Read:
Devotions – Lucy Caldwell (Faber, 2026)
Joan of the Arcane – Alexandra Fleder (She Writes Press, 2026)
Goodbye Chinatown – Kit Fan (World Editions, 2026)
Isola – Allegra Goodman (Dial Press, 2025)
The Odyssey – Homer (translated by Emily Wilson) (W.W. Norton & Co, 2018)
Anne’s House of Dreams – L.M. Montgomery (Seal Books, 1996)
Borrowed Child – Marguerite Welch (She Writes Press, 2026)
Euripede’s Greek Tragedies – BBC Radio Drama
The Pirate Queen – Ariel Lawhon (Doubleday, 2026)
Under Story – Chloe Benjamin (Putnam, 2026)
The Problem of Pain – C.S. Lewis (Harper, 1996)
Almost Life – Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Summit Books, 2026)
No Friend to This House – Natalie Haynes (Harper, 2026)
Currently Reading:
The Wainscott Weasel – Tor Seidler
Habits of the Sea – Shea Ernshaw
Girls with Long Shadows – Tennessee Hill
Thoughts:
Typing out my list, I’m realizing how 2026 heavy it is. I have a few ARCs that I am trying to prioritize and that’s meant that a lot of my reading lately has been for books that have come out this year. After reading Pandora’s Jar last month, I’ve continued on my Ancient Greek kick. I finished reading The Odyssey then listened to an excellent collection of Euripedes’ plays from BBC Radio Drama. (The BBC radio dramas are quickly becoming a must-listen when I see them on Libro.fm now.) After that I listened to Natalie Haynes’ No Friend to This House. With the kids back to school I now have more audiobook time and am working to get through some of my backlog.
September was a good reading month! Devotions was an excellent short story collection and Goodbye Chinatown was full of delicious food and Hong Kong nostalgia. Under Story was the definite highlight and I have a review of that coming next week.
What’s Next:
Still lots of 2026 releases I want to get to, especially with so many excellent new releases this fall. I’m particularly excited about the new Emily St. John Mandel, the new Kate Atkinson, a new book from Louise Kennedy, and End Times Fascism from Naomi Klein.
2026 Reading Goals:
90/100 books (13 in September)
Theological: 1/12
Translated Works: 10/12 (The Odyssey and the Euripides plays in September)
Pre-2025 TBR: 12/25 (The Problem of Pain from 2015 in September)
Goliaths: 8/6 (none in September)
Owned: 23/25 (The Odyssey, The Pirate Queen, and The Problem of Pain in September)
Current TBR: 195 (previously 198)
What Pearl Read:
The Season of Flames – Anna James
Princess of the Midnight Ball – Jessica Day George
Neverfear – Katherine Rundell
Finally Seen – Kelly Yang
The Wainscott Weasel – Tor Seidler
The Rose Legacy – Jessica Day George
The Queen’s Secret – Jessica Day George
Anne’s House of Dreams – L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Windy Poplars – L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Avonlea – L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables – L.M. Montgomery
2026 Reading Goal: 82/100
I read The Problem of Pain for school and remember the main image from the text is the idea that the person in hell is someone who is locked in a room, but they have locked themselves in. There’s no one standing outside that door guarding them. The weird part, if I remember correctly, is that inside that room it’s really fantastic. You’re doing all the drinking and the sex and what not. Lewis did not convince me to be a Christian, is what I’m trying to say.
How are you feeling about Girls with Long Shadows? I couldn’t stand it and did not finish.
I think Lewis’ point is that it isn’t God locking people out of heaven but rather the individual pursuing a life apart from God. Have you ever read The Great Divorce? It’s an interesting portrayal of Lewis’ idea of hell.
I’m feeling ok about Girls with Long Shadows so far though I’m about 20% in and it feels like nothing has happened yet. What did you not like about it?
I thought it was ridiculous that the triplets were like 19 and didn’t have names, so I had to keep track of their alphabet soup identities, and then you’re right; nothing happens for ages. I have no clue if anything does, but I think I remember my book club saying it doesn’t really have a plot.
I’m not sure why but in my head I’m convinced that they do have names but the narrator chooses to refer to herself and her sisters as Baby A, Baby B, and Baby C. At one point she says something about calling them their full legal names and my brain has chosen to understand that as they have names that aren’t being told to us. I may give up on this one…I’m a few hours into listening and nothing has happened.
Do as Disney advised us: let it goooooo.
😅😅
Every time I think about the BBC Radio drama archive I feel a faint glow of patriotism, so I was very happy to hear you mention it! I will have to look up the Euripides plays – I did a couple at school, but that was a long time ago.
You should! I’ve been really impressed at their quality. My one complaint would maybe be the “BBC voice” that some of the older productions employ. To my North American ear it sounds like a fake accent.
The version of Euripides’ Women of Troy in this collection is truly excellent. It puts it in a more contemporary context while still maintaining the story of Troy and it’s incredibly powerful.