Book Review: A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

Author: William Shakespeare
Title: A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream
Publication Info: New York : Washington Square Press, 1993 (originated in 1595)
Summary/Review:

For the first time, Shakespeare ventures into fantasy and it proves to be quite entertaining.  The plot is complex (in a good way) so I won’t summarize it here.  Suffice to say it’s a story of relationships and how they can go horribly wrong.  This is particularly true for Oberon and Titiana, the King and the Queen of the Fairies, whose marital difficulties result in problems for a lot of human couples.  Theseus the Duke of Athens is engaged to wed Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons.  But first he plans to wed his daughter Hermia to Demetrius.  But Hermia flees to the woods with her lover Lysander instead.  Meanwhile, Hermia’s friend Helena suffers unrequited love for Demetrius.

The fairy Robin Goodfellow (aka – Puck) stirs up some shit with several pranks on these lovers.  He also messes with a group of “Mechanicals” as they rehearse and perform a play based on Pyramus and Thisbe. Notably, he gives the weaver Nick Bottom a donkey’s head and enchants Titiana to be in love with him.  Just because.  Alls well that ends well, of course, and everyone ends up betrothed to the right person as they enjoy Pyramus and Thisbe in a Mystery Science Theater style.

Very enjoyable and once again it shows remarkable evolution in Shakespeare’s writing style.

Rating: ****

I’m reading every Shakespeare play, one per month, in chronological order.  Here’s my progress thus far:

  1. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
  2. The Taming of the Shrew
  3. Henry VI, Part 1
  4. Henry VI, Part 2
  5. Henry VI, Part 3
  6. Titus Andronicus
  7. Richard III
  8. The Comedy of Errors
  9. Love’s Labours’ Lost
  10. Richard II
  11. Romeo and Juliet

100 Years of Movie Musicals: The Jazz Singer (1927)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the movie musical, and to celebrate I’m embarking on a two-year project to watch 100 movie musicals from 1927 to the present!

Title: The Jazz Singer
Release Date: October 6, 1927
Director: Alan Crosland
Production Company:  Warner Bros. Pictures | The Vitaphone Corporation
Main Cast:

  • Al Jolson as Jacob “Jakie” Rabinowitz (Jack Robin)
    • Bobby Gordon as Jakie Rabinowitz (age 13)
  • Warner Oland as Cantor Rabinowitz
  • Eugenie Besserer as Sara Rabinowitz
  • May McAvoy as Mary Dale
  • Otto Lederer as Moisha Yudelson
  • Richard Tucker as Harry Lee
  • Yossele Rosenblatt as himself

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A young Jewish man is torn between tradition and individuality when his old-fashioned family objects to his career as a jazz singer. This is the first full length feature film to use synchronized sound, and is the original film musical.

My Thoughts:

The Jazz Singer is a straightforward melodrama about Jakie Rabinowitz (stage name Jack Robin) whose Jewish immigrant father raises him to be the fifth-generation cantor at their synagogue.  But Jakie is more drawn to singing the popular music of the time.  Father and son have a falling out and Jakie leaves home to find fame on Broadway.  But when his father falls ill, Jakie must taking his father’s place as cantor for Yom Kippur service or opening night for his first big show!

If this movie came out a year or so earlier, or a year or so later, it would probably be forgotten.  But as noted in Wikipedia “it is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music and lip-synchronous singing and speech.” I appreciate that for a movie from 1927 when Jewish immigrants were far outside mainstream American culture that this movie treats Jewish culture and traditions respectfully.  I also like the location shooting in the Lower East Side and on Broadway that give brief glimpses into both sides of Jakie’s world in 1920s New York.

The majority of the “talking” parts of the movie are the musical numbers with just a couple of spoken word conversations, the rest is a silent movie with title card.  While Al Jolson was a popular performer of his era, I’ve listened to a lot of music from the 1920s and Jolson’s style is just not that appealing to me in comparison.  Which leads to the problems of cultural appropriation.  The film is called The Jazz Singer, but while informed by jazz, Jolson’s style is merely contemporary pop music.  And the even more unfortunate trend of the time was to wear blackface for singing “jazz” which we see Jakie do for his act in the Broadway musical revue.  Even more unpleasant, there’s an entire scene of Jakie putting on his blackface makeup while considering his own Jewish heritage which is an awkward analogy at best, and harmful at worst.

With this as the first movie musical, it can only go up from here!

Rating: **

 

Book Review: Elsewhere, Home by Leila Aboulela

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

Around the World for a Good Book selection for: Sudan

Author: Leila Aboulela
Title: Elsewhere, Home
Publication Info: London : Telegram, 2018.
Summary/Review:

This collection of short fiction contains stories of people in transitional spaces.  Immigrants to Britain as well children of immigrants visiting their parent’s home in Africa, each feeling outsiders.  There are stories of interracial marriages and converts to Islam as well.  The people and their homes are marked by the effects of imperialism and globalism.  They also tend suffer from a sense of internalized inferiority and impostor’s syndrome.  The stories are brief but in the slices life they say a lot about the characters and their relationships.  Stories that standout include “Something Old, Something New” in which a Scottish convert to Islam goes to Sudan to marry, “Souvenirs” in which a many visits his mother in Khartoum and looks for the perfect souvenir for his Scottish wife, and “The Museum” in which a couple visit a display of the spoils acquired by Scottish imperialism in Africa.

Recommended books:

Rating: ****

2026 Goals for Panorama of the Mountains

~ Liam ~ 2 Comments

Happy New Year! I feel a bit liberated now that I’ve completed my 2025 goal of watching a movie for every day of the year.  So now I can set some goals for 2026 that will probably have me pulling my hair out by the end of April.

