December Round-Up

I felt like I was in a reading slump for most of the month, but it doesn't really look like it... It just wasn't as enjoyable of a reading month as usual. I finished a few series, though, and got some inspiration from Lily King like I always do when I re-visit Writers and Lovers.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie. This was a fun, adventurous read, but I felt like the problems the main character and her friends had felt really tacked on just to give the story depth. There was also a lot of detail in some scenes, then the book would totally skip over some major action just to get them to the next room/plot point. Younger readers who like Mr. Limoncello, Book Scavenger, etc, would probably like this.

The Cure for What Ales You by Ellie Alexander. This was a major book in terms of the background story of Sloan’s history, but I found it a bit tough to follow. I couldn’t piece together everything she was discovering about people from her past and have it make sense, so it fell flat for me.

The Tattered Cover by Ellery Adams. This one took a bit for me to get into, and I’m not 100% on board with Nora and McCabe moving forward for some reason, but I’m so invested in the series that I’m sure it’ll work out and I’ll be fine with it. This one felt a bit scrambled to me, but that might have just been my mindset as I was reading it. I felt like it wasn’t as rooted in the town or bookstore this time for some reason.

Heart the Lover by Lily King. I LOVE Writers & Lovers so when I heard this was connected, I knew I had to read it. King’s writing is fantastic and though the ending seemed a little overwrought, that final line SENT ME. I immediately got out my copy of Writers & Lovers to re-read (it’s been 4 years!).

Writers & Lovers by Lily King. This is my third read of the book and it never fails to put me in such a comforted state of mind, as strange as that may sound. Something about the writers surrounded by writers fuels my creativity. This time I was reading it to better understand how Heart the Lover fit in but it still conveyed the same mood and got me writing.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. This book was interesting until incel Shiraha came into play. His rants were too realistic and repetitive, so I had to skim a lot of his sections. The resolution definitely improved my thoughts of the book, but I was much more intrigued by the essay included at the end that spawned the book idea. I like the concept of the romantic relationship with the store more than the overall novel itself.

Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany. I’m not a huge Christmas fan but liked the idea of this Christmas town and thought I’d give the book a try to get in the spirit. However, it fell flat for me. The main character felt like a paper doll in her actions and reactions. And she had two men pursuing her but didn’t seem to care, and it wasn’t really played up much, despite basically being the cliffhanger at the end of the book. It wasn’t compelling enough for me to want to continue the series.

Death in Castle Dark by Veronica Bond. I heard there was a new third book in this series so I wanted to re-read the first. This is SO cozy to me - I love the mystery dinner theater concept, and set in a castle makes it that much better. This is one I'll definitely re-read again.

Castle Deadly, Castle Deep by Veronica Bond. This one didn’t pull me in as much as the first. I thought Nora’s relationship drama seemed kind of middle school and immature, and that dragged on for most of the story. Some of the twists were good though, so the ending redeemed the book overall.

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. I wanted to read this book because the title made me laugh and I was curious about how the concept would play out, but damn did it become my favorite read in December 2025! I read it in about a day and keep thinking about it. I wish it had gone on longer just because I want to immerse myself in Linda’s world more, but I have to say the ending is PERFECT and I would be so angry if it ended any other way.

Death at a Castle Christmas by Veronica Bond. This was a bit too sweet for me. It felt like it was more of a clean romance than a cozy mystery. The ending seemed especially over the top, with everyone getting engaged for Christmas? After dating six months? I also felt like the storyline of the men trying to find treasure in the castle was a bit too similar to the last book, which is disappointing. I’d read another installment if it went back to “seeing” the murder mysteries performed in the castle - I think there could be 3 or 4 unique storylines around that concept and I wouldn’t think it was too played out.

Mrs. Wilson's Affair by Allyson Reedy. I wanted to love this one. It’s no secret I love Gatsby and retellings, and I was interested to see things from Myrtle’s point of view. But this was a real struggle to get through. Most of it was Myrtle’s interior thoughts, and I get that happens when you’re isolated and having an affair, but they were SO repetitive. Then there were weird little asides that made me all too aware I was reading a book, like “Since Myrtle wasn’t present enough to recount the details, here they are:” and “The sins, for the uninitiated or the merely forgetful, are:” Some of it was also really heavy-handed, like after showing Myrtle thinking of two things, it literally says “One symbol actually there; the other imagined.” You’ve got to trust the reader to pick up on these things. Way too much telling rather than showing. I think affairs have so much potential for emotions and guilt and hopefulness and I didn’t feel any of that here.

Always Happy Hour by Mary Miller. I’ve been wanting to read more short stories and this collection interested me with Miller’s Mississippi proximity. I like her writing a lot but the stories were pretty depressing, which I understand can be the point and “the vibe” and that’s fine! But so many were little glimpses of bad relationships with bad boyfriends and it became hard to tell them apart after a few. I like the narrators and would like to see them in different situations instead of always centering men.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. I’ve been reading the YA version of this book but read the OG (well, not the REAL original, but still) for a Sisters in Crime book club-type discussion. It’s really helpful to learn how the same story beats can work in so many different ways to help you ensure your idea is complete enough for a novel.

