Books Read in May 2026, part 2

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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

by C. S. Lewis, published 1952

Lucy, Edmund, and their unpleasant cousin Eustace visit Narnia via a painting of a ship and go on a voyage of adventure and growth. Features the best mouse and a great opening line. I enjoy the vignettes of the different islands they visit and my husband speculates that I picked up my horror of sitting with my back to an open door from this book: 

“[Lucy] would have to stand with her back to the door while she read [the magician’s book]. So at once she turned to shut the door. 

“It wouldn’t shut.

“Some people may disagree with Lucy about this, but I think she was quite right. She said she wouldn’t have minded if she could have shut the door, but that it was unpleasant to have to stand in a place like that with an open doorway right behind your back. I should have felt just the same.”

Exactly. The thought of being watched or surprised from behind unsettles me. 

Unlike Prince Caspian, this is in my top tier Narnia books. I enjoy meeting many new characters as the Dawn Treader visits many islands, and Eustace’s transformation is excellent.

Platform Decay

by Martha Wells, published 2026

Murderbot is back! This time, it’s on a mission to extract (rescue) some family members of its favorite human, Dr. Mensah, from a bad situation. 

As usual, Murderbot pairs is grumpy desire to just watch tv with its desire to be useful as an independent security consultant and a grudging member of a community of humans and bots. Murderbot may be grossed out by the inefficiencies and smells of humans, who require sustenance, lots of sleep, restroom “comfort” breaks, and who have emotional breakdowns at inconvenient moments, but Murderbot is also emotional about holding small humans, being respected, and being accepted as part of a team, much to its surprise.

Murderbot is also still dealing with the fact that it endured trauma (emotionally; Murderbot is nearly constantly enduring physical trauma in its security capacity) a couple books ago. So processing its emotions is…tricky. 

This was another fun installment of the series, no complaints. Perfect in novella form.

The Mystery of the Blue Train

By Agatha Christie, published 1928

A wealthy American purchases an enormous ruby necklace for his spoiled daughter, and she takes it with her on a train trip. What could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, Hercule Poirot, coincidentally traveling on the same train, meets a young woman who has come into some money and who is going to meet some relatives who hope she will share some of her newfound wealth with them.

When the American woman is discovered murdered and the necklace missing, Poirot must sort through the suspects to discover who killed her and why (the husband she was divorcing? his new mistress/girlfriend? a notorious jewel thief? someone else on the train who held a grudge against her/her father?).

This mystery felt a little more melancholy in tone than some other Christie mysteries, maybe partially because of the brutal murder but also because I felt sorry for the girl who inherited money but feels lonely and out of place. Money does not solve that predicament. I was not quite sure of her place in the story–maybe just to lighten it up a bit? But this was still a solid Poirot mystery.

What Grows in Weary Lands

by Tish Harrison Warren, published 2026

“This is a middle-of-life book, for “what our culture–and what the church–tends to lack are stories of a long, steady continuation of faith…we don’t have categories for the prolonged middle, for the slog.”

So this is a book about the middle. It is for people who are in the midst of life, busy with responsibilities and find themselves weary or restless, unsure about continuing on the same road they have been traveling. Maybe they are not sure they can continue in their spiritual life and it feels easier or better to give up.

Warren looks to the Christian desert fathers and mothers (basically proto-monks) who had much to say about faith in difficult circumstances.

Some of the advice is hard, some of it is necessary for surviving a world with an onslaught of distractions, notifications, inhuman technology and extractive economics, and some of it is encouraging (maybe try softer; be honest; don’t try to “gut it out” alone).

A wise and helpful book. Put one foot in front of the other, but be gentle with yourself and resist the urge to numb or flame out. “To go deep means looking with unflinching honesty at the truth of things–the pain in our lives, the sins and weaknesses in ourselves and those around us.” I found it comforting and encouraging, as I am in the middle of life and finding that I cannot rely on a shallow faith to sustain me. I read this book quickly, but I think it would benefit from slow reading to really take it in. I will probably read it again and much more slowly next time.

