I usually have a half-month lull after October, but somehow this week managed to be even busier (how?). That said, I did manage to read a good number of things, namely:

What I Finished Reading This Week

Embers of the Hands – Eleanor Barraclough
In Embers of the Hands, Eleanor Barralough sets out to recount the history of the Viking Age through what the archaeological and written record can tell us about the people history "forgot": commoners versus kings and warriors; women and children versus men; the enslaved versus the free; and about the activities of everyday life: falling in (un)requited love, religious belief, play, and homemaking, among others. She does this very, very well, with clear prose; a commitment to making clear what's fact, what's conjecture, and what's just not known; a wickedly mischievous sense of humor, and a true love for the subject. The section on Omfim the artist (just read it!) is just charming. This book is an absolute treasure and worth multiple reads.

I Will Blossom Anyway – Disha Bose
I Will Blossom Anyway is a strong contender to be the best novel I've read in 2025. Bose is a phenomenal observer of human beings: these are some of the most fully-rounded characters I've encountered in recent memory. They have strengths, flaws, and blind spots; they think and act in believable ways; they grow. Her depictions of the exhilaration, confusion, and immaturity of early 20's independence and interpersonal relationships are spot-on, as are her depictions of Bengali family dynamics and the good and bad of being an immigrant professional far from home. I'm not saying anything specific about the plot and that's deliberate: there are some real emotional gut punches in this book and they should be encountered exactly as the characters do--with no forewarning. Moreover; Bose sets up a lot of the common tropes and beats and then completely subverts them in ways readers will not expect precisely because she avoids the easy character or plot progressions that leave you grousing "But no one would actually say/do/react like that IRL!" and it is so, so, fun.

TL;DR--this book is so well-written and satisfying; read it.

The Happiness Files – Arthur Brooks
Per its promotional blurb, "Imagine if your life were a startup. How would you lead it and shape it to be most successful?" is the question that underpins the writing of The Happiness Files. Ironically, this book is at its best when Brooks is writing for a general audience versus the sort of people who found and run start-ups (who are apparently emotional imbeciles judging from how Brooks does write for them; namely, as though he were confronting a toddler having a Big Emotions meltdown in the supermarket.)

Luckily, those sections occur toward the front of the book and are soon out of the way, and the rest is quite readable and enjoyable. Much of what Brooks discusses in the volume's 33 3-to-5 page chapters is common sense (e.g., don't hold pointless meetings; don't give disingenuous compliments; focus on having experiences versus acquiring money, and on making progress toward goals versus having achieved them) but it can be helpful to have these things stated outright, and Brooks has a knack for making the point without belaboring it. There is a Christian bent to some of the examples he uses, but it's not particularly heavy-handed, and far more of the book's content is grounded in scientific studies (thankfully endnoted should readers want to follow up on them).

TL;DR - This is a solid book of grounded advice on how to live in a way that fosters contentedness and satisfaction in your personal and professional life.


What I Am Currently Reading

Shield Maiden - Sharon Emmerichs
As a wish-fulfillment fantasy it's great, but oh god, Emmerichs' attempts at diversity and representation are dire.


What I'm Reading Next

This week I acquired Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, Swiz by Alex Daniels et al., Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs, and Nimona by Noelle Stevenson.


これで以上です。