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Books Read in January 2026

 Here we are again! Another month, another year, another list of books read. It has been a trying month, and unfortunately I expect it will be a trying year, but I am grateful that there are so many wonderful books in the world to help me through. Books Read in January 2026 This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher--Picked this up at a local bookstore who advertised this for their romance book club. The premise--4 members of an epic fantasy quest 10 years later--was exciting, however, while the ironic self-aware tone was humorous, it was also very detached, and I therefore had a hard time caring about or identifying with any of the characters until like 2/3 of the way through, which is just way too long. I feel like I finished it just to finish it and because I was so excited by the premise. There were definitely highlights but it was ultimately a miss for me, I think. All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert--I enjoyed this as much as I enjoy all of her books--there's something about he...
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Bookish Goals for 2026 and How I Did on 2025 Goals

 Here are my goals from last year.  And here are my bookish goals for 2026! Bookish Goals for 2025 Read 52 books.--I didn't want to overburden myself, and I have no regrets. I ended up reading 84 books, which is less than the fluke of last year's 90 (the most in my adult life!) but still pretty good.  Read at least 14 books by authors of color.--13 books would be 25% of 52 so I decided to add another for luck and in case I end up surpassing my overall reading goal again. I ended up reading 13 books by authors of color, which is less than 25% of 84, but still better than last year.  Read and review all of the books I have accepted or will accept for review this year.--I did this! I reviewed all the books I agreed to review in 2025--and I actually have no books to review yet in 2026, so I'm at net zero for reviews for once.  Read at least 3 books by women in translation--I've already read one!--Unfortunately, that was the only one I read all year-- The Housekeepe...

Best New-to-Me Authors in 2025

 I'm a day late, and new authors seems more do-able than all bookish discoveries--plus, I think these were my most important bookish discoveries in 2025 anyway. Happy (late) Top Ten Tuesday! Best New-to-Me Authors in 2025 Jessica Topper and Amanda Usen--Grouping them together since I've only read their joint Matzo Ballers Hanukkah romance series. Technically, I finished the first book on December 31, 2024, but I read three of them in 2025 (and one already in 2026!), so I think it's fair to count them as new-to-me approximately as of 2025. I just love their joyful, sexy, Jewish brand of Hanukkah romance: they're both incredibly funny and compelling writers who create complex and interesting characters from the get-go. I will definitely continue reading the Matzo Baller series and probably check out some of their other books as well. J. Penner--I became absolutely obsessed with their Adenashire cozy fantasy books in 2025! They are definitely now on the must-read list for ...

Best Books I Read in 2025

 Woof. This was--I guess kind of an average reading year? Mostly good or decent reads, a few mediocre ones or ones that weren't for me. The books I'm including below are the ones I've thought about most this year--particularly The Feather Thief and Better Living Through Birding --it's hard to imagine I only read them in 2025! I guess I'm officially a nonfiction fan now. Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Best Books I Read in 2025 Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott--I loved Baba Yaga as a kid and I love this modern, Jewish take on the story The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk W. Johnson--I'd recommend this to anyone. Just a fascinating story--I never knew how much I wanted to know about fly-tying and the mystery of dead nineteenth century birds Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins--Another gut-wrenching Hunger Games triumph--and maybe unfortunately one more for our times  Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie ...

Books Read in December 2025

 My reading slowed down a bit while I was busy in December and then I got very sick at the end of December (still kind of sick, honestly), so my reading slowed down. I knew I needed a really engaging book while I was ill, so I pulled out Sunrise on the Reaping   and it was everything I could have hoped! Can always count on Collins for a propulsive read, with substance, even. Books Read in December 2025 Gap Year by Lindsey Goldstein--This was an eARC I received from the publisher about a woman in her 40s who gets divorced and goes on a "gap year" in Ecuador while her 18-year-old daughter is on one in Spain. I found the Ecuador content interesting but I wasn't that into the writing or character. I do wish there were more books about older female protagonists taking journeys like this though. The Menorah Matchmaker (Matzo Ballers Hanukkah Romance #3) by Amanda Usen The Rugelach Road Trip (Matzo Ballers Hanukkah Romance #4) by Jessica Topper--I read the first two Matzo Baller...

Cozy Snowy Books and Books I Want for Hanukkah

 As usual, it's that time again to adjust the Top Ten Tuesday topic because tonight is the third night of Hanukkah. Hanukkah always starts on the 25th of Kislev but that sometimes needs some adjusting on the Gregorian calendar. Happy third night to my fellow celebrants, and happy almost-winter and/or winter holidays to everyone else! Since I also missed last week's topic, I've decided to share some cozy snowy reads--the topic was books set in snowy places but Jana added cozy and I like that as well-- to get into the wintery mood as well as some books I'd like for Hanukkah. Books Set in (Cozy) Snowy Places Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliott--This one is set during Hanukkah in Maine and NYC, so lots of cozy snow and wintry scenes in this evocative Hanukkah romance--and yes, it does involve a lot of food... The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis--Narnia is, of course, not an entirely nice place when the Pevensie children enter it, yet Mr. Tumnus, Mr. and Mrs....

Books Read in November 2025

I've been offline a bit since I spent the first week of December visiting a friend in Australia (!) and then this next week catching up on things, but here I finally am catching up on blog posts! Books Read in November 2025 How About Now by Kate Baer--I heard about this poetry collection on Cup of Jo and a few other online venues, and I'm so glad I did! I really enjoyed these paeans to millenial womanhood.  Don't Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino (Book club read)--Another feisty young Jewish woman in 1960, a time period that doesn't work for her personality--this was a little one-note but very amusing tone and I have it on good authority that it perfectly evokes Atlantic City/Jersey shore in that time period. Winterfrost Market (Tales of Midwinter Haven #1) by Jenny Sandiford--This is a perfect cozy fantasy read with a strong romantic subplot. I really admire how the author builds a diverse wintry world with some high fantastical stakes and literally "cozies...

Books I Enjoyed That Were Outside My Comfort Zone

Thanks to my book clubs, I've been exposed to more books out of my comfort zone--and every once in a while, I'm very grateful. And even if a book isn't my thing, it's still worth it to me to get to discuss it with other people, so it's a win/win for me! That said, I'm finding that I enjoy books from almost any genre and of almost any type--it really just depends on the book itself. Years ago, I would have said that romances and poetry weren't my thing, whereas, now, I'd consider both in my regular rotation. Even a year ago, I might have said mysteries weren't my thing, but now, I find myself reading a few every now and then. Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Books I Enjoyed That Were Outside My Comfort Zone The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson--This may be the best book I've read this year, and I wouldn't have read it without a book club. The first few chapters were tedious at times, ...