Tag: best books I've read lately

The Best Books I Read in January (2026)

My reading goal for the year is 225 books. I did not do very well in January, only finishing eleven books and DNFing seven. Of those eleven, here are the three I enjoyed the most:

Back Lash, by Devon Monk. Because I love Shane and this world, and I recently discovered this short spinoff series existed. Only one more to read!

Strange Animals, by Jarod K. Anderson. Not going to lie, this was a weird book. Very…strange. It was also enthralling from the first page, and I loved the entire adventure and would happily read more.

Battlefield of the Mind, by Joyce Meyer. This is not the first time I’ve read this, but I needed a refresher, because life in general has been rough lately.

The Best Books I Read in December (2025)

In December, I finished 20 books, bringing my total for the the year to 232 books read of my goal of 225. I have to be honest and say none of them completely blew me away, although most of them were solid reads. The three I liked the most were:

Secrets of the Octopus, by Sy Montgomery. The octopus is my favorite animal, and this was a fascinating read filled with gorgeous pictures.

Stone Cold, by Devon Monk. I’m enjoying this spinoff to the Allie Beckstrom books. Shane is a lot of fun to read.

Silver & Blood, by Jessie Mihalik. I liked these characters a lot, even if this wasn’t the most original thing I’ve ever read. (It also wasn’t the least original, so there’s that.)

The Best Books I Read in November (2025)

In November, I read 15 books, bringing my total for the year to 213 books read. Of those, three of them were excellent reads.

Hell Bent, by Devon Monk. This is the first book in a spinoff series to the Allie Beckstrom series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love Shamus from the original series, so I loved getting to spend so much time in his head.

The Rebel and the Rose, by Catherine Doyle. This is the second book in a series–and I haven’t read the first book-but I loved it from the first page! So much action and banter and sarcasm, and the world was well-drawn and intriguing. Can’t wait to read more!

Persephone’s Curse, by Katrina Leno. This had a very small setting–most of the book took place inside a single house–but it felt like a truly expansive read. The sisters were each such vivid characters, and I loved getting to know the entire family.

The Best Books I Read in October (2025)

In October, I read 14 books, bringing my total for the year to 197 books read. Honestly, I don’t feel like I read very much–and most of what I did read was either meh or okay. But there were three books I read that were really good!

Falling Into a Sea of Stars, by Kristen Britain. I’ve loved this series all along, and I loved this, too. Karigan is such a great character, and I love the tension between her and the king. I binge-read this in a single weekend.

The Memory Gardener, by Meg Donohue. This was so good! The characters were great–vibrant and quirky–and the setting was fantastic. Oceanview Home became such a great setting! And the gardens. I loved the gardens. All of them.

Magic for a Price, by Devon Monk. How did I read this series over a decade ago, when they first came out, and somehow not read the final book in the series? I enjoyed this wrap-up! I listened to it on audio, and truly enjoyed that aspect of it. Shamus is my fave!

Sundays are for Writing #339

This was a fantastic writing week! I wrote three book reviews, Fallen City, by Adrienne Young, The Forget-Me-Not Library, by Heather Webber, and An Academic Affair, by Jodi McAlister as well as my September reading post and my post on the best books I read in September.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in September (2025)

In September, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 183 books read. I also DNFed six books. Of the 17 books I finished, most were solid reads, a handful were meh, and three were really excellent.

The White Octopus Hotel, by Alexandra Bell. This was historical fiction mixed with a bit of magic, and it was truly a lovely read. Great characters, an enchanting setting, and enough magic to keep it interesting.

Introducing Mrs. Collins, by Rachel Parris. A Pride and Prejudice spinoff about Charlotte Lucas? I was immediately intrigued. And reading about this character, who I never really gave much thought to before, was just so enjoyable. Yes, we get to see a few P&P scenes from a different set of eyes, which was wonderful, but Charlotte was fascinating in her own right.

The Forget-Me-Not Library, by Heather Webber. Sweet Southern fiction with a touch of magic? Yes, please. Y’all, I don’t even like small towns, and I loved Forget-Me-Not. Every character in this was fantastic and believable, and I loved both Juliet’s and Tallulah’s (How’s that for a Southern name?) journeys.

The Best Books I Read in August (2025)

In August, I read 21 books, bringing my total for the year to 166 books. Of those 21, most were solid reads, a couple were “meh,” and a handful were great reads.

A Dark and Deadly Journey, by Julia Kelly. This is the third book in this WWII-era spy series, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all three. The main characters are strong and intriguing, and it’s a lot of fun watching them solve the crimes in the stories. And of course, that’s my favorite era for historical fiction.

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, by Rachel Linden. I enjoyed this so much! The touch of magic, the second-chance romance, the family drama, the setting, the food…all of it worked so well together to make this such a great read.

Glorious Rivals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I cleared my reading schedule for the weekend when this came out, so I could just enjoy what a fun read this was! I’m not smart enough to have survived more than three minutes of the game, but I really love all the characters and their messes.

The Best Books I Read in June (2025)

In June, I read 21 books and DNFed 10 more (!). Of those 21 books, several were really excellent reads.

The Firebird, by Susanna Kearsley. I’m really enjoying this dual timeline/historical fiction mashup. The characters are great, and I’m loving both the characters in the present and the past.

Den of Liars, by Jessica S. Olson. I loved this! The world is fascinating (and basically the entire thing takes place in a fantastical casino), and the characters were engrossing. I was sucked in from the beginning and couldn’t put it down!

The Alchemy of Flowers, by Laura Resau. Who wouldn’t want to run away from their grief and sadness and live in a magical treehouse in the middle of a garden of flowers that talk to you? I’m not sure what else to say about this novel…

The Best Books I Read in May (2025)

In May, I read 21 books. There were a couple of “meh” reads plus a handful I DNFed, but there were also several that were really good.

The Winter Sea, by Susanna Kearsley. I loved this novel-within-a-novel! The setting—in both stories/timelines—was vividly drawn, and I just enjoyed the characters so much. Can’t wait to read the next one (which I’m doing right now).

A Forgery of Fate, by Elizabeth Lim. Elizabeth Lim is a talented writer, and this story was no exception. I found the setting quite unique, and I enjoyed the cultures and the characters.

River Road, by Charles Martin. Yes, he’s my favorite author, but it was fascinating to see not only how his writing skills grew in these essays, but how his childhood shaped him into the man that writes such powerful stories.

The Best Books I Read in April (2025)

In April, I read 21 books, bringing my total for the year to 86 books read. I also DNFed six books. OF those 21 books, three were really excellent.

The Beekeeper’s Promise, by Fiona Valpy. This had been on my TBR pile for a while, and I’m so glad I got around to it! Love me some World War II historical fiction. And this made me crave honey!

The Love Haters, by Katherine Center. I usually look forward to Katherine Center’s novels, because I know there’s going to be some laughs, some solid characters, and usually some swoon-worthy moments. This did not disappoint.

My Friends, by Fredrik Backman. The first Backman book I read was Beartown. I could not care less about sports and I don’t like small towns, but I was enthralled in that book. And My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry is probably in my top ten favorite books ever. So when I tell you that My Friends was just as good? You should read it!