Mrs Blackwell’s Reading Log, October 2025
Some months, my reading clearly shows off my worries and concerns, and looking at my stack of books, October 2025 was definitely one of those months!
But stick with me dear reader - I balanced the serious nonfiction with some great art and craft books.
I’m currently in the United States and a lot of books release here before we get them in New Zealand. The majority of the books in this post won’t be out in New Zealand until December but at least you’ll have had a little preview!
Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday
“Learning keeps you young, even as wisdom adds years to your life.”
This is the last book in Ryan’s Stoic virtues series, following Courage Is Calling, Discipline Is Destiny, and last year’s Right Thing, Right Now. The series has been releasing about one book per year. Though I was slow to appreciate I was slow to like Ryan Holiday, but these books have been a great comfort over the past five years.
Like the others books in the series, this book has many short chapters you can read all at once or dips into at any point. It mixes real-life and modern examples with historical stories. Wisdom Takes Work starts with Hercules’ choice between a life of ease or a life of hard work. This story feels especially relevant now as we think about the future with AI.
For journalling and note-taking fans, there’s a chapter on self awareness and the roll of the commonplace book, with insights from Joan Didion.
Due in store in NZ in December, but I have one signed copy to give away over on Instagram.
Could, Should, Might, Don’t: How We Think About the Future by Nick Foster
Nick is a British designer based in California, he helps big companies imagine the future. He wants to help you make better decisions about the future, be less afraid, and make the most of your limited time on this planet!
A key message from the book for me is that the future often looks a lot like the present. If you're around my age, you likely first saw Back to the Future about 40 years ago. You probably expected the future to be very different, but much has stayed the same.
Even the things that have changed quite a lot - our cars, how we pay for things, communication tools - have became normal, and we’ve adapted to them quickly.
If thinking about the future feels stressful, you’ll find this book easy and enjoyable to read. It comes out in December in New Zealand with a different cover design than the US edition pictured here. To me, the US cover looks like something Homer Simpson might choose, while ours will feature an artistic photo with a mostly orange jacket.
The Bookshop, The Draper and The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street by Annie Gray
I have days when I really worry about what the future of physical retail will look like. Over the last three months, Adam and I have covered a lot of ground and seen many high streets across England, Wales and both the east and west coasts of the United States. Some of these places filled me with a renewed sense of confidence, while others left me feeling a sense of despair for the towns they serve.
However, reading about the history of the high street helped bring me back to a bit more of a balanced persepective. Annie suggests that 1650 was roughly the time we started shopping for pleasure rather than just necessity, marking the beginning of permanent, fixed-location retail. When I consider my little bookshop within that long time and space continuum, it becomes easier to feel less worried and more grounded. Although this history focuses largely on Britain, it didn’t make it any less relevant or enjoyable for me to read and reflect upon.
Ruth by Kate Riley
We meet Ruth, a young girl growing up within a very conservative Brethren cult in Michigan during the 1960s. Due to US laws, she is required to attend school outside her community, and this forced exposure to the wider world creates a great tension between her sense of purity and that of the society beyond her homelife. We follow Ruth through her early attempts at becoming a cook, but she ultimately settles on a career as a typist before embracing the role of a mother.
I usually enjoy stories that focus on characters with a quiet, introspective inner life where not much outward action takes place, but I found myself struggling somewhat with this one. The writing is cleverly crafted, though at times it felt just a little too clever for my taste.
In a Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring
This is the third (and final) book in Shannon Bowring’s Dalton series - a fictional community located in a quaint, fictional town in Maine during the 1990s. Quite a lot more cozy than the kind of fiction I usually read but I’ve really enjoyed this series over the past three years.
These books feature a large and diverse cast of recurring characters, each one is thoughtfully developed and they all contribute meaningfully to moving the story forward.
I do think this is one of those series that is best enjoyed in order so search out and start with the The Road to Dalton if Shannon Bowring is new to you.
Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden
Based on a best selling book from the 1970s - The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - this new book reproduces more notes and paintings from Edith Holden’s 1905 and 1906 diary following the seasons at her English home.
Edith was an artist and art teacher from Birmingham, England and for a lady of her time she does seem to take a lot of train trips!
Presented in a diary format, the book features notes and paintings along with observation of the countryside, poem, quotes, and history.
Arriving at Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop in December, this book would make a wonderfully Christmas gift for the gardener, artist, or nature lover in your life.
Wildflowers of the West: An Artist’s Guide by Molly Hashimoto
A few years ago, Te Papa began releasing a lovely Nature Series of small hardcover books that each individually catalogue our native flora and fauna with detailed text and black and white illustrations. These little books remain some of my favourite recommendations for visitors.
I purchased Wildflowers of the West (as well as Trees of the West and Birds of the West) as a keepsake to remember our time living in the western part of the United States.
It’s a fantastic collection of Molly’s drawings, paintings, wood cut prints and writings.
A few weeks after I got this, I discovered that Molly, was scheduled to appear at another local bookshop here in Bend. We attended her talk, and it turned out that Molly has an identical twin sister who lives, of all places, on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand - not too far from where I live!
200 Japanese Cross Stitch Designs by Saeko Endo
I find basic cross stitch to be a bit like colouring, in that it’s easy to do and once I have the rhythm of the pattern and repeats, it’s very relaxing.
What drew me to this book is that I could do a little bit of cross stitch without too many supplies and while we are travelling. Practicing these patterns doesn’t require much floss and is a way to use up some of the end pieces of fabric that collect in my life!
Saeko has drawn inspiration from flowers plants, animals, snowflakes, kimono, and classic geometric repeats. Every pattern is illustrated with a photo and a chart - the photo and the chart are in different colours to show you how much that choice can change the look of the pattern.
This book is coming to Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop in December.
