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kingstoken) wrote2025-12-23 08:29 pm
kingstoken) wrote2025-12-23 08:29 pm
Finished My 2025 Book Bingo! Plus Fourth Quarter Reading Wrap-Up
I finished my 2025 Book Bingo card! I am very late finishing this year, and I almost thought I wouldn't complete it in time. With everything going on in my real life it was very hard to concentrate on reading. Thank God for short books and audiobooks, I could listen to those while I was doing other things like cleaning, sorting, packing, etc. Also, the 2026 card is ready, so go check that out if you haven't seen it.
Behold my complete card!
Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards - it was fun to read a story with the Doctor and Rose Tyler, it was like visiting old friends. It takes place in 1920s London, and the aliens were interesting.
Basil and the Lost Colony by Eve Titus - because I was so delighted by the first Basil of Baker Street book I continued on with the next one in the series. I enjoyed it. The author was obviously nodding towards Doyle's other well known book The Lost World, they even have a bit of a Reichenbach moment in the story, but thank goodness poor Dawson only has to wait moments and not years to find out Basil is alive. Same audiobook author as the first book and he does a great job. Also, it was so strange to meet Miss Flaversham in this story, she has such a minor role, very tiny actually, so it is so funny that Disney made her one of the main characters in their movie, I wonder if they just liked the name.
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell - I read this for my banned book square, and it was so cute and sweet, just about two bonded male penguins that get an egg to raise. It's adorable and I think the ultra-conservatives trying to ban it have some sort of brain rot really.
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz - this about an actress that was in a cult at the height of her acting career. This is not the worst cult story I've ever heard about, but it is still really sad and frustrating to read about at times because she gives up so much for these people who are clearly just taking advantage of her. The audiobook is read by the author and she does a great job.
A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman - this short story is always recced to Holmes fans, and damn it was good. I had somehow managed to stay unspoiled so I didn't know the twist. I loved the idea of mixing Holmes style mystery with horror old world gods. (Don't worry I didn't spend money on this. I hate that Gaiman has turned out to be such a creep, because I love his writing)
Cheating the Gallows by Israel Zangwill - I listened to this story via the Classic Detective Stories podcast, it had an interesting twist to it. I will say the women characters don't come across real well, very fickle, but I guess the male character comes across worse in the end so that's something.
A Study in Crimson: Sherlock Holmes: 1942 by Robert J. Harris - I was delighted to find out that there are pastiches based on the Rathbone films. I enjoyed the mystery part, but had some big issues with the characterization. I understand the author wanting to make Watson less bumbling than his film counterpart, but he swings too far in the other direction and makes Watson a sad, depressed man, which I just don't think fits. Also, why do authors always want to give Holmes a sad heterosexual romance in his past? To me it just doesn't fit either, I see Rathbone!Holmes as either gay or ace, or maybe both. It's just a small part of the story, but I was just like "ugh". Listened to it on audiobook, and the narrator did a good job.
The Doctor’s Case by Stephan King - I continue with the Holmes pastiches! This was fun short story, I liked it because Watson gets to experience what it's like to be Holmes and have his deductions bring about realizations, and he's not sure he likes it. Lestrade it a little sassier in this one than canon I think, but I enjoyed the Holmes-Lestrade dynamic. Also, very nice to see Watson solve the case first for once. I also listened to the audiobook by Tim curry, and who doesn't enjoy Tim Curry.
The Necromancer's Light by Tavia Lark - M/M Fantasy romance between a necromancer and a paladin. I found it really sweet, and the world-building was interesting. I think my only complaint is that they rushed from tentative relationship to being in love super fast, I would have liked a little more development. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem except there was a pivotal moment where their love saves them from a dark fate, and I just think that would have meant so much more if their relationship had been deeper, and had a little more time to grow. This was my first time listening to an auidobook with explicit sex scenes, the narrator did a good job, they weren't too cringey, but it was still weird to listen to (I'm sure I'll eventually get used to it.)
An Heiress for Christmas by Samantha SoRelle - sweet M/M historical romance, I really liked it, my only compliant is I wish it had been longer. It was a nice little holiday romance, but I think it had the potential to be a great longer more developed story.
The Tannis Project by Daryl J Ball - this one is a little different because I bought this at a local indie book fair and actually met the author. It's about a vampire who keeps a blog. The author had his own spin on vampire and werewolves which I thought was interesting. It's hard not to like the protagonist Tannis, because we are reading from his POV, but at certain points in the story Tannis just casually mentions horrendous things he has done, reminding you that he is a monster. My main complaint is that he introduced a lot of side characters in the second half of the book and it was sometimes hard to keep track (it could have used an index).
Good Omens The Graphic Novel by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Colleen Doran - I ordered this through the kickstarter so long ago and I finally got to read it! I loved it. I think the artist did a great job, it could not have been an easy task to translate the book to graphic novel but she did wonderfully. If you love Good Omens you'll probbaly love it too.
