More Than You Know

 Book 100 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 29 - 31

More Than You Know by Penny Vincenzi

published 2012

Summary (via the book jacket)

A privileged girl from a privileged class, Eliza Clark has a dazzling career - and the sleek Vidal Sassoon-style bob to match - as a fashion editor in 1960s London. High-fashion means a high life, jetting to Paris and Milan to take in the latest by Chanel, Balenciaga, Dior, and Pucci. But when she falls madly in love with Matt Shaw, and edgy working-class boy, and ends up pregnant, she is expected to give up her ritzy, fast-paced lifestyle to get married.

Theirs is an intensely passionate but difficult marriage, the ups and downs of which are further dramatized by their family and friends - a sensational cast of supporting characters seemingly plucked from the pages of 1960s and '70s era magazines. There's Jeremy Northcott, the charming and successful advertising man, not to mention one of Eliza's old flames; Mariella Crespi, the flamboyant Italian fashion icon, a good friend but a constant reminder to Eliza of the life she's given up; Matt's sister, Scarlett, the independent airline hostess whose own romantic troubles are deeply complex; Louise Mullen, Matt's ambitious and sassy business partner fighting for her future in a man's world; and Eliza's delightful brother Charles, who seems hapless when it comes to both love and money.

By the end of the decade, however, Matt and Eliza's marriage has suffered a harrowing breakdown, culminating in divorce and a dramatic courtroom custody battle over their little girl, Emmie. Also at risk is Summercourt, the beautiful and sprawling country home that has been in Eliza's family for generations - now a pawn in the game. 

Vincenzi, writing more vividly and engagingly than ever, deftly maneuvers between the glamorous, moneyed worlds of fashion and advertising, and a heart-wrenching custody battle in the courtroom, where reputations are at stake and the fascinating social mores of the time are on full display. The memorable characters, all of whom have something to gain or lose in the battle, pulse with life in this vibrant, complex, and immensely entertaining saga. Remarkably poignant and propulsive, More Than You Know is about trying to have it all and the twists of fate that happen along the way.

My Opinion

5 stars

It takes skill to write a 589 page book that actually reads quickly and somehow felt too short; it had a full arc but I would've taken a little more epilogue to see how things settled in the following years.

Based on the book jacket I knew certain milestones were going to happen and while it was entertaining, I was waiting for the "meat and potatoes" of the story to begin and it seemed to take awhile.

It felt sweeping and grand but also realistic.  Maybe the resolution was a little unrealistic and out of character but when it makes a happier ending, I'll usually be willing to overlook it.

I'm rating it 5 stars not because it was perfect but because it was engaging and interesting and I'll continue thinking about the characters even after the book is done.

There Are 3 Women and 4 Men

 Book 99 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 29 - 31

There Are 3 Women and 4 Men by Jaden Payne

published 2023

Summary (via the book jacket)

Laurent Fontaine has an obsession with spectacle.

This is precisely the reason why he is the most famous art curator of the 20th century and why the Fontaine Museum of Art has more success than any other museum has seen. That is, of course, until he shuts it down.

When Laurent's wife, Marie, is found dead during an exhibition opening of the museum in 1967, the police are quick to determine suicide. Laurent is quick to determine otherwise.

He promptly closes his historic building and halts his highly coveted life in the arts to dedicate the next ten years to one thing: finding the person who killed Marie.

In 1977, exactly ten years after the tragedy, Laurent invites who he found to the be the six most likely suspects back into his museum, breaking his silence for the first time in a decade. With the event disguised as a "Grand Reopening," the guests arrive, and Laurent reveals the truth: none of these misfortunate people will be leaving his palace until justice is served.

But, Laurent Fontaine has an obsession. Is this truly justice, or its there spectacle hidden in revenge? Is this truly an investigation, or is the emperor of art putting on one last performance? How far can Laurent morally push his grand finale?

My Opinion

4 stars

I added this book to my TBR after seeing it on TikTok.  Although it's a hefty book to hold, it read fairly quickly.

As long as the reader suspends belief regarding the circumstances getting everyone to the museum and the lack of disturbances from inside or outside once it became clear they were being held there, the actual events in the museum were paced well and there were some real surprises in the reveals.

I feel bad for how things ended for the decoys, especially the man; that felt undeserved and unnecessary.

Grave Witch

 Book 98 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 28 - 30

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

published 2010

Summary (via the book jacket)

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she's on good terms with Death himself - who happens to look fantastic in jeans - nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high-profile murder when she's attacked by the "shade" she's raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around...

