Hi all. I hope you are well and hanging in there. It was a brutal past week in news and hard not to doomscroll. In that regard, it’s not been a good year’s start, but we will persevere and not give in or give up to any corrupt regime telling lies and making threats.
It’s just infuriating and worrisome to follow what’s happening, but I will post some pink skies here — photographed on Dec. 30 — as some kind of salve. This coming week we are forecasted to have a windy, wild switch in temps with highs in the 50s that will melt our snow. I’ve been walking the dogs with my new replaced knee, though I have a ways to go still with my recovery.
In book news, I signed up for a “class” on Edith Wharton’s 1905 classic The House of Mirth through the D.C. bookstore Politics and Prose. It includes four online lecture/discussion sessions and starts at the end of January, so I need to start reading the novel pretty soon.
I first became interested in Wharton after reading her 1911 novel Ethan Frome and from seeing the movie adaptation of her novel The Age of Innocence in 1993. And since I didn’t read any classics last year (with the exception of a Ferrante modern classic), I’m game to check out Wharton’s epic debut novel. If you’re interested in the variety of classes or book discussions from P & P, you can look here.
I’m also signing up for the 2026 Nonfiction Challenge hosted by Shellyrae at the blog Book’d Out, which you can sign up for here. My goal is to be a Nonfiction Grazer … reviewing and sharing any nonfiction books I read. I’m not going to set an amount to be read, but I’m sure it will entice me to read more than just 10 nonfiction books, which I completed last year. I’m usually a big fiction fan and reader, but I’d like to pick up a bit more nonfiction too.
And now I’ll leave you with a few reviews of what I finished lately.
Flesh by David Szalay / Scribner / 368 pages / 2025
4.5 stars. This Booker Prize winning novel, which was my last read of 2025, was a buddy read with Tina over at the blog Turn the Page. We read it pretty quickly since the style is direct and concise with a lot of dialogue and you’re led to follow this young Hungarian man’s life to see where it’ll go after some harsh beginnings.
Istvan’s story starts out quite rough and lurid as a teenager, age 15, who has a secret liaison with an older next door neighbor, which takes his life in a hard direction. He’s not an easy character to fall into as his conversation is pretty terse and monosyllabic and he has no real friends. He and his mother live in a small apartment and are poor.
Still he perseveres and you get more into his story … as he endures prison time and joins the army … before moving to London to work as a lowly bouncer and getting into security and a job as a private driver. Along the way he has relations with women who seem drawn to his “primitive form of masculinity.”
And by a fluke, his life takes a turn when he starts a relationship with a well-off married woman … though you’re never too sure if it will last or how it will end. I don’t want to say too much … other than I felt the story and writing were strong. That it seemed to hit hard and leave an impression. I’m still thinking how Istvan’s life came around … and how those around him either let him down or held him up. The occurrences he faces are not for the light of heart.
I was surprised this Booker winner was not dense but a quick read. I find the cover pictured the better of the three since it depicts more of what’s involved, lol.
Heart the Lover by Lily King / Grove Press / 256 pages / 2025
3.75 stars. I almost forgot to review this novel, which I finished on Christmas Eve. It entails a friendship among three friends at college that becomes a bit of a love triangle. The boys are star students — Sam and Yash — who the female narrator they call “Jordan” meets in her 17-century Lit class. They begin spending a lot of time together at Sam and Yash’s off campus house, where they study, talk about classes and teachers, and Jordan begins dating one of them.
Then as graduation nears things happen and she starts secretly seeing the other and he visits her as she’s studying abroad in Paris. Things seem happy and close between them, but they are young and get separated starting their adult lives.
The novel’s second half finds them as a adults later in life living in different situations and places. But when one comes to visit Jordan, it starts a bittersweet collision of their prior lives and stuff they’ve long needed to discuss and revisit … about why things went down the way they did. The ending turns very sad and it’s not a book to finish on Christmas Eve, lol. But you will flip the pages quickly to find out what happens to the three close friends.
It’s a book I liked for being a college campus, young love kind of read and for looking back on one’s youth and the decisions made then and the heartbreaks not recovered from … but for whatever reason I wanted a bit more depth to it and didn’t love love the novel. Still by the end, it’ll leave you with a Kleenex box and some waterworks.
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen /Vintage / 320 pages / 2024
3.7 stars. Told from 89-year-old Bo’s point of view, the novel’s about his life with in-and-out home care help. Bo has a beloved elkhound named Sixten who his son Hans, age 57, thinks should be placed with another home, but Bo is not happy about that idea. Still Bo’s trying to make good with his son, who’s much different from him, before he gets too far gone. And he doesn’t want to be like his own harsh father was to him.
While Bo lives in the present trying to get by with his health, his thoughts and dreams also slip back to the past growing up with his parents and the days with his wife who is now living in a dementia care facility. The story dips back and forth from present to past as his health oscillates.
