What I read in September 2025
Mirror Dance (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #8) by Lois McMaster Bujold, 600p: This book dives into some really intense stuff, and while I usually shy away from stories involving torture and body horror, I felt like Bujold handled it with a lot of emotional nuances. That being said, it was an amazing read! Both Miles and Mark go through horrible experiences, and we see them overcoming all sorts of challenges. The pace is excellent and the suspense with the dual POV was great (even though Miles is absent for most of the book). There is lots of trauma in this book, but it is used as character transformation, it's not gratuitous. Mark's pain isn't romanticized, and yet his journey toward healing feels earned. Watching him confront the legacy of being a clone, a tool, a shadow of someone else, and then slowly carve out his own space in the world was incredibly moving. Bujold's writing doesn’t flinch from the darkness, but she also doesn’t wallow in it. There are hope and resilience and it's probably the best book in the series so far for me.
The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind (The Frost Files #1) by Jackson Ford, 496p: This was one of my local book club's picks. It starts strong with a high-intensity action scene, and the premise is intriguing. However, I felt it lacked deeper character development. It opens as a murder mystery but loses momentum midway through. The villain, who gets his own chapters and point of view, felt flat and underdeveloped. The main character is Teagan Frost, a young lady with telekinetic powers working for the government in covert operations alongside a team of former criminals and outlaws. Her powers only work on inorganic matter. It bothered me a bit that Teagans' explanation was that she couldn't move anything containing carbon or hydrogen molecules, which does quite translate to “organic matter” in a scientific sense. I found spelling errors and typos in the text which pulled me out of the story. Overall, it wasn’t really my cup of tea, but the fast-paced action kept me reading.
The Leopard Prince (Princes #2) by Elizabeth Hoyt, 255p: Lady Georgina Maitland (or George), an aristocrat who refuses to marry just because society expects it (I love an unconventional heroine), meets her new land steward, Harry Pye, and finds him quite dashing. When sheep begin mysteriously dying in the area, George teams up with Harry to uncover the truth. Harry is a broody type with a big heart, deeply connected to the land and nature. I especially enjoyed how his mysterious past was gradually revealed throughout the story. Another nice touch is George’s retelling of a wild fairy tale about a Leopard Prince, and it becomes a charming inside joke between the couple. The story blends a well-crafted cross-class romance with a strong heroine, a compelling mystery, and a hint of fairy tale magic.
Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living by Pema Chödrön, 151p: This book introduces Tibetan Buddhist wisdom through the lens of lojong slogans, which are brief, thought-provoking phrases designed to encourage reflection and shift habitual patterns. Many of the slogans center on cultivating compassion in daily life. It's written in a conversational tone with some light humour making it more approachable. I thought the number of slogans was a bit overwhelming and felt repetitive after a while. But beneath that, the book offers a powerful and timely reminder: to be less judgmental of ourselves and others, and to practice the art of letting go.
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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.