Walking Wednesday February 4, 2026
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Walking has been slow going this week, but I’m grateful to have the right gear to make it somewhat possible. I’ve been listening to Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite. I’m not sure what I think yet.
On My Nightstand January 31, 2026
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cat model
Well the storm did materialize, and luckily we did keep our power. Unluckily covid is making rounds around our house which isn’t pleasant when you need to shovel every day. Things are looking up though, and this weekend’s storm will likely miss us. We’re all ready for things to go back to normal. Or as normal as things get these days.
Quote of the week
“There was a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued”
sunshine on snow
On My Nightstand This Week
Kindle - I’m about to start Stolen by Ann-Helen Laestadius.
Audiobook - I was reading King Sorrow by Joe Hill on Everand when they abruptly took it off the platform! I got my credit back and was able to use a credit on another platform so I can start again this weekend. This wasn’t a pleasant development mid-shovel session though! Has this happened to anyone else?
Paper Book - Nothing at the moment. Kindle has just been easier lately.
the Potomac river a few hours before the storm
Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.
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On My Nightstand January 24, 2026
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hiking along the potomac
We’re waiting to see if this giant storm actually materializes. Fingers crossed it’s enough to keep me in reading all weekend, but not so much that we lose power.
Quote of the week
“Every friendship is distinct. And, my dear Sven, allow me to say that if you never allow for the possibility that someone might care for you on your own merit, their way of demonstrating it will always feel unusual or inadequate.”
dirty looks from the cat
On My Nightstand This Week
Kindle - We’re on Cambodia for #FoodAndLit this month so I’m reading Troubling The Water by Abby Seiff.
Audiobook - I started King Sorrow by Joe Hill. It’s SO GOOD!
Paper Book - Nothing yet. I’m thinking about South of Broad by Pat Conroy.
sheep!
Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.
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On My Nightstand January 17, 2026
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a moment of quiet before a meeting last week
I am really looking forward to this long weekend. I ended up with food poisoning last weekend and I spent my one free day dizzy and doom scrolling. That was not helpful at all. This weekend I hope I just get a glimpse of that feeling when you’re lost in a really good book, although like most people it’s hard to get away from the “what has happened now” feeling.
Quote of the week
“Often, after an active morning, she would spend a sunny afternoon in lying stirless on the turf...”
my favorite t shirt
On My Nightstand This Week
Kindle - I’m behind on my book club books as usual. I need to read The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller.
Audiobook - I’m about halfway through Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon.
Paper Book - Still working on The Chesapeake Requiem by Earl Swift.
cold mornings on metro
Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.
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Show Us Your Books January 2026
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Happy New Year! It’s my first Show Us Your Books post of 2026, which means I am looking back at the books I read in December 2025. I read quite a bit in December, but that was a lot of re-reads. So here are the few 4 and 5 star reads of new to me books from last month. (In no particular order.) You’ll see my reading was heavily influenced by the TOB 2026 Long List.
The Best of the Best, December 2025
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - An excellent audiobook, and a great choice for last read of the year. I loved all of the letters and the book references.
Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang - This was a wild ride! I will never scroll through Instagram in the same way again.
We Do Not Part by Kang Han - This book was haunting and just short enough so that the confusion of not knowing exactly what was going on didn’t make me want to quit. It touched on the generational trauma of the Jeju massacre, which is something the world doesn’t know enough about. Grateful for books that share hidden history.
Christine by Stephen King (technically a re-read but since it’s been 40+ years I’m counting it as new) - It felt like King could have been describing social media and the terrible hold it has over some young men when he was talking about Arnie and Christine. Creepy.
Have a great month everyone!
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My 2025 Wrap Up
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2025 was a tough year for a lot of reasons, and I don’t feel like I had a good reading year. It was just too hard to concentrate for big sections of the year. There were a few highlights though.
Re-reading all of Jane Austen’s books in order was a balm. Emma used to be my favorite, but in 2025 Persuasion knocked Emma off her throne.
