Hello friends – I’m so sorry for the extended absence. It’s been a year with ups and downs but this time, I’ve just had to retreat a bit more than usual. Before I tell you what’s been going on, let’s talk about the books that made up my reading year.
Favorites in Fiction: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawson, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz, and Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes.
Favorites in Mystery: The Mountain King by Anders de la Motte, The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
The Numbers:
Total books read in 2025: 33
Books by women: 27
Books by men: 6
Fiction: 12
Mystery: 14
Nonfiction: 1
Romance: 4
Poetry Collections: 2
Books in translation: 2 (Swedish and German)
Audiobooks: 18
My reading took a big hit this year due sheer exhaustion. Unfortunately my mom fell twice this year and while we were super lucky she didn’t break anything, now that she’s in her late 80s it is much harder for her to recuperate after a fall so I’ve taken on even more caregiving duties. Thankfully she does live with us but as we don’t have any family in the country all caregiving falls on me. Luckily my wonderful husband takes care of a lot of the household details. Another major event was that my father-in-law passed away this fall and while it wasn’t something unexpected given some health issues he’d been dealing with, it is still hard to process such a huge loss.
So while books have always been a great source of comfort, unfortunately I just haven’t had as much time to read or when I do have time some time, sleep wins over and I end up only reading a page or two. Needless to say, thank goodness for audiobooks which I can use during my work commute and/or when I’m running errands.
I am so grateful though for the wonderful times I did have this year, like friends who came to visit, my dear cousin who stayed with my mom while my husband and I made a quick getaway to Salt Lake City and my enjoyment in creative pursuits.
I wish I could say I’ll be back to blogland regularly as somehow a new year always fills me with hope, but we’ll see. I do miss spending time with you and just want to thank you so very much for your patience and kind words throughout the year. I’m taking a couple of days off from work so here’s to a bit more extra time for reading and relaxing!
Wishing you a wonderful 2026, and may it be filled with all the best things in life! Happy New Year!
Smiles,
Iliana
Hello, Iliana!! I’m so happy to see this post, and wish I could reach across my computer and give you a big hug. Caregiving for a parent is so hard. I’m sorry your mom has fallen a couple of times. That’s so scary for her and you! As you know, we live with my mom, too. I have siblings, but they’re at least a flight away, so it’s on me and my husband to help my mom. She’s still pretty independent, though. I’m sorry about your father-in-law. Even those expected deaths are hard to accept.
I loved The Frozen River, too. Such a good historical novel. I have The Grey Wolf and The Black Wolf on my shelves to read in 2026. I hope I enjoy them more than my husband did.
Don’t worry about blogging. Just get your much needed rest when you can, read when you’re able, and get outside as often as possible. We’ll be here if and when you return to the blogging world.
Happy New Year to you and your family! Big hugs from me.
Iliana, I am so, so happy to see your post here. I have thought about you often and hoped that things were going well for you and your family. I do understand about family issues taking up your thoughts and time. Like Les above, I would love to give you a big hug. This seems to have been a year of several losses for a bunch of blogging friends and also of several bloggers themselves. I echo what Les said about not to worry about blogging and please take care of yourself. Reading kind of does get messed up when things like this happen. I plan to read The Frozen River later this spring. It is a book group discussion pick for my afternoon book group – think it’s for April.
Please know that we are thinking of you and I do wish you peace, joy, and a bit of good reading for 2026. Happy New Year and love and hugs sent to you!!
Sorry to hear about the difficult times of 2025, but it’s so heartening to know you also had these moments of support and happiness throughout too. Wish you a happy new year 2026, and even better reads and creative pursuits ahead.
P.S. I’m always up for some mystery, so adding the Louise Penny to my TBR, thanks for the rec.
I know how exhausting and stressful it can be caring for an aging parent. My mother fell a few times this past year, and had some struggles before she died in December. At least her passing was peaceful. But it was still hard. And I still feel emotionally drained from it all. Hang in there. And be sure to take care of yourself, too, while you take care of your mom. Sending hugs your way and wishing you health and happiness in 2026!
Lesley – Aw, thank yo so much for your sweet words! Big hugs back to you. Your mom looks great in the pictures you’ve shared and I’m so glad to hear she’s still quite independent. Still it’s so great that you and Rod are there for her but yes, caregiving can be difficult for both parties. I realize it must be so hard to feel like you’ve lost your independence. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the Penny books. I missed several in the series but they are such great characters that I don’t mind having to backtrack to catch up. Wishing you all the best this year!
Kay – I hope things have been going great for you and can you believe the weather we’ve been having here in central Texas lately. Crazy! Really appreciate your kind words and thank you so much for the hugs. I really have missed catching up with all of you guys and just need to schedule things a bit better. Hope you’ve been reading lots of great things and happy new year!!
Lex – Thank you so much! I know we all go through these so just have to remember to keep up with the things that fill us with hope and joy right? Hope you’ll read Louise Penny – her Three Pines series is great!
Lark @ Larkwrites – Oh lark, I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. The loss of a parent is really so incredibly hard. I hope you and your family find comfort in all the good memories of your mom and that helps you through this difficult time. Wishing you a lot of peace and comfort this 2026! Sending you a big hug!