Recent Reads

Sci-fi, motherhood, and Chernobyl - all the things I've been reading

Remember when I said I was going to share books in smaller, more frequent posts this year? Well, 2025 has had different plans, so this is a round-up of everything I've read so far this year, in the order I read them (and I'm in the middle of about ten more books, so stay tuned).

A Woman Underground by Andrew Klavan

I've read the other books in this series, and the thing that makes me keep coming back is the main character, Cameron Winters, a college professor who used to be an assassin for a government agency, and is tortured by the things he has done and by his sad childhood - which he always ends up discussing with his therapist. In this one he must track down his childhood love, who has gone missing and whom he suspects may be in trouble.

Content Notes: Aside from bad language, the main beef I have with this series is that in a few of the books there is pretty graphic violence and brief, sometimes crude descriptions of "adult" situations (ahem). Not every book in the series includes these things, but some have been too explicit for me, and this book was one. Because this series toes that line, I don't necessarily want to recommend it. I only keep picking up the books because I'm invested in the overarching story now, and I skim those pages so I can find out what happens to the main character. I just want him to find happiness, darn it! If this book were a movie I would say it's probably closer to an R rating, and I'm not sure if I'll keep picking them up since the level of the content is iffy for me. I like my books to stay PG-13 or below. (Also, why aren't books rated like movies are? Who do we need to talk to to make this happen?)

The Heir And The Spare by Kate Stradling

No, this isn't about Prince Harry.

In this fantasy book, Iona is tormented by her evil older sister, Lisenn, who is in line for the Wessett throne. A delegation from nearby Cambria arrives to make a deal for Lisenn's hand in marriage - but Iona is surprised to see that their prince is one of the classmates who tormented her when she was sent away to school. The author explained the political tensions between the different countries in a a really interesting way in this book that didn't feel contrived at all. Those tensions are interwoven with Iona's personal feelings for the prince as they develop from contempt to romance. I really enjoyed it, and this book was also clean!

Content Notes: The only content note I have is {spoiler}, the sister and another important family member end up being quite evil, and there is some death in the end.

The Road To Roswell by Connie Willis

Francie is traveling to Roswell to talk her best friend out of marrying a UFO nut, when she ends up being kidnapped by an alien! What follows is a wacky road trip with a collection of characters picked up by the extraterrestrial, and it all wraps up in a very satisfying way. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire journey of this book - every character was so quirky and colorful, and the story was creative! This book reminded me of some of the stories my sister and I used to write with our high school friends, but in a grown-up, full-novel way. I loved it. Content Notes: Some descriptions of skimpy shorts that Francie is forced to wear, mentions of some of the things that aliens do to people in stereotypical alien abduction stories, and some bad language, including Jesus's name in vain.

Crosstalk by Connie Willis

After really enjoying the above book by Willis, I picked up Crosstalk. This book is a mix between a rom-com and science fiction - Briddey and her fiancé are going to go through a revolutionary procedure that will allow them to sense each other's feelings but something goes wrong and instead Briddey discovers that a random co-worker can now read her thoughts! The rest of the book is about sorting out this mess. I thought this was a really creative plot, and the ending was very satisfying!

Content Notes: I'd rate this book PG-13 if it were a movie - bad language, and some sexual content (no scenes but talk about it).

Really Very Crunchy by Emily Morrow

I read this book purely to fulfill a prompt on the reading challenge I am working through this year, which was "a book about health or nutrition". I also follow Emily Morrow on Instagram, so this seemed like an easy introduction to a genre I rarely read. Morrow tells you how to start dipping your toes into being a "crunchy" mom, but with no judgement or guilt and many humorous stories. I wouldn't consider myself crunchy, because I refuse to let myself get stressed out by toxins or pesticides or whatever, but I end up doing alot of crunchy things on accident (homeschooling, canning, sourdough, gardening, trying to buy more clothing with natural fibers). This book gave gentle advice and interesting suggestions and was entertaining, so I give it 4.5 stars.

My Dear Hemlock by Tilly Delahay

This book is inspired by The Screwtape Letters, only in this fresh version, a demon learns how to tempt a female subject. Delahay has so many insights into the female mind, and I found myself convicted at so many points while reading this book - and also amused and encouraged as the woman grows old and ultimately overcomes. If you haven't read The Screwtape Letters, you won't know what to expect, but once you get your bearings this book is fantastic for any Christian reader. Highly recommend.

Fellowship With God by Martin Lloyd-Jones

This book was my devotional book this spring, and is based around sermons that Lloyd-Jones preached on 1 John 1. I picked it up because I was doing a study on 1 John at church, and this book provided some additional insight. Lloyd-Jones was a fantastic preacher in his time, and his sermons are so relevant today as well. These thin volumes are not a bad place to start with his writings.

Rembrandt Is In The Wind by Russ Ramsey

I do not know much about art, but I saw this book all over social media last year and I was intrigued. Each chapter talks about a different artist by exploring one of his most famous works, and woven throughout each introduction are deeper themes of faith. Not all these artists are necessarily believers, but Ramsey manages to turn your mind to things above through art appreciation. It was a beautiful book, and probably something I'll have my kids read in future years.