It gives an insightful look into what it’s like at his late stage in life — being cared for and having no real power to make decisions about his own life. It also shows his various caregivers’ contributions, as well as the hard choices Bo’s son has to make about his care, and the moving effects his granddaughter and best friend Ture have on him. It’s a touching tale and a bit sad but also feels real. I could relate a bit since I recently went through similar issues with my own beloved parents.
This was my first read of 2026 and I was pleased it was a translated novel (from Swedish by Alice Menzies), which will count in my push to read more of these.
That’s all for now. What about you — have you read these and what did you think?
Great reviews and I am still on the fence about reading When Cranes Fly South because…it sounds so sad! But I am interested and see it has many good reviews.
Great buddy read on Flesh. Poor Istvan. Makes you think of the many times we make choices and what road it takes us down, for good or bad. In his case he was lured down a certain path a young man should never have been offered. Life changing.
I’m up for nore nonfiction this year as well as the ever lengthening list of fiction I discover. Worse things than being addicted to books, right?!
The news…I try and read as little of it as possible these days. Dystopian times. Only an obit will change things and then it will be a slow change. Maybe everyone in this country will wake up and stop worrying about being bullied as if they are in 6th grade. Work for people as they were elected to do. Rant over .
Hi Tina, I agree Flesh was an interesting read and tragic — and I’m still thinking about it a bit. Not sure what you’d think of When Cranes Fly South. Some tough issues but I was able to handle it (there is a dog involved though). Apparently home-care help (caregivers) are paid for in Sweden. Hmm.
We will see about nonfiction. Sometimes I am very slow reading it!
I’m keeping up with the headlines of news about once a day. But it’s always bad.
Chat later. I think Bowring’s final one could be uplifting. Fingers crossed.
What a beautiful photo, thanks for sharing it.
I have a vague memory of House of Mirth, I think I read it before I could appreciate it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your latest reads, Heart the Lover has been popular.
I’m thrilled you will be contributing to the Nonfiction Reader Challenge
Wishing you a great reading week
Hi Shelleyrae, Yeah I’ll be on the nonfiction bandwagon, thanks for hosting. 🙂
Glad you like the photo. I was surprised how pink it turned out. And Heart the Lover has been so popular! I feel I’m a bit of an outlier on it. I liked it but didn’t love it. And we will see about House of Mirth. Cheers. Stay cool Down Under.
Great picture you got there! And great reviews as well! Flesh hit me hard at the end; I almost broke out crying. Tough life that of Istvan. Heart the Lover sounds good, especially because it is relatively short. Good luck with the class and happy reading the week ahead!
Hi Carmen, thx the photo is kinda pink-y. Glad to hear of your reaction to Flesh. It does take a sad hard turn at the end. And I was not prepared for that. Man he just loses everything. It’s a blow. And the stepson was quite harsh.
Heart the Lover is a very quick read. I didn’t think it had much depth to it but it does fly by. It seems a bit manipulative, how it turns. But see what you think.
I still have a week before starting the Wharton book but I hope it will be good.
Happy reading to you as well.
Thank you so much, Susan, for the salve of pink skies.
I can see that you really enjoyed Flesh. With all the turmoil here in the US, I am having a rough time reading sad books. I need to read some books with pink skies, I think.
Please keep those pink skies coming.
Hi Deb, I will keep trying to find the pink skies to our tough news weeks …and also push back on the utter craziness.
It’s probably wise to stay away from Flesh if you have any doubts … just know the first chapter or two is quite lurid … (and I wondered what I had gotten myself into) but then it evens out and becomes more nuanced about the kid’s adult life. Anyways keep with what you can handle during these times. Cheers. Have a good week.
Good to know. No, Flesh would probably not work for me.
Whatever you think. You know you’re reading. Have a good week.
Pink skies and what looks like lavender snow – so beautiful! Hope you have a good reading week!
Thanks Kay. It’s one of the more interesting photos, lol. I like the color. Glad you liked it. Enjoy your week too!
I enjoyed Heart the Lover when I read it last month (or was it in November?).
I do love the photos of your property/walks that you include in your posts; they are always so beautiful. I need to pay attention to getting more photos of my surroundings!
Hi Helen, glad you like the photos. I try to find the scenic ones. I’m sure the photos around S.B. would be amazing.
Heart the Lover has been incredibly popular … Glad you liked it. I probably liked it a bit less but found it all right. I like seeing your reviews.
Have a great week.
Beautiful photo!!!
Thanks Linda. It’s a pink kind of ambience. lol. Glad you liked it. Cheers. Have a good week.
Lovely photo. Is that your dog? I loved Heart the Lover but I understand it could have mined the depths further. I am adding Flesh to my reading list. Thanks.
