Sweet readers, thank you for joining me for this rare edition of Title Talk 01.2025. Happy to be sharing my current and recent reads with you in today’s post. I am happy to announce I met my Goodreads goal for 2024 – even if it meant subsidizing with a few picture books. It was a pretty good year for reading and I am looking forward to an even better 2025. Have signed up for a few book reading challenges. Have a look.
52 Book Club 2025 Challenge
Have taken the plunge and signed up for the 52 Book Club’s 2025 Challenge. I am new to this so need to thoroughly read the guide, here, so I understand the requirements. A lot of the bloggers I follow and some of the gals in my online book club have successfully completed the 52 Book Club challenges in the past. Not too keen on reading something just because it fits a certain prompt but looks like the members of the FB group are really terrific in suggesting titles for each category. So, I am going to give it a go.
Historical Fiction Challenge 2025
My friend Jennifer introduced me to another new challenge in a post on her blog, Jennifer’s Best Bookish Blog. Following her good lead, I have also signed up to participate in The Intrepid Reader and Baker’s Historical Fiction Challenge 2025. Readers are invited to pledge to read at one of the following levels.
20th Century Reader – 2 books
Victorian Reader – 5 books
Renaissance Reader – 10 books
Medieval – 15 books
Ancient History – 25 books
Prehistoric – 50+ books
Historical fiction is my favorite genre so felt somewhat confident about registering as a Renaissance Reader and signing up to read 10 books. Surely 10 of the books I read for the 52 Book Club will be historical fiction.
Goodreads Challenge
Last but not least, I really increased by Goodreads goal this year to 63 books up from 56, I think, in 2024. I need to get busy like right now!! I have participated in this challenge for several years and encourage my book club buddies to friend me on Goodreads so we can cheer each other on. Are WE friends on Goodreads, yet? Find me, here.
Come Read with Me
Over 6 years ago, I decided to ask some of my local and Facebook friends if they would like to read with me during the summer. I think that was May 2018. My heart was warmed by the number of gals who asked to join me. We read rather informally that summer but when fall came, I didn’t want to stop. And neither did they. I created a group page on Facebook and named it after the televised reading program I did for my school district, Come Read with Me. Fast forward to 01.2025, and Come Read with Me has over 150 members. I absolutely LOVE this group. Coordinating things for the club has enabled me to continue bringing books and folks together, one of my life’s passions. Would you like to join us?
Here are the 12 books we read together in 2024.
Reading Journal
I have a reading journal that I recently dusted off and have begun using again. Trying to make little 2-3 word notes that will help me remember what I thought about, questioned as I was reading. With all this reading I am planning I hope I can do more of these Title Talk posts if I get in the habit of writing down my thoughts about the books as I read them.
Title Talk 01.2025
In this post, I am sharing my recent reads. I’m in the process of finishing up a handful of books as we move into the new month.
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Currently Reading
Got off to a slow start this month, this year but last week, while I was recovering from an upper respiratory infection, I snuck in a little reading and I am actually ahead by a couple of books on my Goodreads challenge.
Finishing Up
“Christmas with the Queen” by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
4.30 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.10 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue in the tradition of her late father and grandfather’s beloved Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must move with the times, and the Queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change.
As preparations begin for the royal Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk, two old friends—Jack Devereux and Olive Carter—find themselves reunited for the festivities. A single mother, typist at the BBC, and aspiring reporter, Olive leaps at the opportunity to cover the holiday celebration, despite self-doubts. When a chance encounter with the Queen presents an exciting opportunity, Olive begins to believe her luck might change. But Olive carries the burden of a heavy secret.
Christmas Day, December 1957. As the nation eagerly awaits the Queen’s first televised Christmas speech, Olive decides to reveal the shocking truth of her secret, which threatens to tear her and Jack apart forever. Unless Christmas has one last gift to deliver… [source]
My thoughts: This is a book I considered putting on the book club’s December consideration list but it had just been published and I thought it might be too hard for some members to get from the library. In fact, I couldn’t get it from the library until last week. The story is told through the points of view of 2 characters, Jack and Olive, and on occasion, there is a chapter written in the Queen’s voice.
I found the characters likeable and felt for Olive in her ‘predicament’ as a young, single mother long before such a thing was acceptable. She struggles to establish herself in a man’s world as a up and coming BBC journalist. And she longs to give her daughter the father for which she longs. Somewhat predictable, but enjoyable read. As a historical fiction buff, I especially like the references to historical moments during the Queen’s early reign. My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just Finished
“Ballerina of Aushwitz” by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
4.80 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.59 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: In this young adult edition of the bestselling, award-winning memoir “The Choice,” Holocaust survivor and renowned psychologist Dr. Edith Eger shares her harrowing experiences and gives readers the gift of hope and strength.
