Happy New Year! It’s our first Whatcha Reading of 2025. Here’s how we’re kicking things off:
Sarah: I received an absurd number of recommendations from the podcast community. I am currently reading AJ Sherwood’s The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA. ( A ) I love competent, organized characters who are valued for their competence and organization. A true catnip of mine
Shana: I’m reading Ten Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall ( A | BN | K ) and it’s making me laugh.
Elyse: I just started The Sinners All Bow on audio. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I loved the narrator and author’s podcast Tenfold More Wicked before it retired so I’m already very familiar with her voice. The book is historical true crime about the murder that inspired The Scarlet Letter.
Carrie: I’m about halfway through The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap ( A | BN | K | AB ) and enjoying it’s gothic mix of history, horror, thriller, and romance.
Tara: I started Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow ( A | BN | K | AB ) last night and it’s really fun so far.
Amanda: On audio for my stitch along, I’m listening to The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. ( A | BN | K | AB )
I was also highly motivated to grab Bass Ackwards by Eris Adderly after a cryptic and enthusiastic recommendation from a colleague (Hi, Jane!). I was advised to keep an open mind and not look up too much stuff!
Whatcha reading right now? Let us know in the comments!
Gosh, I wish I had something exciting to report for the beginning of the year, but I think I got too focused on my reading challenges for 2025 (I’ve been known to get a little overly enthusiastic for goal setting) and was forcing myself to finish things that I didn’t like “b/c it will help tick off a box for the challenge.”
I’m trying to loosen up a bit and I’m really enjoying HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS by Jodi McAllister. I usually don’t like romances that center on reality TV shows or that feature Covid but I feel like this romance is really trying to say something interesting about reality TV and how it reflects and distorts our world. I am also intrigued by the other characters that are being set up with their stories. Besides, it’s fun to read a romance set in contemporary Australia, something I don’t see often (outside of Harlequin).
The only other thing I’m enjoying is YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID (on audio) by K.T. Nguyen, definitely not a romance and really read allllllll the content warnings for this one. It’s a ‘domestic thriller’ with a very dark side. Our protagonist is Anh Lee is the daughter of a Vietnamese refugee who has grown up with a lot of trauma. Her mother has passed away and Anh Lee’s grip on reality has started to slip. Horrible things are happening and Anh Lee has been having blackouts and missing time. Are they connected? This is my first recommendation from Book Riot’s tailored book recommendations (all I wanted for Christmas this year and my husband came through) that I’m really trying out. I said I liked the complex female characters of domestic thrillers but was often disappointed by silly plot twists. This one is good so far and I alternate between wanting to gobble it down and needing to take a break b/c it’s so intense. Also it’s set in the Virginia suburbs of DC and the writer has that rich, very intense world down.