What I read in November 2025
First (After the End #1) by Ali Hazelwood, 155p: This novella was the darkest story I've read from Ali Hazelwood. I'm a fan of everything she writes, and I enjoyed 80% of this book. There was powerful enemies-to-lovers tension build-up. But the final part was way more unhinged than what I was prepared for. The end scene was way out of my comfort zone, since I'm not a fan of dark romance at all. The dubious consent also troubled me. So, I guess this was not for me.
Mate by Ali Hazelwood, 448p: This is Ali Hazelwood’s second paranormal romance, and her writing hooked me like always. It’s a slow-burn werewolf story with the fated mate trope. Honestly, that trope isn’t usually my thing, but she added a little twist that kept it interesting. There’s also a lot of werewolf–vampire–human politics going on, and I’m not sure if I’m still into that part of the world building. Even so, Hazelwood’s style makes it fun enough that I stuck with it.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, 576p: Snow Crash was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed all the technology predictions in the book: the Earth program (Google Earth), the metaverse (VR experience), avatars, the Library (chatGPT), digital currency, and even the creepy surveillance vibe in corporate offices. On the other hand, the book itself was tough to get through, with way too much exposition, clunky action outside the Metaverse, some xenophobic world building, and that infamous sex scene between a 15-year-old girl and an older man. Even the neurolinguistic hacking plot with old Sumerian mythology origins was not that interesting to me. Some ideas were cool and ahead of their time, the actual storytelling didn’t really land for me.
Memory (Vorkosigan Saga #10) by Lois McMaster Bujold, 509p: I was so glad to get back in the Vorkosigan universe. I had no idea what this book was about, and “Memory” surprised me in the best way. Here we see Miles Vorkosigan facing the fact that he’s getting older, and the story takes him on a really interesting journey of self-discovery. As always, Bujold’s writing is fantastic and there is so much emotion and empathy bleeding through the pages. In the beginning, it feels different from the earlier ones, with less fast-paced action and more reflection and character growth. It deals with health challenges, professional and personal friendships and also a mystery with some police procedural action. It’s definitely a turning point in Miles’s and Simon Illyan's story, setting up the next stage of the series really well. I’m excited to see where things go from here.
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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.