SOS Library

Join us for our last episode ever as we discuss our last book club book - Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer and as we recap 2025.

It's been a great run. Ta ta for now!

Water Moon had everything going for it… in theory. A stunning cover, a magical world, and a promise of high-stakes twists. But beneath the surface, things got murky fast. Insta-love that made the emotional beats feel shallow, a world that sparkled without enough depth, and way too many threads that never intersected. It felt like a story that wanted to do everything and ended up doing nothing all that well. We wanted to be swept away by the tide, but ended up stuck in the shallows.

Checked Out:

Lin:

• Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
• A Brief History of 7 Killings - Marlon James

Stan:

• Poppy War - RF Kuang
• All Fours - Miranda July
• Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman
• My Friends - Hisham Matar

Shan:

• Sorcery and Small Magics - Maiga Doocy
• Katabasis - RF Kuang
• Mythos - Stephen Fry

We’ve read some spooky books before, but The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia?? Yeah… this one had us sleeping with the lights on. Three timelines, one seamless (and spine-tingling) story, characters we adored, and villains we loved to hate. Terrifying AND terrific all at once Next book: Water Moon by Samantha Soto Yambao

Checked out:

Lin:

• A Brief History of Seven Killings - Marlon James
• Monkey - Wu Cheng En

Stan:

• Monkey - Wu Cheng En
• Run with the Wind - Shion Miura
• Monstress - Lysley Tenorio

Shan:

• Marriage at Sea - Sophie Elmhurst
• Wild Reverance - Rebecca Ross
• Witches Guide of Magical Innkeeping - Sanguu Mandanna
• Can't Help Falling In Love - Sophie Sullivan

Checked out:

Lin

• A Brief History of 7 Killings - Marlon James
• The Last Murder at the End of the World - Stuart Turton
• Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng - Kylie Lee Baker

Stan

• Disability Visibility - Alice Wong
• The Vegetarian - Han Kang
• The Daughter of Dr. Moreau - Silvia Garcia Moreno

Shan

• Original Sins: The (Mis) Education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism - Eve L. Ewing
• What Kind of Paradise - Janelle Brown
• A Marriage at Sea - Sophie Elmhirst
• A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World - C.A. Fletcher
• The Great Believers - Rebecca Makkai

Fredrik Backman’s My Friends had us in our feelings—and occasionally at odds. A moving meditation on grief, art, and the friendships that shape us, this one sparked big discussions about what makes a story resonate. Some of us saw beauty in the brushstrokes, others wanted more from the present than just one long, melancholy summer. Either way, it got us talking.

Next book club book: I Leave It Up to You by Jinwoo Chong

Checked out:

Lin

• Circe - Madeline Miller
• Pride or Die - CL Montblanc

Stan

• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
• Nettle & Bone - T. Kingfisher
• Everything is Tuberculosis - John Green

Shan

• The Disappeared - Rebecca J. Sanford
• The Safekeep - Yael van der Wouden
• Lush - Rochelle Dowden-Lord
• Get a Life Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert

This episode, we dive into Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar—and let’s just say, we didn’t all walk away with the same take. Between shifting POVs, existential spirals, and one ending that sparked serious debate, this book had us questioning identity, purpose, and what it means to live a meaningful life. Buckle up for a discussion that’s as messy, layered, and thought-provoking as the novel itself.

Next book club book: My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Checked out:

Lin

• The God of the Woods - Liz Moore
• There, There - Tommy Orange
• The Bride Test - Helen Hoang

Shan

• My Friends - Fredrik Backman
• Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
• The Disappeared - Rebecca J. Sanford
• The God of the Woods - Liz Moore
• Intermezzo - Sally Rooney

Stan

• You Never Forget Your First - Alexis Coe
• The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion
• The Shadow of What Was Lost - James Islington

In this episode, we dig into Parable of the Sower—a dystopian tale that feels a little too real. From Lauren’s spiritual evolution to the gritty realities of survival, we talk about how Octavia E. Butler’s vision of the “future” hits uncomfortably close to home. Plus: the pros and cons of reading hard-hitting stories in audiobook, graphic novel, and good ol’ physical form. Spoiler: no format made this emotionally easier. 🌍📖🔥

Next book club book: Martyr! by Kaveh Akba

Checked out:

Shan

• Spinning Silver - Naiomi Novik
• The Fox Wife - Yangsze Choo

Stan

• All the Colors of the Dark - Chris Whitaker
• Assata: An Authobiography - Assata Shakur
• The Bee Sting - Paul Murray

Lin

• The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon
• Those Fatal Flowers - Shannon Ives
• Butter - Asako Yuzuki

In this episode, we step into Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop—a soft, cozy read that felt like a warm embrace…but maybe one that didn’t linger long enough. We appreciated its gentle take on burnout, life’s crossroads, and charming characters, but it left us craving a little more depth. Still, as an easy start to the year, it did the job! Join us as we unpack this quiet, comforting, but slightly forgettable read.

Next book club book: Donuts & Other Proclamatios of Love - Jared Reck

Checked out:

Lin

Stan

Shan

We hope you had a restful holiday! We have an exciting update for the coming year.

Book Club Book of the Month:

Next Book Club Book:

Checking out:

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