This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.
What am I reading in 2026? Every month, I will update this page with the books I read each month, along with a brief review.
Let me know what you’ve been reading this year!
What I Read in January
January was a great reading month for me. I honestly did not read a bad book, and I did not have any DNFs. There’s also a good mix of genres, including historical fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction, and some children’s lit. (My youngest is at the best age for some of the best children’s literature, and since we always do these as readalouds, I’ve decided to include them.)
Christmas Eve at Cranberry Cross by Kate Forster
I read my first Kate Forster book a few years ago called The Christmas Star. It was an Audible original, and I believe it was included in the Audible Plus catalogue that year, which means I it was included in my membership. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve gone onto read a Kate Forster book every Christmas season. Out of all of them, I think Christmas Eve at Cranberry Cross might be my favorite. This book has romance, mystery, found family, and more. I was genuinely surprised by the twists and turns and impressed by the clean and smart writing. I loved all the characters and the portrayal of a healthy mom and family.
My Rating:
where to buy:
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
This is my first Colleen Hoover. I wanted to read this one because there’s a movie coming out based on it, and I thought it sounded interesting. (Plus, it’s starring Lauren Graham, whom I love.) This is a story about redemption, determination, hope against all odds, and second chances in a situation where no one wants to give them.
Kenna is fresh out of prison, and she wants to finally meet her four-year-old daughter she gave birth to while locked away. The reason Kenna was in prison was because she was held responsible for driving the car when her boyfriend, Scotty, was killed. Scotty’s family now has custody of her daughter, and they don’t want anything to do with her. On top of that, she accidentally develops a relationship with Scotty’s best friend, which only complicates things further.
Hoover is known for writing emotionally intense books you don’t want to put down, and I can say that is definitely true of this book. That being said, it was almost too much. It felt overwhelming. And there were a few times in which I found her writing a bit cringe. Things like describing the way the love interest tasted when they kissed like “limes and bad decisions.”
My Rating:
where to buy:
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
There are a couple book on this list that are read-alouds I did with my 8-year-old daughter, and this is one of them. This is a story about survival and hard work with a bit of found family thrown in. Four siblings are on the run after their mother died. (Their father died years earlier.) They know their grandfather is looking for them, but they’re afraid he’s going to mistreat them. In the process of figuring out where they are going to go, they find an old abandoned boxcar, and they make it their home. The oldest sibling, Henry, finds work with the local doctor, who has a large property and small cherry orchard. I don’t want to give it all away, but it takes a very serendipitous turn for the good.
It’s hard to imagine a story like this taking place in reality, but given that it was written in the 1920s, I’m assuming children were treated differently back then. I loved this book and admired the kids resourcefulness and the generosity shown by the kind doctor.
My Rating:
where to buy:
Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart
At the beginning of the month, I was in the mood for a thriller. I had just read a bunch of Christmas novels, which tend to be on the sweeter side, and I was ready for something a bit more intense. I picked this one up several years ago from Book of the Month.
Juniper returns to her hometown of Jericho, Iowa to help out her friend (and the local libarian), while she is being treated with cancer. We find out that there is a unsolved murder that took place about 15 years earlier that June has been obsessed with. The book goes back and forth between the past and the present. Some authors can lose the reader when they do this, but Baart does this in my favorite way because what she reveals from the past always helps to move the story along.
I like that this book takes place in a small farm town in Iowa. (I think it’s the first time I’ve read a book that takes place there.) I love books that take place in idyllic small towns, but this book is a reminder that there can be a dark side to small towns, too. I would definitely say it’s more of a soft-thriller with an interesting family dynamic and other relationships. (It’s not super-scary, which is fine with me.) I really liked Baart’s writing and will definitely be reading more of her books!
My Rating:
where to buy:
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
This is one of those books that I always see recommended whenever I see or hear someone asking for a good historical fiction novel to read.
The Frozen River tells the story of Martha Ballard, who is a real woman who worked as midwife in the late 1780s in New England. The story is based on the journals she kept. When the book opens, it’s 1789 and Martha lives in Maine with her family. When we first meet Martha, she’s assisting with the birth of a local woman, but then she’s called to examine a man who was pulled from the frozen Kennebec River, which runs through the town of Hallowell, where they live. It’s obvious to Martha that this man’s death was no accident, and she concludes that he was murdered. We also learn that the local judge and the most powerful man in the town (and the dead man found in the river) are accused of raping the local minister’s wife, and Martha is the middle of all of it.
There’s so much going on in this book, but I think what makes this book so compelling is that Lawhon pulls back the curtain on a tenuous time in the life of America as a fledgling country when women had very few rights and justice is just as uncertain.
