August 2025 Reading Wrap-Up

In August we had family visiting so reading ended up taking a back seat for a couple of weeks while we prepared for and enjoyed their visit. As a result, I didn't get to one of the books I had planned to read this month, Falling in a Sea of Stars (Green Rider #8) by Kristen Britain, and I didn't start my Pick it for me book until today. Since Green Rider is one of my favorite series, I want to be able to give it my full attention, so I plan to read it in September, but I have more family coming to visit in September. That means I could end up waiting until October to read it. One other thing that happened this month is that I decided to read the second book in the Elements of Cadence duology by Rebecca Ross, A Fire Endless, before I picked up the Green Rider book. I've decided to be more spontaneous with my reading and read more of what I feel like in the moment. That's part of the fun of reading to me. I don't mind having a few scheduled reads but my reading life had become too structured and it wasn't as fun. 

 

Here are the books I read this month- 

  

Cold Iron Task (The Unorthodox Chronicles #3) by James J. Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong Language

 

By the end this was my favorite of the three books in the series but the first half was rough. I got really tired of Grimsby feeling guilty about things that weren't his fault, just like in the last book. I was wanting him to grow as a character and that happened in this book. I still think he's rather weak as a main character, and this series is still not a favorite, but I'm willing to see where it goes.

 

 

  

The Stainless Steel Rat (The Stainless Steel Rat #1) by Harry Harrison

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

A Dead Draw (Tracy Crosswhite #11) by Robert Dugoni

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Mystery, Suspense
Content: Strong Language

 

This was not one of my favorites in the series. I liked the autistic girl, Lydia, and I thought she was portrayed well. Things probably went a little too easy for her with getting jobs and such, but I could ignore that. Tracy did some really stupid things in this one. Going off on her own, not communicating with Dan about certain things, and not telling the nanny what was going on and to stay inside was unbelievable. This stuff made me knock a half star off my rating. I also agree with my friend Iain who pointed out that this book is structured differently than the others in the series. It felt more like a thriller than a mystery.

 

 

 

 

The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White 

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1) by Matt Dinniman

I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this but... 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Fantasy, Litrpg
Content: Nothing I remember in the part I read

 

This was free on KU so I decided against my better judgement to try it since so many people love it. I already knew litrpg was not for me, but I thought maybe this one was different, maybe it was better. So many people love this, it has to be, right? Nope. I couldn't even finish this. Litrpg is still not for me, and I can say for sure that I'm done giving this genre a chance. 

 

 

 

  

The Hidden Girl (Agent Tori Hunter #3) by Roger Stelljes 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Category: Adult
Genre:  Mystery, Suspense
Content: Strong Language, Three very gruesome murders and rapes that are not fully described but enough to be disturbing.

 

I thought this one was ok, but not great. I'm hoping the next book is lighter on the SA type stuff. I skipped some of the details in those three scenes. In this one, Tori irritated me with her immature behavior and I can't blame Braddock for seeing some red flags there, especially because of his son. Braddock continues to be my favorite character in this series. A few times I got details mixed up with the Tracy Crosswhite series because they're so similar in some ways. I think it's mostly because I read them a couple of weeks apart.

 

 

 

 

A Fire Endless (Elements of Cadence #2) by Rebecca Ross

4 of 5 stars 

Category: Adult
Genre:  Fantasy
Content: Several love scenes that were mildly descriptive between married couples.

 

 This was a wonderful conclusion to the duology. I took my time reading this one over a couple of weeks and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

 

 

 

When the Day Comes (Timeless #1) by Gabrielle Meyer

I just started this, so no rating yet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 2025 Reading List

I have seven books planned to read in August.

Reading for NetGalley-

 

Falling in a Sea of Stars (Green Rider #8) by Kristen Britain 

 

After Sacoridia’s victory over Second Empire, Karigan G’ladheon’s life as a Green Rider should have settled into an ordinary routine. But her father’s abrupt departure to rescue Laren Mapstone, leader of the Green Riders and the woman he loves, from the far distant land of Varos, has left Clan G’ladheon’s business in disarray and Karigan’s hands full.

Even as Karigan tries to sort out the clan’s mess, a darker, more perilous crisis casts its shadows over her: Mornhavon the Black has reawakened. Moreover, he has freed two undead wraiths from their imprisoning tombs to hunt Karigan down and bring her to him in Blackveil Forest.

In a deadly confrontation with one of the wraiths amid the frivolity of the Harvest Ball, Karigan is left vulnerable to the intrigues of another old adversary she thought destroyed long ago. Haunted by the unceasing rhythm of the dance, she falls endlessly through the frigid dark of the heavens, and even Westrion, god of death, cannot save her.

