My Year in Books - 2025!

Goodreads – My Year in Books - 2025 

According to Goodreads, I read a total of 107 books in 2025.  My goal was cautiously 52 books (one per week).  Here are the details --  

107 books read / 33,676 pages read

Shortest book – The High Line – 32 pages

Longest book – The Poet by Michael Connelly – 597 pages

Average book length – 323 pages

Most shelved – Lessons in chemistry – 3,327,395 people shelved it

Least shelved – Lessons from a one-room schoolteacher – 1 person shelved it (me!!)

My average book rating – 4.2

My first review of the year – What I ate in one year by Stanley Tucci

My last review of the year – The curious charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

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MY 2025 BOOKS

                                                                   

                                 

 

Book Review: The Look by Michelle Obama

The Look by Michelle Obama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Michelle Obama, along with her fabulous stylist Meredith Koop, have compiled this wonderful coffee table book with photographs of many of the key outfits and gowns from her time as First Lady in the White House.  However, it's not just a beautiful picture book; there is extensive content written by Michelle, Meredith, her hair stylists and make-up artists.  She focuses on the evolution of her style, ranging from cautious professional outfits at the beginning of the first term to a more expressive wardrobe towards the end of the second term.  

She weaves two themes throughout the book regarding her wardrobe.  First of all she needs to feel comfortable in the outfit and it needs to reflect the activities that she is involved in.  Secondly, she wanted to spotlight up-and-coming designers.

I have been a long-standing fan of Michelle Obama, admiring her grace, style, charm and ease from the first time I saw her on the DNC stage. I absolutely loved this book with all the incredible photographs.  But what surprised me was the amount of written content to correspond to the photos.  I really got a feel for her look and what was important to her.  Very highly recommended and a fantastic visual experience! 

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Book Review: The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars.  Giuseppina Capodimonte Baratta (Jess) lives with her Italian American family in Lake Como, New Jersey.  All of her relatives live within a two-block area, and the family is incredibly close.  She currently works for her favorite uncle in the family business – Italian marble.  Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, she is a 30-something adult who has not achieved her goals or dreams, which prompts her to seek therapy through the online Thera-Me. 

All of this changes when she makes a life-changing decision to move to Cararra, Italy to pursue her dream of learning more about the marble business.  Jess learns the marble business from Italian artisans, travels to Milan and the Italian Lake Como, makes new friends, finds a family, encounters love and loss, and most of all discovers herself.

It’s fun to follow Jess on her adventures in self-discovery, and her Italian American family provides quite a bit humor.  The part of the book set in Italy is incredibly descriptive, and made me want to jump on a plane immediately!  As with all the Adriana Trigiani books that I have read, I absolutely loved it and fell in love immediately with the main character.  

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Book Review: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 1/2 Stars.  Arthur Pepper is a widower whose wife, Miriam, died a year ago.  His world has gotten smaller and more self-centered - he stays at home except for infrequent trips to the grocery, thrives on routine, avoids his do-good neighbor Bernadette who brings him food, and occasionally talks to his adult daughter and son.  Everything changes when he discovers a hidden charm bracelet belonging to his wife that he didn't know she owned.  The charms reflect various aspects of her life - before she met Arthur.  He embarks on a quest to find out more about Miriam and her life  -- he journeys to London and Paris, talks to individuals in India and the local college to piece things together.

Throughout the book we follow Arthur trying to discover what Miriam was like before she met him, and not all of it was positive.  This is a book of love, loss, grief, discovery, hope, and ultimately personal growth.  Arthur is thrown into various uncomfortable situations as he is tracking down the background of each of the charms.  Yet he embraces each of them for what they tell him about his wife.  Overall, it's a feel-good book with a happy ending.  A perfect book to read at the end of 2025, and I'm looking forward to a discussion with my book club.  

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Book Review: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maggie and Ethan are both mystery / thriller authors working for the same publisher.  They have to accept an invitation from an elderly reclusive fan to join the family for Christmas.  

This book has a little bit of everything -- a Christmas house party at a remote English manor, a locked room mystery, a romance between co-workers, secret passageways, a huge snowstorm, a series of related clues, and more!  It was just the book that I needed to read this time of year, and I have been recommending it to all my bookish friends!  I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her books.