  • My first big goal for the year is to move Panorama of the Mountains to a self-hosted platform.  This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time but have been anxious about whether it’s possible to migrate nearly 20 years of posts and finding a simple platform for blogging (without all the CMS bells and whistles) that can be managed by a technological novice like myself.  I’m looking into WordPress.org, Ghost, and Joomla but I am open to suggestions.
  • Movies – I’m planning two movie projects this year:
    • 100 Years of Movie Musicals – 2027 marks the anniversary of the first movie musical (and first talkie) – The Jazz Singer – so for the next two years I’m going to watch one movie musical every week in chronological order.  I did consider trying to watch one musical from each year 1927 to the present but some years are just better than others for musicals.  Still, I’m hoping to get a good balance of Hollywood spectaculars and indie musicals, Broadway/West End adaptations and original movie musicals, and a variety of musical styles and national origins.
    • Anniversary Year – This project will be to simply watch movies that are celebrating a special birthday this year.  Each month I will watch 3-5 movies from a particular year: 1916/1926 (January), 1936 (February), 1946 (March), 1951-75th Anniversary (April), 1956 (May), 1966 (June), 1976 (July), 1986 (August), 1996 (September), 2001-25th Anniversary (October), 2006 (November), 2016 (December).
    • As I often do, I will try to watch some Boston movies for Patriots Day in April, horror movies in October for Halloween, noir movies in Noir-vember, and holiday movies in December.
  • Music – I’m rethinking how I go about writing about music on this blog.  I’ve been trying to keep up with new releases and then writing about songs and albums but it feels forced and repetitious of what more professional music writers are doing.  I don’t like giving negative reviews to music because it’s often not that the music is bad but it’s just not to my test.  So my goal for this year is to continue to listen to a lot of music – new music, new-to-me music, and especially local music from the Greater Boston area.  And when I find something I really love, I will write not so much of a review but a “Hey, check out this great music!” post.  I’m hoping with this approach that I can use my small platform to give a little attention to some artists who need it instead of just regurgitating the same songs and albums being promoted by bigger platforms.
  • Star Trek – My project to watch every Star Trek tv show and movie was warping along for the past couple of years but has recently run out of dilithium.  The big snag is that I’ve been watching everything on Paramount + but as that company has aligned itself with the fascist regime I can no longer use it in good conscience.  So here’s my plan going forward.
    • I finished watching Star Trek: Voyager (months ago!) but have been procrastinating posting my summary of the final season, but I hope to have that up soon.
    • I will watch the 2002 movie Star Trek: Nemesis (on DVD) and the two seasons of Star Trek: Prodigy (on Netflix) at some point in 2026.
    • I could also get all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise and the three J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek-reboot movies on DVD, but I honestly have no enthusiasm for watching them, so I’m going to put them on indefinite hiatus.
    • I also have little interest in the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy or even future seasons of Strange New Worlds (after a mediocre third season) so there’s no great loss in canceling Paramount +.
  • Other than that I will continue to write about Books, Theater, Birds, and my other interests as I have been!

Here’s hoping for a joyful and satisfying 2026 for all!

Bird Nerd 2025 Annual Report

~ Liam ~ 2 Comments

It was a great year in birding with lots of great field trips in Greater Boston, a trip to the Pacific Northwest which ticked off many new lifers, and a lot of fun observations at the feeders outside my home.  Here are the big stats for the year:

Life List = 146
2025 List = 130
New Lifers in 2025 = 55

My goal for 2025 was to notch 100 birds after seeing 82 in 2024.  As you can see I surpassed this goal by a lot!  In 2026, instead of a total bird goal, I’m going to set a (hopefully) modest goal of adding 60 new birds to my life list.

December 2025

It was a quiet month for birding in Boston with most of my observations at my feeders or while walking around the neighborhood.  Nevertheless, I had encounters with 24 different species of feather friends.

 # Common Name
1 American Crow
2 American Herring Gull
3 American Robin
4 Black-capped Chickadee
5 Blue Jay
6 Canada Goose
7 Common Merganser
8 Downy Woodpecker
9 European Starling
10 Golden-crowned Kinglet
11 Hooded Merganser
12 House Finch
13 House Sparrow
14 Mallard
15 Mourning Dove
16 Mute Swan
17 Northern Cardinal
18 Red-bellied Woodpecker
19 Red-tailed Hawk
20 Rock Pigeon
21 Tufted Titmouse
22 White-breasted Nuthatch
23 White-throated Sparrow
24 Wild Turkey

2025 Year List

And here’s my complete 2025 list with the place and date I first saw each bird species.