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something - though it's certainly not his dislike of Alex. But Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer who wields a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life...and her soul.

My Opinion

4 stars

Book 1 of a series and I would continue reading it.  Of course there's a love triangle but that seems pretty standard.  There was enough action to keep the story moving but it didn't get too far off the rails as far as magical explanations to get out of situations.

Quote from the Book

"I'd have liked to be nonchalant, but I'd exchanged essences with Death, been attacked by a malevolent spell, created a ghost, gotten my own essence back, and then had a seizure.  The past ten minutes had been rough."

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting

 Book 97 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 26 - 28

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin

published 2022

Summary (via the book jacket)

Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. Left with her father's massive debts, she has only twelve weeks to save her family from ruin. Never one to back down from a challenge, Kitty leaves home and heads toward the most dangerous battleground in all of England: the London Season.

The only thing she doesn't anticipate is Lord Radcliffe. The worldly Radcliffe sees Kitty for the mercenary fortune-hunter that she really is and is determined to thwart her plans at all costs, until their parrying takes a completely different turn...

My Opinion

2 stars

With books like these, you have to enjoy the journey because the ending is comfortably predictable.  In this case, the journey made me uncomfortable because there were so many hijinks.  I admit I know I have a low tolerance for hijinks so it's hard to thread the needle for me but there were too many diversions, some fairly serious, that didn't fully wrap up and it was too big a leap from 'hate' to 'love' in a very short amount of time for me.

I made it about 12 chapters in before giving up and reading the end.  I then worked backwards so I did end up reading the whole book because I liked the dialogue.  I think I would read this author again even though this particular book didn't work for me.

Garden of Stones

 Book 96 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 25 - 26

Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield

published 2013

Summary (via the book jacket)

Lucy Takeda is just fourteen years old, living in Los Angeles, when the bombs rain down on Pearl Harbor. Within weeks, she and her mother, Miyako, are ripped from their home, rounded up - along with thousands of other innocent Japanese-Americans - and taken to the Manzanar prison camp.

Buffeted by blistering heat and choking dust, Lucy and Miyako must endure the harsh living conditions of the camp. Corruption and abuse creep into every corner of Manzanar, eventually ensnaring beautiful, vulnerable Miyako. Ruined and unwilling to surrender her daughter to the same fate, Miyako soon breaks. Her final act of desperation will stay with Lucy forever - and spur her to sins of her own.

My Opinion

4 stars

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars but rounded up because it was very readable.  There were twists on twists that went a bit too far - the extra stuff about the baby felt like one twist too many and out of place.

Immortal X-Men, Volume 1

 Book 95 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 25 - 26

Immortal X-Men, Volume 1 by Kieron Gillen

published 2022

Summary (via the book jacket)

The Quiet Council are the rulers of the Krakow age, for better...or worse. But now, shaken by INFERNO, they strive to hold their nation together - no matter how much they want to tear each other apart! And IMMORTAL X-MEN brings you inside the room where it all happens! As Megneto leaves the Council, his big shoes need to be filled. Selene demonstrating her foot size by crushing the whole island beneath it is unorthodox, yet compelling.

Can the Quiet Council resist? Meanwhile, the resurrected mutant seer called Destiny wrote her books of prophecy over one hundred years ago - and a sequel is long overdue! As the Council's machinations grow desperate and Emma Frost prepares another Hellfire Gala, sinister secrets are laid bare - but some secrets are more sinister than others.

My Opinion

3 stars

I chose this book from a display at the library for a few reasons even though I'm not super familiar with X-Men.  First, even though the title is "Immortal X-Men", there was a huge 'X' on the cover so I think it's close enough to count for an elusive 'X' titled book in my A-Z challenge.  Also, I was getting ready to travel and this looked like something I could read easily in the van.  Third, it doesn't hurt that it's under 200 pages and I'm nearing the end of the year and could use the boost to my goal.

I see the appeal of comics and there was plenty to read and see on every page.  Not a critique but just a note:  I was surprised at the undertones of Christianity throughout and don't know if those parallels are always part of "X-Men" or not.

I didn't follow it completely because I'm sure there's a familiarity I'm lacking but it kept my interest and was a good way to pass the time.