I read Nancy Drew books and Stephen King books almost every month, and both gave me joy in their own weird ways.
I read books set in every Canadian province but two, and that is a country with some dang good books.
Of the 230 books I read 30 were re-reads. Sometimes when you can’t face anything new it’s great to have old favorites you can turn to. The world is very uncertain. There’s sometimes comfort in knowing the ending.
I should read more poetry in 2026. 2025 was lacking.
On My Nightstand January 10, 2026
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love walking and looking at clouds
This week has been a lot. I am reeling from the news, and exhausted from being thrown back into life head first while the world is set on fire. I am thankful for the act of reading and for the thoughtful community of readers I have found myself in.
Quote of the week
“I got to figure,” the tenant said.
”We all got to figure. There’s some way to stop this. It’s not like lightening or earthquakes. We’ve got a bad thing made by men, and by God that’s something we can change.”
a rare moment of peace between these two
On My Nightstand This Week
Kindle - I need something simple with a clear ending, so cozy mysteries it is. I have Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews out from the library.
Audiobook - A friend told me about a fantasy set in 1920’s DC so I grabbed it from the library right away - The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope.
Paper Book - I started The Chesapeake Requiem by Earl Swift over the summer but didn’t get very far. (Me not the book.) I’m trying again now that I have repaired my attention span somewhat.
started this one again. 2026 needs some poetry.
Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.
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Walking Wednesday January 7, 2025
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Given the holidays I actually got to walk all over instead of around my one block last week. Back to normal this week. I’m actually looking forward to getting back on schedule.
This week I’m listening to Travels With George by Nathaniel Philbrick for a US presidents reading challenge.
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On My Nightstand January 3, 2026
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winter sunrise
Happy New Year! Despite all indications from the world around me I am beginning this year with optimism. Fingers crossed, you know?
Anyway, operation break the reading slump is going well. Let’s just hope this keeps up next week when we get back to our normal schedule.
Happy reading everyone!
Quote of the Week
“People care. They care a lot. They just don’t know what to do to help.”
dominoes!
On My Nightstand This Week
Kindle - I’m working on The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward. So far the Tournament of Books 2026 list has been a good one. Hope this one keeps up.
Audiobook - I’m doing a challenge to read about the presidents in order this year starting with George Washington. So I got Travels With George by Nathaniel Philbrick from the library.
Physical Book - I went back to A Chesapeake Requiem by Earl Swift after letting it fall by the wayside last summer. It’s a good book. Life just got away from me.
national harbor in maryland
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My January 2026 TBR
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The awakening sculpture at national harbor in maryland
December Beginning TBR: 415
December Ending TBR: 448 (Thanks Tournament of Books)
I’m excited to kick off the 2026 reading year. I started a whole new reading journal and am starting all of my global reading challenges all over again. There’s nothing like a fresh start, is there?
December was rough and I haven’t been reading much, and what I did read was mostly re-reads. Hopefully I’ll be back to my bookworm ways in January. A lot of these books are from the Tournament of Books 2026 long list which I am very excited about.
Here is my January TBR.
The Mobius Book by Catherine Lacey
Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev
Troubling the Water by Abby Seiff
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher
Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller
Crouching Lizard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews
Travels With George by Nathaniel Philbrick
Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Guiffre
Romeo and Juliet: A Novel by David Hewson
The Burning Heart of the World by Nancy Kricorian
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephan Graham Jones
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Chesapeake Requiem by Earl Swift
Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
The Last Emperor of Mexico by Edward Shawcross
Stolen by Ann-Helen Leestadius
Happy reading!
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On my Nightstand December 6, 2025
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I hope everyone in the US had a good Thanksgiving, and that December is being good to you all. We’re good here - even got a bit of snow which is unusual in Virginia this time of year. (We’re usually February/March snow people.) I am in full on holiday elf mode so you know that means I will be flying through the audiobooks.
Happy reading everyone! Remember to breathe!
Quote of the Week
“I will never forget my first oyster, it was like a bad dream sliding down my throat...”
On My Nightstand This Week
Kindle - I’m still reading A Death in Diamonds by SJ Bennett. I haven’t been reaching for my kindle as much just because this time of year I already look at a lot of screens.
Audiobook - I have Julie Chan is Dead out from the library, and due in 4 days. Can I do it? Yes I can! (Powered by raw cookie dough don’t judge.)
Physical Book - I went back to A Jane Austen Education after finishing Persuasion late last month. I really like this cozy little memoir/analysis of Jane’s works.
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Snowed In 2025
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This is a fun challenge from Litsy…
You've found yourself in a lonely cabin in the middle of nowhere. Heavy snowfall means you are #SnowedIn but you've found several books, a warm blanket, and a comfy chair. Time to settle in and read away the night.
Make a list of books and someone else will pick what you read. You will also pick what someone else reads. (I am requesting that my match pick 5 books.)
The books I want to read all come from the 2026 Tournament of Books Long List (https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/the-year-in-fiction-2025):
Antidote by Karen Russell
Beneath The Moon and Long Dead Stars by Daniel Wallace
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward
The Director by Daniel Kehlman
Flashlight by Susan Choi
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
Metallic Realms by Michel Lincoln
Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslet
Palaver by Bryan Washington
Run For The Hills by Kevin Wilson
Sky Daddy Kate Folk
So Far Gone by Jess Walter
The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers
Theft By Abdulrazak Gurnah
Tom’s Crossing Mark Z. Danielewski
Underspin by EY Zhao
The Unveiling by Quan Barry
We Do Not Part by Han Kang
Thank you!
On my Nightstand November 22, 2025
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Happy almost Thanksgiving. We’re not hosting this year so I for one am looking forward to a little down time to catch up on my reading and to get started on my Christmas baking.
Quote of the Week
“Funny how the days you weep, you can also have the fullest, deepest laughs.”
On My Nightstand This Week
Kindle - I’m excited for the new Her Majesty The Queen book that just came out, but while I was figuring out the best way to get that one I realized I had one I hadn’t read yet! Even better, at some point I had bought it and it’s on my kindle! So this week I’ll be reading A Death in Diamonds by SJ Bennett.
Audiobook - I am so excited to dive into the 2026 Tournament of Books Long List. I’m starting with The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong.
Physical Book - Still working on 107 Days by Kamala Harris. I’m also about to start The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski for book club.
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Show Us Your Books November 2025
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I re-read a lot of books in October, but I also fit in a few great new/new to me reads as well. October is one of the best reading months of the year, and I partook in it.
The Best of the Best From October
The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn - This book starts with a woman faking her death to escape her abusive husband and then goes full throttle into serial killers, feminism, the supernatural, and family ties. I don’t want to give too much away but I just loved it.
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley - Boulley returns again to Northern Michigan for another engrossing book. A great mystery that touches on Native American adoption. Don’t skip the afterward.
Ghosted by Amanda Quain - A fun Northanger Abbey retelling where Northanger is a possibly haunted boarding school.
Dark Carnival by Ray Bradbury - I didn’t realize this was out of print when I picked it to read this month. I finally tracked it down and I’m glad I did. The short stories in this collection were creepy and unsettling in the best possible way. My favorites were the one about the misunderstood vampire and the murdering baby. (If you’re interested in this book it happened to be featured on the Overdue podcast last month!)
Have a great month everyone!
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Walking Wednesday November 7, 2025
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Night comes early these days so I’m doing my best to grab time to walk outside most afternoons. The colors this fall have been amazing. It’s truly a gift.
Since it’s November I’m trying to listen to a podcast or nonfiction each time I walk. Right now I’m listening to The Gales of November by John U. Bacon.
On my Nightstand November 8, 2025
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This week has been a tornado of work and kids. I am very ready to cuddle up on these dark nights and read the time away. I’m aiming to finish up some challenges and enjoy some holiday reads these next two months.
Quote of the Week
“It was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again.”
On My Nightstand This Week
Kindle - Finally getting to Summer of my Amazing Luck by Miriam Toews. I like it, but I’ve been reading for a while and am still waiting for something to happen.
Audiobook - I just started the Street by Ann Petry. I like the old fashioned feel.
Physical Book - Still working on 107 Days by Kamala Harris.
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Walking Wednesday November 5, 2025
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We’ve been all over lately leading to many good walks. I won’t mind getting back to my local neighborhood streets though.
This week I’m listening to The Gales of November by John U. Bacon. Tis the season!
November 2025 TBR
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October Beginning TBR: 490
October Ending TBR: 415
My TBR dropped by quite a bit last month, but that was only because I cleaned it out in anticipation of this year’s Tournament of Books long list. November’s TBR is chock full of titles for #NonFictionNovember and finishing up my 2025 challenges. I’m really excited to read some of these titles so hopefully that TBR number will drop some more- until the Long List comes out around November that is.
My November TBR
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski
The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh
A Town With Half The Lights On by Page Getz
Heaven’s Keep by William Kent Krueger
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Across The Airless Wilds by Earl Swift
The Gales of November by John U Bacon
The Art of Losing by Alice Zeniter
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Different Seasons by Stephen King
Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
A Night To Remember by Walter Lord
The Millionaire and the Bard by Andrea Mays
The Sisters From Hardscrabble Bay by Beverly Jensen
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On my Nightstand November 1, 2025
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I’m back! I ended up unintentionally taking a few weeks off due to family reasons good and bad, but I missed my little space here. I can’t believe it’s November already. I need a do-over on October.
Quote of the Week
“Mr. Welland was a mild and silent man, with no opinions but with many habits.”
On My Nightstand This Week
Kindle - I’m finishing up The Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb. I’m enjoying it. His characters are great.
Audiobook - I just started The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb. Not going to lie, the opening scene of this one shook me and I’m not sure I’ll keep going.
Physical Book - 107 Days by Kamala Harris - I’ve heard good things, but haven’t started yet.
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Show Us Your Books October 2025
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Fall means reading while i wait for field hockey games and cross country meets to start
I just wrote 2015 instead of 2025 and it took me a while to catch my mistake. Where have the years gone? And why is my TBR so long :)
September was a decent reading month although I had major concentration issues some days. I’m sure I’m not alone.
Here my 4 and 5 star reads from September:
We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly - Three middle school siblings are each struggling in a different way.
I really loved this middle grade novel although I object to historical fiction taking place in the 80’s.
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - I loved the offbeat characters in this book. Half a star off for the ending which was not what I wanted.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - Another book club read with great characters, although in a different way from Brideshead. This one had a great sense of time and place as well.
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue - What would you do if a technical mistake allowed you to read all of the messages flying through your office?
This was a fun but deep book. Good on audio.
With A Star In My Hand by Margarita Engle - I enjoyed this biography in verse about the Nicaraguan poet Ruben Dario.
Daughters of the Bamboo Grove by Barbara Demick - A very interesting book about international adoption mainly US families adopting from China. The author researched a lot of the book in late 2019 and her trips to China at that time made it all the more interesting.
Beach Music by Pat Conroy - Another sweeping masterpiece by Pat Conroy. After his wife’s suicide Jack leaves the US with his daughter to heal in Italy. South Carolina finds him though and carries him back. This almost 1,000 page book covered everything from WWII to the Vietnam War and beyond.
Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry - One of the better cozies I’ve read this year. A mom and daughter escape their messy life to a rural cabin in Washington state. Mom needs to write her next book and daughter needs to heal from the trauma of being abandoned by her Dad. Unfortunately there is murder. And Bigfoot.
Katrina: After The Flood by Gary Rivlin - A sad book on a sad day. I’m glad I read it though. Like any other big, sad, emotional event I didn’t really have my facts straight. Rivlin is a good writer and I’ll read more of his books in the future.
Happy Reading!
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