Book Review: Modern Hermeticism

Erich Brown and Alannah Brown, Modern Hermeticism: a beginner's guide to ceremonial magic. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2025. ISBN: 9780738779027. 

Genre: Hermeticism 

Subgenre: magic, pagan, reference

Format: trade paperback

Source: Won from giveaway 

 

I won this book from the LlewellynCon event in 2025, and it took me a while to read it. I finally got curious about the topic, in part due to a conversation I was having with a student, and I decided to finally pick it up. 

The book is a very accessible textbook on Hermeticism and its magical concepts. While I was familiar with the term and some basics, I overall did not know much. This book was a good introduction to Hermeticism for me, and it can be good for others seeking to explore the topic. 

The book is arranged as follows: 

•  Three major parts: foundations, developing a practice, and rituals and rites. Within those parts we get 25 chapters. Every chapter starts with concepts and explanations then ends with a ritual and/or exercise to get you practicing. 

In addition, we also get: 

• List of rituals, practices, and exercises. This helps you find certain items with ease. 
• A prayer to begin.
• A foreword by Frater Barrabas. 
• Introduction.
• Conclusion.
• An appendix with Enochian calls. 
• List of recommended reading and a bibliography. 

The introduction defines Hermeticism and presents some hermetic principles. Note that the authors, hermetic practitioners, have done work to modernize Hermeticism a bit. This makes the lessons and practices more accessible for modern seekers and practitioners. If you then want to read more, including older sources, the recommended reading list and their bibliography are helpful. The authors deliver on a challenging proposition, which is distilling a complex path to just the essentials (7). For the most part, they succeed. 

In "Foundations," you get definitions, background, history, and other basics. Here are the concepts you should know and understand as you begin your hermetic journey. Explanations are pretty good, and the authors cite sources in footnotes as needed. 

You want to read and study part one carefully not just to get the basics but also because authors do use and refer to these basic lessons in later chapters. The book's lessons build on each other. 

In "Developing a practice," you start getting into tools and exercises to get your practice going. You don't have to do every single thing. I would still suggest trying out new to you things. For example, I already use Tarot and cartomancy in my practice. Sigils are something I could try.  By the way, the chapter on tools has a nice tool consecration ritual I could use. 

The third part has specific rituals you can use. You can pick and choose. As in previous chapters you get history, explanations, and then the instructions for the ritual. 

If you think Hermeticism is some stuffy antiquarian practice that is hard to penetrate let alone do, the authors are here to show you that it is alive and well. They've also made a good effort to give us the basics. We get enough not only to get started but to keep your practice going. Even if a hermetic way is not for you, if you are a magic practitioner you might find some useful ideas for your practice. I know I did. Even if you are curious, wonder what Hermeticism is and can be, this book is for you. Out of the various esoteric books I've read so far this is one of the most accessible and practical. I may not be sure that Hermeticism is the path for me, but I feel the book is essential if I wanted to pursue the path. It's easy to read. Directions are clear, and it builds knowledge gradually. 

I definitely recommend the book for all libraries. If you collect esoterica and/or pagan materials, this is one you want to get. I would order it for our library. I am glad I got this copy in my personal collection. It is a solid reference and learning book. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

This book qualifies for the following 2026 Reading Challenge: 

 

 

Short Book Review: Lonesome and Festering

Eric Raglin, Lonesome and Festering. Minneapolis, MN: Cursed Morsels Press, 2026.  (Link to publisher) 

Genre: horror, short fiction

Subgenre: queer, LGBTQ, bizarro, absurd

Format: e-book galley

Source: Book Sirens 

 

To be honest, I was not sure what to expect from the book. Once I started reading it, I was hooked. The book has a variety of short stories on topics such as dystopia, capitalism, queerness, and even some romance. If you are looking for horror that is a bit on the wild side and definitely not the usual, this book may be for you. 

The author offers stories that for the most part are on the short side. I appreciated that as it allowed me to do some fun reading without a long commitment. I could read one story, then another, and then another, put the book down, then come back. I found that the stories just draw you in. And very often the stories stay with you well after reading. There are also some intriguing plot ideas that are worth exploring for readers. 

