End October 2026 Reading Update

It's the end of another month, as 2026 winds down. Let's just get right into my reading update.

Books Completed (One book completed since my last update, a total of 11 for the month. That'll probably be my last book for October, although you never know)

1. The Motive (also published as Death of a Nymph) by Evelyn Piper (Mystery / 1950).

"I've read other books by Evelyn Piper, Bunny Lake is Missing and The Nanny, both because I'd seen the movies and realized that they were books as well. I've searched for others of her books and finally found The Motive, also published as Death of a Nymph. It was originally published in 1950.

I liked it and I didn't like it. I'll start there.

Joseph (Joey) Anton, a writer, currently working in LA, hears that Shirly, who he rooms with back in New York, has been found murdered in a park near her apartment building. John decides to go back to see what happened. He inherits her dog, Stinky as he calls it. Shirley was taking Stinky out for his nightly walk when she was killed.

The story jumps from one character to another and is quite a psychological mystery. We tend to see more of what they are thinking than actual action.

Tidbits - We see Shirley before her murder, walking in the park. A man is sitting on the park bench she uses. She recognizes actor, Gavin More, and invites him to stay in her spare room (John's actually) rather than on the park bench. It's after this that she is murdered.

There is Leo, a Jewish poet, married to Mary Day, his one time nurse. Leo survived the concentration camps and believes that Mary Day, murdered Shirley. Mary Day has disappeared. Leo is desperate. Gavin tells Leo that he will find Mary Day. Leo gives Gavin a doll of Mary Day's to prove to her that Gavin is helping him.

There is Jane Greer, a friend from their school days of Shirley, who persuades Joey to read her manuscript, a biography. Is it related to the murder?

It's a rambling story that exists mainly in people's thoughts, which makes it both interesting and frustrating. For a short book, it was a relatively slow read. But as the story gets into the crucial moments, the pace picks up and all these loosely related (seemingly) events start to tie together in a neat way. 

It's an interesting story. Joey is a smart man who is reluctant to get involved but finds himself almost inexorably drawn more and more into the mystery. How everything ties together seems far fetched but also leaves you, thinking, yeah, that was neat. One of those books I'm unsure how to rate. (2.5 stars) "

Currently Reading (one of my new arrivals made it as my next read)

1. Wrong Norma by Anne Carson (CanLit / Poetry / Essays / 2024). I'm enjoying very much so far.

"As with her most recent publications, Wrong Norma is a facsimile edition of the original hand-designed book, drawn and annotated by the author. Several of the twenty-five startling poetic prose pieces have appeared in magazines and journals like The New Yorker and The Paris Review.

Anne Carson is probably our most celebrated living poet, winner of countless awards and routinely tipped for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Famously reticent, asking that her books be published without cover copy, she has agreed to say this: "Wrong Norma is a collection of writings about different things, like Joseph Conrad, Guantánamo, Flaubert, snow, poverty, Roget's Thesaurus, my Dad, Saturday night, Sokrates, writing sonnets, forensics, encounters with lovers, the word 'idea', the feet of Jesus, and Russian thugs. The pieces are not linked. That's why I've called them 'wrong'."

Upcoming Reads

1. Suicide Excepted by Cyril Hare (Mys / Inspector Mallet #3 / 1939).

"An Inspector Mallett mystery.

Inspector Mallett's stay at the country house hotel of Pendlebury Old Hall has been a disappointment. Room, food and service have been a letdown and he eagerly anticipates the end of his holiday.

His last trial is to sit and listen as the hotel boor, whose family once owned the house, sits down at his table. The next day the man is dead and Mallett unwittingly finds himself investigating the suspicious 'suicide'."

2. Catalina by W. Somerset Maugham (Fiction / 1948).

"'It was the Blessed Virgin' she cried…

Spain at the time of the dreaded Inquisition. Catalina, a destitute cripple, has been promised a miraculous cure but she becomes the centre of a storm of religious and political intrigue…

Maugham is, as always, a master story-teller and here he brings a terrible and troubled time vividly to life."

3. Heavenly Pleasures by Kerry Greenwood (Corinna Chapman #2 / 2005).

"No one has less interest in mysteries than Corinna Chapman, who has bread to bake, but they seem to be arising spontaneously in the vicinity of her bakery, Earthly Delights. Between the mouthwatering distractions of loaves and muffins, of Jason her apprentice and Horatio the cat, she's keeping an eye on the door as she waits for the exciting Daniel, her recently acquired lover, to walk back into her life.

After a week of no communication Daniel finally returns, bruised and battered from a run-in with a so-called messiah. But disturbing things are also happening close to home. Juliette Lefebvre, the owner of Heavenly Pleasures and maker of the most gorgeous chocolates in town, is distraught. Someone is spiking her very expensive chocolates. Is it an elaborate and horrible joke, or is it a warning that worse may yet happen?"

Newest Arrivals (purchased one book and also got 4 from the local Facebook Marketplace).

1. We Were Forbidden by Jacqueline Harpman (Short Stories / 2026)

"In the wake of some unfathomable war, a woman wanders the forest. She and her fellow survivors are forbidden from leaving its boundaries or pausing in their eternal march through its strange depths.

Attending a rigid French school in 1940s Casablanca, a teenage girl is barred from ever questioning the dogma she is taught to believe—her punishment for doing so will be as swift as it is shocking.

Locked in a loveless marriage in the Belgian bourgeoisie, a young woman satisfies her husband's desires, twice weekly, as required. She has not yet thought to pursue her own.

These novellas—the first works by Jacqueline Harpman to arrive in English in decades—reveal her incredible stylistic range and demonstrate once more her penetrating psychological insight. Here we find the origins of a singular, relentless voice."

2. Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls (Fiction / 2023)

"Most folk thought Sallie Kincaid was a nobody who’d amount to nothing. Sallie had other plans.

Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father’s daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother’s son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.

Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger."

3. One By One by Ruth Ware (Mys / 2020)

"Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?"

3. The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (Hor / Fan / 2022)

"Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.

Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds."

4. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (Mys / 2022).

"Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling."

There you go. Enjoy your Hallowe'en if you celebrate. And also the last two months of 2026

2027 Reading Challenges - My Individual Challenges

At the start of every year, with my one Goodreads Book Club, we start off the year with a set of challenges. Not everybody needs participate but for those of us who do, they are broken down in Reading Challenges, the 12 + 4 Challenges that I've highlighted in the last three posts. The only rule for those 12 + 4's is that you need to choose 12 books with 4 Alternates and that you can't change them once the year commences. The other challenges are the Individual Reading Challenges. You can pick what you want as a challenge, e.g. Series, Start a series, Books by Country, etc.