Books Read in May 2026, part 1

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Prince Caspian

by C. S. Lewis, published 1951

Lucy and her siblings return to Narnia just in time to help the titular prince claim his throne. It’s been a year since their adventure through the wardrobe, but hundreds of years in Narnian time, so no one expects them. “It was as if King Arthur came back to Britain, as some people say he will. And I say the sooner the better.” 

Not quite as magical as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but there’s still plenty of magic, a fun adventure, and Caspian is easy to root for. I enjoyed it but it’s not in my top three Narnia books (a ranking I made up just now and worry this will create more work for me later. No matter).

Murder in Mesopotamia

by Agatha Christie, published 1936 

Hercule Poirot detects again! 

This book is told from the point of view of a witness, Amy Leatheran, who is “encouraged to tell the story” of a murder at an archaeological dig. 

Nurse Leatheran was called in to attend Louise Leidner, the wife of the main archaeologist at a dig in Iraq, who has been suffering from “nerves.” 

Leatheran sees right away that the vibes are off, and Louise’s somewhat magnetic and strong personality have upset the team’s equilibrium. When Louise is murdered, it seems impossible: everyone has an alibi…or do they? 

Poirot must unravel the mystery of who killed her and why. Honestly, I cannot see that anyone would have figured out the labyrinthine conclusion, so I just enjoyed the ride (and if you did figure out the ending before you got there, please let me know; your mind sounds like a fascinating place). Not completely top tier Christie, but a solid entry in the top half maybe. Nurse Leatheran is a stand in for a Dr. Watson or Capt. Hastings character who is telling the story and admiring the detective as he reconstructs the crime, and I thought that worked pretty well.

Unreasonable Hospitality

by Will Guidara, published 2022

Most restaurants that aspire to greatness are led by a chef and the restaurant “back of house,” while the “front of house” staff just tries to keep up. Guidara was a “front” guy who paired with a “back” chef to try to marry a hospitality focus with a culinary focus. Their ambition: to be the best restaurant in the world (no big deal). Their ambition drove them hard, which opens its own set of questions, but it led them to innovate in extraordinary ways. 

While you don’t need to aim to be the best _____ (fill in the blank with your own field), there is so much in this book that is applicable to anyone in a service industry, not just the restaurant industry. And many people are in some kind of service industry, even if they don’t view it that way. Many jobs have some sort of customer / client, and many jobs have more than one employee with some sort of hierarchy/ management structure in place. 

I’m not always big on “business books” and I have limited tolerance for the “self help” section, but I thought this book was good. 

Guidara’s idea is this: treat employees well and treat customers / clients really well, and your business will thrive. If your staff feels supported and encouraged to go above and beyond for their customers, they will find ways to surprise and delight the people who come through your doors. It is sort of an argument for treating humans humanely, which I appreciate. So many businesses are focused on the next quarterly earnings statement, and anyone pushing back against extractive business is something I am interested in. Speaking of extraction….

The Age of Extraction

by Tim Wu, published 2025

There’s a lot of overlap here with Enshittification by Cory Doctorow here, but with a slightly different focus. 

“‘The conviction was universal that the country was in real danger from another kind of slavery sought to be fastened on the American people, namely, the slavery that would result from aggregations of capital in the hands of a few individuals and corporations controlling, for their own profit and advantage exclusively, the entire business of the country.’” This was Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan in 1911, but it feels extremely modern. 

Wu argues that tech platforms have dominated modern life in ways that drive our economy and their unfettered access to data, attention, and money have meant that they are extremely extractive and harming us all. They are largely unregulated, and they control vast amounts of capital that allow them to put their finger on the scale to their benefit. 

While it is depressing to read about all the ways that tech platforms and the AI race are plundering humanity and the planet, Wu does remind us that we emerged from the early-20th century Gilded Age and there are things that can be done to restrain the current tech overlords. 

He posits that the economy is not inherently self-balancing, and government needs to intervene sometimes to help balance it, especially by being anti-monopoly, creating neutrality rules, and treating some platforms like utilities. He also notes that union/ worker power is also at a low, and that can help to restrain companies and create a balance if re-established. 

All of this would take political will to push through, and while it would be a tough road, it is not impossible. The question is just whether there are people in power who are willing to use that power for restraint instead of self-dealing. 

