Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Dec 1

Gobble, Gobble (December 1, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. As usual, I spent most of the holiday week with my parents in Arkansas. The food was good. The rest was needed. The meal was awkward and uncomfortable. The reading time was heavenly. Three out of four ain’t bad, I suppose. Now it is time to get back to work for the last week of classes before administering finals….then a whirlwind trip back to Arkansas for Christmas.

What I Finished This Week

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli. I have never enjoyed science. As a student, I have taken the minimum number of classes in the field at the most general level of understanding and did not perform well in the courses. It wasn’t that the material was especially difficult. I simply didn’t find the topic interesting. When the prompt appeared in the November 2025 minis to read a book from the 500s of the Dewey Decimal system (science), I immediately assumed that would be the prompt for the month that I did not complete. While packing to travel for Thanksgiving, the thought of lugging around Iron Flame to continue Rebecca Yarros’ series was too much. So I searched the library for a small book about science that I thought I could handle. An international bestseller, Seven Brief Lessons is written in a conversational style with lots of practical illustrations to help the novice scientist understand the basic concepts of physics. If I was more interested in the topic in general, I think I would have probably enjoyed this read. Having said that, I see its appeal. While it wasn’t a personal favorite for me, I will still give it a good star rating. 3 stars.

Among Friends by Hal Ebbott. This novel was very slow moving. Two couples have been good friends since college, especially the two husbands. While spending a weekend together in upstate New York, things begin to unravel — an injured ankle, an argument over a lemon tart, and a teenage daughter is allegedly groped by her father’s best friend while she is doing laundry upstairs. Once the allegation is made, the novel improves greatly. Anna, the victim, questions what actually happened and if it is worth telling anyone about. Her mother is convinced that Anna lied about the assault in order to get out of trouble when she is caught shoplifting. Anna’s father doesn’t know who to believe — his daughter, his wife, or his best friend. The friend (and alleged predator) simply asks “Why would Anna say this?” While I nearly DNF’d the book when it was not moving at all, the second half showed glimpses of brilliance and hope that Ebbott will develop into a talented writer. This is the author’s first novel. 3 stars.

And with that finish, I also completed the November 2025 mini-challenge of The 52 Book Club.

What I’m Currently Reading

The Girl from the Garden by Parnaz Foroutan (p. 184 of 271). I went to the library this week in search of a book with a leafy green cover. That was the entire basis of this selection and I could not have been happier with the results if I had searched painstakingly for a great read. The novel tells the story of a Jewish family that immigrated to the US after facing violence in Iran. The narrative shifts between the current timeline in Los Angeles and the challenges faced in Iran. The shifts occur through the narrator’s memories of her treasured gardens in both locales. I know that the synopsis I have provided sounds very bleak; I would be lying if I tried to tell you that the story is not dark. But yet, there is a sense of hope as those who are victimized look to their family and their faith for support.

The Mistletoe Kisser by Lucy Score (p. 52 of 267). Once the Thanksgiving turkey was put away, it was time to begin some Christmas reading. Since I am a sucker for a good romance during the holidays, this book seemed like a good choice on a recent bookstore visit. The premise is much as we would expect. A teenage girl meets a young Ryan Reynolds look alike at the town holiday festival and receives her first kiss under a grove of mistletoe. Now as adults, Ryan — a true holiday grouch — returns to the small town to save his uncle’s farm and surprisingly runs into the girl he first kissed, though now all grown up. Very early in this one, but I am already enjoying the humor and finding myself laughing out loud as I read.

November in Review

  • Books read in November: 9 books (up 1 from October)
    • 6 physical
    • 1 ebook
    • 1 audiobook
    • 1 combined audio & physical
  • Pages read in November: 2,395 pages (down 1,059 pages from October)
  • Highest rated book: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – 5 stars
  • Lowest rated book: Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline – 2.75 stars

My Library Shelf

As though I don’t have enough going on in my reading life, I decided this week to bring back another personal challenge to my literary life. My Library Shelf project was first introduced to me in 2014 when I read Phyllis Rose’s The Shelf: Adventures in Extreme Reading. When visiting her local library, Rose realized that the book she planned to pick up was not going to be a good fit for her in that moment. That’s when she decided to venture into the unknown and select a shelf of the library at random to read her way through.

I have worked through a couple of shelves at various libraries since 2014 with mixed results. I have a few basic guidelines. The shelf must include at least one book that I consider a classic. The other stipulation is that no author can be represented by more than five books on the shelf. What I like about shelf reading is that it introduces me to new authors and forces me to explore genres I might typically avoid. I am still free to DNF any book I encounter as long as I give it enough of a read to get a taste for the material. I don’t put a timeline on the reading project, but I’m hoping to complete this task before the end of 2026.

Last Monday morning (November 24, 2025), I visited Unger Memorial Library in Plainview, Texas. Using the guidelines above, I set out to select a library shelf to read through. I was also looking for a book with a leafy green cover, so once I found a book that would fit that criteria, I would examine the shelf to see if it would fit my challenge. One of the pitfalls I quickly ran into was due to the large number of complete series that are shelved in my local library. It took me quite a while to find a shelf that contained less than 5 books by any single author. The shelf that I settled on was FORD-FORS.

My shelf contains 23 volumes representing 11 authors. Here’s the list of books that will be included in the current edition of My Library Shelf.

