Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Started: 12/30/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2023

Pages: 317

Genre: Romantasy

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

"So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, muddle Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

"But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all—her own heart."

Opinion: Trying to branch out away from all the cozy mysteries that I've been reading and yeah, um, this isn't it.

Breakneck by Marc Cameron

Started: 12/25/2025

Finished: 12/29/2025

Year: 2023

Pages: 353

Genre: mystery/thriller

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Off the northeast coast of Russia, the captain and crew of a small crabbing vessel are brutally murdered by members of Bratva, the Russian mafia. The killers scuttle the vessel off the coast of Alaska and slip ashore.

"In Washington, DC, Supreme Court Justice Charlotte Townsend prepares for a trip to Alaska, unaware that a killer is waiting to take his revenge—by livestreaming her death to the world.

"In Anchorage, Alaska, Deputy US Marshals Arliss Cutter and Lola Teariki are assigned to security detail. Lola is tasked with guarding Justice Townsend’s teenaged daughter while Cutter provides counter-surveillance. It’s a routine assignment until the mother and daughter decide to explore the Alaskan wilderness on the famous Glacier Discovery train. Hiding onboard are the Chechen terrorists, who launch a surprise attack. While they seize control of the engine, Cutter manages to escape with Justice Townsend by jumping off the moving train—and into the unforgiving wilderness."

Opinion: Lots of thrilling moments well described. 

Zenith Man by McCracken Poston Jr.

Started: 12/24/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2024

Pages: 291

Genre: true crime

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "In October 1997, the town of Ringgold in northwest Georgia was shaken by reports of a murder in its midst. A dead woman was found in Alvin Ridley’s house—and even more shockingly, she was the wife no one knew he had.

"McCracken Poston had been a state representative before he lost his bid for U.S. Congress and returned to his law career. Alvin Ridley was a local character who once sold and serviced Zenith televisions. Though reclusive and an outsider, the “Zenith Man,” as Poston knew him, hardly seemed capable of murder.

"Alvin was a difficult client, storing evidence in a cockroach-infested suitcase, unwilling to reveal key facts to his defender. Gradually, Poston pieced together the full story behind Virginia and Alvin’s curious marriage and her cause of death—which was completely overlooked by law enforcement. Calling on medical experts, testimony from Alvin himself, and a wealth of surprising evidence gleaned from Alvin’s junk-strewn house, Poston presented a groundbreaking defense that allowed Alvin to return to his peculiar lifestyle, a free man.

"Years after his trial, Alvin was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a revelation that sheds light on much of his lifelong personal battle—and shows how easily those who don’t fit societal norms can be castigated and misunderstood."

Opinion: How to make a legal case all about the lawyer instead of the client...at least this is how this book starts out and honestly, I don't care. I want to know about the client, the murder, the case, what the lawyer is going to do to help their client out. 

A Limited Edition Murder by Lauren Elliott

Started: 12/21/2025

Finished: 12/24/2025

Year: 2024

Pages: 316

Genre: mystery

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Although enjoying her extended stay working at Second Chance Books and Bindery in West Yorkshire, Addie still feels adrift--far from home, her friends, and her own beloved bookstore, Beyond the Page Books and Curios. The engagement party of her dear friend, Tony, at Milton Manor promises to be a joyful distraction. But there's an ill wind blowing at the estate: When Tony presents his fiancâe with a special copy of Wuthering Heights as an engagement gift, the lord of the manor insists the book was stolenfrom his library . . . Things go from troubling to tragic when Addie takes her Yorkipoo, Pippi, out for a walk on the moors and stumbles across the body of a young woman. When the police suspect Tony of foul play, Addie vows to get to the bottom of what's going on. But it's a twisted, treacherous path to the truth and Addie will need to watch her every step "

Opinion: This was not a good continuation of the series. New country. No real development of Addie. A throw in of two of her friends that just seemed pointless. The mystery was good.

The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson

Started: 12/20/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2025

Pages: 315

Genre: historical fiction (WWII)

Grade: D

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Lisbon 1943. As two American librarians are drawn into a city of dangerous subterfuge and unexpected love affairs, they are forced to choose between their missions and the men they love. Brimming with evocative writing and meticulous research, award-winning author Suzanne Nelson spins a web of secret aliases, sweeping romance, and great sacrifice. Inspired by real historical figures, this is the captivating story of two remarkable young women, their bravery and heartache, and a friendship that withstands the ravages of war.

