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Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life; indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his decadence. The novel was a succès de scandale and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895. It has lost none of its power to fascinate and disturb.

Though the book is advertised as a cautionary tale when pleasure and beauty are pursued without moral accountability, Dorian Gray is pretty much an asshole to begin with. The picture is more of an excuse, rather than something that drew Gray to his doom. It doesn’t take much from Lord Wotton, another total jerk, for Gray to start on his road to ruin. Actually, Gray starts down that road all on his own, before even knowing that the picture will show his cruelty.

The book tends to drag in places, especially when the reader is given an account of the different hobbies Gray takes up over the years. I’m not sure how that would be considered decadent, but there you go. I would have preferred that more time was given to how exactly he destroyed the people mentioned. Were they weak to begin with? Would they have fallen from grace even if they had never met Gray? Since none of the characters are filled out, it’s something the reader is never to know.

I was somewhat surprised that the book only covers twenty years of Gray’s life, as most of the movies based on the book show the picture with a wizened and corrupt visage. Far more damage than could have been done in only twenty years.

Mount TBR 2026 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

1. The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky
2. Four Past Midnight by Stephen King
3. The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas
4. The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon/a>
5. Moon Flower by James P. Hogan
6. The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brands
7. Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons
8. Clytemnestra's Bind (House of Atreus 1) by Susan C Wilson
9. Glory and the Lightning. by Taylor Caldwell
10. Into the Ice: The Northwest Passage, the Polar Sun, and a 175-Year-Old Mystery by Mark Synnott
11. Regeneration (Regeneration 1) by Pat Barker
12. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Goodreads 12

2026 I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge.jpg

Social justice horror

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MARCH - Favorite, Orange, Picture, Broken, Sister, Look, Forget, Fortune

Started Feb 28, completed Mar 7 4 stars

The first book of the Regeneration Trilogy—a Booker Prize nominee and one of Entertainment Weekly’s 100 All-Time Greatest Novels.

In 1917 Siegfried Sassoon, noted poet and decorated war hero, publicly refused to continue serving as a British officer in World War I. His reason: the war was a senseless slaughter. He was officially classified "mentally unsound" and sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital. There a brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. William Rivers, set about restoring Sassoon’s “sanity” and sending him back to the trenches. This novel tells what happened as only a novel can. It is a war saga in which not a shot is fired. It is a story of a battle for a man's mind in which only the reader can decide who is the victor, who the vanquished, and who the victim.

One of the most amazing feats of fiction of our time, Regeneration has been hailed by critics across the globe. More than one hundred years since World War I, this book is as timely and relevant as ever.

That the book is based on a true story only makes it that much more rewarding. The story of Siegfried Sassoon is an amazing one. His belief in the war’s pointlessness, and that it was being continued only for the profit of some, has him set to a mental institution. The thought is that he either has “shell shock,” or is a coward, even though he had shown his bravery many times over.

Luckily, Sassoon’s doctor, while attempting to restore Sassoon’s sanity, doesn’t really seem to think his patient is truly insane. That, just maybe, what Sassoon believes is actually true. But given the times, there is only one way for the story to have a “happy” ending.

I was shocked at some of the “remedies” used by some of the other doctors on these poor men who have broken down under their experiences. But the majority of the book follows Dr. Rivers and the men under his care. I don’t know how many of them were actual patients, but in any event their stories were just as compelling as Sassoon’s.

I’m looking forward to the second book in the series and the continuation of these two men’s story. There’s also a movie on the subject, Benediction, which I’m looking forward to viewing.

Main Character Male

Goodreads 11

MARCH- Books on the Brain - Read a fiction or non-fiction book with a brain-function related theme. This could be memory, processing, mental health, dementia, dreaming, subconsciousness, thinking patterns, intelligence, brain injuries, etc.

New York Times bestselling author Mark Synnott has climbed with Alex Honnold. He’s scaled Mt. Everest. But in 2022, he realized there was a dream he’d never realized—to sail the Northwest Passage in his own boat, a feat only four hundred or so sailors had ever accomplished—and in doing so, try to solve the mystery of what happened to legendary nineteenth-century explorer Sir John Franklin and his ships, HMS Erebus and Terror.

Only a few hundred vessels have ever transited the Northwest Passage, stretching through Canada’s north from Maine to Alaska—and substantially fewer have completed the treacherous journey in a fiberglass-hulled boat like Polar Sun. But Mark Synnott was determined to add his name to the list, and in doing so, also investigate a 175-year-old mystery, that of what happened to the legendary captain Sir John Franklin and his crew aboard the legendary HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.