Overall, I really liked the book. Horror readers will likely enjoy it as well, especially if you like your horror in small doses but packing a big punch. Fans of genres like bizarro fiction and queer fiction may enjoy this as well. 

On a side note, the stories do come with some trigger warnings, which are listed at the end of the book, so reader discretion is advised.  

Deck Review: Elle Qui Oracle

Arwen Lynch-Poe (writer) and Melanie Delon (artist), Elle Qui Oracle. Stamford, CT: U.S. Games Systems, 2019. ISBN: 9781572819733. 

Note: It appears this deck is out of print as I could not find it in the U.S. Games Systems site. However, it can still be found online in places like Amazon and E-bay for reasonable price. 

I found this deck by serendipity. It looked nice and interesting, so I took a chance on it. From the publisher description: 

"Elle Qui ('She Who') Oracle features 44 magnificent female warriors and women of great compassion and wisdom. . . Each card presents someone who will challenge and inspire you in unique ways."

The kit includes the deck and a small companion book. The book has 79 pages. It is arranged as follows:

• Introduction. In two pages, you get a description of the deck's concept. The author tells us this deck "can be used for introspection as well as divination" (6). 
• The Cards. Here you find the card entries. Each entry includes card name, she who (keyword/verb), card keywords, and interpretation text. Each card entry also features three questions that you can use for reflection and/or writing in your journal. Entries do not include a card image. Entries are in alphabetical order by each woman's name.
• Card Spreads. We get a five-card spread and a three-card spread. There is also a single page for card spread notes. I honestly don't see many people making notes on that little page; just make notes on your cartomancy journal. 

I found the card entries to be interesting and easy to read. The reflection questions are very useful to help add depth to your readings. Can you read the cards without the book? Maybe. The card art and keywords may be enough, especially for intuitive readers. However, you might miss some key details if you do not read the book. I do recommend reading the book. 

The cards feature the painting of each woman. The art style feels classic with a bit of fantasy blended in. Art is colorful and often makes good use of shadows. The women's faces express emotions well.  It is a feminine deck, so good for folks to work with feminine energy. You have an issue? This deck has good advice and suggestions for reflection. It can work combined with a Tarot deck, especially if it is a more feminine Tarot deck. 

I was not sure initially what to expect with this deck. I was happy to find a deck with good, timely messages, and some some nurturing energy. This is a deck that delivers a variety of messages as needed. The cards also look very good when you display them on an altar or shelf. 

The cards measure about 5 inches by 3 inches. The art is borderless on three sides; bottom has a border with card details: card name and keywords. The border colors vary, but the deck overall is not color coded. The colors just add some nice variety. The cards a very soft gloss, and then deck shuffles easily. The card back art shows flowers and butterflies. It is not reversible, but it is very nice. 

Overall, this is a very nice deck, and it is one I am glad to have. It is one I would definitely use again. At some point I'll take it to my work office for daily oracle draws at work. I do recommend this for anyone, i.e. you don't have to be a woman to use it. Yet if you are female and need an inspiring feminine deck this can be a good option. It has become a favorite for me. 

5 out of 5 stars.  

 

Media Notes: Roundup for October 2026

 

  

 

Welcome to my somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during October 2026.

Movies and films (links to themoviedb.com or Wikipedia for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available). 

It's October, so of course I am watching some horror this month. I managed to watch nine horror films in the month, which is not too bad. 