November Round-Up

Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech. After re-reading Walk Two Moons, I wanted to read this one because I never realized it came before Sal’s story! I loved getting more insight into Mary Lou and recognizing some of the things mentioned in the second book - drastically different writing style and storyline compared to Walk Two Moons though!

A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano. This book instantly transported me back in time to Milledgeville. I loved getting a peek inside Flannery’s life, and I love how everyone's lives twisted together. This book is the epitome of literary fiction to me - getting to know everyone at a leisurely pace and letting it build until it all unwinds. It gave me Tom Perrotta vibes in a way. Read more here.

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer. This might be one of my new favorite books. I was totally immersed in Clover’s world and really identified with her in so many ways, probably more than any other character I’ve “met.” I loved the different ideas around death and how Clover kept notes for the people she worked with. I thought the romance was a bit rushed and too romance-novel-y, but overall this was so good that I’ll admit maybe I’m just jealous of what she found in the end. Read more here.

A Daughter's Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman. I love this series and read the first seven installments earlier this year. I was looking forward to this one, even though I skipped the novella that came before it (but read it after). Thankfully, it all stands on its own, and it was nice to revisit these characters. However, I didn’t find the mystery too compelling - I think the characters involved with the murder were too much on the periphery, so the stakes felt too low. Still a quick, cozy read, though, and I’ll continue on with the series.

George and Frances Roll the Dice by Dianne Freeman. This was a good novella to satisfy the “honeymoon” need for George and Frances without devoting a whole book to it. I understand it was a novella but everything felt a little flat and rushed to me; however, that could be because I just read book 8 and was kind of rewinding to read this, so I already knew some bits that came next, and the rest was like fitting puzzle pieces into things I had seen in book 8.

Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander. I didn’t love this one as much as the first in The Body in the Bookstore series but I love the cute little town and the mysteries that seem like they’ll span more of the series, so I’m definitely going to read a few more. It felt like the main mystery in this book was resolved way too cleanly, though, right at the end, after being dragged out and looking at so many other suspects. More of the story focused on the cheating husband (which got a bit repetitive) than the mystery. But I like the cliffhanger of Sloan’s past, so that’s the main reason I’ll read on.

The Twits by Roald Dahl. I read this as a kid and vaguely remembered the Twits themselves, but not the whole story. I wanted to re-read it before watching the movie. The Twits are disgusting and the description of Mr. Twit’s beard almost made me stop reading, but I love the Muggle-Wumps and how they outsmarted the Twits in the end.

Kinsey and Me by Sue Grafton. I’ve read this one before but didn’t remember much, so it was time to revisit. I LOVE the Kinsey Millhone short stories - quippy and satisfying in terms of the mystery. Some of the personal stories were really hard to read, and after a few I had to take a break because they really got me down. It strikes me how literary Grafton’s writing really was though - those stories seem like things we could have read in some college English/writing courses.

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti. This was such a fun read - I love that the grandfather was part of the crew. I think all the characters are unique and fun and would recommend this to younger readers - plus *I* want to see what happens later in the series!

The Unwedding by Ally Condie. Was this a thriller? It didn’t play up the suspense, though the potential was there. Instead, it felt like I was ambling around the rainy resort with Ellery, and not in a good way, like we were solving the mystery together. Instead, it felt like I was stuck following her around even though I wanted to be doing anything else. That said, I did feel like I needed to finish this book once I started it, so I guess that’s on me. Read more (with spoilers) here.

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas. This book reminded me of Miranda July’s All Fours in many ways, mostly that I enjoyed reading it overall but don’t know what to think of it now that it’s done. I initially thought the twist at the end that brought it all down was overkill, but I think it’s fairly realistic and can’t think of another way for things to have played out. But overall, I kind of have the feeling of, “Okay, I read that.” It didn’t change me, it’s not something I’ll re-read, but I’m not angry I read it and I like the author’s writing enough to read another book by her, which I think is a favorable review overall.

Perfect Little Children by Sophie Hannah. This story was not compelling enough for a novel for me. A novella, maaaaybe. I initially found the concept interesting but it dragged on way too long, the suspense seemed low stakes, and it took forever to get a resolution. And that resolution was not particularly thrilling or dangerous to me, so by the end, I felt like I’d read all that for nothing.

The Pint of No Return by Ellie Alexander. The first book was somewhat meh to me, but interesting enough to make me want more of the characters and town. The second book definitely pulled me in, and I’m invested in the series now. I especially like Alexander’s overarching series mystery of Sloan’s parents.

Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander. I think this was my least favorite murder in the series so far, but I did like how it all came to a head without being the typical cozy mystery “risky” resolution. I also love how the brewery is developing.

Without a Brew by Ellie Alexander. This has been my favorite mystery yet in this series. I think it was really interesting how it all came together and it kept me guessing the whole time.