Martin Wood
@martinwood.bsky.social
Library Director | Medical Librarian | T1D | All the dogs | Video Gamer | Reader | Cyclist | Traveler | News junkie | Feral | Opinions are my own
Finished the 4-book Anchored series by Bridget E. Baker. The audiobooks were fantastically narrated, 5 stars. The story was great and carried the series. The romance side of it, not for me. 4 stars overall, and now I want another twisty time story that has current time impacts. That was fun.
December 16, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Finished the 4-book Anchored series by Bridget E. Baker. The audiobooks were fantastically narrated, 5 stars. The story was great and carried the series. The romance side of it, not for me. 4 stars overall, and now I want another twisty time story that has current time impacts. That was fun.
How many pages to give a book before giving up on it? I try 100, but the last book I gave up on, I made it only 60. There are too many great books to read ones that don’t grab you. Doesn’t mean they are bad, just that they are not always the book you need right now. And that’s okay.
December 7, 2025 at 12:54 PM
How many pages to give a book before giving up on it? I try 100, but the last book I gave up on, I made it only 60. There are too many great books to read ones that don’t grab you. Doesn’t mean they are bad, just that they are not always the book you need right now. And that’s okay.
Met my book goal for this year. Surprised, considering I was also finishing my dissertation. I didn't meet my goal at half the number the past few years. Don't fret if you're ahead or behind of your goal. Just read, enjoy the experience, and don't let it be 0. You still have time! Be greater than 0.
December 5, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Met my book goal for this year. Surprised, considering I was also finishing my dissertation. I didn't meet my goal at half the number the past few years. Don't fret if you're ahead or behind of your goal. Just read, enjoy the experience, and don't let it be 0. You still have time! Be greater than 0.
Finished Adrift, book 2 in the Anchored series by Bridget E. Baker. Similar feels as book 1. Fantastic world building, but I still don’t love the swoony stuff. @jenniferjillaraya.bsky.social is one of my new favorite narrators, and she brings the series to life in the most wonderful ways. To book 3!
November 29, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Finished Adrift, book 2 in the Anchored series by Bridget E. Baker. Similar feels as book 1. Fantastic world building, but I still don’t love the swoony stuff. @jenniferjillaraya.bsky.social is one of my new favorite narrators, and she brings the series to life in the most wonderful ways. To book 3!
Please read something. Start now. Here is a website to help you pick your next book. Set a goal, and commit to it. A few pages a day. A chapter a day. Don't get to this time next year without a book you can recommend. Life is short, find a story to share, and make it part of your own.
Books We Love is back with a brand new batch of hand-picked titles. Mix and match tags like “Book Club Ideas” and “Eye-Opening Reads.” Find 380+ new 2025 reads, and stick around to browse more than 4,000 books from the last 13 years.
Books We Love
Here are 380+ great reads from 2025 handpicked just for you by NPR staffers and trusted critics.
n.pr
November 24, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Please read something. Start now. Here is a website to help you pick your next book. Set a goal, and commit to it. A few pages a day. A chapter a day. Don't get to this time next year without a book you can recommend. Life is short, find a story to share, and make it part of your own.
What Stalks The Deep, the 3rd book in the Sworn Soldier series by @tkingfisher.com is horrifying, humorous, and humbling all at the same time. This one sets the stage for more Alex & Angus adventures in America (say that 3 times real fast), and I am here for it! 5 stars and excited for the next one.
November 21, 2025 at 8:05 PM
What Stalks The Deep, the 3rd book in the Sworn Soldier series by @tkingfisher.com is horrifying, humorous, and humbling all at the same time. This one sets the stage for more Alex & Angus adventures in America (say that 3 times real fast), and I am here for it! 5 stars and excited for the next one.
I like it when a book surprises me. Listened to Anchored by Bridget E. Baker. Something different, for me. I liked the fantasy parts more than YA romance. Still, it was fun! Excellent world-building, multiverse plot. Easy 4 stars, and a great narrator. Will chase it with book 2 of 4 soon.
