1.) Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany
From Goodreads:
In Rudolph, New York, it’s Christmastime all year long. But this December, while the snow-lined streets seem merry and bright, a murder is about to ruin everyone’s holiday cheer…As the owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, Merry Wilkinson knows how to decorate homes for the holidays. That’s why she thinks her float in the semi-annual Santa Claus parade is a shoo-in for best in show. But when the tractor pulling Merry’s float is sabotaged, she has to face facts: there’s a Scrooge in Christmas Town. Merry isn’t ready to point fingers, especially with a journalist in town writing a puff piece about Rudolph’s Christmas spirit. But when she stumbles upon the reporter’s body on a late night dog walk—and police suspect he was poisoned by a gingerbread cookie crafted by her best friend, Vicky—Merry will have to put down the jingle bells and figure out who’s really been grinching about town, before Vicky ends up on Santa’s naughty list…
We were hoping for a cozy, cheery, Christmas-y mystery and unfortunately this fell flat. The main character was childish, dull, and often grouchy. The townspeople weren't full of the Christmas Spirit more like the spirit of commercialism. Most of them were caricatures rather than characters. The writing was simplistic. I will always dock a star when an adult says the word "tummy" referring to themselves and not a child. Ugh. The best character was the St. Bernard puppy. Our book club was hoping for more of a twist at the end and even discussed where there was the potential for a good one. I'm not sure why this book is as highly rated as it is. Our book club gave it two thumbs down. I will not be continuing on with the series.
My Rating: Disappointing.
2.) Understood Betsy by Dorothy Fisher Canfield
From Goodreads:
For all of her nine years, fragile Elizabeth Ann has heard her Aunt Frances refer in whispers to her "horrid Putney cousins." But when her aunt can no longer care for her, Elizabeth Ann must leave her sheltered life to live in the wilds of Vermont with those distant relatives. In the beginning, Elizabeth Ann is shocked by country living—pets are allowed to sleep in the house and children are expected to do chores! But with country living comes independence and responsibility, and in time, Elizabeth Ann finds herself making friends and enjoying her new family. When the year is up and Aunt Frances comes to get her niece, she finds a healthier, prouder girl with a new name—Betsy—and a new outlook on life.
This middle grade classic was written in 1917 and is as charming as can be. It's beautifully written and evocative of a bygone time and yet still has a good message for today's helicopter parents. This is a sweet and heartwarming story about building self-confidence in children. Enjoyable for kids and adults alike. I loved it.
My Rating: Wonderful.
3.) The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan
Last year I read both of Jenny Colgan's Christmas Bookshop books and I was hoping for more of the same. I also wanted to read something quick and Christmas-y.
From Goodreads:
Mirren’s beloved great-aunt Violet is seriously ill. Her one Christmas wish is to be reunited with a long-lost hand-illustrated book from her childhood, a challenge Mirren gladly accepts to give Violet some much-needed festive cheer...with no sign of the cherished volume online, Mirren falls into the fascinating world of rare books. From London to snowy Hay-on-Wye and Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, she chases leads from bookshop to bookshop—and bumps into mysterious, charming Theo, who, unbeknownst to her, is searching for the same book for reasons of his own…As the two join forces to track the book down before time runs out for Violet, will Mirren find her Christmas miracle—and maybe even a kiss under the mistletoe?
This wasn't super Christmas-y but was a fun, quick, seasonal read. I loved the UK setting. I especially enjoyed that the characters in this book, on their quest to find a rare book, found their way to Carmen and Mr. McCready's bookshop in Scotland and we got a little update on them. Enjoyable.
My Rating: Cute
4.) A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig
From Goodreads:
You are about to read the true story of Father Christmas.
It is a story that proves that nothing is impossible.
If you are one of those people who believe that some things are impossible, you should put this book down right away. It is most certainly not for you.
Because this book is FULL of impossible things.
This is a cute middle grade book. It is an origin story of Santa Claus. A poor little boy growing up in the snowy woods of Finland goes on a magical adventure in search of his father. On his journey he finds elves, the power of magic, and the belief that nothing is impossible. This was a fun holiday read. It has also been made into a movie on Netflix.
My Rating: Sweet.
