2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This is where I will post books I read throughout the year along with my review. This is my plan every year, but I never stick to it. Hopefully 2023 will be the year that I don't let this slide away!

You can find the rest of my challenges in my member corner: Steph's Reading Nook

My GR goal is to challenge myself to read 60 books this year. I will list my books read in this comment. My reviews will be in the comments below or as a link to my review on GR.

GR Goal Progress: 12/60

1. Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon
2. Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long
3. Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame by Meg Long
4. Cheddar Late Than Dead by Linda Reilly
5. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
6. One Month of You by Suzanne Ewart
7. It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce
8. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
9. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher
10. Hive by Jeremiah Ukponrefe
11. The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai
12. When I Was You by Minka Kent

Cover Love

Title/Author: Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon
Date Finished: January 2
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
Locust Lane started off with a bang and like it would be a good thriller. It took a slightly different turn after that first scene, but it was still very gripping. I would categorize it as a mystery rather than a thriller though.

Locust Lane is a twisted web that is slowly untangled. It is told in multiple POVs and alternating timelines. I don't always like the latter especially when it is frequent, but Stephen Amidon makes it work. It has many layers and is filled with twists to the very end.

Locust Lane is a gripping mystery that kept me guessing. I am looking forward to reading Stephen Amidon's other books.

Thank you to Celadon for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title/Author: Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long
Date Finished: January 7
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves started off strong and didn't let up until the very end. Wolves are one of my favorite animals, so I loved every minute spent with Iska. I don't know how Meg Long did it, but I feel like I just came back from an adventure on another world! The world of Tundar was so vivid, it was easy to imagine being in the icy wind and snow, and surrounded by the dark, dangerous woods. Every creature jumped off the page.

If you're looking for a YA sci-fi novel with romance, this isn't it. If you don't normally read sci-fi but want to try, this is the perfect novel. If you're looking for a book with an immersive world to get lost in, I highly recommend Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves.

Title/Author: Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame by Meg Long
Date Finished: January 13
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
4.5 stars

You need to read Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves before reading Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame. There is backstory that you need from CTNFTW, and STSFTF will have big spoilers if it's read first.

I liked Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves a little more than Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame. Meg Long still does a great job bringing the world to life. This time it's a world that is a wild, humid jungle with a torrential storm that covers a third of the planet. The humans that inhabit the planet are just as fierce as the predators that roam the jungle. There is a lot of action and explosions.

One thing I didn't like as much is the character development. Remy was, at times, very difficult to like. She kept making the same types of decisions that ended in the same results, but she would blame everyone else for her impulsiveness. I felt that Sena grew steadily and naturally throughout CTNFTW, but I didn't see that with Remy in STSFTF.

I recommend Swift the Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame to readers that want to try sci-fi as well as longtime sci-fi fans, but start with Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves. Meg Long has a new fan now. I hope she continues with this series and I cannot wait to see which world we get to explore next!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title/Author: Cheddar Late Than Dead by Linda Reilly
Date Finished: January 16
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Review:
Cheddar Late Than Dead is the third book in Linda Reilly's Grilled Cheese Mysteries series, but it can be read as a standalone. This is the first book that I have read in the series and by the author and I didn't feel like I missed anything by not reading the first two books.

The main character, Carly, owns an eatery that serves specialty grilled cheese sandwiches. She is roped into catering a former classmate's bridal shower. The groom-to-be unexpectedly shows up at the shower and suddenly dies and the maid of honor is the prime suspect. Carly keeps saying that she will not get involved in the investigation, but she eventually does.

Carly was not a likeable character for me. Her involvement in the case never felt natural. After the reveal at the end, I realized there were small clues sprinkled throughout the book, but they weren't enough to point out a specific person. I never felt invested in trying to determine who committed the murder. I liked the setting and I wish there were more scenes involving the eatery and Carly's staff. Carly and Ari's relationship felt off, but I wish Ari was in it more often. I think that would've helped it feel more natural.

Overall, Cheddar Late Than Dead is a decent cozy mystery set in a small Vermont town. It slightly missed the mark for me, but I think a lot of readers will enjoy it. It is the third book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title/Author: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
Date Finished: January 26
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
House of Earth and Blood is a beast, but its 800 pages flew by so it felt like it was half the length. It had me gripped in its claws and didn't let go until the very end. So much happened in the 800 pages and I loved every second of the wild ride! I'm not sure if I even breathed during the last 100 pages.

Sarah J. Maas created an interesting (and at times scary) world. Her characters felt real and had depth. I could vividly imagine the battle scenes. The slower parts didn't drag on, they were beneficial in adding backstory for Bryce and Hunt. It was also a nice little break from the craziness.

I am excited to read House of Sky and Breath...after a little break. I'm reeling from all of the twists and everything that was packed into this book.