Books Read in April 2026

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The Magician’s Nephew 

by C. S. Lewis, published 1955

Two children are sent to another world by magic. They witness the creation of the land of Narnia, where animals can talk and the great lion Aslan watches over its fate. A lovely creation myth. While this is the first in the Chronicles of Narnia chronologically, it is really a prequel and not the best introduction to the series. 

Because I was listening to the audio book, I listened in chronological order but I will die (maybe not literally?) on the hill that for first-time readers you really should start with the first published book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall 

by Anne Brontë, published 1848

The final installment in my Brontë book club! Don’t sleep on this one: it is such an interesting exploration of marriage and female interior life (for the upper middle class anyway) in 19th century England. 

The structure of this is interesting: it starts as a letter from a young man, Gilbert Markham, to his brother-in-law, looking back on when he met the titular tenant. We then transition to Helen (said tenant) and hear about her life from her diaries, which she shares with Gilbert. 

Helen is an early “I can fix him!” girl. She married a young man who was young, exciting, and attractive (as opposed to the old, boring, but wealthy men with whom her aunt tries to set her up). However, she discovers that when it comes to character and virtue, these attributes are important and non-transferable. 

She perseveres, but for the sake of her young son, whom she does not want to see corrupted, she decides she needs to leave. Women in the 19th century did not have rights to their own property or children, so she needs to flee in secret and go into hiding.

This is an exploration of relationships, moral character (and lack thereof), and is (as someone pointed out in our book club) more of a story of manners a la Jane Austen (though tonally quite different) than either Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. We get a glimpse of a section of society and the ways that humans fail or help each other. 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

by C. S. Lewis, published 1950

The proper introduction to Narnia, a magical world that certainly captured my imagination as a child. Lewis is a good storyteller, and I enjoyed wandering back into that world. 

Lucy walks through a wardrobe into the land of Narnia, where she and her siblings are immediately drawn into a power struggle for the fate of this magical world. Features poor choices in desserts, the most charming beaver couple, and descriptions that make you long to walk through a wardrobe yourself to visit a magical place.

This might be my favorite of the Narnia books? I’ll check back in on that once I finish them all. 

The Horse and His Boy

by C. S. Lewis, published 1954

Two children and two talking horses set off on an escape to Narnia. Chases, disguises, mistaken identities, and fighting ensues. While there are Eastern stereotypes at play that don’t all age well, this is still a great adventure tale. 

Might start addressing my Mom like the Calormen do: “Oh my mother and oh the delight of my eyes….” Should have made that my Mother’s Day greeting. Maybe next year.

Books Read in First Quarter 2026 (Tiny Reviews)

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Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore 

by Robin Sloan, published 2012

A young man goes on a quest to discover the truth behind the strange bookstore where he works. An optimistic story with very early-aught tech vibes. 

Sad Cypress 

by Agatha Christie, published 1940

Bookended by a trial for murder, most of the action takes place in the recent past, with Hercule Poirot investigating in the present to discover if the woman on trial really poisoned her romantic rival (and maybe her rich elderly aunt for money?). 

Cat Among the Pigeons 

by Agatha Christie, published 1959

Set at a girls’ school, Hercule Poirot is not called in until late in the story. Most of the story is the headmistress of the school trying to keep it all together in the face of murder. 

A Drop of Corruption 

by Robert Jackson Bennett, published 2025

Second in a series, it is a murder mystery set in a fantasy world, raising questions about empire-building, identity, and allegiance along the way. It’s a murder mystery first, just with a fantasy overlay. 

Mrs. McGinty’s Dead 

By Agatha Christie, published 1952

A young man supposedly murdered his landlady for a few pounds, but the investigating police officer is not so sure. With a dearth of suspects, he calls in his old friend, Hercule Poirot, to investigate the village for the true murderer. 

Persuasion 

By Jane Austen, published 1818

Eight years ago, Anne Eliot and Frederick Wentworth broke off their engagement. Now they meet again, but will they work things out this time or go in different directions? One of Austen’s most restrained heroines is overlooked and undervalued by her family, though appreciated by people of sense and taste.