In this pulse-pounding travelogue, Mark Synnott paints a vivid portrait of the modern-day Arctic like you’ve never seen before. With human-caused climate change warming the region twice as fast as any other part of our planet, Synnott offers a fresh and exciting look at the journey itself, but also of the history of the land and the people who live there today. At the same time, he searches for the tomb of Franklin, who, along with his entire 128-man crew, perished after their ships became trapped in the ice near King William Island.

In Into the Ice, Mark and his crew must race against time and horrific storms to investigate legends, and in the end, try to find the answer to why any of us would risk it all in the name of exploration.

I’ve read several books about the Franklin Expedition. All of them told of the where and when and how. But because there were no survivors’ tales (there not being any survivors,) never the why. I don’t mean because they wanted to find the Northwest Passage, but why would these men, some of them not for the first time, risk their lives by sailing into these unknown waters. This book probably comes the closest to answering that question.

Though Synnott had the advantage of modern equipment, the area is still extremely dangerous, even with the melting of much of the ice due to climate change.

Each leg of the journey is recounted from the perspective of each ship. First, Franklin’s expedition, then the many ship’s sent to look for the missing Erebus and Terror. Finally, there’s Synnott’s first person account aboard the Polar Sea. Though he doesn’t find Franklin’s grave, he does manage to make the trip through the Northwest Passage. Brought along for the ride, the reader experiences all the dangers that journey entails, and comes to recognize just what the early explorers went through.

I’m not sure the question as to why anyone would risk it all is ever answered. Synnott’s reasons are his own ( and somewhat convoluted); what the reasons were of those who went before still remains a mystery.

Sea or river on cover

Goodreads 10

Taylor Caldwell's novel, set in ancient Persia and Greece, is based on the life of Aspasia—the beautiful and intelligent courtesan who eventually became the companion of Pericles, ruler of Athens.

It is the story of an extraordinary woman, trained since childhood in the arts of beauty and seduction, who finds herself increasingly in rebellion against the helpless position of women in ancient society.

Passionate, restless and fiercely independent, Aspasia is compelled to pursue her destiny wherever it may lead—from the narrow confines of a school for high-class courtesans, into the arms of a rich and powerful Persian satrap, and finally to Athens at the height of its glory.

Taylor Caldwell has written a rich and thought-provoking novel of the ancient world as seen through a woman's eyes—finding in the life of Aspasia a model for the timeless conflicts of all women.

The book is divided into three parts: Aspasia’s story, Pericles’ story, and their story together. Aspasia’s story is probably the most interesting, though I felt that Caldwell went a little overboard describing Aspasia’s beauty, intelligence, and pose. Even at fourteen, she has her out-debating scholars and just about anyone she meets. At the same time, Aspasia does some really dumb things. She ends up being “sold” to a middle eastern satrap, who she ends up falling in love with. But both are unwilling to show their love, and eventually Aspasia escapes back to Greece.

Pericles’ story isn’t as detailed. Not as far as his personal life anyway. But a great deal of space is taken up in discussions with fellow intellectuals. It was at this point that I started skimming through his story. Near the end of his story, he meets Aspasia.

Their story together is told at breakneck speed. And it’s told as sort of a novelized history. What’s going on around them appears more important than their own story, yet told by the characters. At times I felt as if I was being given a history lesson. And again I found myself skimming through discussions between the major characters. In the end, both their story, and the story of Athens, are given short shrift.

A totally odd addition to the story line was Aspasia’s devotion to “the unknown god.” She even manages to bring several of her contemporaries to her way of thinking. Too often it sounds as if she discovered Christianity before Christ.

The one good thing about the book is that it piqued my interest regarding this interesting couple and the world they lived in. The books I’ve read regarding Classical Greece, have had neither playing a large role.

Title begins with first letter of your name

Goodreads 9

Clytemnestra’s Bind is a bold and brutal first-person retelling that redefines her story, unveiling the untold depths of her soul and the legacy she forged as a mother, wife, and queen. Queen Clytemnestra's world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself. Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to him. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten to once more destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.

From one of Greek mythology's most reviled characters—a woman who challenged the absolute power of men—comes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother's burning love. Perfect for readers of Greek mythology, and fans of Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra , Madeline Miller’s Circe , and Jennifer Saint’s Elektra.

This is the second book I’ve read about Clytemnestra; both portray her as a sympathetic character, not at all the evil woman of Greek mythology. Here, she’s an intriguing character whose life is well worth reading about. It’s a harrowing and tragic story of a woman thrown into circumstances she didn’t deserve. Married into a family tainted by murder and cannibalism, her own future seems to be fated to carry on its tortured path.