Our Wives Under the Sea

 Book 94 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 22 - 25

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

published 2022

Summary (via the book jacket)

Leah is changed. A marine biologist, she left for a routine expedition months earlier, only this time her submarine sank to the seafloor. When she finally surfaces and returns home, her wife, Miri, knows that something is wrong. Barely eating and lost in her thoughts, Leah rotates between rooms in their apartment, running the taps morning and night. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was the crew was supposed to be studying before they were stranded, Leah has carried part of it with her, onto dry land and into their home. As Miri searches for answers, desperate to understand what happened below the water, she must face the possibility that the woman she loves is slipping from her grasp.

My Opinion

2 stars

This book was listed on a Pride bookmark from my local library.  I guess technically it fits since the main characters are two women married to each other but it's presented as matter of fact (which is a good thing) and not really a plot point at all.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me.  Since Miri seemed disconnected from Leah from the very beginning, there was no tension.  It really felt like, "welp, she's bleeding from her mouth...welp, her skin is changing...welp, she's in the bathtub all the time...welp, [the ending I won't spoil]."  Even at the end it didn't feel like there was any emotion in the decision.  And there was nothing during Leah's POVs that showed how she felt about anything that was changing in her since the return.

Either a short story format or a more gradual change (like they reconnected as soon as she returned and then Miri felt like she was slowly losing her again) might've helped.

Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village

 Book 93 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read on December 25

Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village

by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper

published 2021

Summary (via the book jacket)

Considering a trip to a quaint English village?

A weekend roaming narrow old lanes, touring the faded glories of a country manor, and quaffing pints in the pub. How charming.

That is, unless you have the misfortune of finding yourself in an English Murder Village, where danger lurks around each picturesque cobblestone corner and every sip of tea may be your last.

If you insist on your travels, do yourself a favor and bring a copy of this little book. It may just keep you alive.

My Opinion

2 stars

Great title.  Good concept.  Meh execution.

I wavered between 2 and 3 neutral stars on this but decided on 2 because I'm absolutely in the demographic for a book like this so if it didn't hit for me, it's a miss.

Quick read though, great for Christmas Day and my book goal.

Learning to Be Human

 Book 92 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 1 - 24

Learning to Be Human

published 2024

My Opinion

3 stars

I love the look of the books from Flame Tree Publishing and they're the only ones I buy for appearance over content and will keep on my shelf whether I liked them or not.  There were 39 stories ranging from brand new first publication to as old as 3rd Century B.C.

My favorites were "Keepsakes" and "Doctor Robot".

As always with short stories by multiple authors, I'll include a little bit about each individual story below.

Brown 26

Even though it was very short it had a good arc.  Having the human be old, alone, and in hospice made the decision feel more "acceptable" so there was no tension or sympathy.

A Difference of Opinion

Beautiful story that made a subtle point about missing the bigger picture when arguing semantics.

Keepsakes

One of my favorites. This was a lovely, tender story.  I'm glad Petite Augette was nice and not a destroyer so the warmth could continue until the end.

The Monster Men

I knew this was an old story before I read it based on the chapter structure and language.  It kept my interest although I didn't understand the ending because the author's insistence on writing the Asian character's dialogue phonetically with an exaggerated accent made it impossible for me to decipher what he said at the end.

I think this will win the 'longest sentence' award: "As he dropped the last grisly fragment of the dismembered and mutilated body into the small vat of nitric acid that was to devour every trace of the horrid evidence which might easily send him to the gallows, the man sank weakly into a chair and throwing his body forward upon his great, teak desk buried his face in his arms, breathing into dry, moaning sobs."

The Book of the Machines

Yikes, that was a clunker.  I'm glad that wasn't the first story of the book (they're alphabetical by author) because I would've been wary to continue.

R.U.R.

I think that could've been interesting but it was too convoluted to understand because it was written line by line like a play, stage directions included, with so many characters rarely speaking more than a sentence at a time before switching to someone else.

As Happiness Approaches Infinity

Very poignant with a touch of "be careful what you wish for".

Doctor Robot

One of my favorites. The directness of a robot with the curiosity of a human made a very empathetic character and doctor.

Prosthetic Head

I feel like there was a bigger story underneath that I missed.  After reading the author's bio it appears this is drawn from his career which sounds interesting.

The Secret Sharer

It was long but I was interested.  After reading it I'm not sure what the connection to this collection of stories so I feel like I missed something.  Maybe the stowaway wasn't human?

Bright Horizons

Unfortunately, this felt like the most realistic story I've read so far with people prioritizing profits as the most important factor when deciding how to use AI to replace humans.

Somebody That We Used to Know

Lovely and hopeful.

