Two in one review! Honestly, I probably would have never bothered with reading these sequels to Nita Prose’s The Maid if I had not come across them on Book Outlet. As it is, I did not read the novella set between The Mystery Guest and The Maid’s Secret. Both of these novels are as cutesy as the first novel in the series, but I do not think they are good mystery novels.
Spoilers ahead for The Maid in case you plan on reading it.
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Just because a book is compulsively readable does not mean it is good. I read The Teacher in about two days, and it is the trashiest trash that I have ever read. It is even worse than that one Colleen Hoover book I read. I have never read anything by Freida McFadden until now and I do not understand why any of her books would be made into movies. And just so you know, I did not buy this book myself, my sister gave it to me. I am now beginning to question her taste in books.
Spoilers ahead because I really do not think you should bother reading this crap.
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I think I waited too long after finishing The Poppy War to read book two of the trilogy, The Dragon Republic, because the story has lost momentum for me and Rin is becoming an exasperating protagonist.
If you plan on reading The Poppy War, obviously do not continue reading this review of The Dragon Republic as there are spoilers.
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I feel like I did not read enough books in 2025, so I am going to have to up the ante in 2026. Before I do that, though, here are my top five books of 2025:
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After reading Richard Powers’ dense novel, The Overstory, Playground is definitely a much easier read, but there are many different thematic threads woven through Playground that I found myself feeling disoriented about what the novel is supposed to be about, and then the end hit me with a sledgehammer and left me feeling devastated.
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Mona Awad’s Bunny was first published in 2019 and in the years since has become a BookTok darling, but it is a divisive novel. You are either going to love this book or think it is one of the most unhinged things you have ever read. I’m in the latter camp. I don’t hate it, but I am wondering what the fuck did I just read?
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As I said, I am continuing to read Kristin Hannah’s novels (at least the ones that sound interesting to me). I like Winter Garden better than The Four Winds, but like The Four Winds, Winter Garden can’t hold a candle to The Nightingale.
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The Seventh Veil of Salome is Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s last book published before The Bewitching and somehow I only just learned about its existence. I really like Moreno-Garcia’s novels, so of course I had to read it. It is historical fiction like her other novels, but it is missing the supernatural elements that I enjoy about her storytelling.
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Charlotte McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore has been chosen as Indigo’s #1 Best Book of 2025, and it is an interesting choice, not because I think it is a bad novel (it’s actually pretty good), but because there are certain elements of the story that feel contrived and uninspired.
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I have been waiting over a year to read Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods because the hardcover version was expensive, and I was not able to find it on sale. The paperback version finally came out at the end of October, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait to read this book.
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