September, October, & November 2025 Reading Recap, Plus December 2025 TBR

What Happened? 

A reading slump. To keep it short: I had a stressful situation within my extended family that skyrocketed my anxiety. Then, that anxiety overload left me restless and unfocused. No matter how good a book was, I could only read a few chapters before I felt the need to do something else. For relaxation, I started doing word searches and watching old episodes of Star Trek Voyager (which I still love).

Good news! Though the family situation remains unresolved, sometime in November I began to be able to read more than a chapter or two at a time. I expect to spend more time enjoying books and stories from this point forward, though December is always a busy month. Happy reading to you all!

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My September, October, & November 2025 Reads: 

1. The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Great historical fiction about a little known town with a huge impact. Read my review.


2. The Royal Artisan by Tessa Afshar - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Another fantastic Biblical fiction novel! Read my review.


3. These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Love, immigration, Hitler's rise to power... this book tackled a lot within the pages. We had a good discussion in book club.


4. The Elopement by Gill Hornby - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - A novel that immerses the reader into all the drama of the extended Austen family. Not quite a good as its predecessor, Godmersham Park.


5. The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt  - ⭐⭐⭐ - A love story, inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, that unfolded amid the hollows and coal mines of Virginia. Read my review.

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Expected December 2025 Reads:

1. With God in Every Breath: A Guide to Drawing Closer to Jesus Through Your Senses by Whitney R. Simpson - Currently reading (and loving).
 
2. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes - Currently reading. This is a LONG book!


3. This Promised Land by Cathy Gohlke - My book club's december selection.

What will you read this month? 

Book Review: The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee

About the Book:

In the hills of Tennessee, two women work at a Manhattan Project site during World War II and uncover truths that irrevocably change their lives in this captivating new story from award-winning Southern fiction author Michelle Shocklee.

1944. Maebelle Willett arrives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, eager to begin her new government job and send money home to her impoverished family. She knows little about the work she will be doing, but she’s told it will help America win the war. Not all is what it seems, however. Though Oak Ridge employees are forbidden from discussing their jobs, Mae’s roommate begins sharing disturbing information, then disappears without a trace. Mae desperately attempts to find her but instead comes face-to-face with a life-altering revelation—one that comes at significant cost.

1979. Laurel Willett is a graduate student in Boston when she learns about the history of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where thousands unknowingly worked on the atomic bomb. Intrigued because she knows her Aunt Mae was employed there, Laurel decides to spend the summer with her aunt, hoping to add a family connection to her thesis research. But Mae adamantly refuses to talk about her time in the Secret City. Mae’s friends, however, offer to share their experiences, propelling Laurel on her path to uncovering the truth about a missing woman. As Laurel works to put the pieces together, the hidden pain and guilt Mae has tried so hard to bury comes to light . . . with potentially disastrous consequences.

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My Thoughts:

The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee introduced me to a historical place I knew nothing about: 1944 Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a secret town created as part of The Manhattan Project which produced atomic bombs for the United States. Throughout the novel, the events, setting, and culture showed the author’s extensive historical research as it highlighted both major and minor details. I found the setting and story highly interesting.

Like most dual timeline novels, I had a favorite timeline in The Women of Oak Ridge, but both storylines had characters I cared about and a search for truth. The author quietly demonstrated how society and individuals changed in the space of thirty-five years (steps toward racial equality, education of women, effects of aging). However, I think the real life essence of the characters and events stood out even more than the societal/individual changes. Life can be hard, and Maebelle’s terrible secret received no easy remedy. She suffered mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually throughout her life. But, I loved that redemption, hope, and freedom triumphed in the end. It was such a beautiful picture of how Jesus can set free those who come to him.

I recommend The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee to Christian readers who enjoy historical fiction with depth and mystery. Five stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.