We are officially in the new year 2025! This week, I finished the last book that I’d started in 2024. I then picked up and subsequently completed my first full book of the year. I certainly started the year off on a high note with these two reads. One was a comfort read centered around a character I already knew and loved before page one. The second book I knew nearly nothing about before deciding to dive in and I’m ecstatic that I chose to anyway. It absolutely blew me out of the water.

1. The Legends of River Song – Edited by Albert DePetrillo

Like I said last week when I’d just started the book, River Song from the TV show Doctor Who is a longtime favorite character of mine. If you consider yourself the same flavor of Whovian, you’ll probably enjoy this book as much as I did. There are five short stories in it, each one by a different author. They all did a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the show and the characters within it. I could imagine each one perfectly as though I were actually watching an episode on the screen. It was quirky and thrilling, moving and humorous all at the same time: perfectly on-brand for the show, with River’s signature flourish all over.

All of the threats that River had to face were great adventures. The implications of some of them were mind-bending in the ways that the best science fiction always is. River also has some wonderfully sardonic social commentary in her inner monologue. There were unfortunately a couple of brief moments where it became really obvious that writer wasn’t a woman. They lacked experience with either the perspective or the anatomy, and it showed. I was able to get past those sentences and still have fun, but fair warning.

2. The Woman in the Garden – Jill Johnson

CW: Domestic Violence, Ableism, Substance Abuse (Psychedelics, Alcohol)

I knew nothing about this book before I picked it up. Truthfully, the only reason I did was because B&N had a display table of books marked “Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off” or some sale like that. I’d already grabbed Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea off of that table and had an easy excuse for a second book. The synopsis sounded fun, so I figured I’d give it a shot. It was an excellent decision. Not only is it the first full book I’ve gone through year, it’s the first worthy of a full five stars.

I was caught completely off-guard by the autistic representation. It was a wonderful surprise. Neurodiversity is never directly mentioned in any form, but if you’re familiar enough with autism, you’ll clock it immediately. Watching a character who is brilliant and extremely capable in many regards getting held back by social anxiety and crippling sensory overload is surprisingly validating. I had tears in my eyes when it perfectly captured the frustration of being repeatedly and wildly misunderstood when you’re certain you’re using all the correct words and phrases. Professor Eustacia Rose only wants what is just and what is right, and no one seems to even care to listen.

On top of that, this story is a thrilling ride. It had me turning pages for hours after I told myself I’d stop for the night. When I did manage to put it down for a bit (under duress), I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I found the ending to be very satisfying, but I expect there will be a handful of readers who disagree. When I finished, I had to go online to see if the author had any other published titles I could sink my teeth into. Although I wasn’t able to find any web presence for her at all, I did find a sequel already available for preorder. Even though The Woman in the Garden just came out in 2024, The Poison Grove will be coming out in August 2025. Yes, I’ve already ordered my copy.

More Books for the New Year 2025

So far I’ve greatly enjoyed my reading for this brand new year 2025. I’m excited to keep going. My TBR pile is nice and tall with lots of titles I’m looking forward to. It’s always difficult to choose which one will come next. The pile never stops growing either. I know that I read fast, but it never seems to be fast enough to get to everything that I want to. Guess I’ll just have to keep practicing!

As always, I want to hear from you! What have you been reading lately? Are you having fun with it? Have you read any of these titles, and if so, what did you think of them? Tell me everything, and follow along for more!