books – Peaceful Reader

Best of 2025

As readers we love these posts because we can look at what other readers loved, compare notes, and possibly add on to our large TBR piles (to-be-read) which could be actual stacks in your house or lists upon lists. Reading is still a very good escape from what’s happening around us. And yet we cannot dig our head in the sand, we have to stay aware of the atrocities happening now. Many of these titles help to understand the human experience which is one of the many reasons I read.

I want to emphasize a variety of unique authors that I discovered this year.

Books:

⭐️Moon of the Turning Leaves (#2) by Waubgishig Rice: This dystopian sequel was just as good as the first. Evan Whitesky and a scouting party hike out onto the territory to find out what is happening in the world. This takes place ten years after a blackout that left them without resources.

⭐️The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhorn: I read this for book club and Martha Ballard has stayed with me. She was a midwife and healer in 1789 and her diary notes become integral to solving a murder after a woman is raped in the community. I started a daily journal after I read this. Mine is much more mundane than hers but I like the practice.

⭐️When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash: I don’t know where I heard about this book but I really enjoyed the mystery. Sheriff Winston Barnes investigates a death at their small airfield in North Carolina and finds more than he can handle. I really connected with this story and the characters.

⭐️There, There by Tommy Orange: he’s been on my list to read for years and I finally picked it up and was moved by this story of the Big Oakland Powwow. Old friends are connecting and trouble is brewing underneath it all.

⭐️Caucasia by Danzy Senna: in this debut novel Senna tells the story of Birdie and Cole, raised by their white mother and black father in 1970’s Boston. Birdie can pass as white while Cole is Black like her father who ends up separating the sisters, taking Cole to Brazil with his new Black wife. This was such an interesting well-written story! She’s the wife of Percival Everett, another author I admire.

⭐️Kindred by Octavia E. Butler: this is another book I’ve meant to read for years and I finally did. I was swept away with Dana as she finds herself transported to the antebellum South where she interacts with the plantation owners son, Rufus. Butler is a master storyteller.

⭐️Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller: small town Troy, Georgia is home to two very different women, Beverly Underwood and Lula Dean. Lula embarks on a journey to rid the local library of “unfit” books and she starts a lending library with more “appropriate” books. One teenager takes on the challenge to help in a very unique way. I loved all the quirky community members in this story. Perfect for what we are experiencing now with the banning of ideas and morals.

⭐️The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner: this is a YA novel that has a message for everyone. Dill’s dad, a Pentecostal minister, is in prisoner and his friends Lydia and Travis are his sole support system. The three of them are bonded together because of family troubles and their outcast school status. I cried at the end because I fell in love with their friendship and their struggles.

⭐️Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds: written years ago and left in a drawer by this rock star author, he eventually published as only an audiobook. I listened to it on @Libby after hearing him speak about it at the AASL library conference this fall. It’s a riveting tale of Stuy, his mom, and an unruly cast of friends and family. It’s like listening to a play with music and sound effects throughout.

⭐️I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys: this is historical fiction at its best! This story takes place during the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989 Romania. The story is told by 17 yo Cristian Florescu who dreams of being a writer. I remember when this was taking place but the details in this book made the era come alive. I’ve read three of her books and have her on my top list for middle grade fiction books as well.

My top book of the year was :

⭐️A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, a novel focused on an Indian-American Muslim family with three unique siblings, Hadia, Huda, and Amar. The story takes place throughout their childhood as they grow up, make mistakes, and lose faith in each other. I loved Mirza’s writing.

I also read some more well-known and current reads like The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein, James by Percival Everett, The Wedding People by Alison Espach, The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, We Solve Murders by Richard Osman, Evie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes, Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Kline, The Women by Kristin Hannah, and Broken Country by Leslie Clare Hall; all of which I highly recommend.

I also read eight Elin Hilderbrand and two Annabel Monaghan, which are great palate cleansers for heavier reading and emotions.

Stay safe out there. Make daily phone calls (5 Calls) to your representatives. I have a list of middle grade and nonfiction to follow.

