Bea’s Books

As fall has come to a close and the days have become darker, my reading slump is finally coming to an end. Maybe it’s the coziness of winter or the fact that I’m finally acclimated to the school year, but the reading itch has returned. With that, my reading list has been growing, and this month I would like to share it with you.

First on my list is “The Corrections” by Jonathan Franzen. I’m over halfway through this book but thought I would add it to the list. This book follows the lives of the Lambert family, from the childhood of the three Lambert children to their rather depressing lives as adults. Enid, the matriarch of the family, is set on bringing them together for “one last Christmas.” Going into detail about the goings on of this book would require significantly more room, as it delves into the murky waters of affairs, depression, economics and the overall dysfunctionality of the Lambert family. A truly joyous read. Truthfully, it has been a challenge, but I have enjoyed attempting to decode Franzen’s writing and analyze the text myself.

Next is “A Guardian and a Thief” by Megha Majumdar, a book set across a week, chronicling the life of a family attempting to leave a near-future Kolkata. When the family’s visas are stolen, they must endure another week in the city. The twist? Boomba, the thief of the visas, tells his side of the story, showing his own deep-rooted desire to protect his family in the collapsing city. Normally, I wouldn’t have picked this book up, but I had read good reviews, liked the near-future dystopian concept and, I admit, loved the cover art.

Contrasting my previous picks is “Jane Eyre,” a classic by Charlotte Bronte that has sat on my shelf for three years and I have attempted to read twice (third time’s the charm?). Jane Eyre tells the story of its namesake in first-person, beginning with Jane’s abusive childhood and staying with her throughout her education and early adult life. I picked this one up again and found that I had a much better grasp on the language and concept of the book, and decided to try it once more.

A few others on my list include “Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century” by W. David Marx (this book was one of NPR’s Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2025, where I first discovered it) and “Mad At The World: The Life of John Steinbeck” by William Souder (an author that has previously appeared in a review of mine).

I’m looking forward to all the reading that is evidently in store for me this winter and wish you luck with yours as well!