I must have read about this novel, with its distinct gothic touch, on one of the blogs I follow. When something catches my interest, I usually download it—if available—through my Nextory app. This one turned out to be a surprising story that keeps you guessing until the very end. In other words, exactly the kind of story I love. "At seventeen, Lenora Hope Hung her sister with a rope Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred. Stabbed her father with a knife Took her mother’s happy life It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything. “It wasn’t me,” Lenora said But she’s the only one not dead As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought." (from Story Graph) I was hooked from page one. Early on, there’s a reference to the Lizzie Borden murders of 1892, and in a way the setup feels similar: everyone is dead except for one person. Yet the police struggle to determine whether that person really did it. The narrative unfolds through two voices, Kit and Lenora, each revealing small pieces of what has happened—and what is still happening—until a fuller picture slowly forms. As we delve deeper into the events, the atmosphere grows even darker. The house—built on a rock above the sea—is literally crumbling, leaning ever closer to disaster. And gradually, we learn the truth of what happened on a tragic day fifty years earlier. It’s described as a gothic tale, and I think that fits well. Sager structures the story along parallel lines: the decaying house with its slanting floors and walls, worsening as the plot progresses, mirrors the two timelines unraveling fifty years apart. It’s all done with impressive skill. I looked into Sager’s other novels and it seems he often writes what could be called horror. I’m not usually drawn to horror, but if it’s written the way it is here, I’m all for it. There’s an uneasy undertone throughout. Since I listened to most of it at night before sleep, there were a few evenings when I simply couldn’t continue—too atmospheric for the dark hours. If you enjoy thrillers, murder mysteries, and gothic tales, this is definitely a book for you.

For some time, I have been thinking if I can somehow develop my book blog, which is now more of a newsletter. After 12 years of blogging I feel it is time to change a few things. I recently read a post from Travellin’ Penguin on Getting Ready for 2026 on various things she wants to pursue during the next year. It seems to be the right time to consider new goals. In my last post I talked about joining the 52 Book Club, and that is one of the reading goals I have. But, there are a few other things on my mind. My Personal Curriculum I follow quite a few channels on Youtube, and once you start looking for something, there pops up a lot of other videos on the same subject. I don’t know if it is because I was looking for it, or because this is a trend now, but it seems to be popular to make your own personal curriculum. Meaning, you want to learn things, but not necessarily go to school, or university to learn it. Instead you look at the curriculum of classes you are interested in, and add the books, or whatever practical exercises you need to learn more. This is something up my alley, so I started to think of what I would like to learn more about. I am reading quite a lot, but I would like to learn more from my reading. Not just finish a book and then start the next. So what is on my curriculum? Subjects I could easily put up 5, 6 or more subjects that I would like to study more, but one has to be realistic, and it seems that three subjects is what you should aim for. I have chosen Literature, History and Languages. Literature Of course! Reading is part of my daily life. For a long time I wanted to read more of the classics, going back to Antiquity where it all started. Searching the internet I have found three ages: Theocratic Age (Foundational work) Late Medieval and Renaissance - Aristocratic Age 19th Century To start with the beginning, I have a list of the books from Antiquity, and I started with Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days . Theogony is the origin story of the Greek cosmos. The background story of the births of the gods, the rise of Zeus, and the cosmic battles that shaped the world’s order. This is the foundation of later Greek religion and storytelling. Here is where the Greek myths are born. Works and Days tells the story of everyday life. You find practical wisdom, moral lessons, and advice on farming. It is a handbook for living responsibly in a difficult world. Maybe it will even be relevant today? Now I am on to Pindar’s Complete Odes which honour victors of the ancient Greek games. They praise athletic achievement as well as linking it to divine favour and heroic lineage. It is rich in myth, imagery and moral reflection. I find it a little bit difficult to read. Simultaneously, I am reading Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes. This is a recount on Jasons’ voyage aboard the Argo in search of the Golden Fleece. The story has always fascinated me, although I don’t really know the details. Here we find adventure, heroism but also psychological depth. It is said to be more subtle and literary than Homeric epic. It is a traditional story of a hero’s quest including a little bit of romance. Nothing wrong with that. History To make things easier for me, you can say that literature and history are connected. To learn more about history, I have to read literature. That these two subjects are combined should make it easier. I found the following list of what to learn on this subject. Perspectives: Understand that historical events are interpreted differently by various people. Continuity and change: Identify what has stayed the same and what has changed over time. Cause and effect: Analyze the reasons behind historical events and their consequences. Evidence: Learn to evaluate and use historical evidence to support arguments. Significance: Determine the importance of specific events, people, and developments. Contestability: Recognize that historical accounts are open to debate and reinterpretation. Broad historical periods: Study major eras such as ancient civilizations, the Roman Empire, the medieval world, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the modern era, including both World Wars and the Cold War. Global and national events: Investigate key historical trends and movements, from the rise of early civilizations to the fall of empires and the rise of modern economies and nationalism. Regional and local history: Learn about your personal, family, and local history, as well as the history of your state or territory. Thematic studies: Explore specific themes across time, such as the development of politics, social sciences, philosophy, religion, art, and music. Connections to other fields: Integrate history with other subjects like geography, literature, economics, and politics to gain a more complete understanding. I have an extensive reading list for literature, but, so far, not so much for history. I am sure there are recommendations to follow, but I have not yet looked for them. Time you know. Languages I have chosen three languages, of which I have some knowledge of two of them: French, Russian and all new to me is Classical Greek. I am now studying French and Classical Greek. The latter is very difficult, but I choose the classical version of Greek because I want to be able to read text from ancient stones. That should keep me busy for 2026. But, I have other ambitions … Outside the Curriculum Several of the subjects and goals are intertwined, like my blogg and newsletters. They are connected to the literary part of the curriculum. I would also like to do more photography, learn my camera better, and use apps to edit the photos. Journaling is something I have not had time to do. I have a big bunch of memorabilia from my travels, they just have to be put into my journals, which is something I have to do next year. Once I have caught up, I hope to do it more regular as I travel. Not piling up things. Another thing that will happen in the beginning of next year is a small renovation at home. The biggest one is my office. I will make it into a dark academia theme and hopefully it will be a more pleasant space than it is now. I hope the new room will give me inspiration for writing, reading, blogging and studying. A smaller bedroom renovation and a few other things around the house are also on the plan. I think next year will not be less busy than this year. I feel good though to have made a plan, to have a structure, and a set of goals. I also have to streamline my various tasks to make them easier to work with. As it is now, I am all over the place. As you might notice on this post? What about you? Do you have any plans for your blog, reading or whatever you like to do in your spare time?