Fall Books

I love when you finish a book and you hug it and want to start over again. When this happens I go through the rolodex in my brain and imagine who would also love this story. Recently this happened when I finished read Jeff Zentner’s The Serpent King, a story about three teenagers struggling to survive in their small Tennessee town. Zentner created such interesting characters in Dill, Lydia, and Travis with their own idiosyncrasies and some very unfortunate family situations. It was an amazing read.

Jason Reynolds was at the library conference in St Louis last month and he was a great speaker. He mentioned two things about his life that stuck with me. 1. He takes a bath everyday to relax and soak away all his anxiety/troubles. He holds a lot of heartfelt energy from writing and the kids that he meets in school visits. 2. He wrote something years ago that later was produced into Soundtrack, an only-audio book that is scripted. I put it on hold while I was sitting in the conference and was it arrived I was amazed at the brilliant writing; it was a great listening experience. Listen to this NPR interview with Jason. He is so open and honest. Love his books.

High Tide in Tucson : Essays from Now or Never by Barbara Kingsolver was such an interesting read. It was written in 1996 and talks a lot about George Bush and the Iraqi war. Her essays are vibrant and I was happy to learn more about her life. So much of what she talks about is still very relevant today.

The Anxious Generation : How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt took me a long time to read because I’m not a strong nonfiction reader BUT I powered through. One of my big complaints about nonfiction or books with studies/graphs, etc is that they are too long and that is true of this one. I did learn a great deal and was already in the “computers are not helping us as much as we think” camp especially where social media is concerned. We spend far much time buried into technology. Last night my husband and I went out to dinner and we sat near a table of 6 college aged females and until their food arrived their faces were glued to their phones; no chatting or sharing going on.

I’m headed off on a fun vacation to San Diego with my daughter over the next week and I’m very much looking forward to the sun. I had two books packed and two books ready on my kindle and I realized that might be overkill so I unpacked The Seven Year Slip and will read that later.

Yoga + Random Thoughts

Yoga saved me these last few years. Heart surgery is far memory now and yoga has helped me regain muscle and physical confidence. It started with Adriene but then, Sam, a young friend of mine opened a studio in the neighborhood and I’m hooked. Teaching is a lot more emotional these days and a good round of yoga after school helps with that energy.

Some weeks I’ve managed to make classes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Some weeks I only make a 2-3 classes but either way I’m thankful I have a place to go that feels like home. Many studios across the country focus on hot yoga or fast exercise yoga. I know I’ll offend someone with this statement but I like real yoga that means something, that goes a certain pace, that builds up and slows down into a well-intentioned savasana. I’m there to be in tune with my body, to flow for sure yet I don’t want to move at breakneck speed. There are different kinds of yoga for a wide variety of people. I just like what I like and I’m glad that many of Sam’s classes are perfect for me.

Random Thoughts:

I’m reading three great books right now and they are all about hard topics:

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller-family trauma mixed with old love but lots of trauma

The Huntress by Kate Quinn-WWII women and Nazis

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey-I’m listening to this and it’s interesting but I do not like the abusive father-son relationships.

End of the school year is coming up fast. I don’t feel ready and yet I’ve also packed my summer (possibly) too full.

Saw Japhy over Memorial Day weekend and it’s just never enough time. I’d take them all back home again for a spell. Go back in time.

Recent Reads

I’ve finished these four excellent books in the last few weeks of February:

Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon-a beautifully written historical fiction about a midwife’s journey as she takes care of her family and her community during a crisis. I didn’t want to put this book down at the end of the day.

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis-Ashlyn Greer owns a used/rare bookstore and as she holds certain books she can catch a feeling of what the previous owner was experiencing. When she gets a hold of a pair of unique books she sets out to find more about the author.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty-I listened to this one which is difficult for me but the narrator, Caroline Lee, is fantastic which makes it worth it. The Delaney family is experiencing a bit of a crisis when a young girl ends up on their doorstep with a tale of woe and puts the family at odds with each other. I very much identified with the mother, Joy.

The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand-On my continued quest to read all things Elin on my e-reader this one was available and brought me to tears. Dabney Kimball has always lived on Nantucket. She’s a skilled matchmaker and is able to see either a green or pink glow around certain couples. This one has all sorts of twists and turns, old and new loves, a daughter who needs the comfort of home for just one summer with heartache at the end.

