Read With Us: Discussion Time

Today is the discussion day for our Read With Us fall book, The Antidote by Karen Russell. 

Kym, Carole, and I are each posting a discussion question or two on our blogs today, and you are welcome to respond in the comments. I would also encourage you to reply to others' comments if you choose.  This is a book discussion, after all, so there are no correct answers or right opinions. I've very much been looking forward to discussing this book. I'll be honest; I found it difficult to read, and after several false starts, I finally finished it. So I think this discussion will be valuable for me, and I hope for others of you as well. 

 

Here is my question: Prairie witches served as "vaults" for pioneers' unpleasant memories. How does this relate to what is happening today in America with the current administration, school districts, and museums removing topics like slavery, treatment of indigenous people, climate change, medical information, and more from websites and curricula?

 

I'll be glad to share my thoughts about our questions tonight during our Zoom discussion. These questions on our blogs and the Zoom discussion are your chance to express your ideas. So what do you think? I can't wait to hear your thoughts! (And I'm counting on our discussion to give me fresh perspectives in my own thinking about this novel.)

The in-person Zoom discussion will be at 7:00 pm Eastern this evening. If you haven't RSVP'd to Kym already you can send me an email (the email address is in the upper right) and I will make sure you get an invitation with the Zoom link. I hope to see you there!

 

Unraveled Wednesday: 12/31/25

I’m happily joining Kat and the Unravelers on New Year's Eve, even though there's not an official linkup today. I've finished mittens for myself with plans for another pair, and continued knitting on the gray Hitchhiker.

These mittens are done and will keep my hands warmer than not wearing mittens, but I'm not very happy with the thumb gussets. I had big holes after picking up stitches for the thumbs, and no amount of tightening would fix them. I ended up using the yarn tails to duplicate stitch the holes closed, but the thumbs just feel tight and awkward. (This could be due to knitter error!) These are The World's Simplest Mittens, but I think I might try Comfy Gusset Mittens next and see how they feel.  

But I've felt like getting back to Hitchhiker knitting, so that's what I've been doing. Our weather has been kind of crazy lately, with ice, snow, freezing fog, and 50 mph+ winds for two days, so it's quite nice to stay inside and knit while the wind howls. I'll continue working on this Hitchhiker tomorrow as I intend to begin as I mean to go on.

In reading, I've just been catching up on ARCs this week, and I'll share more about them later. I hope you all have a safe, warm, and enjoyable New Year's Eve and a happy and healthy 2026! 

What are you making and reading this week? 

 

A Year of Reading: 2025

I'm never quite sure how to review my year in reading, but I'm happy with what I've done in the past couple of years, so I think I'll stick with it. I didn't set a reading  goal on Goodreads this year because the number of books I read isn't terribly meaningful to me. This fall and winter there seemed to be lots of enticing books recommended by various Goodreads friends and also plenty of ARCs, so I just kept reading. And then reading some more. Goodreads tells me I've read 106 books so far, but I'm still reading three books right now and I'm not sure when I'll finish them. And like I said, numbers aren't what really matter to me. 

It's the enjoyment of the books, what I've learned, and where the books have transported me that matters most to me. I don't want to bore you with numbers, statistics, and ratings, so I'm just going to write about some of my highlights. The links will take you to Goodreads; if you are so inclined, you can read more about the books and decide if they might be for you.  

 

Some of the books I've enjoyed the most include:

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

This was a stunning work of epistolary fiction. 

 

The Names by Florence Knapp

A book about the possible impacts of a decision, presented in parallel narratives

 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

A Read With Us book that was just as good on my third reading

 

The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck

Probably the best collection of short stories I've ever read 

 

The Elements  by John Boyne 

"Enjoyed" is not the exact descriptor for this one because it is about abuse, but Boyne presents the moral complexities of abuse from the viewpoints of enabler, accomplice, perpetrator, and victim, written in elegant prose.

 

 

A few of the books I have learned from:

A Family Matter by Claire Lynch

A novel about a mother who was ordered by the courts in 1983 to remove herself entirely from her daughter's life due to her sexual orientation

 

A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko 

A nonfiction account of an epic 750 mile hike along the length of the Grand Canyon

 

99 Ways to Die by Ashely Walker

Nonfiction written by an ER doctor about viruses, bacteria, poison, diseases, pretty much what the title states, but with plenty of humor

 

Tilt by Emma Pattee

A novel about a pregnant woman's ordinary trip to Ikea that is transformed by a massive earthquake

 

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton   

Nonfiction about one woman's friendship with a wild hare

 

 

 

Special books that transported me:

 

Winter Morning Walks by Ted Kooser

A wonderful volume of poetry from the wonderful Ted Kooser 

 

Whistler by Ann Patchett

The latest novel from Patchett, and I think her best yet. It will be published in June 2026 

 

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén

A quietly devastating novel about Bo, an 89-year-old man aging in his home in Sweden  

 

Winter by Val McDermid

A collection of essays about the season and traditions in winter in Scotland 

 

Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell

Another Read With Us selection about emotional abuse and what it might take to escape that abuse and build a safe home. 

