‘Where do we go from here?’ the woman in red asked again. ‘I just want a little bit of sunshine.’
Didn’t they all, thought Mira, straining her eyes in the dark, damp cave. The walls seemed to be closing in on the four of them. Wearily, the straggly group edged their way forward.
‘The swim to the other side will be easy,’ Neil had promised and dared them in equal measure hours ago. As if! One friend, or rather acquaintance, had been swept away. Hopefully to safety, prayed Mira, but even that offered little consolation to them.
‘I said, where do we …’
‘For God’s sake, Julia, can’t you stop moaning? For once, a single act of kindness and consideration wouldn’t go amiss,’ retorted Neil, guilt and exhaustion clawing at his spirit.
After the calamitous swim, which took them far from their intended beach nook, they’d struggled onto some rocks and found a cavernous opening in the mountainside. Would this be their salvation? They continued to scramble over stones and spiky rocks, accruing scrapes and cuts.
‘There’s something about Mira,’ mumbled Petra, the Norwegian exchange student whom they’d all met at the fresher’s week. Petra gave voice to all their musings. Mira who barely said a word, and rarely showed any emotion, hung with them at every opportunity. What was it with her? No one believed Mira would come with them on the trip to the island off the Cornish coast just for the summer. Perhaps she had been convinced by the woman with all the answers aka Julia.
‘We can find the missing pieces of our lives,’ Julia had declared, selling the well-being aspect of the holiday heavily. The only pieces were the fragmented friendships, Mira thought. The island home quickly became a toxic and smouldering place with arguments and verbal abuse scattered far and wide. Mira retreated further inside herself, if that was possible. Petra had taken on the role of the housemaid; she seemed chained to the kitchen as she skivvied away. Julia had shown her true colours, her privileged upbringing ensuring she never lifted a finger to help.
Mira sought refuge in the butterfly garden, where the others quickly discovered her. Her quiet demeanour meant she soon became, unwillingly, the secret collector. Stoner Julia revealed that she hadn’t been clean a single day of term. Petra, an orphan, thought of herself as nobody’s child while Neil battled his embarrassing emotions of a boy between teenager and adulthood. No doubt they all would soon think more about their lost colleague and at last truly talk about the real stages of grief.
Hours passed in agonised silence as they trekked onwards through the caverns until the sudden wild call from Mira of all people.
‘Look,’ her arms waving madly, pointing ahead. ‘Light!’
At the midnight hour, the four stopped to rest in the magical beam of moonlight from a gap above them.
‘See, over there. See what the light touches,’ exclaimed Mira.
Exhausted, they all took in the heavenly sight of a purple hibiscus, lit up to all its glory and behind it, a crevice, just wide enough for a person, which led onto a beach. Freedom.
The End
@Annika Perry
The Cave was inspired by book titles of some of the books I read last year as part of the Goodreads Reading Challenge 2025.
I was happy to lose myself in 76 books and in the story above 22 titles, as shown in italics, are featured. Overall, I read 25,360 pages and the longest book was 528 pages long and the shortest 114.
Enjoy perusing the images of the book titles I’ve read and below are a list of my five-star rated books as well as my non-fiction read books.
My 50 Read Fiction Books for 2025 – 4 & -3-Stars
My 5-Star Read Books for 2025
‘To read it to voyage through time.’ Carl Sagan
My 5-Star Read Books for 2025
- ‘The Women’ by Kristin Hannah
- ‘Wild’ by Kristin Hannah
- ‘The Bookbinder’ by Pip Williams
- ‘Weyward’ by Emilia Hart
- ‘The Woman in Red’ by Diana Giovianzzo
- ‘A Borrowed Path’ by Imogen Clark
- ‘Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver’ by D. Wallace Peach
- ‘The Wind Knows My Name’ by Isabel Allende
- ‘The Forgotten Book Club’ by Kate Storey
- ‘The Phoenix Ballroom’ by Ruth Hogan
- ‘The Light a Candle Society’ by Ruth Hogan
- ‘By Any Other Name’ by Jodi Picoult
- ‘The Book of Fire’ by Christy Lefteri
- ‘There’s Something About Mira’ by Sonali Dev
- ‘The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris’ by Evie Woods
- ‘What the Light Touches’ by Xavier Bosch
- ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse – The Animated Story’ by Charlie Mackesy
- ‘About the Real Stages of Grief: A Journey Through Loss’ by D. G. Kaye
‘When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature.’ Maya Angelou
My 9 Read Non-Fiction Books 2025
- ‘The Joy of Wintering’ by Erin Nimi Longhurst
- ‘Nobody’s Child’ by Kate Adie
- ‘Grief is the Thing with Feathers’ by Max Porter
- ‘Friendaholic’:Confessions of a Friendship Addict’ by Elizabeth Day
- ‘Wise Up: Power, Wisdom and the Older Woman’ by Barbara Scully
- ‘Consolations: The Solace Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words’ by David Whyte
- ‘The Boy Between: A Mother and Son’s Journey From a World Gone Grey’ by Josiah Hartley, Amanda Prowse
- ‘Walden or, Life in the Woods’ by Henry David Thoreau
- ‘About the Real Stages of Grief: A Journey Through Loss’ by D. G. Kaye
‘What a miracle it is that out of theses flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world. Worlds that sing to you, comfort you and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean, they show us how to live and die.’ Anne Lamott
A full list of my read books in 2025 is available by clicking here.
Happy Reading in 2026!
Finally, as promised, an update on my book nook craft kit build. It is coming on apace and below is just one of the many completed interior items. As we have a grandfather clock in our house, inherited from my husband’s parents, this smaller version feels special to me too.
Pictures: Cave image courtesy of Yogeshhire at pixaby.com The living room bathed in sunlight with bookshelves is an ai generated image courtesy of FREEP!K. Remaining images copyright Annika Perry.
Annika Perry 
WOW Annika 76 books? How awesome is that girlfriend? What a feat!!! 👏🏼🙌🏼👏🏼
Kym, thank you so much and I surprised myself as my goal had been 52! Even nowadays I find myself reading well past midnight when captivated by a story! Do you take part in the Goodreads challenge at all? I find it great for keeping a list of all m y read books! Happy Reading & Writing! 📖 📚 ✍️
Yay! You did it. Wonderful way of showcasing some of the books you read in 2025. I’m working on my version and will post soon. I love how we use titles of books and add a big chunk of our imaginations. A fun read. And I like seeing what books you read this past year – some of our reading intersected for sure.
Lastly, SO GREAT to see you back here. ❤
Pam, I can’t thank you enough for encouraging and inspiring me to write these yearly stories! Yours always have me in awe and I remember you suggested I give it go – impossible I thought but I was intrigued by the concept. Haha! Yes, definitely big chunks of imagination in writing a piece interspersed with book titles and it seems to be a matter of giving the imagination free rein. I have tended to notice a darker side to these stories and wanted to write a more upbeat positive story but the characters just took it their way! And it’s wonderful when that happens.
I look forward to reading yours and have been checking your blog for your story. Can’t wait to see it and also your read books for 2025.
Thank your for your wonderful comment and the great welcome back – it’s amazing to be back and I feel blessed with the warmth and kindness. Wishing you a lovely weekend, my friend. Xx 💕
A lovely story of adversity, perseverance, and hope, Annika.
I’m stunned by how many books you read — wow. Thanks for sharing them here. Hugs.
Teagan, I’m so glad you found so much in my short story and that means a lot. It’s been a joy to share abut my read books and it is still my biggest hobby/passion!
I found this story, inspired by the titles of some of the books you read last year, truly evocative and engaging.
You made it all so palpable and compelling. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Thank you so much, Luisa and it is wonderful how this story touched you. Once I had the beginning the titles seem to weave themselves to help me create this compelling short piece. Your comment means a lot to me, Luisa.
Hi Annika. Wow, what a wonderful way to present your 2025 reading. I loved the story, and the puzzlement and conclusion. And what a treat to find my book – About The Real Stages of Grief on your wonderfully displayed collage of books. Congrats on your amazing reading! Loved this! 🧡🧡
Thank you so much, Debby and I’m glad you enjoyed the presentation of the books. With so many I wanted to make it vibrant and interesting while still able to to list some. Yours made it on two of them! It’s great you enjoyed the story – it was fun to write and to be inspired by the titles (although some were struck off straightaway! 😃)
It is fun to do and to see at a glance books that our fellow writers are reading. 🧡
Dear Annika,
what a both frightening and great story. I can feel the dark and damp of the cave and shiver as I read. Luckily the beautiful picture with light of hope calms.
The characters are all so depressed having lost their joy. Looking for the missing pieces in their lives. Mira finding the secret garden. Spotting the light.
the light showing the way out.
all this using book titles. Incr edible.