This is where I am now, seeing what I want for my Individual Challenges. For the moment, I've chosen 5 challenges, three are similar to my 2026 Individual Challenges and I've got 2 others. So let's see.

1. Individual Reading Challenges - Dusty Books. (Explanation here. The First 3 challenges take into account how many books I've got on my shelf and when I added them to the list. As of today, there are 1268 books on my TBR book shelf. So what I do is divide in 3; 423 books. I usually pick a book for these challenges via Random Number Generator. The Dustiest are the 1st 423, etc. At the moment, the dustiest book on my shelf is Glass Houses by Jane Haddam (Gregor Demarkian #22 / 2007).

"For over a year, Philadelphia has been plagued by a serial killer dubbed the Plate Glass Killer by the media. But finally, the police think they've caught a break - a man has been arrested at the site of the most recent murder, covered in the victim's blood. The man taken into custody is Henry Tyder, the scion of one of the most socially prominent families on Philadelphia's Main Line, a family that possesses the largest tracts of real estate in the city. He's also a hopeless alcoholic, frequently homeless and often estranged from his family.

Although Tyder has apparently confessed to the crime, his attorney believes him to be too disordered to be capable of actually committing the crimes and asks Gregor Demarkian, retired head of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit, to look into the case. Gregor, however, has other things on his mind - after having been away for nearly a year without a word to him, his live-in girlfriend, Bennis Hannaford, has returned to Cavanaugh Street. And everyone seems to have seen her but Gregor. While he waits for Bennis to finally appear, Gregor finds himself enmeshed in complex case of the Plate Glass Killer. Specifically, what would have drive Tyder to confess to crimes he was seemingly incapable of committing and, more importantly, if Tyder isn't the killer, then who really is behind the murders of the Plate Glass Killer."

2. Individual Reading Challenges - Middle Range. This would be those books from #424 - 847, the middle third so to speak. This will of course change until end 2026 as I read more books and also add more books. But for fun and games, let's pick the very middle of the pack, #634 - Tarzan and the Forbidden City by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan #20 / 1938).

"Tarzan cared little for the fate of adventurer Brian Gregory, drawn to the legendary city of Ashair by the rumor of the Father of Diamonds, the world's hugest gem. But to the ape-man the tie of friendship was unbreakable, and Paul d'Arnot's pleas moved him to agree to guide the expedition Gregory's father and sister organized for his rescue. The enigmatic Atan Thome was also obsessed with the Father of Diamonds, and planted agents in the Gregory safari to spy out its route and sabotage its efforts. Both parties reached their goal, remote Ashair . . . as prisoners of its priests, doomed to die in loathsome rites."

3. Individual Reading Challenges - Newest, Shiniest Books. The books, as of today, would range from 848 to the end, as that ending changes over the course of  the years. If I pick my newest and shiniest purchase today, it would be Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (The Empyrean #2 / 2023).

4. Individual Reading Challenges - Monthly Genre Challenges. Assuming we keep this challenge in our book club, we tend to vote on a specific genre each month, and then, of course, try to read books in each one. We'll see how that one plays out. It does add variety to your reading pleasures and lets you explore genres you might not normally try.

5. Individual Reading Challenges - Non - Fiction. I might change this one as we do have a separate thread for tracking Non Fiction reading. But if I make it a specific challenge, it will allow me actually focus on the genre. In my Goodreads listings, I've broken my Non - Fiction down into various categories, History, Non-Fiction, Biography, Politics. This possible selection fits into history sub-genre; The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell (1937).

"George Orwell's 'Urban Rides'. in which he recorded the state of the nation in a time of mass unemployment.

These factual, shocking, but sublimely human reports, phrased in a vivid style and shot with a wary mistrust of the political cant of the intelligentsia of all hues, make Orwell's contemporary comment on the miner's life, on class, on slums, unemployment, and malnutrition 'as fresh and stimulating as when he first wrote' - Daily Telegraph"

So there you go, my prospective challenges for 2027. As we get into December, I'll start talking about how successful I've been with my 2026 Reading Challenges. Now to get back to brekkie and my homemade banana bread, which Jo is enjoying. :)

A Mid-Month Reading Update

Some of the Book I hope to read before end 2026

The missus is having a nap so I'll start this tonight. If I complete the post, good enough. Otherwise, I'll get back to it tomorrow sometime. 

Books Completed (4 books completed since my last update, for a total of 6 in October so far)

1.  Frostbite; A Graphic Novel by Ian Boothby, illustrated by Pia Guerra (YA / Hor / 2026)

"Frostbite: A Graphic Novel by Ian Boothby and illustrated by Pia Guerra was a nice quick little horror story for YA in a graphic novel format. The teaser sort of says it all, ‘Beware the Dead of Winter’. It starts off with a busload of young players trying to get home in the night. The driver and coach are lost. The bus skids off the road. The coach and driver head off to see if they can find help. They see a cottage in the wood. The driver sinks into the snow. The kids run to the cottage but…… all of them disappear.

Move ahead a few years and we meet Jen and Dante. The are teenage influencers, traveling on a chopper to find a location to snowboard. The chopper flies ahead to meet them. Bev is dropped off to film them coming down the hill. Dante has his ankle slashed somehow. They proceed to the chopper but…. No crew!

The trio make their way into a small town and their gear is stolen by a guy on a snowmobile. The trio with the help of two young people from town head off in chase. They arrive at the river, but they’re not supposed to go over it. The land beyond is a forbidden zone. But, hey, guess what, they go anyway and that’s where they meet… well, now you have to continue, don’t you.

It’s an entertaining, fast paced story and well drawn by Boothby’s wife Pia Guerra. Not a lot of time developing the characters, it’s the setting and the story that is most important. It was enjoyable, not too terrifying or graphic, just enough to hold your interest. (3.5 stars)"

2. Heart on my Sleeve; Stories of a Life Well Worn by Jeanne Beker (Non Fic / 2024).

"Heart on My Sleeve: Stories from a Life Well Worn by Jeanne Beker is a memoir by a Canadian fashion icon. Jeanne Beker was one of the first VJs on Canada's Much Music and reported on music. She also was a fashion reporter on various publications and TV shows.

Jeanne tells the story in a unique fashion. Each chapter features a piece of clothing from her life and how it relates to her life at that time and how it relates to her life in general. The chapter called Itsy-Bitsy Bikini is about her interview with Andy Summers of The Police, which he wanted conducted in a bubbly bath surrounded by candles. Jeanne was game and wore the 'itsy bitsy bikini'. She also saved Andy when his hair caught fire from the candles. (The video of that interview is still on You Tube if you're interested in seeing it.)