Soon, a new year is coming. This is the time of year when you look back to what you have read during the year, and looking forward to deciding what to read in the coming year. I tend to make lists, big or small, of books I want to read. When the time comes I usually choose something else. Well, that is life, or is it just bad discipline? One challenge I will follow this year is the 52 Book Club. The aim is to read 52 books in 52 weeks. To guide you along the way, they provide you with a list of prompts to follow. From the prompts you choose the book you see fit. You can be flexible with your interpretation of the prompts. Please let me know if you are interested in participating. It would be nice to exchange views and tips. If you don’t read 52 books, it is still ok to join. The aim is to read more books. I personally like, in general, to choose a book from prompts, which makes it more interesting. This also tend to lead you to finding books in a genre you might not read much. There is also a Facebook group where you can share your reading experience, and get ideas which books to read. As far as I can, I will choose books from my TBR (To Be Read) shelves. Going through my list of TBRs, I find these books that could be suitable: Set in an ancient civilization - The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony by Roberto Calasso Has a dust jacket - Columbus, The Four Voyages by Laurence Berggren Title starts with the letter “O” - Ofredsår by Peter Englund Title starts with the letter “P” - Påven Johanna (Pope Joan) by Donna Woolfolk Cross A three-syllable word in the title - Darwin’s Sacred Cause, Race, Slavery and the quest for Human Origins by Adrian Desmond and James Moore Spans a decade or more - Inheritance: The Story of Knole and the Sackvilles by Robert Sackville West My Newsletter(s) I will slowly phase out this website and go over to My Bookish Corner . You can subscribe for free (and unsubscribe at any time), or just go inside to read from the website (click no thank you when asked to subscribe). If you subscribe you will receive an e-mail with the full post. If you are interested in reading about my trips, history, culture and other things that make life more interesting, please subscribe to The Content Reader Newsletter . When life works well, I publish once a week, on Fridays. Den svenska versionen heter: Den tillfälliga besökaren It is for free and you can unsubscribe any time.

My blog is about books and reading, reviews and discussions on anything bookish. Under this label you find some information about myself. My Story I am Lisbeth Ekelof, an expat Swede, who returned to Sweden in 2018. My expat years were very interesting, enjoying life in different countries and cultures, including a lot of adventures. Always interested in reading, I started my blog at the end of 2012, just before early retirement. It has been a wonderful journey, exchanging views on books and reading with the international blogging community. I published my first post on 24 October 2012. I love your comments and try to answer all of them. I do accept reviewing books on demand, depending on my time schedule. Please use contact form to get in touch. “Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works.” Virginia Woolf

The Content Reader is a blog about books and reading. Here you find reviews and discussions on anything bookish. If you want to contact me, use the forms on the HOME page. Contact information First name* Last name Email* Additional information Submit