lindapanzo's 2025 reading

Welcome to my 2025 reading thread!!

I'm back for my 17th year in the 75 books group (my first one was in 2009). Despite generally lower books read totals during the pandemic, I bounced back in 2022 and read 107, in 2023, I read 109 books, and, in 2024, I read 111 books.

In 2025, besides the Net Galley books and mysteries I usually read, I'm hoping to get back to reading more non-mystery fiction, as well as nonfiction. In the fiction category, I'd like to read more romance and more Westerns. As usual, I'd like to make a big dent in my print TBR piles.

BOOKS READ IN DECEMBER

93. The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood--finished on 12/1/25
94. Terror on the Train by Jeanne M. Dams--finished on 12/6/25
95. A Waffle Lot of Murder by Lena Gregory--finished on 12/10/25
96. Vows and Villainy by Elizabeth Penney--finished on 12/21/25
97. Whole Latte Murder by Lena Gregory--finished on 12/22/25
98. Live and Let Pie by Ellie Alexander--finished on 12/26/25
99. A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander--finished on 12/28/25
100. The Boyer Brothers of Baseball by Lew Freedman--finished on 12/30/25

BOOKS READ IN NOVEMBER

83. Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander--finished on 11/1/25
84. A Twelfth Night Miracle by Callie Langridge--finished on 11/3/25
85. The Black Wolf by Louise Penny--finished on 11/6/25
86. The Victim by Saul Bellow--finished on 11/10/25
87. The Hidden City by Charles Finch--finished on 11/14/25
88. Clued in to Love by Ellie Alexander--finished on 11/17/25
89. A Perilous Plot by Lorna Barrett--finished on 11/21/25
90. Murder Made to Order by Lena Gregory--finished on 11/23/25
91. A Very Novel Murder by Ellie Alexander--finished on 11/26/25
92. A Cold Brew Killing by Lena Gregory--finished on 11/28/25

BOOKS READ IN OCTOBER

75. Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood--finished on 10/2/25
76. Dark in Death by J.D. Robb--finished on 10/5/25
77. First in Thirst by Darren Rovell--finished on 10/7/25
78. Fondant Fumble by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 10/11/25
79. Reel Trouble by Karen MacInerney--finished on 10/15/25
80. Hideaway in Iceland by Victoria Walker--finished on 10/18/25
81. The Third Best Hull by Dennis Hull--finished on 10/23/25
82. A Deadly Clue by Victoria Gilbert--finished on 10/26/25

BOOKS READ IN SEPTEMBER

66. The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols--finished on 9/1/25
67. Cop Hater by Ed McBain--finished on 9/3/25
68. My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke--finished on 9/6/25
69. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood--finished on 9/10/25
70. Snug in Iceland by Victoria Walker--finished on 9/14/25
71. Two Truths and a Murder by Colleen Cambridge--finished on 9/17/25
72. Scone Cold Killer by Lena Gregory--finished on 9/20/25
73. At Death's Dough by Mindy Quigley--finished on 9/25/25
74. Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News by Bill Kurtis--finished on 9/29/25

BOOKS READ IN AUGUST

57. Till Death Do Us Tart by Ellie Alexander--finished on 8/2/25
58. Murder at Morrington Hall by Clara McKenna--finished on 8/5/25
59. Evolve or Die: Hard-Won Lessons from a Hockey Life by John Shannon--finished on 8/8/25
60. A Wonderful Christmas Crime by Jacqueline Frost--finished on 8/10/25
61. Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon--finished on 8/14/25
62. Lady Killer by Ed McBain--finished on 8/18/25
63. O, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany--finished on 8/21/25
64. Ballpark Therapy: Why We Go, Why It Matters by George Falkowski --finished on 8/27/25
65. The Theft of the Iron Dogs by E.C.R. Lorac--finished on 8/30/25