Told from Clytemnestra’s point of view, the story of her loss becomes more personal. Her heartbreak at losing her infant son only multiplies as the years go by, until, finally, she takes her life into her own hands.

The book ends with Agamemnon leaving for Troy. Clytemnestra is in control, but there is a rocky path ahead and her fate is sealed.

There is a second book that may or may not pick up her story since it’s focused on her sister, Helen. The author changed some instances of the original story; perhaps there is still hope.

A New to You Author

Goodreads 8

harrowing tale of natural disaster, all-devouring greed, and wrathful gods.

Real estate mogul Byron Trumbo is the owner of the Mauna Pele, a deluxe Hawaiian resort that until recently was the playground of the rich and famous. Yet instead of making money hand over fist, Trumbo has a bit of a problem: guests keep disappearing. Hoping to sell the resort to Japanese investors, he invites them to the Mauna Pele to finalize the deal—but strange and fantastic events complicate the weekend. Giant beasts capable of human speech are spotted, visitors turn up dead and dismembered, and volcanic eruptions fill the sky with smoke and flame as fast-moving lava flows dangerously close to the resort. Trumbo refuses to allow these minor inconveniences to impede his sales pitch to the Japanese.

Other guests find themselves at the Mauna Pele this weekend, with agendas that extend beyond enjoying the sun and sand. For college professor Eleanor Perry, this “vacation” is a pilgrimage to a place once visited by her spinster aunt. Equipped with her aunt’s diary, which details adventures with Mark Twain more than one hundred years ago, Eleanor has uncommon insight into the frightening and mystical events about to unfold. And thrice-married Cordie Stumpf, whose housewifely appearance belies her keen mind and fearless resolve, is at the resort to pursue her own goal. The two women join forces as an astonishingly self-reliant duo prepared to do battle with the immortal enemies of the volcano goddess Pele and thereby restore harmony to the island.

Against the mythic backdrop of an island paradise filled with vengeful gods and brooding menace, Dan Simmons weaves a stunning tale of ancient rivalries tested in the modern world.

It can be interesting, basing a book on a certain mythology; unfortunately, that’s not the case here. There was just too many characters that turned out not to be all that scary. I actually found Trumbo and his machinations more interesting. No matter what was going on, he was going to get his deal done.

And it took awhile for the story within a story to take off. Eleanor’s aunt wasn’t that strong a character. Adding Mark Twain to the mix helped, but not as much as I would have hoped.

I did enjoy the Cordie Stumpf character; her interactions with Eleanor made the book for me, so I would have liked for there to have been more of their story. But with so many story lines, and so many characters, there wasn’t the room.

Published in 1900s: Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

Goodreads 7

Epistolary horror - found footage, told in letters and/or diaries
1. Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

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FEBRUARY - Secrets, Lies, & Schemes - Read a book in which the characters are telling lies, keeping secrets, or involved in schemes.
Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

From New York Times bestselling author H. W. Brands, a masterful biography of the Civil War general and two-term president who saved the Union twice, on the battlefield and in the White House, holding the country together at two critical turning points in our history.

Ulysses Grant rose from obscurity to discover he had a genius for battle, and he propelled the Union to victory in the Civil War. After Abraham Lincoln's assassination and the disastrous brief presidency of Andrew Johnson, America turned to Grant again to unite the country, this time as president. In Brands's sweeping, majestic full biography, Grant emerges as a heroic figure who was fearlessly on the side of right. He was a beloved commander in the field but willing to make the troop sacrifices necessary to win the war, even in the face of storms of criticism. He worked valiantly to protect the rights of freedmen in the South; Brands calls him the last presidential defender of black civil rights for nearly a century. He played it straight with the American Indians, allowing them to shape their own fate even as the realities of Manifest Destiny meant the end of their way of life. He was an enormously popular president whose memoirs were a huge bestseller; yet within decades of his death his reputation was in tatters, the victim of Southerners who resented his policies on Reconstruction. In this page-turning biography, Brands now reconsiders Grant's legacy and provides a compelling and intimate portrait of a man who saved the Union on the battlefield and consolidated that victory as a resolute and principled political leader.

Grant’s biographers tend to focus on different parts of his life. So while Ronald White did a deep dive into Grant’s childhood, Brands give it only a passing glance. Only once Grant enters West Point does the story bring his life into focus.

The Mexican-American War, it Grant’s first wartime experience. While he would excel as a soldier, Grant was never in favor of the invasion. In later years he would write that he doubted America’s policy toward Mexico from the moment of the annexation of Texas, and that the war which resulted was “one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger nation against a weaker nation.”

