Tag: what I’ve been reading lately

What I Read in October (2025)

Books Read in October: 14
Books Read for the Year:  197/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Night Window, by Dean Koontz (TBR): This was a good wrap-up to this series.
The Friends We Keep, by Jane Green (audio): I’m sorry, but Evvie was a terrible person.
Magic without Mercy, by Devon Monk (re-read): How did I read this series years ago…and somehow NOT read the last book?
Living as a a Christian, by A.W. Tozier (spiritual): A lot of deep ideas here.
The Last Phone Booth in Manhahttan, by Beth Merlin, Danielle Modafferi (TBR): I enjoyed this read.
The Little Venice Bookshop, by Rebecca Raisin (TBR): This was a little meh for me.
Falling in a Sea of Stars, by Kristen Britain (TBR): Loved this so much!

For Review:

An Academic Affair, by Jodi McAlister. At first, I really enjoyed this. Then it became monotonous.

The Cathedral of Lost Souls, by Paula Brackston. Another solid read by Brackston, although I enjoyed the first book in the series more.

Break Wide the Sea, by Sara Holland. This took me a bit to get into, but I ended up enjoying it a lot.

Evil Bones, by Kathy Reichs. This is usually a solid series, and for the most part, this book was. Temperance did a few things that seemed really stupid, and the ending seemed rushed and was more of a “this is what happened,” without showing the reader/letting them experience it for themselves.

The Memory Gardener, by Meg Donohue. Loved this so much! Loved the gardens, the residents of Oceanview Home, the characters, the dog…All of it.

Where He Left Me, by Nicole Baart. This was a solid thriller read–and ended up being not what I expected at all.

Just Because:

Magic for a Price, by Devon Monk (audio). I don’t know how I missed reading the last book in this series when they first came out, but I really enjoyed finally reading the complete series.

Left Unfinished:

Kingdom of Tomorrow, by Gena Showalter: I’ve always enjoyed Gena Showalter’s books, but this felt like cliched, poorly-written dross.

Family of Spies, by Christine Kuehn. This felt like a very distant POV, more of a tell, not show approach to the action.

The Last Vampire, by Romina Garber. This felt so cliched and predictable. I didn’t get very far, but the way Lorena kept mentioning (mentally) she was on her cycle felt like being bludgeoned with a big stick. Very clunky. Not a smooth narrative at all.

Sundays are for Writing #339

This was a fantastic writing week! I wrote three book reviews, Fallen City, by Adrienne Young, The Forget-Me-Not Library, by Heather Webber, and An Academic Affair, by Jodi McAlister as well as my September reading post and my post on the best books I read in September.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in September (2025)

In September, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 183 books read. I also DNFed six books. Of the 17 books I finished, most were solid reads, a handful were meh, and three were really excellent.

The White Octopus Hotel, by Alexandra Bell. This was historical fiction mixed with a bit of magic, and it was truly a lovely read. Great characters, an enchanting setting, and enough magic to keep it interesting.

Introducing Mrs. Collins, by Rachel Parris. A Pride and Prejudice spinoff about Charlotte Lucas? I was immediately intrigued. And reading about this character, who I never really gave much thought to before, was just so enjoyable. Yes, we get to see a few P&P scenes from a different set of eyes, which was wonderful, but Charlotte was fascinating in her own right.

The Forget-Me-Not Library, by Heather Webber. Sweet Southern fiction with a touch of magic? Yes, please. Y’all, I don’t even like small towns, and I loved Forget-Me-Not. Every character in this was fantastic and believable, and I loved both Juliet’s and Tallulah’s (How’s that for a Southern name?) journeys.

What I Read in September (2025)

Books Read in September: 17
Books Read for the Year:  183/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Artist of Blackberry Grange, by Paulette Kennedy (TBR): This was a solid historical fiction!
Happy After All, by Maisey Yates (TBR): I really enjoyed this read!
Nobody’s Perfect, by Sally Kilpatrick (TBR): This started off a little so-so, but it impoved a lot.
The Forbidden Door, by Dean Koontz (TBR): Still creepy.
Endings and Empathy, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): I enjoyed this series-ender.
Be the Hands and Feet, by Nick Vujicic (spiritual): This was an interesting read.
Magic on the Line, by Devon Monk (re-read): Still loving this series!

For Review:

Overdue, by Stephanie Perkins. This was the slowest slow-burn ever. I loved the library/bookshop aspect, but the basic premise just didn’t make sense to me.

Mint to Be, by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc. This was an okay read—and sweet—but it wasn’t anything unexpected.

A Curious Kind of Magic, by Mara Rutherford. This ended up being a lovely read! I liked the world and the characters quite a bit, and I’d be happy to read more.

The White Octopus Hotel, by Alexandra Bell. This was a heck of a read! I truly enjoyed it from the very beginning.   

The Final Cut, by Olivia Worley. I don’t do horror, but I didn’t find this scary. I found it completely unrealistic, with characters that were too stupid to live.

The Dagger in Vichy, by Alastair Reynolds. This was very short, fortunately.

Introducing Mrs. Collins, by Rachel Parris. Loved this! Actually, I can’t believe this is a debut novel, but it was wonderful. I never really thought much of Charlotte Lucas from P&P, and this was a fascinating read.

Fallen City, by Adrienne Young. The back and forth nature of the timeline in this made it harder for me to connect with than Adrienne Young’s books usually are, but I enjoyed it.

The Forget-Me-Not Library, by Heather Webber. Another lovely read! I was hooked from the first scene, and had trouble putting it down at all.

Just Because:
Crucible Zero, by Devon Monk (audio): I’m glad I’m finished with this trilogy. The MC kind of got on my nerves.

Left Unfinished:
Witchkiller, by Ashlee Latimer. I didn’t like either of the siblings—their dad was really horrible.
Higher Magic, by Courtney Floyd. This world and character did not work for me.
A Scar in the Bone, by Sophie Jordan. This felt like a totally different read than the first book, and It just did not work for me.
Death at the Door, by Olivia Blacke. I found this pretty boring.
The Book of Autumn, by Molly O’Sullivan. I was so intrigued by this idea, and I love dark academia, but…this absolutely dragged. I read almost 37% of it, and NOTHING was happening. Also, WHY did Marcella just automatically trust the pretty, rich boy, with no reason at all to?
The Tortoise’s Tale, by Kendra Coulter. This is billed as “spellbinding,” but it came across as more “dragged on with excruciating slowness.” It sounded fascinating, and the comparison to Remarkably Bright Creatures sold me on it, but it was so slow. Despite solid writing and a great premise, it was so slow it couldn’t hold my attention.

The Best Books I Read in August (2025)

In August, I read 21 books, bringing my total for the year to 166 books. Of those 21, most were solid reads, a couple were “meh,” and a handful were great reads.

A Dark and Deadly Journey, by Julia Kelly. This is the third book in this WWII-era spy series, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all three. The main characters are strong and intriguing, and it’s a lot of fun watching them solve the crimes in the stories. And of course, that’s my favorite era for historical fiction.

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, by Rachel Linden. I enjoyed this so much! The touch of magic, the second-chance romance, the family drama, the setting, the food…all of it worked so well together to make this such a great read.

Glorious Rivals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I cleared my reading schedule for the weekend when this came out, so I could just enjoy what a fun read this was! I’m not smart enough to have survived more than three minutes of the game, but I really love all the characters and their messes.

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.