And I’m reading the Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune, the sequel to The House in the Cereleun Sea; both so good I don’t want the story to end and both have much to say about LGBTQ/transgender folx that are under fire right now in our crazy world. But that is a tale for another day…

More Best Book 2024 edition

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano: I loved the complex sister relationships as they came together and support each other as well as fell apart. This brought up a lot of emotions as the sisters deal with William as he struggles with his mental health, wonderfully displaying the effects of trauma.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield: This book was pure joy and focuses on the a SNL-type late night comedy show. Sally’s given up on love, happy in her career as a writer on the show until a handsome musician guests on the show. Sparks fly but it takes awhile for it all to come together. I laughed so much.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang: This is a thriller set in the publishing world with an emphasis on diverse writers and stolen stories. It reminded me a little of The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz and was a very unique story.

Small Mercies by Denise Lehane: I loved the 1970s Boston setting, strong characters, and the twists and turns of the mystery during a volatile time in history. Denise Lehane is masterful in his writing.

Huda F Are You; A Graphic Novel by Huda Fahmy: This graphic novel was hilarious and poignant. This should be required reading to raise awareness much like the New Kid series by Jerry Craft.

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat: This memoir graphic novel shares Santat’s middle school years and a trip to Europe with classmates as he navigates first love and coming into his own as a young person. Hilarious and took me back to my own middle school years.

Honorable Mention and new Canadian author:

Carley Fortune! I read all three of these on my Kindle phone app often in the middle of the night with my illusive sleep patterns. This Summer Will Be Different was my favorite but all three are light, funny, and sexy with positive relationships and great yet not perfect men. I notice on her website she has a new book out as well. My sleep has been better which means I’ll be forced to read this new one during the day.

Write now I’m reading The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.

I’m going to ignore all news stations tomorrow and pray that the next few days are low key. I’m concerned about deportations as the first order of business. There is much that makes me nervous and I hope my checklist does not become reality. Peace be with us all as we navigate this next term.

April Gifts

She’s home! Our traveler returned a week ago and she’s happy to be home. She missed cooking in the kitchen so she’s made several fantastic dinners. It is so appreciated to have someone else making food to eat. That is an unexpected treat. She is very creative with her recipes.

I love listening to her traveler tales and am grateful she had a positive experience each step of the way. She’s grown up a bit and seems to be more confidant because she’s had to be out there making her own decisions, figuring things out in a different country. I am very happy to have the next few months with her here before she steps in a new direction.

It is finally feeling like spring out there and my tulips are showing their colors. My daffodils didn’t have much of a chance after blooming early right before a cold snap. The weather is very up/down, topsy turvy but I’m grateful for warmer weather. I love spring weather and it means summer is around the corner.

My last three books made for great reading!

1. The Maid by Nita Prose-fun little cozy mystery, I’m ready to read the second one.

2. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson-interesting family story, with alternating narratives, time periods, and countries.

3. Her Last Affair by John Searles – a creepy mystery with a set of bizarre characters!

Enjoy whatever gifts come your way…be it sunshine, a good book, or family time.

Beautiful Books

I’ve struggled with getting back into writing over the last few months. I’m tired after school, I don’t feel like I have much to say, or I can’t think of what I wanted to say…

There is such a thing as surgery brain and I feel like I still have it. I’ve been reading some very good books and cooking a lot especially for tomorrow’s family day. We are having a full vegan spread with Tristan and Japhy. I’m in the middle of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz which is so interesting.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2022) : This was an intense story of competition and family connections. Carrie is a not some cute little tennis player that you adore. She’s fierce and not interested in making friends on the tennis circuit or in life for that matter. I read this book awhile ago but Carrie has stayed with me. I loved Daisy Jones and the Six which had a different style but just as interesting. Reid goes all in for her characters.

