August 2025 Reading

My favorite August books were the two historical fiction novels - Niccolò Rising, which I had carried unread to Bruges and back in May (I suppose it was too layered for airplane or train reading but how I wished I had read it before our trip) and the fourth Emmy Lake book. I am sorry to see that series come to an end, although I am sure the author has other projects in mind. I read a few more of my 20 Books of Summer but still have five left. I would have completed more except for a host of library books all appearing at once with non-renewable deadlines. I’m sure these five can wait a little longer but I need to impose one of my occasional moratoriums on library books so I can read some of the books piled around my house. The (poor) books are always with us . . . .  Speaking of poor, the worst book of the summer was The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick (see below). Thank goodness I got this from the library!

Historical Fiction

Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce (2025). In this final installment of the beloved series about Emmy Lake, advice correspondent, the whole staff of Woman’s Friend moves to Bunty’s grandmother’s estate to escape from the Blitz and the weariness of so many years of war. The end is in sight but will Emmy’s friends all survive? My review.

Niccolò Rising* by Dorothy Dunnett (1986). Claes is a happy-go-lucky dyer’s apprentice in 15th century Bruges when a chance encounter with a Scottish nobleman begins his transformation to successful merchant and statesman – making friends and enemies along the way. This is the first of eight books. I was exhausted after book 2 and need to rest for a while before I continue with the series but I am definitely hooked. My review.

Mystery/Suspense

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker; narrator, Edward Ballerini (2024)(audio). A disturbing novel that starts out in 1975 with two misfit teens who become friends. When Patch is kidnapped, his friend Saint refuses to believe he is dead and goes on searching for him when everyone else gives up. There are secrets, a serial killer, obsessive love, and I thought the book dragged a lot in the middle and could have been tightened up by a good editor. Worth the hype? Probably not although I give the author credit for originality.

Bewilderment by Richard Powers (2021). This was the July selection for my book group and resulted in a good discussion. The protagonist is a recent widower, Theo, an astrobiologist, trying to bring up his difficult son who has passionate interests but an inability to interact with children his own age.

The Black Honeymoon* by Constance and Gwenyth Little (1944). After Miriel gets married impetuously to the nephew of one of her patients at the hospital, the patient dies. Afraid she will be accused of the murder and worried her new husband suspects her, she enlists a family friend to help her investigate. I was intrigued by this sister writing team but found the book only so-so. My review.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly (2025). Launching a new series set on Catalina Island, Connelly introduces a mysterious dead body right away. Detective no-first-name Stillwell has been exiled to this scenic, backwater location but if he can solve this case, maybe he will get promoted back to the LAPD. I didn’t think this was as strong as his Bosch/Haller books but I am glad he is producing more than one book per year. My review.

An Unlikely Spy by Rebecca Starford (2021). Evelyn’s scholarship to a prestigious girls’ boarding school helped her escape her lower middle class background, make a best friend from a wealthy family, and attend Oxford. When she is recruited to become a spy at the outset of WWII, she is nervous but eager to avoid boring secretarial work. This new opportunity leads to excitement and ruin.  I didn't much like Evelyn but I did feel sorry for her.

The Harbor Lights Mystery by Emylia Hall (2023). Ally Bright is listening to holiday carolers and rejoicing that she has rebounded from the death of her husband when a dead body is discovered. She tries to get her friend Jayden involved in this mystery but they have no official connection to the case until a letter is found in the dead man’s pocket that involves their friend Saffron. This follows The Shell House Detectives in a new series with appealing characters.

Romance

Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong (2025). When Gemma can’t sell her romance manuscript, she decides she needs to make her male protagonist more of a “bad boy” and models him on her high school nemesis, now a star hockey player for the local franchise. Once her secret is revealed, he is sorry about having been a jerk to her in the past and suggests they fake date to help sales of her book. The results are entertaining, as this trope always appeals. Armstrong is a prolific author and better known for her suspense but this was worth reading.

The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews (2025). In this historical romance, a modest teacher at an academy for young ladies tries to shut down a newspaper investigation into the progressive curriculum being taught at the school. She winds up in a marriage of convenience and uses it to pursue the disappearance of a potential student. I find Matthews’ books a bit too earnest but her research and language are above average.

Juvenile and YA

The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick by S. Isabelle (2025). I really cannot believe how poorly written and plotted this book was, beginning with a grammatical mistake on the first page. The author was clearly aiming for a YA version of Bridgerton but the heroine she describes is unlikable and unconvincing as a 19th century miss. She curses, she ignores the need for chaperonage, she is rude to suitors - even as a moderate heiress, it seems unlikely the daughter of a servant would be received by the ton.

* from my 20 Books of Summer