BOOKS READ IN JULY

51. The Original Six by Lew Freedman--finished on 7/3/25
52. Another One Bites the Crust by Ellie Alexander--finished on 7/5/25
53. Edam and Weep by Linda Reilly--finished on 7/12/25
54. Uncanceled: Reclaiming Your Story by Jay Fostner--finished on 7/13/25
55. The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime by Vicki Delany--finished on 7/20/25
56. Death by Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin by Sarah Graves--finished on 7/27/25

BOOKS READ IN JUNE

43. Valentine's Day 1946 by Linda Mahkovec--finished on 6/2/25
44. Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto--finished on 6/5/25
45. N or M? by Agatha Christie--finished on 6/9/25
46. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle--finished on 6/12/25
47. A Crime of Passion Fruit by Ellie Alexander--finished on 6/17/25
48. The Yellow Room by Mary Roberts Rinehart--finished on 6/21/25
49. Get Your Tokens Ready by Chris Donnelly--finished on 6/25/25
50. Sour Crime Donuts by Ginger Bolton--finished on 6/29/25

BOOKS READ IN MAY

34. The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman--finished on 5/1/25
35. Star-Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer J. Chow--finished on 5/6/25
36. I'm That Girl: Living the Power of My Dreams by Jordan Chiles--finished on 5/9/25
37. The Fatal Folio by Elizabeth Penney--finished on 5/13/25
38. Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery--finished on 5/19/25
39. A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander--finished on 5/22/25
40. Prisoner of the Swiss by Daniel Culler--finished on 5/23/25
41. Fudge and Jury by Ellie Alexander--finished on 5/26/25
42. Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery--finished on 5/29/25

BOOKS READ IN APRIL

28. Bridal Shower Murder by Leslie Meier--finished on 4/3/25
29. Why We Love Baseball by Joe Posnanski--finished on 4/8/25
30. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard--finished on 4/14/25
31. Shot Through the Book by Eva Gates--finished on 4/20/25
32. A Fashionably French Murder by Colleen Cambridge--finished on 4/27/25
33. When Sleeping Women Wake by Emma Pei Yin--finished on 4/30/25

BOOKS READ IN MARCH

20. Bait and Swiss by Korina Moss--finished on 3/4/25
21. Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak--finished on 3/7/25
22. Tea with Jam & Dread by Vicki Delany--finished on 3/10/25
23. High Tea and Misdemeanors by Laura Childs--finished on 3/17/25
24. River of Books by Donna Seaman--finished on 3/21/25
25. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne--finished on 3/23/25
26. Dead Ringer by Sarah Fox--finished on 3/26/25
27. A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly--finished on 3/29/25

BOOKS READ IN FEBRUARY

11. Scone Cold Dead by Maddie Day--finished on 2/1/25
12. Rise: My Story by Lindsey Vonn--finished on 2/5/25
13. Death and the Librarian by Victoria Gilbert--finished on 2/8/25
14. A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander--finished on 2/12/25
15. The Case of the Caretaker's Cat by Erle Stanley Gardner--finished on 2/13/25
16. Chicago's Modern Mayors by Dick Simpson--finished on 2/17/25
17. The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets by S.K. Golden--finished on 2/22/25
18. Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelly--finished on 2/25/25
19. A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney--finished on 2/28/25

BOOKS READ IN JANUARY

1. Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee--finished on 1/1/25
2. Trouble Is Brewing by Ellie Alexander--finished on 1/2/25
3. Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan--finished on 1/5/25
4. Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney--finished on 1/9/25
5. What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Aoyama Michiko--finished on 1/11/25
6. A Time for Reflection: The Parallel Legacies of Baseball Icons Willie McCovey and Billy Williams by Jason Cannon--finished on 1/17/25
7. Killing Me Soufflé by Ellie Alexander--finished on 1/19/25
8. Schooled in Murder by Victoria Gilbert--finished on 1/22/25
9. She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke--finished on 1/25/25
10. A Cross-Country Wedding by Courtney Walsh--finished on 1/28/25

With my 16th Thingaversary coming up fast (on January 13th), my thoughts are turning to the 17 books to pick to celebrate. Since we're just a few days away, I'll start filling in the list. Or at least thinking about my acquisitions.