5.) Prophets See Around Corners by Sheri Dew
From Goodreads:
Sheri Dew has had the unique opportunity to be in the presence of prophets, seers, and revelators hundreds of times, if not thousands. In Prophets See around Corners, she shares her firsthand witness that these inspired men are indeed called of God and that they have the ability to help us in ways no other leader or influencer can. As she explains, “There is a crucial difference between prophets, seers, and revelators...They have priesthood keys that allow them to see things we do not yet see and understand things we do not yet understand.” This is why prophets have a singular capacity to prepare us for life’s unexpected turns. This is how they can see around corners. As she answers common questions about prophets and affirms the myriad ways they point us to Jesus Christ, Sheri Dew reminds us that prophets are an extraordinary gift to those who believe. The revelation they receive is for us today―revelation that contemplates the unique circumstances in the world now. Why should we listen to prophets? Because, as the author teaches, “Those who follow the prophet are actually following and placing their trust in God the Father and in His Son Jesus Christ.” As we study and follow the counsel of prophets, the trajectory of each of our lives will change. We will be protected from deception and prepared for all that lies ahead.
I thought that this was an interesting and relevant book. One that was good for me to read at this particular time. It was uplifting and enlightening. Great insights from Sheri Dew. I loved reading about her interactions and experiences with prophets and apostles. I loved it.
My Rating: Insightful.
6.) The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore
7.) The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are. And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.
This was a charming middle grade novel. A perfect book to read over the holidays. The story takes place the week leading up to Christmas as the delightful Vanderbeeker children try to save their home. I was charmed by this wonderful, big, diverse family. The Vanderbeekers are great characters who are loveable, interesting, bright, and unique. Each child has their own interests and hobbies. I loved the descriptions of their home and Harlem neighborhood. I loved their rambunctious house filled to the rafters with children, pets, lots of activities, quirky neighbors, and extended family. The Vanderbeekers are a great family who love and serve those around them and bring joy to their neighborhood. This was a warm and fuzzy feelgood book.
My Rating: A modern day classic.
8.) The Compound by Aisling Rawle
From Goodreads:
Lily—a bored, beautiful twentysomething—wakes up on a remote desert compound alongside nineteen other contestants on a popular reality TV show. To win, she must outlast her housemates while competing in challenges for luxury rewards, such as champagne and lipstick, and communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door. The cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave: Why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. When the producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she'll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams—but what will she have to do to win?
This was my first read of 2026. It was an interesting satirical take on reality tv shows, consumerism, materialism, fame, and greed. I loved the premise of an intense reality show with performative tasks that ramp up dramatically to entertain the viewers that become increasingly more unhinged and unsettling.
The contestants wake up in the compound and have to couple up and perform tasks and challenges to win prizes for the compound and themselves. They aren't even guaranteed basic necessities like food and water; as they plot to not be banished from the compound. We follow Lily a beautiful but vapid girl as she competes to be the last one standing.
This definitely gives a Love Island, Big Brother, Survivor vibe but also hints at a dystopian war-ravaged world outside the compound that the contestants are trying to escape. We don't get a lot of context about the contestants or what is happening in the world. We have to try to figure out what is going on inside and outside of the compound. The contestants begin going off the rails as time progresses with no contact with the outside world.
This book had a lot going for it. It was interesting and propulsive. I really enjoyed the first two thirds of the book but the ending was an absolute let down. It is definitely controversial. It tanked the book for me. I wish the author would have ended it in a different way and it would have been a four star read.
My Rating: An interesting social commentary with a terrible ending.
9.) The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
From Goodreads:
Robert Langdon, esteemed professor of symbology, travels to Prague to attend a groundbreaking lecture by Katherine Solomon—a prominent noetic scientist with whom he has recently begun a relationship. Katherine is on the verge of publishing an explosive book that contains startling discoveries about the nature of human consciousness and threatens to disrupt centuries of established belief. But a brutal murder catapults the trip into chaos, and Katherine suddenly disappears along with her manuscript. Langdon finds himself targeted by a powerful organization and hunted by a chilling assailant sprung from Prague's most ancient mythology. As the plot expands into London and New York, Langdon desperately searches for Katherine . . . and for answers. In a thrilling race through the dual worlds of futuristic science and mystical lore, he uncovers a shocking truth about a secret project that will forever change the way we think about the human mind.
This is the sixth installment in the Robert Langdon series. This time he is in Prague with his current love interest, a world famous scientist, Katherine. Robert Langdon books are always interesting and entertaining. This isn't the best in the series but it does discuss interesting subject matter...the nature of human consciousness and neuroscience. Dan Brown loves to include some real world science to build his theories and storylines upon. He includes a good mix of fact and fiction and a lot of philosophical discussion. Dan Brown books always give the reader a lot to think about. I like that about his books. I also loved the descriptions of Prague with its historical sights, political and international intrigue, twists and turns, and theories upon theories that come with these novels, all of which kept me turning the pages. It's always nostalgic to be back in Robert Langdon's world.