•  Aladdin's Revenge (2026. Horror. Thriller). Plot description: "After the events of the first film, Rachel, the lone survivor of Aladdin, finds the lamp once more haunting her as she attends a therapy retreat. She must protect a new set of friends as the lamp's evil plan to grant three deadly wishes begins all over again." I watched the first one in this series back in August. When I saw there was a sequel, I was curious enough to take a chance, and here we are. Poor Rachel can't catch a break when the lamp reappears at the therapy camp somehow. Once the others in therapy learn the lamp is there, despite Rachel's warnings, soon the others want to use it hoping to get wishes. And then things go way down from there. The movie is about as predictable as it can be. Horror, or at least gore, is relatively minimal, so no need to worry there. Suspense is fairly minimal since we know the characters are all going to make the boneheaded choices, except for Rachel our last girl,  but she does have to pay a price. The acting is below average, and the plot barely there. Will there be a sequel to this? Well, they did leave an opening for the possibility. You can pretty much watch the first and stop there. We could have done without this sequel. 1 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 10/2.
• Soul Mates (2023. Horror. Thriller). Plot description: "Two unsuspecting strangers, Jason and Allison, find themselves participants in a twisted new dating service. Led by the Matchmaker, it forces the two singles inside a nightmarish maze designed to help them find their soul mates, or die trying."  I think this was another one Tubi recommended, so took a chance. Similar to other horror films, our protagonists wake up chained together after being kidnapped. Soon we find out the Matchmaker seems to know all sorts of things about them as the two are forced into the Matchmaker's scheme. The film is alright for most of the story; you get them going through the maze trying to make it. It's in the last act where the final twist is revealed. I liked it, so willing to give it a 3 out of 5 stars. Watched 10/3. 
• Film features Neal McDonough as the Matchmaker, so that was one reason for me to take a chance on this film. I've often liked his performances. To be honest, he does not have to do much in this movie, but he does it well. 
• The film's description reminded me a bit of Your Host (2025), which I watched back in April 2026.
• The House on Sorority Row (1982. Horror. Mystery. Thriller). Plot description: "When the senior sorority sisters of Theta Pi decide to do in their demented house mother, someone seeks revenge, and begins a night of terror and madness." It's not so much they decide to do in the house mother, who is a seriously obnoxious pain in the ass; it's that their prank turns tragic, and it goes down from there. And I mean it goes down as it gets pretty slow, and plot drags a bit. The girls talk tough, but they are often somewhat comically inept when they need to take an action. Meanwhile, the killer sure takes their time. Killer sort of starts picking up the pace a bit in the last third of the film. At the last 15 minutes or so we get the twist revealed, though I feel more than a few viewers could've guessed it before. Anyhow, by this time, the plot bouncing around, the less than competent girls, and slow pace, you just want the movie to end. The last scene leading to the final girl does drag a bit too. Overall, this is not a terribly memorable thriller. The kills are barely average. Plot is a bit nonsensical to be honest, and movie just is not that interesting. In the end, pretty forgettable. 1 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 10/9.
• Film also listed in the Grindhouse Cinema Database.
• The Legend of the Wolf Woman (1976. Horror. Italian. Also known as Werewolf Woman and La luppa mannara). Plot description: "A woman has dreams that she is a werewolf so she goes out and finds men. She proceeds to have sex with them and then rip their throats out with her teeth. She eventually falls in love but then she is raped and her lover is murdered so she goes out for revenge." If only the actual movie followed that plot. We do get a woman who has dreams, is in and out of a mental hospital, and we get some early nudity and light sex scene, but otherwise not a whole lot happening for at least half the movie. She does kill the one guy in the first half of the movie, but it barely registers in relation to the rest of the story.We do wonder if she really is a werewolf or what seems more likely just a woman with a mental condition and delusions. As we keep watching, it seems to be the latter. By the way the whole rape and revenge happens in the last 20 minutes or so, so they kind of rush it in, but otherwise the movie is pretty slow as a whole. Not that much suspense, and not that much  horror neither to be honest. There is a police inspector chasing and trying to find the woman, but for the most part he is steps behind. By time he figures it out, it's may be too late. If you come expecting werewolves, drop that expectation as there really aren't any aside from one at the opening, and that barely. I barely see what the big deal of this somewhat slow and less than exciting movie was. Another one that is pretty forgettable. 1 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 10/9.
• Listed also on the Grindhouse Cinema Database. 
• The movie uses the tag line of being a true story that can only be told now, i.e. some nice 1970s hype. At the end of the film they tell us the story was true, names were changed, etc. 
• The English translation has some flaws, and when the closed caption picks it up, its quality is inconsistent.
• One thing the movie does have is a very good 1970s soundtrack.
• Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1993. Horror). Plot description: "In this film, thrill-seeking teens resurrect a demon and come to regret it." I watched the first one in this series back in 2022, and I did like that film. Tubi finally got the second one this month, so I am giving it a go. Film starts looking back to 1958 when a bunch of asshole teens kill Tommy, a deformed boy out in the woods for reasons unknown. We then jump to 20 years later Sean Braddock (Andrew Robinson) is settling in as the new sheriff of Ferren Woods. His daughter, resentful he moved from New York City and being a police man there to take the sheriff job, decides to hang out with the local thugs, one of them son of one of the thugs that killed Tommy years back. The teens now are just as obnoxious as their elders back in the day. When they run over a local old lady, Miss Osie, rumored to be a local witch, the trouble then begins as the teens go into her house, go through her things, and because they got nothing better to do, attempt to cast a spell the witch was attempting, bringing Pumpkinhead, Tommy this time, back to life.  Pumpkinhead then proceeds to work on getting his revenge, and to be honest, given the teens are such outright assholes, you can't wait for Pumpkinhead to do his thing. The movie as a whole is OK, especially once it gets going. It lacks the pathos of the first one. Sure, you feel for Pumpkinhead, but you certainly want him to kill everyone of those assholes. I'd say 2 out of 5 stars. The movie is mostly OK. The pace is adequate. Not too much gore. Some suspense. It has the basics of a horror film, but that is about it. Watched 10/30.
• Lance Henriksen is not in this one, but he returns in the later two films. So far there are four in the series. 
• Naturally, in a morbid sort of nod to Jaws, the town mayor hopes the creature (Pumpkinhead) can be a tourist attraction to bring money to the town's economy. Because of course.
• The  film was released directly to DVD pretty much.  
• Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes (2006. Horror). Plot description: "Townspeople summon the demon of vengeance when they learn of a local mortician's misdeeds. But the small town's eccentric physician has other plans."  Basically the mortician is running an organ trafficking racket with local corpses, then dumping the corpses in a swamp. When the townspeople find out, they call on the local witch to summon Pumpkinhead to get revenge. Ed Harley, Lance Henriksen returning to his role, is here as a ghost. Meanwhile, the local doctor, portrayed by Doug Bradley, who you may know for his portrayal of Pinhead in the Hellraiser series, is out working to kill those who summoned Pumpkinhead in order to end the curse. If anything the movie captures some of the original feel of the costs of revenge. A woman who lost a baby and finds out the mortician mistreated the body demands her revenge from the witch, unleashing Pumpkinhead. We see how it affects her and the other family members who went along with it. Film also has a bit more of an eerie element that works. Overall, this movie was better than the second one, and it feels more like part of the series. It has a bit of the feel of the first one. Is it great? No. Plot has some convoluted moments. Some of the special effects are so so. Henriksen and Bradley do help make the movie a better watch. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 10/30.
• This sequel has no connection to the second film, and it stays a bit closer to the first film. 
• This is a made for television movie; it premiered on SyFy, and then went on DVD.  
• That opening scene where Ed appears, as a ghost of spirit, in front of Bunt, is a pretty good if brief performance by Henriksen. A bit haunting and a bit of sorrow. Overall, he appears in small moments here or there, but when he is on, he is good. 
• Unlike the second film, this one works to be connected to the first one. Bunt was the child that points the way for Ed in the first film to find the witch.
• Pumpkinhead 4: Blood Feud (2007. Horror). Plot description: "A man calls upon Pumpkinhead after the death of his sister to to exact revenge on the people responsible." When Jody Hatfield and Ricky McCoy, starcrossed lovers, are found by the other McCoys after sneaking off, his sister is killed accidentally by the Hatfields, who also try to kill him. He then seeks the witch for revenge for his lost sister. And things take off from there. As a whole, the movie is entertaining at times. It is a basic monster feature with a revenge angle. I  liked it well enough, so 3 out of 5 stars. Watched 10/30. 
• The feud reference seems to be the Hatfield-McCoy feud, though the original feud happened in the mid to late 1800s, and events in the film are in present time. Here the feud started because of a car back in 1930. Some McCoys driving a car ran over a Hatfield child, leaving him paralyzed, and thus the feud as seen in the film. At any rate, the feud here is just a way to get the movie plot going. 
• This movie also was released by SyFy then on to DVD. 
• Lance Henriken returns as Ed Harley, in ghost form.  Again, brief appearances, but he performs well. 
• An element I like in the film series is the folk horror element.
• Lake Placid Legacy (Horror. 2018). Plot description: "A group of young explorers discover a secret area hidden from all maps and GPS devices. When they reach the center of the lake, they discover an abandoned facility that houses one of the largest, and deadliest apex-predators known to man." It is one of those tales where people should leave well enough alone, but here the allure of a dare by another explorer on video and a supposed money reward gets the group to say fuck it and here we go. You get the idea.   In the end, the movie is mostly OK. Somewhat entertaining but does feel like it is by the numbers. Monster runs amok, kills them one by one, until the last person standing. It's on par with what SyFy would put together. 2 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 10/31.
• I watched the first four films in the series back in March 2022.  I then watched Lake Placid vs. Anaconda, the fifth installment back in May 2024. Since I have seen the previous ones I figured I should watch this one to complete the series, at least until they make another one if they do. 
• Turns out this one is the sixth in the series, but it is in plot a direct sequel to the first one. They just ignored the other four. This one is another release for television from the SyFy channel. It was then released on DVD. 

