A Cuppa Cosy Reads – March and Q1 Stats

Where did March go and what even did, I read? Seriously- thinking back I don’t know what happened (aside from Spring Break- which those posts are coming!) and even less of an idea of what I read. I’m going to actually have to go back into my reading log to see what happened. 

Ok, now I’ve referenced back- I read a total of 9 books and gave an average rating of 3.43. Not terrible! We’ll just ignore the fact that I had to review things to remind myself of those reads haha. I’m not going to reread my reviews; I’m going to write from what I remember at this time. Sometimes I think that is actually better because then you get a more accurate review- what stood out at the end of it all. 

The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy – 3.75 Stars – I really enjoyed this third book in this series. I’m not sure if there will be any more after this, but I did feel like this was a good conclusion. We saw some great character development across characters we knew and those that were introduced in this book, while still keeping with the fun-ness of a romance. 

The House of My Mother:  A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke – NR – How do I feel about this book? I mean it was freeing for Shari to write, triggering at times to read, and provided an insight that I don’t think that we’ve gotten from the Franke family. I read this after watching the Hulu documentary (and very much remembering when everything went down with the family), and I found that it gave so much information and insight. 

The Employees: A Workplace Novel of the 22nd Century by Olga Ravn, Translated by Martin Aitken – 3 Stars – To this day, I still don’t know what to make of this short, strange, little story. Told in jumbled up entries, this is a futuristic novel that just makes you question everything from the story to your own reading of the words. But not in a good way (in my opinion). 

The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2 by Jane Poynter – NR – Spoiler Alert, during Spring Break we visited Biosphere 2, an experiment that took the early 90’s by storm. Folks trying to keep a second, fully enclosed atmosphere viable and regenerating to live and exist in. This book was written by one of the “Biospherians” who lived inside for 2 years- to encompass her early life to post Biosphere. I found it to be well done and very interesting, even if I found that she still throughout the book couldn’t call certain things out for what they were. 

Fake Empire by C.W. Farnsworth – 3 Stars- I remember writing in my review “The miscommunication trope is strong with this one” and I still stand by it. That is the singular thing I remember from this book – the miscommunication was way overboard and annoying and definitely took away from some things. And not just the miscommunication between the characters, but between the author and reader as well. 

Magnolia Parks Into the Dark by Jessa Hastings – 4.5 Stars – I don’t think this concluding novel (concluding for Magnolia at least) could have gotten any better. It was such a solid ending, filled with equal parts of joy and sadness. It felt like we left in a really strong, full circle moment and I loved it. 

You Killed Me First by John Marrs – 3.75 Stars – I think John Marrs is always just a solid easy buy and read for me. The thriller is thrilling, the book is fast paced, and there is always some fun level of banter somewhere. This one was no different and I loved seeing the suburbs of his brain and characters rather than the city life. 

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson – 4 Stars – I enjoyed this mystery, the second “locked door” mystery from this author. The story is captivating and enjoyable with a…doesn’t know what he’s doing but has rules narrator. I don’t know how I felt about the ending- conflicted to say the least, but still a solid read overall. 

The Secrets & Lies of Military Wives by Jenna Lumb – 2 Stars (generously) – I picked this up to be supportive of a fellow military spouse in a book group I’m in and because the people reading it in the group were giving such rave reviews. What I found were stories I either already knew (because I either lived where they took place or knew of them through groups/friends) OR stories that didn’t strike far from the norm of any military spouse group. We won’t get into the stereotyping because that’s standard and I don’t care about that, but what I will say is that this doesn’t offer much beyond just retyping the stories you’ve probably already read or seen. 

So, that’s that for March. 

I wanted to take a quick moment and do a little check in on the reading year as we are now fully finished with Quarter 1 of 2025 (WILD!) and wanted to see kind of where I stand. Apps do wonderful things and tell you these things haha.

So, so far in 2025 I have read a total of 10,577 pages across 25 books. I’ve bounced around the genres, though not as widely as I’d hoped, so I will note that and see where/what I can adjust. My current average rating for the year is 3.55, which I’m hoping will improve as I read more throughout the year. Overall, I’m feeling really good about this reading year at this moment. 

Some standouts out of those 25 books are the Daisy Haites portion of the Magnolia Parks universe, The Favorites by Layne Fargo, and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. 

How is your reading going? Any goals? Favorites?