In an author’s note at the end, Lawhon explains that while she typically tries to be faithful to historical facts in her books, she did take some liberties with this one. (Although 75% of it is still historically accurate.) She does raise some interesting questions about the time.
If you are looking for a good historical fiction book for a book club pick, I think this would be a good one because there would be a lot to discuss!
My Rating:
where to buy:
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
This was my pick for the Reading Through the Decades Reading Challenge for a book published in the 1910s. I was seriously surprised by just how good this book is. This is a book about belonging, family, grief, magic, and what happens to rich kids when they are spoiled and neglected by their parents (the two seem to go hand in hand). It’s also a story about how you make seemingly dead or dying things come alive. This book might go down as one of my favorites of the year. What’s interesting about this book is that it definitely has some gothic elements. It takes place in an English manor where there are strange sounds coming from a part of the house that the protagonist, Mary, isn’t allowed to go. While this book often shows a girl on the cover; there are actually two boys in this book that also play a prominent roll. While some children’s books are pretty simple, this one has a lot more complex and interesting themes going on than what is typical. I listened to this one on audio, and this version that Audible has is excellent!
My Rating:
where to buy:
Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
This is another book I did as a read-a-loud to my daughter. There is just something about these stories that never get old. The Hundred Acre Wood is one of those fictional places you wish really existed. If you’re ever having a bad day, and you need something to cheer you up, read one of the stories in this book. While the stories are all connected with the same characters, most of them are like standalone short stories. We’ll be reading The House at Pooh Corner next!
My Rating:
where to buy:
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
It takes a lot for a book to make me cry, but this one had me in tears at the end. I think this book deserves all of the praise it’s receiving. I loved this book! I loved that I could get so sucked into a person’s life 100% through letters and emails. I honestly think it’s genius how this was put together. I have a longer review coming, but I can say that this book was a solid 5 stars for me.
Note: I’m including links to the audio version of this book, but I do not recommend it in that format. That’s how I started reading this book, and I have never returned an audiobook so fast. This is an epistolary novel. It is written entirely in letters and emails. In the audio version, the narrators read the email addresses, etc. While I wouldn’t want them to exclude this information, I found it grating to hear someone read it. This is one of those books I think is best consumed in a physical book, not even as an ebook. (That being said, I know a lot of people enjoyed this one on audio. It just didn’t work for me.)
My Rating:
where to buy:
What I Read in February
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Imagine a modern black woman being transported back to the ante-bellum south? That’s exactly what happens in this book. Part science-fiction and part historical fiction, Kindred tells the story of Dana, a black woman who lives in Southern California in 1976. Dana is married to Kevin, who is a white man. (They are both aspiring authors.) Dana continually gets pulled into 1815 Maryland to rescue a white boy named Rufus. After putting the pieces together, she figures out that she is actually a descendant of Rufus. She only returns to 1976 when her own life is in danger. The problem with going back to the ante-bellum south is that the only way for her to live is as a slave. This book was beyond interesting and had my attention from page one. I read this one for my in-person book club, and I cannot recommend it enough.
Note: I listened to this one on audio, and I thought it was excellent in that format.
My Rating:
where to buy:
The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang
In the Fourth Princess, Janie Chang takes readers to 1911 Shanghai when an American family moves into a local mansion as part of a group who is there to build a railroad in China. The mistress of the house, Caroline Stanton, hires a local girl named Lisan Liu as her live-in assistant/secretary, but as soon as Lisan moves into the house, she begins to feel that it is haunted (even though she tries to find other explanations). This book is full of mystery: Who is Lisan? Who were the people who lived in the house years before? Who is Caroline? Is her husband’s Uncle Mason really trying to help them or take advantage of them? I loved the East meets West part of the story. I thought it was very well written and engaging. I took off a star because I wanted a bit more out of the ending. Also, sometimes it seems like historical fiction writers over-modernize their historical characters, and it seemed like that happened here (in a handful of instances).
I highly recommend, and I will definitely be reading more Janie Chang!
My Rating:
where to buy:
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
I finally decided to give The Thursday Murder Club a try, and I’m so glad I did. While there is a murder (or two) to solve in this book, it’s really more about a group of people living in a retirement community, which is made up of very endearing and interesting characters. I listened to this one on audio, but I loved it so much, I decided to buy a physical copy to re-read. I also look forward to reading some the sequels.
My Rating:
where to buy:
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
I decided to read this book for The Reading Through the Decades reading challenge as a book published the first decade of the 1900s, and it was so good! (I have to confess that I didn’t even know this was a book until putting together that list.) I remember going to see the broadway musical in the 90s and was pretty obsessed with the music back in the day. After reading this book, I can see why this story captured so much attention. Something that struck me about the storytelling is that even though it is a gothic novel, there is also a comic side to it, which I did not expect. I also didn’t expect how much of the story is told from the perspective of a journalist.