A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe by Jessica Clare - F/M holiday romance, it was sweet, and the "fake relationship" didn't drag on. It was kind of nice to just have the hero be like hey I know this was supposed to be pretend, but I really like you and want to date. I could have done without the third act conflict, and there was a side story that dragged on a little too long, but not a bad book to end the year on.
Behold my complete card!
Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards - it was fun to read a story with the Doctor and Rose Tyler, it was like visiting old friends. It takes place in 1920s London, and the aliens were interesting.
Basil and the Lost Colony by Eve Titus - because I was so delighted by the first Basil of Baker Street book I continued on with the next one in the series. I enjoyed it. The author was obviously nodding towards Doyle's other well known book The Lost World, they even have a bit of a Reichenbach moment in the story, but thank goodness poor Dawson only has to wait moments and not years to find out Basil is alive. Same audiobook author as the first book and he does a great job. Also, it was so strange to meet Miss Flaversham in this story, she has such a minor role, very tiny actually, so it is so funny that Disney made her one of the main characters in their movie, I wonder if they just liked the name.
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell - I read this for my banned book square, and it was so cute and sweet, just about two bonded male penguins that get an egg to raise. It's adorable and I think the ultra-conservatives trying to ban it have some sort of brain rot really.
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz - this about an actress that was in a cult at the height of her acting career. This is not the worst cult story I've ever heard about, but it is still really sad and frustrating to read about at times because she gives up so much for these people who are clearly just taking advantage of her. The audiobook is read by the author and she does a great job.
A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman - this short story is always recced to Holmes fans, and damn it was good. I had somehow managed to stay unspoiled so I didn't know the twist. I loved the idea of mixing Holmes style mystery with horror old world gods. (Don't worry I didn't spend money on this. I hate that Gaiman has turned out to be such a creep, because I love his writing)
Cheating the Gallows by Israel Zangwill - I listened to this story via the Classic Detective Stories podcast, it had an interesting twist to it. I will say the women characters don't come across real well, very fickle, but I guess the male character comes across worse in the end so that's something.
A Study in Crimson: Sherlock Holmes: 1942 by Robert J. Harris - I was delighted to find out that there are pastiches based on the Rathbone films. I enjoyed the mystery part, but had some big issues with the characterization. I understand the author wanting to make Watson less bumbling than his film counterpart, but he swings too far in the other direction and makes Watson a sad, depressed man, which I just don't think fits. Also, why do authors always want to give Holmes a sad heterosexual romance in his past? To me it just doesn't fit either, I see Rathbone!Holmes as either gay or ace, or maybe both. It's just a small part of the story, but I was just like "ugh". Listened to it on audiobook, and the narrator did a good job.
The Doctor’s Case by Stephan King - I continue with the Holmes pastiches! This was fun short story, I liked it because Watson gets to experience what it's like to be Holmes and have his deductions bring about realizations, and he's not sure he likes it. Lestrade it a little sassier in this one than canon I think, but I enjoyed the Holmes-Lestrade dynamic. Also, very nice to see Watson solve the case first for once. I also listened to the audiobook by Tim curry, and who doesn't enjoy Tim Curry.
The Necromancer's Light by Tavia Lark - M/M Fantasy romance between a necromancer and a paladin. I found it really sweet, and the world-building was interesting. I think my only complaint is that they rushed from tentative relationship to being in love super fast, I would have liked a little more development. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem except there was a pivotal moment where their love saves them from a dark fate, and I just think that would have meant so much more if their relationship had been deeper, and had a little more time to grow. This was my first time listening to an auidobook with explicit sex scenes, the narrator did a good job, they weren't too cringey, but it was still weird to listen to (I'm sure I'll eventually get used to it.)
An Heiress for Christmas by Samantha SoRelle - sweet M/M historical romance, I really liked it, my only compliant is I wish it had been longer. It was a nice little holiday romance, but I think it had the potential to be a great longer more developed story.
The Tannis Project by Daryl J Ball - this one is a little different because I bought this at a local indie book fair and actually met the author. It's about a vampire who keeps a blog. The author had his own spin on vampire and werewolves which I thought was interesting. It's hard not to like the protagonist Tannis, because we are reading from his POV, but at certain points in the story Tannis just casually mentions horrendous things he has done, reminding you that he is a monster. My main complaint is that he introduced a lot of side characters in the second half of the book and it was sometimes hard to keep track (it could have used an index).
Good Omens The Graphic Novel by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Colleen Doran - I ordered this through the kickstarter so long ago and I finally got to read it! I loved it. I think the artist did a great job, it could not have been an easy task to translate the book to graphic novel but she did wonderfully. If you love Good Omens you'll probbaly love it too.
A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe by Jessica Clare - F/M holiday romance, it was sweet, and the "fake relationship" didn't drag on. It was kind of nice to just have the hero be like hey I know this was supposed to be pretend, but I really like you and want to date. I could have done without the third act conflict, and there was a side story that dragged on a little too long, but not a bad book to end the year on.