A Melodious Sonnet - Notes from a word-chaser

Top 10 Favorite Books from Quarter 1 (ish)

May 6, 2025 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

6 May

I had grand plans at the beginning of the year. Every month, I’d make up a TBR list (these lists have been SUCH fun to write up, plus I’ve found them super motivating!) and do a separate post talking about all the books I read in the previous month.

Well…I managed to make a TBR list in January and February, but February’s reading never made it into a post, let alone anything for March or April!

As you may have seen in my May TBR post, 2025 has been an unusual reading year for me. Here are some random observations about my reading year so far:

I’ve finished over 40 books
This is the year of audiobooks (over the last 5 years, around 20% of my reading was generally audiobooks; so far this year, that number is closer to 60%!)
This is the year of classics (I’ve read 9 already this year; I read 18 in 2024, and 8 in 2023)

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed my reading life this year, except I keep complaining that I haven’t had enough sit-down-to-read time. Thankfully, we’re in autumn now, and I’m getting more time for that again. It’s delightful!

Anyway, without further ado, here are the books that stand out from the first four months of the year. Some of these will have shown up in my January wrap-up post, but they deserve a place of their own here, too!

I’m not going to go into much detail on why I loved these books; just give the things that stood out the most to me. You can discover the stories for yourself! They were all 4 ½ or 5 ★ books for me.

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The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox: Deep, character-driven adoption story…this book reminded me why I love reading all over again.

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson: Foster child, sacrificial love, the true meaning of family. Despite Gilly’s misuse of language sometimes, I fell in love with her and her story.

If the Ocean Has a Soul by Rachel G. Jordan: Devotional, refreshing, and an experience in itself. This book made me think and was also somehow restful and invigorating at the same time.

Even Irina by Lynnita Seibel: Faith, family, survival, persecution—this children’s book was an unforgettable peek into a country and time I’ve read very little about!

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria A Trapp

Impossible Escape by Steve Sheinkin: Courage, bravery, adventure, hope in dark places. This true story was unbelievable, gripping, and a tough but important peek into the lives of those sent to Nazi concentration camps.

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp: Family, hope, endurance, humor—we read this book aloud as a family, and it was the most gripping, entertaining, fascinating story! I especially loved how Maria kept poking fun at herself.

Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higgnbotham

Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley: Stories, romance, adventure. This book was way shorter and way sweeter than I anticipated, and it made me happy in all the best ways! (I can’t wait to find time for the sequel now!)

Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham: Dark, well-researched, informative—I keep thinking about this book, even though I finished it well over a month ago now. Very well written!

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: A character study, entertaining, romance, family. This book surprised me by how easy and gripping it was to read, and I loved all the nuances that you don’t get in movies! One to re-read sometime.

The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron: Mystery, family, cooking, spies, marriage of convenience. There was so much more to this book than I anticipated, and I ended up loving it!

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any top favorites from the first part of this year? If so, please share! I’m always looking for new favorite reads!

May TBR List: The Month of Classics

April 30, 2025 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

30 Apr

After a two-month hiatus, I’m so glad to be back on the blog again! February, March, and a good portion of April were crazy busy, leaving a lot of room to dream of reading, but little time to sit down and read.

As far as reading goes, I have actually had a wonderful reading year so far. I just finished my 40th book for 2025 last Sunday, but in saying that, almost 60% of the books I’ve read this year were audiobooks.

This month, I’m in the mood to read just about anything, so long as I can read it with my eyes rather than my ears. I’m still working through a few audiobooks, but I’m hoping to prioritize physical sit-down-and-read time this month, because that side of me is feeling slightly deprived at the moment.

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Every Hour until Then by Gabrielle Meyer

Upcoming Releases/ARCs:

I always find this section the most exciting every time I put together my TBR list! There are so many great authors out there, and it’s a lot of fun to be among the first to get to read these new books.

Releasing May 20: Every Hour until Then by Gabrielle Meyer. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed books #1–4 in this series, and am definitely looking forward to this one! I’ve had a bit of a preview already, and this book looks like it will be a lot of fun and have an intriguing mystery in it.

Doing Life with Jesus by Mrs. Gloria Boakye: I field a lot of emails from authors asking for reviews, and most of the time, the books aren’t a great fit for me. This time, though, this looked like a book I may be able to glean something from, so I decided to try it out.

Releasing June 17: The Atlas of Untold Stories by Sara Brunsvold: I’ve loved Brunsvold’s books ever since her debut novel. With this one being focused on books and a family road trip, I’m certain I’ll love it.

Anne of Windy Poplars by L. M. Montgomery

A Year of Maud:

I’ve gotten behind in this readalong, but I’m hoping to get to both March and April’s books this month. I just started Anne of the Island a couple of days ago (I’m loving it so far!), and am hoping to fit Anne of Windy Poplars in somewhere along the line, too.