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Book Review: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sayuri Komachi is a librarian working in Tokyo at a small community center library. She has the innate ability to translate what library customers are asking for and discover what information they really need in their lives. "What are you looking for?"

This novella is divided into five sections, each describing an individual who seeks out information at the library, meets Sayuri, and ends up with a life-changing book (plus a bonus gift of a small felted figure with each book list recommendation!). There are characters in each of the sections which then appear in other individual's narratives.

This is a charming, feel-good book was just the thing that I needed to read after a couple of tough reads. And being a librarian, I love the fact that a librarian is the hero of this book! Highly recommended, especially for those who love books about book and librarians!

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Book Review: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The British naval ship, The Wager, was part of a group of five ships that set sail in 1740 from England on a mission around Cape Horn to capture some Spanish ships and retrieve their gold and silver.  The sailors encountered storms, sickness, starvation and more throughout their multi-year voyage.  

This is definitely the best narrative nonfiction book that I have ever read.  It's an understatement to say that it was a page-turner.  David Grann has extensively researched the ships, the individuals aboard the ships, the locations near Patagonia in South America, and makes the story come alive.  Bonus points for the fantastic maps included in the book; it was very easy to follow the ships' routes over the course of their journeys. 

I'm very anxious to talk about it with our book club this week.  And I will definitely be seeking out more books by this fantastic author.   

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Book Review: Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The entire world  is totally covered with giant smog blocking all sunlight which started in the central portion of the United States.  No food can be grown and the main character, a chef, moves from California to Europe in hopes of finding jobs and sources of food.  She applies for a job on the top of a mountain in Italy, lies on the application about her experience as a French chef, and is offered the job.  She is expected to create lavish multi-course meals for incredibly rich and pretentious individuals. 

I read this for one of my book clubs.  I really enjoyed the story lines about the main character's work as a chef and all the food preparation.  However, dystopic novels are definitely  not my cup of tea.  It took me almost three weeks to finish the book; I kept picking it up and then putting it down again, finding it challenging reading especially in the Thanksgiving season.

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Book Review: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aidan Bishop is attending a masquerade ball in the early 20th century at the Hardcastle Family's Blackheath Estate, which is a crumbling mansion on a large plot of land including a graveyard.  What he doesn't realize is that Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed and he is responsible for determining the murderer.  Over the course of the next eight days, he takes on the persona of each of the eight guests, trying to figure out their motives and movements over the course of one day. It is a ground-hog like scenario in which he inhabits a different 'host' each day.

This is exactly the type of book that I typically love.  However, I found it very difficult to follow.  Initially it is not apparent that Aidan Bishop is inhabiting each of the mansion's guests, changing them at the beginning of each new day.  Also, there is a large cast of characters; it is difficult to follow and keep all the characters straight.  It would probably benefit me to read the book again, knowing now what I know about the plot. However, it took me several weeks to plow through the book the first time.

Bonus points, however, for the map of the estate inside the front cover and even more bonus points for the Masquerade Ball invitation, which lists the Hardcastle hosts, the guests, and the household staff.  This was invaluable to me in keeping all the characters straight!  I referred to it constantly while reading the book.

To be honest, I think that it would be excellent as an original movie or multi-part streaming service show.  It has great similarities to the Knives Out movies and other streaming mysteries with large casts of characters.  I'm giving it four stars because of the unique premise and the fact that I'm a sucker for lavish British house party mysteries.  But just be aware of the length and complexities of the book before you embark on this 'masquerade mystery.'

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Book Review: The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter #15)

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars.  Andy Carpenter is a defense attorney in Paterson, New Jersey.  His client is Martha Boyer, also known as "Pups" because of all the dogs she has fostered over the years.  The 12 dogs she is currently taking care of vastly exceeds the local zoning law for number of pets, and Andy is representing her in court.  There is a drastic turn of events when the complainant ends up dead, and Andy has to defend Pups of murder.

The story takes place around Christmas, and there are twelve dogs as the title indicates.  However, the core of the novel is the mystery, the cast of characters, and the courtroom drama.  I would refer to this book as a cozy which is what we want for a good Christmas mystery.  This is the first book in the Andy Carpenter series that I have read.  Typically I don't start reading in the middle of a series, but this was a book club selection.  I loved Andy's first person narration of the story, along with his wit and humor, and will probably read more by this author.  