Other non-horror movies I watched this month: 

• Marauders (2016. Action. Crime. Thriller). Plot description: "An untraceable group of elite bank robbers is chased by a suicidal FBI agent who uncovers a deeper purpose behind the robbery-homicides." Tubi had this as recommendation for me, looked it up, and the trailer looked good, so here we are. What starts as a seriously violent bank robbery soon turns into an apparent deeper conspiracy that may involve the bank, the U.S. military, and maybe some in the local Cincinnati PD, and perhaps a politician or two. This was a pretty good thriller with a twist or two. It did keep me watching as I wanted to see how deep the conspiracy went and who exactly was in on it. There are some violent moments, but overall it's the crime and conspiracy that keep you watching. I had not heard of this movie before now, but it was a good watch. Performances were decent enough. If you've seen Meloni in Law and Order, he does a similar character here. All others were pretty good. 4 out of 5 stars. Watched 10/3.
• Part of why the movie caught my eye was the cast. It has Bruce Willis as the president of the bank, Christopher Meloni playing an FBI agent (i.e. a character within his type), and Dave Bautista as an FBI agent too.
• H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer (2004. Crime. Documentary). Plot description: "Torture chambers, acid vats, greased chutes and gassing rooms were just some of the devices of death designed by the Torture Doctor, H.H. Holmes in his castle of horrors. Follows Holmes' entire life as a criminal mastermind." This was a pretty interesting documentary. I knew little of Holmes prior to seeing this, and I may seek out a book or two about him to learn more. Via TubiTv. Watched 10/7.
• Up front, the documentary starts with a pretty good soundtrack that sets an eerie tone. 
• Documentary uses some recreations, historical illustrations, maps, and images along with the narration. Holmes and some others wrote letters, which enhance the document. Pitezel's daughter in writing letters at one point writes that she wrote letters in part to pass time. Note that Holmes never sent Alice's letters to her mother by the way. I find that detail about writing letters regularly interesting given that nowadays letter writing is practically non-existent, yet now we have letters from historical figures as primary documents. Part of me wonders if there will be anything comparable from our time for those in the future looking back. This blog may or not, and I'd say likely not, survive very far in the future in the way a handwritten letter might for instance. 
• Speaking of writing, turns out that when in prison Holmes wrote an autobiography.  If you are curious, the Library of Congress has a copy, and you can download it to read. You can also get it via Project Gutenberg. Later on an offer from Hearst, he wrote a set of confessions. 
• To learn more or get an overview, H..H. Holmes has a Wikipedia entry with a good list of references.
• In Search of Doc Holiday (2016. Western. Documentary). Plot description: "It's the story of the effects of the Civil War on a southern family, a story of scandal, first love and lost dreams that turned a southern boy into a western legend. Join us as we go in search of the real 'Doc' Holliday."  The documentary looks at his life before Tombstone and the OK Corral then after that. The historian from the Holiday museum in Georgia who tells parts of his story is interesting to listen to. If anything, the man was complicated and led a colorful life. Watched 10/7.
• Small trivia note I did not know: Holiday and Margaret Mitchell, the Gone with the Wind author, are related by marriage, making her a descendant.  

