The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1) by Agatha Christie

I hit a bit of a reading slump at this point on my trip. I had trouble trying to find my first read of 2025 and remembered that I could not go no wrong with Christie. This was the first Poirot mystery published in 1920. I tend to save my Christie novels as they are so reliable. This one was shorter and less detailed than later Poirot or Marples. As usual, there was a twist or two that I missed. Good dialogue and pacing as usual.

Jan 2-6, 2025 on Kobo Clara BW.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

It’s been awhile since I read sci-fi and I’d heard good things about these novellas. I really enjoyed the characters and adored Murderbot. As someone who prefers fantasy, I actually found the violence and danger in this more tense. It was suspenseful. I know that Murderbot has more adventures and dangers ahead. I will miss the human characters from this installment though. Looking forward to the planned TV adaptation.

Jan 7-9, 2025 on Kobo Clara BW.

Ascendance of a Bookwworm, Part 2 Volume 1 by Miya Kazuki, Quof (Translator), You Shiina (Illustrator)

Great bed time reading as usual. It’s good to move the plot to the temple. I only have 1-2 volumes left before I’m caught up to the manga.

Jan 7-11, 2025 on Kobo Clara BW.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

This was a surprisingly great read. It was a buzzy book about a single mom who starts an OnlyFans account. It was funny and so much more. It had a great protagonist who felt genuinely clever, stupid, and very human. The book had themes of family, drug addiction, gender, and economics. It had threads about fiction, content, and art creation. I was moved by Margo’s love for her baby. The author did such a fantastic job with the depth and pacing of the whole novel. Interested in the planned TV adaptation as well.

Jan 12–13, 2025 on Kobo Clara BW.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas with Elizabeth Evans (Narrator)

Finally after three books, I was engaged for most of this installment. I really liked the training and the new character Rowan. I found the pacing much better than the previous books. I feel more excited for the next few books. The audiobook did help and the narrator did a good job. I will likely divide the rest between audio and some ebook. I likely will do the tandem read as well.

2.0x. Jan 6-15, 2025.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas with Elizabeth Evans (Narrator)

Still fun! After being irked by Chaol for about three books, I am slowly warming up to him a little. Many good characters and the pacing was good. While I like Manon, I preferred the other characters so I would speed up on the Manon parts more. I have decided to do the next two books tandem through audiobook and maybe ebook. I do not know when. I am fine with waiting to finish this later in the year as I like listening to SJM novels while travelling. It’s become almost a tradition.

2.0-2.5x Jan 16-21, 2-25.