Ford, Ford MadoxThe Good Soldier
Ford, JackChariot on the Mountain
Ford, JamieHotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Ford, JamieLove and Other Consolation Prizes
Ford, JamieThe Many Daughters of Afong Moy
Ford, JamieSongs of Willow Frost
Ford, JeffreyA Girl in the Glass
Ford, JeffreyA Natural History of Hell
Ford, Kelly J.Real Bad Things
Forest, KristinaThe Partner Plot
Foreman, GayleLeave Me
Foroutan, ParnazThe Girl from the Garden
Forster, E.M.The Collected Tales of E.M. Forster
Forster, E.M.Maurice
Forster, E.M.A Passage to India
Forster, E.M.A Room with a View
Forster, E.M.Where Angels Fear to Tread
Forstchen, William R.48 Hours
Forstchen, William R.The Final Day
Forstchen, William R.One Second After
Forstchen, William R.One Year After
Forsyth, FrederickAvenger
Forsyth, FrederickThe Day of the Jackal

As you can see, I have a wide variety of books to explore — everything from classics to thrillers and family sagas. If something will fit one of the 2026 prompts for the reading challenge, I’ll certainly use it there. So far, it seems that only a few of them will fit into my plans for the challenge. Perhaps the mini-challenges is where they will fit? Either way, I’m rather excited about exploring some of these works as I have begun to look at the basic ideas surrounding them. We will just have to see what the results are as I continue my off-the-path reading adventure.

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Nov 24

Impatient Reader Alert (November 24, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

As the chill in the air grew more demanding this week, my desire to fight the chill with a good book in my hands became more intense this week. I couldn’t stand that I wasn’t spending enough time in the car to really make progress on my audiobook just as the story was pulling at my heart strings. Thankfully, I searched the library database before buying the ebook because I just HAD to know what was going to happen next. There was also a bit of excitement to finish these reads because I was ready to dive into the ones planned for this week. Something else needs to be done? Probably not going to happen right now because I would rather lose myself in the pages of a novel.

What I Finished This Week

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. This was a fun, fast-paced novel that featured a stereotypical enemies-to-lovers trope. Lucy and Josh are both assistants to the CEOs after their publishing company merged. The two are mortal enemies, constantly looking for ways to embarrass the other. Things have spiraled out of control so much that HR has become involved on numerous situations. When a restructuring is announced with a new position — a sure promotion for one of them — matters escalate! Do they really hate each other though? Or are they refusing to accept that they are attracted to each other? Thorne’s novel is very funny throughout and takes a poignant turn at the end as Josh is forced to deal with some demons from his past at a family wedding. All in all, I enjoyed the experience of reading this book even if it wasn’t of the highest quality (but skip the movie adaptation). 3.5 stars.

Pachinko by Min Jim Lee. I got frustrated this week that I was getting to spend so little time with this amazing story since I was reading it as an audiobook in my car. You can’t imagine how relieved I was to find that my local library had a copy of the book available. I cannot sing the praises of Pachinko enough! This is an absolutely beautiful book. It tells the story of a woman, Sunja, who emigrated to Japan from Korea with her new husband in order to give birth to her illegitimate son away from the judgmental eyes of her countrymen. What follows is a family saga unlike anything I have read, spanning 3 generations. With unexpected plot twists, Lee lovingly looks at the plight of the displaced Koreans and the racism they encountered. I read this book to fulfill one of the prompts for the January 2025 mini-challenge from The 52 Book Club. This is an example of why I so enjoy the reading challenge; I would have never picked up this novel on my own since the title did not mean anything to me. Thankfully, what I discovered is an exceptional author whose other works are now on my TBR and an amazing story that has changed my perspective. 5 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Among Friends by Hal Ebbott (p. 117 of 309). This book was a random selection for me from The Book of the Month Club. I selected it because I liked the cover art and it is a debut novel by this author. I always enjoy giving new writer’s an opportunity to become part of my circle of friends. So far, I’m having a mixed reaction to the book. Portions of it are really well written and incredibly vivid. However, I’m finding that the characters lack depth, making it challenging to differentiate between them as the point of view shifts. Because it is a fast read, I’m willing to see it through to the end. I don’t think Ebbott is going to make a very good impression on his audience or the critics.

Upcoming Plans….

On Tuesday evening, I will travel to my parents’ home for Thanksgiving Break. I hope that means I will have plenty of time to read in the airports, on the flights, and at home. So I plan to finish the November 2025 mini-challenge and make some progress on the April 2025 challenge this week. Here’s what that will look like.

  • “Let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding” (April 2025): Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall.
  • Related to the word “perspicacious” (November 2025): Among Friends by Hal Ebbott
  • A series that’s not finished yet (November 2025): Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros – Book 2 of the Empyrean series

At least, that’s the plan. But plans have a way of changing, don’t they? I’m headed to the library on Monday morning to return Pachinko, so browsing the shelves seems like something that simply must happen. Who knows what I might pick up to read while I’m there?

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Nov 10

Wordless Week in Waco (November 10, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

This has been a busy week! Most of my time was devoted to the student auditions of Texoma NATS held at Baylor University in Waco. That meant lots of rehearsals and playing for singers to compete in a massive competition and not a lot of reading time. By the time I got home each day, my eyes were rather tired and I didn’t want to hear another sound — so that meant audiobooks were out of the question. Still, I managed to finish one of my reads somehow. I’ll take progress any way I can get it!

