In January 2024, I invited other readers to join me in a special adventure,
where you basically let books lead the way to other books.

If you want to join us, check this post, and/or send me your questions.
NB: this adventure is NOT limited to 2024!

My BookBound 2025 book chain recap

In 2025, I had 3 companions on the road:
Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits – with a 7 book chain
Cathy @ Cathy’s Reading Bonanza – with a 6 book chain
Lisbeth @ The Content Reader – with 2 books

You can view our chains here – click on the correct year TAB at the bottom of the chart.
Let me know if you want to join us.

I have been bad at reporting here about my chains.
Here is how it went in 2025:

Click on the covers to read my review, or more info on the book

1. Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman
Why this book?
Because I ended my 2024 chain with Flowers for Algernon
With flowers, you have leaves
MY VERDICT:
A blend of realism and nature-inspired praise for an inclusive vision of America. Eeerily relevant today.

Link to next book: another poetry book

2. The River Styx, Ohio, and Other Poems, by Mary Oliver
Lots of poems on the impermanency of life, in people and nature, with more sadness than later collections, I think.

Link to next book: Oliver in name and poetry

3. Calypso, by Oliver K. Langmead
MY VERDICT:
A unique sci-fi boundary-pushing verse epic: ancient myth meets futuristic engineering, challenging readers to navigate humanity’s choice between technological dominance and ecological stewardship.
A compelling reading experience I will not easily forget.

Link to next book: the next scifi on my TBR

4. Nova Core, by Franck Denizot
MY VERDICT:
In a lifeless machine world, two outcasts hunt a rogue algorithm that could reignite humanity. A haunting, poetic sci-fi meditation on what it ultimately means to be alive.

Link to next book: also received for review

5. Judging Athena, by Perrin Lovett
MY VERDICT:
A refreshingly sincere and theologically rich Christian romance, a unique, meditative love story that stands out for its innocence, depth, and authenticity.

Link to next book: importance of roses in story

6. Une Rose seule, by Muriel Barbery
Each word seems chiseled. The result is an amazing gem.

Link to next book: word title in common.
See #2 in the Connections Reading Challenge
Starting from then on, I have decided for now to follow these creative prompts

7. Orwell’s Roses, by Rebecca Solnit
MY VERDICT:
Gardens are acts of resistance—eye-opening essays on everything from Stalin’s war on truth to Colombia’s toxic rose trade. Essential reading for our age of lies.

Link to next book: other author born in California.
See #3 in the Connections Reading Challenge

8. The Winter of Our Discontent, by John Steinbeck
MY VERDICT:
Steinbeck in his full psychological power: a tense family drama and a sharp look at American greed that still hits home.
My full review will be live on April 14, 2026

I’m hoping to do a longer chain in 2026.