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A Cuppa Cosy Reads – May 2023

***Before I get into this post- I recognize that it’s been radio silent over here for the full month. I’m sorry- More info coming soon!!***

Another month has come to an end and boy was it a doozy. I saw a reel that talked about how May is busier than December and, to be honest, I wholeheartedly agree. It was incredibly busy, with changes and meetings and a whole lot of waiting around for documents. But it was also good- we got a taste of Spring, a taste of Summer, and I got a whole weekend to myself when the boys went camping. I didn’t think I was going to have the greatest reading month, but I am here to say- it wasn’t as bad as expected! I somehow managed to read 7 books and give an average rating of 3.1. I keep wondering- as life gets busier, when will my reading slow down a bit more, but I don’t know that it will. I’ve found myself trying to be better about turning to books (rather than my phone) to wind down and decompress (aka disassociate after being around people so much). It’s a slow, over time goal, but it’s happening. 

So, the books…

Paper Cuts by Ellery Adams 4 Stars As always, I really enjoy stepping back into this town, into these characters and the stakes stay low but not too low. It’s more lifechanging stakes rather than death stakes and I really appreciate that in a cozy mystery. This book was unique to the series as we learned a bit more of our main characters backstory and history prior to present day. 

Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham 3 Stars So…I enjoyed this- it’s written 60% in emails and such between our characters and while I felt like that added to the story, it then made the “in person” interactions feel different. It was a fine romance and one I enjoyed but I found the main character to be a bit too much of a pushover at times and it took her a bit to figure herself out (which I get is normal and human, but for me was a bit…much).

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 5 Stars Welcome to my new obsession. I’m in love. I’m going to push this book on to everyone that I can. Picture- dragons, dragons that actually play a prominent and important role, picture a school where all the kids are above age, picture a rivals to lover’s slow burn, and then picture a twist at the end that leaves you wrenched out of yourself. Enjoy!

The Marriage Act by John Marrs 3.5 Stars I feel like John Marrs is one of those authors I will always buy because I know the books will be good, even if they start to get a bit…tried and true and old at times. This is the third of his (I think) in this futuristic world- post The One. I would say this was probably my least favorite of the bunch, mostly because I think something needs to change in these novels. It’s becoming a bit – same plot, different characters/story. 

One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose 3.5 Stars I was hesitant to pick this one up after the disaster that was The Hunting Wives, but I’m glad I did. It’s fast paced, well written, and the small rich community politics is…accurate. The twist was…not shocking, but it didn’t ruin the vibe the book was going for and I enjoyed it. 

Awakening The Zodiac Academy (1) 0 Stars I despised this book, and I don’t know how much of that is the author’s fault- because had I been fully aware of the trope this book follows (and it’s a bully romance so there you go), I would have never picked it up. I spent the entire time beyond uncomfortable and I got rid of the book almost immediately. 

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake 3 Stars So this would be my second Olivie Blake book. I read 75% of Atlas Six, which I ended up having to put down as it just went…too far and too overcomplicated in the plot, and I am not sure if she is the author for me. I LIKED this book; HOWEVER, I feel like in the last two acts it became to wrapped in making this grand plot work, this large overarching scheme to the story, which then led to the actual story becoming tedious and…not boring but boring. And I think this was a similar problem that I had with Atlas Six. So, I’m not sure where I stand with Olivie Blake. 

And that wraps up my May! I’ve kicked off June with a reread and a whole bunch of new books! 

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A Cuppa Cosy Reads – September 2022

Oh man- that September slump was real! I didn’t really want to read, I didn’t really want to write, I didn’t really want to do much of anything! To be fair- it was my first month with both kids away at school, and I managed to fill my days quite quickly! I’ve undertaken several different things and between those, the non-desire to really read, and life- I didn’t read near as much as I normally would. I’m hoping that things calm down a bit as I really missed reading and I think it affected my mood from time to time.   

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare 4 Stars I started by dipping my toes back in to Cassandra Clare and ended up falling face first all the way. I’m now anxiously awaiting the next in this (I think) trilogy!

The Minders by John Marrs 5 Stars Another John Marrs for the win over here- this book builds off of both The One and The Passengers and I LOVE how interconnected they all are. It’s not necessary to read them in any sort of order, but I would start with The One, then The Passengers, and finally The Minders. It’s wonderful to see him connect so many threads and I cannot wait to read another of his!

By The Book by Jasmine Guillory 3 Stars Hmmm…I enjoyed this- it was a good beauty and the beast retelling, but I don’t know if I would say it was amazing. I enjoyed my time reading it, felt satisfied in the end, and moved on. 

Ink and Shadows by Ellery Adams 4 Stars Yet again, a cozy Ellery Adams to grace my eyes and brain. Continuing to love this series and a lot of what Ellery is putting out. It’s a perfect balance of believable reader, mystery, romance, and small-town politics/comedy. 