What I Finished This Week

One Day in December by Josie Silver. Needing to read a book set in Winter to meet my penultimate prompt of the 2025 challenge, I decided on this novel. Laurie first sees Jack on a cold winter day while riding a bus, but their paths do not immediately cross. Was it love at first sight? It appears so and Laurie searches for him for over a year. When she finally finds him, things do not go as she had hoped because her best friend has introduced Jack as the love of her life. Over the course of a decade, Jack and Laurie remain in each other’s spheres of influence….but the timing never seems right. Laurie marries another man. Jack is in several relationships as he searches for purpose in his career after a near fatal accident. Through heartbreak, divorce, family crises, and personal growth, Jack and Laurie ultimately find their way to each other. Silver builds a charming story where true love wins out while asking lots of questions about if we should settle for our “almost perfect” person in hopes that true love will ultimately grow. This novel didn’t feel as though it was formulaic although it did end as this reader expected (and hoped). 3.5 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Grant by Ron Chernow (p. 82 of 959). This book had the least progress this week. With students in my car, I didn’t want to listen to much on audio during the drive. During a busy week, this was also not the text that I turned to at the end of a long day. I managed to get through a single chapter this week in order to make a little progress. I intend to push this book back into my reading routine this week and see if I can make some significant progress toward my big book for Nonfiction November.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2:36 of 17:49). Since I’m getting close to completing the main portion of the 2025 reading challenge, I decided it was time to start working on some of the mini-challenges. First up is the conclusion of the January challenge — all associated with the celebration of Lunar New Year. I only need one more book to complete this mini-challenge: a book set in a country that celebrates Lunar New Year. Pachinko seemed like a great fit and has proven to be an enjoyable read so far. Set in Japan, it is the story of a Korean immigrant family that begins when a young woman becomes pregnant by a powerful Korean man. Rather than facing the imminent shunning, Sunja accepts the offer to marry a gentle, sickly minister on his way to Japan. A National Book Award finalist, Pachinko is enthralling and deeply engaging. I’m excited to resume my listening routine this week and see how the story continues to progress.

2026 Reading Challenge Planning

The wait is over! The 52 Book Club dropped the prompts for the 2026 reading challenge this week. My social media feeds are filled with readers who are planning their new challenge while many of us are still in the process of completing the 2025 challenge. With a busy week in Waco, I have perused the prompts but not given much thought to the new books. I’m excited to explore The Godfather in the coming year as well as finally taking a look at works like Dune and The Song of Achilles. Beyond that, I’m really focusing on completing the main challenge before I dive into intense planning for 2026. If anyone wants to join me in the new reading challenge that starts on January 1, 2026, check out the link above and start your planning!

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Nov 3

Fall is in the Air (November 3, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

As the calendar began to turn another page, the weather decided to change as well. There is no doubt that we are now in the heart of Fall in Texas. With the cooler temperatures and earlier darkness (thank you, Daylight Savings Time), I was in the mood for warm and cozy reads. Two of this week’s finishes definitely fit that bill.

What I Finished This Week

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. I have overlooked this novel for many years. I wish I could provide a good explanation of why this was the case. I think it might have been an association with the trailer for the film adaptation. I also think that I was convinced that a novel about a woman in her kitchen in Mexico could not be interesting to me. Whatever the reason for avoiding the novel, I had no idea what I was missing! This is a beautiful tale of complicated love, difficult familial relationships, and the power of food. The magical realism that is widely prevalent in Latin literature was incredibly effective in Esquivel’s tale. I never found myself thinking about how unrealistic the events were; somehow, the magic was woven seamlessly into the fabric of the land and people. I anticipate that this will be a novel that I will want to revisit soon. 4 stars.

If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia. The cover of this book alone caught my attention as I made a quick selection of an audiobook last week. It just looks as though it is going to be a cozy read….and it was! I found myself looking for excuses to spend more time in my car just so I could listen. (Yes, I eventually curled up in my recliner with a blanket over my legs, put in my earbuds, and listened in my reading spot.) Michelle is recently divorced and needs some time to evaluate her life. So she decides to spend a few months in Vermont and manage the family bed-and-breakfast after her mother’s unexpected passing. With her dog Rocket along for the ride, Michelle meets the handsome neighbor, Cliff, and his two daughters. What starts as an uncomfortable interaction quickly grows to attraction. We watch as both of the divorcees struggle with their emotional baggage while trying to come to terms with how they feel about each other. If It Makes You Happy was a charming read that had me laughing and crying as I became more invested with this cast of characters. 4.5 stars.

Burnout, Who? by Chloe Grant. As November approached, I decided that I wanted to participate in Nonfiction November. My plan is not to read nonfiction exclusively, but to at least read a couple of books this month that are out of my comfort zone and that are not directly related to my profession. Since I have also come to terms with the harsh truth that I am dealing with a bit of personal burnout, Grant’s book seemed like an appropriate choice for the moment. Burnout, Who? is not a deep dive into the condition that plagues countless perfectionists as well as those who struggle maintaining personal boundaries. Rather, the book offers practical advice for getting out of the situation that saps your energy without going to the extreme measure of resigning or changing careers. Grant provided some good tips that I plan to employ in the coming weeks, but I also found the book very repetitive and a bit too superficial. 2.5 stars.

What I DNF’d This Week

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I gave it a good try for a few days, but I just couldn’t do the magical realism right now. The writing was good. The prose was absolutely beautiful. I didn’t connect with the story and had no pull to the book’s pages. Rather than fight during an incredibly busy season of my life, I decided to make a quick decision to DNF the novel and make another selection.

What I’m Currently Reading

Grant by Ron Chernow (p. 49 of 959). Once I decided to participate in Nonfiction November, I also decided to select something that could fit the September mini-challenge over on The 52 Book Club. The challenge is simple — pick your biggest read of the year and beat it. I decided to interpret “biggest” as the book with the most pages. The biggest book of 2025 thus far has been Anna Karenina coming in at 864 pages. Chernow’s biography of U.S. Grant is written in a gentle prose that has been fairly easy to read thus far and doesn’t spend too much time diving into tangents along the way. The focus remains firmly on President Grant. In the little that I have read, I feel I have a good understanding of Grant’s personality and the ways that his upbringing influenced the man that he would become. I’m reading this book on my Kindle as a loan from my local library, making it easy to read a few pages while I’m waiting for a student or standing in line. With upcoming travel later this week, I hope to make some significant progress in this biography when I’m between auditions.