THINGAVERSARY BOOKS
1. Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan--COMPLETED
2. A Cross-Country Wedding by Courtney Walsh--COMPLETED
3. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama--COMPLETED
4. The New York Game by Kevin Baker
5. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
6. Orchestrated Death by Cynthia Harrold-Eagles
7. The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler
8. River of Books by Donna Seaman--COMPLETED
9. Andromeda by Therese Bohman
10. The Favorites by Layne Fargo
11. The Hanging Party by William W. Johnstone
12. The Christmas Tree Murders by Andrea Hicks
13. Good Friends by Priya Vulchi
14. Death and the Librarian by Victoria Gilbert--COMPLETED
15. Bait and Swiss by Korina Moss--COMPLETED
16. A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander--COMPLETED
17. A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney--COMPLETED

>3 lindapanzo: Happy new thread, Linda. Hoping for a happy 2025 for my LT pals.

Interestingly my LT joining is a day later than you on 14 January. But I need only buy 15 books this time.

Welcome back, Linda!

Happy New Year!

Happy reading in 2025!

Happy 2025, Linda

>4 PaulCranswick: >5 drneutron: >6 cbl_tn: >7 mstrust: >8 PaulCranswick: Thanks for the good wishes!!

Happy New Year!! Here's hoping that 2025 is a great reading year for all of us.

Besides finishing my first book of the year early this morning, I started picking out some of my Thingaversary books. Always a fun time of the year for me.

Your Thingaversary haul is looking great so far! I'm glad you are filling it so nicely. I need to start planning for mine at the end of March. I never officially recorded all the ones I ended up getting. However, I'll try to do a better job this year!

>10 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori. I'm pretty pleased with my Thingaversary haul so far. I'd like to add a sports book or two and maybe a bit more nonfiction. Doing this right after Christmas works out well for me.

It's weird to think of the day I joined LT in 2009. It was a really snowy day and, back then, if I didn't go into the office, I had to take the day off. I don't think we had laptops then. Of course, it's all different now and I would just work from home but, back in 2009, I found something else to keep me occupied that day.

>11 lindapanzo: If we know weather is coming, we usually take something home with us to work on. If we don't, we are expected to monitor reference chat. However, you can do a lot of other things while monitoring chat which is dead because all the students are out playing in the snow.

Happy New Year, Linda. Happy New Thread. I thought I had stopped by already but I was sadly mistaken. I hope you and the family have a healthy, less stressful 2025. I also hope you can join us for a shared read or two.

Congrats on your LT Thingaversary!!

>12 thornton37814: Lori, sounds like the snowstorms are going way south from here. My friend in St Louis got hit hard by the snow over the weekend. The next snowstorm sounds like it will be well south of even that.

>13 msf59: Hi Mark, yes I hope to get started on The Count of Monte Cristo soon.

>14 Berly: Hi Kim, Happy New Year!!

My reading year started well but then, last Friday, out of the blue, I was felled by the raging norovirus which is widespread in this area (and others too, sounds like). I slept pretty much two days straight then felt weak from two days of water and Gatorade only.

Better now, though a bit run down.

My Thingaversary list is almost completely filled in.

My Thingaversary book list is complete!!

Just a dusting of snow today. So weird to think that areas like St Louis and Nashville are getting all the snow, not us.

>17 lindapanzo: Looks like you got some good ones. I've only read one Elizabeth Penney book, but I enjoyed it. The library doesn't stock a lot of hers so I'll have to purchase some. I think I have at least one Amazon gift card so maybe I can use it to get some.

>3 lindapanzo: That's a great Thingaversary list! I'm sorry you've been under the weather and I'm glad that you're finally feeling better.