Hi Anne, yes that is our dog in the photo. She sort of was in the way but I had to hurry for the photo, lol. Just know that Flesh starts off quite lurid but it doesn’t continue totally like that. See what you think. Cheers. Have a great week.
All three of your reads sound very interesting, especially “Flesh.” I think I’ll add that one to my reading list. I read “House of Mirth” long, long ago (in college, maybe?) and frankly can’t remember much about it at this point other than the fact that it did keep me interested and the reading of it seemed to go quickly.
Thanks for the link to Politics and Prose. Several of the classes look like something for which I might like to sign up. And thanks for the lovely picture. We need whatever we can get to salve us from the news of the day.
Hi Dorothy, yeah we need a lot of salves these days from all the bad news, ugh!
And I’m glad to hear that House of Mirth went pretty quickly for you when you read it long ago. I certainly hope it won’t be a dense read for me. lol.
I thought some of the other classes / discussions at P & P looked good. I might sign up for more perhaps. Glad you find the link useful.
Have a great week.
Such a pretty photo of the sky. The news here is so hard to digest. It’s just awful what has become of the U.S.
I hope you enjoy your The House of Mirth classes. What a great opportunity! I’m afraid I haven’t read any of the books you feature here. I managed to fit in a book club read at the last minute and read The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng this past week. I liked it, but wasn’t enamored with it.
I hope you have a good week, Susan.
Hi Wendy, great to hear from you. Hope you are okay. The past many months for you has been difficult I know. So I hope time will help.
And I agree the news out of U.S. is alarming. I’m glad you were able to do a book club read of House of Doors. I listened to the audio of that in 2024. It was interesting but maybe a bit scattered? Still some good visuals of Southeast Asia.
Hope your week is good as well.
I love that sky and House of Mirth is wonderful I read it years ago and Lily Bart has stayed with me all these years
Wow Kathy, that’s great to hear! I figured that Lily Bart was a protagonist that I couldn’t miss in life. So I’m glad that I will get to her … and have a class on her and the author. I just finished Wharton’s autobiography to get “ready.” Thx for letting me know. Have a great week.
Yes, the news has been heartbreaking and we’re not even into the second half of January. Blogging seemed a bit tone deaf for me, but then I decided we all need some happiness in our lives right now and what other than good books can bring that to so many? So I will continue to blog, get out in nature for long walks, and try to stay positive. Sigh.
Gorgeous photo of that pretty sky. We are finally in a stretch of warmer, dry weather, at least for the next few days. Hooray! I hope your knee is feel strong and not giving you any trouble.
I’m pretty sure I’ve read The House of Mirth, but not 100% certain. I have read Ethan Frome, The Age of Innocence, The Children, and maybe The Custom of the Country.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed Flesh so well! I have a copy that a friend loaned me, so I’ll be getting to it soon, I hope. I’m also excited about Heart the Lover, but am sorry you didn’t love it. I think I felt about the same as you with When the Cranes Fly South. I wanted to love it, but it came up short despite all the rave reviews. My review will be up shortly. I wanted to get my year-end post up first. It, too, was my first read of 2026.
Hi Lesley, I agree, keep reading and doing walks in nature during these harsh news times. It’s getting pretty bad.
It must be warm where you are — as we are getting three days of 50+ degrees. Little bit crazy. Feels like April?
Glad to see you’re a Wharton reader. I think I’m going to like her other novels.
I liked Heart the Lover but didn’t love it. And Cranes Fly South was fine. Flesh has an interesting style … and some turns. I thought Kiran Desai would win the Booker so it’s a bit surprising Flesh did. See what you think.
Happy reading this week.
I love Wharton’s House of Mirth! But it’s sad. Beautifully written though. And very memorable. And I love that top photo…that pink sky is gorgeous. Wishing you a positive and happy week. 😀
Hi Lark, Wow that’s great to hear! I’m glad you have liked Wharton’s book …. gives me good incentive. And thx about the photo … I think when I saw it I ran to take a picture. I hope the pink skies offer some positive vibes. Have a great week too.
Lovely photo. The news is so bad now and it is hard to avoid. I try not to let it take over my thoughts.
I am not sure about any of the books you reviewed. I want to like the Lily King book because I loved Five Tuesdays in Winter. I have two other novels by her so maybe I will read those first. On the other hand, I want to read some novels by Wharton. Ethan Frome for sure. We have several of her novels on Kindle, plus a NYRB book of short stories, New York Stories of Edith Wharton.
That is a good idea to join in on the Nonfiction Challenge at Book’d Out at the Grazer level, maybe I will do that. In some ways nonfiction is easier to review than novels.
Hi Tracy, it seems the Grazer level is doable for the Nonfiction Challenge. I hope it steers me towards nonfiction a bit more.