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Book Review: Boat Baby: A Memoir by Vicky Nguyen

Boat Baby: A Memoir by Vicky Nguyen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vicky Nguyen is an NBC correspondent who I watch frequently on the Today Show.  I wasn't familiar with her backstory - she and her parents left Vietnam when she was just 8 months ago, taking a boat to China and waiting months at a refugee camp before they could make it to the United States with someone sponsoring them.  She tells the story of her childhood, teenage years, college and first jobs with humor and insight.  Her parents are remarkably hard working individuals, starting many different businesses.  She is the typical immigrant daughter - helping her parents navigate the language, customs and expectations presented by their new life in a new country.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and she brings humor and honesty to her story.  Highly recommended.

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Book Review: The Likeness by Tana French (Dublin Murder Squad #2)

The Likeness by Tana French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cassie Maddox is former undercover detective with the Dublin Murder Squad, currently working with the Domestic Violence Squad. She is called back to help investigate the murder of a young woman who apparently has assumed Cassie’s undercover name and identify (Lexie Madison), and who also is an identical twin for Cassie. Cassie goes undercover once again, pretending to be Lexie. Over the course of three weeks, she lives at the house and spends all her time with her fellow housemates, trying to figure out who murdered Lexie.

Set in Dublin and the surrounding area, we meet Lexie’s four roommates – Daniel, Justin, Rafe and Abby – who are all students at Trinity University and are very close with similar interests. They live in a huge mansion which Daniel inherited from an uncle, located about an hour outside of Dublin. The house itself almost seems like another character; they spend all their time outside of college in the house – listening to music, cooking, fixing up the house, etc.

Tana French’s writing is a fantastic fusion of literary fiction and mystery / police procedurals. Her character development and descriptions are simply superb. The book gives us an in-depth understanding of what it means to be an undercover detective. I originally read this book in 2019 and just re-read it for a mystery book club discussion. I enjoyed it even more with the second reading. I have read the entire Dublin Murder Squad series and was sad to see it come to an end. However, I have enjoyed French’s other novels as well and am looking forward to the third book in the Cal Hooper trilogy, The Keeper, which is scheduled to be published in March 2026.

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Book Review: The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly (Lincoln Lawyer #8)

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mickey Haller is back in court, but now he's in civil court rather than criminal court, with a lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company.  A teenage boy was convinced to kill his girlfriend by interacting with a chat bot developed by Tidalwaiv.  Mickey was hired by the girl's mother to sue the company.  The book initially focuses on the investigation and preparation for court, then the latter half of the book is the riveting courtroom drama.  

I appreciate the fact that Connelly presented the AI background and knowledge in an approachable way and didn't overwhelm the reader with too many trivial and in-depth details.  Jack McEvoy, a character from three earlier Connelly books, has an important role in this novel.  I just read the first McEvoy book earlier this year, so it was nice to see him make an appearance.  

I am a huge fan of all Michael Connelly books and characters, and anxiously await a new one each year.  Even with Mickey Haller's left turn away from criminal court, this was an extremely compelling legal thriller.  Looking forward to more of his cases in the future.  

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Book Review: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sybil Van Antwerp is a septuagenarian who writes letters every day.  To the casual observer she has had a very fulfilling life -- a career in law working for a judge, two successful adult children, grandchildren, a wonderful home on the water in Maryland, her expansive garden, and friends and pen pals.  However through the letters she writes and receives, we discover more about her -- missed opportunities, loneliness, medical issues, grief, regretted decisions, and much more.  

This epistolary debut novel is told entirely through letters from 2012-2022, revealing Sybil's life to the reader little by little.  It was a delight to read, one of the best fiction books I've read this year, plus one of the most unique in structure.  I am anxiously looking forward to another book by this ingenious author!

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Review: What I Ate in One Year

What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an absolutely wonderful food memoir and the title tells you everything you need to know. It's basically Stanley Tucci's journal throughout 2023, chronicling what he cooked, what restaurant he went to, where he traveled, who he was with, and what he ate. A fascinating individual and an enviable life!