Hello Linda. I hope you are feeling better.

Happy reading in 2025!

>16 lindapanzo: Take care of yourself. Lots of rest.

Happy belated New Year, Linda!

>3 lindapanzo: Congratulations on your upcoming Thingaversary! Nice looking list of books.

Happy Saturday, Linda. Happy Thingaversary. I have been focusing on Monte Cristo this past week or so and I am wrapping up the first half. Are you making any progress?

Popping in to say Hi! How are you doing? : )

Hi everybody, I've been off and on with either norovirus symptoms or else similar symptoms that are a reaction to a med I'm taking. In fact, my Thingaversary was on Monday. I felt fine in the am and got quite ill in the afternoon and was almost too weak to make needed bathroom runs. I slept and drank liquids as much as I could for about a day and a half.

Now, a 3-day holiday weekend ahead, though a frigid cold snap will keep me inside and reading. Which really isn't a bad thing, is it?

Mark, I started The Count of Monte Christo. I'm not too far into it but am daunted by the fact that it's a 26 hour read. If I read it only a half hour a day, which might be optimistic, I might finish by the end of February. I don't currently have the energy for such a long read but will continue to give it a try.

Short winter days always leave me feeling blue but I am pleased that sunset is already a half hour later in the evening. Spring is on its way!!

I am sorry if you have the norovirus or indeed, any tummy bug. My son and his wife and two young children caught the norovirus via their young daughters preschool. William ended up calling me to bring in supplies of gatorade, pedialyte and other foods that they felt they could eat over time. They dared not leave the house for several days until the bug subsided. I hope you are soon 100 %. Yes, spring is on it's way. I am also enjoying the slightly longer days.

>25 lindapanzo: I hope you're better by now, and that you can celebrate a belated Thingaversary.

>26 vancouverdeb: >27 mstrust: Thanks!! I've felt great this week. For a change.

Getting a lot of reading in.

Hi Linda -

I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling better! And I'm sorry to have missed wishing you a happy Thingaversary - your book haul looks fabulous!

Enjoy your reading. :)

>28 lindapanzo: Yay for feeling better - and getting a lot of reading in!

Have a marvelous Monday, Linda!

>29 Dejah_Thoris: >30 alcottacre: Thanks. Two weeks since my last med side effects (or norovirus, who knows?). Hoping that streak continues.

Oh no! Sorry to hear that you’ve been sick. I hope you are feeling a bit better.

>32 figsfromthistle: Thanks. My side effects with a med I take are an awful lot like those of norovirus. However, I am learning how to minimize the med's side effects, though it's still a learning experience.

I'm way behind on threads. Hope you are feeling better!

>34 thornton37814: Hi Lori, nice to see you. I've gotten used to the med I've been taking, Ozempic, except for the occasional burping episode. In fact, I had my first doctor's follow up last week, and was thrilled that I've lost 30 pounds since mid October.

Reading has been going well but, once again, I am focusing on books in favorite areas. Any feelings of "reading what I ought to read" have gone by the wayside and I'm reading what I want. In my old age, that is.

>35 lindapanzo: I understand. Sometimes we just need to read what we enjoy most.

I think you should read what you want regardless of age. And I am certainly reading lighter fare this year, but that's what I want, so that's what I'm doing. : )

Congrats on the weight loss!

>36 thornton37814: >37 Berly: I’m finding that as I grow older, I’m more interested in doing what I want.

I caught my first cold in many years and feel miserable so I’m a bit on the cranky side right now.

Hope you feel better soon. : (

Thanks, Kim. I'm starting to eat again and sleeping better so hopefully, things will improve.

Whoa!! A very slow reading month for me in April. Only 5 books. Probably too much hockey, baseball, and collegiate gymnastics watching, I guess.

All is well though.

>41 lindapanzo: I did better than that, but I need to get cracking on writing reviews of the last few I read. I should get to it in a little while.