Title/Author: One Month of You by Suzanne Ewart
Date Finished: January 28
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Review:
One Month of You is a decent book, but it's not what the summary sounds like. It's more about the struggle of seeing a loved one deteriorate from Huntington's Disease. The romance part is a very small part.

A little disclaimer: I have a neuromuscular disease, one that progressively worsens over time and weakens every muscle in my body. This makes me read books centered around diseases different than how I read other books. Because of that I rarely read books where the disease is the focal point, especially when it's one with similar symptoms and struggles as mine. I read One Month of You because the summary on NetGalley compared it to A Walk to Remember and Jojo Moyes (Me Before You). I have read and watched both and I absolutely love both, but One Month of You is not like them in my opinion. They are about love, finding light in the dark, and give you hope. One Month of You is about the struggle of Huntington's.

I can maybe understand Jess' desire to not get close to people. However, I don't understand not enjoying life and living life while you can. I understand that she needed to care for her mom so sacrifices need to be made, but it's like Jess let Huntington's define her and her future which is heartbreaking. I don't allow my disease to define me, and I don't want people to define me as my disease.

I felt that Jess was a difficult character to like or feel empathy for. She was at times extremely selfish and somewhat bratty if she didn't get her way. I did like Debs and Alec though. They were like little, small glimmers of light and had wonderful, real personalities.

I do think a lot of people will enjoy One Month of You. The issues that I have with it is for me personally. One Month of You is a decent debut and I would like to read more by Suzanne Ewart.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title/Author: It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce
Date Finished: February 1
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
It Ends at Midnight is gripping and kept me guessing the entire time. It was hard to put it down. It is written in three different times which sometimes draws me away from the story, but Harriet Tyce did a wonderful job and it worked well. I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but it is a tangled web that is slowly unraveled.

I highly recommend It Ends at Midnight! It is one of the best thrillers that I have read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title/Author: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Date Finished: February 6
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
Where the Crawdads Sing is an historical fiction set in a small coastal town in North Carolina, but it's more than that. It's part mystery, part coming-of-age, part survival against odds, and part ode to the beauty of nature. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking novel about Kya finding strength after being abandoned by her entire family and shunned by the townsfolk when she was just 10 years old.

Honestly, I never felt a strong urge to read Where the Crawdads Sing and it wasn't for any particular or obvious reason. But a friend highly recommended it to me multiple times, so I gave in, and I am so happy that I did! This book was so easy to fall into and I loved seeing Kya learn, grow, and be resilient when it would be so easy to just give up. This book will stay with me for a long time.

If you're looking for a book with strong character development, I highly recommend Where the Crawdads Sing.

Title/Author: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher
Date Finished: February 9
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
Ashley Schumacher has become one of my favorite authors. Her books are cute, clean YA romances packed with emotions and real, relatable characters. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is such a sweet book. I really like that the characters weren't the typical popular, perfect body, perfect hair type. Arthur is a cute, somewhat geeky boy. Maddie is a sweet, slightly chubby girl who is extremely self-conscious about her looks. The romance is slow and, in a way, secondary to Maddie still working through her grief and coming out of her shell.

I really enjoyed seeing Maddie grow and blossom throughout the book. I highly recommend The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway to anyone looking for a sweet YA romance with body positivity and relatable characters. I really hope this will be made into a movie.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title/Author: Hive by Jeremiah Ukponrefe
Date Finished: February 15
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Review:
3.5 stars

Hive is set on a dystopian Earth after an alien species invaded and tried to destroy humankind. Every place is now a Zone (no city names, only Zone 4, Zone 6, etc.) and there are a lot of factions with the Hive as a common enemy.

I don't read a lot of sci-fi, but the premise of Hive sounded interesting. The book was good. I never felt connected to any of the characters though, so I never felt invested in their cause or the outcome. I think if there was more backstory it would help build a connection and an understanding of why the character is the way they are. There were small tidbits in conversations, but I would've liked to have had scenes from the characters' past or from life leading up to or during the invasion.

I enjoyed the ending and that it set it up for a possible sequel. I think a lot of sci-fi and dystopian readers will enjoy Hive.

Thank you to Jeremiah for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Title/Author: The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai
Date Finished: February 20
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
Work in progress...

You're doing great, Stephanie! I really enjoy your setup and reviews.
Happy reading!

Lisa wrote: "You're doing great, Stephanie! I really enjoy your setup and reviews.
Happy reading!"

Thank you, Lisa! Happy reading to you too!

Title/Author: When I Was You by Minka Kent
Date Finished: February 25
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
Some of the twists were obvious, but it still kept me hooked to see how everything played out. This was a good psychological thriller and I highly recommend it to fans of The Woman in the Window.