Open Thread for Readers for February 2025

TinaNoir

I haven’t really been able to find a new-to-me author in romance, unfortunately. Most new romance novels are all marketed the exact same way: by emphasizing tropes rather than giving a good idea of what the plot is actually about. If every book is Fake dating and grumpy + sunshine and enemies to lovers and forced proximity (I am not exaggerating) then what makes one more interesting and worthy to pick up than the other? And unfortunately, I’ve ended up DNF’ing a fair number. So I’ve kinda been sticking to my sure thing writers in romance.

But I have had good luck with new-to me writers in other genres. I have been on sci-fi/fantasy kick recently and discovered Adrian Tchaikovsky. I am in the middle of CHILDREN OF TIME and it is very good. Also simultaneously reading on audio FULL SPEED TO A CRASH LANDING by Beth Revis and this is so far also quite fun. I am enjoying her voice.

Re-reading Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive to bring myself up to speed so I can read WIND AND TRUTH (books 5) which came out in January. The last book I read, OATHBRINGER (book 3) was in 2017. So I needed a re-fresh.

I am looking forward to Kelly Armstrong’s THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR which is the latest in her mystery/suspense/thriller series about an off the grid town in Canada.

Also, Elly Griffiths has THE FROZEN PEOPLE, the first book in a new paranormal/mystery series about a team of police officers who work on cold cases, VERY old cold cases. But the twist is, they time travel back to when the crime to place to do their investigation/research on it.

And Helen Harper has a new book WAIFS and STRAYS that is the first in a new paranormal mystery about an unassuming cat lady who is more than meets the eye.

And finally I picked as my Prime First Read for February, MR. WHISPER by Andrew Mayne. It is a police procedural thriller. I have never read any of his stuff, but judging by reviews of his previous works he sounds likes he writes fast-paced thrillers with a bit of humor and some twists. I’d like to give him a try and what better way than a freebie?

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