This sort of moral compass would chart his course through the Civil War and his two terms as president. Time has erased his efforts during Reconstruction and his policies regarding the indigenous population. A nation that once revered him as “the man who saved the union,” has effectively forgotten him and the righteous path he tried to lead the nation through, instead making heroes out of the men who tried to destroy it.

Set in America: The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brands

Goodreads 6

Something strange is happening on the planet Cyrene, which is in the early phases of being "developed" by the mammoth Interworld Restructuring Corporation. Terrans from the base there have been disappearing. Myles Callen, a ruthlessly efficient "Facilitator," is sent to investigate. Also with the mission is Marc Shearer, a young, idealistic quantum physicist, disillusioned with the world, who’s on his way to join a former colleague, Evan Wade. On arrival he finds that Wade too has vanished and doesn't want to be found by the Terran authorities. Wade has arranged contact via the Cyreneans, however, and accompanied by two companions that he has befriended, Shearer embarks on a journey to find his friend that will change Cyrene—and Earth itself.

Every book I’ve read by Hogan has been very much in the hard-science category, and I’ve enjoyed most of them. But I think this one went a bit overboard. Too much of the story was taken up with explaining the science behind the plot’s main concept.

Unfortunately, this meant that there was less time to fill out the characters. The “heroes” were likable, though I never became invested in their stories, especially the romance between the two main protagonists. And the villains weren’t all that villainous. Actually, everyone is sort of given an out for their behavior.

But even with these flaws, the book manages to be somewhat enjoyable. Not one I’d recommend, but not one I’d rebuff, either.

FEBRUARY - Lying, Ruin, Alchemy, Hoax, Blind, Chance, Flower, Sound

Moon Flower by James P. Hogan

For three decades following World War II, the Great Lakes overtook Europe as the epicenter of global economic strength. The region was the beating heart of the world economy, possessing all the power and prestige Silicon Valley does today. And no ship represented the apex of the American Century better than the 729-foot-long Edmund Fitzgerald—the biggest, best, and most profitable ship on the Lakes.

But on November 10, 1975, as the “storm of the century” threw 100 mile-per-hour winds and 50-foot waves on Lake Superior, the Mighty Fitz found itself at the worst possible place, at the worst possible time. When she sank, she took all 29 men onboard down with her, leaving the tragedy shrouded in mystery for a half century.

In The Gales of November, award-winning journalist John U. Bacon presents the definitive account of the disaster, drawing on more than 100 interviews with the families, friends, and former crewmates of those lost. Bacon explores the vital role Great Lakes shipping played in America’s economic boom, the uncommon lives the sailors led, the sinking’s most likely causes, and the heartbreaking aftermath for those left behind—"the wives, the sons, and the daughters,” as Gordon Lightfoot sang in his unforgettable ballad.

Focused on those directly affected by the tragedy, The Gales of November is both an emotional tribute to the lives lost and a propulsive, page-turning narrative history of America’s most-mourned maritime disaster.

”The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the great lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy.”

I don’t remember the first time I heard this song, and I wasn’t sure of all the words. I knew it was a song about a ship going down, but I was under the impression that it had happened a long time ago. Maybe in the 1800s (being in my early 20’s at the time, watching the news wasn’t something I tended to do.) That the song was true, and of recent times, was something I would only learn about years later. Moving to the Great Lakes area would peak my interest in the ship’s fate.

The reader comes to know the men who would go down with the ship, as well as those they would leave behind. Knowing that these men were doomed made it hard sometimes to read their stories.

The book goes through the history of the shipping industry on the Great Lakes, as well as that of the Edmund Fitzgerald, itself. And while there is no way to know for sure, Bacon presents the reader with what is known about that day, the weather, and what may have caused the Fitzgerald’s sinking when other ships made it to port.

The ship’s demise would cause major changes in how the lakes’ traffic would be handled. Better weather reports and tighter regulations would bring about safer conditions, to the point where there has not been another loss of a commercial ship on the lakes since.

The Edmund Fitzgerald’s story is a remarkable one, and well worth reading.

A Month In the Title

Goodreads 4

When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust… from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

I love Cañas’ writing, but I felt that this book didn’t quite hit the mark. I never felt that the two main characters, Alba and Elías, were as compelling as they could have been. I never got to know them as well as I would have liked, and have come to expect from Cañas’ work.

I tend to think that part of the reason is that more time had to be given to explaining the situation, unlike her first two books where the situations were those most readers would be familiar with. Because of that, the romance side of the story was overwhelmed by the horror.

And horror there is in Alba’s possession. Some parts are out and out creepy and I liked that the reader is kept guessing as to what’s really going on and who can be trusted. But for my self, I would have preferred more time spent on the romance's development, which at times felt rushed.

