Tag: what I’ve been reading lately

What I Read in August (2025)

Books Read in August: 21
Books Read for the Year:  166/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
House Immortal, by Devon Monk (audio): I love Monk’s writing, but I’m on the fence about reading more of this series, because Matilda sometimes got on my very last nerve.
Instincts and Imposters, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): Solid read.
The Crooked Staircase, by Dean Koontz (TBR): Man, this had some creepy moments.
Magic on the Hunt, by Devon Monk (Re-read): Loved this!
The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi, by Kathie Lee Gifford and Jason Soble (Spiritual): I enjoyed this read. An easy-to-read style made the material accessible.
A Tarnished Canvas, by Anna Lee Huber (TBR): Still thoroughly enjoying this series.
A Tribute of Fire, by Sariah Wilson (TBR): Eh. Do not recommend.
The Letters We Keep, by Nisha Sharma (TBR): Don’t recommend this one, either.

For Review:

The Book of Guilt, by Catherine Chidgey. I can’t say I’d recommend this. It was full of some pretty dark things.

The Second Chance Bus Stop, by Ally Zetterberg. This ended up being a good but kind of sad read.

Thief of Night, by Holly Black. I’d definitely recommend reading the first book, which I did not do, but this was an intriguing world with an MC that wasn’t terribly likable (for me).

You Make It Feel like Christmas, by Sophie Sullivan. Cute romance, although their families made it quite enjoyable.

The Sisterhood, by Tasha Alexander. I hadn’t read any of this series, but that wasn’t a problem. A decent historical mystery. Would I read more? Probably not—because it felt too slow-paced.

The Guest in Room 120, by Sara Ackerman.  I loved the present-day characters. The MC in the past…not so much. She was pretty terrible.

A Dark and Deadly Journey, by Julia Kelly. I enjoyed this mystery, although I figured out the killer before the reveal. The MCs are solid, and I’m enjoying both getting to know them, and the time the series is set in.

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, by Rachel Linden. This was such a good read! Highly recommend it.

Charlie Quinn Let’s Go, by Jamie Varon. The family dynamics in this one were a lot. I didn’t care for the MC at first, but she grew on me.

Christmas People, by Iva-Marie Palmer. This was an okay read for me. I finished i, so there’s that, but it didn’t do much for me.

Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance, by Kate Robb. Not sure how I ended up reading three books back-to-back that had a touch of magical realism in it, but I did. I really enjoyed this read. Loved the MC and her struggle to do the right thing, and I liked the scenes in the past, too.

Just Because:

Glorious Rivals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This was such a fun read! And also, I’m not smart enough to have survived the first three minutes of this contest.

Infinity Bell, by Devon Monk (Audio). Still on the fence about the MC.

Left Unfinished:

How to Break My Heart, by Kat T. Masen. I didn’t like the characters.

The Minor Fall, by Kayla M. Martell. This just wasn’t to my taste. I loved the premise, but the characters felt a bit too much like caricatures to be believable or likable. Roe had too much self-pity going on for me to like her, and Tye was such a bad-Western cowpoke (from Ireland?) that I just couldn’t deal with it. And I barely met Bryn before DNFing. Too much jumping around to add things that came out of nowhere, and it just didn’t work for me.

Moonsick, by Tom O’Donnell. I could barely read 10 pages of Heidi. There’s no way I could finish an entire book of a character that annoying.

The Sleepless, by Jen Williams. This started off strong. I loved the beginning, but when we got to Elver in the wild, well, any connection I felt was lost by my general confusion over the world and the (lack of) set-up.

What I Read in July (2025)

Books Read in July: 17
Books Read for the Year:  145/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Night Burns Bright, by Ross Barkan (audio): This was just kind of meh to me. It took me a long time to listen to it, because I wasn’t super into it.
Darkwater Lane, by Rachel Caine and Carrie Ryan (TBR): I really enjoyed this series! Sad that it’s over, and that Rachel Caine isn’t with us any longer—she was SO nice!—but I was glad this series got finished.
The Unquiet Bones, by Loreth Anne White (TBR): This did not turn out like I expected!
The Summer Guests, by Tess Gerritsen (TBR): I’m still enjoying these characters a lot.
The Vanished Days, by Susanna Kearsley (TBR): I’ve enjoyed all three Slains books.
Odds and Enemies, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): Still enjoying these.
The Whispering Room, by Dean Koontz (TBR): Another solid read.
Magic at the Gate, by Devon Monk (Re-read). Still loving this world and these characters!