What I didn't love were the constant long-winded science/historical/philosophical lectures given by Robert (and Katherine) over and over again to anyone and everyone. I felt like every few pages I was getting another Wikipedia information dump. The information was not given in a normal and natural way and it made for some very stilted dialogue. There was too much droning on about the mind/consciousness for way too many pages. It made a very interesting subject matter feel tedious. There was also too much repetition. Langdon tells us the same things over and over again. We get it. It felt condescending. The book, at almost 700 pages, was too long and the storyline dragged. I felt like the plot had basically wrapped up and there were still many more chapters to go.
The way Dan Brown writes Robert Langdon feels extremely dated. It feels like he is writing for a man in the 1980s or 1990s rather than today. Langdon's quirks and eccentricities seem from a few decades back and don't even get me started on how Dan Brown writes women and romantic situations. Ick. Being in Robert Langdon's head became tiresome. So much pontificating and everything is lecture or a teaching moment. There is nothing Langdon loves more than to tell everyone how smart he is. Robert Langdon needs an upgrade and not be written like a character in a Danielle Steele novel.
Still...this book was interesting and getting to armchair travel to Prague with all of its mysteries and intrigues on a cold January night was entertaining. You know what you are getting into with these books. If you like them...you like them. If you don't...you don't.
My Rating: Okay.
10.) The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
From Goodreads:
In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show’s millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult...Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to leave and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help of a One Tree Hill super fan), she finally managed to escape the family’s grip and begin to heal from the deep trauma that forever altered her relationship with God and her understanding of faith. Written with powerful honesty and dark humor, Dinner for Vampires is an inspiring story about the importance of identity and understanding what you believe.
I'm not a One Tree Hill fan and didn't know much about the actress who played Haley before reading this book; but I do remember hearing something about her potential cult involvement back in the day. I enjoy celebrity memoirs and this was recommended on a book podcast that I like. It was a quick read. The book cover is misleading and didn't really go with the story. There also wasn't a ton of behind-the-scenes information about One Tree Hill either. The majority of the book discusses Lenz's decade long involvement in a religious cult. She happened to be in this cult while also starring on the hit TV show.
What started off as a Hollywood Bible study group...other members were actors from soap operas and other TV shows...slowly and subtly morphed into a controlling cult who became her *family.* It's sad to read about how lonely she was and how she went looking for acceptance and connection and instead found herself manipulated and abused. It is heartbreaking what she went through. Cult leaders preyed on her and used her faith against her to control her and to steal over $2 million dollars from her. It's unnerving how easily she was manipulated and isolated from her family, friends, and colleagues.
Lenz was vulnerable and showed how easily someone could become involved in a cult, thinking that they are doing something good, or that they have found acceptance, or belonging in a group. It is tragic how long it took for her to realize what was happening. This was a good window book that allows the reader to see inside someone else's world. Her day-to-day life and interactions with this group were disturbing. I'm glad that Lenz finally came to the realization that she needed to get herself and her daughter out of that situation and ultimately out of her marriage too. She was married to the cult leader's son. I am glad that she is now providing a healthy life for her daughter and living one herself.
My Rating: Interesting and unsettling.
12.) Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
From Goodreads:
Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.
This wasn't my favorite Emily Henry book but I still enjoyed it. It was sweet but a tad too long. Henry was trying something a little different with this novel. More literary fiction and a bit less rom-com. I'm fine with that. This had a dual storyline and covered several generations of an uber wealthy family. It definitely had some The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes. Unfortunately, I felt like too much time was spent on Margaret's story and that really slowed down the pacing of the book. When the story shifted back to the Ives family saga I often got bored and would set the book down.
I really liked the female main character of Alice Scott. She was sunny and fun. I loved her positive personality. Hayden was an interesting character too once he started opening up to Alice. This is a grumpy/sunshine and rivals-to-lovers slow burn. I loved the Georgia island setting that was giving Tybee Island vibes. Perfection. Margaret on the other hand wasn't as likeable. I don't think we needed to go so far back in her family history either...to her great-grandfather, grandfather, father...and then finally to her. It took way too long to get to her.
This novel is a bit of several genres crammed into one: literary fiction, romance, and mystery. It made the story choppy. Plus there were several characters that it would have been interesting to get more back story on... Laura, Ruth, Cosmo, Jodi, Cecil, and even Nicollet. Characters that were contemporaries of Margaret. Despite wanting more character development for these characters and definitely more time spent with Alice and Hayden...it was still a fairly entertaining book.
My Rating: Good but gets slow in parts.
13.) Chicken Fried Women by Melissa Radke
I am a Melissa Radke fan. I think she is hilarious! I read her previous book and follow her on social media. She is a good time and always makes me laugh. This book was the same!