I won’t go so far to say that I didn’t enjoy the story, because I did. But the book would place last in line when it comes to her three books.

Main Character Female

Goodreads 3

Indigenous, Asian, or Latino author
1. The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas

Past midnight, something happens to time, that fragile concept we employ to order our sense of reality. It bends, stretches, turns back, or snaps, and sometimes reality with it. And what happens to the wide-eyed observer when the window between reality and unreality shatters, and the glass begins to fly? These four chilling novellas, a feast fit for King fans old and new, provide some shocking answers.

After all, past midnight is Stephen King's favorite time of day....

One Past Midnight: "The Langoliers" takes a red-eye flight from L.A. to Boston into a most unfriendly sky. Only eleven passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn't. Something's waiting for them, you see….

The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, mainly because you can’t stop wanting to yell at the characters, “stop yammering and get on the damn plane!” I guess that only happened because I couldn’t help but be drawn into their stories and come to care about what happened to them. And the Langoliers are crazily frightening as they draw inexorably closer.

More science fiction than horror, but it certainly has some horrifying scenes.

Two Past Midnight: "Secret Window, Secret Garden" enters the suddenly strange life of writer Mort Rainey, recently divorced, depressed, and alone on the shore of Tashmore Lake. Alone, that is, until a figure named John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger.

I couldn’t help but see this as more of a tragedy, as we slowly understand that what Rainey is experiencing isn’t what we think. But what is it, exactly? And what is real? A terrifying, yet heartbreaking story.

Three Past Midnight: "The Library Policeman" is set in Junction City, Iowa, an unlikely place for evil to be hiding. But for small businessman Sam Peebles, who thinks he may be losing his mind, another enemy is hiding there as well--the truth. If he can find it in time, he might stand a chance.

Unlike the first two stories, this one is definitely in the horror genre. Peebles must face the horrifying experience of his past while facing the real horror of the present. But with the help of his friends, he may just come out okay.

Four Past Midnight: The flat surface of a Polaroid photograph becomes for fifteen-year-old Kevin Delevan an invitation to the supernatural. Old Pop Merrill, Castle Rock's sharpest trader, wants to crash the party for profit, but "The Sun Dog," a creature that shouldn't exist at all, is a very dangerous investment.

A creepy take, though most of the creepiness was because to Old Pop Merrill. Really liked the story until the very end.

With an introduction and prefatory notes to each of the tales, Stephen King discusses how these stories arose in what is the world's most fearsome imagination. But it is the stories themselves that will keep readers awake long after bedtime, into those dark, timeless hours past midnight.

I enjoyed all four stories very much (though, as I said, I could do without the ending of the fourth one.) As always, King creates characters that I come to care for. The passengers on the red-eye from LA, Sam and his friends, Dave and Naomi, Kevin and his father. Even the writer, Mort.

It’s a wonderful collection of short stories/novellas that are well worth reading.

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

Mount TBR 2026 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

1. The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky
2. Four Past Midnight by Stephen King

Short Story Anthology

Goodreads 2

JANUARY - Read Around the Clock - Read a book with a clock on the cover.
Four Past Midnight by Stephen King

Lee’s best friend went missing on Bodmin Moor, four years ago. She and Mal were chasing rumours of monsters when they found something all too real. Now Mal is back, but where has she been, and who is she working for?

When government physicist Kay Amal Khan is attacked, the security services investigate. This leads MI5’s Julian Sabreur deep into terrifying new territory, where he clashes with mysterious agents of an unknown power who may or may not be human. And Julian’s only clue is some grainy footage – showing a woman who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor.

Khan’s extra-dimensional research was purely theoretical, until she found cracks between our world and countless others. Parallel Earths where monsters live. These cracks are getting wider every day, so who knows what might creep through? Or what will happen when those walls finally come crashing down.

There’s a lot to this story: multiverses, aliens, couples who may or may not get together, an evil megalomaniac, the end of everything. And while there are parts of the book that are quite interesting, there was perhaps a little too much going on for me to get overly interested in any of it.

Several of the characters show a lot of potential; I would have loved to see more of Julian and Alison and how their relationship would progress. Same with Lee and Mal. But all the other plot lines kept getting in the way. I never got to know them the way I wanted to. Because there is something there. I guess that’s what kept me going through almost 600 pages, only to come to an ending that was somewhat flat.

I won’t stop reading Tchaikovsky’s books; I still have hope.

Mount TBR 2026 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

1. The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Doors to Eden

Sci-Fi/ Fantasy: The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky

©oodreads 1

JANUARY - Weekend, Keep, Ground, Door, Among, Midnight, Glitter, Highway

The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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I'm not sure why I watched so few movies during this time. Maybe because of the holidays? In any event here's the short list to round out the year.