King Zachary, bereft and hopeless, keeps vigil for her safe return. If they are not reunited, her loss may destroy him—and any chance Sacoridia has of overcoming Mornhavon’s dark designs. 

 

 

 

The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White 

 

In this gripping World War II historical about the power of words, two people form an unlikely friendship amid the Nazi occupation in Paris and fight to preserve the truth that enemies of freedom long to destroy.

Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany.

For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she’d hidden there. Secrets the Allies will need if they have any hope of liberating the city she calls home.

Christian Bauer may be German, but he never wanted anything to do with the Nazi Party—he is a professor, one who’s done his best to protect his family as well as the books that were a threat to Nazi ideals. But when Goebbels sends him to Paris to handle the “relocation” of France’s libraries, he’s forced into an army uniform and given a rank he doesn’t want. In Paris, he tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over, and maybe find a lost piece of his heart.

  

 

 

Reading at Fantasy Buddy Reads- 

 

Cold Iron Task (The Unorthodox Chronicles #3) by James J. Butcher 

 

Grimsby, a junior Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself on the other side of the law in this spellbinding urban fantasy.

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby may have one case under his belt, but he’s still a novice Auditor in Boston’s Department of Unorthodox Affairs. And he’s already made mistakes.

Desperate to repair his fraying friendships, he doesn’t ask too many questions when a mysterious patron offers him the chance to join a heist of an otherworldly vault—and in the process find answers that could make things right. 

Complications arise when Grimsby learns that his partner, Mayflower, is keeping secrets about his past. Between facing new demons, old horrors, and monsters—both Usual and Unorthodox—Grimsby soon realizes nothing is how it appears and that not asking enough questions just might be his downfall. 

 

 

 

Reading with the Mystery Book Club- 

 

A Dead Draw (Tracy Crosswhite #11) by Robert Dugoni

 

A killer fueled by revenge. A detective haunted by the past. They are headed for a high-stakes showdown in this bone-chilling new Tracy Crosswhite novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite isn’t one to lose her cool. Until her interrogation of the taunting and malicious Erik Schmidt, a suspect in two cold case killings. Schmidt also has unnerving ties to the monster who murdered Tracy’s sister, stirring memories of the crime that shaped Tracy’s life. After a critical mistake during a shooting exercise, Tracy breaks.

Haunted by nightmares and flashbacks, Tracy heads to her hometown of Cedar Grove to refocus. Just a peaceful getaway with her husband, her daughter, and their nanny at their weekend house. But Tracy’s sleepless nights are only beginning. A legal glitch has allowed Schmidt to go free. And Tracy has every reason to fear that he’s followed her.

Forced into a twisted game of cat and mouse, Tracy must draw on all her training, wits, and strength to defeat a master criminal before he takes away everyone Tracy loves.

   

 

 

The Hidden Girl (Agent Tori Hunter #3) by Roger Stelljes 

 

The lights of her parents’ cabin just visible through the woods, the girl carefully curls up amongst the reeds, her knees pulled tight to her chest. Terrified, the only sound she makes is the pounding of her heart, but she hears the stranger searching… if she keeps silent, will she be safe?

When Agent Tori Hunter is urgently called to the murder scene of Dan and Heidi Newman, she finds their throats slit, and Dan tied up: forced to watch his wife lose her life. Tori’s first thought is for their seventeen-year-old daughter Cara who is nowhere to be found. Will this popular young girl be the next victim?

A broken bracelet is the one clue left at the scene, but the team are running in circles until Tori finally tracks down Cara hiding in the woods. Sobbing, the devastated girl says all she remembers is a flash of a man’s face as she was chased through the forest…

Desperate to find the monster behind this crime, Tori pieces together the broken chain: and it leads her to an elderly lady living alone nearby. When the woman won’t speak to police, Tori senses that although it means breaking all the rules, introducing Cara will show this lonely soul what’s at stake. And once inside her house, Cara gasps when she sees a framed photo on display. It’s the man who chased her…

But then another local couple is murdered in their isolated home, another husband forced to watch his worst nightmare unfold. As more couples lose their lives, can Tori keep Cara, her one witness, safe from this vicious killer? And can she track him down before more innocent families are torn apart? 

 

 

 

Reading for my book club- 

 

The Stainless Steel Rat (The Stainless Steel Rat #1) by Harry Harrison 

 

In the vastness of space, the crimes just get bigger and Slippery Jim diGriz, the Stainless Steel Rat, is the biggest criminal of them all. He can con humans, aliens and any number of robots time after time. Jim is so slippery that all the inter-galactic cops can do is make him one of their own 

 

 

 

Pick it for Me book- 

 

When the Day Comes (Timeless #1) by Gabrielle Meyer

 

Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other without any time passing. She has one conscious mind but two very different lives and bodies.

In colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an undesirable English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe further complicates matters and forces her to make sacrifices she never imagined.

On her twenty-first birthday, Libby must choose one path and forfeit the other forever--but how can she possibly choose when she has so much to lose in each life?

 

 

 

 

July 2025 Reading Wrap-Up

 In July I read ten books, and one short story. 

 

 

Dragons of the Hourglass Mage (Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles #3) by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Fantasy
Content: Clean

 

This was the first Dragonlance book that I buddy read that wasn't a reread. I read the first two books in this trilogy and for whatever reason never got around to reading this one. I wish I had read this years ago. I ended up liking it better than the other two. It gave some nice insight into Raislin's character and his thoughts on things.

 

Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Mystery, Psychological Suspense, Thriller
Content: Strong Language

 

At this point I've read six books by this author and it's really weird how it started with the best one and has gone down to the one I've liked the least in order. This wasn't bad, but it wasn't really good either. There was a Main character that was too stupid to live and an absurd plot, but it kept me turning the pages despite the flaws. One more to go! Will it be worse than this one? I'm hoping it surprises me.

 

 

 

 

Long Past Dues (The Unorthodox Chronicles #2) by James J. Butcher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Urban Fantasy, Fantasy
Content: Strong Language

 

I liked this one less that the first book. Mainly because I got frustrated with Grimsby. As a main character he is still rather weak. In this book he spent too much time feeling guilty for things that weren't his fault, something that annoys to me no end in a book. I'm hoping he will continue to grow in confidence and ability, and quickly.

This one was easy to predict, but things didn't get resolved in the way I thought they would by the end of the book, so that was a nice surprise.

 

 

 

 

A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett 

See my review here.

 

 

 

 

Way Station by Clifford D. Simak 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Sci-fi
Content: Clean

Review to come. 

 

 

 

 

Rage (Kate Burkholder #17) by Linda Castillo 

See my review here. 

 

 

 

 

A Thousand Words (Unfailing Love #0.5) by Mandi Blake 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre:  Romance, Clean Romance, Christian Romance
Content: Clean

 

Tyler’s last year of residency is all work and no play, just the way he likes it. His life would be smooth sailing into his medical career if he could improve his bedside manner. He agrees to a blind date but only to practice communication skills. Then, he’s speechless when he sees who is across the table.

Sissy isn’t one to turn down an adventure, especially not a blind date with a reportedly handsome doctor. When the blind date turns out to be her brother’s friend, Tyler, she’s not at all disappointed. Can she convince him to go with the flow for once?

He’s cautious, and she throws caution to the wind. When Tyler’s loyalty is torn between his friend and the woman he’s falling for, one unspoken word could be enough to change everything. 

 

This started out really rocky for me, in fact I almost abandoned it after the first three chapters. The main male character seemed like such a jerk at first. I'm glad I stuck it out because after a little more insight into his character, I ended up liking him, and really enjoying this sweet romance. This is a prequel novel to a series and I haven't decided if I want to continue on with the series yet. The Christian themes in this were more heavy handed than I generally like in these sort of books, but it didn't get preachy.

 

 

 

Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Keera Dougan #2) by Robert Dugoni

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Mystery
Content: Strong Language

 

I didn't like this one quite as much as the first book in the series but it was still good. I'm interested in seeing how this series progresses with the characters relationships. Will there be a love interest? What will happen with the family drama and the tension amongst them? 

 

 

 

 

A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence Novel #1) by Rebecca Ross 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Fantasy, Romance
Content: a couple of mostly non-de-script love scenes between married couples.

 

I loved this so much! I've wanted to read this book for a very long time, so I picked this up for my monthly reading challenge, which was to read physical books on my shelf.  

Review to come.

 

 

  

No Exit by Taylor Adams 

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Suspense Thriller 
Content: Strong language, A couple of rather gory deaths

 

This was a big disappointment. 

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

Trap Line by Timothy Zahn 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Sci-fi, Space Opera
Content: Clean

 

En route to far-off stars, Toby’s consciousness has a crucial mission: inhabit his clone long enough to repair a spaceship, then zip back to Earth. He’s done it a million times, more or less. OK, twelve times. It should only take a few hours.

Until he wakes up in jail. And he’s not alone.

His fellow prisoners: a cadre of alien soldiers. His prison: an ethereal boundary that will imprison their spirits until their bodies die. His jailers can’t even see him. But their pet cat (er, iguana cat?) can—and it’s got a serious case of the zoomies.

With humanity’s place in the odd and ever-widening universe riding on Toby’s choices, it’s time to saddle up for a ghostly game of cat and mouse. 

 

 I enjoyed this little short story. I listened to it and liked the narrator and the characters.