Glad all is well!! How's May reading going?

Hi Lori and Kim. Sad but I haven't even posted on my own thread in awhile, though I do post what books I've read.

I always think of June 30th as halfway through the year, though I realize that the halfway point is actually July 2nd. Even so, I always aim to read 100 books each year, minimum. I finished my 50th book last night. Yay!!

Now that the hockey playoffs are over, I can read more.

Unfortunately, I'm becoming a caregiver to my 88 year old mother. She was in great shape but she's long had back issues and, last week, she must've made an odd motion and now has what they believe to be a compression fracture. Very painful but, apparently, treatable. Mom has never been a patient person but wishes they'd done the procedure immediately.

>44 lindapanzo: Unless I start supplementing with short stories, novellas, and children's books, I'm not sure I'll hit 100. I'll probably supplement, but it does bother me that my overall reading is a bit down. I do have a lot of books to review, but I need to write them down and try to guesstimate my finish date. I've not been this disorganized in my reading in years.

Linda, thoughts and prayers to your mom. I am sure that she is in good hands medically speaking.

Hi, Linda! Sorry to hear about your mom's compression fracture. Wishing you both well.

Thanks for the good wishes. Mom's surgery is scheduled for 7:30 on Wed morning. Alas, she went for her pre-op exam and one of her important blood numbers is too low so she is going for an infusion on Monday to try to boost it a little bit.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Please keep your prayers and good thoughts coming our way. Mom has been recovering nicely from her hospital stay (8 nights in all so, as the home nurse told us this morning, that means about an 80 day recovery--10 days per night in the hospital).

Finally, her back/spine surgery was scheduled for yesterday and all seemed to be progressing ok but turns out her hemoglobin is dangerously low, so it was cancelled.

Fortunately, at her primary care doctor's request, we were able to get an appointment at a hematologist for next week so maybe we can get to the bottom of all of this. Her anemia is really wearing her out, though her back pain seems greatly reduced.

Thankfully, she is getting somewhat stronger and so my hands on caring for her is a bit reduced. She is watching TV mysteries galore and so, so have I.

However, my reading numbers are up quite a bit from last month, though mainly comfort reads, such as cozy mysteries and books on sports.

I'm glad your mom got through all of that and is doing well. And that you have a little rest for yourself. Best wishes!

>49 lindapanzo: All good wishes to your mom (and to you as well as her caregiver).

Thanks for the good wishes. Now that a hematologist is involved, to try to get to the bottom of the hemoglobin issue, Mom is busy again. Yesterday, she had a blood infusion and next up, special iron infusions for kidney patients like her.

She feels a bit better day by day but no great strides.

Hopefully her condition will improve with the new treatments. At least she feels better, that can be a big deal.

Hi, Linda. Thanks for the updates. Glad to hear your Mom is bouncing back, albeit slowly. Good luck with everything. I know it has been a long, tough road for you.

Hi Linda! Just watched the Cubs advance in the playoffs and thought of you. Yay Cubbies!

>55 tymfos: Hi Terri, what an exciting game!! I could barely watch. Probably aged 10 years in that last inning.

I finished my 75th book for the year just now!!

>57 lindapanzo: Congratulations!

Hi Linda. I had to drop by and let you know that I have finished my read of The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald. I did not like this one at all. I found Travis McGee a pompous braggart and his philosophy of life and in particular women, made me cringe. I doubt if I will be reading many more of this series which is a shame as I usually really like his stand-alone stories.

Good luck with it.

>59 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, I may give it a try but this doesn’t sound promising.

I’m reading it because, when I was a kid, Mom would take the bus into the Chicago Loop to work and she’d always bring along a John D. Macdonald book to read on the bus. I was always curious to see whether I’d like them.

Congrats on already hitting #91 -- Your 100 goal should be a piece of cake! Hope your mom is doing well. : )

>61 Berly: thanks. They’ve been trying for seemingly forever to figure out why her hemoglobin is so low.

