What are you reading in Q3 of 2025?

[Kathi, There’s no such thing as too many books!]

What books are you reading during the 3rd Quarter of 2025 (July, August, September)? Anything you really liked? Anything that was maybe not so hot? Anything in between? Please let us know all about the good, the bad, and the ugly!

All genres welcome in this topic thread!

[Kathi, There’s no such thing as too many books!]

So far in July, I’ve read:
Murder on the Serpentine by Anne Perry, the last book in her Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series of historical mysteries, 7.5/10, a nice wrap up to the series.
Lt. Leary, Commanding by David Drake, book 2 in this series, 7.75/10, fast-paced military science fiction.
Legend in Green Velvet by Elizabeth Peters, 5/10. There’s a fair amount of Scottish history crammed in between frantic chases across Edinburgh & the Highlands. The plot is implausible, to say the least, and the characters were almost as ridiculous, but still, it was a fast, fun read.

[Kathi, There’s no such thing as too many books!]

Wrapping up July:
The Blackhouse (9.5/10) and The Lewis Man (10/10) by Peter May, books 1 & 2 in his Lewis series (the stories mainly take place on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides). Beautifully written with complex, memorable characters.
Signal Moon by Kate Quinn, 8/10. Speculative fiction novella.
The Far Side of the Stars by David Drake, 8/10. Military space SF, action-packed and fun.

[Christina]

I made it to the second book of Codex Alera Academ's Fury and really liked that one (5/5). I have a feeling I know where Butcher is going with this book... I'll have to pick up the next one to find out if I'm right though.

I don't normally read a lot of horror, but I read Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi. It reminded me a lot of IT by Stephen King. If you've read both books, you might see some of the same similarities. I think it might have been his inspiration. Genuinely liked the writing style and the story. 4/5 stars.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett was probably my favorite book in a while. Great mystery, interesting world. (5/5)

[Kathi, There’s no such thing as too many books!]

August reads:
The Lewis Man by Peter May, 10/10. A finely-crafted story, told in third person in the present day & first person as one of the main characters sifts through his confused memories & relives his past. Painstakingly thorough, ex-police officer Fin Macleod works to solve the many-layered mystery of the identity of body in the peat bog & at whose hands he was murdered. This story is richly human, with hauntingly beautiful descriptive prose & unforgettable characters.
Return to Night by Mary Renault, 5/10. I found this to be an odd book. It tells the story of a woman doctor in her mid-thirties who gets involve with a troubled young man, an aspiring but thwarted actor, in his early twenties, just before the outbreak of WWII. Parts of it felt very true to the time period, yet other parts seemed bizarrely contrived. I will say I have read & enjoyed several of Renault’s historical fiction books, which were quite successful & for which she is best known. This was one of her earlier books when she wrote mostly what were then contemporary romances.
Where the Wandering Ends by Yvette Manessis Corporon, 6.5/10. I recently visited Greece, which drew me to this historical fiction based in Corfu (with scenes in other European countries as well as New York City). I listened to the audiobook & the narrator (Myrto Stylou) was excellent. Strengths: well-researched; evocative prose; unique & likable characters; a balance of humor & gravity. The author really brought the settings & people to life! Weaknesses: very slow pace (almost dragging in parts); difficult to follow the jumps back and forward in time; some side plots felt unnecessary and disruptive to the flow of the main storylines.
Nolyn by Michael J. Sullivan, 8/10, comments in our discussion topic thread for this book.
Baking Bad by Kim M. Watt, 6/10. The mystery was rather simple, obvious, & thin, but as a “cozy” fantasy mystery, I guess that may be typical; it’s not a genre I’ve read before. The characters were likable & colorful and the settings were vivid. As an introductory book into a series (Beaufort Scales), it works well. Overall, a fun, unchallenging read.
The Way to Glory, by David Drake, the 4th book in the Lt. Leary series, 7.5/10. Another fun adventure among the stars. Adele Mundy continues to be my favorite character.
The Chessmen by Peter May, 7/10. Although this book was filled with Peter May’s evocative prose & colorful characters, it seemed less cohesive than the previous two books in the Lewis series. The author uses flashbacks extensively in this series & signals them by switching from third person to first, but the past & present seemed to blur somewhat together. I felt like May was juggling a few too many plot lines & a couple of these stretched my ability to suspend disbelief almost to the breaking point. Still, it was a solid read, atmospheric & complex.
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home by Joseph Fink, 8/10. This is book 3 in the “Welcome to Night Vale” series (based on the Night Vale podcast)—I was not at all familiar with Night Vale & I received this audiobook as a bonus for doing some market research. It was part historical fiction, part pirate adventure story, & part fantasy/horror novel; a weird mix, I know. What can I say? I enjoyed it.

Currently reading The Strange Nation of Rafael Mendes by Moacyr Scliar & listening to Cold Storage by David Koepp.

[Allan]

I'm trying to get through some books that have been recognized for awards this quarter. Not sure what to read after. Great to hear from other members how their reading is going this quarter.