Full disclosure, I love Stanley Tucci - both his writing and his films. He has such an interesting life and a very dry wit which really comes through in his writing. I read the print book, but I also have the audiobook on hold at the library and have been waiting very patiently for several months.

Stanley, I keep waiting for my invitation to your London house for Thanksgiving dinner with your wonderful family and in-laws (Emily Blunt and John Krasinski). I would love for you to make me one of your wonderful martinis!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

UPDATE - October 2025
I read this book again for one of my book clubs, and I think I enjoyed it even more with the second reading! Stanley Tucci is a true Renaissance man -- actor, chef, writer, artist, designer of cookware, family man, and documentary creator! I just heard that he is going to be joining NBC's coverage of the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy, to highlight the region's food, culture, and history! I will read / view anything this talented individual is involved with!

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Review: London Rules

London Rules by Mick Herron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jackson Lamb's group of Slow Horses once again team together to save London from catastrophe, something the folks at MI5 / Regent's Park seem to have failed at (continuously). The Slow Horses' IT brain, Roddy Ho, has been tricked by his "girlfriend" into divulging MI5 secrets and there have been two attempts to kill him.

Lots of plot twists and turns, plus many characters to keep track of. I love Mick Herron's atmospheric descriptions setting the scenes at Slough House. He also writes incredible dialog incorporating wonderful dark humor. It's best to read these books in order to fully appreciate them and the character development.

I'm really looking forward to viewing Season 5 of Slow Horses, plus reading the next book in the series.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Book Review: What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci

What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an absolutely wonderful food memoir and the title tells you everything you need to know. It's basically Stanley Tucci's journal throughout 2023, chronicling what he cooked, what restaurant he went to, where he traveled, who he was with, and what he ate. A fascinating individual and an enviable life!

Full disclosure, I love Stanley Tucci - both his writing and his films. He has such an interesting life and a very dry wit which really comes through in his writing. I read the print book, but I also have the audiobook on hold at the library and have been waiting very patiently for several months.

Stanley, I keep waiting for my invitation to your London house for Thanksgiving dinner with your wonderful family and in-laws (Emily Blunt and John Krasinski). I would love for you to make me one of your wonderful martinis!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/. 

UPDATE - October 2025 
I read this book again for one of my book clubs, and I think I enjoyed it even more with the second reading!  Stanley Tucci is a true Renaissance man -- actor, chef, writer, artist, designer of cookware, family man, and documentary creator!  

I love the fact that he once again includes several recipes in this book.  And also that he writes about his cooking success as well as his failures -- forgetting ingredients and overcooking!  Just like those of us who are cooking at our houses!

I just heard that he is going to be joining NBC's coverage of the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy, to highlight the region's food, culture, and history!  I will read / view anything this talented individual is involved with!

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Book Review: London Rules by Mick Herron (Slow Horses #5)

London Rules by Mick Herron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jackson Lamb's group of Slow Horses once again team together to save London from catastrophe, something the folks at MI5 / Regent's Park seem to have failed at (continuously).  The Slow Horses' IT brain, Roddy Ho, has been tricked by his "girlfriend" into divulging MI5 secrets and there have been two attempts to kill him.  

Lots of plot twists and turns, plus many characters to keep track of.  I love Mick Herron's atmospheric descriptions setting the scenes at Slough House.  He also writes incredible dialog incorporating wonderful dark humor.  It's best to read these books in order to fully appreciate them and the character development.  

I'm really looking forward to viewing Season 5 of Slow Horses, plus reading the next book in the series.  

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Book Review: The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig

The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a very interesting combination of mystery, legal drama, true crime, and historical fiction. It’s the story of Elma Sands, a young girl who was killed in New York City in 1799. She lived in a boardinghouse with her cousin and her cousin’s family who were Quakers, so we also get a deep dive into the Quaker religion.

Rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr team up to investigate and conduct the trial together – the first murder trial in the United States. In addition to the mystery and the courtroom drama, we get a real feel for NYC at the turn of the 19th century along with the history of Hamilton and Burr.

Lauren Willig is an excellent author who conducted exhaustive research for this book, which is based on actual events. A 20-page Historical Note is included at the end of the novel which gives a lot more history and background information. The book started out a little slow, but picked up considerably when it came to the trial.

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