One Day in December by Josie Silver (p. 28 of 392). I just started this one on Sunday evening, so I’m not far at all. Earlier that afternoon, I went to my local Barnes and Noble looking for books to fulfill the last two prompts of the 2025 challenge — a book set in Winter and one set in a country with an active volcano. One Day in December is the Winter selection. Laurie stares out the window of a public bus on a cold winter evening just before the holidays begin. She notices a handsome man sitting at the bookshop, reading a book. She wills him to step onto the crowded bus at the very moment that their eyes meet. Sadly, the bus pulls away just as the mysterious stranger approaches the door and Laurie is left alone. This begins a search through the bars and crowded spaces of London as Laurie looks for her “bus stop guy.” Is it a sappy premise? Absolutely! However, it is a Reese’s Book Club selection, so I’m hoping that it will ultimately morph into something other than just a holiday romance. Either way, I’ll be one step closer to the end of the 2025 challenge!

October in Review

October was a month full of travel. It featured a weekend getaway to Oklahoma City and a few days in the Geriatric Ward with my parents. I traveled to “almost Kansas” Texas for a performance (plus the 6 hours in the car) and survived a NASM site visit at the end of the month. On top of all of that, there was a LOT of baseball to follow as the postseason got going and demanded my attention. Despite all of that activity, I still had a very successful month of reading.

  • Books read in October: 8 (up 3 from September)
    • 6 print
    • 1 ebook
    • 1 audiobook
  • Pages read in October: 3,454 pages (up 1,208 pages from September)
  • Highest rated books: People Watching by Hannah Banham-Young; Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez; and The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden – 5 stars.
  • Lowest rated book: Moby Dick by Herman Melville – 1.75 stars.

2025 Reading Challenge – The 52 Book Club

It is no secret that I have been actively participating in the 2025 challenge from The 52 Book Club this year. I have thoroughly enjoyed the process and have had a lot of fun discovering new authors while also revisiting some old favorites. As November begins, I am in a really good place with this year’s challenge. I only have 2 prompts remaining in the main challenge. (Books have been purchased for both prompts and are sitting in my reading pile as I type this post.) As soon as I get that goal met, I’ll turn my attention to the many mini-challenges that have appeared throughout the year. I doubt I’m able to complete all of those as well by year’s end, but I should be able to make a fairly good dent in them.

Because it is November, those of us participating in the challenge are anxiously awaiting the announcement of the 2026 challenge that will come at any time this month. Part of the fun is guessing when the new announcement will drop on social media. If you have any questions about the reading challenge, I’d be happy to share my experience or you can check it out for yourself by visiting the52book.club and look under the challenges tab.

It has been a lot of fun creating a graphic representation of the books I have read for each of the prompts this year. I’ll be sharing it again in a few weeks when I fill in the final two books, but here is where it stands at the moment.

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Oct 27

On the Road Again (October 27, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Another week has come and gone. This one has been a little different as I have spent more than my fair share of time on the road. A quick trip to Canyon to participate in Opera of the Plains’ Death by Aria event on Tuesday evening was a lot of fun. Thursday’s drive to Perryton, Texas was long, but a great time to take a few deep breaths and clear my mind. As the weekend came around, I found myself taking a few trips down to Lubbock to take care of some errands.

And the driving is not quite over. Next week, I’ll head to Waco for a few days of playing. There’s still a lot that needs to be done in preparation for that trip, but I think I’ll get it all done. (At least, that’s what I keep telling myself!)

What has that meant for my reading? Just the inclusion of an audio book into my reading routine. Also means that I’m being more selective in what I’m reading at the moment as the end of the 2025 challenge is in sight.

What I Finished This Week

The 24th Hour by James Patterson. It was time to return to the familiar world of the Women’s Murder Club. What can I say? I enjoy the predictability of these books from time to time. It’s also nice to know that there is a series that I have almost read in its entirety. While 24th Hour did continue along the regular plot scheme, the inclusion of a long awaited wedding for a couple of the characters was a nice addition. There was nothing earth shattering in the reading, but it was still a very pleasurable experience. 3.75 stars.

The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett. This was my first experience with one of Ann Patchett’s novels (although I had tried to read Bel Canto with no success). I enjoyed the story and really liked how the story unfolded by revealing bits of truth, allowing the complex plot to slowly unravel for the reader. I read this to fulfill the prompt of a book that features a magician. Although Parsifal the Magician dies before the novel opens, he is very present throughout the book through reflection and appearances in dreams. I feel compelled to offer a warning — if you are triggered by reading about domestic violence, this is not a good book for you. While the topic is handled with respect and great sensitivity, it is a major plot point that reappears throughout. 3 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia (5:55 of 13:47). This week required a long drive to the very northern part of the Texas panhandle. With about 6 hours scheduled on the road, I decided this was the perfect time to start an audiobook. The first plan was to read Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher to fit the prompt of a book set in winter. However, I found the audiobook’s narrator difficult because of her accent and voice timbre. The story also progressed very slowly. I knew this was not going to be a good book for me. That “wasted” a three hour drive. Before heading back home, I decided to give Julie Olivia’s book a chance. The premise is pretty expected. After her mother’s sudden death, Michelle heads to a small town to take care of the bed-and-breakfast for a few months. Her new nextdoor neighbor is the single dad that runs the local bakery. Michelle’s opinion of the handsome baker moves from annoyance to lust fairly quickly. It’s an easy read that is appropriate for the cooling autumn weather around here.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (54 of 448). This novel has been on my shelf ever since it was selected for Oprah’s Bookclub in January, 2004. Winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize for literature, the novel served as an introduction to many mainstream readers to magical realism. Throughout the year’s challenge, I have constantly delayed reading something that includes Latin American history because of my unfamiliarity with the topic. I didn’t know what era of history I would like to explore in a fictional work. I decided that I simply needed to take the plunge this week and start reading the book. Here goes…..