 

That last category is a little bit different. I think of it as books that made me want to keep reading along with those that took me to different countries, places, times, and situations, even if I didn't end up awarding the book too many stars. That's how I ended up with a book of poetry, an ARC about relationships, a poignant story of aging, essays about winter in Scotland, and a Read With Us book about emotional abuse together in one list.  

 

For the sake of some conciseness (and because I don't want to bore you!), I've limited my list to 15 of my favorites. This is not exhaustive by any means, especially because it only includes about 15% of the books I read. The books I'm currently reading are all ARCs: Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves, The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis Hall, and John of John by Douglas Stuart. 

 

I would love to hear about the books you enjoyed most in 2025, what you are reading now, or the ones you can't stop thinking about. I need to make sure I've got some good books lined up for next year, and many of the best recommendations come from you! Some books slated for publication in 2026 that I am really looking forward to are Where We Keep the Light by Josh Shapiro, The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, and The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett. Here's to another enjoyable, educational, and immersive year of reading for all of us in 2026!

 

A reading reminder: The Zoom discussion for our current Read With Us book, The Antidote, is scheduled for next Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 7:00 pm Eastern time. You can RSVP (by email or in a comment) to Kym, Carole, or me and let us know that you'll be attending. You can find my email in the upper right hand corner. I say this every time, but I really need to discuss this book and hear everyone else's thoughts. Thanks and I hope to see you there! 

Unraveled Wednesday: 12/24/25

I’m happily joining Kat and the Unravelers on Christmas Eve, with all of my Christmas gift knitting completed, and some mittens for me in progress. The last thing I had to finish was a hat for John. I hope it's acceptable to him and that it's "warm but not too tight" so he will wear something besides the Bankhead hat I knit for him four years ago. 

The gifts are all bagged and ready, including some catnip toys I sewed for my Grandcats.

 

I'm knitting The World's Simplest Mittens for myself and enjoying them so far. I've got enough Malabrigo left over from John's hat and Justin's slippers that I might even make some mis-matched Frankenmittens to use it up. But I'm also hearing my Hitchhikers calling to me, so they'll soon be back in my knitting rotation. 

 

 

I reread some L.M. Montgomery short Christmas stories  but they were just some Christmas-flavored filler so I won't comment here. I also finally finished The Antidote for our Read With Us discussion in January, but I'll save my thoughts for that. I did read a decidedly non-Christmas related book, 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them. It's a darkly funny, fast-paced tour through the many alarming ways the human body can fail and how to avoid becoming an ER cautionary tale. Written by an emergency medicine physician who has truly seen it all, this book blends gallows humor, practical safety advice, and just enough medical detail to be both informative and unsettling.

Each short chapter focuses on a specific danger, ranging from the bizarre to the painfully ordinary, and is anchored by patient stories or professional anecdotes. Alker has a knack for making serious material accessible: she explains complex medical risks clearly, keeps the tone light without being flippant, and often manages to make you laugh just as you’re realizing you may never look at everyday activities the same way again.

That said, the sheer volume of scenarios can feel repetitive over time, and some entries are more compelling than others. Readers looking for deep dives into physiology or systemic medical issues may find the treatment a bit surface-level, while anxious readers might want to pace themselves. The episodic structure makes it easy to dip in and out, but it doesn’t always build momentum.

Still, 99 Ways to Die succeeds at what it sets out to do: entertain, educate, and make you just a little more aware of how fragile, and also surprisingly resilient, the human body can be. It’s an enjoyable, eye-opening read for fans of popular medical nonfiction and anyone with a strong sense of humor about mortality.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on January 13, 2026.

I hope you are enjoying a lovely and peaceful Christmas season, love and light if you celebrated Hanukkah, or a very pleasant Wednesday if that's what today is for you. I'll be back next week with a few year-end posts about making and reading. 

What are you making and reading this week? 

The World May Be Imploding ...

 ... but the bread still rises. My SiL (let's call her Phyllis) and I write each other weekly newsy emails and she told me about her plans for a dinner party she was going to be hosting for friends. Phyllis was making bone broth to use in preparing beef stew and listed the various dishes that friends were making. These included stuffed mushrooms, a salad with winter vegetables, cheesecake, and one friend would be bringing whatever bread she had baked that week. Phyllis said that this friend had started baking bread in January and kept baking as things got worse and worse. She told Phyllis that "The world may be imploding, but the bread still rises."