Edie is a talented dancer and a skilled gymnast with hopes of making the Olympic team. Between her rigorous training and her struggle to find her place in a family where she’s the daughter “with brains but no looks,” Edie’s too busy to dwell on the state of the world. But life in Hungary in 1943 is dangerous for a Jewish girl. Just as Edie falls in love for the first time, Europe collapses into war, and Edie’s family is forced onto a train bound for the Auschwitz concentration camp. Even in those darkest of moments, Edie’s beloved, Eric, kindles hope. “I’ll never forget your eyes,” he tells her through the slats of the cattle car. Auschwitz is horrifying beyond belief, yet through starvation and unthinkable terrors, dreams of Eric sustain Edie.
Against all odds, Edie and her sister Magda survive, thanks to their sisterhood and sheer grit. Edie returns home filled with grief and guilt. Survival feels more like a burden than a gift—until Edie recognizes that she has a choice. She can’t change the past, but she can choose how to live and even to love again. [source]
My thoughts: I have read a number of books set in World War II or relating the stories of Holocaust victims and survivors but this one is a little different. The Ballerina of Auschwitz is the Young Adult edition of the author’s memoir, The Choice. It is the story of 2 sisters who help each other survive the Holocaust. Edith, the author, is a young ballerina when she is transported to Auschwitz. In a unlikely turn of events, it was the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele who saved Edith from the gas chamber. And was an American soldier who observed Edith’s hand moving and rescued her from a mound of dead bodies.
Once she is returned to health, Edith struggles with survivor’s guilt until she recognizes that she must move beyond her past to build a life of love and happiness. Edith makes the most of her second chance at life and her story is one of strength, courage and resilience. I learned more about her through her webpage, Dr. Edith Eger, and was touched to learn that she graduated from the University of Texas, El Paso. Go, Miners!! Uplifting and hopeful. My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“God of the Woods” by Liz Moore
4.40 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.20 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet. [source]
My thoughts: I saw this book everywhere, being reviewed by everyone so decided not to put it on a consideration list for the book club because I figured anyone who wanted to read it would. But after all the hubub, I decided to read it myself. Its size was a bit daunting so I chose to listen to it on Audible. The story jumps back and forth over more than a decade in time and follows the lives of members of several families as the disappearance of two children is investigated. I had trouble keeping track of everyone and wondered if the large cast of characters was really necessary. The story had me hypothesizing about whodunnit and was impressed when I kind of figured things out myself. My rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5 stars.
“The Memory Library” by Kate Storey
4.50 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.40 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: For forty-two years, Sally Harrison has been building a library. Each year, on her daughter’s birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves – with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.
But Ella – Sally’s only child – fled to Australia twenty-two years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back. And though Sally still dutifully adds a new paperback to the shelves every time the clock strikes midnight on July 11th, her hopes of her daughter ever thumbing through the pages are starting to dwindle.
Then disaster strikes and Ella is forced to return to the home she once knew. She is soon to discover that when one chapter ends, another will soon follow…
All you have to do is turn the page…
Journey through the pages of this heartwarming novel, where hope, friendship and second changes are written in the margins. [source]
My thoughts: This was the book club’s December book, and it is one of my all-time favorites now. Sally is struggling to navigate life as she begins to experience issues with her health. Begrundingly, her daughter Ella returns home to help her mother get back on her feet. But comes to realize she doesn’t really know her mom at all. After spending several weeks in her childhood hometown, Ella begins to see her mother in a different light.
In reading this, I was reminded how I swore as a young woman I wouldn’t grow up to be my mom. But as I grew up, and realized how special my mother was, I could only hope to be half as special as she. The meaningful messages that favorite books write on our hearts are woven throughout the story. Listened to this on Audible and I highly recommend both the narration and the heartwarming story. Maybe because books, especially children’s books have been a huge part of my life, “The Memory Library” filled my heart with joy. My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“What Does it Feel Like?” by Sophie Kinsella
4.50 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.29 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain.
As Eve learns to walk, talk, and write again—and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children—she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights, and always buying that dress when she sees it.