 # Common Name Location S/P Date
1 Northern Cardinal Roxbury Highlands US-MA 1-Jan-25
2 House Sparrow Roxbury Highlands US-MA 1-Jan-25
3 American Robin Roxbury Highlands US-MA 1-Jan-25
4 Mourning Dove Roxbury Highlands US-MA 1-Jan-25
5 Wild Turkey Roxbury Highlands US-MA 1-Jan-25
6 European Starling Highland Park – Fort Hill US-MA 17-Jan-25
7 Carolina Wren Highland Park – Fort Hill US-MA 17-Jan-25
8 Northern Flicker Highland Park – Fort Hill US-MA 17-Jan-25
9 Blue Jay Home US-MA 18-Jan-25
10 Downy Woodpecker Home US-MA 18-Jan-25
11 American Herring Gull Home US-MA 18-Jan-25
12 Northern Mockingbird Highland Park – Fort Hill US-MA 19-Jan-25
13 Tufted Titmouse Highland Park – Fort Hill US-MA 19-Jan-25
14 Black-capped Chickadee Highland Park – Fort Hill US-MA 19-Jan-25
15 Red-bellied Woodpecker Highland Park – Fort Hill US-MA 19-Jan-25
16 American Crow Marcella Playground US-MA 21-Jan-25
17 Red-tailed Hawk Home US-MA 21-Jan-25
18 Rock Pigeon Back Bay Station US-MA 23-Jan-25
19 Great Horned Owl Owl Observations at Arnold Arboretum US-MA 25-Jan-25
20 White-breasted Nuthatch Arnold Arboretum–Bussey Meadow US-MA 25-Jan-25
21 Common Merganser Anderson Memorial Bridge US-MA 31-Jan-25
22 Hooded Merganser Anderson Memorial Bridge US-MA 31-Jan-25
23 Mallard Anderson Memorial Bridge US-MA 31-Jan-25
24 Canada Goose Anderson Memorial Bridge US-MA 31-Jan-25
25 Common Raven Marcella Playground US-MA 10-Feb-25
26 Golden-crowned Kinglet Roxbury Highlands US-MA 11-Feb-25
27 Red-winged Blackbird Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
28 Song Sparrow Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
29 White-throated Sparrow Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
30 Dark-eyed Junco Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
31 American Goldfinch Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
32 Brown Creeper Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
33 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
34 Great Black-backed Gull Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
35 Mute Swan Anderson Memorial Bridge US-MA 5-Mar-25
36 Killdeer Roxbury Highlands US-MA 10-Mar-25
37 Common Loon Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
38 Dunlin Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
39 Purple Sandpiper Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
40 Bufflehead Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
41 Surf Scoter Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
42 Common Eider Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
43 Brant Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
44 Ring-billed Gull Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
45 White-winged Scoter Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
46 Common Grackle Home US-MA 15-Mar-25
47 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) US-MA 23-Mar-25
48 Turkey Vulture Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) US-MA 23-Mar-25
49 Wood Duck Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) US-MA 23-Mar-25
50 Eastern Bluebird Millennium Park US-MA 25-Mar-25
51 Fish Crow Millennium Park US-MA 25-Mar-25
52 Red-shouldered Hawk Millennium Park US-MA 25-Mar-25
53 Great Blue Heron Millennium Park US-MA 25-Mar-25
54 Green-winged Teal Millennium Park US-MA 25-Mar-25
55 Brown-headed Cowbird Millennium Park US-MA 26-Mar-25
56 Tree Swallow Franklin Park–Scarboro Pond US-MA 26-Mar-25
57 Ring-necked Duck Olmsted Park–Ward Pond US-MA 29-Mar-25
58 Double-crested Cormorant Long Wharf US-MA 4-Apr-25
59 American Black Duck Long Wharf US-MA 4-Apr-25
60 Peregrine Falcon Wharf District Park, Boston US-MA 4-Apr-25
61 Chipping Sparrow Marcella Playground US-MA 14-Apr-25
62 Great Egret Marsh by West Roxbury HS US-MA 27-Apr-25
63 Swamp Sparrow Brook Farm and Gethsemane Cemetery US-MA 27-Apr-25
64 Yellow-rumped Warbler Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
65 Palm Warbler Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
66 Northern Yellow Warbler Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
67 Black-and-white Warbler Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
68 Gray Catbird Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
69 Barn Swallow Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
70 Eastern Warbling Vireo Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
71 Hairy Woodpecker Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
72 Bald Eagle Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
73 Cooper’s Hawk Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
74 Osprey Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
75 Northern House Wren Boston Public Garden US-MA 2-May-25
76 Chimney Swift Boston Common US-MA 2-May-25
77 Northern Parula Home US-MA 4-May-25
78 Blackpoll Warbler Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) US-MA 10-May-25
79 American Redstart Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) US-MA 10-May-25
80 Ovenbird Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) US-MA 10-May-25
81 Baltimore Oriole Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) US-MA 10-May-25
82 Black-throated Green Warbler Home US-MA 11-May-25
83 Black-crowned Night Heron Charles River Esplanade US-MA 14-May-25
84 Savannah Sparrow Magazine Beach Park US-MA 15-May-25
85 Northern Rough-winged Swallow Magazine Beach Park US-MA 15-May-25
86 Common Yellowthroat Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
87 Northern Waterthrush Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
88 Cedar Waxwing Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
89 Red-eyed Vireo Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
90 Eastern Kingbird Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
91 Great Crested Flycatcher Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
92 Eastern Wood-Pewee Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
93 Indigo Bunting Franklin Park US-MA 18-May-25
94 Black-throated Blue Warbler Franklin Park US-MA 18-May-25
95 Saltmarsh Sparrow Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
96 Willow Flycatcher Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
97 Least Tern Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
98 Least Sandpiper Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
99 Greater Yellowlegs Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
100 Lesser Yellowlegs Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
101 Short-billed Dowitcher Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
102 American Oystercatcher Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
103 Snowy Egret Winthrop Greenway US-MA 27-Jul-25
104 Semipalmated Sandpiper Winthrop Greenway US-MA 27-Jul-25
105 Ruby-throated Hummingbird Franklin Park–Scarboro Pond US-MA 10-Aug-25
106 Eastern Phoebe Franklin Park US-MA 17-Aug-25
107 Anna’s Hummingbird University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
108 House Finch University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
109 Red-breasted Nuthatch University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
110 Chestnut-backed Chickadee University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
111 Bewick’s Wren University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
112 Glaucous-winged Gull University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
113 Vaux’s Swift Mt. Rainier NP–Longmire US-WA 26-Aug-25
114 Pelagic Cormorant Bainbridge I.– Winslow Waterfront Park and Trail US-WA 27-Aug-25
115 Caspian Tern Bainbridge I.– Winslow Waterfront Park and Trail US-WA 27-Aug-25
116 White-crowned Sparrow Rocky Creek State Park US-OR 28-Aug-25
117 Brown Pelican Rocky Creek State Park US-OR 28-Aug-25
118 California Gull Rocky Creek State Park US-OR 28-Aug-25
119 Marbled Murrelet Rocky Creek State Park US-OR 28-Aug-25
120 Black Oystercatcher Rocky Creek State Park US-OR 28-Aug-25
121 Belted Kingfisher Shady Cove US-Rogue River US-OR 29-Aug-25
122 Steller’s Jay Odell Lake–Hwy 58 pullout US-OR 29-Aug-25
123 Black Phoebe Shady Cove US-Rogue River US-OR 30-Aug-25
124 Spotted Sandpiper Shady Cove US-Rogue River US-OR 30-Aug-25
125 Western Tanager Crater Lake NP–Cloudcap viewpoint and picnic area US-OR 30-Aug-25
126 Eurasian Collared-Dove Shady Cove US-Rogue River US-OR 30-Aug-25
127 Acorn Woodpecker Shady Cove US-Rogue River US-OR 31-Aug-25
128 Lincoln’s Sparrow Danehy Park, Cambridge US-MA 19-Oct-25
129 Ruddy Duck Jamaica Pond US-MA 1-Nov-25
130 Hermit Thrush Olmsted Park–Ward Pond US-MA 1-Nov-25