November 18, 2025 at 7:28 PM
I like it when a book surprises me. Listened to Anchored by Bridget E. Baker. Something different, for me. I liked the fantasy parts more than YA romance. Still, it was fun! Excellent world-building, multiverse plot. Easy 4 stars, and a great narrator. Will chase it with book 2 of 4 soon.
If you haven't got your Kindle First Read book yet for November 2025, @tkingfisher.com has a book on there (Snake-Eater) that is worth grabbing. Spend the $4.99, if you have already picked your free book. I'm reading the latest Sworn Soldier book, and I'm such a huge fan. More to come on that.
November 17, 2025 at 4:52 PM
If you haven't got your Kindle First Read book yet for November 2025, @tkingfisher.com has a book on there (Snake-Eater) that is worth grabbing. Spend the $4.99, if you have already picked your free book. I'm reading the latest Sworn Soldier book, and I'm such a huge fan. More to come on that.
Few things in baseball are more exciting than a World Series that goes all the way to Game 7. This one has been exceptional! Neither the Dodgers nor the Blue Jays are my teams, but I'm having a blast watching them battle it out. Tonight's Game 7 should be epic!
November 1, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Few things in baseball are more exciting than a World Series that goes all the way to Game 7. This one has been exceptional! Neither the Dodgers nor the Blue Jays are my teams, but I'm having a blast watching them battle it out. Tonight's Game 7 should be epic!
I read Wolfpack by Abby Wambach based on her commencement address to Barnard College's 126th graduating class. It's a short read but a good kick in the pants (soccer pun... don't delete me). An essential read now while our rights are being rolled back and laws & rules are being ignored. 4 stars.
October 29, 2025 at 12:59 PM
I read Wolfpack by Abby Wambach based on her commencement address to Barnard College's 126th graduating class. It's a short read but a good kick in the pants (soccer pun... don't delete me). An essential read now while our rights are being rolled back and laws & rules are being ignored. 4 stars.
Finished Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, my spooky read for October. And it was HORROR, and I loved it! About a cursed witch and a cursed town in near modern day New England. Some things that made me uneasy in the story, but it's horror; it shouldn't make you comfortable. 5 stars.
October 28, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Finished Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, my spooky read for October. And it was HORROR, and I loved it! About a cursed witch and a cursed town in near modern day New England. Some things that made me uneasy in the story, but it's horror; it shouldn't make you comfortable. 5 stars.
I finished Squeeze Me by @carlhiaasen.com, my first foray into the Skink universe. It was fun! I loved the Angie Armstrong character and hope we get more of her. Now I have to go back and read more in the Skink series to catch up. I missed out. Not mad about it tho.
October 21, 2025 at 3:29 AM
I finished Squeeze Me by @carlhiaasen.com, my first foray into the Skink universe. It was fun! I loved the Angie Armstrong character and hope we get more of her. Now I have to go back and read more in the Skink series to catch up. I missed out. Not mad about it tho.
One thing I love about librarian meetings and conferences: I get the BEST book and author recommendations! My TBR list just got a whole lot longer, and I'm not mad about it. Now if only I could read and consume faster.
October 7, 2025 at 1:24 AM
One thing I love about librarian meetings and conferences: I get the BEST book and author recommendations! My TBR list just got a whole lot longer, and I'm not mad about it. Now if only I could read and consume faster.
Finished Rogue Justice by @staceyabrams.com. I absolutely loved it! It picks up right where When Justice Sleeps left off, and continues the saga of our reluctant hero Avery Keene and the Scooby gang. A friend got me a signed copy of Coded Justice at the Decatur Book Festival! Can't wait! So excited!
October 6, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Finished Rogue Justice by @staceyabrams.com. I absolutely loved it! It picks up right where When Justice Sleeps left off, and continues the saga of our reluctant hero Avery Keene and the Scooby gang. A friend got me a signed copy of Coded Justice at the Decatur Book Festival! Can't wait! So excited!
Was packing last night, and realized I left my travel wire bag with chargers and junk behind on my last trip. So… surprise shopping spree last night. Excited about the newer charging tech tho.
September 25, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Was packing last night, and realized I left my travel wire bag with chargers and junk behind on my last trip. So… surprise shopping spree last night. Excited about the newer charging tech tho.
