November-December Reading Wrap-up and Yearly Stats (Jan 4)
- 2 hours ago
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NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER READS
1. Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland (Adult Fantasy) (439 pages) (4.5⭐️)
This is the conclusion to the Broken Blades trilogy following a group of morally grey characters who, in the first book (Five Broken Blades), engage in a high stakes heist. I have grown attached to the characters throughout the series and it was emotional to bid them farewell. This trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series to date – it has well developed characters and relationships, lots of fantasy politics, and an easy to understand but epic magic system.
2. Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly (Adult Cozy Mystery) (312 pages) (4⭐️)
Carly Hale has opened Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery, but when her ex-boyfriend Lyle buys the building he wants her out. When Lyle is discovered dead, Carly’s employee is suspected and she must prove her innocence. This is a very solid cozy mystery with very likable characters. I enjoyed my reading experience, I just wish Carly’s restaurant was real, because I’d be a regular patron for sure!
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8030838043
3. Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith (Adult Contemporary) (351 pages) (3.25⭐️)
The four Endicott siblings (Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude) were once inseparable, but now they haven’t spoken in years. Then an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a small town in North Dakota. This is an emotional but predictable story. The characters are well written, but they are terrible romantic partners to their significant others. I liked how the story is told from each siblings’ POV and in both past and present.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8058743815
4. Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood (Historical Cozy Mystery) (321 pages) (5⭐️)
Taking place in 1942, Willowjean ‘Will’ Parker is a circus runaway who is recruited by private investigator Lillian Pentecost. Together they solve the case of Abigail Collins who was found murdered at her Halloween party. I liked the style in which the story is told – as though Will is recounting events from the past in the form of a biography of sorts. Lillian has multiple sclerosis, but she is such a badass woman. The case went places I didn’t expect and this is a promising start to a series.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8061511701
5. Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry (Adult Romantasy) (511 pages) (4⭐️)
Odessa is a princess living in a monster infested world. She is forced into an arranged marriage with a foreign prince in the months leading up to the migration of the deadly bird-monsters, the Crux. This is a slowburn romance between Odessa and the prince’s guard, the Guardian. Odessa is a wonderful protagonist – she’s humble, kind, determined, and tough. The book was probably a little longer than it needed to be, but though the plot at times meandered it was never outright boring.
6. Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross (YA Fantasy) (458 pages) (4.5⭐️)
This is a standalone story about Evadne and her sister Halcyon who is a fugitive from her former commander. Evadne offers to take part of her sister’s sentence when she’s captured. If you liked the sisterly bond from the movie Frozen, then this is the perfect book for you. Ross is a masterful writer, and she manages to balance character development, plot, pacing, and world building, all without sacrificing anything.
Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!
7. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (Adult Cozy Mystery) (354 pages) (4.25⭐️)
In 1965, Frances Adams is told by a fortune-teller that she will be murdered. In the present day, her great-niece Annie, an aspiring mystery author, tries to solve Frances’ murder. This is told in both past and present POVs, and I was entertained by both. Frances’ POV is told via her journal which was a smart way to incorporate her. Annie has a budding romance with detective Rowan which is a big cozy mystery trope, but they have great chemistry.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8127515594
8. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman (Adult Cozy Thriller) (368 pages) (4.5⭐️)
This is the fifth installment of the Thursday Murder Club series about a group of elderly friends (Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron) solving murders. In this one, they solve the case of the mysterious disappearance of Nick Silver who was about to cash in on his fortune. I am emotionally attached to the characters in this series. The writing is always a good mixture of dry humor and more series topics.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8127514932
9. Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young (Adult Romance) (336 page) (4⭐️)
This is a companion sequel to Out on a Limb, but I didn’t read that one and had no problem following this book. This one follows high school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb. They have hit a rough patch in their marriage and go on a hiking retreat to try and fix their relationship. This is a second chance romance featuring a green flag male love interest. While I enjoyed the story, I feel it could have been a novella – there wasn’t necessarily enough meat for a full length novel.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8141933560