New Lifers

Finally here are the new birds on my life list with the place and date that I first saw them.

 # Common Name Location S/P Date
1 Common Merganser Anderson Memorial Bridge US-MA 31-Jan-25
2 Brown Creeper Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
3 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
4 Great Black-backed Gull Arnold Arboretum US-MA 2-Mar-25
5 Common Loon Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
6 Dunlin Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
7 Purple Sandpiper Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
8 Surf Scoter Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
9 Common Eider Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
10 Brant Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
11 White-winged Scoter Castle Island and Pleasure Bay US-MA 15-Mar-25
12 Red-shouldered Hawk Millennium Park US-MA 25-Mar-25
13 Green-winged Teal Millennium Park US-MA 25-Mar-25
14 Peregrine Falcon Wharf District Park, Boston US-MA 4-Apr-25
15 Palm Warbler Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
16 Barn Swallow Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
17 Eastern Warbling Vireo Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
18 Bald Eagle Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
19 Cooper’s Hawk Millennium Park US-MA 27-Apr-25
20 American Redstart Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) US-MA 10-May-25
21 Ovenbird Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon) US-MA 10-May-25
22 Black-throated Green Warbler Pocket Patio US-MA 11-May-25
23 Savannah Sparrow Magazine Beach Park US-MA 15-May-25
24 Common Yellowthroat Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
25 Northern Waterthrush Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
26 Eastern Kingbird Arnold Arboretum US-MA 17-May-25
27 Indigo Bunting Franklin Park US-MA 18-May-25
28 Saltmarsh Sparrow Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
29 Willow Flycatcher Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
30 Least Tern Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
31 Least Sandpiper Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
32 Greater Yellowlegs Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
33 Lesser Yellowlegs Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
34 Short-billed Dowitcher Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
35 American Oystercatcher Belle Isle Marsh Reservation US-MA 19-Jul-25
36 Semipalmated Sandpiper Winthrop Greenway US-MA 27-Jul-25
37 Anna’s Hummingbird University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
38 House Finch University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
39 Chestnut-backed Chickadee University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
40 Bewick’s Wren University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
41 Glaucous-winged Gull University of Washington Seattle Campus US-WA 25-Aug-25
42 Vaux’s Swift Mt. Rainier NP–Longmire US-WA 26-Aug-25
43 Pelagic Cormorant Bainbridge I.– Winslow Waterfront Park and Trail US-WA 27-Aug-25
44 Caspian Tern Bainbridge I.– Winslow Waterfront Park and Trail US-WA 27-Aug-25
45 White-crowned Sparrow Rocky Creek State Park US-OR 28-Aug-25
46 California Gull Rocky Creek State Park US-OR 28-Aug-25
47 Marbled Murrelet Rocky Creek State Park US-OR 28-Aug-25
48 Black Oystercatcher Rocky Creek State Park US-OR 28-Aug-25
49 Belted Kingfisher Shady Cove US-Rogue River US-OR 29-Aug-25
50 Steller’s Jay Odell Lake–Hwy 58 pullout US-OR 29-Aug-25
51 Black Phoebe Shady Cove US-Rogue River US-OR 30-Aug-25
52 Western Tanager Crater Lake NP–Cloudcap viewpoint and picnic area US-OR 30-Aug-25
53 Eurasian Collared-Dove Shady Cove US-Rogue River US-OR 30-Aug-25
54 Acorn Woodpecker Shady Cove US-Rogue River US-OR 31-Aug-25
55 Lincoln’s Sparrow Danehy Park, Cambridge US-MA 19-Oct-25

 

Here’s to great birding in 2026!!!!

Previous Reports:

2025 Year In Review: Performing Arts

~ Liam ~ 1 Comment

My goal for 2025 was to experience more theatrical performances, and did I ever meet that goal!  I attended 31 different shows (not including youth theater) over the course of the year.  The secret is to volunteer as an usher which is a way the budget-conscious theater lover can see shows for free.  While I enjoyed every show I saw this year (except maybe for one), the following eleven stuck with me.  I like that the list includes productions from collegiate programs, community theaters, small regional theaters, and Broadway demonstrating that great theater can happen anywhere.  The complete list of shows I saw this year with links to reviews follows.

  • Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 performed by Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Boston
  • John Proctor is the Villain at Booth Theatre, New York City
  • Gypsy at Majestic Theatre, New York City
  • Hello, Dolly! at Lyric Stage Theatre, Boston
  • Our Town at Lyric Stage Theatre, Boston
  • Primary Trust performed by Speakeasy Stage, Boston
  • The Hills of California at Huntington Theatre, Boston
  • Merrily We Roll Along performed by the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club, Cambridge
  • Matilda: The Musical at The Footlight Club, Jamaica Plain
  • A King and No King performed by Theatre@First, Somerville
  • Fun Home at Huntington Theatre, Boston

2025 Performing Arts Reviews

Title

Venue

Date

Notes

My Review
Crumbs from the Table of Joy Lyric Stage Company 1/23/2025 review
Yellow Face Eliot Hall 2/14/2025 Footlight Club review
The Odyssey Loeb Drama Center 3/6/2025 American Repertory Theater review
Art Lyric Stage Company 3/12/2025 review
Triumph of Love Huntington Theatre 3/20/2025 review
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts 4/12/2025 Boston Conservatory at Berklee review
The Great Reveal Lyric Stage Company 4/17/2025 review
The Light in the Piazza Huntington Theatre 5/13/2025 review
John Proctor is the Villain Booth Theatre 5/23/2025 review
Gypsy Majestic Theatre 5/24/2025 review
Hell’s Kitchen Shubert Theatre 5/25/2025 review
Hello, Dolly! Lyric Stage Company 6/4/2025 review
Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) Loeb Drama Center 6/26/2025 American Repertory Theater review
Mrs. Warren’s Profession Central Square Theater 6/28/2025 review
Kufre N’ Quay Boston Arts Academy 7/25/2025 review
My First Ex-Husband Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts 9/14/2025 review
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Eliot Hall 9/20/2025 Footlight Club review
Our Town Lyric Stage Company 9/25/2025 review
Primary Trust Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts 10/2/2025 Speakeasy Stage review
Silent Sky Central Square Theater 10/3/2025 review
The Hills of California Huntington Theatre 10/9/2025 review
Merrily We Roll Along Loeb Drama Center 10/23/2025 Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club review
Lizard Boy Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts 11/6/2025 Speakeasy Stage review
Kim’s Convenience Calderwood Pavilion at Boston Center for the Arts 11/6/2025 The Huntington Selects review
Matilda: The Musical The Footlight Club 11/15/25 review
A Sherlock Carol Lyric Stage Company 11/20/25 review
A King and No King Unity Somerville 11/23/25 Theatre@First review
Fun Home Huntington Theatre 11/25/25 review
Midwinter Revels: A Scandinavian Story for Christmas Sanders Theatre 12/12/25 Revels review
Annie Wheelock Family Theater 12/19/25 review
Maybe Happy Ending Belasco Theatre 12/30/25 review

Theater Review: Maybe Happy Ending

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

Maybe Happy Ending

By Will Aronson and Hue Park
Directed by Michael Arden

December 30, 2025 at 2pm: Belasco Theatre, New York, NY

Cast

Darren Criss – Oliver
Helen J. Shen – Claire
Dez Duron – Gil Brentley
Marcus Choi – James, Junseo, & Others
HwaBoon – HwaBoon

In the near future humans create androids known as Helperbots.  When they become obsolete the Helperbots are sent to live out the rest of their operational lives in a facility in metropolitan Seoul.  One Helperbot Oliver is convinced that he is not retired but that his owner James Choi will return for him (this plot point reminds me of Annie).  So he lives each day for a dozen years in his small cubicle apartment cheerfully and orderly, listening to his jazz record collection with his plant HwaBoon.

One day, Claire, a Helperbot from across the hall, knocks on Oliver’s door to borrow his charger.  Claire is a newer model of Helperbot with more advanced features but her battery also runs down more quickly than Oliver.  Claire learns that Oliver is planning to go to Jeju Island to find James, a place she wishes to visit to see the world’s last surviving fireflies.  Since she has a car she offers to drive in exchange for using Oliver’s functional charger.

Their adventures awkwardly pretending to be real humans are very funny and say a lot about humanity.  Like Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) – which is also playing on Broadway right now –  the story has a lot of trappings of romantic comedy.  But also like that show, the main characters have to accept some dark truths in order to move on with their lives, and friendship proves to be even more significant than romance.

The staging of the show relies heavily on projection technology which defines spaces by making boxes on the curtains? screens? (I really don’t know what to call them). A lot of the sets are self-contained units, especially Oliver and Claire’s apartments, that can slide on and off the stage and even move in tandem giving the show a cinematic feel.  The contrast between the Helperbots’ claustrophobic everyday life is contrasted with their visit to see the fireflies on Jeju Island when the stage really opens up.

Marcus Choi plays every other character we see on stage (contributing to one of the show’s running gags) but some other characters appear in prerecorded projections as flashbacks.  Dez Duron also performs several numbers as Gil Brentley, a jazz crooner who acts as kind of a Greek chorus for Oliver and Claire’s journey.  And there’s of course HwaBoon, whose cast bio in the Playbill is absolutely delightful.

I feel this show could probably be tightened up by reducing the repetition of the themes and reprises a bit.  But otherwise it is a very sweet and wholesome musical theater treat.