I was struck by this and felt compelled to start a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, especially because I hadn't baked any bread in quite a while. It was done baking later at night, so it was dark and the pictures aren't terrific, but it was one of the nicest looking loaves I've made.  

 

 

It looked just as good when I cut a few pieces the next morning, and tasted wonderful. 

 

 

Everybody has to find the coping mechanisms that work for them, whether they involve voodoo dolls, reading, knitting, appreciating nature, music, or baking bread. Just thinking about what my next loaf will be makes me feel better because even though the world may be imploding, the bread still rises. 

 

 

A Gathering of Poetry: December 2025

It’s the third Thursday of the month, which means it’s time for A Gathering of Poetry - welcome!

I just came across this poem and it evoked such a lovely picture in my mind that I thought it was one worth sharing.

Christmas Mail

by Ted Kooser  

Cards in each mailbox,
angel, manger, star and lamb,
as the rural carrier,
driving the snowy roads,
hears from her bundles
the plaintive bleating of sheep,
the shuffle of sandals,
the clopping of camels.
At stop after stop,
she opens the little tin door
and places deep in the shadows
the shepherds and wise men,
the donkeys lank and weary,
the cow who chews and muses.
And from her Styrofoam cup,
white as a star and perched
on the dashboard, leading her
ever into the distance,
there is a hint of hazelnut,
and then a touch of myrrh. 

====

Kooser, Ted. "Christmas Mail". Together, Brooding Heron Press, 2012. 

 

You can read more about Ted Kooser here.

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Thank you for reading and joining us for our monthly Gathering of Poetry. You are

more than welcome to add your link below if you would like to share one of your

favorite poems. The more the merrier! 

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Click here to enter

Unraveled Wednesday: 12/17/25

I’m happily joining Kat and the Unravelers today, with completed slippers, Hitchhikers in progress, and a barely begun hat. I realized that I hadn't knit John a hat this year and since it's a Christmas tradition, I looked around for a pattern, ordered yarn, and then worked on the gray Hitchhiker while I waited (impatiently) for the yarn to arrive.

Deciding on a hat pattern was slightly difficult because John always wears the one I knit four years ago, Bankhead. I finally asked him what he liked about it and he said it was warm but not too tight. I chose the Bulky Waffle Hat for this year because I enjoyed knitting Justin's slippers with Malabrigo Chunky and wanted to continue the enjoyable experience. Once the yarn arrived yesterday, I was a little dismayed to find that I didn't have the recommended size 10 needles. I decided to use Justin's slippers as a swatch, and ended up using size 8 needles and casting on four extra stitches. Right now it's just ribbing but it will hopefully go quickly. If it doesn't work, I can always frog it after Christmas and make adjustments (or maybe it will fit me). I also ordered more of the Malabrigo for mittens for me, but they will have to wait.  

And since they're officially an FO and will soon be wrapped, here are Justin's slippers. I do hope he wears them sometimes, or maybe his cats will sleep on them since they are so soft and warm. 

 

 

I only finished one book this week. I'm sorry it is an ARC and won't be published until June, but it was so good I'm going to share my thoughts here in December. Ann Patchett has always had a gift for writing about the quiet, powerful moments that shape us, but Whistler feels like something even more tender and resonant, a novel that hums with memory, regret, and the kind of love that never fully lets go. From the very first pages, I was completely absorbed.

The story begins with a chance encounter at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Daphne Fuller and her husband notice an older man trailing behind them. It turns out to be Eddie Triplett, Daphne’s former stepfather from decades earlier. What unfolds from that moment is a luminous, deeply human exploration of time, connection, and the strange ways our past selves remain alive inside us. Patchett writes their reunion with such grace that it feels both miraculous and inevitable.

This is a novel about the choices we make and the ones made for us, about how small events can redirect entire lives, and how love, unexpected, unconventional, or fleeting, can echo for years. Patchett captures the fragility of memory and the incredible feeling of simply being known by someone else. The book is understated but emotionally expansive, filled with those sharp little truths the author inserts so delicately you don’t realize how deeply they’ve settled until you feel the tug in your chest. 

Whistler will absolutely be one of my top books of 2025. In fact, finishing it has left me with the distinct (and slightly comical) worry that there may not be much to look forward to (book-wise) in 2026 because I may have already read the best book that will be published during that year. It’s that moving, that beautifully crafted, and that unforgettable. A quiet masterpiece that I will re-read several times before publication on June 2, 2026.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper for providing me with a copy of this stellar book.

What are you making and reading this week?