MOVIES WATCHED IN NOVEMBER

Nov 12 - Being Eddie (2025)
Follows a comprehensive look at Eddie Murphy's life and career.
Director: Angus Wall
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Jerry Seinfeld

One of my favorite comedians, so I loved this look back on his career.

Nov 13 - Death by Lightning (2025)
Dramatizes the stranger-than-fiction true story of 20th U.S. President James Garfield, and admirer Charles Guiteau, who assassinated him.

Creator: Mike Makowsky
Stars: Matthew Macfadyen, Michael Shannon, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford, Nick Offerman

It says a lot that I went to a public school named after Garfield, yet never knew much about the man. Yet I also went to one named after Edison and we were taught a lot about him. On his birthday the local power company would send full sheet cakes to every class in the school. Yellow, of course. It was as if Garfield had been forgotten.

Finally, interest in him seemed to revive. He seemed to be a good man, yet I’ve read books about Garfield with wildly different portrayals, but this series was very positive. Very well done, with some great actors. Highly recommended.

Nov 15 - Materialists (2025)
An ambitious young New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
Director:Celine Song
Stars: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal

Typical romcom with a predictable ending. Mildly entertaining.

Nov 16 - The Lost Bus (2025)
A wayward school bus driver and a dedicated school teacher battle to save 22 children from a terrifying inferno.
Director: Paul Greengrass
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez

The Paradise fire was the deadliest wildfire in California’s history and mustn’t be forgotten. This shows the amazing story of the rescue of 22 children. Highly recommended.

Nov 17 - Stiller and Meara: Nothing is Lost (2025)
Follows a tribute to the comedy duo and a personal exploration by Ben Stiller into his family's legacy.
Director: Ben Stiller
Stars: Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara, Ben Stiller

I grew up watching this comedy team, so looked forward to finding out more about them. I wasn’t disappointed at this in-depth look at their lives.

MOVIES WATCHED IN DECEMBER

Dec 20 - Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan (2025)
Ed Sullivan broke barriers by booking Black artists on his Sunday night variety show. This documentary spotlights the TV pioneer's legacy of equality.
Director: Sacha Jenkins
Stars: Ed Sullivan, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, Harry Belafonte, Dionne Warwick

When I was a kid, Sullivan was just the emcee of a show we watched every Sunday. I never realized how much good the man did.

Dec 27 - Joyeux Noel (2005)
In December 1914, an unofficial Christmas truce on the Western Front allows soldiers from opposing sides of the First World War to gain insight into each other's way of life.
Director: Christian Carion
Stars: Diane Kruger, Benno Fürmann, Guillaume Canet, Daniel Brühl

I knew a little about the Christmas truce, but this movie brought the soldiers to life. It showed what they were going through, and how they managed to let off of their hate. Also, wonderful to have a new Christmas movie!

It’s the near future, 2025. Climate change, ignored by too many, left unaddressed or under-addressed by the world's nations, has grown worse at speeds far beyond our most dire predictions. World-wide destruction is now unstoppable. Monster storms rage across the planet, giant wildfires reduce forests, cities, and towns to ash.

In the second story, an ancient virus released from the thawing tundra lays waste to humanity.

Lonely survivors of the imagined apocalypse tell their stories of Earth’s last days.

The book is divided into two stories, both of which focus on one survivor. As far as they know, there are very few others left.

The first story Alone, takes place after a pandemic kills the vast majority of the human race. A survivor wanders through what is left. I really liked how it’s presented; there are no monsters, only a lone man trying to figure out how he’ll live out the rest of his days. With nothing but time, he creates a place for himself. Though civilization, and most of mankind, is gone, his life is still fulfilling.

The second story, Tipping Point, is more frightening. The survivor’s father tried to warn people, but was basically ignored. So he turned his efforts to making sure that he and his son would survive. Though they have tools and a safe harbor, much of the earth is dying. By the end of the story the survivor is alone. His fate is uncertain.

Both stories are haunting and well told. They’re fiction that could easily be non-fiction.

