Top Ten Tuesday - Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025.  I'm sure there are some books I'm missing but here are 10 I'm really looking forward to reading!

1.  Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jessie Q. Sutanto - I'm so excited for this one but a little apprehensive because I loved the first book so much.  

2.  The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang - I'm starting this in a few days and am really looking forward to it.  It looks gorgeous.

3.  The Dressmakers of London by Julia Kelly - I've loved all the books I've read by her and this looks really wonderful.

4.  Killing Me Souffle by Ellie Alexander - The last book in the Bake Shop series ended in an interesting place and I'm curious to see how the story develops.  Plus, I really enjoy this cozy series!

5.  Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff - I've heard good things about this author and this one sounds absolutely fantastic.  

 

6.  Who Will Remember by C.S. Harris - This is one of my favorite series and I'm looking forward to reading more from it.

7.  The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis - I like Davis' books and I'm fascinated by ancient Egyptian history and archeology, so this book is one I'm really excited about.

8.  The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict - This is historical fiction about Christie and Sayers.  I might read Benedict's book on Christie first to see if I like her version of her but I'm excited about this one.

9.  Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn - I read the first book in the series and while I did enjoy it it wasn't a favorite.  But I'm so curious to see how the series develops that I can't wait to pick this one.

10. Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell - I love her books and this one looks like another creepy read!

What books are you looking forward to in the first half of 2025?

Shattering Dawn - Romantic Suspense Review

Goodreads: Shattering Dawn (The Lost Night FIles #3) by Jayne Ann Krentz

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Amelia Rivers, a member of the Lost Night Files podcast team, hires private investigator Gideon Sweetwater to catch the stalker who has been watching her. Amelia suspects the stalker may be connected to the shadowy organization responsible for the night that she and her two friends lost to amnesia—a night that upended their lives and left them with paranormal talents.

Gideon suspects that Amelia is either paranoid or an outright con artist, but he can’t resist the chemistry between them. He takes the case despite his skepticism. For her part, Amelia has second thoughts about the wisdom of employing the mysterious Mr. Sweetwater. She is wary of the powerful attraction between them, and deeply uneasy about the nightmarish paintings on the walls of his home. She senses they were inspired by his own dreamscapes.

Amelia knows she doesn’t have time to find another investigator, and Gideon is forced to reckon with the truth when he disrupts what was intended to be Amelia’s kidnapping. Now the pair is on the run, with no choice but to return to the haunting ruins of the old hotel where Amelia’s lost night occurred. They are desperate to stop a killer and the people who are conducting illegal experiments with a dangerous drug that is designed to enhance psychic abilities. If they are to survive, they will have to trust each other and the passion that bonds them.

Genre: Romance - Suspense

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read the previous two books in this series and a number of other books by this author and always enjoyed them.

My Impression:   This was a fun read for one of my first books of the year.  I've enjoyed this series and the other paranormal books from Jayne Ann Krentz but this one was especially enjoyable.  I really liked Amelia and Gideon as individual characters and together as investigative partners.  

I don't want to say too much as the plot of this one is closely linked to the previous two books and I don't want to give spoilers.  I liked Amelia's insistence that they're going to be partners even when Gideon isn't as agreeable as well as how the plot progressed.  The pacing in this one was really enjoyable and I finished the book on the second day at about 2AM if that gives you any idea of how much I enjoyed it!  

I'm looking forward to seeing what Krentz comes up with next and if we will be revisiting the Lost Night podcast crew.  I'm really hoping we haven't seen the last of them!  If you're looking for some paranormal romantic suspense this is a fun and interesting series.   The plot does build through the books so I do recommend starting with the first book (though you could probably skip the second one if you insist as it is only loosely related).   

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  This is one of my reliable authors - anytime I pick up one of her books I know I'm going to enjoy it.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're in the mood for some fast paced paranormal romantic suspense give this series a try! 

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

This Week in Reading - January 5

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

Nothing!  I'm starting off the New Year with a No Buy month (which if it goes well may turn into a No Buy first quarter) so I'm not buying books and no review books for this month either.

Currently:

Reading:  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Haunting and Homicide by Ava Burke

Slow Read:  The Comfort Food Diaries by Emily Nunn

Listening:  Funny Story by Emily Henry

What I did to make 2025 cozy this week:

This week I spent a lot of time reading in blankets which always feels pretty cozy!  I also made book lists and resolution lists to get 2025 started off in the right direction.  I do love a good list and there's something about the start of the new year that makes me happy.  