This Must Be The Place by Maggie O’Farrell (2016): I just finished this for book club and enjoyed the story. O’Farrell wrote Hamnet which I loved and so we picked another one of her offerings. This story has a crazy amount of characters but the story of Daniel is well-told and traverses continents.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (1993): I’ve wanted to read this for quite awhile but I’d read a few reviews of how real this one was so I waited until I was in the right space. Election time seemed to be the perfect time! It freaked me out and I was fascinated with the main character Lauren and how right Butler was about the direction our American society has gone. I want to read the rest of the series when I have time.

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley (2022): This was beautifully written but so glaringly real and heartbreaking. It’s a tough story about Kiara and her brother Marcus who are trying to live their lives in East Oakland after their father’s death and their mother’s arrest after a terrible grief-driven crime. This story was hard to read but well-worth it as it shined a light on how deep the lack of privilege is for young women.

If you are in need of a good story any of these will do very well. This week I also found a beautiful Native story Keepunumuk; Weeachumn’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten. This is such a great story for understanding the real story of tomorrow’s holiday celebration. I’ve decided we are going to forever more refer to it as our Harvest Festival. Enjoy…

Looking for a good book

I have five chapter book suggestions for young people that I’ve read myself this summer. With everything happening in the world around us it might be safest to stay home and read. There is plenty of summer left to enjoy a few more great chapter books!

1. Maya and the Robot written by Eve. L Ewing (2021): A delightful tale of a forgotten robot that finds its way out of the closet and into Maya’s life. She figures out how to get it to work just in time for the 5th grade science fair. This is a great story about friendship and overcoming fears of losing all that is familiar. It should be noted that the robot originally belonged to a young neighbor who was killed in a neighborhood shooting is touched on briefly.

2. Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds (2021): Portico Reeves has an amazing imagination and he protects those around him with his superpowers as he tries to deal with his parents arguments and impending divorce. Jason Reynolds has a gift of speaking the truth from a young person’s opinion. Get a taste of Stuntboy as he reads the first chapter to you.

3. Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca (2021): an #ownvoice novel in verse about a young Indian American girl whose life is forever changed when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia. Reha is working so hard to balance her Indian identity and traditions with her American school self~it is a lot to handle until the only thing that matters is her beloved mother.

4. 365 Days to Alaska by Cathy Carr (2021): Eleven-year Rigel loves living in the wilderness of Alaska with her family so when she finds out her parents are divorcing and her mom is moving with the Rigel and her two sisters back to Connecticut to live with her mother, their grandmother she is mad. Getting used to suburb life compared to the wilds of Alaska is a difficult feat and it’s hard to make friends and still feel like the strong nature-loving person that she is. This is a fantastic debut novel! Listen to Colby Sharp’s review.

5. The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga (2021): This one hurt my heart with everything happening right now with gun violence. Something needs to happen because it’s scary for adults and children. This book, told in alternating chapters is about a school shooting. Parker, Quinn’s older brother took a gun to school and killed Mabel, Cora’s older sister as well as three other people. We learn this in details as Cora and Quinn, former best friends and neighbors don’t talk anymore until Quinn comes up with a plan to go back in time to change what happens. This is a loving story about a frightening and all-too-common situation. How do the girls deal with their guilt, their grief over what happened and find a way to make peace with each other? I cried at the end. This would make a great read aloud so key discussions could take place.

I didn’t read all day long, I also made some delicious food:

I picked up two crates of peaches from the Tree-Ripe Fruit Company and they are so delicious as is but I succumbed this afternoon to take a few of the extra soft ones and make this Peach Crumble from Pioneer Woman. It’s bubbling in the oven right now.

I made a wild mushroom risotto last week and had some leftover mushrooms to use up and even though it is blazing hot outside for Iowa I made soup: Hungarian Mushroom Soup – it is creamy and delicious and I know I will enjoy it with a slice of sourdough tonight for dinner.

Sweet corn! My husband brought home 6 ears of corn from one of the many pickup trucks around town and I shucked and boiled them in a little salted water and the flavor is the taste of summer for me. I could probably live on sweet corn and fresh peaches for at least the rest of July!