I get up early now. Mainly because sleep is too dream-riddled, and also because my dog likes to have a post-sleep sleep on me. I can’t think of many other ways I’d rather start my day than being his favorite thing.
September 25, 2025 at 10:11 AM
I get up early now. Mainly because sleep is too dream-riddled, and also because my dog likes to have a post-sleep sleep on me. I can’t think of many other ways I’d rather start my day than being his favorite thing.
Recently finished Oh, Florida! by Craig Pittman. It was a lot of fun, wacky stories from Florida's history. More dense than you would expect for a book like this, but I enjoyed it. Makes a good vacation read, especially a vacation to Florida. It's as weird as any given Tuesday in the Sunshine State.
September 18, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Recently finished Oh, Florida! by Craig Pittman. It was a lot of fun, wacky stories from Florida's history. More dense than you would expect for a book like this, but I enjoyed it. Makes a good vacation read, especially a vacation to Florida. It's as weird as any given Tuesday in the Sunshine State.
Reposted by Martin Wood
I learned a lot about some folks this week. Whew.
September 13, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I learned a lot about some folks this week. Whew.
A friend this week shared, “I want to be intentional about who I am in community with.” As I think about the shootings this week, and see the responses from others, that statement has resonated with me.
September 13, 2025 at 11:39 AM
A friend this week shared, “I want to be intentional about who I am in community with.” As I think about the shootings this week, and see the responses from others, that statement has resonated with me.
Every so often, an event makes me critically examine my social feeds. I try to have faith in people, and give them the benefit of the doubt, especially on social where authenticity is suspect on its best day. I try to believe we have more in common than not. I'm struggling with that belief today.
September 12, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Every so often, an event makes me critically examine my social feeds. I try to have faith in people, and give them the benefit of the doubt, especially on social where authenticity is suspect on its best day. I try to believe we have more in common than not. I'm struggling with that belief today.
Also read The Project by David A. Graham, a journalist with The Atlantic. I gave it 4 stars b/c it's important. It's slightly out of date, understandably, but summarizes Project 2025. Not a long read, but good if you are interested in the intentions of Project 2025.
August 31, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Also read The Project by David A. Graham, a journalist with The Atlantic. I gave it 4 stars b/c it's important. It's slightly out of date, understandably, but summarizes Project 2025. Not a long read, but good if you are interested in the intentions of Project 2025.
Now that grad school is done (my doctorate hit my transcript last week!), I've been trying to get back into a leisure reading habit. Finished recently: Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green. It's a must read, especially in light of changes in the U.S. with CDC and involvement in the WHO.
August 31, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Now that grad school is done (my doctorate hit my transcript last week!), I've been trying to get back into a leisure reading habit. Finished recently: Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green. It's a must read, especially in light of changes in the U.S. with CDC and involvement in the WHO.
From Mark Manson's email this morning: "When you choose what to watch or read, you are choosing your future thoughts and perspectives. Consume what you’d like to become."
Apparently, I want to become a shapeshifting fae with magical tattoos who solves paranormal crimes.
Apparently, I want to become a shapeshifting fae with magical tattoos who solves paranormal crimes.
August 11, 2025 at 2:12 PM
From Mark Manson's email this morning: "When you choose what to watch or read, you are choosing your future thoughts and perspectives. Consume what you’d like to become."
Apparently, I want to become a shapeshifting fae with magical tattoos who solves paranormal crimes.
Apparently, I want to become a shapeshifting fae with magical tattoos who solves paranormal crimes.
I feel seen!
lived my worst nightmare today as i shared my entire screen with my boss instead of the selected window and he said "wow you take a lot of notes" DO NOT LOOK AT THAT i simply must write everything down because they made my brain at the colander factory
July 29, 2025 at 10:03 PM
I feel seen!
I’m not an audiobook person. At least I don’t think of myself as an audiobook person. But the book What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing is a great audiobook. Something about it being read by the authors makes it so good. But the photos in the print book, also worth it. Go crazy, get both.
July 22, 2025 at 2:57 AM
I’m not an audiobook person. At least I don’t think of myself as an audiobook person. But the book What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing is a great audiobook. Something about it being read by the authors makes it so good. But the photos in the print book, also worth it. Go crazy, get both.