For Review:

Woven From Clay, by Jenny Birch. I liked this read! I’ve never read anything where the protagonist was a golem—much less a modern YA read!

For the Record, by Emma Lord. This was such a cute read! I loved the second-chance, let’s-be-honest-this-time aspect of this, It was a lot of fun.

Friends to Lovers, by Sally Blakely. I love the friendships and the friend group in this! It was just such a fun read, and I love second-chance romances.

Through an Open Window, by Pamela Terry. So I guess I’m a huge Pamela Terry fan now. I realized I’d loved both of her other books, The Sweet Taste of Muscadines and When the Moon Turns Blue, and I loved this as well. She has an incredible voice, perfect for Southern fiction reads like this.

Wish You Were Her, by Elle McNicoll. I enjoyed this YA read.

Love is an Open Book, by Chandra Blumberg. This was a cute read from a solid author.

The Secret Book Society, by Madeline Martin. Oh, this was so good! I’m so horrified by how easy it was to have women institutionalized in the past.

Lauryn Harper Falls Apart, by Shauna Robinson. This was an okay read. I thought it was pretty depressing—and the town was really more than I can handle.

Just Because:

Wayward Souls, by Devon Monk. This was a quick, fun audiobook. I’m interested to read more.

Left Unfinished:

Rivals to Lovers, by Elise Wayland. Both the MC bored me.
Influenced, by Sarah Darer Littman and Cindy L. Otis. Both the MCs came across as self-absorbed and only vaguely acquainted with reality, so a no-go for me.

The Book of Heartbreak, by Ova Ceren. The beginning of this felt like it jumped around erratically and I just couldn’t make myself care about the MC.

Love Walked In, by Sarah Chamberlain. Look, I wasn’t sure I could stand the male MC for very long—or the female MC, for that matter—and this also had some content I wasn’t expecting.

A Guide to Falling off the Map, by Zanni L. Arnot. This felt too chaotic and jumbled. The random and unrelated headings that were a mix of lower and uppercase letters were hard to read.

The Best Books I Read in June (2025)

In June, I read 21 books and DNFed 10 more (!). Of those 21 books, several were really excellent reads.

The Firebird, by Susanna Kearsley. I’m really enjoying this dual timeline/historical fiction mashup. The characters are great, and I’m loving both the characters in the present and the past.

Den of Liars, by Jessica S. Olson. I loved this! The world is fascinating (and basically the entire thing takes place in a fantastical casino), and the characters were engrossing. I was sucked in from the beginning and couldn’t put it down!

The Alchemy of Flowers, by Laura Resau. Who wouldn’t want to run away from their grief and sadness and live in a magical treehouse in the middle of a garden of flowers that talk to you? I’m not sure what else to say about this novel…

What I Read in June (2025)

Books Read in June: 21
Books Read for the Year:  128/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Firebird, by Susanna Kearsley (TBR): Loved this!
The Spy Coast, by Tess Gerritsen (TBR): This was an excellent detour from Gerritsen’s normal (which I also love).
The Silent Corner, by Dean Koontz (TBR): This is exactly why Koontz has always scared me more than King.
Mystics and Mental Blocks, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): Still enjoying this series, and the whole Adept world.
Magic on the Storm, by Devon Monk (Re-read): I really love this series!


For Review:

Pretty Girl County, by Lakita Wilson. One of the two female MC got on my nerves a lot, but the community this books was about was so vibrant it was practically another character.

Party of Liars, by Kelsey Cox. There were a lot of layers in this, and I never put it all together until the big reveal. 

Let’s Make a Scene, by Laura Wood. This was a really cute second-chance romance. I liked the characters a lot.

Den of Liars, by Jessica S. Olson. I loved this read! The world was fascinating, and the characters were great. Can’t wait to read more of this.

An Irish Summer, by Alexandra Paigeff. Okay, the MC got on my nerves a bit with her absolute refusal to admit that Boston might not be the be-all/end-all of goals, but I enjoyed this read—and the Irish setting.