Upcoming Plans

I’ve decided to participate in “Nonfiction November” this year. That’s going to be a real challenge for me as I don’t generally read nonfiction in my leisure reading. I’ve not made any definitive plans at this point, but I have made some decisions. I don’t plan to read anything related to my work — so no music biographies or books about educational issues. My early thoughts is that I’ll read two nonfiction books in November. One will probably be of a spiritual nature; the other is still being considered. I’ve considered reading a Presidential biography, but I’ve also thought about some kind of self-help book. I just don’t know where I want to go yet. The only thing that is certain is that I’ll share the details throughout the month of November with you here on Reading for Me.

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Oct 13

Curling Up (October 13, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

It has been an odd week for me. After getting back from a much needed weekend away, I returned to my real life only to find that my motivation was still on vacation. I wasn’t resting well. I still didn’t want to interact with people. I didn’t feel well emotionally or physically. The only thing I wanted to do was curl up somewhere under a blanket with a good book and read.

Well, I sort of wanted to read. The book that I finished this week was a joy to get through. The American classic that I am continuing to plow through was just that — a chore. Any other book, I would probably set aside. Because of the novel’s place in history, I feel as though I just need to push through to the end so I can say that I have read it and to see if I can figure out why it holds such a stable place in the literary canon.

What I Finished This Week

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. This book had been sitting in my TBR for quite some time. I selected it because I needed a cover font in a primary color. I was encouraged when I noticed a sticker on the cover declaring it the 2023 Book of the Year by the readers of The Book of the Month Club. What I discovered was a laugh out loud novel about two hurting people who find their way to each other. Jacob and Briana are both ER doctors. Jacob suffers from debilitating anxiety and is dealing with the heartbreak of a failed relationship. To make matters worse, Jacob’s ex is about to marry his brother. Briana’s divorce is about to be finalized and her brother is getting sicker with each passing day as he waits for a kidney transplant. The two enter an agreement to be “fake dates” to get Jacob through the awkward wedding season and end up falling in love, but both are too frightened because of past hurt to admit their feelings to the other. At times heartbreaking, this novel was an emotional roller coaster that left me rooting for true love to win out. The perfect story for me for the moment. 5 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Moby Dick by Herman Melville (p. 420 of 552). This week has been a trudge through Melville’s writing. Lots of detailed descriptions of the various parts of a sperm whale’s anatomy mingled with a few interactions with other boats, warning the crew of the dangers of encounters with Moby Dick. I was getting so discouraged this week that I asked ChatGPT if the novel got better after chapter 79! I had to chuckle at the AI response: “Oh, the Moby Dick question!” I’ve charted out my daily reading goals to the end of the novel and if I can stay the course, I should be done with this one later this week. Perhaps when I reach the end I will understand why this is considered an American classic, because right now, I’m wondering why people (myself included) continue to read this horrible book.

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden (p. 102 of 359). I cannot keep my nose out of this book at the moment! This is my first McFadden novel, but her work has been on my TBR for some time. The novel is written on duel timelines and the reader doesn’t yet know exactly how they are going to connect. Sydney is a single woman in her 30s living in NYC. Like most contemporary singles, Sydney is using online dating to find her perfect match. When her best friend, Bonnie, is brutally murdered in her apartment, Sydney questions the safety of her dating choices…especially after having an uncomfortable encounter in the days leading up to Bonnie’s death. This story is set against the story of Tom, a high school student living in an abusive home who is fascinated with blood, especially as it flows through the neck of the girl he is currently dating. McFadden’s novel is not overly graphic (at least, not so far), but there is definitely a high level of tension and suspense. I planned to stretch this book throughout the week to keep a moderate reading pace, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I really need to know what happens next!

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Oct 6

Looking for an Escape (October 6, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Happy Monday, dear readers! If you have been anything like me, I thought September was never going to end. With the month starting with Labor Day, it felt as though there were no breaks in sight and life just kept getting busier and busier with each passing day.

Last week was one for the record books as the calendar turned to October. It seemed that everything that could possibly go wrong DID go wrong. By the end of the week, I was desperate for an escape. Since I was already planning to be out of the office on Friday, I decided to take advantage of it and head over to Oklahoma City for a few days. I unplugged from work and spent a lot of time resting, relaxing, and recharging. Of course, that always means plenty of reading for me as you will see in this week’s post.

What I Finished This Week

Nothing But the Truth by John Lescroart. This was a really fun read that was a nice diversion from the Melville novel that I’m slowly working my way through. What begins as an unexplained murder and a contempt charge when Frannie Hardy won’t reveal what she knows before the grand jury quickly turns on its head and keeps the reader guessing. Whether you are drawn into the conversation by the damage gasoline additives do to the environment or whether it is right for a parent to “kidnap” young children to protect them from an abusive caregiver, Lescroart masterfully weaves all of these issues — and more — into a seamless novel that will keep you guessing until the conclusion. This was my first experience with Lescroart’s work….but I don’t think it will be my last. 4.5 stars.