My Rating:
where to buy:
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
I included this book in my list of children’s books adults should read, and I forgot just how good it is. (This is a book I read with my eight-year-old daughter this month.) The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane follows a porcelain rabbit as he bounces from owner to owner, but this is really a book about a very self-focused character who learns how to love. This is also a good book to read if you want a good cry, and at just 240 pages, it’s a quick read (if you’re not reading one chapter a night like we do). This one will stay with you.
My Rating:
where to buy:
What I Read in March
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Project Hail Mary has been on my TBR for a long time because so many people say it is great on audio. Since I wanted to read it before the movie came out, it was good motivation to finally read it. This book is excellent, but as I’ve come to expect from Andy Weir’s book, expect a lot of science! If you are going to read this book, this is a case where I think this one is better consumed on audio. The audio version helps certain aspects of the book come alive that I can’t imagine being quite the same if reading the physical book. (That being said, I know people who have read the physical book, and enjoyed it.)
My Rating:
where to buy:
Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery
Rainbow Valley is book 7 in the Anne of Green Gables Series (which is a series I’ve been reading through). Rainbow Valley probably focuses on the Anne and the Blythe Family the least out all of the books, but I loved it. Rainbow Valley primarily focuses on the Meredith children. (The Meredith children are best friends with the Blythe children, so you see a lot of them and their parents.) Their father, John Meredith, is the local Presbyterian minister whom locals love for his preaching. However, Rev. Meredith is a recent widow, and while they have an aunt living with them, the children are pretty feral. That being said they are also all incredibly endearing, and I was rooting for them throughout the book. I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. One of the things I’ve enjoyed about this half of the series is getting to know the whole town of Glen St. Mary (the town where Anne and Gilbert settle after they get married). I am so attached to all of these characters!
My Rating:
where to buy:
Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
Rilla of Ingleside is the official last book (book 8) of the Anne of Green Gables Series. This book brings readers back to focusing on the Blythe family after the Meredith family took center stage in Rainbow Valley. As the title implies, this book is told from the perspective of Anne’s youngest child Rilla (short for Marilla). When the book first opens, you see Rilla as a spoiled self-centered teenager. Everything changes when World War 1 breaks out, and the Blythe boys start enlisting. Rilla starts to realize that she too needs to contribute to the war effort at home. The whole experience transfroms her from a self-centered children to a mature young-lady full of wisdom. I will warn though that this book is the most emotionally difficult to read of the series.
My Rating:
where to buy:
What I Read in April
This was a month where most of the books had the wrong titles. As in, that’s not what the book was actually about. The exception was The Likeness, which was excellent.
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Most of the time when I read a classic book, I do a proverbial nod of the head in agreement with the rest of the world that has deemed this book a classic because usually they are excellent. This one was hard to get through. Also, the title does not fit the book because it’s not about someone as they lay dying. It’s about someone who is dead. (She’s alive for the first few chapters, but most of the book she’s dead.) It should have been called: “After I Died” because that’s what it’s about. Before Addie Bundren dies, she makes her family promise to bury her in Jefferson County which is where she from, and most of the book is about her family trying to do that, which is not pretty. I read this book for my in-person book club (and for the Reading Through the Decades Reading Challenge as a book published in the 1930s). In defense of the book, I listened to this one on audio, which may not have been the best medium for this book. My book club got postponed, so I may re-read it when we reschedule. I will let you know if that is a better experience.
My Rating:
where to buy:
The Likeness by Tara French
The Likeness is book two in the Dublin Murder Squad Series. I read book one, In the Woods, last year, and loved it. A lot of people like The Likeness book even better, so I was excited to read it. I would categorize these books as literary mysteries. Yes, there is a murder that needs to be solved, but, as French says herself, her books really aren’t about the mysteries. They are really about the investigators solving the mysteries. The last book focused on Detective Rob Ryan, and this book focuses on Ryan’s partner, Cassie Maddox. When the book opens, Cassie isn’t on the murder squad anymore. She’s working in the domestic violence department, but she is called to a crime scene when a victim is found dead who looks like her doppleganger and is going by the name Cassie had used when she did undercover work years earlier, Lexie Madison. The investigators convince Cassie to go undercover as Lexie to help them solve the case, which means living with her best friends, who are all grad students, which gives the book a campus novel vibe. I thought it was so good. Typically, I don’t think mysteries would make good book club picks, but I think these books would.
My Rating:
where to buy:
Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey
One of my first thoughts after starting this book was that when people say they are looking for a beach read, this is the kind of book they are talking about. There’s romance, it takes place on the coast, but it also has enough depth to hold your interest. Daisy is a NICU nurse who has just moved to the beach town of Cape Carolina. Mason is the baseball coach at the local high school. When Mason and his star player, Drew, find a newborn baby in a dumpster, they rush the baby to the local hospital, where Daisy is on duty. Mason and Daisy immediately bond over this situation and become fast friends, which slowly starts to turn into more. At the same time, Mason has an aunt named Tilley, who has never been quite right since her high school sweethart died decades earlier and is going through a transformation of her own. I liked that this book doesn’t just focus on the late 20-somethings’ relationship, but also features an older character who is still haunted by her past. Mason’s whole family is a lot of fun, too, and the whole dynamic is very interesting. Closed door.
One of my gripes with the novel is the title. It actually doesn’t even take place in the summer and does not describe the story AT ALL. (There is a reference to the title toward the end, but I’m still not sure it justifies making it the title of the book.) If you read this one, let me know if you agree.
Great pick for fans of Abby Jimenez. It actually reminded me a lot of Just for the Summer, which is a book I really enjoyed.
Release date: May 5, 2026
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Gallery Book for sharing an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating:
where to buy:
A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean
This is another book where the title just does not make sense. Very similar to the book above, there’s an explanation given toward the end, but I don’t think it justifies making it the title. This was a book I read to my 8-year-old daughter. Every night we pulled this out to read it, we started to jokingly call it “A Girl Called Cally” because that’s what the book is actually about. I think she was genuinely bummed because she loves dogs, and I think we both were expecting a dog story. That’s what I get for not reading a plot summary before reading it.
Cally is a young girl who is coping with the death of her mother. She’s a very talkative, rambunctious girl who is starting to feel rejected by her friends and others around her. She volunteers for a silence contest at school as part of a fundraiser, but she never stops, which means she essentially goes mute. Cally has visions of her mother, and whenever her mother shows up, a mysterious dog also shows up with her. Through the story, Cally learns to find her voice again, and we also learn the significance of the dog. She also forms some interesting friendships along the way.
My Rating:
where to buy:
What I Read in May
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Imagine hitting your head and, when you come to, you’ve completely forgotten the last 10 years. That’s exactly what happens to Alice. Alice is at the gym taking a spin class when she falls off her bike and hits her head. The problem is that she now thinks she’s 29, happily married, and pregnant with her first child. The reality is that she’s 39, getting a divorce, has three children, and her best friend recently died in a car accident. On top of that, she begins to realize she is no longer close to her sister, who used to be her best friend. I thought this book was an interesting thought experiment. If you were to go back to your 10-year-younger self, would you be happy with where you ended up? And if you were unhappy with it, would you try to undo it? That’s the reality that Alice must face.
I forgot how much I enjoy a Liane Moriarty book. She has a way of pulling you into a story. For that reason, I think her books make great beach reads.
My Rating:
where to buy:
A Light in the Window by Jan Karon (Mitford Years, Book 2)
This is the second book in the Mitford series that I am slowly making my way through. In this book, Father Tim returns to from his trip to Ireland. Father Tim and Cynthia are trying to figure out their relationship, but of course, it comes with all sorts of complications, miscommunications, and hurt feelings, which is made more complicated when she has to go spend a few months in New York City to work on her next book. I love how patient he is of her when she’s frazzled, and I love how she’s always trying to get him to be more vulnerable. Father Tim continues as Dooley Barlowe’s guardian, who is slowly growing and maturing. Father Tim’s Cousin Meg travels to Mitford to stay at his house while she works on a book, which turns into a pretty funny episode. And of course, there’s also fun episodes with the rest of the cast of characters in the quirkly small town of Mitford. Always a fun comfort read!
My Rating:
where to buy:
DNF List
I’m just going to keep one running list of books I DNFd for the year here (instead of by month):
- [February] The Housemaid by Freida McFadden: I totally thought I was going to enjoy this book, but as the story went on, I just wasn’t buying it. Initially, I pushed through, but then I just couldn’t do it anymore. It was red-flag city, and the main character seemed too smart to stay put even if she was in a desperate situation. I think the writing was fine. I think the problem was the plotting and the character development that just didn’t work, or the character just didn’t match with the plot.
- [March] The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. This is supposed to be a cute book about Queen Elizabeth becoming a reader when she happens upon a library van behind Buckingham Palace, and starts borrowing books. While it is cute, I found the Queen’s character to be too much of a caricature of a queen than what I imagine the Queen was actually like. Because of that, the character fell flat for me, and so did my desire to keep reading the book.