Vanished, by Dr. David Jeremiah. I enjoyed this thriller. Much more up-to-date than re-reading the Left Behind series.

The Lost Book of First Loves, by RaeAnne Thayne. Solid romance read/family novel. Beautiful scenery is a bonus.

Grave Birds, by Dana Elmendorf. This was a quirky little read. I enjoyed it, although the switch from enemies to lovers was so abrupt it felt fake.

Fire Mountain, by Dana Mentink. This was s solid thriller read, and the volcano about to erupt definitely added some spice.

The Sandy Page Bookshop, by Hannah McKinnon. I would totally hang out in this bookstore! This was a sweet read.

Give Me a Reason, by Jayci Lee. I really enjoyed this second chance romance. Really liked the characters, except the MC’s father and sister–they were horrible.

Road Trip with a Rogue, by Kate Bateman. Enjoyed this read.

The Alchemy of Flowers, by Laura Resau. This felt absolutely magical, and I loved it!

A Botanist’s Guide to Rituals and Revenge, by Kate Khavari. This is another solid entry into an enjoyable series. The narrator for the audio book is perfect for this series.

Girls of Dark Divine, by E. V. Woods. I really enjoyed this! I love ballet and fantasy, so this was a no-brainer for me.

The Magician of Tiger Castle, by Louis Sachar. This was just a meh read for me.

Left Unfinished:

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds, by Allison Brennan. Look, Mia was so obsessed with finding a man when she was going on this great vacation that it got on every nerve I had. Then she hears about the missing woman on the island and is immediately obsessed with that. I just can’t waste my time reading about someone like that.

Inspired, by Rachel Held Evans. I tried, but I can’t read anything labeled “progressive Christian,” which is just code for interpreting the Bible how they want to.

After We Burned, by Marieke Nijkamp. All the different POVs made this feel too chaotic.

Dragon-Ridden, by T.A. White (TBR): I made it about halfway, but this really felt like a jumbled mess.

Reports of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated, by James Goodhand. I tried, but this felt slow-paced and boring.

All the Men I’ve Loved Again, by Christine Pride. Cora got on my nerves, so I gave up on this pretty quickly.

The Odds of Getting Even, by Amanda Sellet. Frankly, the MC came across as judgmental and mean, and I have no interest in reading about someone like that.

In the Veins of the Drowning, by Kalie Cassidy. This did not feel like it flowed cohesively. The plot developments felt jagged, not smooth, and they just didn’t make sense.

Smuggler’s Cove, by Fern Michaels. If a book is billed as a mystery/thriller, I expect there to actually be a mystery, but at the 50% mark of this read, it just felt like a very long, drawn-out family saga.

Mistress of Bones, by Maria Z. Medina. I read 10% of this and still didn’t feel the slightest interest in any of the characters, nor did I have any sort of feel for the world itself.

The Best Books I Read in May (2025)

In May, I read 21 books. There were a couple of “meh” reads plus a handful I DNFed, but there were also several that were really good.

The Winter Sea, by Susanna Kearsley. I loved this novel-within-a-novel! The setting—in both stories/timelines—was vividly drawn, and I just enjoyed the characters so much. Can’t wait to read the next one (which I’m doing right now).

A Forgery of Fate, by Elizabeth Lim. Elizabeth Lim is a talented writer, and this story was no exception. I found the setting quite unique, and I enjoyed the cultures and the characters.

River Road, by Charles Martin. Yes, he’s my favorite author, but it was fascinating to see not only how his writing skills grew in these essays, but how his childhood shaped him into the man that writes such powerful stories.

What I Read in May (2025)

Books Read in  May: 21
Books Read for the Year:  107/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

The Winter Sea, by Susanna Kearsley (TBR): This was such a good read!
The Art of Starting Over, by Heidi McLaughlin (TBR): This was an okay read, but felt very predictable.
River Road, by Charles Martin (TBR): Really enjoyed these essays!
Magic in the Shadows, by Devon Monk (re-read): Loving re-reading this series. I forgot about Stone.
The Opposite of Everyone, by Joshilyn Jackson (TBR, audio): I love Jackson’s books, but Paula was not a nice or good person. I didn’t care for her.
Closer than You Know, by Debra Webb. Solid thriller read. I’m liking this series.
For Review:

Bodies and Battlements, by Elizabeth Penney. That was a decent cozy mystery read, but the characters felt very surface level and undeveloped. It is the first in a series, so I assume that would change in further books.