This is actually my last book review for 2025. And I managed to fulfill all my book challenges:

( Mount TBR 2025 Book Links 1-55 )

56. Quick Fixes: Tales of Repairman Jack by F. Paul Wilson
57. Followed Home (Exalls Attacks, Book 1) by Andre Gonzalez
58. The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman
59. One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky
60. Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives by Thomas French
61. A Rip in Heaven by Jeanine Cummins
62. X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War II by Leah Garrett
63. Strange Stories II: The Empty Earth by Roger Mannon

The incredible World War II saga of the German-Jewish commandos who fought in Britain’s most secretive special-forces unit—but whose story has gone untold until now

June 1942. The shadow of the Third Reich has fallen across the European continent. In desperation, Winston Churchill and his chief of staff form an unusual a new commando unit made up of Jewish refugees who have escaped to Britain. The resulting volunteers are a motley group of intellectuals, artists, and athletes, most from Germany and Austria. Many have been interned as enemy aliens, and have lost their families, their homes—their whole worlds. They will stop at nothing to defeat the Nazis. Trained in counterintelligence and advanced combat, this top secret unit becomes known as X Troop. Some simply call them a suicide squad.

Drawing on extensive original research, including interviews with the last surviving members, Leah Garrett follows this unique band of brothers from Germany to England and back again, with stops at British internment camps, the beaches of Normandy, the battlefields of Italy and Holland, and the hellscape of Terezin concentration camp—the scene of one of the most dramatic, untold rescues of the war. For the first time, X Troop tells the astonishing story of these secret shock troops and their devastating blows against the Nazis.

Given how much print and film has been given to the Holocaust, I’m surprised that I’d never heard of this unit. Because it’s a story that truly should be known. Boys, and they were boys when their journeys began, give up their identities in order to fight against the Nazi regime. Most do not know what has happened to the families they left behind, but they are willing to do just about anything in order to help bring down the people who destroyed their world.

Many would die, But many of those who survived would never go back to who they had been. Oddly enough, it would mostly be those who emigrated to the US who would take back their original names, become Jewish again. But many would become thoroughly British.

For the first time I could actually follow the battles, these men coming alive as they made their way from Normandy beach and across Europe. Theirs is truly an amazing story.

( Mount TBR 2025 Book Links 1-55 )

56. Quick Fixes: Tales of Repairman Jack by F. Paul Wilson
57. Followed Home (Exalls Attacks, Book 1) by Andre Gonzalez
58. The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman
59. One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky
60. Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives by Thomas French
61. A Rip in Heaven by Jeanine Cummins
62. X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War II by Leah Garrett

X Troop

The acclaimed author of AMERICAN DIRT reveals the devastating effects of a shocking tragedy in this landmark true crime book: the first ever to look intimately at the experiences of both the victims and their families.

A RIP IN HEAVEN is Jeanine Cummins' story of a night in April, 1991, when her two cousins Julie and Robin Kerry, and her brother, Tom, were assaulted on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River just outside of St. Louis.

When, after a harrowing ordeal, Tom managed to escape the attackers and flag down help, he thought the nightmare would soon be over. He couldn't have been more wrong. Tom, his sister Jeanine, and their entire family were just at the beginning of a horrific odyssey through the aftermath of a violent crime, a world of shocking betrayal, endless heartbreak, and utter disillusionment. It was a trial by fire from which no family member would emerge unscathed.

I can’t begin to imagine what the author and her family went through, having two members of their family murdered. But what probably made more of an impression on me is what happened afterwards. How did someone who had escaped this nightmare end up having to live through another? It says a lot, and none of it good, about our legal system.

The murder was done by four men with little or no conscience, four men who had little regard for life or the truth. But what was done to Tom afterwards was done by men who were supposed to be society’s protectors. Maybe Tom did say some things that I never would have in the same situation, but that doesn’t let the police off the hook. They lied, misled him when it came to his rights, and only stopped harassing him after the true perpetrators were practically handed to them.

Was the writer being so close to the crime a detriment when it came to telling the story? Did she bend the story too much to one side? Maybe, but I can’t say that I blame her. The men who were found guilty of her cousins’ murders did not deny most of their actions; they just blamed each other for the murders.

An original short story anthology based on master storyteller Stephen King’s #1 New York Times bestselling classic The Stand!

Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered Stephen King’s seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television. Although there are other extraordinary works exploring the unraveling of human society, none have been as influential as this iconic novel—generations of writers have been impacted by its dark yet ultimately hopeful vision of the end and new beginning of civilization, and its stunning array of characters.

Now for the first time, Stephen King has fully authorized a return to the harrowing world of The Stand through this original short story anthology as presented by award-winning authors and editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. Bringing together some of today’s greatest and most visionary writers, The End of the World As We Know It features unforgettable, all-new stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of The Stand—brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that will resonate with readers everywhere as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel.

I’d already read reviews of this book, a lot of them not very good, when I finally got around to reading it myself. Turns out I have to agree with those who found the book to be something of a disappointment. While there are good stories, they don’t balance out those that aren’t.

