Theo of Golden is a charming contemporary literature novel about an old man who shows up in a small, Southern town and starts making unusually generous gestures towards some of its residents. With strong themes of compassion, friendship, understanding, and generosity, Theo of Golden is ultimately a touching story about human decency. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: Heartwood by Amity Gaige, Narrated by Justine Lupe, et al
Heartwood is a creatively plotted novel that follows the search for a missing Appalachian Trail hiker. Told from the perspectives of the hiker, the woman in charge of the search, and an unlikely, elderly armchair detective, the story serves up a lot of depth that seems to be absent from so many other current mystery/suspense novels. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt, Narrated by Sean Pratt
The Anxious Generation explores the fragility of Generation Z, effectively arguing that the cause of declining mental health among young people is a tectonic shift from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood. Kids are missing out on the growth that they get from unsupervised play – navigating face-to-face interactions with their friends, learning lessons and building confidence through risk-taking, etc. – at the same time they’re vulnerable to online bullying or indifference and receive alerts incessantly that they feel the need to react to. There’s a ton of good information in The Anxious Generation for parents, teachers, and anyone responsible for childhood development, including how to counteract the negative influence of a phone-based childhood. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede, Narrated by Ray Porter
The Day the World Came to Town tells the remarkable story of passengers and crews who were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11 when the US closed its airspace following the terrorist attacks. They were greeted with warmth, generosity, and friendship by the town’s citizens. This story of overwhelming human decency was perfect to read during the holiday season and a timely reminder that there’s a lot of good in the world. Continue reading
2026 Thoughtful Reading Challenge
Every year, Book Thoughts from Bed hosts a book challenge designed so that participants get to enjoy books they may have otherwise not read. For example, last year’s reading challenge introduced me to great reads such as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Chenneville. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, Narrated by Aaliya Warbus et al
The Berry Pickers is an insightful and poignant novel that explores the impact of a kidnapping on the victim and the brother who last saw her. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: All the Broken Places by John Boyne, Narrated by Kristin Atherton
All the Broken Places is a gripping historical fiction novel that tells the story of Gretel Fernsby, whose father oversaw one of the Nazi’s worst concentration camps during World War II. Gretel’s brother was Bruno, one of the main characters in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Continue reading
Audio Book Discussion: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, Narrated by Michael York
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is C. S. Lewis’s classic fantasy novel that spins the tale of four children who discover and explore the magical land of Narnia. It’s a story of the fight between good and evil, with good prevailing in an unexpected but very familiar way. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica, Narrated by Brittany Pressly
Local Woman Missing is a highly engrossing suspense novel that explores the disappearance of two seemingly unrelated people and the toll it takes on family and neighbors over a decade later. A cleverly engineered plot that provides several surprising twists makes this story a winner for me. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Narrated by Stephen Fry
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is Douglas Adams’ well-known and much lauded satirical science fiction novel. It follows the adventures of Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect who stowaway on a spaceship just as Earth is being destroyed. Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 