"With World War Two raging across Europe, best friends Selene Delmont and Beatrice Sullivan are enlisted by the U.S. Intelligence Office and sent to Lisbon—a sparkling city and hotbed of trouble, harboring exiled royalty, hunted refugees, and spies trading double-edged secrets in seductively dark corners. In official capacity, librarians Selene and Bea have been recruited to catalog the vast mountain of information gathered by the Allies, but by night, both women are undercover agents tasked with infiltrating the Axis spy network.

"Where Selene is confident and brash, Bea is bookish and careful. Selene longs to escape her family’s impossible expectations and embrace her independence, while all Bea wants is to heal from heartbreak and keep impulsive Selene out of trouble. But soon, both librarians are caught up in treacherous games of deception alongside two of Lisbon’s most notorious men—the outcast Portuguese baron, Luca Caldeira, and the lethal double-agent, Gable. As Selene charms her way through lavish ballrooms and fêtes with Luca, Bea is plunged into Gable’s shadowy underworld of informants. Victory depends upon the joint success of their missions, but when an unexpected betrayal throws a carefully spun web of lies into chaos, everything they’ve sacrificed is put at risk. As Selene and Bea are pushed to their breaking points can their friendship, and their hearts, survive the cost of war?"

Opinion: Eh...too many things going on. Characters are blah. 

Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson

Started: 12/17/2025

Finished: 12/19/2025

Year: 2024

Pages: 321

Genre: mystery

Grade: C

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Madeline Brimley left small town Georgia many years ago to go to college and pursue her dreams on the stage. Her dramatic escapades are many but success has eluded her, leaving her at loose ends. But then she gets word that not only has her beloved, eccentric Aunt Rose passed, but she's left Madeline her equally eccentric bookstore housed in an old Victorian mansion in the small college town of Enigma. But when she arrives in her beat-up Fiat to claim The Old Juniper Bookstop, and restart her life, Madeline is faced with unexpected challenges. The gazebo in the back yard is set ablaze and a late night caller threatens to burn the whole store down if she doesn't leave immediately.

"But Madeline Brimley, not one to be intimidated, ignores the threats and soldiers on. Until there's another fire and a murder in the store itself. Now with a cloud of suspicion falling over her, it's up to Madeline to untangle the skein of secrets and find the killer before she herself is the next victim."

Opinion: Not a great story. Some things did not flow. Hard to remember how old Madeline based on her how she acts. The mystery was decent.

Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan

Started: 12/15/2025

Finished: 12/17/2025

Year: 2025

Pages: 329

Genre: paranormal romance mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "When New York architect Tate Donovan arrives in Cape Cod to design his best friend’s summer home, he is hoping to make a fresh start. Recently discharged from an upscale psychiatric facility where he was treated for acute depression, he is still wrestling with the pain of losing his beloved sister. Sylvia’s deathbed revelation—that she can see spirits who are still tethered to the living world, a gift that runs in their family—sits uneasily with Tate, who struggles to believe in more than what reason can explain. But when he takes up residence at a historic bed-and-breakfast on the Cape, he encounters a beautiful young woman named Wren who will challenge every assumption he has about his logical and controlled world.

"Tate and Wren find themselves forging an immediate connection, one that neither has ever experienced before. But Tate gradually discovers that below the surface of Wren’s idyllic small-town life, hatred, jealousy, and greed are festering, threatening their fragile relationship just as it begins to blossom. Tate realizes that in order to free Wren from an increasingly desperate fate, he will need to unearth the truth about her past before time runs out . . . a quest that will make him doubt whether we can ever believe the stories we tell about ourselves, and the laws that govern our existence. Love—while transformative—can sometimes be frightening.

"A story about the power of transcendent emotion, Remain asks us all: Can love set us free not only from our greatest sorrows, but even from the boundaries of life and death?"

Opinion: A good mix of paranormal (ghost), romance and mystery. Not a tearjerker like other Sparks' books have been.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

Started: 11/11/2025

Finished: 12/15/2025

Year: 2021

Pages: 464

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: bookreads.com giveaway

Type: ARC paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The Delaney family love one another dearly―it’s just that sometimes they want to murder each other . . .

"If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?

"This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings.

"The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?

"The four Delaney children―Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke―were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.

"One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.

"Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure―but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light."

Opinion: I read this in between library books-that's why it took so long. It was a good mystery and the resolution fell flat....the ending made it worse. I'm hoping that considering that I read an ARC copy...that the ending was heavily edited.