Recounted in brief anecdotes, each one is an attempt to answer the type of impossible questions recognizable to anyone navigating the labyrinth of grief. This short, extraordinary novel is a celebration of life, shot through with warmth and humor—it will both break your heart and put it back together again. [source]
My thoughts: This book was recommended by a friend who is a huge Kinsella fan. I have never read her books, but this fictionalized memoir interested me. Having read this account of Eve/Sophie’s life to the present, left me wanting to know more, to follow along on her story, her life and what happens next. It also sparked a desire to read some of her earlier books. I cannot imagine receiving a potentially life-altering/life-ending diagnosis like Sophie’s and trying to carry on all normal. I can’t imagine sharing my diagnosis with the world while trying to put on a brave face. God bless her. Praying that there is a miracle in her life. My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Winter Solstice” by Rosamunde Pilcher
4.60 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.22 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: In “Winter Solstice” Rosamunde Pilcher brings her readers into the lives of five very different people. It is the strange rippling effects of tragedy that will bring these five characters together in a large, neglected estate house near the Scottish fishing town of Creagan.
It is in this house, on the shortest day of the year, that the lives of five people will come together and be forever changed. Rosamunde Pilcher’s long-awaited return to the page will warm the hearts of readers both old and new. “Winter Solstice” is a novel of love, loyalty and rebirth. [source]
My thoughts: Of all the books I have read in the last month, this one was the most beautifully written. At times, it was almost too lyrical when the characters theatrically poured the afternoon tea with great flourish, allowed it to get too cold, and had to go through the whole ordeal of heating and pouring it again. But the story is worth the bit of wordiness. And the characters are real. Main character Elfrida Phipps is going gently into her retirement until she befriends the other characters in the book and gets a new lease on life. I was a bit distressed with how quietly Elfrida was settling into senior citizenship, and yet she was a half-decade younger than I. But Elfrida just need a little impetus to reclaim her life. My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
On My Radar
These are the books from which my book club is voting for our 02.2025 read. Can’t wait to see which is the winning title.
- “The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing” by Lara Love Hardin
- “The Housekeeper’s Secret: A Memoir” by Sandra Schnakenburg
- “The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches” by Sangu Mandanna
- “The Sunflower House: A Novel” by Adriana Allegri
- “Shy Creatures: A Novel” by Clare Chambers
Your Turn
Read anything good lately? If so, please share in a comment below. I am always looking for my next best read!!
Speaking of reading, thank you so much for coming by to spend a little time with me in my world. I so appreciate your friendship. Wishing you a warm, wonderful weekend with some free time to read.
Hugs and kisses,

This time of year I find that just about any book I picks up fits at least a couple of the prompts so it’s nice and easy and I leave those harder to fill ones for later in the year then use either the group’s suggestions or some Google/Goodreads searches to help me out. I keep a draft in my blogger drafts folder and write up a quick summary/thoughts about each book as I finish them so I can keep them all straight! And look at you having already read a couple of historical fiction novels!
I am going to need to follow your good lead with the 52 Book Challenge. I am scared to committ any title right now to any prompt for fear I will need that prompt for some book down the road. Yikes!! Ridiculous. Great idea to keep a draft post with your thoughts on books as you read them. I am trying to write a few things in book journal about each book but that’s twice the work because then I have to put that stuff into a post. You are so smart, streamlining things.
All of those books you’ve read sound really good. I don’t do the 52 week challenge because I’m like you. I don’t want to read something just to tick off a box. I do the Goodreads challenge, though. I just finished Amor Towles’ “Tea for Two.” It was a bit of a slog at times, but I do like his style of writing.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
I considered “Tea for Two.” Will take another look at it. Loved “Winter Solstice” but all the detail became tedious. Reading “The Houeskeeper’s Secret” by Sandra something-or-other and keep waiting for it to pick up. Read “Judy Moody” – kids’ book – because my grand is reading those. It was cute.
The God of the Woods and What Does It Feel Like were favorites of the year for me.
Great minds!! I haven’t read any of Kinsella’s other books but want to. So many books, so little time.
Winter Solstice us intriguing!
Oh, it is so good!! Hope if you haven’t read it, you will give it a ‘go. Beautifully written and a heartwarming story.
I set no challenges for myself on GR and haven’t joined a group challenge either. While some might find it motivating I think it would just stress me out. I had my eye on that Liz Moore book.. sorry to hear you didn’t like it. Good luck on your challenge and look forward to see what you read.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre too! I’m impressed with the number of books you read. I failed my Goodreads challenge in 2024 and set a realistic number of 18 books this year. I’m a Sophie Kinsilla fan but this book does sound a little different from what she normally writes. I’m adding it to my library list along with Christmas with the Queen and The God in the Woods. Thanks for sharing your reviews!
Jill – Doused in Pink