Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners but is currently hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and explain why you want to read it. It is that simple.

This week’s book:

Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis

Blurb from Goodreads

Bento Santiago, the wildly unreliable narrator of Dom Casmurro, believes that he has been cuckolded—he suspects that his wife has cheated on him with his best friend and that her child is not his. Has Capitú, his love since childhood, really been unfaithful to him? Or is the evidence of her betrayal merely the product of a paranoid mind? First published in 1900, Dom Casmurro, widely considered Machado de Assis’s greatest novel and a classic of Brazilian literature, is a brilliant retelling of the classic adultery tale—a sad and darkly comic novel about love and the corrosive power of jealousy.

Why I Want To Read It

Happy Monday, everyone! Just like that, we are already in the second month of 2026. How time flies! January zoomed past us, although it still feels like just yesterday when we welcomed the new year. Regardless, I hope that the year is going—and will continue to go—well for everyone. I hope that the year will curry favor with you all. Things have certainly been getting more hectic in my new workplace. I am slowly being integrated into the processes, which is why my responsibilities are increasing. However, I am still trying to pace myself, although this week has been even more hectic because of month-end closing activities. It is a challenge, but hey, I do enjoy challenges. Sometimes. Anyway, I hope everyone had a good start to the workweek and the year. The new week brims with hope and fresh starts. I hope that the week will flow in everyone’s favor. Wishing you continued success and happiness.

I know—not many people get excited about Mondays (though I’m sure a few are out there). I, too, am not exactly a fan. I hope that as the week moves forward, you will get your groove back. After all, we’ve got to start somewhere, and Monday is one of those starting points. As such, I hope everyone is doing well—mentally, emotionally, and physically. To commence my reading year, I have immersed myself in the works of Latin American writers, as it has been some time since I last had a Latin American literature month. I just started reading The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. This is my second novel by the Mexican-American writer, although it has been some time since I read The House of Broken Angels. This has made me look forward even more to reading The Hummingbird’s Daughter.

In connection with my ongoing foray into Latin American literature, I am featuring a work by a Latin American writer in this week’s late Goodreads Monday update; the start of a new week also comes with a fresh Goodreads Monday feature. I just realized that my venture into the works of Brazilian writers was largely limited to Paulo Coelho, although it has been some time since I last read one of his books. In more recent years, however, my exposure has been shaped by the works of Jorge Amado. I actually read one of his novels, Home Is the Sailor, earlier this year. That said, I am also looking forward to exploring more works by Brazilian writers. Clarice Lispector, for one, is a name I am eager to read, although luck hasn’t been with me—I have yet to acquire one of her works. Another Brazilian writer who has piqued my interest is Machado de Assis.

Born Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Machado is a renowned figure in Brazilian literary circles. A pioneer of Brazilian literature, he is widely regarded as the country’s greatest writer. Among his most celebrated works is Dom Casmurro, originally published in 1899. It is a book that inevitably comes up when researching Brazilian literature—ubiquitous and a recurring presence on must-read lists. I am not sure why I have always overlooked it, although it has long left an impression on me. I am actually surprised that I am featuring the book in a Goodreads Monday update only now. Regardless, there is something about the novel that draws me toward it. Critics say that it is one of the finest examples of realism, standing in stark contrast to the brand of magical realism that has come to characterize the Latin American literary boom.

There are several reasons why I am looking forward to Dom Casmurro. Acquiring a copy of the book, however, is an entirely different matter. I just hope I get the chance to obtain one soon. How about you, fellow readers? How was your Monday? What books have you recently added to your reading list? Drop your thoughts in the comments. For now—happy Monday, and as always, happy reading!