Fonseca: A Novel “Kane’s remarkable excavation of this interlude, includ…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/22... A fictitious account of a trip Penelope Fitzgerald took with her young son long before she started writing. Parts of this felt like magical realism to me, mixed with desperation for money and the struggle to hold a family together.

Smaller and Smaller Circles Smaller and Smaller Circles is unique in the Philippine…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/14... Set in Manila, this murder mystery has in its background poverty and a police force that is still trying to figure out how to work after a long lasting dictatorship. I found it very intriguing.

The Swiss Family Robinson The Swiss Family Robinson (German: Der Schweizerische R…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/62... I remember reading this as a child. So, in German and probably an abridged version. I liked it then; now it is rather filled with colonial arrogance, making it hard to get through.

Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey, #2) Rustic old Riddlesdale Lodge was a Wimsey family retrea…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/19... A complicated case, in the family, forces Lord Peter Wimsey to get into rather troubling situations. But the best bit for me was the description of the special trial.

The Strange 1931, New Galveston , Mars: Fourteen-year-old Anabelle …

www.goodreads.com/book/show/61... In an alternate universe humans made it to Mars, just like in this universe they made it to the Western US. This sci fi western is interesting but fizzled for me at the end.

Alex Rider (TV Series 2020–2024) ⭐ 7.5 | Action, Adventure, Drama | TV-14

www.imdb.com/title/tt6964... a fun watch though season 3 dragged a bit.

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www.goodreads.com/book/show/14... I am torn on this book. The protagonist is so yucky, and of course on purpose, that I will never be able to think about English men in 19th century lit etc the same again. So, highly unappealing. And yet historically accurate and compelling.

Wiebke Kuhn's review of The Corrections 2/5: I could not get into this book. Maybe I will come back to it later because I would encounter sentences that would want me to keep reading - and then I got stuck in pages that I found boring.

www.goodreads.com/review/show/... I could not get into this book. Maybe I will come back to it later because I would encounter sentences that would want me to keep reading - and then I got stuck in pages that I found boring.

The Fourth Bear (Nursery Crime, #2) A second installment of the satirical Nursery Crime ser…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/14... Focused on nursery rhymes rather than novel plots, this book tells the story of dangerous cucumbers, Goldilocks, bears, and corruption. It feels very relatable.

Hidden Bones (Dead Remaining, #2) Amazon Charts bestselling author Vivian Barz pits Susan…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/52... Fast moving plot, but while I like a good supernatural angle, this one did not fit for me. And also rather violent.

The Snow Girl (TV Series 2023–2025) ⭐ 6.8 | Crime, Drama, Mystery 23m | TV-MA

www.imdb.com/title/tt1578... Intense thriller though not entirely convincing.

Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross, #2) Alex Cross is back. In Los Angeles, a reporter investi…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/13... Fast paced, well told, but also just way too violent.

Barkskins In the late seventeenth century two penniless young Fre…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/25... An ambitious book, telling the story of the North American forest through two families. It works well for me at the beginning but when we get to about 1920, it becomes less engaging, moving too fast and missing out on details.

The Pacific (TV Mini Series 2010) ⭐ 8.3 | Action, Adventure, Drama 1h | TV-MA

www.imdb.com/title/tt0374... Intense, harrowing, not at all easy to watch.

Navola From the New York Times best-selling author of Wind-Up …

www.goodreads.com/book/show/19... I was waiting for the fantasy part. I think if you are really interested in the history of the Italian renaissance you might find this book appealing. And this may have worked better for me if it had been that. But as it is I found it rather boring.

Wednesday (TV Series 2022– ) ⭐ 8.0 | Comedy, Crime, Fantasy 45m | TV-14

www.imdb.com/title/tt1344... So much fun.

KPop Demon Hunters (2025) ⭐ 7.7 | Animation, Action, Adventure 1h 35m | PG

www.imdb.com/title/tt1420... Catchy music with predictable plot

Death of a Traitor (Hamish Macbeth, #35) In this addition to a  New York Times  bestselling myst…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/61... This is my first try at this series, so I worry that starting with vol 35 is not the best. It felt formulaic to me though the descriptions of Scotland are quite nice.

Saving Our Kids: An ER Doc’s Common-Sense Solution to t… If someone were to ask you what the leading cause of de…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/21... Short with poignant statistics and a clear call for action: Follows the public health model that worked for COVID to protect our children by changing the physical environment, change people’s behaviors (secure guns in households) and use laws to change society.

The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American… The hilarious and loving sequel to a hilarious and lovi…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/25... I got bored with this one so am not finishing it. Essentially a walk down memory lane lamenting how England has changed with some historical factoids. Fun in parts but repetitive.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) "As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failu…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/32... Loved it. Short, succinct, packing a punch. Can’t wait to read more.

Foundation (Foundation, #1) The first novel in Isaac Asimov's classic science-ficti…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/29... Fascinating book, applying the rhythms of history to the future, with some interesting new sciences thrown in.

Locked In (Department Q, #10) The Department Q series comes to a thrilling conclusion…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/20... It feels like the final book in this amazing series. Carl is the one locked in, and everyone is rallying around him. And then there is the ending. Action-packed, surprising, less of a mystery, and still very much fun to read.

Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) ⭐ 7.0 | Adventure, Drama, Romance 1h 56m | GP

www.imdb.com/title/tt0065... still worth watching

Bonekickers (TV Mini Series 2008) ⭐ 5.0 | Adventure, Drama, History Bonekickers: Created by Matthew Graham, Ashley Pharoah. With Hugh Bonneville, Julie Graham, Adrian Lester, Michael Maloney. English archaeology professor 'Dolly' Parton's team handles high-profile fin...

www.imdb.com/title/tt1148... Archaeology meets adventure, and loses out big time. Some science but the plot is pretty silly, in a fun way.

10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Gro… An Avid Reader Press book. Simon & Schuster has a great…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/20... Compelling compilation on guiding young people with a mentor mindset rather than assuming they cannot be guided because their brains are immature.

The Splinter in the Sky A USA TODAY BESTSELLER A “breathtaking space opera” ( …

www.goodreads.com/book/show/62... Evil empire, shadow government, racist structure, extreme colonialism, all entrenched for centuries and all undone in a couple of months by a handful of people. I wish there had been more tea.

A Lady's Guide to Selling Out A brilliant young woman navigates a tricky twenty-first…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/35... I am troubled by this book. The main character is ambitious and insecure, educated and clueless. So, a real human being. Throw in the abusive work environment she embraces and the way she manipulates her friends, I find the ending forced.

African Folktales, Reimagined (TV Series 2023) ⭐ 6.2 | Drama | TV-MA

www.imdb.com/title/tt2720... short, to the point, compelling, diverse with mothers at the core of each one of them.

America for Beginners Recalling contemporary classics such as 'Americanah, Be…

www.goodreads.com/book/show/35... This is a fun read, with interesting characters from very different backgrounds. It shows the US through different eyes while also showing prejudice in India. And you get to take a quick tour of the US.