Jeanne has had an interesting complete life. She's interviewed and made friends with many Canadian stars; Toller Cranston, Gordon Lightfoot, Linda Evangelista and also international celebrities. She's fought breast cancer (Lost and Found), married a few times, raised to lovely daughters, was awarded to the Order of Canada. 

Her life seems so fascinating and she tells the story in an easy, informal, light style. Considering that I grew up during this period, it made it even more interesting for me. As the title of the book says, Jeanne lived a life well worn. (3.5 stars)"

3. Tuck Everlasting; the Graphic Novel by Natalie Babbitt, illustrated by K. Woodman-Maynard (Fiction / 2026)

"I have never read the original Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt but I had heard of it. A couple of years ago, I discovered Tuck Everlasting: The Graphic Novel, adapted and illustrated by K. Woodman-Maynard, the cover was so appealing that I thought I should check it out. Over the past few years I've begun to really explore the world of graphic novels, including those adapting classic novels.

Right from the get-go, this story dragged me in. In its most basic, it's an exploration of life and death. Young Winnie Foster lives a protected life with her parents and gran. She spends most of her time in conversation with a toad. She decides to run away from home but is hesitant to do so. One night a man in a yellow suit visits. This is after a strange music is heard from the forest that is owned by the Tucker family.

The next morning, Winnie decides to explore the glade, even though it's forbidden to her. She sees a young  man, Jesse Tuck, drinking from a spring. When he sees her, he hides it, even though Winnie is thirsty and wants a drink. Jesse's mother, Mae Tuck and his brother Miles Tuck spirit Winnie away as they are worried about what she's discovered. The man in yellow sees this and follows.

The Tuck family promise to send Winnie home but they need to explain about the spring and the dangers of its life-changing powers. She ends up spending the night with them and each member of the Tuck family tells how dangerous the spring is and how its impacted their lives. Meanwhile, the man in the yellow suit has gone to the Foster family and says he'll get Winnie back, but the family has to sell him the grove first.

I think I'll stop there because you really should read the rest for yourself. The story moves along quickly but for its speed, it provides so much thoughtful conversation. The characters are all well-crafted and relatable. There is a strong tension to the story as the yellow-suited man and police approach the Tuck's farm. There is also a sadness that's unexpected at the end. It's a unique story and at the end there is an interview between Natalie Babbitt's daughter and K. Woodman-Maynard that provides more insight into the story and Maynard's interpretation. Beautifully drawn and colored, it's an excellent adaptation. (4.0 stars)"

4. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Fan / Empyrean #1 / 2023)

"I started reading Fourth Wing the 1st book in the Empyrean fantasy series by Rebeca Yarros about 4 months ago. I readily admit that its size was kind of intimidating. But every time I put it down, no matter how many other books I was working through, when I would pick it up next, I found it so easy to get back into the flow of the story, to remember the excellently constructed characters. And when I finally settled down to complete it, it took no time at all. Just an excellent, entertaining story.

Violet (sometimes nicknamed Violence) Sorrengail had planned to become a Scribe like her dead father, to spend her life in the vaults of books in the kingdom of Navarre. But her mother, the commanding general, had other plans. She assigns Violet to the Rider Quadrant where she will follow in the footsteps of her brother Brennan and her sister Mira. What you have to know is that Riders in fact ride dragons. Yup. And as they progress through their first year at the Rider Academy, a dragon will eventually bond with one of the students.... or maybe just kill him / her. 

This is not your standard first year at college. You either pass or fail and, by fail, I mean, die. And you can kill your fellow 1st years. The less there are to compete for a dragon bonding, the better the odds of survival. Violet makes an especially tempting target. She's the commanding - general's daughter. She's not very big and prone to injury. And there are a number of 'marked' students, the children of a traitorous uprising whose parents were executed by Mom. They tend to bear a grudge against Violet.

Mira is completely against Violet being assigned to the Rider Quadrant but when she can't persuade dear Mom to change her mind, she equips Violet as well as she can, with a special dragon skin armor and other things. Violet's best friend, Dain, a 2nd year and also a flight commander constantly encourages Violet to sneak to the Scribe Quadrant, but Violet refuses.

There are people who especially hate Violet; I mentioned those kids of the executed parents.. Well, Xaden Riorson's father led the rebellion and he's now Violet's boss, Fourth Wing Commander. There is also Jack Barlowe who really wants to make a name for himself by killing Violet.

So the stage is set and Violet needs to survive to be bonded with a dragon. She does have some friends, especially Rhiannon who helps her with her battle training and things like that.

The story moves along at a steady pace and Violet proves she's no push over and isn't beyond a bit of trickery to help her defeat her opponents (a touch of poison anyone?) She eventually bonds with a dragon... no wait, not just one. But I won't go any further with that part, just know that she continues to progress. She starts to realize that who might be her enemy, might not be and who she thought of as friends, well, they might not be so friendly. 

The longer she lasts, the stronger she gets and finally, as all dragon riders do, she finds out her powers (you either get the power or you die because it basically eats you up)

There are intrigues within the Rider's Quadrant and it seems that the students aren't being told everything that is going on in the outside world. 

It's such a rich, fantastic story. The world Yarros has created is cleverly opened up to our view. The characters are all so well-developed that you grow to like or hate them as you learn more about them. The developing relationship between Violet and Xaden is surprising and neatly handled. Personally, I could have done without the description of the physical relationship, but I can see its importance to what happens later in the story. All in all, a great start to a series and I may have to get #2. (4.5 stars)"

The other books I've set aside to read by end 2026)

Currently Reading (started since my last update)

1. Case Pending by Dell Shannon (Lt. Mendoza #1 / 1960). I have read one other book in this crime series. It was most enjoyable.

"A murdered girl, a missing doll, an illegally adopted child - a trilogy of mystery for Lieutenant Luis Mendoza."

2. The Motive (also Death of a Nymph) by Evelyn Piper (Mys / 1950). I have read Bunny Lake is Missing and The Nanny, also by Piper.

"Shirley Kolp was not an easy person to understand. Someone really had to know her to want to murder her.

Evidently, someone did.
But who?... And why?"

3. Driven by Mason Coile (Hor / 2026). I've read books by Coile under his real name, Andrew Pyper. 

"Jamie Newcross wants to disappear. His wife and baby girl have abandoned him, and his only wish is to retreat from society. Because, as it turns out, Jamie Newcross is also being haunted. Every house, condo, or apartment he moves into is plagued with ghosts—at the end of the bed or when pulling back the shower curtain. He hasn’t been able to sleep in weeks. 

But Jamie has a plan. He posts queries online and finds someone wanting to get rid of their Lion—the world’s most advanced self-driving car—a sleek, private, contained vessel that is one-hundred percent safe. Or so he thought.  