10. The Antique Hunters Death on the Red Sea by C. L. Miller (Adult Cozy Mystery) (304 pages) (3.5⭐️)
This is the second book in the Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder series following Freya and her Aunt Carole who hunt down stolen antiques. In this installment, Freya and Carole are aboard a cruise ship full of stolen antiques hunting down a painting. The first book was one of my favorites of the year, so I went into this one with pretty high expectations. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the first book. There were things I liked about it for sure, but Freya felt out of her depth, Carole was painfully dumbed down, and there is no chemistry between Freya and FBI agent Phil. I will still continue with the series when the next book comes out.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7520261843
11. Murder Most Festive by Ada Moncrieff (Adult Historical Mystery) (281 pages) (3.25⭐️)
On Christmas Eve in 1938 the Westbury family and their guests gather for a celebration. Then one of them is found dead on Christmas morning. I read this book for my new mystery book club, The Plot Thickens. This book reads like a classic era mystery and I believe that’s what it was trying to emulate. It also reads a tad pretentious, like the author is trying to flex her vocabulary. The characters for the most part, even if not likable, did have a lot of personality, but I wish we’d focused on just one instead of bouncing around so much.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8161403547
12. The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst (Adult Cozy Fantasy) (372 pages) (4.5⭐️)
Terlu broke the law by using magic to create a sentient plant and was turned into a statue as punishment. Then she awakens on the island of Belde on which is a massive, enchanted greenhouse and a singular gardener, Yarrow. The island greenhouse setting is whimsical. As the characters fix up the greenhouse, they heal themselves as well. I don’t read a lot of cozy fantasies, but when I do I always tend to find ones I love.
Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!
13.Murder Under Her Skin by Steven Spotswood (Adult Historical Mystery) (352 pages) (5⭐️)
This is the second book in the Pentecost and Parker mystery series about Will Parker and Lillian Pentecost who run a detective agency. In this book, they investigate the murder of a former circus coworker of Will's. I won't be linking a full review as I didn't have much to say other than I enjoyed this book as much as the first. I liked getting to learn more about Will's background before she joined Lillian's agency.
DNFs
1. Tart of Darkness by Denis Swanson (Adult Cozy Mystery) (read 113 pages/32%)
This book follows Dani who inherits an old home in a college town. She decides to open her own Chef-to-Go business. Then, a friend of one of the college kids boarding at her house is murdered and she’s a suspect. There was nothing necessarily bad about this novel that made me DNF it. I simply found it to be boring and uninspired – too much like the other cozy mysteries I’ve read before with nothing new to offer.
STATS:
PAGES READ (JAN-DEC): 25,345 (AVG. Book Length: 367.32 pages)
AVG. STAR RATING (JAN-DEC) 267/345 ⭐️ (AVG. 3.87⭐️)
2025 Buzzwordathon
Youtuber Booksandlala (Kayla) does this annual event in which every month she gives a prompt for either a specific word or concept for you to find in book titles. In order to not stress and have fun completing the challenge, I'm not worrying about doing it in order - just finding them all within 2025.
Kayla's Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6pwIbmJOK4&t=364s&pp=ygUaYm9va3NhbmRsYWxhIGJ1enp3b3JkYXRob24%3D
Buzzwords/Concepts:
Truth and Lies
✅Water words: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
✅Thing (words with 'thing' in them): If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
✅Animals: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
✅"To"/Guides : The Best Way to Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale
Memory related words
✅Punctuation: Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
✅With: With a Vengeance by Riley Sager
✅Events: The Block Party by Jamie Day
✅Violent words: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
✅Never: Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown
✅Alliteration: Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland
Final Buzzwordathon Score: 10/12 (83.33% complete)
YEARLY STATS:
REREADS: 4 (5.80%)
DNFs: 8
# OF AUTHORS I READ FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2025: 30
AUDIO:BOOKS 24 (34.78%)
PHYSICAL: BOOKS 45 (65.22%)
LIBRARY BOOKS: 32 (46.38%)
ADULT BOOKS: 54 (78.26%)
MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS: 1 (1.45%)
YA: BOOKS:14 (20.29%)
FANTASY/MAGICAL REALISM/SCI-FI: BOOKS: 23 (33.33%)
HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS: 1 (.1.45%)
MYSTERY/THRILLER: BOOKS: 38 (55.07%)
CONTEMPORARY/ROMANCE BOOKS: 7 (10.14%)
2026 GOALS
Read at least 55 books
Use the library more and only buy books from authors I've established I enjoy
Continue querying TSB/TPoI (my YA fantasy manuscript)
Write the first draft of my next YA fantasy manuscript OoF/TMHD