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare 3.5 Stars I may have stumbled ever so slightly in my Cassandra Clare read- I wasn’t as big a fan of this one as I was in the past. She got me on that last page though- oh did she get me good. I think my biggest issue was just timing and location- reading this so soon after a Victorian England setting, this is modern California, just threw me off. 

Accomplished by Amanda Owain 3 Stars I’ll be honest- I know this book, I know I enjoyed this book, but I’m struggling to remember this book fully. It’s a modern Darcy’s sister viewpoint (set when Darcy is still just meeting Jane if you’re tracking the viewpoints during the Pride and Prejudice story), but more than that? I would say it’s well done- it translated well into a new viewpoint, while still giving you enough of the established Pride & Prejudice characters, but its, obviously, not super memorable either. 

And that was it! Not too much to really share. I’m hoping that my October goes better, but we’re looking iffy at this point in time…

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A Cuppa Cosy Reads – October 2021

It was actually, surprisingly, a stellar reading month! I think I was surprised because looking back, I enjoyed everything I read, I didn’t feel like I was reading as much as I normally do in a month. This makes sense as we traveled, then had family visiting, had PTO kick off, and then needed to decompress from everything. Somehow, I managed to read 6 books and give an average rating of 4 Stars. So, maybe not by best of the year, but certainly a high rating month. 

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones 4 Stars I found this to be suitably, atmospherically spooky. The book has a haunting nature to it, far surpassing the haunting that is happening in the book itself. I really enjoyed it. 

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson 4 Stars This is the second book in the Good Girls Guide to Murder trilogy and I did enjoy this new case. I don’t know if I enjoyed it as much as the first book, but I did enjoy seeing some character development and I feel like the underlying tone of the book got suitably darker. 

The Tree by John Fowles NR I don’t really have too much to say about this book as I wasn’t really…feeling it? I don’t know, it might have just been a miss for me, but while I understand and believe what he was saying in his long essay, I didn’t connect with it.

The Passengers by John Marrs 5 Stars Easily one of my favorite reads of the month, maybe even of the year (who knows- I haven’t even started to look at end of the year lists). John Marrs is just quickly becoming one of my go to authors for quick paced, unputdownable thrillers. This is my second one and I loved it just as much as The One. I would recommend reading The One first, as this is set in the same “universe” (read: the same modern-day era) and does have a couple of near spoilers for that book. 

Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault 3 Stars Ah, this book fell a bit flat for me. I know I’m not necessarily the intended audience (this is a lower end of the young adult spectrum book) and I think that was the major reason for the average rating from me. I think this book would be excellent for a 12/13-year-old (depending on maturity level- there isn’t anything graphic or super inappropriate, but parent discretion on it), who loves Belle and Beauty and the Beast and wants more post Disney story. I did appreciate the historical references that took place. 

Not All Diamonds & Rose by Dave Quinn NR Ah, THE housewives book. I’m going to be doing an entire podcast on this book, but I’ll just say that I actually really enjoyed it. This is a Bravo/Andy approved book, so you’re not going to get ALL the tea, but you get a good amount of “tea”, but also behind the scenes producer content. 

So, that’s it! Not too much to say on the books, but I’m hoping to end the month strong with a good November and December (even though spoiler alert- I’m not loving my current read…).

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A Cuppa Cosy Reads – June 2020

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another month and it’s time to talk about all the books I read in June…or lack thereof. I feel like June wasn’t my best reading month as I was solo parenting for a good amount of it, there were numerous other things needing my attention, and I read a couple whoppers of a book (aka longer tomes). None the less, I am here today to talk about some of those books that I’ve read. Since this post is going up a few days before the end of the month, I’ll also be including my current read as I will be finishing that before the end of the month as well. 

Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams (Purchase) 4.5/5 Murder in the Mystery Suite is the first book in a series of “cozy mysteries”. We follow along with a young mom as she learns that the life she had always known was a “cover” for her family history. Secret societies, books, murder and mystery follow and each book raises the stakes. These are just quick, easy, “feel good” mysteries. 

Who Do you Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States Edited by Maya Schenwar, Joe Macare, and Alana Yu-Lan Price (Purchase) NR This is a collection of essays about police brutality and race in regard to police brutality. It was incredibly eye opening, brutally honest, and just a hard, but important read. I highly recommend if you are looking for a book that will break down a lot of the issues that happen with police custody and BIPOC. 

The One by John Marrs (Purchase) 5/5 If you want a roller coaster of a thriller, with a unique premise, this is the book for you. In The One we follow five characters in a world where you are able to find your genetic soulmate. Scientists have isolated a strand of DNA that tells you exactly who you were meant to spend your life with. The only problem? It is focused on the genetic aspect, not the WHO of each person. As these five characters find their match, lives unravel and change in a heartbeat. An absolutely incredible book, this one will keep you reading late into the night. 