Because now, Jamie has woken up to the Lion speeding down a dark road, the hood is dented—wait, is that blood?—and the car will not respond, or stop, or let him out.  

As the miles rack up and Jamie becomes increasingly complicit in his car’s choices, he's forced to face the tragic past he has kept buried. Driven is a taut, near-future fever-dream. Mason Coile delivers another one-sitting read that blends science fiction and psychological horror to explore loneliness, grief, and the things that make us human."

Newest Arrivals

1. Treat Them as Buffalo by Blair Palmer Yoxall (Indigenous / Hist Fic / 2026).

"A gripping historical novel about the mysterious kidnapping of Métis boys, the women who search for them, and a town set on edge, told against the backdrop of the North-West Resistance of 1885

During a game of buffalo hunters, young Nikosis Eriksen’s cousin goes missing in broad daylight, leaving nothing but scuff marks in the muddy spring snow. It’s the first in a series of kidnappings of local Métis boys that sets the town of Lac-aux-Trois-Pistoles, Saskatchewan, on high alert. As the new detachment of North-West Mounted Police drag their feet, the women of the Eriksen-Desjarlais family—Niko’s Nimama, Auntie, and Chapan—take on the desperate search for Cousin.

Gunslinger Kate McCannon and her band of women and children have been living in a camp outside town while the family men have joined Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont in the resistance. News of the victory at Duck Lake arrives in the camp as McCannon and the women join the search for the missing boys.

When a boy is recovered alive yet badly wounded, the need to find Cousin becomes all the more pressing. It isn’t until Niko discovers the truth about the man responsible for the kidnappings that he is forced to grapple with his own identity and resolves to bring Cousin back, no matter what.

Told in the unforgettable young voice of Niko, Treat Them as Buffalo is a remarkable debut novel about the violent events of 1885 and the survival of a people when threat comes from every direction.

2. Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus (Fic / 2026). I enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry so very much. I'm looking forward to trying this.

"Batter Gray is worried about his future. Even when he was eleven, his classmates seemed to have settled on a goal: doctor, lawyer, broker, engineer. Good jobs that automatically command respect, security, 401Ks. Now Batter is in his early twenties, living in New York City, and he wants something different; something that alienates some readers and bores most. Poetry. And yet—to him and exactly thirty-nine editors at a company called Peck & Peck—poetry not only represents the power of humanity but holds the key to its survival.

Batter is named after his mother’s heroic dog. An identical twin who lost his brother at birth, he finds himself confronted by the everyday dualities that make up life: right vs. wrong, truth vs. lies, rejection vs. acceptance. It’s almost as if his dead brother is a reminder: there are always two sides to every story.

No, wait. Make that three."

3. How to Eat an Elephant; One Voter at a Time by Sarah Longwell (Non Fic / 2026). Jo and I enjoy watching the Bulwark online and Longwell is the founder.

"The playbook for consigning MAGA-style politics to the ash heap of history (where it belongs). Featuring a foreword by Jonathan V. Last (AKA JVL).

After Donald Trump won the 2024 election, Sarah Longwell did what she's done nearly every week for the past eight years: She sat down with voters. She conducted hundreds of focus groups, listening to thousands of ordinary Americans—Republicans, Democrats, and the politically homeless—with the goal of understanding politics through the eyes of the people who will decide our country’s future.

American voters, and what they want for their country, are at the heart of How to Eat an Elephant. Longwell, the founder of The Bulwark and one of the sharpest political communicators of her generation, lays out the playbook for building a coalition big enough, bold enough, and tough enough to defeat authoritarian populism for good. Not with a single election. Not by doing another poll or debating the benefits of being more progressive or more moderate, but by building something new: A modern pro-democracy movement that can create its own communications infrastructure—just like the right has done for decades—achieve narrative dominance, elevate more compelling leaders, and talk to voters like adults.

Drawing on her own unlikely political journey from a lesbian Republican operative to the vanguard of the anti-MAGA movement, Longwell delivers a book that is equal parts war manual and pep talk—with her personal and professional story woven throughout. With her trademark bluntness and humor, she explains exactly how we got here and, more importantly, what we must build next—all while directly quoting the most important but overlooked people in the country: the voters themselves.

She answers the question: How do you eat an elephant? One voter at a time."

4. The American Way of Killing; The Invention of an Epidemic by Malcolm Gladwell (Non Fic / 2026) I've read a couple of other books by Gladwell and he is always interesting and informative.

"Malcolm Gladwell’s most urgent book yet: a provocative investigation of America’s epidemic of gun violence.

The United States has far more homicides than any of its peers around the world. Why?

In this groundbreaking book, Malcolm Gladwell explores the American “peculiarity”—how the world’s wealthiest country came to suffer from a problem typically only seen in the world’s poorest countries.

Drawing on original interviews, archival and social science research, and his trademark insight, Gladwell approaches the American paradox through a series of stories. What can we learn from the miracle of a young gunshot victim in Washington, D.C.? How have the legal troubles of a seventeenth-century English knight influenced American attempts at gun control? Why would a European police chief be baffled by the graduation ceremony at any American police academy?

In a sweeping narrative, Gladwell travels from a shooting range in North Carolina, to the South Side of Chicago, to an old plantation house in Alabama, painting a picture of a country that does not understand its most pressing social problem, and as result, does not understand how to fix it."

There you go. See any books that tweak your fancy?

A Look Forward to the End of 2026

I'll be doing a little prognosticating in this post, seeing what books I might finish the year with. But first, let's update my reading and such. 

Not a lot to report since my last update. No books completed although I did give up on one.

Books Not Completed

1. The Strange Adventures of Mr. Andrew Hawthorn by John Buchan (Short Stories / 1932). I like Buchan but I just didn't have the energy for this one.

"The Strange Adventures of Mr Andrew Hawthorn and Other Stories by John Buchan, published by Penguin Books 2008 ended up being a DNF for me. I have read a few books by Mr. Buchan and I tended to enjoy them, especially the Richard Hannay books (The 39 Steps for one). This collection of stories was published between 1896 and 1932 and while I plodded along, I can't say that they really grabbed me. 

I think I found them just a bit ponderous. I kind of liked Politics of the May Fly because it added a bit of humour. I'll keep the book because I like the cover and maybe try it again someday when I might be more in the mood for it. 140 pages read, 7 stories completed of the group. NR"

New Arrivals (Two Arrivals in October)

1. Republic of Glass by Catherine Leroux (CanLit / Dys / 2024). I also have The Future by Leroux.

"In near-future Montreal, where housing is a luxury that few can afford, rumours have begun to stir.