The Girl With the Matchstick Heart

Poignant but I couldn't decipher the ending to know if her sacrifice helped her dad or not.  I hope it didn't.

Protocols for Beauty

I liked the premise but the writing was a little too "bee boop I'm a robot" for my preference; maybe if it had been shorter it would've been better.

After reading the author bio, I too hope that being polite to technology will help me during the takeover.

Flash Crash

I read quickly as the story frantically hurdled to the end.  Ironic that Maisie had more humanity in the end than those who created her.

Helicopter Parents

Short and sweet.

The Machine that Loved Alan Turing

It's fitting that in her author bio she said she likes authors who can "build big worlds in small spaces" because I think she's accomplished that with this story.

A Consequence of the Body

Creepy and packed a punch.

The Machine from Saint Louis

I'm so sad about the loss of a human-like robot because I wanted them to live happily ever after.  That's the sign of a good story.

The Sandman

That felt like a longer story than it was.  It had the old writing style of using thirty words to describe something that only needed three.

The Iliad

Just because it's old and famous doesn't mean it's good.  Although I appreciate the publisher's note trying to provide context for the excerpt, I was still swimming in too many words and couldn't focus.

The Dark

This story made me uncomfortable, from the lovers being siblings (even if adopted and not blood) to the visceral inflictions of pain.

A Report for an Academy

Meh, it was fine.  Based on the time period I'm a little concerned the ape is standing in for something racially motivated but there weren't any overt signs of that.

The New Frankenstein

I'm surprised this was written in 1899; it had the vibe of a story being currently written about the past.

It was necessary for the story but I found the narrator's inability to say no annoying.

To Serve Man

Dang, that was a twist ending.

The reference to the U.S.S.R. in the U.N. was a solid clue I was reading an old story.

My Ship Remains

I forgot they were machines so I was very sad by the end.

Cultivating AI

I didn't fully understand this story, it felt like a lot of buildup to an abrupt ending.

Back to Work

It was hard to get invested because it felt so short.

Sybil

It felt like it took a long time to get to a small conclusion.  Great concept though.

The Approaching End

It felt short which seems appropriate for a story whose main theme is not having enough time to enjoy everything.

The Children of Heaven and Earth

I don't have an opinion on a myth from another culture.

Talos

Glad it was short because it was a slog to get through.

Preview

Unsettling but fascinating concept, like the butterfly effect times a million.

Frankenstein

Obviously this is a well-known story.  I'm not the short story police but it seems odd to me to include the first 10 chapters of a full-length novel in a book of short stories, especially when the chapters themselves are more than 30 pages.

Thy Will Be Done

I really do feel for inanimate objects.  I was very indignant that the poor cleaning bot was destroyed purely for cruelty.

Skinprint

That story was creepy and made me uncomfortable (in a good way).

The New Accelerator

I don't see the connection between a medicine designed to slow time and learning to be human.  

A Chronology of Droid Sentient Cinematic Service

There was a sweetness to it.

Life According to Tabeeb

A hopeful story to end the book on.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories

 Book 91 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 15 - 23

The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

published 2024

Summary (via the book jacket)

Alma Cruz, the celebrated writer at the heart of The Cemetery of Untold Stories, doesn't want to end up like her friend, a novelist who fought so long and hard to finish a book that it threatened her sanity. So when Alma inherits a small plot of land in the Dominican Republic, her homeland, she has the beautiful idea of turning it into a place to bury her untold stories - literally. She creates a graveyard for the manuscript drafts and the characters whose lives she tried and failed to bring to life and who still haunt her.

Alma wants her characters to rest in peace. But they have other ideas and soon begin to defy their author: they talk back to her and talk to one another behind her back, rewriting and revising themselves. Filomena, a local woman hired as the groundskeeper, becomes a sympathetic listener to the secret tales unspooled by Alma's characters. Among them, Bienvenida, dictator Rafael Trujillo's abandoned wife who was erased from the official history, and Manuel Cruz, a doctor who fought in the Dominican underground and escaped to the United States. 

The Cemetery of Untold Stories asks: Whose stories get to be told, and whose buried? Finally, Alma finds the meaning she and her characters yearn for in the everlasting vitality of stories. Julia Alvarez reminds us that the narratives of our lives are never truly finished, even at the end.

My Opinion

3 stars

The beautiful writing took me on a journey but the last third of the book, when the layers and connections of the characters began to appear, lost me a little bit.  I'm sad there wasn't more resolution, especially between Filomena and her mother.