Read Your Bookshelf Challenge:

I didn’t quite get to reading a book for April’s prompt this past month, but I’ve settled on reading Pride and Prejudice for the flowers prompt. I read that story for school years ago, and enjoyed it, but I’m looking forward to reading it again. Sense and Sensibility really surprised me early in April with how gripping and unputdownable I found it, so I can’t wait to see what I think of this one!

For May’s prompt, “favorite”, I decided to pick Twice Sold Tales. Chautona Havig is one of my favorite authors, and so far, I haven’t managed to read any of her books yet this year—hopefully, this book will change that metric! I’ve been looking forward to this story ever since it was first published, and I really don’t have an excuse as to why I haven’t picked it up already.

January 2025 Reading Wrap-Up

February 6, 2025 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

6 Feb

After putting this list of titles at the beginning of my TBR posts for the past year, I’ve decided this section deserves a post of its own. So here we are! I’m excited to share these books with you.

January was a tough reading month for me. Due to having more away-from-home work than I am used to, company, garden work, family life, trips, etc., I felt like I had hardly any time to sit down and just read last month. In the end, I really shouldn’t have felt sorry for myself. I finished 13 books last month: 7 audiobooks and 6 physical books (4 of which I finished in the last 8 days of January!).

It’s not an understatement to say that I’m a little audiobook-ed out at the moment, and am really looking forward to all the delightful physical books I have on my TBR shelf for this month!

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1. The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James (★★★★): A delightful peek into what may be behind Jane Austen’s writings. It isn’t the greatest fiction ever, but I loved it (especially because it helped me finally identify one of my favorite writing tropes—I discovered I love romances where the characters don’t end up getting married for noble reasons! Weird? Maybe, but I love them.).

2. Clementine by Sara Pennypacker (★★★★ ½): Hilarious, heartwarming, delightful…think Pippi Longstocking, Amelia Bedelia, young Anne of Green Gables, and you’ll have an idea of what this book is about. SO much fun!

3. New Kid by Jerry Craft (★★★): I enjoyed parts of this graphic novel, but overall, it wasn’t for me. An underwhelming read.

4. The Secret Society of Salzburg by Renee Ryan (★★★★ ½): This was a great story! Unexpected, more difficult than I anticipated, a fascinating peek into the art world and pre-WWII antisemitism…this is one I wouldn’t mind reading again sometime.

5. The Trouble Begins at 8 by Sid Fleischman (★★★ ½): An interesting biography about Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain. Not a standout story, but enjoyable enough.

6. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (★★★★ ½): This was so much fun to read! Even better than when I heard it read aloud—I love Anne!

7. The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming (★★★★ ½): I loved this peek into little-known World War II history! As a bonus, it wasn’t overly feministic (which I feared)—a fascinating read.

8. Lilith by George MacDonald (★★ ½): I’ve just about concluded that MacDonald’s fantasy stories are not for me. I struggled with this one, BUT it was fascinating to see parallels to Narnia in this story, so that was its saving grace for me!

9. The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson (★★★): A sweet story about an orphan girl living in a lighthouse on Lake Superior. The story was somewhat contrived, but I enjoyed her imagination, the setting, and the family aspect.

10. A Small Book About Why We Hide by Edward T. Welch (★★★★ ½): A wonderful devotional. Convicting, encouraging, helpful…I’d love to reread this one day.

11. The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox (★★★★★): This book reminded me why I love reading all over again. Excellent, excellent story; highly recommended!

12. Lyddie by Katherine Paterson (★★★★): A fascinating, unusual story. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book set in pre-Civil War Vermont before, and despite the feministic leanings of the story, I ended up enjoying it.

13. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson (★★★★ ½): I connected with Gilly before the end of the first chapter. She has a foul mouth and isn’t an ideal character, but her storyline, the setting, and the people around her are all fascinating and well-written.

Whew! After going through most of the month feeling like it was a disaster in the reading department, I’m thrilled for all the ones that ended up being unexpected hits.

Have you read any of the books above? What did you read in January?

February TBR List: Classics and ARCs

February 3, 2025 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

3 Feb

I’m excited to be back with this TBR list again this month!

Last month’s reading felt somewhat disastrous, but it ended up being a fairly good bookish month anyway. I’ve decided to trial having my monthly wrap-up in another post, rather than shoving it into the beginning of these TBR posts; I know it will make a bit more work for me, but I really don’t like how all those book covers have been going through to all of you who are subscribed via email, so we’ll see what I think of this approach. You can look forward to January’s wrap-up, which is scheduled for the 5th (or 6th, if you live here in New Zealand…#timezones).

I’m expecting February will be almost as busy as January, as the garden harvest season gets underway. Because of that, I’ve tried to limit how many books I have on this list this month. I’d love to add a bunch more, but…I’m trying to be responsible. (Sigh!)