Sidonie, a trailblazing journalist, is the first to break the news of people disappearing off the streets—unsettling reports of unmarked government vehicles and attacks that have left encampment communities on edge. The story spreads like wildfire, thrusting Sidonie into the spotlight as the trusted mouthpiece for the most vulnerable population. But as public outrage and concern mount, Sidonie must decide how much she’s willing to risk to tell this story.

Eventually she finds herself on the other side of the mirror, within the walls of a new kind of institution whose residents may or may not be paid for their labour, and of which they may or may not be captive. In this context, Sidonie’s only escape is through her writing. As she reconstructs the events that led her here in her journal, she begins to realize that the page can provide an escape in more ways than one, and fiction, not truth, might set her free."

2. The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes (Fan / 2025). A new author for me.

"He was sent to kill a pest. Instead, he found a monster.

Enter the decadent, deadly city of Tiliard, carved into the stump of an ancient tree. In its canopy, the pampered elite warp minds with toxic perfume; in its roots, gangs of exterminators hunt a colossal worm with an appetite for beauty.

In a complex, chaotic city, Guy Moulène has a simple keep his sister out of debt. For her sake, he'll take on any job, no matter how vile.

As an exterminator, Guy hunts the uncanny pests that crawl up from the river. These vermin are all strange, and often dangerous. His latest quarry is a worm the size of a dragon with a deadly venom and a ravenous taste for artwork. As it digests Tiliard from the sewers to the opera houses, its toxin reshapes the future of the city. No sane person would hunt it, if they had the choice.

Guy doesn't have a choice."

Time to Prognosticate

I tend to read about 10+ books a month, so I'm going to say 30 more books for 2026... hoping I might read more. At the moment, I've got 9 on the go, mostly Horror. I'll list them by Challenge Grouping.

Currently Reading

1. 12 + 4 Challenge - Shiny New Books. I'm currently reading Heart on my Sleeve by Jeanne Beker (Non Fic / 2024). I'm about half way through this and could finish in one night as it's a nice easy book. It'll give me 12 books completed for this challenge.

2. 12 + 4 Challenge - Dustiest Books. I'm just over half way through Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (Classics / 1881). I've been working on this book since May but I will finish as I do want to see what happens to poor Tess

3. Individual Challenges - Slightly Dusty Books. American War by Omar el Akkad (Dys / 2017). Interesting book about the 2nd Civil War. I'm over half way through it.

4. Individual Challenges - Slightly Dusty Books. Off - Season by Jack Ketchum (Dead River #1 / 1980). I'm just about half way through this and it's giving me the creeps.

5. Individual Challenges - Slightly Dusty Books - The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes (1913). I've just started this and think it falls somewhere in the thriller / horror category. We'll see.

6. Individual Challenges - Shiniest Books. Another I've been working on for awhile (since mid - Jun) but will finish. Interesting fantasy with dragons. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (2023)

7. Individual Challenges - Shiniest Books. Bunny by Mona Awad (Hor / 2019). I'm not sure about this one but I'm only about 60 pagers in.

8. Individual Challenges - Shiniest Books. Terminal by Brian Keene (Hor / 2005). A new author for me and I'm just about to crack it open.

9. Individual Challenges - Shiniest Books. Northern Nights by Michael Kelly (Short Stories / 2024). A collection of short stories in the horror genre by Canadian authors. I've read the 1st one so far.

Upcoming (in no particular order... and subject to change of course)

10. 12 + 4 Challenges - Dustiest Books. I have read 8 so far and if I finish Tess in time, then maybe one more; The Summer of the Danes by Ellis Peters (Cadfael #18 / Historical Mystery)

11. 12 + 4 Challenge - Shiny New Books. When I finish Heart on my Sleeve, I'll have completed my 12 books but I think I'll still try one more at least, Tuck Everlasting, the Graphic Novel by K. Woodman-Maynard (2025)

12. 12 + 4 Challenges - 2nd Half Books. I have 3 books left in this challenge and they are all short so I'll probably read them all. Case Pending by Dell Shannon (Lt. Mendoza #1 / 1960)

13. 12 + 4 Challenges - 2nd Half Books.  The Motive by Evelyn Piper (Mys / 1950).

14. 12 + 4 Challenges - 2nd Half Books. We Speak Through the Mountain by Premee Mohamed (Annual Migration of Birds #2 / 2024)

15. 12 + 4 Challenges - Short Stories. I've read 11 books in this challenge so plan to read one more. Games without Rules by Michael Gilbert (Mystery UK / Calder & Behrens #1 / 1967)

And the remaining 15 will come from my individual challenges.... probably. Let's say 5 from each group

Dustiest Books (#17 - 416)

16. The Trials of Rumpole by John Mortimer (Rumpole #2 / 1979).

17. Suicide Excepted by Cyril Hare (Mys / 1939)

18. Gently Between the Tides by Alan Hunter (George Gently #29 / 1982)

19. Catalina by W. Somerset Maugham (Fiction / 1948).

20. Heavenly Pleasures by Kerry Greenwood (Corinna Chapman #2 / Mys Australia / 2005)

Slightly Less Dusty Books (#417 - 832)

21. The Family Vault by Charlotte MacLeod (Kelling & Bittersohn #1 / 1979)

22. Satan's World by Poul Anderson (Sci Fi / 1968)

23. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (Murderbot #4 / 2018)

24. Dawn by Elie Wiesel (War / 1960).

25. The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum (Oz #5 / 1909).

Newest, Shiniest Books (#833 - Infinity)

26. The Blonde Lady by Maurice LeBlanc (Arsene Lupin #2 / 1908)

27. The Union Club Mysteries by Isaac Asimov (Short Stories / 1983).

28. Unprotected; A Memoir by Billy Porter (Biography / 2021)

29. The Story-Teller by Patricia Highsmith (Mys / 1965)

30. Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal el-Mohtar (Fantasy / 2026)

If I can get through these before end December, I may try to squeeze in one or two more. Ideas for reading anyway. Maybe in one of my next posts I'll tell you my ideas for 2027 Reading Challenges. Enjoy October.

End of Month Reading Update

I do recognize that it should say "I'm, not im"

When I travel, I tend to read a lot in a short space of time. It probably explains why I had a head ache when I returned home from my short trip to Ottawa this past weekend. I managed to finish 3 of the books I'd been working on while I was traveling. (Oh, I also got my normal 'flying flu' on the trip and am trying to get it out of my system.. cold capsules, don'tcha know. Maybe it was my daughter's dog, Anthony who made me sick!!) Just kidding, Jenn.

So, let's take a look and update what I've read. am starting, etc. since my last reading update 15 September. Onward and upward!

Books completed (Five books completed since last update)

1. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin (Hor / 1972)

"The Stepford Wives is probably the 3rd book by Ira Levin that I've read. He can be hit and miss for me. I enjoyed Rosemary's Baby very much and thought Sliver was ok. I think The Stepford Wives falls somewhere in between. I have seen the movie, probably both movies based on the book and had a general idea of what the story was about.

Joanna Eberhart, a commercial photographer, and husband Walter, a financial lawyer, and their two kids move out of the city to the suburbs, to the town of Stepford. The story is basically Joanna's with everyone else playing more peripheral roles. Joanna begins to meet the neighbour women and is surprised to find that they really have no social lives. Their lives revolve around keeping their houses clean, supporting dear hubby. She invites some for lunch or just coffee but they are two busy cleaning.

Walter is invited to join the local Men's Club. It meets somewhat regularly. Joanna wonders why there are no women's clubs? She finally meets someone she can talk too, Barbara, who is boisterous, casual, messy... a normal person. They start approaching the other women and lo and behold, they are all too busy. Both women begin to find things quite strange in the town and Barbara, and eventually, begin to think something more sinister is going on..... and I don't think I should say any more about the plot. It's a very short story and things come to a head very quickly. It's an easy read that you'll get to the crux quite quickly.

Like the other Levin books I have read, the story is sparse, with not a whole lot of description. Other than Joanna and Barbara, you don't really get to know much about the other families, especially the woman. Well, they're all the same anyway.

But Levin still manages to ramp up the suspense steadily and quickly. It's not horrifying as a story but still tense and creepy. Written during the NOW movement, it plays on the stresses between women trying to be two things, a perfect mom and wife and also being able to have their own careers and interests. All I'll leave you with is.. don't be a Stepford Wife and, men, don't be Stepford Husbands. Treasure your partners for their intelligence, imagination, independence... 😎👍 (3.0 stars)"

2. Gambit by Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe #37 / 1962) I'm not reading this series in any particular order.

"Gambit is the 37th Nero Wolfe mystery by American author Rex Stout. I have not read this series in order. This was the 3rd book in the series that I completed. I have a few others sitting on my shelf awaiting my attention. 

In this particular story, a young woman, Sally Blount asks for Wolfe's help to prove her father innocent of the murder of a chess master. This goes against the wishes of her father, mother and even her father's lawyer. Sally doesn't trust the lawyer. She thinks he has ulterior motives for keeping her father in prison, that motive being that he is in love with Sally's mother.

Wolfe is very reluctant to take the case but ultimately Sally persuades him. Jerin, the chess master, was killed with arsenic at a small chess tournament he participated in at the Gambit club, where he sat in another room and played against four of the club's best players. The moves were brought to Jerin by 3 messengers and his moves carried back. Sally's father, at one point, brought Jerin hot chocolate (Jerin's favorite drink) and after drinking it, Jerin collapsed, was brought to the hospital where he ultimately died. The police determined that Jerin died of arsenic poisoning. They arrested Mr. Blount because he'd delivered the chocolate and also cleaned up all of the evidence.

The story is told by Wolfe's assistant (alter ego / right hand man) Archie Goodwin. Wolfe never leaves his apartment in New York so Archie represents him in the investigations.

The investigation is interesting. We meet Sally's mother, Kalmus, the lawyer and the others involved, the 3 messengers and the doctor. It's an interesting investigation. Wolfe gradually wins over Kalmus and Mr. Blount and they agree that they also need Wolfe's assistance. There is another death that changes and speeds up the investigation until the ultimately satisfying ending.

I enjoy how the story is presented. Wolfe is almost a side line, appearing only when he is together with Archie. Archie is a blunt, smart assistant and he continually goads Wolfe, pushing him when he needs pushing, listening when he knows Wolfe is thinking. They are two sides of the same coin and their partnership makes the story even more interesting. Most enjoyable, even if I sort of had it figured out.. well, probably around the same time that Wolfe and Archie were sorting things out in their mind. Well written and enjoyable. (3.5 stars)"

3. Dead Man's Boots by Mike Carey (Felix Castor #3 / 2007). A nice dark series.

"Dead Men's Boots is the 3rd book in the Felix horror / fantasy by English author Mike Carey. I started this series after I had been reading the Dresden files as I thought it would be similar. In some ways it is, but in others it's a bit different, a bit darker maybe than Dresden. While Harry is a warlock PI, Mike Carey is an exorcist and the London where he resides is quite dystopic.

This story is quite involved. Felix attends the funeral of a fellow exorcist but the proceedings are interrupted by protesters, who are against exorcism, believing the risen dead have their own right to live. Oh it seems that that the dead have crawled out of their graves; some returning as zombie, some as weres, some just as spirits. As well as the protesters, a lawyer shows up just as the burial is complete. The wife of Felix's friend, John Gittings, moved the funeral up because she was expecting the lawyer. The lawyer had a will from John, where he asked to be cremated instead of buried.

Felix has some guilt about John's death. John was working on a big case and had asked Felix for assistance. But because of previous incidents where John's actions had almost got his fellow exorcists killed, Felix had ignored his calls. Felix agrees to help Cara sort out the matter.

What else is going on you ask? Well, another woman asks to hire Felix. Her husband is in jail on charges of murder. Felix agrees to investigate and see if there is a case to made that her husband is innocent. The man's wife believes her husband was possessed by a demon who did the killing.

And what else you ask? Well, let me tell you. Felix's ward, Rafi, is still in an asylum, possessed by Asmodeos (I may have the name a bit incorrect). There is an ongoing court case where an arch enemy of Felix and Pen (Rafi's other ward), Jenna-Jane wants to take Rafi to her institution and perform experiments on him.

Oh yes, as Felix investigates, he discovers what seems to be some sort of 'plot'??? where the spirits of deceased gangsters from London's East End are somehow still alive or inhabiting other bodies... 

Yes, it's sort of confusing but written so well that the journey to see how these random events / activities all tie in together. It's a fascinating journey and Felix gets assistance, sometimes reluctantly, succubus Juliet and zombie tech wizard Nicky. They are both such excellent characters. As well we meet Moloch, another demon from the underworld, who is an enemy of Juliet, but who also may help as the story gets to its crisis.

The journey moves from London to a crematorium on the outskirts and over the ocean to Alabama. Many interesting things occur. I liked how Juliet reacted to being in the air. There is lots of action, it's very dark and gritty but it's just such an excellent, rich, involved story that draws you in and holds your interest. I still have the next couple on my book shelf and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Felix will do. An excellent horror / fantasy series. Carey also wrote the Girl with all the Gifts, as MR Carey and that was also quite good. Check him out. (4.0 stars)"

4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Classic / 1818) The version that I read was the 3rd edition, published in 1831.

"Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was originally published in 1818. The copy that I read was republication of the 1831 3rd edition. I'll start by saying that the story was not what I expected at all. I've seen parts of the original movie, which as I recall was really nothing like the book. There was a TV series called Penny Dreadful, which featured Victor Frankenstein and the Monster and it had elements of the story. Anyway....

The story is told to a sailor who picked up Victor Frankenstein in the Far North. It is partially told to the sister of the sailor, R. Walton in the form of letters. It turns out that Victor Frankenstein is chasing after his monster. Why he is doing this will come out over the course of the story.

Victor Frankenstein is the focus of the story. It tells of his journey to Ingolstadt Germany to study at the university there. He has left his family in Geneva to attend the college. While there, he discovers how to reanimate dead bodies. In the story he refuses to tell how he did it as he doesn't want anyone else to try his experiment. The body of the monster opens its eyes in Victor's room and Victor is so shocked at the ugliness of the creature that he runs away and can't bear to see it again. Once he does go back to his room, he discovers that the Monster has left, leaving Victor filled with relief.

At a later date, he is told that his younger brother, William, has been murdered in Geneva. He rushes home and is shocked when he discovers that the Monster has murdered him. A servant girl of the Frankenstein family is blamed for the murder and for some reason, Victor lets her take the blame. (He does many things like this over the course of the story).

Trying to recover from the death of his brother and the maid, Victor goes on a tour of the Swiss mountains and discovers the Monster. Now the story switches from Victor's perspective to the Monster's. He tells Victor what has happened to him since he left Ingolstadt, quite a heart breaking story. He admits murdering William and setting up the maid. He tells Victor that he will leave the civilized world if Victor creates a bride for him......

I really don't want to get too much more into the story as it is worth exploring the story. It is filled with tragedy, pain, anguish and is somewhat scary. I found Victor to be a somewhat gutless character, always in anguish as each incident happens, but not being able to actually do anything about it. He's the architect of all of his problems, and sort of accepts that, but he just seems incapable of correcting them.

It's an interesting story. Considering it was written in the early 1800's, it's relatively easy to read. The writing style translates easily into current times. Amazing story for a young woman's first book and if you've never read, I do recommend. (4.0 stars)"

5. Young Men in Spats by P.G. Wodehouse (Humour / 1936). Sometimes you need something light and fluffy to get you over the humps.

"Young Men in Spats is a collection of humorous short stories by English writer, P. G. Wodehouse. It was originally released in 1936, with this Penguin edition released in 1971. What can you say about the stories but that they are light entertaining fluff.

Basically each story is told to a group of men in a club they all frequent and generally it's about one or the other of their friend's love lives, and for the most part, their unsuccessful love lives. They're hard to describe, but they're all entertaining. I think my favorite story was Uncle Fred Flits By, where Pongo goes out on an adventure with his Uncle Fred. They go to his old neighborhood, somehow get into a house, sort out a young girl's relationship, and trot off on their merry ways.

There is a bit of everything and if you want just light entertainment, check out one of Wodehouse's books. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading (All the books I've started since 15 September have been horror)

1. The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes (1913). I've had this for a little while.

"The Buntings are an elderly London couple who have fallen on hard times. They take in a lodger with the strange name of Mr. Slueth, who pays handsomely for their shabby rooms. He seems to be a perfect gentleman but none the less they begin to suspect that he may be the Jack-the-Ripper-like serial killer known in the press as 'The Avenger'.

As the number of murders in the city begins to mount, and Mr. Bunting's teenage daughter from an earlier marriage comes to stay, the couple must decide what to do about the man in their upstairs rooms.

An early example of a psychological suspense story and a brilliant evocation of the fog-bound and gaslit streets of late Victorian London, The Lodger is a wonderfully compelling thriller."

2. Off - Season by Jack Ketchum (Dead River #1 / 198). I've read one other book by Ketchum. This one is a bit of a slow build, but I can feel the tension.

"September. A beautiful New York editor retreats to a lonely cabin on a hill in the quiet Maine beach town of Dead River—off season—awaiting her sister and friends. Nearby, a savage human family with a taste for flesh lurks in the darkening woods, watching, waiting for the moon to rise and night to fall...

And before too many hours pass, five civilized, sophisticated people and one tired old country sheriff will learn just how primitive we all are beneath the surface...and that there are no limits at all to the will to survive."

3. Terminal by Brian Keene (2004) A new author for me.

"Tommy O’Brien once hoped to leave his run-down industrial hometown. But marriage and fatherhood have kept him running in place, working a job that doesn’t even pay the bills. And now he seems fated to stay for the rest of his life. Tommy’s just learned he’s going to die young– and soon. But he refuses to leave his family with less than nothing–especially now that he has nothing to lose.

Over a couple of beers with his best friends, John and Sherm, Tommy launches a bold scheme to provide for his family’s future. And though his plan will spin shockingly out of control, it will throw him together with a child whose touch can heal—and whose ultimate lesson is that there are far worse things than dying."

4. Bunny by Mona Awad (Bunny #1 / 2019). I'm not sure what I think of it so far.... Mean Girls plus something else???

"We were just these innocent girls in the night trying to make something beautiful. We nearly died. We very nearly did, didn't we?

Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University. A scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to that of most people, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort--a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other Bunny, and seem to move and speak as one.

But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled Smut Salon, and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door--ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world, beginning to take part in the ritualistic off-campus Workshop where they conjure their monstrous creations, the edges of reality begin to blur. Soon, her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies will be brought into deadly collision."

New Arrivals (8 new arrivals, some 2026 releases that I'd pre-ordered & 2 that I bought on my trip to Ottawa. Thank you Octopus Books)

1. Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (Dystopia / 2026) I've read a couple of her previous books

"Los Angeles, 2031: The first spring after the collapse of the United States, peacekeeping troops withdraw from the city, the Jacaranda trees blossom, and the curfew is finally lifted. Ari Waker and her roommate pass the gauntlet of bomb-sniffing dogs, the shanty towns, and the Red Cross tents as they walk across Silverlake to a party. The mood is ecstatic inside the apartment, people drink and dance, a woman wears a silver dress, pleated like tinfoil. And then: A shift. A bewildered twin, an uncanny doppelganger stumbles through the crowd and out into the night, and Kareem, the party’s host, vanishes into thin air.

As Ari Waker unravels the mystery of this inexplicable night, Emily St. John Mandel unfurls a story that takes us from a future America splintered by civil war to the seaside cliffs of Greece where weapons dealers hide in an elegant resort, and from the domed city of Paris to a colony on the moon. An unforgettable literary feat, Exit Party is a novel about the price of safety, the perils of the surveillance state, a requiem for a world not unlike our own, and a breathtaking story of resilience in the face of cataclysmic change."

2. Wickhills by Premee Mohamed (Fantasy / 2026). Another author I've enjoyed in the past.

"In the dangerous magical city of Wickhills, a streetwise secret agent is tasked with protecting a foreign defector from his pursuers... even at the threat of war.

Looking after a defecting scientist should have been Ferec's easiest mission. But now he's on the run from the intelligence agency she works for, dodging a handler who might have gone rogue, and relying on a secret patchwork of illicit resources and dodgy contacts. Turns out his defector might be carrying an apocalypse-level magical weapon ― and protecting it requires Ferec and his team to go underground, literally. Down here, the rules are very different... and the tense peace between every city in the world will shatter unless Ferec can drag their darkest secrets into the light."

3. Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin (Detective Aunty #1 / 2025). I bought #1 because I read that the 2nd story in this series was coming out in 2026.

"In the dangerous magical city of Wickhills, a streetwise secret agent is tasked with protecting a foreign defector from his pursuers... even at the threat of war.

Looking after a defecting scientist should have been Ferec's easiest mission. But now he's on the run from the intelligence agency she works for, dodging a handler who might have gone rogue, and relying on a secret patchwork of illicit resources and dodgy contacts. Turns out his defector might be carrying an apocalypse-level magical weapon ― and protecting it requires Ferec and his team to go underground, literally. Down here, the rules are very different... and the tense peace between every city in the world will shatter unless Ferec can drag their darkest secrets into the light."

4. Fourteen Days edited by Margaret Atwood (Fiction / 2024) A variety of authors came together to write this story, each writing a different part.

"Set in a Lower East Side tenement in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Fourteen Days is a surprising and irresistibly propulsive novel with an unusual twist: each character in this diverse, eccentric cast of New York neighbours has been secretly written by a different, major literary voice—from Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston to Tommy Orange and Celeste Ng.

One week into the COVID-19 shutdown, tenants of a Lower East Side apartment building in Manhattan have begun to gather on the rooftop and tell stories. With each passing night, more and more neighbours gather, bringing chairs and milk crates and overturned pails. Gradually the tenants—some of whom have barely spoken to each other—become real neighbours. In this Decameron-like serial novel, general editor Margaret Atwood, Authors Guild president Douglas Preston, and a star-studded list of contributors create a beautiful ode to the people who couldn't get away from the city when the pandemic hit. A dazzling, heartwarming and ultimately surprising narrative, Fourteen Days reveals how beneath the horrible loss and suffering, some communities managed to become stronger.

Includes writing from:
Margaret Atwood, Douglas Preston, Celeste Ng, Emma Donoghue, Dave Eggers, John Grisham, Diana Gabaldon, Ishmael Reed, Meg Wolitzer, Luis Alberto Urrea, James Shapiro, Sylvia Day, Mary Pope Osborne, Monique Truong, Hampton Sides, R. L. Stine, Scott Turow, Tommy Orange, and more!"

5. The Naming of the Beasts by Mike Carey (Felix Castor #5 / 2009) This is such a good series.

"They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, but if you ask Castor he'll tell you there's quite a bit of arrogance and reckless stupidity lining the streets as well.

And he should know. There's only so many times you can play both sides against the middle and get away with it. Now, the inevitable moment of crisis has arrived and it's left Castor with blood on his hands. Well, not his hands, you understand; it's always someone else who pays the bill: friends, acquaintances, bystanders.

So Castor drowns his guilt in cheap whisky, while an innocent woman lies dead and her daughter comatose, his few remaining friends fear for their lives and there's a demon loose on the streets. But not just any demon - this one rides shotgun on his best friend's soul

And it can't be expelled without killing him.

Looks like Felix Castor's got some tough choices to make, because expel the demon he must or all Hell will break loose. Literally ..."

6. Ode to the Half - Broken by Suzanne Palmer (Sci Fi / 2026). I read about this. I think it might have been nominated for an award or it was listed in the CBC must read books. It did sound interesting.

"Forty years ago, the world nearly ended.

Be is an old robot who was there, and doesn’t want to think about what happened, or what role they played in that conflict. They have settled into a life of isolation in the abandoned ruins of an old mill in the former New York Botanical Gardens, disinterested in what has happened in the outside world since they stepped away from the war. Someone out there, though, has not forgotten about them, and when they are attacked, their person vandalized, one of their legs stolen, they set out to find the thief accompanied by a cyborg dog and a human mechanic.

The world has changed, but the recovery from the war is uneven and faltering, and Be begins to suspect a malicious hand trying to rekindle the old conflict and finish what was started. In order to stop them, Be needs to come to terms with both their own past and who they have become, and how everything and everyone else they knew has changed in their absence. Being left alone is no longer an option, and peace may be impossible.

This is a story about coming to terms with your past, with who you’ve become and who you still want to be: a tale of resilience and hope, an ode to those struggling to become whole in a world half-broken."

and two books from Ottawa

7. Chasing Homer by Laszlo Krasznahorkai (Fiction / 2019) The reasons I picked this up? It was thin. I liked the starkness of the cover. And it sounded interesting.

"In this thrilling chase narrative, a hunted man escapes certain death at breakneck speed—caroming through Europe and heading blindly South. Faster and faster, to escape the assassins on his heels, our protagonist flies forward, blending into crowds, adjusting to terrains, hopping on and off ferries, always desperately trying to stay a step ahead of certain death: the past did not exist for him, only what was current existed, he was a prisoner of the instant, and he rushed into this instant, an instant that had no continuation, just as it had no earlier version, and he would have told himself—had he had time to think about this between two instants—that he had no need either for past or future for neither existed. But, in fact, he had no time between two instants. Since there’s no such thing as two instants.

Krasznahorkai—celebrated for the exhilarating energy of his prose—outdoes himself in Chasing Homer, and has, moreover, envisioned the book as a collaborative enterprise, with a beautiful full-color painting by Max Neumann for each of its nineteen chapters to evoke our hero’s plight and--reaching out of the book proper--further propelling his flight by the wildly percussive music of Miklos Szilveszter, with a score for each chapter as well (to be accessed by the reader via QR codes printed in the book). Chasing Homer is a unique and incredibly swift tour of Laszlo’s world—a treat not to be missed."

8. HorrorStőr by Grady Hendrix (Horror / 2014) One of the book podcasters that I follow mentioned as a book to check out. I had recently purchased another by Hendrix. I'm not sure which I'll read first.

"Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, Horrorstör delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve."

So there you go, folks. All caught up. Now to go check the mail. 😁😎👍