Have a great week and happy reading!

Monthly Reading Recap - December 2024

 

Monthly Reading Total:  22 - I finished off a couple of books I had started in previous months so the number is a bit artificially high.

Type:
Print:  5

Ebook:  10

Audio: 7

Genre:

Mystery - 20

Fiction - 2

Favorite Book of the Month:

I read a lot of mysteries so while I enjoyed the majority of my reading there weren't any major standouts.  

The Family Vault by Charlotte MacLeod did prove to be a surprise so I think that's enough to get it into my favorites!

Least Favorite Book of the Month:

Pretty Dead Things by Lillian West - I didn't hate this one, but I wanted to like it a lot more than I actually did.

My Monthly Armchair Travel:

Domestic Travel:  I visited three new states - Missouri, Nevada, and Ohio.  I also visited Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, New York, Illinois, Georgia, and North Carolina.

International Travel:  In addition to England I also went to Scotland and Russia.

How was your reading in December?

Friday Fives - January TBR

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This is the first Friday in January so I'm picking out five books I hope to read this month.

1.  Haunting and Homicide by Ava Burke - This is the start of a new cozy that looks very entertaining.  I do love some ghosts mixed in with my mysteries.

2.  Written Off by E.J. Copperman - This book has been on my review shelf for far too long and looks like an interesting read.

3.  Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea - This is the first book off my priority reads list and I'm very excited about it.

4.  Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams - I've heard good things about this series and have enjoyed other books by this author, so this looks like a good cozy to start the year off with.

5.  A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong - I read and loved the first book in this series at the beginning of 2024 and am really looking to continuing it.

What are you hoping to read in January?

Reading What I Want - My 2025 Priority List

The last few years I've made a list of 10 books - 5 books off my shelf, 5 books from the library - that I'm really wanting to read.  There's no real rhyme or reason.  I just go through my library list and my shelves and pick the books that are calling to me.  Here are my 10 top priority books for 2025.

Library Books:

1.  Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley - I've enjoyed everything I've seen from Lucy Worsley but I've never read any of her books.  Now that she has a biography of Christie I need to fix that!

2.  The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews - I've read one book by this author that I really enjoyed and I've seen great reviews for her books. 

3.  The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai - This just sounds fantastic and I've been wanting to read it since it came out.

4.  Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea - I absolutely love the premise of this one and loved the only book I've read by this author.

5.  Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett - Fawcett wrote one of my top ten books that I read in 2024 and this sounds just as wonderful.

Books From My Shelves:

1.  Wild Ride: A Memoir of I.V. Drips and Rocket Ships by Hayley Arceneaux - Hayley was Will's PA when he was first diagnosed with Leukemia in 2020.  She was us through some of the toughest times and I was so excited to get her book - though I think this is the first year I'm really able to read it.

2.  Seeing Darkness by Heather Graham - I really enjoy the Krewe of Hunters series but somehow I stopped reading a number of books ago.  This is the next book in the series that's just been sitting there for quite some time and is starting to give me dirty looks.

3.  Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson - I've heard great things about this one and it looks like a fun read!

4.  Murder on Mustique by Ann Glenconner - This one looks gorgeous and has been sitting on my shelf for far too long.

5.  The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman -  I love the look of this one and couldn't resist buying it.  I can't wait to read it!

Have you read any of these?  Thoughts?  What are you hoping to read this year?

First reads of 2025

 

My first book for 2025 is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  But not just any copy of the book.  I'll be reading this gorgeous Chiltern edition that I picked up on a book shopping binge in December.  It's one of those books that just feels nice to hold and while it is a reread it's one of my very favorite books.  When I picked it up at the store I just knew it would be my first read of 2025.

First Ebook:  

Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Kretnz - My first ebook read last year was the second book in the Lost Night Files series so it seems like the third book is the right pick!

First Audio Book:

Funny Story by Emily Henry - The library made the decision for me when this audio book on hold arrived just in time for this to be my first audio book of the year.

First Slow Read:  

The Comfort Food Diaries by Emily Nunn - This one has been sitting on my shelf for awhile and looks like a good choice for a slow read.

My theme for the year is cozy.  I'm going to work on enjoying my time and feeling cozy and content and focusing on the little things that I neglect that make life so much better.  

What are your first reads of 2025?