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Read Your Bookshelf Challenge:

Size: This can be any size of book, or a size word in the title, or about a big or small idea…I picked a small book on my shelf about a doctor who treated a disease that can cause big problems. I’ve been wanting to read for a while, and even had it on my TBR list in December—Mister Leprosy by Phyllis Thompson. I loved Thompson’s Minka & Margaret last year, and I can’t wait to dive into this one!

A Year of Maud:

This month’s book is Anne of Avonlea. I was surprised by how much I loved Anne of Green Gables last month, so I can’t wait to dive into this story! (Also, as a side note: It’s been years since I read a series this close together—usually I go 6-12 months between books—so I’ll be interested to see what I think of having one book after another in this series this year!)

Brighter Winter Reading Program:

Last month’s prompts for the reading program were so much fun—and this month’s prompts are even better! I’d love to go ahead and pick books for all the boxes, but again, I’m limiting myself…so here are the ones I’m hoping to achieve this month (and as I have time, I’ll fill in other prompts):

Read a book published before 1920: Sense and Sensibility is the selection for the Celebrating Jane Austen readathon this month, which I thought was perfect for this prompt, as well! I can’t wait to dive into it. I’ve loved sharing the movie with my sisters several times, but this will be my first time reading the story.

Read a book that has a main character your age, +/- five years: I was given an advanced reader copy of The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White, and when I was trying to figure out if I could fit it into this reading challenge, I realized it might work for this prompt. I decided to check with the author, and sure enough, Corinne is within five years of my age! I can’t wait to pick this book up. (Publishing July 15!)

Read a book with a blue cover: I admit, the cover was the first thing that drew me into If the Ocean Has a Soul by Rachel G. Jordan. SUCH a pretty color! I started it a couple of days ago, and so far, I’m enjoying it, even though I suspect the author and I don’t have quite the same worldview. (Publishing June 3!)

And that’s the list for this month! What are you planning to read in February? Have you read any of the books on this list, or have other suggestions for me?

January 2025 TBR // an eclectic stack of books

January 4, 2025 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

4 Jan

December was a good reading month for me, but I spent the first half or so focusing on trying to get through David Copperfield, and that slower reading, combined with several not-so-great books sprinkled through December, has put me into a bit of a reading slump as I head into January. I’m happy with what I read in December, though; I got several more books off my TBR shelf, so that was great!

December reads:

Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin — ★★ ½

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I’m hoping for some great reads in January, not just okay/somewhat good. I am excited about some of the reading challenges I’ll be participating in this year, so that’s good—hopefully, they’ll guide me to some books I can really get into and enjoy again!

Read Your Bookshelf Challenge:

The prompt this month is “pretty,” and honestly, probably about half of the covers on this TBR list would fit that description in one way or another. I decided to go with The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox (a carry-over from December’s TBR) because I think this cover is GORGEOUS!

A Year of Maud:

I am super excited about having the chance (okay, more motivation) to get through all of the Anne series this year! This read-along starts the year by reading Anne of Green Gables. I’m about 50 pages into it now, and I love the story even more than when I heard it read aloud!

5 x 5 Reading Challenge:

Focused Backstory- The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys by Carol Alwood

A book that teaches me something: I hope to get through some of my so-far unread writing books this year with this prompt. For January and February, I plan to read Focused Backstory by Carol Alwood.

Published in the 1970s: The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. I needed this book for the next reading challenge anyway, so I was thrilled to see that this was first published in 1978!

Brighter Winter Reading Program:

Ho-Ming, girl of new China by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis

Two books by the same author: Lyddie and The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. We’ve had both of these for quite a while but never read either; I thought it was about time to find out if they’re worth having on the shelf or not!

A book set in Asia: I was tempted to choose Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze for this prompt, but then I saw that we had Ho-Ming, Girl of New China, by the same author, and I’ve never read that book before. So I’m looking forward to this story—I hope it will be as good as Young Fu!

A book published in 2024: We don’t have many of these on the shelf, but Heavenly Rescues & Answered Prayers by Andrea Jo Rodgers was published last year, and it looks like it will be an interesting read!

(Almost all of the other books in this post work for Brighter Winter, too, but to save confusion, I’m not listing them multiple times.)

Celebrating Jane Austen:

I was watching a BookTube video yesterday and came across a mention of this read-along. I’ve been wanting to read all my Jane Austen books for years (ever since I got the complete set!), but haven’t had the impetus to do so. I’m holding this read-along loosely, but if I can fit it in, I will. This month’s book options are Pamela by Samuel Richardson or The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James. I don’t think I’m ready to tackle Pamela, but I was able to find a copy of Memoirs in one of our online libraries, so I’m looking forward to trying it this month!

And that’s the list for this month! What are you planning to read in January? Have you read any of the books on this list? Are you hoping to participate in any reading challenges this year?

Upcoming Releases/ARCs:

A Year of Maud:

Read Your Bookshelf Challenge:

Other Books I Want to Read:

Read Your Bookshelf Challenge:

December reads:

Read Your Bookshelf Challenge: