Currently Reading 2025

[Christine]

[PamG]

Here is my 4.28 rounded to 4 stars review of The Last Wizards' Ball by Charlaine Harris:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Alternate History / Fantasy
6th and final book in the Gunnie Rose series.
Excellent characterization and fantastic world-building

Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite authors and she did not let me down with this conclusion to the series. The characters are compelling, led by strong and capable protagonists. While I hoped for a different ending, the ending was in keeping with the somewhat dark alternative history theme.

[Christine]

I finished my 50th book

[Tammy]

Currently rereading before donating Aztec Rage byGary Jennings

[Sandysbookaday (taking a midwinter break)]

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 for the action-packed Second Chance Station by Renae Black. P.S. The action is not all romantic! There's plenty of other stuff going on. 💖📚

[Brother Stephen]

Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara

[PamG]

Here is my 4.63 rounded to 5 stars review of Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Mystery
Set in a fictional sanctuary town in the Yukon wilderness in Canada.
Book 4 in the Rockton / Casey Duncan series
Excellent World-building, Great characterization
Suspenseful, Entertaining, Multiple mysteries

[PamG]

Here is my 4.23 rounded to 4 stars review of Forged in Battle by Marc Alan Edelheit:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Science fiction military action thriller
Book 1 in the Command Decision series
Fast-paced, action-packed
Compelling characters, fantastic world-building, exceptional action scenes

[Christine]

I finished my 51st book

[Tammy]

Currently reading Traces byFranklin J. Knight a rather slow read

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

I finished The Locked Ward . I overall enjoyed it, but it had a couple of issues. It was still mostly engaging and I liked the way it played out.

My review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

I am starting A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

I just finished - my Amigurumi Critters review

[Sandysbookaday (taking a midwinter break)]

⭐⭐⭐⭐.7 for #19 in the Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham, What the Night Brings. Easily able to be read as a stand-alone. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...💖📚

[Christine]

[Christine]

[Christine]

I finished my 52nd book

[PamG]

Here is my 4.56 rounded to 5 stars review of Dead Line by Marc Cameron:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Crime Thriller
7th book in the Arliss Cutter series
Action, A brutal Alaskan Winter, a manhunt, ruthless criminals
Fantastic world-building
High-octane action

[PamG]

Here is my 4.48 rounded to 4 stars review of Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Police Procedural / Crime Thriller
Book 5 in the Rockton / Casey Duncan series
Great characterization and Worldbuilding
The killer was a too easily discerned.
I enjoyed learning more about the First and Second Settlements.

[Christine]

I finished my 53rd book

[Rosalyn]

Rollicking good fun, think Knives Out but set in wintry Australia. The dry humor kept the book buoyant, but this was a lighter murder mystery on the whole, with medaled pigeons, a kooky surfer dude proprietor, bumbling village cops, and the...

full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



me @ benjamin stevenson:



Even better than the first in series! Told with his signature humor, Stevenson takes the murderous hijinks on the road, with a new cast of potential victims to pick off. I liked the backdrop of the Australian outback, the variation of which I had no idea about prior to reading this book. The exotic and isolated location adds to the atmosphere in a unique way; no misty, shadowy mysterious moors, but bright, unforgiving sun and desert, eventually laying bare all the secrets of each suspect. It’s not all just stupid fun either; Stevenson touched upon...

full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...





Shapiro obviously knows his stuff, and I appreciated the introduction into events and movements of the early Jacobean era and how it influenced Shakespeare’s plays during the titular year. I dock a star because there were times where the book...

full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...





I made it all the way to 75% before admitting to myself that I don't care who the culprit is. The surly male detective trope is overdone. Just because you're naturally gifted at something like detective work doesn't give you an excuse to be a rude person. Also, the tinge of...

full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...





This book should've been called Suppression instead, my goodness! I understand it was the social norm of the time to be super reserved, but everything could've been resolved quicker if the two former lovers talked honestly to each other. This was a quiet, melancholy book, complete with windswept English beaches, emerald cliffs, a frigid and stark November, lots of quiet contemplation, held breaths, stolen glances, feigned indifference. I give it a 3 star because...

full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...





This was my first foray into Margaret Atwood's work and oh my goodness, I was hypnotized and drawn in by her writing just as much as I was by our mysterious titular character. Her description of a young, developing Richmond Hill, Ontario in the 1850s (which is where I grew up btw), caught between the bucolic and burgeoning industry, modern science and spirituality, old world customs and the new, it all felt so lived in and real. Grace is a...

full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...





This was my first Agatha Christie book, and I picked one of the most popular ones hoping to fall in love...I was underwhelmed. Was the mystery and reveal twisty at the time it was written, maybe? I found the methods of deduction too simple/assuming too many things, and the solution convoluted. There also wasn't much...

full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...





I appreciated the author's trademark dry humor and great descriptions of atmosphere - both the kooky and kitschy Wonder Museum and the foggy, eerie Hollow Place. My rating is based off more my personal enjoyment; I was looking for more frights, but clearly looked in the wrong place, my fault, since I know Kingfisher's brand of horror is...

full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...





Do NOT be fooled by the serious and somber cover, this book is so fun!! I was expecting a moody, classic 19th century whodunnit, which sure, it delivers that, but it also maintains an air of levity throughout, thanks to the cast of characters, who are like the Scooby gang if they existed in 1896. They range from an idiosyncratic alienist, to a pair of hilarious Jewish brothers/forensic pathologists, to a badass gun-toting female secretary, to our narrator, the unseasoned but enthusiastic sidekick. They had great chemistry and I enjoyed following them race around NYC and contributing to the burgeoning field of criminal psychology. Needless to say this book is chalk full of...

full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Christine]

[Christine]

I finished my 54th book

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

I just finished A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy. It was a great memoir. It was difficult to read at times and her struggles were not just church related, but also due to combining that with a husband with mental health issues. So glad she was able to get out of that situation before it was too late.

Now reading Forget Me Not.

[PamG]

Here is my 4.05 rounded to 4 stars review of Hunter's Heart Ridge by Sarah Stewart Taylor:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Historical Mystery / Police Procedural
2nd book in the Franklin Warren and Alice Bellows Mystery series
Set in November 1965 in Bethany, Vermont and the surrounding area
Good characterization and world-building
Well-developed and intricate plot
Somewhat slower paced

[PamG]

Here is my 4.16 rounded to 4 stars review of Construction Site Preschool Activity Book: Fun Learning with Trucks, Tools, and Mighty Machines by Brightly:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Preschool Activity Book
Combines fun and education
Variety of activities
Aimed at 3-5 year-olds

[PamG]

Here is my 4.2 rounded to 4 stars review of Throwing Shadows by Claire Booth:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Police Procedural
Excellent world-building
Compelling characters
7th book in the Sheriff Hank Worth series
Setting: in and near Forsyth, MO - largely in the Ozark backwoods

[Tammy]

Currently reading an oldie Ice HuntIce HuntbyJames Rollins

[PamG]

Here is my 4.43 rounded to 4 stars review of A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Police Procedural / Crime Thriller
6th book in the Rockton / Casey Duncan series
Excellent worldbuilding and characterization

[PamG]

Here is my 3.23 rounded to 3 stars review of Girls, Crimes, and the Ruling Body by Barry R. Ziman:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Political Thriller
Descriptive
Lack of dialogue in the first half
Much improved second half of the novel

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

I finished Forget Me Not. I thought it was a quick and engaging read. my review

I am now reading The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective.

[PamG]

Here is my 3.48 rounded to 3 stars review of Love & Other Cures For the Recently Undead by H.J. Ramsay:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Post apocalyptic / dystopian romantasy
Good characterization
Pulled on the heartstrings

[Christine]

I finished my 55th book

[PamG]

Here is my 4.28 rounded to 4 stars review of The Devil's Advocate by Steve Cavanagh:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Legal Thriller
6th book in the Eddie Flynn series
Compelling characters
Well-written
Tough to read at times
Corruption, racism, murder, a character's enjoyment of others' suffering

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

I just finished The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective . It was a great cozy and fun to read.

my Marigold Cottages review

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

I am now starting How to Age Disgracefully .

[PamG]

Here is my 4.7 rounded to 5 stars review of Framed in Death by J.D. Robb:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Near-future police procedural
61st book in the Eve Dallas / In Death series
Great sense of place, wonderful characters / strong female protagonist, a bit of romance

[Suzanne]

I'm currently reading The Nightblood Prince and The Poppy Fields.

[Christine]

[PamG]

Here is my 4.56 rounded to 5 stars review of Knife in the Back by Karen Rose:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Romantic Suspense
Book four in the New Orleans series
Suspenseful, Intriguing, splendid setting
Pulls on the heartstrings at times

[PamG]

Here is my 3.35 rounded to 3 stars review of Please Don't Lie by Christina Baker Kline & Anne Burt:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Psychological thriller / Domestic Suspense
Great worldbuilding
Lacked action and suspense except at the beginning and the end. Great prologue, then slow for a long time before the book picked up again.
Not really a thriller for me for most of the book, but still entertaining.

[Christine]

I finished my 56th book

[Tammy]

I am currently reading the third book of the Fairmile series Dawnlands byPhilippa Gregory

[Lisa]

Currently reading Misery from Stephen King.
Pretty gruelling…

Always happy to connect with other readers

[Sandysbookaday (taking a midwinter break)]

A stunning ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐gritty Aussie crime thriller debut Stillwater by Tanya Scott. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[PamG]

Here is my 3.82 rounded to 4 stars review of Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Paranormal romance
Bk 2 in the White Wolf Series
Easy-to-read and enjoyable, but lacked the suspense and action that I expected.

[Suzanne]

Never Flinch and The Manor of Dreams

[PamG]

Here is my 4.3 rounded to 4 stars review of Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Mystery / Police Procedural
10th book in the Timber Creek K-9 series
Overall, this is a clever and suspenseful mystery with compelling characters, a great sense of place, and tense moments throughout the story.

[Christine]

I finished my 57th book

[PamG]

Here is my 4.3 rounded to 4 stars review of Three Girls Gone by Carolyn Arnold:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Mystery / Police Procedural
14th book in the Detective Amanda Steele series
Overall, this is a clever and fast-paced mystery with great characterization and some heart-breaking moments as well as some heart-warming scenes.