harriette Simpson Arnow at 677 pages (which I ended up skimming much of).  The average book length was 311 pages, which is perfect: too much longer and I start to get grumpy, and really, I think most good stories should be told in about 300 pages.

The most read book was “Lessons in chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus, which I loved, but because it’s so popular I won’t highlight it. The least read book was “Snowshoe and lancet,” which I will feature in my list below. Some of my other favorite books this year I have written about in previous blogs, such as Ride of her life, and Drinking the rain, so I will not spotlight them in this list.

So, below is my list of recommended books to read:

Snowshoe and lancet: memoirs of a frontier Newfoundland doctor, 1937-1948, by Robert Skidmore Ecke.

This book was a serendipitous find. I came across a Christmas card from Robert P. Tristram Coffin to Robert Ecke in a book that I catalogued at the Maine Historical Society, and then I catalogued the card. I was intrigued enough to research Ecke. When I learned about his time as a doctor in Newfoundland I was hooked enough to trot down to the Portland Public Library to find his book. This amazing book by Robert Ecke (1909-2001), based on his diary, is a blending of graphic descriptions of medical procedures with the social customs of the Newfoundlanders. And lots of tea drinking! I’m so grateful this book was published, although it took many years after the fact. I think it would make a wonderful BBC series.

The flower arrangement, by Ella Griffin

This book of intertwined stories takes place in a flower shop in Dublin, Blossom and Grow. Cleverly, each chapter’s flower represents a story. This is one of those book which after reading it the first time I reread much of it, to try to figure out when and where the characters popped in and out of the chapters. This was such an enjoyable read, and I loved the characters, writing, setting, and all things flowers!

Fun with Fred: life with OCD and hoarding: a humorous memoir, by Leslie Robinson.

I’ve known Leslie for about 30 years, and while I know she struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I had very little idea of the depth of this struggle until I read this book. Leslie brings the reader straight into what OCD and hoarding looks like on a daily basis. While many of us have piles that need tending, and are prone to “gather” items that we may someday need, most of us are able to quickly dispose of extraneous and unimportant flotsam and jetsam in our lives and move on without a second thought. We can relate to OCD because we understand it, but only on a surface level. This book is a must read for anyone who has OCD, hoards, or knows someone with these disorders.

The winter sea, by Susanna Kearsley

This novel about Scotland is a wonderful way to learn about a period of Scottish history, the Jacobite expedition of 1708, through the eyes of Carrie, an author who travels to Scotland to immerse herself into the geography as background for her book. My only quibble was that there was a bit too much history and too many historical characters to keep straight, but having the explanation of the real figures and story at the back was very helpful. My favorite part was when Carrie initially finished writing the book, and her editor said, “Oh, no you can’t end the book like that – way too depressing.” Sometimes I find myself rewriting depressing endings, so I could appreciate the editor’s perspective!

Hare with amber eyes: a family’s century of art and loss, by Edmund De Waal

As an archivist and history person, this was my kind of book, as the author tried to track down the provenance and stories of his family’s artifacts. This tells quite a tale of a family, who crisscrossed Europe and Asia, for various reasons, while managing to hold onto their collection of netsukes. I was drawn into the story, and I liked the unique voice of the author.

Alena: a novel, by Rachel Pastan

This was a serendipitous find – when I saw the book was based on Rebecca, and written by an author I had read another book by, I had to pick it up. The story really drew me in, and I loved the main characters. The author takes Daphne du Maurier’s classic “Rebecca,” and places it at a small museum on Cape Cod, with various twists, such as the main character being a museum curator. I was mesmerized all the way through, and in fact, went back to reread some favorite passages.

Waterlog: a swimmer’s journey through Britain, by Roger Deakin

This book, which apparently launched the international wild swimming movement, seemingly took me as long to read as it probably did for Roger Deakin to swim. Which isn’t to say I didn’t like it, but a few pages was all I could read at a time. I would like to read it again sometime as I felt like I couldn’t quite absorb it the first time around. Next time I read it I’ll have an atlas by my side so I can see where he swam. Regardless of all that, this is an amazing book about one man’s quest to swim in all sorts of waterways in England.

The Blackout book club, by Amy Lynn Green

I would read a little of this book, about a library and librarian in a small town in coastal Maine during World War II, before turning out the light at night, and it seems like each time I would say to myself, “I really love this book.” I’m not sure why, beyond the good stories and characters. Just something about how it was put together and the storytelling. One fun thing about the book is that one of the characters is from Long Island – yes, our Long Island! I went on the author’s website later to find out more about this connection.

The involuntary American: a Scottish prisoner’s journey to the new world, by Carol Gardner

I learned about this book when I was working on the Sharon Anderson Long Island history research papers for the Long Island Historical Society. Sharon’s folders about the Doughty family introduced me to Thomas Doughty, the “involuntary American,” who arrived at the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the winter of 1650-1651, after the Battle of Dunbar. Turns out there are other families in this collection, including the MacVanes, that are also descendants of Scottish prisoners of the same era. It was fascinating to learn about this period of history that I knew nothing about. It’s also a good background to 17th century New England history.

Island of missing trees, by Elif Shakaf

This novel introduced me to the Cyprus crisis in 1974, which I also knew nothing about. This book is another great example of accessing history through fiction, in this case a horrific war. Despite the serious subject matter, this is actually a lovely book, and one of the voices is that of a fig tree!

May this list introduce you to some books that may not be as visible as the usual bestsellers, but bring some added layers to your reading.