Wednesday Reading Meme
What I Just Finished Reading: 3 books this week, though one was crazy short. I read Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt, The Water Lies by Amy Meyerson, and The Tale End: Stories From the Vet by Beth Rice. Reviews below.
What I'm Reading Right Now: I just started Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion, which so far is just as good as the movie.
What I'm Planning to Read Next: I got two more library books out (trying not to over-order like I have been lately) and the Dusty Bookshelf/Finish What You Started picks are tomorrow, so it'll be something from those. Probably.
10. Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt
Andy defends Willie’s former cellmate, newly charged with murder.
I’m of two minds with this entry in the Andy Carpenter series. On one hand, it introduced a ton of current murders, several old crimes, one out-of-town killing, *and* the local streetgangs, all of which muddies the waters and results in far too many timeframes, suspects and shenanigans to deal with. That frustrates me. On the other hand, the plot stayed pretty simple… so simple, in fact, that for the first time in 26 AC books I clocked the killer right away. So I basically have to split the difference and give this one four stars.
Dates Read: January 20 to 25, 2026
Page Count: 296
4 out of 5 stars
+ Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 7 - character who appears in more than one book (10/52)
+ Lost Challenges Countdown - Prompt 04 - read 4 books from any series already started (04/04 complete! - 10/55 total)
11. The Water Lies by Amy Meyerson
After hearing that her daughter has supposedly suffered an accidental death, a mom travels to Venice Beach to investigate and discovers her daughter’s strange link with a toddler and his pregnant mom.
This was a great little mystery that kept me guessing throughout. The author does a great job of setting up little unsettling clues about several people in the narrative, so I kept jumping back and forth in trying to figure out who the killer was and how the characters were connected. The area of the Venice Beach Canals becomes its own character in the story as well. The sidewalks are narrow, the houses are wide open to see inside, and yet within this wide-open anyone-can-see vibe there are still so many secrets. I enjoyed Tessa’s character arc and growth, and seeing her come into her own power felt liberating.
Dates Read: January 25 to 26, 2026
Page Count: 347
5 out of 5 stars
+ Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 17 - set in the wellness or beauty industry (11/52)
+ Lost Challenges Countdown - Prompt 9 - read 9 books by female authors (03/09 - 11/55 total)
12. The Tale End: Stories From The Vet by Beth Rice
Short book of “funny” tales from a vet’s receptionist.
Each short book tells a story that’s supposed to highlight something comical that happens at the vet office. From birds who swear to a cat with French-speaking owners to a dead spider, none of them are funny. The writing style is also awkward and repetitive. I gave this one an extra star because at least it was a relatable – as a former call taker myself, I too had to deal with the customer who insists you know the address or phone number of the “pharmacy by the yellow house”, but in my case it was the “famous donut shop by the street with the trees.”
Date Read: January 27, 2026
Page Count: 58
2 out of 5 stars
+ Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 13 - author’s 2nd book (13/52)
+ Lost Challenges Countdown - Prompt 9 - read 9 book by female authors (04/09 - 12/55 total)
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What I'm Reading Right Now: I just started Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion, which so far is just as good as the movie.
What I'm Planning to Read Next: I got two more library books out (trying not to over-order like I have been lately) and the Dusty Bookshelf/Finish What You Started picks are tomorrow, so it'll be something from those. Probably.
10. Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt
Andy defends Willie’s former cellmate, newly charged with murder.
I’m of two minds with this entry in the Andy Carpenter series. On one hand, it introduced a ton of current murders, several old crimes, one out-of-town killing, *and* the local streetgangs, all of which muddies the waters and results in far too many timeframes, suspects and shenanigans to deal with. That frustrates me. On the other hand, the plot stayed pretty simple… so simple, in fact, that for the first time in 26 AC books I clocked the killer right away. So I basically have to split the difference and give this one four stars.
Dates Read: January 20 to 25, 2026
Page Count: 296
4 out of 5 stars
+ Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 7 - character who appears in more than one book (10/52)
+ Lost Challenges Countdown - Prompt 04 - read 4 books from any series already started (04/04 complete! - 10/55 total)
11. The Water Lies by Amy Meyerson
After hearing that her daughter has supposedly suffered an accidental death, a mom travels to Venice Beach to investigate and discovers her daughter’s strange link with a toddler and his pregnant mom.
This was a great little mystery that kept me guessing throughout. The author does a great job of setting up little unsettling clues about several people in the narrative, so I kept jumping back and forth in trying to figure out who the killer was and how the characters were connected. The area of the Venice Beach Canals becomes its own character in the story as well. The sidewalks are narrow, the houses are wide open to see inside, and yet within this wide-open anyone-can-see vibe there are still so many secrets. I enjoyed Tessa’s character arc and growth, and seeing her come into her own power felt liberating.
Dates Read: January 25 to 26, 2026
Page Count: 347
5 out of 5 stars
+ Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 17 - set in the wellness or beauty industry (11/52)
+ Lost Challenges Countdown - Prompt 9 - read 9 books by female authors (03/09 - 11/55 total)
12. The Tale End: Stories From The Vet by Beth Rice
Short book of “funny” tales from a vet’s receptionist.
Each short book tells a story that’s supposed to highlight something comical that happens at the vet office. From birds who swear to a cat with French-speaking owners to a dead spider, none of them are funny. The writing style is also awkward and repetitive. I gave this one an extra star because at least it was a relatable – as a former call taker myself, I too had to deal with the customer who insists you know the address or phone number of the “pharmacy by the yellow house”, but in my case it was the “famous donut shop by the street with the trees.”
Date Read: January 27, 2026
Page Count: 58
2 out of 5 stars
+ Around the Year in 52 Books - Prompt 13 - author’s 2nd book (13/52)
+ Lost Challenges Countdown - Prompt 9 - read 9 book by female authors (04/09 - 12/55 total)
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