The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One by Amanda Lovelace. I am not a fan of reading poetry. It’s too much work. Either I find myself trying to extrapolate meaning from just a few words or I am getting lost in the text because of the meter employed by the poet. When I saw that one of this year’s prompts was a story told in verse, I was not looking forward to the task. I had planned to read Paradise Lost by Milton since I did enjoy my experience with the work in the Great Books Colloquium at Pepperdine. When I tried to dive into the poem, I found it to be exhausting. After trying a few contemporary works that were suggested on Good Reads, I was beginning to worry that I would need to read a book by Dr. Seuss to check this prompt off of my list! While in a bookstore in Oklahoma City this weekend, I stumbled across Lovelace’s work. In The Mermaid’s Voice, the author presents a retelling of a classic fairytale that is interwoven with details of her personal experiences as a survivor of domestic violence. Since my sister was victimized by a Monster for several years, I came to The Mermaid’s Voice with a rather unique perspective. I found the poetry insightful, powerful, relatable, and (ultimately) hopeful. I would be interested to hear the responses to The Mermaid’s Voice of those who have survived the horrors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. 3.5 stars.

People Watching by Hannah Bonam-Young. I adored this audiobook! The love story of Milo and Prue is nothing if not complicated. Milo runs from relationships because he is perpetually running from memories of disappointing his parents and the resulting abuse. Prue has shut herself off from the possibility of finding love because she must care for her mother who suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The two ultimately find their way to each other and their chemistry is off the charts! (Read: spicy!) As they come to admit to themselves that they are actually falling in love, a horrible secret threatens to destroy the trust they have built in each other. Beautifully performed by Victoria Connolly and Brandon Francis, this was the perfect selection for me to complete the prompt of an audiobook with multiple narrators. While driving to and from Oklahoma City this weekend, I laughed and cried while rooting for love and maturity to ultimately win out. 5 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Moby Dick by Herman Melville (p. 203 of 552). I have continued my slow-paced reading of this American classic. Typically, I’m trying to plow throughout about 30 to 40 pages each day. By the end of the week, I hit a major snag since I found myself wading through descriptions of various types of whales and finally getting the Pequod out to sea. I’m getting a bit discouraged with this one since I’m a little over a third of the way through the novel and it feels as though nothing is happening. Here’s hoping that there is some action ahead in the narrative of the white whale.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (p. 37 of 387). Since I finished so many books this weekend, I needed to start something else to keep me moving. Yours Truly was the 2023 Book of the Year from the Book of the Month Club, so it seemed like an appropriate pick. Here’s the early premise as I can see it. Briana is a doctor who is up for a promotion to Chief of the ER. Only she learns that her supervisor has decided to delay his retirement (and her promotion) for a few months so the staff can meet the new hot-shot doctor who is starting today….and might be a candidate for Chief. Enter Jacob, the new doctor. On the outside, it appears he has it all together. In reality, he suffers from debilitating anxiety and has had a horrible first day at the new job. Can it get any worse? Yep…Jacob sticks his foot in his mouth when speaking about a young patient in need of a kidney transplant. The patient is Briana’s younger brother. Despite some of the heavy topics, the book has a lightness so far that is making for a fun read. I’m hoping that continues as I make my way through this story this week.

September in Review

September felt like an absolute whirlwind of a month. Lots of activities at home and in the office meant that I didn’t have as much time to devote to reading this month. Still, I managed to stay in my routine of reading daily. That resulted in at least one book each week — which is my actual goal. After the massive reading month that August was, September felt like a bit of a slog though. Here’s a look at what I accomplished this month.

  • Books read in September: 5 books (down from 11 in August)
    • 4 print
    • 1 ebook
  • Pages read in September: 2,246 pages (down from 4,014 in August).
  • Highest rated book: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (4 stars)
  • Lowest rated book: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry (2.75 stars)

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Sep 29

Making Discoveries (September 29, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

It’s always fun to make new discoveries. This week, while reading a blog about economical ways to support a book addiction — let’s just admit that most voracious readers have a problem that we refer to as our “book collection” — I expected to just be encouraged to visit the library frequently and to embrace ebooks. What I actually discovered was a recommendation for a website called Paperback Swap. The premise is actually pretty simple. You list books with which you are willing to part and list them on the website; you are responsible for the postage, but there are no additional fees. For each book you send, you can request another book from a member. It’s been a fun motivation to peruse my bookshelves with a critical eye and re-discover some books I had forgotten about while also selecting a handful to send to a new home. So far, I have sent out two paperbacks and have a biography of soprano Marian Anderson on the way.

While searching my shelves for books to list on the website, I also found a few editions of the classic that I have begun reading this week. While I am enjoying reading primarily from an edition without footnotes and textual interruptions, it is nice to have those resources at hand when I get completely lost along the way. So I’m finally sitting down to read of Ishmael, Queequeg, and Ahab rather than dreading my journey along the open waves with them.

This week features one finish and three current reads. (I know, I know….my “one at a time” approach was very short lived….but it is going to keep me from getting completely overwhelmed by the classic American novel….at least, that’s my hope!)