Content Notes: Some mentions of sexual failings of various artists.

A-typical Woman by Abigail Dodds

I won't go into a full review here since I posted my review a couple weeks ago, but this book was another lovely devotional read. One thing I didn't mention in my official review was how thoughtful the chapter on single women was, and it made me think about how so many single women have wonderful wisdom to share with everyone, married women included. I quite enjoyed it, and will probably re-read parts of this book in years to come.

The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I wasn't a huge fan of The Hunger Games books when I first read them over 10 years ago, but for some reason I became invested in the books/movies again recently and picked up this back-story of President Snow.

I'm not going to lie, this one was dark. I noticed a lot of people online hate it or didn't even finish it. It's not a happy book, but I found it so well-written, and the plot was well-done. This book isn't meant to have a happy ending, but the way Snow's selfishness was woven throughout was masterful. You kept wishing he would recognize the error of his ways, while knowing he wouldn't. You were never rooting for him, which I think was why I didn't mind this book. I don't like when villain backstories attempt to gain sympathy for the villain, but this book didn't do that. We see Snow slide into being a villain through this book, and it all starts with an over-concern with what other people think, pride, and looking out for his own interests over everyone else, even the girl he fools himself into thinking he loves. For me, this book provides a vivid picture of the deceitfulness of sin. Not sunshine-y, but impactful in its own way.

Content Notes: Some pretty gruesome violence.

The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

This book follows four 6th graders as their mothers force them to participate in a book club reading Little Women. I picked up this book to see if my 12 year old might like it, since the characters in the book are about the same age. I think there is too much drama surrounding boy characters for me to want to hand it to my daughter right now. That said, I quite enjoyed it, and it reminded me of what it's like to be a middle school girl - in good and bad ways. Middle school is the worst.

Content Notes: Nothing serious, but a large focus on boys, lots of drama, and one very tomboyish character with some feminist plot lines.

Vera Wong’s Guide To Snooping (On A Dead Man) by Jesse Sutanto

In this book Vera Wong returns as she stumbles upon another apparent suicide that she suspects is murder - and she eventually gets the truth with her relentless spirit, and lots of mouthwatering food. Vera Wong is a very colorful character, one you can't easily forget and can't help but enjoy.

Content Notes: Bad language, including the f-word, and the author is clearly a liberal socially. Not too in-your-face, just annoying mentions of different issues.

The Mysteries Of Life In Children’s Literature by Mitchell Kalpakgian

Andrew Pudewa recommends this on his reading list for educators, so I finally picked it up. Each chapter addresses a different theme that is explored in children's literature, with a heavy focus on fairytales. We learn how classic children's literature teaches about the mysteries of love, children, home, friendship, etc. This is a great introduction to some of the symbolism in certain stories that may otherwise seem too weird or go over one's head - but I could see as I read each chapter how children would still get the message, even though these "lessons" are never outright explained. And teaching through a story can be more effective than just making statements, can't it? Sometimes the writing got a little repetitive or felt like an academic essay, but the points were sound.

Beyond Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins

I try to read a homeschool book every year, and though I know Mere Motherhood is supposed to come first, I was glad I read this one. This book is like a conversation with an older homeschool mom about varying aspects of being a mother - being a thinking mother, a healthy mother, a reading mother, and many others. A lot of gentle encouragement in this book, and a lot of leads for other books I may want to read. I didn't agree with Rollins about everything, but the overall feeling I got from this book was of a kindly older woman, trying to share her experience even though she didn't do it all right. Very down-to-earth.

The Sin Of Empathy: Compassion And It’s Counterfeits by Joe Rigney

I listened to this book in one day while I cleaned my house and planted trees in my yard. Rigney talks about the sort of empathy that becomes dysfunctional, and how it can affect relationships and especially the environment in churches. I recognized so much of what he was talking about from my own experiences. I will probably listen to this book again, or read it more slowly, because there were so many good insights. I would say this book was more about diagnosing the problem than providing step-by-step solutions, but I thought his call in the last chapter to imitate Christ was impactful. As I said, I think I need to read it again to absorb it more fully.

Chernobyl's Wild Kingdom by Rebecca L. Johnson

I am reading another book related to nuclear disaster, so I decided on a whim to pick up this short book for kids - and oh my, I learned so much. This book gives a brief summary of nuclear power and the Chernobyl disaster, and then focuses on what has happened in the Exclusion Zone since then. The Exclusion Zone is an area that is restricted around Chernobyl because it still has high levels of radiation. Scientists expected that this zone would become a lifeless wasteland, but instead plants and animals have appeared to thrive there - like a radioactive nature preserve. The author talks about different theories about how the animals are being affected by the radiation, or why some of them appear not to be affected as much or at all. It was a short read, I read it in under an hour, but it was so fascinating! If you are interested at all in Chernobyl you should pick this one up.

That’s all for now!

Have you read any of these? What has been the most interesting thing you've learned through reading this year?