Come As You Are, by Dahlia Adler. This was a cute, fun YA read. Nothing totally unexpected, but I enjoyed the read and the characters.

The Courage to Change, by Joyce Meyer.  Joyce Meyer is a solid author–and speaker–so I knew this would be a good read. And it did not disappoint!

The Other Side of Now, by Paige Harbison. This wasn’t quite what I expected, but I enjoyed the read! I liked the characters, and the juxtaposition between the two realities was interesting.

A Forgery of Fate, by Elizabeth Lim. I really enjoyed this read! Unique setting, and I love the worldbuilding and setting so much.

Tell Me Something Good, by Court Stevens. I listened to the audiobook, and I think maybe this just wasn’t a good fit for me, storywise. I didn’t like the characters and found them all pretty horrible. The narrator was excellent, I just didn’t like these people.

The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater. I’m a pretty big fan of Stiefvater’s YA books, and I was excited to read this. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it all the same.

A First Time for Everything, by K. L. Walther. This was a solid YA read. I enjoyed it for the most part.

The Summer That Changed Everything, by Brenda Novak. This was a meh read. I found it bland and predictable.

A Far Better Thing, by H. G. Parry. This was a fantasy re-telling of A Tale of Two Cities. It felt very leisurely and I didn’t really care for the MC, but it was a solid read.

Rewind to Us, by Molly Morris. This was such a cute read! I loved the characters—all of them—and the premise was great.

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club, by Gloria Chao. This was such a comedy of errors! Very funny, with a nice twist.

Best of All Worlds, by Kenneth Oppel. This was mediocre at best. The author’s political/personal bias was glaringly on display…most white people are apparently evil in his mind, not to mention narrow-minded, backwards, and prone to conspiracy theories.

Look Before You Leap, by Virginia Heath. This was a cute romance read. I liked the female a lot.

A Magic Deep and Drowning, by Hester Fox. I enjoyed the beginning of this, but then it felt like it dragged and nothing made sense.

Left Unfinished:

Sing Me Home to Carolina, by Joy Calloway. The MC got on every nerve I had, and all the characters seemed like flimsy caricatures.

We Can Never Leave, by H.E. Edgmon. These characters seemed like very hateful and unpleasant people, and I stopped reading very quickly because of it.

A Most Puzzling Murder, by Bianca Marais. There was A LOT going on here and it did not mesh into a cohesive storyline.

Writing Mr. Right, by Alina Khawaja. I tried. I read about 35% of this before giving up. Aashiq was too…honestly, he felt a little too ridiculous to be real, and Ziya was so closed off to everyone and everything that she got on my nerves. Strong writing, but this just wasn’t a good fit for me.

The Ripple Effect, by Maggie North. This MC wasn’t for me.

Off Menu, by Amy Rosen. The cover on this is gorgeous, and it sounded great. Unfortunately, the MC is vapid and lacking in morals, so it’s a no for me.

The Best Books I Read in April (2025)

In April, I read 21 books, bringing my total for the year to 86 books read. I also DNFed six books. OF those 21 books, three were really excellent.

The Beekeeper’s Promise, by Fiona Valpy. This had been on my TBR pile for a while, and I’m so glad I got around to it! Love me some World War II historical fiction. And this made me crave honey!

The Love Haters, by Katherine Center. I usually look forward to Katherine Center’s novels, because I know there’s going to be some laughs, some solid characters, and usually some swoon-worthy moments. This did not disappoint.

My Friends, by Fredrik Backman. The first Backman book I read was Beartown. I could not care less about sports and I don’t like small towns, but I was enthralled in that book. And My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry is probably in my top ten favorite books ever. So when I tell you that My Friends was just as good? You should read it!

