November Reading Notes

Hello, reader…

*Note to first time readers: the following is a summary of a discussion by friends who gather monthly in a virtual space called Second Life. Reading notes are lightly edited reflections shared in real time via text chat.

Heart of the Country by Greg Matthews

FireWoman shared that she read a book her mother always said she should read. It was first published in 1986. She was glad her library had an eBook copy because her hardcopy has tiny print.

The novel is told in three parts and follows interconnected characters whose lives weave in and out of one another’s. It is set primarily in 1870s Kansas. At its heart is a half-Indigenous physically deformed whose story unfolds in an epic adventure.

FireWoman said she couldn’t put the book down, praising its strong writing and well-developed character studies. FireWoman reflected that she never got the chance to discuss the book with her mother – she wasn’t ready to read the book till now.

She also noted that Greg Matthews wrote The Further Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which felt fitting since she had recently read James by Percival Everett.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Violet shared that her recent book club read Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, a short novel (under 100 pages) set in 1980s Ireland during the time of the Magdalene Laundries. The story follows a male main character faced with a moral choice: to accept the status quo or to help the young women suffering under the authority of the Church-run institutions.

Violet explained that the book paints a vivid picture of the era when the Roman Catholic Church held deep control over small Irish towns, forcing unwed mothers into unpaid labor in the laundries. Most of the townsfolk were complacent because of the pull of the church.

Although she was initially excited to check it out – it won a book prize and came highly recommended by her club – Violet found it somewhat slow and boring. The author is very descriptive, so much so that she painted a picture of a dreary atmosphere in a way that made one feel as if they were there. She both liked and didn’t like that aspect of Keegan’s storytelling. Still, Violet credited the book for sparking her curiosity to learn more about the Magdalene Laundries, which shockingly operated until 1996.

She also mentioned that the novel was adapted into a film starring Cillian Murphy.

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen

Sierra shared her thoughts on Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen, a nonfiction book that pairs perfectly with Fred Kaplan’s The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War, which she’s discussed in a previous gathering.

While Kaplan’s work presents a chronological history of how thinking about nuclear weapons and policies developed over time, Jacobsen’s book presents a hypothetical scenario where this all comes into play. She structures the book in terms of time during a hypothetical attack, then highlights the different agencies, people in different roles and what they do. The book is well-sourced; Jacobson based her book on interviews with a number of people and other materials.

The book starts off a little slow but definitely gets more engaging and interesting as things go on. Overall, Sierra is finding it a very interesting read.

She also recommended watching Kathryn Bigelow’s recent Netflix film A House of Dynamite, which echoes similar themes and, together with the two books, forms what Sierra called her own self-assembled course on nuclear history and policy.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

KitKat shared that she hasn’t read The Midnight Library yet but recently found it at Barnes & Noble and is excited to start it over the holidays. The book’s premise immediately caught her attention: it follows a woman who dies and finds herself in a mystical library where she can see all the different lives she could have lived based on the choices she didn’t make and even “try out” those alternate paths. She described it as “oddly fascinating” and said she’s eager to see how the concept unfolds.

If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura (translated by Eric Selland)

Zoe shared that she read If Cats Disappeared from the World right before Halloween. Despite its ominous-sounding title, it isn’t a horror novel. The story follows a postman diagnosed with a terminal illness who makes a deal with the devil: for each day he wants to live longer, he must choose one thing to erase from the world forever. Each chapter focuses on one of those choices.

Zoe said the book was lighthearted and fun overall, with a surprisingly chipper devil who wears Hawaiian shirts and seems to be on good terms with God. The ending felt heartwarming and reassuring rather than dark. She admitted to skimming a few chapters and thought the translation might have taken some liberties, since the characters seemed American (the novel was originally written in Japanese and set in Japan).

Zoe doesn’t exactly recommend it but doesn’t not recommend it either. If you see it at the library, give it a look, but definitely don’t buy it.

Happy Holidays, bookworms! See you on January 11 at 1pm SLT for our next gathering.

SLurl to The Reading Room: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gundeulbawe/41/164/45

October Reading Notes

Hello, reader…

Love Tales of Ancient Japan by Kyoto Ko

FireWoman shared that Kyoto Ko, a Japanese storyteller she follows, has released his fourth book, Love Tales of Ancient Japan. She explained that Ko gathered truly ancient women’s diaries and retold stories from them. In ancient Japan, she noted, poetry was often how people introduced themselves to someone they wanted to know, with poems delivered by a trusted servant of the elite. She described it as “a truly different kind of culture and history.”

James by Percival Everett

FireWoman also mentioned that she finally got her hands on James by Percival Everett. She said, “I could not put James down. The story is riveting and makes me want to reread Huckleberry Finn after decades.” When Zoe asked if readers should read Huckleberry Finn first, FireWoman replied, “I think I would definitely read Huck first.” She added that she’s currently reading banned books, noting that Huckleberry Finn is banned and predicted that James will likely be challenged too, as “the N word is used throughout it.”