Stay safe out there…

My feet are cold and I need a cup of tea

I’m under the weather as temperatures change here. I have the bare essence of a cold. My ears itch, my chest is a little raw, and I’m blowing my nose like crazy. In the midst of a pandemic being sick takes on new meaning. I sneeze at work at my students look at me like “ewww” and I wear a mask most every moment at school.

I take a wide array of cold remedies; most of them are on the natural side. At the first hint of something coming on I start with the Emergen-C packets in a glass of water and I take regular vitamin C by tablet as well. My friend Jen turned me on to Gypsy Cold Care Tea years ago and I still use it religiously. For some reason I now have to order it online because many stores just don’t carry it. No idea why. I also have NutriBiotic GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract) liquid concentrate which I take by squeezing 8-10 drops into a small glass of water. While I do use all these very natural remedies I also use Vick’s VapoRub all the time. I can’t help it because it works for me. I do love a good hot bath when I’m not feeling well. I know even without testing that I don’t have Covid because when I had it last winter I was so, so tired all the time.

I did get an amazing amount of reading done last weekend just because I had a sleepless night on Friday so I read The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave-it was so good! I read until 11pm (late for me) and then I tried to sleep but was still awake at 12:30 so I read a little more and that’s kind of how the rest of the night went. I really enjoyed the mystery and Hannah Hall and Bailey’s relationship as they started to work together.

Now I’m furiously reading Dear Pink written by Michelle Angelle so that I can begin the next in (maybe) a series with connecting characters. Until Next Year just came out and both books are fun, romance novels with sexy main characters!

Stay healthy out there and happy reading.

What is your love language?

We are living in a rough environment right now. So much that surrounds are daily life are colliding. Emotions, government, lifestyles, masks/vaccinations, climate developments. I’ve discovered that when I’m struggling emotionally I connect with food. I’ve made a wide variety of recipes the last few weeks. And then I’ll completely stop making food and just eat snacks for dinner; cheese, crackers, and a cluster of grapes. It’s back and forth. For awhile I was really focused on my at home yoga practice with Adriene but I’ve slacked off – like way off. I haven’t done a lick of yoga throughout September except this morning. I was awake too early and decided to spend some of that time blinking my eyes open and reconnecting to my mat. It felt great and I know I can get back on track but I still feel a bit off kilter. I’m going to make the promise to show up though and as she’s says that’s what’s important.

(Buffalo Chickpea Salad)

Here’s a smattering of what I’ve cooked to connect to myself. I made this Quinoa Enchilada Bake after I discovered Jamie and her Dishing out Health on Instagram. I’ve made several of her recipes now and love every one. Many are vegan or can easily be with minimal switches. I made this Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup to split with Tristan and my husband “accidentally” had a bowl after work and loved it. I made this Buffalo Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Ranch Dressing which was so easy and packed a little heat! And to combat allergies and the cooler Fall weather I made this Immunity Boosting Tumeric Chicken Soup because I had leftovers from an farm-raised chicken.

And because I love dessert I made this Easy S’mores Dip to share with friends. It was amazing and days later I was still scraping chocolate and toasted marshmallows crusts from my Lodge skillet. Last night after a meeting I came home and made this easy brownie recipe to share at school for a teacher friend’s birthday. Just for fun I added chopped up marshmallows and broiled the pan for just about 5 minutes. The brownies were dense and delicious all on their own but the browned marshmallows added extra birthday zing! This recipe truly was easy and I’ll make it again when in a pinch for a chocolate treat.

This is the love I share with my family and friends. I feed them. It’s an old tradition that stems from my grandmother who loved to offer visitors a meal or at least a sandwich! I just finished the very quirky Anxious People by Fredrik Backman which I loved even after a rocky start. And I’m trying to spend as much time outside as I possible can to soak up the wonderful weather before it gets too cold. Recently I was lucky enough to connect with my dearest friend, Verda, and we walked her dogs, shopped at crafty local stores, ate good food, and talked about the world. I guess maybe my recent blue period is because I want that to be my every day. I love teaching and connecting with students but I’m constantly worried about getting sick. Even though I know I’m in a much safer category after having Covid and getting vaccinated but it is still a major worry.

“Find what feels good” ~Adriene and try and remain calm – this is my new mantra. Say it with me…