not necessarily in this order

I’m excited to share a 2025 reading trends post  (I’m enjoying catching up on my holds while LM is in rehearsal during my week off, haha, so they’re still piling up!) and some reading goals in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, here are a few thoughts on what I’ve read lately: Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan: 4⭐️/5 beyond the mystery, which is deep and dense, this look into India entering 1950 and the social, religious, and political tensions through the eyes of a woman navigating being an unwanted pioneer in the police service and familial pressures is just a great read. Even if you’re unfamiliar with Partition and how British rule ended in India, the book brings you into the moment with the right amount of context.  Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight   by Sara Gran: 3.75⭐️/5 I thought this might be a “for fans only” as the stars of some of the puzzles come from Gran’s Claire DeWitt series and other writing. But, i...

As I mentioned at the beginning of November, I found myself dangerously close to having read 100 books this year with 2 months to go. Now, I love an arbitrary, no stakes goal and have been steadily working my way through my library holds to see if I can make it. I was slowed down by a couple behemoth entries in a series I feel I must complete, so I find myself this December 1 with 15 books to go. With 2 recital weekends being balanced off by a handful of vacation days (and school vacation), it really is going to be a race to the finish! Note, I accidentally posted these in the reverse order that I read them and will rectify that in future Recent Reads !   The Vanishing Box  by Elly Griffiths:  4 /5  ⭐  I really enjoyed this entry to  The Magic Men  series. Set around the holidays, the mystery itself was the right amount of twisty and it was great to see the main characters grow and evolve. I may have rated this a little high based on how I feel like t...

Some more quick takes on some recent reads! Bleeding Heart Yard By Elly Griffiths  4⭐️ This is what I’ve been wanting from this series! Harbinder focused, a dense and twisty mystery, and really great pacing. From class and political divides to so much Brit slang and lit jokes to longing for life and love across characters and experiences… What a great read! Kissed a Sad Goodbye By Deborah Crombie  3.75⭐️ I loved the mystery itself - jumping through time, the WWII setting, how it all fed the current mystery. Families and tea and heartbreak and lies. But, I was not as enthralled by the main character development. I’ve always appreciated where Kincaid has been messy and human. But, his handling of Kit did not ring true to who he has been portrayed as. And, Gemma. Gemma? Her musical (and more) exploration just felt like a plot device. Not my favorite, but still am all in on the series.  The Secret Service of Tea and Treason By India Holton  3.5⭐️ Not my favorite of the s...

Some quick thoughts from some recent reads! Books and birdcam are my winter plans! Truly, Madly, Magically  By Hazel Beck 3.5⭐️ I really enjoyed the centering of Ellowyn, whose half-human, cursed to truth, mothering backstory somehow made so much sense to me? The magic plot really worked for me here with ghosts and votes and all that - but I wish Zander had been more fleshed out. He is probably the most complex male counterpart - wracked with grief, navigating being a Guardian with avoiding toxic masculinity - but his evolution felt mechanic instead of organic.  Leave the Grave Green 3.75⭐️ By Deborah Crombie Opera and snobs and art and wild chemistry - I feel like this is the book where Crombie started cooking with gas. Almost 30 years since it was written, I have to admit there were some oof Kincaid moments in his reaction to Julia and treatment of Gemma - but how telling to have a mid-90s man in power (who I love, love, love as a protagonist) being so careless with conseque...

Pictured is what I just picked up from the library and below are some thoughts on what I’ve read recently! Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore 3.5 ⭐️ I found this book while cleaning and then read it all in one go. I’m a sucker for a bookstore setting and I enjoyed the movement through time and perspectives; however, the characters all felt like characters, if that makes sense. They were there to connect a web vs being messy and dense and complex. It felt too planned out when what I wanted it to was breathe. Still, a fun enough read to fly through on a lazy afternoon.  Bobbie Faye’s Very (very, very, very) Bad Day Toni McGee Causey 3⭐️ It kind of reminded me of how I felt about the Stephanie Plum books. Crass but not gross, purposefully messy heroines, and a wacky cast of friends, enemies, and families. I don’t think I ever felt like Bobbie Faye was centered enough - she felt like more a plot catalyst than a character.  We Solve Murders Richard Osman  4⭐️ I was ready t...

  The “recent” is probably not accurate in this case; it’s been a bit since my last reading roundup. But, here’s some thoughts from the last few months’ worth of books! Marple: 12 New Mysteries  3.5 ⭐️ When they worked, they worked. I really wanted to like these more than I did. Agatha Christie’s Jane Marple books were formative in my lifelong love of mysteries. I love the idea of 12 women authors putting their spin on Miss Marple as she ages, but it made me miss Christie’s specificity in places. These were written for the twist and I think that’s what let some of them down.  The year of living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country  by Helen Russell  3⭐️ I liked the first half better than the second half… The conceit was so compelling (burnt out writer goes freelance in Denmark and explores what makes Danes so happy), but the execution got bogged down in balancing the memoir aspects with reporting on the reality of Danish life. I’m gla...