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”
— Dust of Snow by Robert Frost

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.”
— The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller

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...”
— Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

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.”
— The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

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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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.”
— Katrina: After The Flood by Gary Rivlin

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

The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward

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

King Sorrow by Joe Hill

The Unveiling by Quan Barry

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...”
— One Christmas by Truman Capote

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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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.”
— Bug Hollow by Michelle Huneven

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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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

AI Valley by Gary Rivlin

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

Black Wolf by Louise Penny

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Across The Airless Wilds by Earl Swift

The Gales of November by John U Bacon

Persuasion by Jane Austen

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

107 Days by Kamala Harris

Unshrinking by Kate Mann

The Sisters From Hardscrabble Bay by Beverly Jensen

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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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On My Nightstand October 11, 2025

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fall roses

I am loving the rainy and dark weather this weekend. It’s perfect for reading! We’re also super busy with homecoming, senior nights, club teams, work, a dead car, and trying to live in this upside down world. I hope everyone is doing okay out there.

Have a good week everyone.

Quote of the Week

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
— 1984 by George Orwell

kitty reads

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Under The Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan - Historical fiction featuring the wife of Robert Lewis Stevenson.

Audio - Not sure honestly. I just finished 1984 and I have a lot of options.

Paper - In The Hall With A Knife by Diana Peterfreund - Had to put this aside last week because of a book club read, but am planning on finishing it this weekend.

happy reading!

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On My Nightstand October 4, 2025

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October is here!

Yay October! To me it’s the best reading month of the year. I have a stack of about 12 million books I want to get to in between picking pumpkins and baking pies. So that’s totally realistic.

Have a good week everyone.

Quote of the Week

“Catastrophe is never convenient.”
— The Last Days of the Dinosaurs by Riley Black

reading on my way to work

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Started this week for a buddy read. So far, so good. We’re reading a chapter a day.

Audio - Sisters In The Wind by Angeline Boulley - I am so excited Boulley has a new book out. I have loved all of her previous books.

Paper - In The Hall With A Knife by Diana Peterfreund - I checked this out from the library on impulse and it is so much fun.

happy reading!

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On My Nightstand September 27, 2025

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when the sun comes out after a miserable gray day i come running!

We had the flu this week. We’re just getting back in the swing of things.

I had been wanting a place to write about cooking and food prep so I started a substack. If you’re interested here it is - Pound Cake and Mint Tea.

Have a good week everyone.

Quote of the Week

“Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops.”
— Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

cards from my book friends

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough - I’ve been dipping in and out of this for years. It’s so melodramatic, but I love it.

Audio - Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - Listening to this for a book club. It’s well written but I’m not in the mood.

Paper - Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette - Mysteries are good when the world is a mess. They always have a clear ending.

i want to be a cat

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On My Nightstand September 20, 2025

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butterflies were everywhere outside my pt’s office this week!

Another full week of sports, work, and school. I’m just trying to soak it all up. I don’t have too many years left with these kids in my house.

I had been wanting a place to write about cooking and food prep so I started a substack. If you’re interested here it is - Pound Cake and Mint Tea.

Have a good week everyone.

Quote of the Week

“You knew there was a ghost cat, and you didn’t tell me about it when we were discussing ghosts earlier?”
— Something Whiskered by Miranda James

she brought me her favorite toy and put it on my book

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Buried In A Good Book by Tamara Berry - I’m still working on this. It’s not bad for a kindle freebie!

Audio - Beach Music by Pat Conroy - Pat Conroy could write. I’m slowly making my way through all of his books. This one is a chunkster so I’ll have it for a while.

Paper - Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - Loving this one! What a trip!

first pumpkin from my garden

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On My Nightstand September 6, 2025

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sunrise reading on my way to work

I have been so thrown off this week. I keep mixing up my days and I have constantly had to remind myself where I’m supposed to be. And is that scratch in my throat allergies or the start of some dread disease? Ah, it must be September.

Quote of the week:

“He’s said nothing. He’s just said, ‘The world works pretty well as is for me.’”
— Woodworking by Emily St. James

reading with a kitty

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Katrina by Gary Rivlin - This isn’t an easy book to read, but it’s very informative.

Audiobook - Table For Two by Amor Towles - Short stories are great for my short attention span this week. I’m enjoying this collection.

Paper Book - Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry - Still working on this, but at 400 pages it’s taking me a while to get through.

watermelon juice

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On My Nightstand August 30, 2025

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kitty says hi

I’m slowly getting used to the new schedule around here, but glad for the long weekend. Here’s hoping we can catch our breath a bit. I have three books picked out for the long weekend. Let’s see if I can make it happen.

Quote of the week:

“My goal is to make it into the arms of my Savior without having to install another app.”
— The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

storm clouds form but we still have no rain

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani - Almost done with this one. A great end of summer read.

Audiobook - There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraquib - I got mixed up and thought this was a different book when I downloaded it. Now that I’ve adjusted though I’m enjoying it.

Paper Book - Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry - Emily Henry is a summer must read for me.

Butterfly baby on my porch wall

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On My Nightstand August 23, 2025

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visits from a dragonfly

There was a lot going on this week, and it just flew by. Both kids had orientation this week on top of sports practices and scrimmages. I work in DC so that’s been interesting. There are painters at the house. And the weather is weird due to Erin. I have liked my books, but not loved anything. I’m not sure if that’s my mood or the books I’ve been picking.

Quote of the week:

“The years came and went like the fingerling waves inside the lagoon, tickling the stilt roots of the mangroves, then stepping away.”
— A Tortise For The Queen of Tonga by Julia Whitty

hi there

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani - I love Trigiani’s books, and am looking forward to starting this tonight.

Audiobook - The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen - I started this book on Kindle but was having trouble getting through it. So far it’s going better on audio.

Paper Book - Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr - I’m about halfway through this one and enjoying it. I’m excited to find a new series to read.

summer sunsets

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