I think my biggest disappointment was how so many of them had little to do with the original story, other than the Captain Tripps pandemic. And even that felt like an afterthought. Even worse, so many of them are without hope. They end has come. Period.

There are a few stories that I liked. I think my favorite was The Mosque at the End of the World and Make Your Own Way. I felt I really got to the characters and came to care what happened to them. I can almost add Lenora to that list except that it took an unexpected turn.

I’m not a great fan of short stories, so that might have had something to do with the low rating. I much would have preferred a handful of novellas. Or maybe I’ll just reread The Stand. Sounds good.

Goodreads 70.1

Black, gray, orange, or red cover
1. The Fireman by Joe Hill
2. The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand by Christopher Golden

Let It Snow - 1st Three.jpg

Welcome to the savage and surprising world of Zoo Story , an unprecedented account of the secret life of a zoo and its inhabitants. Based on six years of research, the book follows a handful of unforgettable characters at Tampa's Lowry Park an alpha chimp with a weakness for blondes, a ferocious tiger who revels in Obsession perfume, and a brilliant but tyrannical CEO known as El Diablo Blanco.

The sweeping narrative takes the reader from the African savannah to the forests of Panama and deep into the inner workings of a place some describe as a sanctuary and others condemn as a prison. Zoo Story shows us how these remarkable individuals live, how some die, and what their experiences reveal about the human desire to both exalt and control nature.

Do you like zoos? Or do you loathe them? While this book gives the reader a lot to think about, it’s still left up to the reader as to where they stand. Because the title tells you exactly what a zoo is; while the animals may be safer than in the wild, their lives are boxed in by cages. They may be large and well kept cages, but they are cages nevertheless.

Especially tragic are the lives of Herman the chimpanzee, and Enshalla, the Sumatran tiger. Forced into safe but unnatural lives, they would pay the ultimate price for it. Would they have lived shorter lives in the wild? Perhaps, but I think they would have been more rewarding.

Maybe zoos will go the way of circuses and water parks, who have had to discontinue many of their animal acts. We are the ones who have caused the extinction of so many species; perhaps it would be better if we didn’t have zoos to act as balm for our guilt.

But however you think of them, this book is a must read.

Nobody remembers how the Causality War started. Really, there’s no-one to remember, and nothing for them to remember if there were; that’s sort of the point. We were time warriors, and we broke time.

I was the one who ended it. Ended the fighting, tidied up the damage as much as I could.

Then I came here, to the end of it all, and gave myself a mission: to never let it happen again.

I think this is the first Tchaikovsky book that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed. None of the characters really grabbed me; it says a lot when your favorite character in a book is Miffly, the allosaurus. The protagonist, who is Miffly’s owner, is never named. The last survivor of a war that shattered history, he spends his time murdering anyone who managed to time travel to his location.

When two time travelers from the future, a future he didn’t think existed, show up, he finds it more difficult to get rid of them. Then another woman, Zoe, shows up; things go downhill from there.

I suppose the book is supposed to be something of a farce, which have never really been my cup of tea. Maybe why the book didn’t work for me.

DEC– Fable, Flirt, Truly, Shop, Winter, Yours, Warm, Love

One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Let It Snow 2026

Bestselling, beloved author of The Charm Bracelet spins a tale about a lost young woman and the family recipe box that changes her life.

Growing up in northern Michigan, Samantha "Sam" Mullins felt trapped on her family's orchard and in their pie shop, so she left with dreams of making her own mark in the world. But life as an overworked, undervalued sous chef at a reality star's New York bakery is not what Sam dreamed.

When the chef embarrasses Sam, she quits and returns home. Unemployed, single, and defeated, she spends a summer working on her family's orchard cooking and baking alongside the women in her life--including her mother, Deana, and grandmother, Willo. One beloved, flour-flecked, ink-smeared recipe at a time, Sam begins to learn about and understand the women in her life, her family's history, and her passion for food through their treasured recipe box.

As Sam discovers what matters most she opens her heart to a man she left behind, but who now might be the key to her happiness.

I’m not sure why I picked up this book; I wasn’t crazy about the first book I read by this author. Turns out, this one was very much like that one. Sort of sappy and clichéd. Like a Hallmark card, and just as predictable. Plus, I get it, you like Michigan.

It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if Sam had been at all likable. But she acts like a teenager, constantly changing her mind and not being able to stick to a plan. I’m really not sure why Angelo, the love interest, even likes her. She’s whiny and tends to lash out. I thought the grandmother’s back story was more interesting, but then it turns out that now she’s practically a saint.

About the only thing I can recommend about the book are the recipes. I’m going to copy some before I give the book away.