 

2025 Year in Review: 365 Movies in 365 Days

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

Back in 2023 and 2024, I kicked off the year with 90 Movies in 90 Days with each movie being 90 minutes or less.  I got to thinking “What if I watched a movie every day?”  A dangerous thought, but that was the birth of 365 Movies in 365 Days, where naturally the length of the films would not exceed 36.5 minutes.  It seemed like a great way to watch a lot of film shorts and that it should be an easy task since there are many less than ten minutes.

I made a big list of potential shorts with the Letterboxd’s Top 250 Highest Rated Short Films Of All-Time as a major resource. It being a dynamic list, a lot of the movies I ended up watching have actually dropped out of the list.  I also complemented that list by looking at other “Great Movie” lists and especially in genres like animation, documentary, and silent film.  I also just threw in some that I thought I would like.

There were a lot of rewards to watching a short film every day.  I saw some absolutely top notch movies by terrific filmmakers.  And short films tend to be a lot more experimental as well as allowing a greater diversity of creators.  And there were some really bad movies too, but at least they were never very long.

The downside of this project is that there was always the burden of having a movie review ready to go each and every day.  Try as I might to get a good bank of reviews scheduled out ahead of time, I kept falling behind and racing to get something up at the last minute.  It became a chore that I very much didn’t enjoy.  So I won’t be doing this again.

The complete list of short films are listed below in alphabetical order.  It contains 379 movies because there were actually some days where I watched more than one (especially when there was a series of short films).  The earliest movie dates to 1894 with the most recent from October 2025!  The movies vary in length from 31 seconds to 30 minutes and 8 seconds.  I hope this list inspires people to explore some short films (but don’t try to watch one every day for a year!).

I also created a list for 365 Movies in 365 Days on Letterboxd.