Murder in the Paperback Parlor by Ellery Adams (Purchase) 4.5/5 This is the second book to Murder in the Mystery Suite and this one was my favorite mystery out of the three I’ve read in this series. I’m not going to say too much as this is a series that builds upon itself, even though the mysteries are different. What I will say is that I love this setting and the concept of the stories and it’s just a joy to read each one. 

Beloved by Toni Morrison (Purchase) 5/5 Beloved is the story of a slave woman during and after the Civil War and her life. It is incredibly difficult to read, both in part due to the storytelling, but also due to the atrocities she experienced and lived through. Her trauma comes through in every single page. This is such a good read, laying out the facts of what she went through (in a different way than the police brutality book), and then her PTSD from those atrocities. It is not a book I was able to read straight through, I had to put it down about halfway through, read something light, and then go back to it, but it was very much worth reading. 

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson (Purchase) 4/5 This is the second book in the Mistborn trilogy, and I waited all month to read it, and it was well worth that wait. We pick up a year after The Final Empire and the action starts right on page 1. I loved the deepening of the world, the new lore that was discovered throughout, as well as the politics and intrigue that was going on. I will say, similar to The Final Empire, there were parts that lagged and were tough to get through, but the last third of the book was nonstop. 

And finally, I am currently reading Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams (Purchase) and, of course, loving being back at Storyton Hall. As of writing this, I’ve only just started, but these are quick easy reads, so I anticipate finishing this up in a day or two at the most. 

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Mid Year Book Freakout Tag – 2020

Happy Monday! Last week I posted my midyear “check in” and I figured I would follow it up with a little book tag. It’s not a deep dive, or something really serious, just a fun little Monday Morning question and answer. At the time that I am writing up this post, I have read a total of 48 books. Not too much of an introduction, let’s just get into the questions!

Best Book you’ve read so far in 2020

Hands down I think one of the best is Circe by Madeline Miller. A close second and third would be The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson and The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (but, both of those will be mentioned later on). There are plenty of books that I enjoyed and gave 5 Stars, but Circe is a book that I am still reminiscing and thinking about.

Best Sequel you’ve read so far in 2020

I have two for this question (because I am really bad at narrowing things down to one) and those are: A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer and World Without End by Ken Follett. I loved both of these in some ways more than the first books.

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

Both The City We Became by N.K. Jemison and My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell are out, and I am really wanting to read both of those. I also would like to read Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad which was released in February.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Top of my list is Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People. I am just a big fan of his and am ready to see what else he is offering. There are a lot more books that I’ve pre ordered, that I’m anxiously awaiting, but this is the first one that comes to mind that hasn’t already been released.

Biggest Disappointment

Ah, again, I have two books for this one: Misery by Stephen King (which was ten times better as a movie than a book) and Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson (which was a great setting and concept, but poor execution).

Biggest Surprise

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I honestly was on the fence, I figured I would either love it or DNF it and to even my own surprise, I loved this! I gave it 4 stars (because I did have some issues with it), but on the whole this one took me by surprise. Another one (just as food for thought) is The One by John Marrs. I only just recently read this one, after hearing about it twice and picking it up on a whim, and ooofff…an unexpected 5 star read for me.

Favorite New Author (Debut or new to you)

Alright, I’ve been recommended this author for years now and I finally this year read a couple of his books…Brandon Sanderson. I flew through Elantris and The Final Empire and am desperate to get to some more in the Mistborn trilogy (and then move on to the other, longer series).

Newest Fictional Crush

I don’t really get any fictional crushes, so no answer on this one 🙂

Newest Favorite characters

I don’t know? I guess I like the setting and main characters of Ellery Adams books. No book in particular, but those characters and settings are just my jam.

Book that made you cry

The Only Plan in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff and Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect Edited by Maya Schenwar, Joe Macare, Alana Yu-Lan Price, Forward by Alicia Garza. I don’t think I really need to elaborate on either of these.

Book that made you happy

This is a tough one because even with my disappointing reads, I still enjoy reading. Books still make me happy overall. I’m going to have to list Ellery Adams once again as those books are just…so cozy and wonderful in so many ways (and they are light and fluffy with no deeper thought needed).

Most Beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow and it was also a beautiful story as well.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

So many! I won’t list them all here, but I will make a note that for the rest of the year I want to read a diverse selection between fiction and nonfiction and a variety of authors and subjects.

That’s it! I would love to hear some of your answers for the questions, so leave them down below 🙂

 

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