I am starting strong this year with my reading challenge. After a horrible year of reading and not wanting to sit and read, I am FORCING myself to power through and get back into it. 

SO! The goal for 2025 is 20 Books.

Much less than usual, but I am getting married at the end of the year and didn’t want to give unrealistic expectations. Now that I’ve seen how many I’ve gotten through by March, maybe I should up my game. 

I got a 3-month Kindle Unlimited Membership, and I am determined not to leave it unutilized this time around. That is also where all of my books the past 2 months came from. Aaaand why 5 of the books are from the same series. 

The Reviews:

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin 

Inspired by the true WWII history of the few bookshops that survived in London after the Blitz. The story follows Grace Bennett after she moves to London to start fresh after her mother’s death. After disappointment following her continual reception of ‘no’ by department stores, she finds herself working at the bookshop Primrose Hill. Not much of a reader, she believes this job will be a short stop in her desire to move up into department stores employment. After being given a book, she finds herself falling in love with the world of literature. Amid her new love for reading, the Blitz rains down bombs on the city until her bookshop is the only one left standing. 

I was invested in the story for about the first 60% before I started to get bored. I think this book left a bit to be desired. The premise was strong as was the start, but it fell flat, especially at the end. 3/5

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Mia Thermopolis is just a normal girl doing everything she can to keep out of the spotlight, which can be hard enough when you are a five-foot-nine, freshman girl who is also flunking Algebra. She never would’ve guessed her Dad’s big announcement that he is the crown prince of Genovia, and by default, making her a princess.

In honor of the discussion of a Princess Diaries 3 movie, I decided to finally pick up the book that started it all. I am a huge Princess Diaries movie fan and surprisingly… I found I enjoy the movies a lot more than the book. There are many differences between the book and the adaptation, and I think the adaptation did a lot more for the overall likability of most of the characters and the story’s timelessness. Some of the noticeable differences are: The Book- set in NYC, Mia’s dad is alive and they have a relationship, she sees her grandmother in the summers and her grandmother is highly unlikable vs The Movie: set in San Francisco, Mia’s dad is dead, her grandmother is Julie Andrews. Overall 2.5/5 

Murder in an Irish Pub (#4 in Irish Village Mystery) by Carlene O’Connor 

Siobhán O’Sullivan manages her family bistro, her many siblings, her job as a garda, and once again, a murder. When a poker tournament is held in her quiet Irish village, everyone is gearing up for all the excitement. No one expected the excitement to come in the form of the top poker player swinging from the rafters. With conflicting theories and tensions running high, Siobhán is determined to play her cards right and solve the case.   

I read the first three at the library a year or two ago, and since the whole series is on Kindle Unlimited I thought, why not try to finish it? 

The books are an easy read, but I am slowly losing patience with our Heroine. Siobhán. Girl. Just stooooop. 

I think book 4 is my favorite of the series so far. I was intrigued all the way through and was reading at all of my work breaks because I wanted to see ‘who dun it.’ While this is a series, I think you could read them as standalones without feeling confused. I would recommend it if you are wanting to read some easy not too stressful murder mysteries. 3.5/5

Currently Reading: Murder at an Irish Bakery (#9 in Irish Village Mystery) by Carlene O’Connor

Tell me what you are reading in the comments! I need more books to add to my ‘to-read’ list!

Fingers crossed the rest of the year of reading is really great. 

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Full Line Up for 2025 so Far:

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin 2.5/5

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot 3/5

Murder in an Irish Pub (#4 in Irish Village Mystery) by Carlene O’Connor 3.5/5

Murder in an Irish Cottage (#5 in Irish Village Mystery) by Carlene O’Connor 3/5

Murder at an Irish Christmas (#6 in Irish Village Mystery) by Carlene O’Connor 2.5/5

Murder in an Irish Bookshop (#7 in Irish Village Mystery) by Carlene O’Connor 3/5

Murder on an Irish Farm (#8 in Irish Village Mystery) by Carlene O’Connor 2.5/5