365 Movies in 365 Days: The Complete List

Name Year
1 (OO) 2017
2 1001 Nights 1998
3 A Colour Box 1935
4 A Day in Barbagia 1955
5 A Dog’s Life 1918
6 A Fool and His Money 1912
7 A Portrait of Ga 1952
8 A propos de Nice 1930
9 A Sense of History 1992
10 A Sticky Woman 1906
11 Absolute Majority 1964
12 Afrique 50 1950
13 All My Life 1966
14 All Too Well: The Short Film 2021
15 Along the Coast 1958
16 American Reflexxx 2015
17 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge 1961
18 And So We Put Goldfish in the Pool. 2017
19 Angry Man 2009
20 Anima 2019
21 Annabelle Butterfly Dance 1894
22 Annabelle Sun Dance 1894
23 Artemides Knee 2008
24 Asparagus 1979
25 At Land 1944
26 Autumn Mists 1929
27 Bathing in the Ice at the L Street Bath, Boston 1905
28 Beep, Beep 1952
29 Begone Dull Care 1949
30 Betty Tells Her Story 1972
31 Bidoof’s Big Stand 2022
32 Bimbo’s Initiation 1931
33 Black and Tan 1929
34 Blood of the Beasts 1949
35 Boston Fire 1979
36 Boulevardier from the Bronx 1936
37 Brasil 1981
38 Breakaway 1967
39 Brouillard #14 2013
40 Bugs and Thugs 1954
41 Bugs Bunny Rides Again 1948
42 Bully for Bugs 1953
43 Burrow 2020
44 Canoeing on the Charles River, Boston, Mass. 1904
45 Cat City 2017
46 Cat Listening to Music 1988
47 Cat Skin 1962
48 Cathedral 1971
49 Catopolis 2022
50 Cheburashka 1971
51 Chess Fever 1925
52 Clavel Gris 2023
53 Cold Tropics 2009
54 Coming Out 2020
55 Coreys 2024
56 Curmudgeons 2016
57 Danse serpentine (Annabelle) 1895
58 Darkness, Light, Darkness 1989
59 David Lynch Cooks Quinoa 2007
60 Day & Night 2010
61 Daybreak Express 1953
62 Dead End. 2019
63 Dear Basketball 2017
64 Death and Transfiguration 1983
65 DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS 2025
66 Destino 2003
67 Di Cavalcanti Di Glauber 1977
68 Diary of a Pregnant Woman 1958
69 Dimensions of Dialogue 1983
70 Dinner for One 1963
71 Dirty Girls 2000
72 Doll Clothes 1975
73 Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 2011
74 Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 2 2014
75 Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 3 2014
76 Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 4 2015
77 Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 5 2015
78 Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 6 2016
79 Double King 2017
80 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse 1947
81 Drip-Along Daffy 1951
82 Dumb-Hounded 1943
83 DURATA 2025
84 egress 2024
85 Emilie Muller 1993
86 Entr’acte 1924
87 Explosion of a Motor Car 1900
88 Face Like a Frog 1988
89 Fantasy 2011
90 Father and Daughter 2000
91 Fauve 2018
92 Fear & Shame 2017
93 Feast 2014
94 Fieldwork Footage 1928
95 Film, Film, Film 1968
96 Fire in Castilla (Tactilvision from the Moor of Fright) 1961
97 Flesh 2019
98 floatland 2018
99 Food 1992
100 For the Birds 2000
101 Four Women 1975
102 Free Radicals 1958
103 Fuelled 2021
104 Gap-Toothed Women 1987
105 Gay and Proud 1970
106 Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z 1956
107 Gena the Crocodile 1969
108 Gender Troublemakers 1993
109 Gerald McBoing-Boing 1950
110 Geri’s Game 1997
111 Gertie the Dinosaur 1914
112 Get a Horse! 2013
113 Ghost 1985
114 Ghosts Before Breakfast 1928
115 Glass 1958
116 God of Love 2010
117 Golden Parable 1955
118 Good Will to Men 1955
119 Goodbye Forever Party 2017
120 Goodbye Jerome! 2021
121 Grim 1985
122 Guaxuma 2018
123 H2O 1929
124 Hail, Sarajevo 1993
125 Hair Love 2019
126 Hair-Raising Hare 1946
127 Heavenly Puss 1949
128 Hedgehog in the Fog 1975
129 Hello FatherDog 2007
130 Here and the Great Elsewhere 2012
131 Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston 2015
132 HIDARI 2023
133 High Note 1960
134 history of japan 2016
135 history of the entire world, i guess 2017
136 How a Mosquito Operates 1912
137 I Am Trying to Remember 2021
138 I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone 2010
139 I Like Life a Lot 1977
140 I Love to Singa 1936
141 I Think This Is the Closest to How the Footage Looked 2012
142 Ice Merchants 2022
143 If Anything Happens I Love You 2020
144 In a Heartbeat 2017
145 In Order Not to Be Here 2002
146 In the Absence 2018
147 In the Darkness of Time 2002
148 Incident 2023
149 Inspiration 1949
150 Islands of Fire 1955
151 Isle of Flowers 1989
152 It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 1966
153 Jabberwocky 1971
154 Jammin’ the Blues 1944
155 Jerry’s Cousin 1951
156 Johnny Express 2014
157 Joy Street 1995
158 Kiss of the Rabbit God 2019
159 Kitbull 2019
160 KoKo’s Earth Control 1928
161 La luna 2011
162 La Maison en Petits Cubes 2008
163 La Soufrière: Waiting for an Inevitable Catastrophe 1977
164 Larisa 1980
165 Last Year’s Snow Was Falling 1983
166 Leading Lady Parts 2018
167 Léontine’s Battery 1910
168 Life of an American Fireman 1903
169 Lift 2000
170 Linklater: On Cinema and Time 2013
171 Little Rural Riding Hood 1949
172 Lonesome Ghosts 1937
173 Long-Haired Hare 1949
174 Loop 2020
175 Lost & Found 2018
176 Love Exists 1960
177 Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death 2017
178 Madame Tutli-Putli 2007
179 Made of Air 2014
180 Magical Maestro 1952
181 Malaria 2013
182 Measures of Distance 1988
183 Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris 1970
184 Melons (At A Loss) 1998
185 Memorable 2019
186 Mermaid 1997
187 Michael Jackson’s Thriller 1983
188 Mickey’s Trailer 1938
189 Minnie the Moocher 1932
190 More 1998
191 Mouse in Manhattan 1945
192 Mr Hublot 2013
193 Mr. Frog Went A-Courting 1974
194 Music Land 1935
195 My House Walk-Through 2016
196 My Little Goat 2018
197 My Love 2006
198 Negative Space 2017
199 Neighbours 1952
200 Nelson Cavaquinho 1969
201 Nest 2022
202 Never Weaken 1921
203 Niccolò 2025
204 Nightless Night 2023
205 No Crying at the Dinner Table 2019
206 Northwest Hounded Police 1948
207 Now! 1965
208 Office Space 1992
209 On Your Mark 1995
210 Once Upon a Time, There Lived a Dog 1982
211 One Man Band 2005
212 One Week 1920
213 Onesime, Clockmaker 1912
214 OPAL 2020
215 Orgosolo’s Shepherd 1958
216 Origins of the 21st Century 2000
217 Out 2020
218 Outer Space 1999
219 Paperman 2012
220 Papers. 1991
221 Partido Alto 1976
222 Partly Cloudy 2009
223 Passionless Moments 1983
224 Patriotism 1966
225 Peter’s Computer – Desktop Cleanup 2014
226 Piper 2016
227 Play It Safe 2021
228 Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor 1936
229 Possibly in Michigan 1983
230 Priorities 2014
231 Puparia 2020
232 Quiet Please! 1945
233 Rain 1929
234 Red Hot Mamma 1934
235 Red Hot Riding Hood 1943
236 Rejected 2000
237 Rendezvous 1976
238 Rest Energy 1980
239 Rhapsody Rabbit 1946
240 Ritual in Transfigured Time 1946
241 Rooty Toot Toot 1951
242 Save Ralph 2021
243 Scaredy Cat 1948
244 Scavengers 2016
245 School for Postmen 1947
246 Sea Countrymen 1955
247 Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas 2021
248 SHOP: A Pop Opera 2019
249 Short Circuit: Going Home 2021
250 Sissy-Boy Slap-Party 2004
251 Skhizein 2008
252 Snoopy’s Reunion 1991
253 Snooze Quest 2025
254 Snow Bear 2024
255 Snow-White 1933
256 Solid Serenade 1946
257 Something Good – Negro Kiss 1898
258 Song of Avignon 1998
259 Soul in the Eye 1973
260 Spacy 1981
261 Street of Crocodiles 1986
262 Superman 1941
263 Surfarara 1955
264 Suspense. 1913
265 Swing You Sinners! 1930
266 Talking Heads 1980
267 Tango 1981
268 The Age of Swordfish 1955
269 The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat 1896
270 The Ball Game 1898
271 The Bewitched House 1907
272 The Black Tower 1987
273 The Blue Umbrella 2013
274 The Bremen Town Musicians 1969
275 The Burden 2017
276 The Cat Concerto 1947
277 The Cobweb Hotel 1936
278 The Cookie Carnival 1935
279 The Day Dorival Faced the Guard 1986
280 The Dream of a Ridiculous Man 1992
281 The Drummer of the 8th 1913
282 The Egg 2019
283 The Employment 2008
284 The Flat 1968
285 The Four Troublesome Heads 1898
286 The Girl and The Robot 2023
287 The Girl Chewing Gum 1976
288 The Goat 1921
289 The Hand 1965
290 The Heart of the World 2000
291 The Invisible Mouse 1947
292 The Kingdom of the Fairies 1903
293 The Legend of Pipi 2022
294 The Lesbian Bar Project 2021
295 The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra 1928
296 The Little Mermaid 1968
297 The Lost Thing 2010
298 The Maker 2011
299 The Man Who Planted Trees 1987
300 The Mask 2023
301 The Mechanical Monsters 1941
302 The Merry Frolics of Satan 1906
303 The Old Lady and the Pigeons 1997
304 The Old Man and the Sea 1999
305 The Old Man of the Mountain 1933
306 The Piano Tuner 2010
307 The Pink Phink 1964
308 The PriceMaster 2001
309 The Race for the Sausage 1907
310 The Ravishing of Frank N. Stein 1982
311 The Recorder Exam 2011
312 The Secret Garden 1988
313 The Shyness of Trees 2024
314 The Snowman 1982
315 The Starfish 1928
316 The Telephone Box 1972
317 The Tell-Tale Heart 1953
318 The Tree and the Cat 1983
319 The Velvet Underground in Boston 1967
320 The Water of the Seine 1983
321 The Woman with Two Heads 1977
322 The Yankee Doodle Mouse 1943
323 There’s a Man in the Woods 2014
324 There Is No End 2022
325 They Do Not Exist 1974
326 Thin Watermelon 2010
327 Thingu 2012
328 Three Little Bops 1957
329 Threnody 2004
330 Throat Notes 2020
331 Thunder 1982
332 Thunder Road 2016
333 Together 2021
334 Too Many Cooks 2014
335 Tortoise Wins by a Hare 1943
336 Transylvania 6-5000 1963
337 Tribute to Zgougou the Cat 2002
338 Tummy Trouble 1989
339 Twenty Something 2021
340 Twins in Paradise 2020
341 Two 1965
342 Two Sisters 1991
343 Ulysse 1983
344 Uncle Yanco 1967
345 Under This Luminous Sky 2022
346 Unhittable: Sidd Finch and the Tibetan Fastball 2015
347 Untitled (For Marilyn) 1992
348 Us Again 2021
349 Variations 1998
350 Video Days 1991
351 Vincent 1982
352 Vive Le Tour 1962
353 Walking from Munich to Berlin 1927
354 Water Ritual #1: An Urban Rite of Purification 1979
355 Water, Water Every Hare 1952
356 Water-Mirror of Granada 1955
357 Well, Just You Wait! 1 1969
358 What Goes Up…. 2003
359 What on Earth! 1967
360 Who Killed Who? 1943
361 Whoa, Be-Gone! 1958
362 Window Water Baby Moving 1959
363 Windy Day 1968
364 Winnie-the-Pooh 1969
365 Winnie-the-Pooh and a Busy Day 1972
366 Winnie-the-Pooh Goes Visiting 1971
367 Winter in Prostokvashino 1984
368 Workers Leaving the Factory 1995
369 Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory 1895
370 World of Glory 1991
371 World of Tomorrow 2015
372 World of Tomorrow Episode Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime 2020
373 World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts 2017
374 Wow! A Talking Fish! 1983
375 X.Y.U. 2019
376 You Hide Me 1970
377 You Sold My Rollerskates? 2020
378 Zone 1995
379 Zoo 1961