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

Zaida shared that she and Cychwynn are reading The Witching Hour by Anne Rice for another book group. She explained that it’s the book the TV show Mayfair Witches is based on. Zaida admitted that she finds it long and reads slowly, saying she feels like Anne Rice “had two great ideas for a book and mashed them together.” She added that she wishes Rice had written it more like Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth series, which spans hundreds of years.

Zaida said they intentionally chose to read it this time of year since she and Noctis built a witch house in New Toulouse modeled after the Mayfair witch house from the TV show. Although she usually doesn’t read horror, she mentioned finding the TV series “a little hard to follow” and expects the book will make more sense after reading it.

The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War by Fred Kaplan

Sierra shared that she is currently reading The Bomb by Fred Kaplan (not to be confused with Robert Kaplan). She described it as a detailed history of how U.S. strategy and policies around nuclear weapons evolved through different administrations after World War II. She’s about a third of the way through and finds it an interesting and engaging read, noting that she wants to take more notes as she goes.

The book examines how presidents, advisors, and military branches debated the role and use of nuclear weapons, showing tensions between “maximalist” and more incremental strategies. Sierra mentioned that she’s currently reading the section covering the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. She noted the book was published in 2020 and likely includes fairly recent material. She also believes Kaplan is revisiting themes from his earlier work The Wizards of Armageddon (from the 1980s), when much information was still classified. Overall, she finds The Bomb a good, well-paced read that will pair nicely with her other reading on the topic.

Tilt by Emma Pattee

Veyot shared that Tilt is about a woman in Portland who gets caught in an earthquake while inside an IKEA store. The building collapses, and she must walk miles across the city to find her husband.

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

This story, also read by Veyot, follows a woman in Minneapolis where it seems the world may be ending. The woman must hide from agencies that are killing mothers and saving babies in an effort to preserve humanity.

Veyot noted that both novels are contemporary and described them as intense and filled with turmoil.

The Hike by Drew Magary

KitKat shared that The Hike was a quick read she absolutely loved. The story begins with a man on a business trip who decides to take a short hike near his hotel before a meeting — but he gets lost, and the journey spirals into a wild mix of adventure, horror, and comedy.

She described it as chaotic but surprisingly well-tied together in the end, with strong fantasy elements reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. KitKat said there were moments that terrified her like a horror novel and even one point that made her cry. Overall, she found it very well written and thoroughly enjoyable.

Ghosts of Old New Toulouse

Nyx shared this SL Thinc book found in the cemetery at the New Toulouse sim.

The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey by Kathleen Kaufman

Zoe shared that the novel is set in Scotland and America, spanning the years 1866 and 1901. It follows two women who meet for the first time during a séance – with a unique connection initially unknown to them. Both women possess supernatural powers that allow them to communicate with spirits—and even across time with each other.

Zoe noted that each character struggles for independence from those around them. She said the book was “a little slow in parts,” but overall, she really enjoyed it and found it to be a fitting, atmospheric read for autumn.

Our final gathering for the year will be on November 9th at 1pm SLT.

SLurl to The Reading Room: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gundeulbawe/41/164/45

September Reading Notes

Hello, reader…

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin.

Lin weaves many Chinese fables and beliefs into her books and her illustrations are phenomenal. The two guardian lions that grace the entrances to many gates in China are a male lion holding a sacred sphere and a female lion with a lion cub in her front paws. These lions live in their own world behind and within the gate and take care of everyone living on the other side. So the reader meets the young lion at the beginning of the book, angry at his father for stopping his game with other spiritual beings living behind the gate. The audience is probably middle schoolers and up because it is so smartly written as to draw in readers of all ages. The story goes between the real living people on the outside of the gate and the spirit beings when the sacred sphere is dislodged and rolls into the living world.

FireWoman thought this was an incredible read.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Starry River of the Sky, and When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin.

FireWoman Pleiades read these three books after finishing The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon and said she cried during some of them. She admired how Lin’s illustrations at the beginning of each chapter change with the story. The books are connected through generations of women, and FireWoman mentioned she might reread them to better understand who was who from book to book. In one story, the girl is young, and in another, the old woman appears to be that very same girl.

The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton.

FireWoman called it a classic in juvenile fiction. The story centers on a house that was used during the Underground Railroad and all its secret hiding places. She mentioned that the sequel, The Mystery of Drear House, is equally enthralling. The book is set in the 1960s, and Dies Drear, in the story, was a white abolitionist who built the house and helped runaway slaves. FireWoman said she had seen this book on library shelves for years and finally decided to find out what it was about. The discovery of the second book came as a surprise, and she shared how much she loved the way Hamilton wrote these stories.

Scattergood by H. M. Bouwman.

Veyot said the story takes place on the prairie in 1941 and reads like an adult novel in its style of writing. It follows two young girls who are friends and talk about the war. Veyot mentioned she hasn’t read very far yet, but somebody gets sick—though she doesn’t yet know who. She discovered the book by looking at its cover and then checking the print inside, which is how she usually decides what to read. She noted that the book is easy on the eyes and has a pretty cover. It was published in 2023.

A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz.

Veyot said she always reads at least one mystery and this time chose A Line to Kill. She mentioned that Horowitz also wrote Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders, which were adapted for PBS Masterpiece Theatre.

In the book, the author himself solves a murder alongside Detective Hawthorne. The story is set on a small British island during a literary festival where all the authors stay in the same hotel and begin to suspect each other of being the killer. Veyot said the reader gets plenty of clues throughout, but the ending is a total surprise. She joked that although it’s set in Britain, she read it with an American accent.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Stina said she only recently discovered The Book Thief, and it immediately became her favorite book of all time. She described it as having everything—heart, warmth, sorrow, wit, beauty, and death. Stina shared that she’s afraid to watch the movie adaptation, even though she loves the actor in it, because she worries it might replace the vivid world she imagined while reading. She added that the book is very lyrical—so much so that some people even say it’s too lyrical. FireWoman agreed, saying she also hasn’t seen the movie and that the story still calls to her to be read again.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Zoe read The Correspondent, a debut epistolary novel published in 2025. The story follows a woman in her seventies who is a retired lawyer and avid letter writer, and whose correspondence reveals both her quirks and her humanity. At first, the protagonist seems fussy, even “a bit of a Karen,” but as her letters unfold, readers uncover her secrets and the deeper struggles behind her tone.

Sybil, the protagonist, writes to family, friends, famous authors like Ann Patchett and Joan Didion, and even to a customer service representative she once argued with. By the end, Zoe said she cried — it was the best book she’d read all year, touching on themes of aging, self-perception, and empathy.

SLurl to The Reading Room: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gundeulbawe/41/164/45

August Reading Notes

Hello, reader…

Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott

This book begins with a very dramatic story about her young son’s first epileptic seizure, but continues in a more lighthearted manner. including a tale about the turtle named Frank that lives their backyard. Veyot said that it’s more like a book of essays than one long story. She didn’t like it. Also, as a trigger warning, it involves life during the COVID pandemic.

The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw

This may be one that Sierra ends up abandoning. She said that this book would kinda fit into that ‘dark academia’ genre. We can think of it as kind of a cross between Magicians (or later Harry Potter) and Battle Royale.

The premise of the story is that magic is real and while civilization somehow pushed that aside for a long time it made a comeback and when it did these schools arose as places for the magically imbued to go. Some students go there of choice but a lot are basically kidnapped.

At this school they are promised they’ll be educated/trained and be able to enter society and be accepted and all. “Graduation day” is really when the faculty attack the students (which is made clear very early on in the book). The book is violent…in a very supernatural horror way. Though that isn’t the main issue Sierra had.

The story is told kinda jumping back and forth in time…and some authors do that of course…but here one of the problems with that becomes evident –that she felt very lost in what is going on. And had a hard time keeping track of the different characters. The actual writing – the prose – is fine. The issues is in how the story is put together. This is one she doesn’t recommend.

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

Set in 1928, this book is about a young Londoner who inherits a Yorkshire estate. She turns up and the estate is beautiful and mysterious. Something seems off though…

As it turns out, she’s also inherited a grand yet haunted library that is literally feeding on her – draining her of her thoughts, memories and feelings to trap them in a book for its shelves.

Zoe loved the premise. The general outline of the plot fascinated her. But the book was written from the protagonist’s point of view – and since the library was stealing her thoughts and memories, she was an unreliable narrator. This made the story difficult for Zoe to follow – though other readers might have a different experience.

Not recommended.

The Specimen by Jaima Fixsen

The story takes place in 1826. A woman’s son is sick with a very specific heart condition, and he goes missing. At the same time, a doctor has a collection he displays for his anatomy classes. A heart that has the same condition is in his collection. It’s about the mother trying to figure out what truly happened to her son. MAC wasn’t quite finished with it yet, but he has been enjoying it. It was a little gruesome with the medical stuff – and he has a feeling it may get a bit more gruesome. MAC recommends it to readers who like a mystery and don’t mind a bit of medical horror.

Strange Pictures by Uketsu

Sofia said that this is a creepy story. The author has apparently started a bit of a new phenomenon in which the reader feels as though they are the detective (though Sofia isn’t sure if it’s really a new phenomenon).

It’s about a guy who starts getting involved with some strange photos that seem to mess with reality. Supposedly, the more he looks into them, the stranger and more unsettling things get, both in the pictures and in his own life.

Sofia is two-thirds through and still not sure what she thinks. It feels like the story is still being set up. She does like the style and feels as though her inner detective is being called on. She will persist to the end. While it is a mystery, she isn’t perturbed or disturbed.

Our next gathering is on September 14 at 1pm SLT.

SLurl to The Reading Room: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gundeulbawe/41/164/45