From Goodreads:
Melissa Radke—television star, podcaster, and bestselling author of Eat Cake. Be Brave—writes a love letter to the strong, opinionated Southern women who raised her and the women who surround each one of us. Lucy and Ethel. Laverne and Shirley. Dorothy and Sophia and Blanche and Rose. It’s the women around us who make us who we are, and Chicken-Fried Women is a celebration of them. It’s about the women who raised us, made us, taught us to cook and clap back. It’s the ones who prayed for us, raged at us and humbled us a notch or two when we needed it. It’s about the women who gave us our first perm, told us we “don’t have legs for a skirt that short” and admitted that cankles run in the family. These are the women who have encouraged us, teased us, chastised us, and mortified us. And as they fill up the seats around our table, we realize we wouldn’t have it any other way.
This is Southern humor at its finest. I laughed out loud so many times! I listened to this on audiobook and I highly recommend doing that because Melissa reads it herself and the voices that she does for each of her family members had me giggling. I loved it! She is an incredible storyteller. The antics of Melissa's granny, mother, aunts, and cousins were an absolute delight!
This memoir is voicy and full of heart. It is also at times incredibly touching and poignant. I loved this collection of stories about a family of larger-than-life-sassy-filter-less Southern women. It is a celebration of womanhood, kinship, and community. It is a love story to the women who raised us (and who we have raised.)
Lily the lamb, Melba and Annette in the church bathroom, giving certain actions names like "Don't be a (fill in a name) or a Hello (fill in the name) when you do a specific thing (This is so true!!) and had me crying with laughter.
I love a family of feisty females. I am raising some! No one gets me laughing harder than they do. It also had me remembering hilarious times with my mom and the predicaments that she would get herself into along with both of my grandmas and my Nana. Good times!
This book was truly a joy to read and so relatable. I loved it and highly recommend it!
My Rating: Fantastic and hilarious!
14.) My Friends by Fredrik Backman
From Goodreads:
Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love. Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.
I love Fredrik Backman's books and I eagerly anticipated this one. I enjoy his unique layered storytelling. In this novel there are dual timelines that we move back and forth between as the story unfolds. We have Louisa's story in the present and the story of the teenagers from 25 years ago. Just like in his other novels we have complex and quirky characters and unlikely friendships. And just like in his other novels Backman doesn't shy away from tackling difficult subject matter. But this one felt different. This story was touching and absolutely brutal. There are many good things about this book but this one just wasn't for me. It was way too heavy. Too hard. Too sad. Every single character had an incredibly difficult and painful back story. There were moments of levity and joking around but it didn't land for me. The majority of the story was sad and somber with A LOT of trigger warnings. I needed either a quicker pace or a few more soft places to land in between all of the sad and hard parts.
I give this moving coming-of-age story three and a half stars. Be prepared that the themes of grief, art, belonging, friendship, and found family will rip your heart out. It was too bleak for me. It is still a worthwhile read but not my favorite Backman.
My Rating: Heavy.
15.) Love Walked In by Marisa de Los Santos
From Goodreads:
When Martin Grace enters the hip Philadelphia coffee shop Cornelia Brown manages, her life changes forever. But little does she know that her newfound love is only the harbinger of greater changes to come. Meanwhile, across town, Clare Hobbs—eleven years old and abandoned by her erratic mother—goes looking for her lost father. She crosses paths with Cornelia while meeting with him at the café, and the two women form an improbable friendship that carries them through the unpredictable currents of love and life.
This was my book club's pick for February 2026. This was a fun book for February and a quick read for a short month. It is a backlist title from about 20 years ago. It also isn't your typical boy-meets-girl story nor straight forward romance novel. It has its fluffy moments but there was also some gravitas that was unexpected.
We have two narrators in this novel and we flip back and forth between them. The first one is Cornelia, a thirtysomething café manager in Philadelphia, and the second one is Clare, a lonely eleven year old girl. Cornelia is a diehard romantic and her narration is chatty and wistful. Cornelia imagines that her life is like an old classic movie. There were so many references to old movies and classic actors and actresses. It was incessant and got a little tedious. Clare's narration was more real and grounded in reality. It was heartbreaking and vulnerable. I didn't love Cornelia's storyline until it intersected with Clare's.
There was a cast of likeable (mostly) characters. Particularly those who come to the aid of Clare. I particularly loved those characters who rallied and extended love and care to a scared little girl. I felt that some of the plot points were improbable and yet my emotions were tangled as I rooted for both Cornelia and Clare to get their happy endings. I enjoyed this book of found family, friendship, and belonging.
My Rating: Enjoyable.
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