See what you think of the Lily King books. I’m looking forward to a bit of Wharton this year. I was hooked by Ethan Frome though it’s bleak & icy cold! She has so many short stories — perhaps you would like those.
It seems a good idea to monitor one’s news intake. Enjoy your week.
Thanks for the pink skies photo — very calming. I hope you enjoy your class — what a tremendous bookstore offering. I didn’t know that was happening.
Hi Joy, thanks, yeah I didn’t realize the bookstore was offering all the online classes …. I will try one out, and I might do others if this goes well.
Keep up the resistance there.
Your pink skies are a tonic for all the horrible news (what has happened to us and US in the past year?). We don’t see a lot of these skies here in the winter (mid-Michigan) so I grab them when I can, thanks to blog world! I can never seem to pull off book challenges — too many already on the stack!
Hi Jeanie, yeah we have to take these (rare) pink skies when we see them … either weather-wise or in the news. I think this is my first challenge (other than summer’s) but it’s totally open with no real requirements … which works for me. Good luck with your stacks. And Happy reading.
Yes, a rough start to what I had fondly (foolishly?) thought might actually be a better year than last. Yes, we will persevere, but it takes work…though what choice do we have. Throwing in the towel is not what we do.
I appreciated the pink sky photo. The skies in CO have been so pretty in the morning–all pink and golden and pale blue.
I like Edith Wharton, and I loved Ethan Frome when I reread it a few years ago. Good for you, signing up for a class. I love doing stuff like that.
Good luck grazing in the nonfiction meadow. So many delicious books to feast on over there.
I got Heart the Lover from the library before Xmas, but never felt motivated to read it. Sounds good, though.
Hi Jane, I think we will need more pink sky photos as a tonic for the news … & keeping strong. Your skies in Colorado I’m sure are amazing.
Glad to hear you like Wharton … and her novel Ethan Frome which I also loved. More Wharton I think will be good for me. And some nonfiction this year too.
Heart the Lover is a quick read … and you don’t have to think too much ….the pages fly by. See what you think when you get to it.
Enjoy your week & happy reading.
Don’t get me started on the felon-in-chief. I’m 5000 miles away still heart-broken. There actions are straight out of the Nazi playbook.
I joined the Nonfiction Challenge as well.
You’ve been reading some intense books!
Hi Olivia, I understand how terrible it is watching from afar the U.S. these days. It’s nuts and sad. Not sure when any common sense will return.
And I’m glad you’re doing the Nonfiction Challenge too. Will be nice to see everyone’s titles etc.
Luckily these books I reviewed kept me hooked over Christmas & New Year’s. But maybe lighter ones would be nice too. Cheers!
For some reason I thought I visited last week! What a beautiful scene! Glad to hear you were able to get out for a walk even though you’re not quite back up to 100%. Flesh sounds a bit chaotic. I don’t think I could read When the Cranes Fly South. It sounds like it would be interesting but a bit too sad for me.
Hope you have a wonderful week!
Thanks Rachel, I’m continuing with pink skies, lol. I can understand — a couple of these books might not be for everyone … due to sadness or subject matter. For some reason, I keep picking up novels on aging or parents with problems — I think I’m still reliving or trying to deal with what I went through with my folks. Hmm. Hope you have happier reads.
As I’m catching up on blogs today, I probably should have started here. Thanks for the info about the online Wharton class and you can ignore my question in you latest post! I’ve read a couple of the books here.
When the Cranes Fly South was very well done and realistic, yet I found it so sad that I’ve had a hard time recommending it.
Heart the Lover was one of my favorites of 2025 and hearing Lily King speak at R.J.Julia in Madison, CT added to my appreciation. Now I’m thinking about reading her entire backlist.
I’m on the fence as far as Flesh goes, but the fact that it’s succinct, has a lot of dialog, and reads quickly increases the likelihood that I’ll grab it off the shelf if I find it at my library. Good luck with the Nonfiction Challenge. I’m planning to read more nonfiction this year, too.
Hi JoAnn, so cool you got to hear Lily King speak … I have read three of her novels and I sort of wonder if I liked Euphoria best … though others haven’t. I just liked the whole aspect of Margaret Mead and the complex times in the jungle in New Guinea, which were hard & fascinating.
I didn’t realize you’d read the Cranes novel. It is sad … but I think I was drawn to read it due to what my family went through not long ago. Felt pretty real.
And Flesh is succinct … but has some trigger warnings to it … sad but also worth it. I was surprised it won the Booker over Kiran Desai’s novel … which I hope to read sometime this year. Are you interested in any of the online classes at Politics and Prose? I hope this Wharton class will be good, I think so.
Good luck with your nonfiction reading. I still have to force myself a bit — I like fiction so much. Cheers! Happy reading.