365 Movies in 365 Days: Dinner for One (1963)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Dinner for One
Release Date: June 8, 1963
Director: Heinz Dunkhase
Production Company: NDR
Main Cast:

  • Freddie Frinton – James
  • May Warden – Miss Sophie

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A very old woman wants to have dinner with her friends. As they are all dead, the butler has to play the role of every guest.

My Thoughts:

Ok, so “Dinner for One” was a comedy sketch that originated in a London stage revue in 1934, but it may be even older.  In 1963, the sketch was filmed for German TV in front of a live studio audience, performed entirely in English with an introduction in German.  By the 1970s, it became an annual tradition to air Dinner for One on TV in Germany, as well as in Switzerland, Austria, and the Scandinavian nations.  It’s a beloved annual event with millions of viewers and yet despite being an English sketch in the English language it is actually not at all well-known in England.

The story itself is a fun bit of physical comedy of the music hall/vaudeville variety.  An elderly woman hosts an anniversary dinner with her four friends, but since they’re all dead her butler James has to pretend to be all of the guests.  The main gag is that with each round of toasts, James becomes increasingly soused has a drinks for four people.  Also, Sophie and James are having sex.  I’m pretty sure that was the meaning of the wink at the end!

Anyway, wherever you are in the world, Happy New Year, and enjoy sharing this curious holiday tradition.

Rating: ***

2025 Year in Review: Favorite Books

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

Here’s my annual list of my ten favorite books read for the first time in the year.  As always, this is merely the best books I read this year for the first time and not necessarily books published in 2025. Books published in 2025 are in bold.

For previous years see 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018,  2017,   2016,   2015,   2014,   2013,   2012,   2011,   2010,   2009,   2008,  2007 and 2006. You may also want to check out My Favorite Books of All Time or see Every Book I’ve Ever Read cataloged in Library Thing.

Complete List of Books Read in 2025

The books are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 stars with links to summary reviews. (A) is for audiobook.

Here’s a thumbnail of what the ratings mean:

  • 5 stars – all-time classic (I’m very stingy with these)
  • 4 stars – a particularly interesting, well-written, or important book
  • 3 stars – a good book from start to finish
  • 2 stars – not a good book on the whole but has some good parts
  • 1 star or less – basically a bad book with no redeeming values

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December