 

Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes:

• The Hotel Inspector (2005-present. Reality). Plot description: "In each episode, celebrated hotelier and businesswoman Alex Polizzi visits a struggling British hotel to try to turn its fortunes around by giving advice and suggestions to the owner." The series is still running, and they are up to seasson 21. Tubi so far has the first 17 seasons. I think this came in my recommended page due to watching Ramsay shows. Anyhow, decided to give it a chance. I've made it this month to Season 11, Episode 4. I will be starting episode 5 in November. What I like about this series is its cozy element. Sure, there is some drama, but it is nothing like the yelling and over the top drama you get in other "fix it" shows, especially American ones. At about 45 minutes per episode, it has been easy for me to watch one here or there when I have a bit of free time, and I just want to relax a little. Odds are good I will be done with the series by end of November. 
• Ruth Watson does the first four seasons, then Alex Polizzi takes over for the rest of the series.

 

Book Review: The Shortest History of Eugenics

Erik L. Peterson, The Shortest History of Eugenics. New York: The Experiment, 2024. ISBN: 9781891011887. 

Genre: history 

Subgenre: eugenics

Series: Shortest history

Source: Hutchins Library, Berea College 

 

As I was reading this book, the news just kept showing headlines of bad policy choices affecting the poor and marginalized. Those choices are forms of eugenics in our time, even if we don't call them "eugenics" nowadays. If anything, the idea of eugenics has been around since ancient times, and it is with us still today. Eugenics today can still be found in colonialism, imperialism, racism, responses to natural disasters, reproductive rights, and genetic manipulation among other places. The word might not be used often now, but the rhetoric and ideas are very much present still. 

The book is arranged in five major parts with 21 chapters. We go from ca. 500 in antiquity to the present day. Note this book was published in 2024. The author guides us from Europe to America (mostly the United States, but there were some eugenic efforts in Latin America too). 

The book is interesting overall. It covers a lot of terrain. It may be "the shortest history," but it hits all the major points. We learn about the major figures, thinkers, scientists, politicians, and philanthropists who nurtured and spread the movement. No matter their reasons nor their justifications, in the end it was all about elevating and preserving one part of the human species, the one deemed as the good one, at the expense of the ones deemed as bad and undesirable. Race, mental health, criminality (real or perceived), poverty, so on were all good reasons to cull the herd. 

A key lesson is that Europeans mostly refined theories, but Americans took those theories and ran with them. Americans took to eugenics gladly, and states enacted all kinds of eugenic policies including various forms of sterilization and even explored forms of euthanasia. They did such a splendid job that Hitler and the Nazis basically modeled their eugenic policies, especially in the early days of the regime, on American laws and policies. 

If you know little to nothing on the topic, this is a good and accessible book to read. Even if you know about the topic or you think you know, it is a good reading option. Narrative is well written, and it offers a good reading pace. This book was hard to put down. This is a book for popular readers, but some academics may want to read it and maybe use it in some classes. This is a book I recommend for public and academic libraries. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

 

Additional reading notes:  

The bottom line of eugenics: 

"In other words, eugenics has always been about the powerful, the wealthy, and connected influencing, if not outright controlling, the reproduction of the less-powerful, poorer, and more marginalized, with scalpels if necessary-- that's what we mean by eugenics" (6, emphasis in original). 

By the way, the book includes a good selection of pictures and illustrations throughout. 

 

Kellogg, the cereal guy, contributing to eugenics: 

"Kellogg's pus for a heredity registry became one of his two most important contributions to the eugenics movement in the early twentieth century. His other contribution was even more significant: national promotion" (82). 

 

As for the Nazis, after Nuremberg, well not everyone who should've been punished was, and the West certainly drew medical and scientific gains no one really considers closely: 

"In too many cases, the experimental work that emerged from Holocaust-enhanced collections became mainstream science, with those behind Aktion T-4 and the rest rehabilitated as ordinary physicians and scientists" (176, emphasis in original). 

 

 This book qualifies for the following 2026 Reading Challenge: