Quick Lit, Reading, Reviews, Young Adult

The Rundown: Quick Reviews of Popular 2026 Releases

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Hi, reading friends! I like to picture you all settling into the cooler weather, in fireside scenes with steaming mugs of hot drinks and piles of books all around. Whether that’s reality or not, today I’m offering a few reviews of some popular novels released this year that I read over the last four months. These books either made it onto the best seller list this summer or were highly anticipated from former best selling authors. I hope this post will help you find your next great read to add to those piles of books this fall!

I’ll start with my favorites.

First, Lady Tremaine, the book I would recommend most highly and widely today. This is a retelling of Cinderella from the point of view of the stepmother. I usually skip the recasting of villains, such as the movie Maleficent. I am a big fairytale fan, partly because of the good versus evil element that so many retellings like to blur. However! I loved Lady Tremaine. If you’re willing to let go of the original tale and let the author, Rachel Hochhauser, spin a new one, this book is really stunning. The historical setting is more accurate than most novels set in the Renaissance time period, the symbolism woven in with nature and dwellings is gorgeous, and the setting is atmospheric. To top it all off, the characters are layered and lovable. Cinderella is one of the best fairy tales, so it’s no wonder it lends itself to many adaptations, and Lady Tremaine is another to add to my favorites. As for content warnings, very few in this one for adults, though I would say preview it before handing it to your teens, as the villain is seriously villainous. Overall, 5 stars!

Next, The Calamity Club, the much anticipated second book by Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help. It’s hard to believe this is the first book Stockett has published since her huge hit of 2009…until you look at the length of this book! Like The Help, The Calamity Club is a historical novel that explores social justice themes for women in the South. This time, it features several women in Oxford, Mississippi in 1933 struggling with The Great Depression. Though on the long side (656 pages), I flew through it in a few days. Stockett writes with a warm, welcoming tone and her characters are pleasantly complex. I didn’t want to put the book down and leave the world inside its pages…at least for the first half of the book. The second half turns to the setting of a brothel, highlighting the difficulties of women making money in this time period. Though it is handled in a non-explicit way, about as gently as possible, I still wasn’t comfortable with it. However, if you liked The Help, you’ll probably like this one. 4.5 stars.

And here we come to Land. Full stop. Oh my goodness. Apparently, this book shattered me so much, I am reduced to sentence fragments to review it.

Land is my first book by Maggie O’Farrell, who is most famous for Hamnet. This book is rich, and gorgeous, and a bit confusing, and I loved it. The theme of vocation and its importance in family and the place you’re from was as moving as could be. I am not a crier…and I cried. Land is set mostly in mid-1800s Ireland, and follows various members of one Irish family from childhood to adulthood. There are also some flashbacks to ancient times, and I will be the first to admit that I am not completely clear on the meaning of the Celtic mysticism mixed in, and am possibly barely grasping the book as a whole, but it was still worth the reading, no question. And if you have any insight for me, please share! I would recommend this to anyone who likes to read novels. Also, if you are a parent, fair warning, it might rock you emotionally, but not in a tragedy involving children kind of way way, just in a parenting is so important and beautiful kind of way. I now have almost all of O’Farrell’s books on my to-read list. 5 stars.

Behind Five Willows is a highly anticipated Pride and Prejudice retelling that debuted as #1 on the NY Times Bestseller list, and I thought it was completely lovely. I would recommend this to any Jane Austen fan, especially if you like historical fiction. I’d call it more of a loose retelling of P&P set in Korea in 1792. I enjoyed it, learned a lot (which is important for a historical novel, if you ask me!), and would hand this to my teen daughters without hesitation. My only downside to this book is the ending is a bit rushed and the dialogue in the last 10% of the book feels forced. 4.5 stars.

Now that we have some rave reviews to fuel your potential to-be-read list, we come to some popular books that I would put on the “consider skipping this one” list. Of course, book reviews are very subjective, so as Levar would say, you don’t have to take my word for it.

Dolly All the Time is the best selling rom-com of 2026, unofficially (because rom-com isn’t a real category). With a coastal setting, a tried and true trope, and endearing main characters, this book has a lot going for it as far. I finally picked it up after reading a million rave reviews, BUT I mistakenly thought it was a “closed door romance,” and it wasn’t… I must’ve gotten my Instagram reviewers crossed, haha. I generally stick to “proper” romances (if I pick up a romance at all, which I usually don’t), and prudish as that sounds, it is important to me. So with that caveat, I will say this was a surprisingly thoughtful, tender book that I didn’t expect to highlight so much on my Kindle! However, I really didn’t like the romance content, so I don’t heartily recommend it. If you enjoy a rom-com book generally, this one will probably be a good one for you, but for me, 3.5 stars.

On to the very popular Whistler, Ann Patchett’s newest novel. Some books are written so well, with easy to read yet emotionally deep prose, but ultimately leave me feeling flat at the end. Mostly it comes down to a hopeless tone in the great theme of man’s search for meaning. These books are hard to review! As I finished this one, a story about 53-year-old Daphne’s childhood colliding with the life she lives in the present in NYC, I came to the conclusion that Patchett is simply not for me. The pervasive sadness and the feeling that the characters are wandering around in their lives, always a bit lost, gets me down every time. Still, a nod to the marvelously clear, tight, beautiful writing Patchett brings to all her work. I realize I am a worm criticizing a star here. If you enjoy Anne Tyler or Elizabeth Strout, you might just love this book. From me, it gets 3 stars.

This Book Made Me Think of You is the feel-good bestseller of this summer, with lots of similarities to P.S. I Love You, if you know it? (nod to Joyce of The Thursday Murder Club, IYKYK). It is sweet, maybe a bit overly sweet, and predictable in a comfy, Hallmark-ish way. It’s also rather high on strong language and adult content, but otherwise, it is a quick, light read. If it comes down to yes read or don’t read, I would lean towards a skip on it. 2.75 stars.

A Fortune of Sand is the first novel for adults by the amazing YA author Ruta Sepetys. I loved her other books, so I came to this one with high expectations and…there’s no sugar coating this…it was not good. The characters were unlikable, the dialogue was confusing, the setting and history didn’t flow well in the story, and it was a slog to get through. BUT! I can’t recommend I Must Betray You highly enough by this author though, so please put that one on your TBR. My husband, my teen son, my teen daughter, and I all read it separately, and each of us couldn’t put it down and learned so much about the Cold War! Also, A Fountain of Silence and Salt to Sea are brilliant, though difficult to read at times due to brutal but historically accurate content. So, read Sepetys! But skip A Fortune of Sand. 1 star.

Finally, here are a few audio book recommendations:

Miss Wolcott’s Ghost is the latest installment of the Inspector Gamache series, and it doesn’t disappoint. The whole series is one of my favorites to listen to on audio. Content warning for violence (they are murder mysteries, after all), and quite a bit of language.

What You Are Looking For is in the Library and The Tsubaki Stationary Store are two pleasant yet soul-searching books set in present day Japan. I found them both thoughtful and inspiring. The themes of struggling against loneliness in modern life as well as dedication to art and vocation are beautifully portrayed. The plots of both these books unfold slowly, but instead of getting bored, I felt calmed by the pace of life in them and the attention to detail I discovered the Japanese culture still embraces. One thing I have also loved about Japanese books translated to English is the respect people show for each other. With that important part of culture, I am wondering if a natural outcome of the respect for every single person around you leads to little cursing or reference to anything crude at all in literature? I am certainly no expert, but I did notice in these two books the tone is very polite.

And then there’s the Emma M. Lion series. If you are a woman between the ages of 20 and 50 on social media, you’ve probably heard of these. Emma M. Lion books are written as a journal by Emma chronicling her very unusual neighborhood, friends, and life experience in 1890s England. It is quirky and fun, and no review can do the reading experience justice. All I’ll say is they are deeeelightful books and the audio version of this series is an even better experience than the paper version (I have read both). And I’ll add these books are quite “clean” reads.

My library had these audiobooks either on Hoopla or Libby. If you need help navigating Audible to get your audio books, I’m not your girl, but I am sure there is a tutorial on that somewhere.

Now, I hope you find a great read in this list and have a wonderful fall!

Fantasy, Reading, Reviews, Young Adult

Fantasy – The Wild West of the Book World

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This post in my catching-up-on-reviews series was supposed to be called “Five Star Fantasy Reads.” Great title, right? Short, sweet, to the point. If only. As it turns out, the fantasy genre is *a bit trickier* than that. If you care to read on, I will explain. {Or you can scroll down to the reviews…no judgment from me!}

The Preamble

Let’s visit a bookstore, shall we? When you walk into a bookstore today, up front you will see three main displays.

The first display will have cover upon cover showing women walking away or gazing into the distance. Or possibly there will just be a seascape on the cover. This is the historical fiction display, a medium-ish table of books.

The second display will all have stickers with celebrities’ names on them who have claimed these titles for their book clubs. It’s like The Voice for books. Team Reese or Team Oprah! Team Jenna is having a good season. This is a fairly narrow selection of literary fiction for people who buy books they intend to read someday, perhaps on a flight or on vacation.

But the biggest display at the front of the bookstore will have covers showing all manner of silver swords and flowers, swirling fonts, maybe a gorgeous dress, and definitely some sort of feather – a wing, a quill, something like that. The edges of the display table will be adorned with special edition board games and impractical mugs. This is the fantasy genre. And it is a having a moment. Gone are the days when The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia were the only widely popular series in fantasy (though inarguably still the best, the-end-and-thank-you). Gone also are the days when small but scarily thick fantasy paperbacks with questionable cover art took up a small back corner of bookstores where only the nerdiest and bravest readers dared to go. The success of Harry Potter and The Game of Thrones has gradually but undeniably exploded the fantasy genre from obscurity to the front window display.

And why not? Castles, capes, magical abilities, fantastic beings, heroes and conflicts and spells…it is all highly imaginative, whimsical, captivating…everything a book lover reading for escapism or pleasure could hope for. In theory, I am all for it. The fantasy genre takes readers back to what reading was like when we were kids, when suspending belief in favor of a new world and a good story was easy and all-consuming.

And the potential this genre has for allegory or story telling that ultimately has a bedrock in truth and goodness? The sky is not even the limit.

And yet.

There are few fantasy books I can get in and out of cover-to-cover without finding at least one or two facets that don’t sit well with me. Often, darkness hovers in the pages of many of these fantasy books marketed to teens and adults. As my teenagers and I have delved into the genre lately, we’ve been faced with badly skewed versions of healthy reality, especially when romance is involved, and a mixed up sense of good and evil. So, as I bring some book reviews to you today, I’d also like to give a caveat: when it comes to fantasy, gentle readers, proceed with caution. It’s wild, and there are no rules– authors can put whatever the heck they want into their worlds…so. Yeah. Caution. As a reader who is most at home in books written between 1900-1950, there are very few fantasy books that don’t cause me some discomfort. But I won’t give up on it as a whole, because when it is good, it is very, very good.

[Side note: I am happy to say the children’s fantasy genre still produces gem after gem. We discovered some great ones in 2025-26 that will be featured in the next post!]

To the books!

Book Reviews – Adult and Y.A. Fantasy Books

{For my very favorite, top of the list, 5 star fantasy reads of the last year, check out this New Favorite Authors post and read Elizabeth Lowham and Elisabeth Aimee Brown}

Tress of the Emerald Sea – Don’t try to read a blurb describing this book, just dive in! The humor and world building in this stand-alone novel by fantasy legend Brandon Sanderson is next level. There’s barely a character you can truly root against. Tress is a new favorite in my book world. 4.25 stars. Content caution: Recommend for high school and up due to language and some gore.

Once a Queen – This book was gentle and beautiful, with tones of George Macdonald’s The Princess and the Goblin but in a more modern setting. It is a light read, possibly a little disappointingly light for a reader deeply committed to fantasy books with lots of world building and plot twists, but it was lovely and I will definitely read the second and third books. 4 stars. Content caution: I would hand this to anyone middle school and up, and would easily call it “wholesome.”

The Seven-and-a-half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – I listened to the audiobook of this one, got really lost in the middle, and by 75% wanted to know the end but mainly just wanted it to all be over. It was the worst kind of Groundhog Day story BUT I still ended up enjoying the novelty of it and the setting of an early 1900s crumbling mansion and houseful of guests. I appreciated the talent of the narrator in doing so many different voices and giving them all weight in the story. The whole plot idea was super original; I did not guess the end at all. However, I would have gotten through it a lot faster and a lot less scathed if I could’ve skimmed over some of the many, many violent parts by reading the hard copy instead. 3.75 stars. Content caution: heavy violence and the typical mature themes of murder mysteries.

What the River Knows – Technically a Y.A. book with teen main characters, but fun for anyone who thinks ancient Egyptian artifacts and double crossing treasure seekers with family mysteries to solve sounds intriguing. It has an Indiana Jones vibe, for sure. There is a sequel I haven’t gotten into yet, but I would like to know what happens to the characters, so I probably will sometime. Perhaps the author describes the characters’ emotions a little too often and too fully, and there is a juvenile, headstrong and impulsive quality to the main characters that is overblown, but it is still a fairly riveting story. I love the title…3.25 stars. Content caution: language.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries – This very popular book has a bit of a forced feel to some of the elements, but I really liked others. The creativity of the faerie world and the complexity of the two main characters kept me reading when it lagged at parts. What I didn’t like was the moral ambiguity between types of creatures. What is okay and what isn’t? Who is deciding? Who wants to do what is right and what isn’t and what are their reasons? As this is the first in the series, I’ll probably read the second book before giving up on the moral code of this particular world as a whole, but so far 3 stars. (Content caution: includes closed door romance, mild violence, some language – PG-13ish).

A Miss and An Almost

The Teller of Small Fortunes and The Spellshop both have beautiful covers and potentially refreshing settings and stories, but fell a bit flat for me. That being said, I think I will try the sequel to The Spellshop because there were several elements I liked, especially the setting. The slew of new creatures to keep track of and people groups and the flatness of a couple of the characters are what made it more of a “meh” for me, but I have to add that several of my friends really liked it, so maybe don’t just take my word for it! Content caution: Pretty mild overall for both of these, overall. Due to some romantic elements, high school and up, but I would also say there are some better options out there!

And that wraps up this catch-up post for fantasy reads of 2025-26! Come back for some much more wholehearted recommendations next time in the Children’s Fantasy department. Until then, happy reading!

Quick Lit, Reading, Reviews, Young Adult

Five Star Books (and a Few Others), Part 1

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Hi friends! Last week I launched back into book reviews with a post about new favorite authors. Today, I bring you some quick reviews of books I read last year that are in the contemporary literary fiction and historical fiction categories. As I looked back on my 2025 reading, I was surprised to see so many in the fantasy or magic genre…so stay tuned for a round up of those next time!

Contemporary Fiction

The Correspondent – Listen, I know rave reviews of this book are everywhere, and you don’t need another one, but I have to say it: this book is everything. I loved it. It’s the most delightful modern book I’ve read in a long time. Fans of Fredrik Backman, Anne Tyler, or Ann Patchett should definitely try this book, but also anyone who likes reading fiction at all (and maybe even some of you who don’t). I read it way too fast the first time and am already looking forward to reading it again. 5 stars.

Theo of Golden – Rave reviews of this book are everywhere, too. And I get why so many readers adore it; the aura around the main character and everyone else is, well, golden. Still, I had a hard time getting into it, and an even harder time believing Mr. Theo and the characters could exist in any world, but especially not ours. However, with so many five star reviews, you probably shouldn’t take my word for it but read it yourself! (If you have already read it, we need to talk about the ending…) 3.5 stars.

The Unmaking of June Farrow – I loved this book. It was like a mail-order bride plot mixed with a mystery of disappearing/reappearing memories. It’s set in the present day in mountainous North Carolina, and though it does have some magical realism elements, it’s going here with the contemporary fiction. The writing was amazing – I felt like I was right there alongside the main character. 5 stars. (Content warning for mature language)

Broken Country – DNF – I have plenty DNF’s throughout a reading year. It’s important to remember we aren’t required to read much of anything as adults, but get to be our own guides and filters! For this one, the writing was good, but I found that the plot included two themes I try to avoid for the most part.

Historical Fiction

Born of the Gilded Mountains – I have been meaning to read something by Amanda Dykes for years. Last fall, I got this on audio book and listened to it through a painting project. It kept me in great company! I found the plot and setting to be absolutely involving and the characters thoroughly likable. Though Dykes doesn’t shy away from some heavy themes, over all it is a lighthearted, gentle book, perfect for either literary fiction or historical fiction fans. 4.5 stars.

Isola – This fictional account of a real person was potent and striking. About a third of the way through, I thought I wouldn’t end up liking it with all its painful realities for the main character in that day and age, but by the end, I gave it 5 stars. As far as tone goes, I would liken it to a book like Kristin Lavransdatter, though shorter and not quite as dark. Isola has plenty of tragedy, but the resilience of the main character and themes of religion and friendship were really well done. I couldn’t stop thinking about The Count of Monte Cristo. It was also so neat to pick up this book right when we were studying the discovery and development of the islands off the coast of Canada in our homeschool history lessons (we were in Volume 2 of The Story of the World at the time). 5 stars.

The Hired Girl – I would really have loved this book as a teenager girl! And even as an adult, I still loved the setting and the surrounding characters. 4 stars.

The Frozen River – I don’t like to give hot takes but…I did not love this book. I do like Ariel Lawhon’s other books I’ve read, especially Code Name Helene, and I was prepared for some graphic subjects or descriptions. The darkness of human nature shows up very starkly in her books. Still! Still. The story arc of this book is…a lot. It was just too gruesome, right down to the ending (what in the world…if you have read this, could you actually believe that ending?). I did some research on the main character’s history, and yes, it was great to see such an amazing woman dramatized in a novel. I enjoyed learning about Martha Ballard (though I thought her husband was too perfect to be believable for that time period). Overall, this book was just not for me.

I hope you’ll find a great read for you in this list today, and that you’ll let me know if you’ve found an amazing book lately (or in the past, or just whenever). Come back next week for a venture into the fantastical!

Happy reading!

Nonfiction, Reading, Reviews, Young Adult

Measuring a Year – New Fave Author Reviews

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“Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes.
How do you measure- measure a year?” -Rent

The answer is, of course, in books read!

I was sorry to have paused on sharing books here in 2025, but I have changed my mind! As I look back on the whole year, I can see themes of authors and series emerge in a way I wouldn’t have if I were reviewing book-by-book every few weeks/months. Turns out, in 2025 I discovered some top-notch new-to-me or actually new authors. These are the kind of authors who write books I want to hug when I’m done reading. Here’s a rundown of who kept me company last year; I’ll start with the new current authors I loved and round out the list with some vintage authors that have won my reading heart.

New and Current Authors

Kristen Perrin – Perrin writes The Castle Knoll Files, and I cannot think of a more sparkling, witty, charming, and perfectly paced present-day mystery series than this one. The third book comes out in April and I cannot wait.

Elizabeth Lowham – I listened to the audio books of the Casters and Crowns series and I loved it. The first book was especially good on audio! I really appreciated the fully developed characters and the way Lowham put together a completely believable and realistic fantasy world that did not take much effort to feel at home in as a reader.

Elisabeth Aimee Brown – What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball was one of my favorite books of 2025. I adored the main characters, the setting, the twisty plot, all of it. It isn’t mind blowing and it isn’t going to make it onto a classics-everyone-should-read list, but it is a just-right, slightly fantastical novel to keep you company and in good spirits. You might have gathered that I like a gentle fantasy novel, but don’t want to commit to 500 years of reading a series OR get drug through a lot of gore or “spice,” AND if I have to memorize a complicated family tree, I am probably out. This book read more like a Dickensian setting novel with some magic thrown in. I am putting Brown on this favorite author list even though I only read one of her books because she was just that good and I am eagerly awaiting Brown’s second book coming out in April.

Gabrielle Meyer – The Timeless series by Gabrielle Meyer was surprisingly absorbing from page one. Honestly, I was not expecting a five star read when I picked up When the Day Comes last January, but that is what I got! Books 2-4 were more like 3.5-4 star reads, but I still enjoyed them and was pleased with the depth of historical detail; the time periods involved came alive to me. I haven’t been so fully immersed in history since I read Meet Molly at age ten.

Joy Marie Clarkson – I gained a great deal of solid perspective from Aggressively Happy, and went on to enjoy the thoughtfulness of You are a Tree. Joy Marie Clarkson’s writing style makes her the friend I didn’t know I needed. It’s amazing how she can write about what she has learned in a conversational way, without sounding like she is trying to teach you something. I loved both her books.

New-to-me Vintage Authors

O. Douglas – Since I adore D.E. Stevenson, I am not sure how I ignored this writer who was her contemporary and close friend for so long, but what a delight that I am just now beginning to enjoy her books. I started with Penny Plain which was wonderful, but when I found The Proper Place and the other Rutherford Novels, I became a die-hard fan. They are full of the kind of bright and steady, Scottish (or border-country English), midcentury characters that I love, and the focus on home as the center of the world speaks to me.

Susan Scarlett – Try as I might, I always end up despising winter by the end of January, but last winter was one of the coziest, happiest I can remember and I credit Susan Scarlett and this puzzle for much of that. Together, they taught me I can almost enjoy winter. I now own three of these literary world puzzles and they are the best puzzles ever. But I digress! Susan Scarlett is actually a pen name for Noel Streatfeild of The Shoe Books fame (and many other books). Under the Rainbow hooked me as a fan forever, and though Scarlett’s books can be a tad formulaic, and you might know what you expect to occur by the last page, how the stories unfold is always entertaining and enjoyable. The characters and settings are so likable.

Margot Benary-Isbert – How to put into words the loveliness I found in Benary-Isbert’s accounts of the Lechow family in post-WWII Germany? Germany was a grim place at that time, and that is clear in The Ark and Rowan Farm, but these are gentle books full of kindness and courage. The tone and content gives The Sound of Music vibes. I liked how these books gave me a sense of what life was like for a middle-class German family. The shift in Germany to communism is just starting to make its effects felt in the form of laws and new government, and it’s not a huge part of the story, but those details stood out to me and stuck with me. There are two more books in the series I need to get my hands on!

Honorable mention goes to Molly Clavering – I liked Susan Settles Down and Touch Not the Nettle pretty well, and would definitely recommend if you are a D.E. Stevenson fan, but I will admit Clavering’s books are slower-paced and the dialogue a bit dated so possibly hard to connect to for modern readers. Still, I will read more of her works! Even if the titles seem like odd choices to me…

That rounds out the new favorite author discoveries of 2025. If you’ve read any of these or are adding them to your TBR, let me know! For authors whose works I just read one of last year, look for a post next week. Also upcoming will be a review of middle-grade novels, some I read to myself and some I did for read-alouds.

Happy reading!

Everyday Life, Home Renovation

A Long Overdue Life Update

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Thirteen years ago, I wrote my first blog post. It’s been over a year since I wrote here last, so this post will probably go out into the “dear void,” (ala Kathleen Kelly), but I find myself drawn back to the ancient art of blogging anyway. If you’re reading this, thank you for being here.

There’ve been some changes…

First off, we’ve moved into our fifth house.

After fixing up our last house for eight years and falling in love with it (me more than anyone), my husband and I felt it was time to reach for our dream of owning some acreage closer to our extended family. It was a wrench for me in a lot of ways, but we said goodbye to this finally finished fixer-upper:

and hello to the next one (maybe the last one? Who can say…).

We have done a lot inside (removed a wall, put in a new kitchen, and more) and have many more hopes for renovations, but the land and the street we live on…they are already absolutely wonderful. It has been healing and life-giving to live on 5 acres off of a quiet country road surrounded by so much more nature than I have ever had around me to call my own before.

It’s a lovely place, but the whole transition had me reeling mentally and emotionally, along with life changing and kids growing and all of that…middle age is so slushy.

My location has changed, but much about life looks the same. I still homeschool my kids. It looks a little different than it did when I started blogging, for sure. My youngest is now five, the oldest sixteen, and life in this mixture of stages is sweet and challenging. I teach almost all the main school subjects at home to my 4K, 3rd grade, and 6th grade students (the 6th grader does grammar and science at a homeschool academy where all the kids go for art, P.E., and Bible once a week). My high school students do a mix of academy classes and home based classes for their high school credits. It’s so hard to believe after this year I will have a senior in high school! I can barely stand the thought.

And of course, I still read books constantly. I need a t-shirt that says, “While I breathe, I read.” The next post I am working on will be a very concise recap on what I read and enjoyed last year, and maybe a few mentions of books that fell below expectations.

Thanks for joining me on this life update, and I hope you’ll come back for some book catch up next week.

Happy reading!