I'm rating it neutrally because I know part of my confusion could be due to the way I read it; I took time off in the middle and was constantly interrupted due to the chaos of the holiday season.

The Grownup

 Book 90 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read on December 21

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

published 2014

Summary (via the book jacket)

A canny young woman in struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However, when the "psychic" visits the eerie Victorian home that has been the source of Susan's terror and grief, she realizes she may not have to pretend to believe in ghosts anymore. Miles, Susan's teenage stepson, doesn't help matters with his disturbing manner and grisly imagination. The three are soon locked in a chilling battle to discover where the evil truly lurks and what, if anything, can be done to escape it.

The Grownup, which originally appeared as "What Do You Do?" in George R.R. Martin's Rogues anthology, proves once again that Gillian Flynn is one of the world's most original and skilled voices in fiction.

My Opinion

4 stars

This slim book packs a punch.  I read it in one easy sitting, both because it was riveting and because it was only 62 pages.  I'm still not actually sure what the truth was by the end but that feels realistic; it depends on who you believe.

The Widow's War

 Book 89 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 6 - 19

The Widow's War by Sally Gunning

published 2006

Summary (via the book jacket)

Married for twenty years to Edward Berry, Lyddie is used to the trials of being a whaler's wife in the Cape Cod village of Satucket, Massachusetts - running their house herself during her husband's long absences at sea, living with the daily uncertainty that Edward will simply not return. And when her worst fear is realized, she finds herself doubly cursed. She is overwhelmed by grief, and her property and rights are now legally in the hands of her nearest male relative: her daughter's overbearing husband, whom Lyddie cannot abide. Lyddie decides to challenge both law and custom for control of her destiny, but she soon discovers the price of her bold "war" for personal freedom to be heartbreakingly dear.

My Opinion

4 stars

This book had a lot of moving pieces in a way that felt true to life but it wasn't dense to read.  I liked that the characters weren't all good or bad; they were all flawed. Their baseline decency and morality were different so even if most/all the characters made progress by the end, the changes looked different because of where they started.

I see this book is the first in a series and I will probably continue reading them even though it doesn't look like I have to (the second book appears to be in the same town but focus on new main characters so some characters will be familiar but not the central plot).

The Vacant Chair

 Book 88 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 7 - 14

The Vacant Chair: the Northern Soldier Leaves Home by Reid Mitchell

published 1993

Summary (via Goodreads)

In many ways, the Northern soldier in the Civil War fought as if he had never left home. On campsites and battlefields, the Union volunteer adapted to military life with attitudes shaped by networks of family relationships, in units of men from the same hometown. Understanding these links between the homes the troops left behind and the war they had to fight, writes Reid Mitchell, offers critical insight into how they thought, fought, and persevered through four bloody years of combat.

My Opinion

2 stars

This wasn't what I expected.  The book jacket said the author drew from letters, diaries, and memoirs of soldiers and I thought it would be more of the actual writings and less of the author's recap with quotes from soldiers sprinkled throughout.  That skewed it on the 'textbook non-fiction' side versus the 'story non-fiction' I enjoy more.

There were some interesting things to consider but I found my mind wandering as I read.  

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping

 Book 87 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 7 - 12

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

published 2025

Summary (via the book jacket)

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for a future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power...

Enter Luke Larsen, a handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark autumn evening and just might know how to unlock the spell's secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised that he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn't have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she's made might be the best magic of all.

My Opinion

3 stars

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars with this read but ended up with 3.  While I enjoyed the characters a lot and would love a continuation of the series focusing on the inn, I realized I wasn't compelled to continue reading and could set it down easily for a day or two before picking it up again. 

I also struggled with the specific plot of regaining her magic because of how easily some things came together after such a long time.  If only a year or two had passed it would've been a little more understandable but 15 years of nothing passed and then things are resolved in a week?  That was a jump too far for such a major storyline. 

Careless People

 Book 86 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from November 30 - December 5

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism

by Sarah Wynn-Williams

published 2025

Summary (via Goodreads)

From trips on private jets and encounters with world leaders to shocking accounts of misogyny and double standards behind the scenes, this searing memoir exposes both the personal and the political fallout when unfettered power and a rotten company culture take hold. In a gripping and often absurd narrative where a few people carelessly hold the world in their hands, this eye-opening memoir reveals what really goes on among the global elite.