A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard

Started: 12/10/2025

Finished: 12/14/2025

Year: 2025

Pages: 322

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Capri Sanzio knows that when you give serial killer walking tours for a living, unexpected situations are more common than San Francisco's famous fog. So, when one of her guests claims to see a woman being attacked during a tour, Capri remains unphased. The police search the apartment in question and find no evidence of anything amiss, so they chalk it up to a false report from a true crime fanatic looking to be a part of a case. And Capri thinks they might be right, since lately her tours have been attracting even more obsessives than usual--as it turns out, finding the actual serial killer who committed the "Overkill Bill" murders didn't stop the constant questions about her grandfather's supposed crimes, it only intensified them.

"But Capri would never forgive herself if someone is in trouble and she walks away. Plus, something about the whole situation has every one of Capri's investigative journalist instincts going haywire--why would someone lie about seeing an attack? So Capri starts to dig, and when her questions lead to a body, she finds herself at the center of another murder investigation."

Opinion: Decent continuation of the series. Decent mystery. Not sure why/how Capri is able to be as involved with investigating as she is, especially with the police.

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

Started: 12/9/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2025

Pages: 544

Genre: fantasy romance

Grade: D

Reason for reading: library book, trying to expand my genre interest

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards—a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

"Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy’s enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape—for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

"In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

"Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world—and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?"

Opinion: The writing was fine. The tarot aspect was good. I think that it's the fact that it was young adult that made me put it down. If anyone has any fantasy recommendations, please feel free to comment. I don't like gods or royalty so I know that that leaves out a lot of fantasy books out there.

All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell

Started: 12/5/2025

Finished: 12/9/2025

Year: 1992

Pages: 373

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "In Richmond, Virginia, young lovers are dying. So far, four couples in the area have disappeared, only to be found months later as mutilated corpses. When the daughter of the president's newest drug czar vanishes along with her boyfriend, Dr. Kay Scarpetta knows time is short. Following a macabre trail of evidence that ties the present homicides to a grisly crime in the past, Kay must draw upon her own personal resources to track down a murderer who is as skilled at eliminating clues as Kay is at finding them..."

Opinion: Decent continuation of the series. Mystery was interesting from a scientific aspect.

Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden

Started: 12/4/2025

Finished: 12/4/2025

Year: 2021

Pages 274

Genre: mystery/thriller

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime.

"To avoid spending her life in prison, Quinn makes a run for it. She leaves behind her home, her job, and her family. She grabs her passport and heads for the northern border before the police can discover what she's done.

"But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kindly owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night.

"Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn't the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark and disturbing past. And in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick's ailing wife is always at the window. Always watching.

"In the morning, Quinn must leave the motel. She'll pack up her belongings and get back on the road to freedom."

Opinion: Psycho like but not psycho. Slightly predictable.

Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke

Started: 12/3/2025

Finished: 12/3/2025

Year: 2007

Pages: 148

Genre: cozy mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with series, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "A collection of three holiday mysteries includes stories by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meyer, and features fourteen Christmas recipes"

Opinion: I only read the novella from Fluke and it's another body discovered by Hannah and where she helps solve the whodunit. Decent mystery-took a while to figure it out and why.

All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

Started: 12/2/2025

Finished: DNF

Year: 2025

Pages: 331

Genre: mystery

Grade: F

Reason for reading: library book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "When Zeb Wyckham is summoned to a wealthy relative's remote Gothic manor, he is horrified to find all the people he least wants to see in the world: his estranged brother, his sneering cousin, and his bitter ex-lover Gideon Grey. Things couldn't possibly get worse.

"Then the master of the house announces the true purpose of the gathering: he intends to leave the vast family fortune to whoever marries his young ward, setting off a violent scramble for her hand. Zeb wants no part of his greedy family―but when he tries to leave, the way is barred. The walls of Lackaday House are high, and the gates firmly locked. As the Dartmoor mists roll in, there's no way out. And something unnatural may be watching them from the house's shadowy depths…

"Fear and paranoia ramping ever-higher, Zeb has nowhere to turn but to the man who once held his heart. As the gaslight flickers and terror takes hold, can two warring lovers reunite, uncover the murderous mysteries of Lackaday House―and live to tell the tale?"

Opinion: Blah. None of the characters are interesting enough for me to continue. Everyone seems petty and only out for an inheritance.

Force of Nature by Jane Harper

Started: 11/30/2025

Finished: 12/2/2025

Year: 2017

Pages: 324

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, continuing with series

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "When five colleagues are forced to go on a corporate retreat in the wilderness, they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking down the muddy path.

"But one of the women doesn’t come out of the woods. And each of her companions tells a slightly different story about what happened.

"Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing hiker. In an investigation that takes him deep into isolated forest, Falk discovers secrets lurking in the mountains, and a tangled web of personal and professional friendship, suspicion, and betrayal among the hikers. But did that lead to murder?"

Opinion: Decent mystery mixed with a serial killer