What I Finished This Week

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover. After a couple of heavy reads last week, I was in the mood for something lighthearted. Something that would make me smile. O’Clover’s funny romance was a great fit for me this week. Louisa (called Lou by her friends) has been dating her musician boyfriend for nearly six years. His hit song “Purple Girl” is all about her and they live in Lou’s dream home outside of Denver. She has everything she could ever hope for….until she learns that the boyfriend has been cheating while on tour. Refusing to leave her home, but unable to pay the rent on her own, she decides to convert it into a bed-and-breakfast. Only problem? She has to convince the handsome veterinarian, Henry, who is now her landlord. Henry’s past begins to trouble him when he learns that Lou plans to target heartsick people who need to heal after a breakup when publicizing the Inn. The Heartbreak Hotel features a lovely cast of characters while exploring issues of self-confidence and family relations. 4 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Moby Dick by Herman Melville (p. 81 of 552). I have never read this classic novel. I have started it several times and never found a rhythm to complete it. While planning for this year’s reading challenge, a young man who I respect greatly told me that I was missing out by not reading this novel. He went on to tell me that it was the greatest book ever written in his opinion. I decided that was enough of an endorsement to put Melville’s tale about the great whale on my TBR once again. My plan is to move through the book at a rather slow pace and couple it with contemporary works to see if that helps me find a better rhythm.

Nothing But the Truth by John Lescroart (p. 101 of 439). Since Night Over Water by Ken Follett just wasn’t the right fit for me at the moment, I went on a search through my bookshelves for another novel with a title that begins with the letter N for the reading challenge. I picked up this novel randomly on a trip to Half Price Books in Oklahoma City. Lescroart’s legal thrillers have been recommended to me many times, but I’ve never actually read one of them. This seems like the perfect opportunity to be introduced to the author and his famous character, Dismas Hardy. Here’s what I know about the story so far. Dismas’ wife, Frannie, was having coffee with Ron Beaumont on the morning of his wife’s murder (confusing and convoluted, right?) and is Ron’s alibi in the police investigation. When Frannie is called before the grand jury, she decides to keep a crushing secret that Ron shared with her in confidence rather than answer the court’s inquiries. When Frannie insults the judge, things become explosive and Frannie finds herself in jail for 4 days! That’s when Dismas discovers that Ron has emptied his condo and made a run for it with his two young children. This is a fast-paced, fun legal thriller that keeps the reader constantly on the edge of their seat as they try to decide what really happened and who is in the wrong.

People Watching by Hannah Bond-Young (2:09 of 10:21). I’m including this book in this week’s reading because technically I have started the book. I have some travel coming up later this week and one of my prompts for the reading challenge is an audiobook with multiple narrators. Two narrators and a beautiful cover were all the incentive I needed to download the book. I did a little listening at the end of the week to make sure I would connect with the story, but I plan for this to accompany me while I’m driving this week. This is the story of Milo and Prue. Milo is a down-on-his-luck artist, returning to his childhood hometown to assist his brother in launching his new business. Prue is caring for her mother, a retired art teacher struggling with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. So far, it is the perfect blend of romance, humor, and tenderness. This is definitely a book I am going to enjoy!

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Aug 18

So Many Meetings (August 18, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

What an incredibly busy week it has been! Monday and Tuesday consisted of driving me and my things back to Plainview. I made it back just in time to begin professional development and faculty meetings on Wednesday morning. Despite the never ending and often tedious meetings, I still managed to have a very good week in my reading life. I’m celebrating the conclusion of the big Russian novel as well as two ebooks this week!

What I Finished This Week

The Appeal by John Grisham. Just in case you didn’t read my summary from last week, let me briefly recap. Chemical company dumps waste in a small Mississippi town. Water supply becomes polluted and people die. Jury returns verdict with massive damages awarded. Company does not want to pay and attempts to purchase a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court. That’s the entire plot. Grisham is very good at weaving these interesting legal stories that force the reader to examine both sides of the issue. Was I frustrated as I read? Absolutely! Did I find myself rooting for the victims to get the money I felt they deserved? Most definitely. Do things in the justice system always turn out as they should? According to my experiences and Grisham’s novel, not at all. 3 stars.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. It’s time to celebrate! I completed my latest #BigBookofSummer read with this Russian masterpiece. This week, I read Part 7 and the shorter Part 8. Part 7 was the climax of the book as Anna’s psyche unraveled and she found herself in the pits of despair. Ultimately, she would choose to end her life in order to punish those who she did not feel loved her adequately. While I understand that Part 8 was needed to wrap up loose ends, it really felt as though Tolstoy was trying too hard to say something of importance and never quite summed up the theme of his novel. Levin wrestles with his philosophy of religion and spirituality while asking important questions about the meaning of life. Part 8 was intended to show how Anna’s death had impacted those left behind; instead, it was just a depressing statement of how life continues until we all ultimately die. 4 stars simply because of the massive scale of this tome.

The Perfect Game by J. Sterling. A romance that is all about a pitcher getting drafted and moving through the ranks to the major league? I’m all in! After seeing the book lauded on Facebook all summer, I decided it was finally time to read it and see what all of the fuss was about. It’s a pretty standard plot. Boy meets Girl and falls in love. Girl has trust issues that are tested when Boy has a drunken one night stand while traveling. Matters become worse when Boy’s indiscretion leads to an unwanted pregnancy. All in all, this was a fun, fast read to bring my summer reading sprint to an end. 3.75 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

James by Percival Everett (p. 104 of 303). I purchased a copy of the 2024 National Book Award winning novel last November. What I knew about the book was that it was a re-telling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective. Twain’s masterpiece has long been a personal favorite and one that I have examined multiple times, so I knew that I would ultimately read Everett’s novel. I finally sat down with James on Saturday morning and began reading. I was instantly pulled into the story and enjoyed the prose immensely. What I didn’t expect was how quickly the story moved; even with some dialect included as an homage to Twain’s novel, I have found the text quite easy to move through thus far. I’m anticipating that this book will be an easy one to finish this week and will fulfill the prompt for a book with a final sentence of less than six words.