Sarah Wynn-Williams tells the wrenching but fun story of Facebook, mapping its rise from stumbling encounters with juntas to Mark Zuckerberg’s reaction when he learned of Facebook’s role in Trump’s election. She experiences the challenges and humiliations of working motherhood within a pressure cooker of a workplace, all while Sheryl Sandberg urges her and others to “lean in.”

Careless People is a deeply personal account of why and how things have gone so horribly wrong in the past decade—told in a sharp, candid, and utterly disarming voice. A deep, unflinching look at the role that social media has assumed in our lives, Careless People reveals the truth about the leaders of Facebook: how the more power they grasp, the less responsible they become and the consequences this has for all of us.

My Opinion

2 stars

Uh oh, I feel like I wandered into a firestorm by accident.  By chapter 11 I felt like there was backstory I'm missing so I looked up the author and saw the back-and-forth between her and Facebook over this book and the allegations on both sides.  The total lack of knowledge I felt led me to Goodreads to see how this book had ended up on my TBR in the first place.  That's when I realized I actually had a different non-fiction book titled "Careless People" on my list and when skimming my library's catalog, I didn't notice the difference and got this instead.

So without getting into the veracity of claims on either side, here's my opinion of the memoir itself...

I think my biggest disconnect with the book is calling it a memoir.  If that wasn't part of the title then it could be presented as a non-fiction book about the BTS of Facebook and its impact nationally and globally.  It could still be through the first-hand lens of someone who worked there, giving a little more leeway on fact-checking and research, but it would be clear the company is the focus of the book.  Instead, by calling it a memoir, I'm left wondering why a book about the author's life focuses so much on other people.

I also find it disingenuous for the author to continually throw everyone else under the bus with little accountability for herself.  I know everyone wants to paint themselves in the best light and think of themselves with the best intentions but if the author truly disagreed with every single morally gray (or flat out immoral) decision, it seems unlikely she would've stayed there as long as she did with the success she had.  It was tough reading her black and white critical assessments of everyone else and the lines she felt they were crossing while at the same time having no recognition of any lines she herself may have blurred.  That's not even my opinion on whether or not lines were crossed, it's seeing that she doesn't appear to hold herself to the same standard as she holds everyone else.

She also mentions not negotiating for a good salary and not understanding the wealth of those around her, implying she didn't even benefit monetarily as much as other managers did.  This doesn't impress me because it's either a) a lie or b) naive and nonsensical because why would you work so hard in a job you don't agree with for seemingly no benefit?  At least money would be understandable even if it's not the choice everyone would make...plug your nose, get your bag, use the money to do good and enjoy your family after you leave.  A throwaway line about your husband picking you up in your "dilapidated" car felt deliberately chosen to further illustrate the difference between the author and her co-workers.  Again, even if her co-workers made a ton more than her, I can't imagine she's working for minimum wage.

I'm glad for her own health that she's no longer working at a place she clearly didn't enjoy.  

The Book of Lost Hours

 Book 85 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from December 1 - 4

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso

published 2025

Summary (via the book jacket)

Who Would You Rewrite History For?

Enter the time space, a soaring library filled with books containing the memories of those who have passed, and accessed only by specially made watches once handed down from father to son - but now mostly in government hands. This is where eleven-year-old Lisavet Levy finds herself trapped in 1938, waiting for her watchmaker father to return. When he doesn't, she grows up among the books and specters, able to see the world only by sifting through the memories of those who came before her. As she realizes that government agents are entering the time space to destroy books and maintain their preferred version of history, she sets about saving these scraps in her own volume of memories. Until the appearance of an American spy named Ernest Duquesne in 1949 offers her a glimpse of the world she left behind, setting her on a course to change history and possibly the tie space itself.

In 1965, sixteen-year-old Amelia Duquesne is mourning the disappearance of her uncle Ernest when an enigmatic CIA agent approaches her to enlist her help in tracking down a book of memories her uncle had once sought. But as Amelia visits the time space for the first time, she realizes that the past - and the truth - might not be as linear as she's like to believe.

My Opinion

5 stars

This is the kind of book where my 5 star rating is more for the experience than the book.  I don't reread books but this isn't the kind of book I would want to reread even if I did.  The reveals along the way were timed well and the uniqueness of the book was what drew me in and kept it going.  However, there was still enough predictability to keep me comfortable and grounded (and yeah, the ending is wrapped up neatly but who's going to complain about a little unrealistic happiness?  Not me.). 

It was easy to visualize and get sucked into, the kind of book that snuck up on me.  I didn't realize how much I was enjoying it until it was over and I felt satisfied.