I am continuing to use reading as my escape from the messy world. The news is hard to read and everything just feels like a lot. I am so thankful for books and the wonderful escapes that they are. 

This month I read 30 books, 9 of them on audio. I mostly read cozy mysteries, followed by historical mysteries and romance. For a list of all the books I read, see below. 

Here are the titles I gave five stars this month. Tell me – what have you read that you enjoyed?

Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens (audiobook) – This was SO much fun – an enemies to lovers romance. This book took me out of this insane world, made me laugh and sigh and ended perfectly. It’s nice to see main characters that are older than 20, too.(This is not a very open door romance, so if you want a less-spicy but still adorably cute and fun romance, I’d suggest this. There’s a lot of fade to black on the spicy bits.)

How To Read A Book by Monica Wood – I couldn’t put this quiet book down, and when I had to, I thought about it constantly. Despite having finished it a few weeks ago, it’s still in my mind. The power of grace and second chances are beautiful things.

“Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher. Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest. Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn’t yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed. When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland, their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.“How to Read a Book is an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives.”

The Mystery in the Margins by LL Gray – “A quaint bookshop, a sprinkle of magic, and a dash of mystery.” Do I even need to say anymore about this book?!
I absolutely loved every page of this cozy paranormal mystery. It was just what I needed when everything felt like so much. I adored escaping into the delightful town of Havenwood. Every once and awhile I’d pop my head out of my book, take a look at all the headlines and germs and adulting things like so much laundry that were around me, and I’d take a hard pass and go right back into this story. This is such a clever, charming book – perfect for those looking for a respite from the craziness of the real world!

The rest of the books I read in February 2025:

Death by Trauma Abigail Keam

Secrets, Songbirds and Succulents Irish March

Loose Lips Kemper Donovan

This Will Be Fun EB Asher

A Tisket, a Tasket Not Another Casket Heather Weidner

How to Write a Series Sara Rosett

Three Days in June Anne Tyler

Inheritance & Intrigue in the Cotswold Victoria Tait

Murder on a Monday Marcy Blesy

A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L’Engle

Murder at the Crown Anchor CJ Archer

Crime and Catastrophes DeAnna Drake

Wheels & Dirty Deals Trixie Silvertale

The Case of the Christie Conspiracy Kelly Oliver 

The Golden Hour Murder Jeanne Quigley

Freestyle Gale Galligan

Merry, Merry Ghost Carolyn Hart

Hollywood Homicide Kellye Garret

The Paris Bookshop for the Broken Hearted Rebecca Raisin

Save the Cat Writes a Novel Jessica Brody

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park Julia Kelly

Murder at the Debutante Ball CJ Archer

The Stolen Queen Fiona Davis

Southern by Design Grace Helena Walz

The Little Island Flower Stall Tilly Tennet

Soft Serve & Sleighing Lena Gregory

Thick as Thieves Tonya Kappes