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Topic: February 2025 reads

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Alice J. (ASJ) - ,
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Subject: February 2025 reads
Date Posted: 2/3/2025 10:43 AM ET
Member Since: 5/13/2009
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What are you reading this month?

Murder on Sisters' Row (Gaslight, Bk 13) :: Victoria Thompson

Very good series, Sarah and Malloy are strong main characters. Very interesting setting for this book. Sisters' Row as street full of brothels. Good social instruction why girls/women got into prostitution, factory work not paying a lot.  Ms. Thompson died in 2024. I will miss this series.

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Date Posted: 2/3/2025 10:23 PM ET
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Read Vienna Blood (Mortalis, Bk 2) by Frank Tallis.  Great read.  Complex plot and the investigation is fascinating.  Loved the characcters who are well developed.



Last Edited on: 2/6/25 3:37 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 2/4/2025 1:29 PM ET
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Hello! I recently finished listening to The Huntress by Kate Quinn.  Eh.  Entertaining enough, but I had a few problems with this one.  My biggest being that I didn't feel that they fleshed out the villan enough.  I didn't hate her enough at the end.  The author only really fleshed her out in the present, in which time she was a likable-enough character.  I think she would've been much more interesting, and I would've been more invested in her downfall had I gotten much more of a first-hand account of her in the past.  

Currently I'm reading Sea of Poppies, which is kind of slow going, but I'm over halfway through. I just need to buckle down and finish it.  I decided to re-listen to my very favorite book of all time, which is The Count of Monte Cristo.  I really want to see the French movie that recently came out, so I thought I'd refresh myself on the details of the story.  The first time I listened to it, I did the abridged version.  This time I went for the full unabridged version, which is a whopping 52 hours long, so I'll be at this one for awhile.  Totally ok, as I love this book so much! 

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Date Posted: 2/11/2025 9:45 AM ET
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I started Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose yesterday.  I like it a lot, so far.  Very similar to the Sebastian St. Cyr series.

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Date Posted: 2/14/2025 9:38 AM ET
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Beginning The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley.  Has anyone here read it?  If so, what did you think?  Shelley: I'll be reading The Huntress soon, hopefully this month.
 



Last Edited on: 2/16/25 11:21 AM ET - Total times edited: 2
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Alice J. (ASJ) - ,
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Date Posted: 2/14/2025 10:05 AM ET
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REK,  I did not love that book.

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Date Posted: 2/16/2025 6:53 PM ET
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Finished The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley and enjoyed it.  The plot is fast moving and most of the characters are interesting although I didn't much care for the female lead.  While the clues were there I didn't guess the bomber until it was revealed.  

Next book is The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray



Last Edited on: 2/16/25 6:55 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 2/17/2025 12:30 PM ET
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Hello to all from FRIGID Minnesota!  It was -22 when I woke up this morning, and it's supposed to get colder!  REK - How are you faring? 

I finished Clear by Carys Davies last week, and I've started reading The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar.  Still listening to The Count of Monte Cristo, which I will be at for a while.  Currently only 11 hours in of the 52 total hours!  I did, however, watch the 2024 French move adaptation.  Beautiful film, and they did well considering they had to change some things, alter some storylines, and ax a LOT of characters.  Had I not been familiar with the book, I would've really loved it.  However, knowing the book, I found myself thinking, "Hey!  That's not right!" more than once.  LOL!  I totally understand they had to do what they did in order to make the film.  It was 3 hours as is.  Had they followed the book exactly, it would've had to have been at least 3x that long.  LOL!  

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Date Posted: 2/17/2025 5:13 PM ET
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Thanks for asking Shelley!  We are getting along.  DH sees a pulmonogist tomorrow to check his lungs and is scheduled to have his neck examined as four surgical clips showed up on an xray which may be affecting some nerves.  He seems to be getting better but it's S L O W.

I read The Secret Life of Sunflowers and really enjoyed it.  Rated it 5 stars!



Last Edited on: 2/17/25 9:09 PM ET - Total times edited: 2
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Date Posted: 2/24/2025 3:50 PM ET
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R E K - Good news!  Hopefully the recovery process speeds up! 

Still reading and listening to the same things.  wink

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Date Posted: 2/25/2025 10:33 AM ET
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I'm working my way through the Wrexford & Sloane series by Andrea Penrose.  Currently on Murder at Queen's Landing.  I like this series a lot.  Very similar to the Sebastaian St. Cyr series by CS Harris.

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Alice J. (ASJ) - ,
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Date Posted: 2/26/2025 8:34 AM ET
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I finished The Stolen Queen by  Fiona Davis  Not my favorite by her I thought it was predictable. Set in 1936 Egypt and 1978 New York.

 

Carolyn I l ike the Wrexford and Sloane series a lot too.

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Date Posted: 2/26/2025 7:15 PM ET
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I just finished the fourth (and final...sniff, sniff) Justin de Quincy mystery by Sharon Kay Penman.  I SO wish she had written a few more in this series!  I found myself reading more and more slowly, just to keep this last book, "Prince of Darkness" from ending.  

I'm not sure what's up next; I have just got a few Kindle versions of three Cecelia Holland books, so I may start one of those. 

Is it just me, or did February fly by??

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Date Posted: 2/27/2025 11:14 AM ET
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Vicky - February definitely flew by.  And January took 10 years LOL

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Date Posted: 2/27/2025 7:53 PM ET
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Carolyn--no kidding!!  Let's hope March is just lovely! :)

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Date Posted: 2/28/2025 1:41 PM ET
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Hi, guys!  I finished up The Secret Life of Sunflowers the other day and then started reading The Consequence of Anna by Kate Birkin and Mark Bornz.  This one randomley popped up for me on Amazon, and I can't believe I hadn't heard any buzz about it.  Released in 2023, based on a fascinating true, Pulitzer prize nominee and soon to be a major motion picture.  What?  Do tell!  I only started it last evening, so I can't comment on it. 

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Alice J. (ASJ) - ,
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Date Posted: 2/28/2025 6:25 PM ET
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I finished James by Percival Everett. It gots wonderful reviews in goodreads 4.55.  I thought it was just okay. It is Huck Finn retold in Jim's point of view. I read Huck Finn in Freshman year of high school, 48 years ago. If I remembered more of the original book I may have enjoyed it more.