Short and sweet book reviews of what I've been reading lately
Welcome to Quick Lit, where I share short and sweet reviews of what I’ve been reading lately on (or around) the 15th of the month, and invite you to do the same.
I hope your reading year is off to a good start! Over the years, I’ve noticed I tend to consistently read 4–7 books in the holiday week between Christmas and New Year’s. This year my family was under the weather during that time, which was overall a drag but did ensure I spent plenty of time on the couch with good books (and a few good and not-so-good movies). This year I wanted to spend the period from mid-December to mid-January, and especially that holiday week, reading a pleasing mix of backlist titles and forthcoming-in-2026 selections for the Summer Reading Guide and, to a lesser extent, the Spring Preview Library Chat we’re hosting on February 7 for MMD Book Clubbers and our WSIRN patrons. (We’re doing it a little bit different this year—and it will be decidedly lower-key—so no a la carte this time.)
I so enjoyed what I picked up. In today’s edition of Quick Lit, I’m happy to share three backlist titles that are 10+ years old (Carson McCullers and two by Anne Tyler) as well as two newer books published in spring 2025 that I listened to on audio (Happy Land and The River Has Roots). I can see it appears that I read largely older selections this month, but in fact my books during this time period were mostly new-in-2026—I just won’t be talking about them for a little while. (But I can assure there is good stuff on the way!)
I hope you enjoy the variety of this month’s selections, and that you find something that looks intriguing for your TBR here (and in these comments). I look forward to browsing your recent reads below, and picking up suggestions for my To Be Read list. Thanks in advance for sharing your short and sweet book reviews with us!
Welcome to January Quick Lit
"The strangest thing about my wife's return from the dead was how other people reacted." So begins Tyler's 19th novel, published in 2012. A reader comment (hi, Suzy!) on December Quick Lit reminded me that I've been meaning to read this for ages, and I'm so grateful for the nudge to pick it up: I loved it. This is no ghost story. Instead, it's about a man brought to reckoning when his wife dies in a tragic and unsettling accident at home. With his wife gone—and eventually, with the help of her reappearances—he finally brings himself to take a clear-eyed look, and ultimately come to terms with, the good and the bad of their marriage. Wistful, gentle, and quirky, and at once a tale of great sorrow and one of love and forgiveness. I ate up all the details, particularly those of the publishing variety: the main character helms a small vanity publisher in Baltimore, and his workplace stories were a riot. More info →
After reading and loving The Beginner's Goodbye, I wasn't sure which Tyler to pick up next. (I welcome suggestions for future reading in comments!) I landed on this multigenerational tale of the Whitshank family and their Baltimore home. Seventy-something Red and Abby anchor the family: he works in construction, she's now a retired social worker. They live in a cherished home built by Red's father Junior; they raised their four kids in it and those kids are now grown and gone. But when Abby starts having intermittent memory troubles, the kids return home: prodigal son Denny and his responsible younger brother Stem move back in, and the two daughters, Nora and Amanda, start spending a lot more time at the family home. Moving back and forth in time, we get acquainted with each generation, learning the stories they tell themselves about family identity, as well as the secrets they've kept—and sometimes are still keeping—from each other. Tyler is at once a sharp and compassionate observer of family life; this was a poignant exploration of how we make meaning of our stories, how we cope with our reality, and how we may choose to both lean on and hide from the people we love. I enjoyed this for its plethora of savvy insights about family life, numerous pithy one-liners, and the steady presence of the house throughout, a character in its own right. More info →
I read this novella in print early last year, but have heard such good things about the audio version since then that I just revisited it in that format. El-Mohtar has said the story's "source and seed" is a 17th century folk ballad that she loved and wanted to "fix," because in it, one sister murders another over love for the same man, and wouldn't a happier version that celebrates sisterly love be welcome? (Yes!) In her reimagining, two sisters harvest ancient willows, sing to them to thank them for their magic, discuss their love for murder ballads, debate word choice and grammar, meditate on sisterly and romantic love, and get the happy ending they deserved all along. The story and its dreamy (yet intermittently sharp and funny) prose were delicious on audio, as narrated by Gem Carmella. More info →