She fell a week or two ago and seemed ok but, this week, she declined fast. Couldn’t eat or drink or get up to use the bathroom. Off she went to the ER yesterday. Good thing.

They discovered an old colon injury that got worse with her fall. A surgeon and Mom called me at 9:30 pm last night and we discussed the pros and cons.

They did the emergency colon surgery right away. The surgeon called again at 12:30 am to tell me the surgery went well and Mom is fine.

As a precaution, she is in the ICU today. Her hemoglobin absolutely zoomed overnight. Hoping that continues!!

>62 lindapanzo: Wow. OK. Glad they caught that. Thankful indeed!! xoxo

>62 lindapanzo: Glad everything went well!

That's a lot to go through. Best wishes to you and your mom!

Hi, Linda. I am glad your Mom's surgery went well. You sure have had to deal with a lot, my friend.

You expressed interest in joining us on Kavalier & Clay this month? Still thinking about it? I won't start it until the 2nd half of the month.

>63 Berly: >64 figsfromthistle: >65 mstrust: >66 msf59: Thanks for the good wishes. There's so much going on that our emotions are constantly changing. This part is good but that part isn't. Trying to stay on an even keel.

Mark, I do plan on joining you but probably not til later in the month for me. Probably when I've got a week off before Christmas.

Sadly, we received bad news yesterday about Mom. She has advanced stage colon cancer. Unfortunately, due to her other medical issues, particularly kidney-related, it does not look like chemo is an option. Meeting the oncologist today.

For now, if I read at all, it will be cozy mysteries by favorite authors. Comfort is what I need.

Love and hugs to you, Linda.
Your mum was lucky to have such a good and loving daughter. xx

Stopping by to offer you my condolences, Linda. I’m glad that you had quiet, peaceful time with her, and my heart goes out to you in your grief. .

May God hold you close.

Deepest condolences, Linda. At least your Mother is finally at peace. I know you were close to your folks and you were a very caring and loving daughter.

Sorry to read about the loss of your mother. I think, like many of us, you'll miss her every day the rest of your life--but it will get a little easier as time goes on.

Thanks for the good wishes. I mentioned here somewhere that, on Saturday, when my sister and I visited, she slept the entire time. We were getting ready to go and I played the Mom Playlist of 5 of her favorite songs. I started singing. She opened her eyes, gave a little smile and in a weak but coherent voice, told us she felt no pain and was at peace. That she saw my Dad, as well as all her siblings, all 7 of them, plus her mother and father.

She added that she wasn’t ready for this yet (we took this to mean that she wasn’t going to die soon), Then she added that she hoped God would bless her. What a comforting message for us.

This took all of her energy and she went back to sleep and never spoke again. Though when I kept her company during her last hours on Sunday, talking to her and holding her hand, she gently squeezed my hand a few times.

I'm so sorry for your loss. You're always going to keep your mother's words with you, and that was a gift.

So sorry for your loss, Linda. She is at peace now and yes, what a gift to you her last words were.

Thanks for the good wishes.

>74 mstrust: I had a sudden moment of panic the other day when I couldn’t find any recordings of Mom. I thought I’d forget what her voice sounded like.

Didn’t see any Mom voicemails on my phone. But then I noticed that there is a spot for deleted voicemails and I’d never emptied the deleted bin.

O happy day!!

Hooray! I kept a voice-mail from my dad for years, but I forgot to say anything the last time we switched phones and lost it.

Most of Mom’s voicemails are of the “it’s 6 o’clock, where are you?” variety but I’ll take it.

Dear Linda, keeping you in my thoughts and prayers this festive season.

I did it. I reached my 100 books read goal for 2025. Yes, I know that this is the 75ers group but I know I can reach 75 easily and 100 is doable but is a bit of a stretch, especially considering all of Mom's medical issues during the second half of the year.

Congratulations, that is an accomplishment!