Booksie's 2025 Wrapup

 

The end of another year and a new year to celebrate.  We had a great Christmas this year and got to see both kids, grandkids, in-laws and partners.  I managed to pull the tendon behind my right knee and was off my feet for most of December so I missed a lot of the holiday but really enjoyed the time with family.   It's time to look at 2025 and make reading goals for 2026.  I managed to read 285 books this year, so the elusive 300 is still to be gained.  Here's the books I loved most in 2025, across several genres:

1. The Home Child by Liz Berry.  Written in poem format, detailing the scandal of Canadian child immigration
2. The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
3. NOS482 by Joe Hill
4. Bringer Of Dust by J.M. Miro
5. The Maker Of Swans by Padriac O'Donnell
6. The Death Of Us by Abigail Dean
7. Less by Andrew Sean Grear
8. The Extraordinary Life Of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni
9. The Wastelands by Stephen King
10. The Emperor Of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
11. The Outside Boy by Jeanne Cummins
12. Audition by Katie Kitamura
13. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
14. The Lighthouse At The End Of The World by J.R. Dawson
15. The Ministry Of Time by Kaliane Bradley
16. Endling by Maria Reva
17. The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith
18. Alchemised by SenLiYu
19. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
20. King Sorrow by Joe Hill
21. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

How did I do on my goals for this year:

1. Read 300 books.  Almost but no banana.  I was fifteen books off from this goal
2. Read from my own shelves and give away what I've read.  Big yes!
3. Read all books from my four book clubs.  Yes
4. Finish the 52 Book Challenge and 4 challenges with the Book Girls.  Yes
5. Read two classics.  Yes, I read The Temple Of The Golden Pavilion and A Moveable Feast
6. Read the Tom Thorne series.  I'm reading book nine now but haven't finished
7. Finish the Gideon The Ninth series.  Yes
8. Finish the Covenant Of Steel series.  No
9. Finish the Dark Tower series.  On book four but haven't finished
10. Read a series by Adrian Tschaikovsky.  Reading the series Shadows Of The Apt now

Goals for 2026:

1.  Read 300 books.
2. Read from my own shelves and give away what I've read.
3. Finish the 52 Book Challenge and four Book Girl challenges
4. Read two classics.
5. Read twelve nonfiction books.
6. Read a mystery series.  I'm going to do the Rebus series by Ian Rankin
7. Read a fantasy series.  I'm going to finish Shadows Of The Apt
8. Finish the Dark Tower series.
9. Read the 2024 Booker longlist.
10. Read the Women's Prize 2021 longlist
11. Read three International Booker nominees

Happy Reading as always.  Have a great 2026!

Girls Without Tears by T. L. Finlay

 

Noa is living her best life in Miami.  She fled her small hometown after high school, tired of an environment where everyone knew everyone and all their business.  That meant everyone knew Noa had CIP, Congenital Insensitivity to Pain, and didn't feel pain.  They also knew that after years of being together, Noa's boyfriend, Zack, had dumped her in their senior year for Taylor.  Noa is now a project manager and has just met a new man who seems promising.

Then she gets the call from back home.  Skye, Zack and Taylor's daughter, has been kidnapped.  Everyone in town is turning out to help with the search which included the Everglades and Noa's parents ask if she can come back also.  Noa is hesitant but the thought of a six year old facing Florida's harsh environment convinces her to go home to help.

Once there, she reunites with her best friend from school, Jamie, who is also Zack's best friend.  She and Jamie form a pair to go search in the Everglades.  They face danger there and soon Noa isn't sure if the kidnapper was an outsider or someone in the town.  There are rumors that Zack and Taylor's marriage is having issues so was this a custody matter?  Why hasn't anyone heard from Zack's father since he and Zack's mother broke up and he left town?  Why does Taylor have bruises all over her? 

T.L. Finlay is an American author who specializes in psychological thrillers.  This one is interesting not only for the mystery but for the discussion of CIP and I learned quite a lot about this syndrome.  Those affected not only don't feel pain which means they are at danger of injuring themselves quite seriously but also can't feel things like overheating or the urge to go to the bathroom and need to set reminders to pay attention to these things.  The interplay between Noa and the three main men in the story, Zack, Jamie and her new relationship, Hector, is interesting and it is unclear who Noa may end up with.  Skye is only six but plays an active role in her own rescue.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.