Wuthering Heights 

By Emily Brontë, published 1847

19th century claustrophobic angst, obsession, and generational trauma! Most screen adaptations leave out the second half of the novel, which is about the next generation dealing with their parents’ bad choices. Not a super fun hang, but plenty of meat on the bone to discuss. 

Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories

by Agatha Christie, compilation; stories published between 1932-1979

Miss Marple really shines as a detective in short stories. She leans into her reputation as a village gossip and keen observer of human nature, and gets to the bottom of mysterious events with a devastating knack. She pushes aside the superfluous to get to the truth. Favorite story: The Herb of Death. 

Jane Eyre 

by Charlotte Brontë, published 1847

“Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you,—and full as much heart!… It is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal,—as we are!”

Jane demands to be taken seriously, and stays true to herself and her moral compass throughout, starting as an unloved orphan, through her time as a governess and beyond. I loved this as a teenager and love it still. 

The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy

by Ray M. Madoff, published 2025

“For many wealthy Americans, taxable income has become a matter of choice.”

Professor Madoff outlines the way that a combination of wealthy Americans exploiting tax loopholes and Congress failing to continue to reform tax law in a way that meaningfully closes those loopholes has led to our current tax situation where the middle class and upper middle class pay most of the taxes and the very wealthy just opt out. 

She outlines the loopholes, makes clear the way that the public has been deceived into thinking the system is fairer than it is, and proposes some solutions for making the tax code actually fairer (repealing the estate tax, make inheritance and investment income the same as all other income, tax unrealized gains upon the death of the original owner, and reform rules about donor-advised funds and family foundations). 

This book is only 175 pages, and while there is some technical language, it is more readable than I expected. Also, it’s infuriating that the wealthiest Americans do not support our country while reaping the benefits of living, working, and extracting wealth from America. 

Dead Man’s Folly

by Agatha Christie, published 1956

Poirot is called in by his novelist friend, Ariadne Oliver, because she’s organized a murder hunt and the vibes are off. When the fake murder victim is actually murdered, and the lady of the house disappears, Poirot must unravel the mystery. I always enjoy Christie, but I wouldn’t say this is top-tier. 

Book Read in November 2025

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Sometimes my habit of reading multiple books at once backfires and I don’t make enough progress to finish books. This was also a month of a lot of other things going on, including travel, so I didn’t have as much time for reading. 

I also spent more time watching shows with my husband in the evenings in November, which cut into reading time as well. So I only finished one book in November! 

The Tainted Cup, by Robert Jackson Bennett 

Published 2024

This is a mystery novel. It’s dressed up in fantasy trappings, which are fun, but this is primarily a mystery just set in a fantasy world. 

Din is an engraver who possesses a perfect memory, and he is assistant to an eccentric investigator, Ana. They are called in to investigate when an official is killed by a plant erupting from his body (gross). 

Ana and Din must determine if it is a contagion or a murder (it’s the latter, obviously), and proposed next steps. Their investigation leads them to a border town were they discover more murders of the same type. They must catch the killer before even more deaths occur of the city is destroyed by a leviathan (giant mysterious creatures that attack border towns by the sea). 

Ana and Din have a very Holmes-and-Watson dynamic, and it is clear that there is more to the mystery than first appears. 

If you enjoy fantasy and mysteries, you will probably enjoy this book. The world building is interesting: this is a world of human body-hacking where people can be modified organically to be really good at their jobs. The danger is that this can burn them out, and there is a further danger that plants can be deadly as modifications can get out of hand (or be used as murder weapons). The leviathans too are mysterious and clearly connected in some way to the modifications, a larger mystery that I assume will be unspooled over the course of this series of books. 

Some of the body modifications and descriptions of the murders are kind of gross, so if you have a low tolerance for that, be warned. If you like mysteries but want them set in our world, this will also not be for you. But if you, like me, enjoy both mystery novels and fantasy novels, this is a nice blending of both genres.

The mystery at hand is nicely wrapped up by the end of the book, but Ana and Din are clearly set up for further investigations in future books, so if you enjoyed this one, there is a second installment already out, and I’m not sure how many the author has planned, but our detectives might have many more adventures ahead of them!