This month, I finished three slow reads for the year, as well as one novel and one nonfiction book. All while attending endless holiday recitals, traveling to NYC, hosting what felt like 300 holiday get-togethers at my house, and cleaning up my kitchen. thousand. times.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The strongest of all warriors are these two — Time and Patience.
I was excited when I signed up for Footnotes and Tangents slow read of War and Peace. I expected to finally make it through this beast of a classic—a chapter at a time, every night. And I did! I expected to appreciate the writing, learn a lot about Russian history, and enjoy a couple of the characters. I did all that, too!
I did not expect to be so thoroughly swept away. Tolstoy’s realism—capturing individuals, moments, a country, and history—is deeply affecting. I was tempted to reread this classic immediately, guided by Simon Haisell and my established before-bed habit. I won’t do that in 2026, but this won’t be my only reading of War and Peace.
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
It's always the wrong bits of the past people want back.
I’m going to miss Tolstoy, and I’m going to miss Cromwell. Another slow read with Footnotes and Tangents , I’ve made my way through Mantel’s entire Cromwell trilogy over the course of the year and have enjoyed every page.
Thomas Cromwell had become history’s caricature, but Mantel brought new life to not only King Henry’s commoner advisor but the entire Tudor period. The six wives of King Henry have become a silly rhyme, a folktale, but the entire story is so much more. I absolutely loved this series and highly recommend it.
Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life by Robert N. Bellah, Richard Madsen, William M. Sullivan, Ann Swidler, and Steven M. Tipton
Our task is not simply, through nostalgia, to preserve the remnants [of tradition, religion, community]. It is somehow or other to revivify the lifeworld and help it regain control over the systems.
Another slow read this time with the Pantsuit Politics community. Beth and I were both blown away by this book and thought it was such an important read that we shared all four subscriber episodes discussing it in the main podcast feed over the break. If you are looking for a thoughtful text to help mark America’s 250th birthday, I cannot recommend Habits of the Heart strongly enough!
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
Our ultimate loyalties must be to the loud and ruthless present.
I was proud of myself for finding room for at least one novel among the holiday business. I loved Atonement, and Ian McEwan’s newest book kept showing up on year-end lists (including Obama’s), so I decided to give it a try.
McEwan is a master manipulator of timelines, and I loved that he went far into the future with this novel. It is the story of Thomas Metcalfe, a lonely historian in 2119, and Vivian Blundy, the wife of a famous poet in 2014. It is, of course, about much, much more, and McEwan handles all of it with such care and precision that I enjoyed every word.
The Haves and Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich by Evan Osnos
Since 1990, the United States’ supply of billionaires has increased from sixty-six to more than eight hundred, even as the median hourly wage has risen only 20 percent.
Do you like to feel rage? Then, boy, do I have just the book for you!
Evan Osnos covers the gigayachts of the ultrarich, the doomsday prepping, and the private events. He covers fraudsters, scams, and other consequences of our new Gilded Age. It’s insightful and enlightening and utterly infuriating.
What I Didn’t Finish
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
For a while there, I really enjoyed Backman’s writing. I loved A Man Called Ove. I really enjoyed The Beartown series and plan to read the third. However, I didn’t like Anxious People at all, but thought I’d give My Friends a chance.
Nope, I find his books too cute by half. The characters are one-note. The manipulation of the plot and the crossing paths energy is just not for me. I got about 20% in and gave up.
What did you read (or didn’t read) in December?
Bless. I have been waiting for a book lover to not love My Friends! I too enjoyed some of Bachman’s earlier novels but really loathed Anxious People and was persistently irritated by My Friends.
I did a slow read of The Emperor of All Maladies in December. It is a history of cancer if you can believe it, but I have learned that the author, Siddhartha Mukherjee, is kind of like Ken Burns in that he can make any topic come alive by the sheer power of his own curiosity and his beautiful words. Because you and Beth so ardently recommended Habits of the Heart I will read that in 2026. I also really loved What We Can Know and Atonement!
Happy New Year!