You are an avid reader, Annika, and a very good one too.
There does not go a day without me reading either so I am not that far behind you. 😊❣️
Miriam
Miriam, wow! Thank you so much for your wonderful and poetic comment. It is fantastic that my story touches you so (although I don’t want you shivering! 😊). Before I write this every year I feel angst that it will not be possible and the titles this year were particularly eclectic. However, luckily they seemed to slot themselves into place once the characters came to me – I didn’t want them to be so flawed and full of trauma before they even entered the cave but that is the way they led me. I love when that happens.
It’s great that reading is such a big part of your Iife as well, Miriam and maybe there are some titles here which are familiar to you too.
Wishing you a very Happy Reading year in 2026- where would we be without books, eh?! 😊 ❤️
😊. Thank you for your kind answer. And , yes, there are many titles that I have read too . ❤️
I enjoyed your story, Annika, and appreciate the sense of freedom they achieved after being ‘lost’.
I’m impressed by, and a little jealous of, the number of books you read during the year. I think I have read two of the books you listed. I probably read only a third of what you did, but I enjoyed them too.
Thank you for your comment and it’s great you enjoyed the story. I have a feeling that the physical freedom from the cave will only be the start of their problems!
I feel lucky to have the time to read these books but feel it is never abut the amount of books read, rather the enjoyment of reading overall, the engaging enriching experience of reading counts for so much.
What an amazing post! I like your fiction and your lists. Wow!
Thank you, Anne and it means a lot that you enjoyed my post so much! The story was fun to write and oh, I do like my lists and book ones are the best! 😊
My short lists are ending up on a white board. Easy come; easy go.
Congratulations on your 2025 reading accomplishments!! I enjoyed reading your story. I was relieved that it ended with a way to freedom out of that cave!
Liz, thank you so much and it was enjoyable and enriching to read these books. So glad you liked the story – yes, freedom from the caves but methinks they all have a lot of darkness within them to overcome yet!
You’re welcome, Annika!
Wow! I was totally engaged. A terrific story and one that could easily be expanded into a full novel. Exploring each of these characters would be a fantastic read, Annika.
Awww… thank you so much, Lynette and I love how you are taken with the all the characters. I agree, it would be interesting to explore their characters further – they have so much to tell us yet, and so many ways they could develop in a longer piece.
I like your story. People deserve light and freedom.
Thank you, Neil and I couldn’t agree more.
76 books is a lot. Congratulations. The Cave was an intriguing story that was fun to read. However, I am wondering who the lost collegue is.
Thomas, I’m glad you enjoyed the story and yes, the poor lost acquaintance will remain so for us – for now at least! I was lucky enough to spend two wonderful months in Sweden last summer and with no wifi or TV I read – LOTS! Heavenly! 😊
I see. Two months without wifi and lots of reading sounds great.
It is wonderful and feels like a total reset for the mind, emotions and body – time just slows down, in the best of ways! 😃
What a fantastic collection of books, Annika. I loved your cave story so much. I’m always drawn to caves and have fancied writing a novel set around a series of caves. Maybe one day. Thank you for sharing!
Jan, that would be such an atmospheric and exciting novel – I do hope you write it one day! I felt a bit claustrophobic just writing this short piece here! 😃 It means a lot that you enjoyed my story here and yes, I think I’ve set the bar high book-wise for myself for 206. Happy Reading & writing!
One can never read too many books, Annika. And you read a bunch. Congratulations on both reading them and cleverly introducing them in the story and by showing their covers.
Haha! I totally agree, Curt! One can never read too many books. I used to stress as there are so many books I want to read and worked out that I’d just never manage to squeeze them all in.
It was enjoyable to weave the titles into the story, and once I found the direction of the tale they seemed to slot in with ease. Some were just impossible to include though! 😃
Many thanks for your lovey comment! Happy Reading in 2026!
“Happy Reading in 2026!” Always!
I am glad the magical beam of light guided them, it always does, my friend. You’ve read some fabulous books, Annika, and so many of them! Thanks for sharing the titles. Wishing you many more in 2026.
Balroop, I love how you’re taken with the magical beam of light and that this is always there for us – maybe we just need to be open to it and to let it in. It was a fun and enlightening year of books and with two months in Sweden away from wifi and TV I had a real chance to become fully immersed in the books. Happy Reading & Writing in 2026 to you, Balroop. ❤️
Great idea to use the book titles, Annika. I bet you had to do some creative thinking to make it come together, but it was probably fun to do.
Absolutely, it was a lot of fun to write this and to see the story almost steer its own path once I had the beginning down. The idea for weaving some titles of the read books was inspired by another blogger many years ago and I was so taken with the idea I’ve continued it since. Many thanks for your reading and your lovely comment, Anneli.
Indeed a very clever story that worked and the surprise is all the book titles. You have read a lot. I tend to listen more and also start and not finish! Here’s to a year of some excellent reading!
Thank you so much, Georgina and even as I was editing the story I had to remind myself which were the book titles as they seemed to seamlessly become part of the story. It was a great year for reading and I feel very blessed indeed to have read such a variety of superb books! Audio books are incredibly popular and I’m glad you have a chance to enjoy literature this way. Happy Reading in 2026 in whatever format!
Thanks Annika, I have so much writing work, some on marine policy which takes over plus my sequel to Navaselva. It means my eyes get tired from so much editing. Hopefully this will come to an end this year.
This is so creative and clever, Annika. I bought The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse for My niece for Christmas. I didn’t get a chance to read it myself. It’s good to see the progress on your book nook craft kit.
Robbie, I do hope you get a chance to read the Charlie Mackesy book soon. The artwork is exquisite, the story sublime. I first saw the animated film in 2024and treated myself to a copy of the book last year. There is a sequel out now and it looks equally special.
I’m glad you enjoyed the story, Robbie and yes, I’m two thirds of the way through the book nook build. I’m loving it – my husband is surprised even how much I’ve taken to it – and I don’t want to stop. Luckily there are many more to buy for future projects!
It’s great to have a hobby you enjoy.
Clever story using your read book titles Annika. Thankfully, I often lose myself in books too, but feel the need to find a way to help shift the direction of our country.
Thank you, Brad and it means a lot that you enjoyed the story. It’s always a challenge to incorporate some into a short piece and last year’s books were especially eclectic.
Brad, it must be overwhelming with events in your country and it is an emotion many feel this side of the pond too, obviously to a lesser extent. I do hope a shift is possible and soon. Maybe escapism in books is not easy at the moment. Wishing you well.
Thanks for understanding Annika. Reading, blogging, and little joys do help. And I believe and feel we need big action by many people to have any chance at change.
Love this Annika and you know it sounds a lot like our world if you ask me. Just add kindness and a beach always helps. Hope they make it.. hope we all do!
Whoa girl, good for you on the books read this year.. impressive!
Whoo hoo!!! xx
Oh, I wouldn’t be surprised – one can’t escape the turmoil (an understatement!) I think they – and we all – will make it – but the probably not an easy time.
Thank you, Cindy and reading is a true blessing and I couldn’t imagine life without books!
Absolutely fabulous, Annika. Left me wanting to read more about this diverse group.
That’s wonderful, Pat and thank you so much. They became such a mixture of flawed and not always likeable characters yet somehow even I want to know more about them!😀
You know I’ll be drawn to caves. They’ve held pride of place in several of my novels.
You know you haven’t written a story but the start to a novel. What happened to each of them????
Jacqui, glad you were in your element in the cave! Did I manage to capture the atmosphere? I felt myself getting claustrophobic just writing this!😀
That’s so kind and thank you! I am taken with the four characters myself. Very flawed ones and can just imagine the back stories plus going forward. Never say never …
They are scary, definitely could have underground streams, lots of darkness but your characters could find each other by sound. Well done!
A very good point, Jacqui – thank you!
I’m still worrying about the ‘friend’ who got washed away! I hoped we’d find them on the beach.
Love your world of literature, Annika xx
Me too, Jo! I was a bit concerned about the lack of distress from them about him … maybe a whole other story! 😀 Glad you enjoyed this peak into my reads last year!
That was very clever. Congratulations on reading 72 books last year. Quite an impressive line up too. The grandfather clock looks wonderful.
Thank you so much, Darlene. It was fun to write and once I had the first book in place at the first sentence I got swept away with the rest of the titles. My original goal was 52 books for last year so I was happy with this haul – some great reads. That’s just what I thought about the grandfather clock too – as it was the first item to make it ensured I was totally hooked!
Quite impressive to include all those titles, Annika!
Thank you, Mick – once I have the beginning in place the titles seem to slot themselves into place. I have a printout of them all and keep glancing down for inspiration.