What I Read in April (2025)

Books Read in April: 21
Books Read for the Year:  86/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
It is Finished, by Charles Martin (spiritual, TBR): This was wonderful.
Ruin and Rising, by Leigh Bardugo (audio): I really enjoyed this whole trilogy on audio.
Demons and DNA, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): Wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy these new characters in this world, but so far, I’m really liking them!
The Beekeeper’s Promise, by Fiona Valphy (TBR): Wonderful read!
Magic in the Blood, by Devon Monk (re-read): Still loving this re-read.
The Naturalist Society, by Carrie Vaughn (TBR): This did not turn out like I expected.
Your Perfect Year, by Charlott Lucas (TBR): This was a great read! Felt kind of Fredrik Backman-esque.
Adulting, by Liz Talbot (TBR): I was on the fence at first with this, but I ended up liking it.


For Review:

Time Loops & Meet Cutes, by Jackie Lau. I enjoyed this read, although it felt less like a romance and more like Noelle figuring out who she wants to be and moving towards that.

It’s You Every Time, by Charlene Thomas. Not sure how I ended up reading two time loop novels back-to-back, but I liked this YA read.

The Thrashers, by Julie Soto. This ended up being different than I expected—or the Thrashers themselves were different–but I found it engrossing with a hint of creepy.

The Language of the Birds, by K.A. Merson. This was an okay read, but most of it was explaining the intricacies of the puzzles, and that just bogged everything down.

Out of Air, by Rachel Reiss. This was a quick read, but I feel like everything was left unexplained.

The Love Haters, by Katherine Center. I do love Katherine Cenbter’s books, and this one had me laughing out loud many times.

Death at a Highland Wedding, by Kelley Armstrong. I thought I’d read the first book in this series, but maybe not. It was still easy to jump in at book four, and I thoroughly enjoyed this.

My Friends, by Fredrik Backman. On the surface, this should not have been as good as it was. But, it’s a Backman book, so it had characters that grabbed a hold of your throat and drew you into the story—and never let go.

Heart of the Sun, by Mia Sheridan. This was a solid romance/dystopian read.

Their Double Lives, by Jaime Lynn Hendricks. I wasn’t a huge fan of any of the characters—they weren’t the nicest group of people and were pretty shameless about using others.

Our Last Wild Days, by Anna Bailey. I didn’t like any of these characters at all, but the setting was vivid enough to make me sweat along with them.

Just Because:

Bonds and Broken Dreams, by Meghan Ciana Doidge. I ended up binge-reading this over a weekend. Really like these characters.

Between, Georgia, by Joshilyn Jackson (audio). I enjoyed this so much! Bernice was not my favorite, but I loved the other characters.

Left Unfinished:
The Golden Gryphon and the Bear Prince, by Jeffe Kennedy. Um, no.
The Lost Queen, by Aimee Phan. The first third was pretty good. I made it halfway, but it started to seem just to-good-to-be-true, you know? And I didn’t like–or trust–Huong.
Murder Land, by Carlyn Greenwald. Unexpected content.
Wildbound, by Elayne Audrey Becker. This just didn’t hold my attention. At all.
Slipstream, by Madge Maril. I didn’t make it very far in this because Lilah got on my last nerve with her passiveness and poor-me attitude, and Arthur came across as a self-absorbed jerk.
Just Another Meet Cute, by Jenn. P. Nguyen. I had device issues while trying to read this, and I didn’t like it well enough to persevere.

Sundays are for Writing #323

This was a good writing week! I wrote my March reading post, my best books I read in March post, Austen at Sea, by Natalie Jenner, and Time Loops & Meet Cutes, by Jackie Lau.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in March (2025)

In March, I read 23 books, bringing my total for the year to 65 books read. I also DNFed five books. Of the 23 books I finished, most were solid, several were meh, and three were really good.

Magic to the Bone, by Devon Monk. I read these books years ago when they first came out, and decided to re-read. I actually enjoyed this just as much as I did the first time around (unusual for a re-read like this). I like the world and the characters and am looking forward to re-reading more.

The Notorious Virtues, by Alwyn Hamilton. I loved the steampunk feel of this, loved the characters, and enjoyed the setting and worldbuilding quite a bit. I’m looking forward to reading more.

The Amalfi Curse, by Sarah Penner. I was intrigued by this from the beginning. The setting and premise was unique to me, and I enjoyed the characters in both timelines a lot.