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (p. 50 of 254). One of the prompts that I have been most worried about completing was “Climate Fiction.” Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one who will deny that Earth’s climate is changing and that we have a responsibility to protect it. However, it’s not something I want to consider in my reading life. I had tried to read There Once Were Wolves earlier this year, but the opening scene was just too graphic for me and I could not get past it. Migrations is about a woman who is studying endangered birds that make an annual migration to Antartica. Many scientists believe that this will be the final flight of the birds; Franny is convinced she will also cease to exist when the birds are extinct. Although I’ve only gotten a few pages into the book, I am finding it an enjoyable read thus far.

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Jul 21

The Eyes Have It (July 21, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Never in a million years did I anticipate my vision going south in just a matter of days. Alas, that is exactly what has happened and it is frustrating beyond belief. This week has continued to see my blood glucose coming into a normal, healthy range. Having been a borderline diabetic for many years, my annual eye exam always included checks for any damage. I had never heard about the impact that high blood sugar could have on your vision, but apparently I am living it right now. What kind of problems am I experiencing? Mostly it is just difficulty seeing print, but I am also experiencing a little eye fatigue at day’s end.

I went to visit the local eye doctor this morning only to find the office locked with no notice of when they would reopen. So I did the next best thing and headed to Wal-Mart to see if a pair of readers would help my vision issues. I now have a pair of +3.25s in my possession that is making it easier to see print (as long as it isn’t too small) and will hopefully buy me time until I return from this week’s trip to Chicago.

What have the vision changes meant to my reading? Not as much as I would have feared. The issues became apparent late in the week, so I was able to get another novel added to my finished list before my eyes went crazy. The print in the contemporary novel I am currently reading is large enough that I can manage with my bifocals. Thankfully, I have a digital copy of Anna Karenina and am able to enlarge the font when my eyes refuse to cooperate. Even though the vision problem isn’t solved at the moment, I think I have a “band-aid solution” until I can get to an optometrist.

What I Finished This Week

Heathen and Honeysuckle by Sarah A. Bailey. This book was a pleasant surprise! As you will recall from last week’s post, I selected this novel during my last trip to Barnes and Noble based solely on the sprayed edge because I needed to read a book with a beautiful edging for the 2025 reading challenge of The 52 Book Club. This is the story of Leo and Darby, nicknamed Heathen and Honeysuckle, respectively. The two fall in love as teenagers during a summer they spent together in Pacific Shores, California. Leo is a developing surfer with lots of emotional baggage. Darby comes from a respected Kansas family with traditional Judeo-Christian ethics. At the end of their summer together, Darby is forced to leave Leo behind without the opportunity to say goodbye.

The story continues ten years later where Darby is about to get married to a man selected by her overbearing father. When Darby’s sister finds a letter written to Heathen stuffed in a desk drawer, she mails it and includes the date, time, and location of the wedding. As Darby is preparing to walk down the aisle, she receives a bouquet of honeysuckle and a message to meet Leo at a local hotel if she wants to walk away from this sham of a wedding. What follows is a marvelous story of love, misunderstanding, loss, and forgiveness.

As I mentioned last week, the book opens with a content warning. Now that I have finished the book, I will affirm that the novel is graphic, especially in the second half. Additionally, potential readers should be warned about trigger warnings for abuse, miscarriage, drowning, and parental death. Despite the content, the novel is moving and a really good read. 4.25 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon (p. 58 of 354). At the end of the week, I started my next read. This one is for the reading challenge prompt “Title starts with M.” I’ve just gotten started with it, but it seems like it is going to be a fun murder mystery — an unusual genre for me.

Here’s the basic premise thus far. Beth and her teenage daughter, Jack, live near the water in Northern California. When Beth’s mother, Lana, is diagnosed with brain cancer, Beth and Jack move her into their condo while she recovers. While guiding a tourist kayaking outing, Jack discovers a body floating in the water. After their initial investigation, the police are convinced that young Jack is the culprit of the crime, forcing Lana and Beth to figure out how best to defend her while trying to find out what really happened. What I am most enjoying about the novel so far is the interaction between Lana and her adult daughter, including redecorating the condo and offering parenting advice. The hope is to finish this one this week, but we will just have to see how much actually gets read with another piano conference on the horizon.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (p. 278 of 817). Staying on schedule with another Big Book of Summer, I read Part 2 this week and got started on Part 3. The affair between Anna and Vronsky has become more apparent to the aristocrats of Petersburg, although her husband still seems to be oblivious. To further complicate matters, Anna is also pregnant. A heart-broken Kitty has visited a spa for the wealthy suffering from depression and other illnesses. While there, she gains the attention of an artist, much to the chagrin of the artist’s wife!

As I have begun Part 3, the early focus is on Levin and his brother. There is a long conversation between the two men about the differences in Russian classes and the appropriate role of the aristocracy. Levin spends a long day working with the muzhiks in the meadows and learns of their challenges and life experiences. As I read, there is definitely the sense that this time in the fields will forever change Levin and will impact his choices and opinions in the future.

2025 Reading So Far…

Now that we are into the second half of the year, I realized that I have not mentioned how I’m doing with my personal reading goal for the year. My goal is to read 52 books in the year; as of this writing, I have now read 39 books! I am well on my way to meeting my goal for the year.

As far as The 52 Book Club’s 2025 reading challenge goes, I still have some significant work to do. So far, I have completed 23 of the 52 prompts — roughly 44% of the challenge. I’ve included a visual of my progress with this reading challenge below. If you are looking for a fun reading challenge for the new year, I highly recommend this one. The new list will appear in November so there is time to prepare and brainstorm. If you don’t want to wait until the new year, check out some of the smaller mini-challenges at http://www.the52book.club.

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