At a certain age, middle-of-the-night trips to the loo become routine. When it’s my turn, I often find Michael glowing in the soft light of his Kindle. No wonder he’s read 50 books this year!
This was the year I gave myself permission to read during broad daylight instead of the handful of minutes I could keep my eyes open before falling asleep. That way, I could double the number of books I read in 2025. I did read during upright hours, but I didn’t read as many books as I'd hoped. I downloaded a lot of books. I started a lot of books. But I didn’t cross the finish line of several of them. I am glad I am a devotee of Nancy Pearl, the famous NPR Librarian, who said you could take your age and deduct it from 100, and that’s how many pages you should try to read before you give up on a book. For example, since I am almost 70, I try to read at least 30 pages before deciding to stop, while Michael, at 80, only needs to read 20 pages before deciding to stop. We both left a trail of discarded books, but we thoroughly enjoyed the ones we finished.
Seattle Librarian Nancy Pearl is so famous that she is an Action Figure - complete with Shushing Action!
Last fall, we took a magical trip to Eastern Canada that included a few days on Prince Edward Island. We were inspired to re-read Anne of Green Gables before we got there, and that turned out to be an excellent primer. Not only was it a delightful story - it helped prepare us for the many ways PEI embraces (exploits?) both the author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, but also the many fictional characters and locations in the book, especially Anne.
Michael in reading mode with a lap cat at our friends' home on Martha’s Vineyard. A definite highlight of our East Coast travels.
We both read a spirited book, with the odd title How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood. I enjoyed another book of hers called The One in a Million Boy. She is a master of character development, and her stories are the perfect combination of heart-warming and heart-breaking.
Currently, we are both reading Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi, a book with the highest ratings and most reviews of any book we’ve ever found on Goodreads. It’s a deceptively simple tale about giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, and a balm against the current headlines.
Once again, Michael’s preference was books about strong women. But he also dabbled in non-fiction. He read Anthony Fauci’s book about his journey in public service, Andre Agassi’s autobiography, and a book by Congresswoman Sarah McBride about the fight for Trans Equality. His most heartwrenching read - and most recommended book was Still Alice, the story of one woman’s descent into dementia. I know that book has been made into an acclaimed film, but so far we haven’t had the courage to watch it.
My list was a bit more eclectic. But, as always, I’m drawn to historical fiction. My favorite this year was Isola, a bleak but beautiful tale of love and loyalty that stuck with me. And it turned out to be based on a true story - always a plus. The Instrumentalist was also a page turner for both of. us. It takes place in Venice in the early 1700s and tells the story of an orphan girl who becomes Vivaldi’s musical muse and also his nemesis. But my favorite book of the year was By Any Other Name, a twist on Shakespeare’s credibility written by Jodi Picoult, one of my favorite authors.
I sat in the public library in Montreal, Canada, and read Judith Viorst’s hilarious book I’m Too Young to be Seventy (and Other Delusions). Appropriate since that milestone is just a few weeks away for me.
I love books based on letters and diaries, and if you love the actor Alan Rickman, you’ll love Madly, Deeply - a droll account of his adult life as an actor. Lots of insight on his deep friendship with Emma Thompson, his take on Love Actually, and his Harry Potter years. We were both moved by Geraldine Brooks' memoir about her husband's sudden death. It took three years before she could write about it, and it was a touching tribute and a personal catharsis. I also read Ina Garten’s autobiography, Be Ready When the Luck Happens. It was good, but not a top ten for me.
Family and good friends are what life is all about. These two amazing actors were the epitome of friendship.
Michael was such an enthusiastic reader this year that I’ve changed his list to reflect his Top 15 books of 2025. They all rated Five Stars on Goodreads. My list remains at 10. We love reading your comments and hope you share your favorites!
MICHAEL’S LIST OF 15
Only the Beautiful - Susan Meissner
Open - Andre Agassi
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle - Matt Cain
The Only Woman in the Room - Maria Benedict
Memorial Days - Geraldine Brooks
The Last Year of the War - Susan Meissner
An Unusual Boy - Fiona Higgins
The Leisure Seeker - Michael Zadoorian
The Last Dance of the Debutante - Julie Kelly
The Last List of Mabel Beaumont - Laura Pearson
The Medicine Woman of Galvaston - Amanda Skenandore
Still Alice - Lisa Genova
On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service - Dr. Anthony Fauci
How to Read a Book - Monica Wood
Tomorrow will be Different: Love, Loss and the Fight for Trans Equality - Saran McBride
DEBBIE’S LIST OF 10
The Boleyn Traitor - Philippa Gregory
Life Cycle of the Common Octopus - Emma Knight
The Instrumentalist - Harriet Constable
Isola - Allegra Goodman
By Any Other Name - Jodi Picoult
Madly, Deeply - The Diaries of Alan Rickman - Alan Rickman
How to Read a Book - Monica Wood
The One in a Million Boy - Monica Wood
James - Percival Everett
I’m Too Young to be Seventy (and other delusions) - Judith Viorst
Only the Beautiful - Susan Meissner
Memorial Days - Geraldine Brooks
We are currently in San Miguel de Allende, where time should stand still and allow for more reading, but we’ve only been here ten days, and the calendar is full. And I am off to Paris for two weeks to look after our teenage grandsons. That means Michael will explore a new genre: The Cookbook!
We wish you all a Happy New Year full of great reads.
Thanks for following along,
Debbie and Michael Campbell
The Senior Nomads