I've been meaning to read this 1940 classic for decades, to fill what has come to feel like a major gap in my literary education, particularly when it comes to Southern lit. The novel's backstory is in itself fascinating: McCullers was just 23 when it was published, and became an overnight literary sensation. Shortly thereafter she moved to Brooklyn and took up residence in the storied February House. I've long been captured by the poetry of the title, but the story itself wasn't what I expected: it's set in the 1930s in a small Georgia mill town, and focuses on four members of the community, three white and one Black—a poor teenage girl with big dreams, the unhappy owner of the town's popular café, an itinerant political agitator, and an aging and weary Black doctor—as they face their own struggles. Each considers a fifth person to be a friend: a deaf-mute named John Singer, to whom they pour out their troubles, as they perceive him to be a sympathetic listener. None of them realize Singer is dealing with his own private loss, but he has no one to whom he can pour out his troubles. I'm glad I finally read this, but found it utterly desolate. I'm toying with reading The Member of the Wedding next, but am leery of a similarly devastating experience. Thoughts? More info →
I've loved Dolen Perkins-Valdez's work in the past, especially her 2022 novel Take My Hand which was one of my favorite books that year. I decided to listen to her 2025 release on audio, largely because Bahni Turpin narrates, along with Ashley J. Hobbs. Once again, here she takes inspiration from lesser-explored history that deserves to be better known. Happy Land is about the “kingdom” established in 1873 in North Carolina by a group of freedpeople looking to escape white terrorist violence in nearby Spartanburg County SC, where they lived. This kingdom named a king and queen, formed a communal treasury, and eventually purchased land spread across the NC/SC state line. The story unfolds in two timelines: the first follows Luella, Happy Land’s first queen, and the second contemporary timeline follows her descendant Nikki. The stories are linked by the ancestral line and also by the fuller story of African American land loss in the 20th century. Perkins-Valdez excels at making history come alive through her rich historical details. More info →
What have YOU been reading lately? Tell us about your recent reads—or share the link to a blog or instagram post about them—in comments.
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April Kiker says:
I’m listening to The American Queen which is about Happy Land as well. I had never heard of this until recently. Will add Happy Land as a companion read!
Melissa Whalen says:
Have you read The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler? I remember reading it many years ago and loving it.
jamie says:
i’ve been reading Confessions by Catherine Airey and am really enjoying it!
Linda, I absolutely love the Sensible Shoes series. It motivated me to find a similar spiritual formation small group called JourneyMates.
Rebecca Hart says:
Member of the Wedding I recall as pretty great and sure it’s bleak but not devastating(? It’s been a while)
Virginia Kessen says:
It’s been years since I read it but my memory matches yours.
Rebecca says:
PS am loving ‘Sonia and sunny’ and I LOVED the land in winter.
Janna Steele says:
Jordan, it’s so funny you said that about two books by the same author. EVERY TIME I read an Eleanor Lippman book, I immediately read another because I want to keep hearing her voice. I stop at two, and don’t do it intentionally! Just a random phenomenon of my reading life!
Michelle says:
At the end of 2025, when everyone was posting their favorite books of the year, I kept coming across mentions of the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower. I had never heard of them before and the wait for the physical copies from my library system was epic but, all 8 audiobooks were quickly available on Hoopla so I decided to dive in. I ended up abandoning every other book in my queue to binge the whole series (24 are planned) and they have turned out to be exactly the gentle Victorian coming of age start I needed for 2026! Epistolary novels are often my favorites and these are primarily journal entries mixed with some correspondence including notes passed under a wall. It’s witty, ever so slightly magical, mysterious, includes a beloved collection of quirky characters, is filled with literary references, and there is even a colorful little map of Emma’s town, St. Crispian’s. I loved the audio but was so sad not to have been able to annotate that I just ordered the whole set and imagine I will start back from the beginning once I have the physical copies. What a surprise and a treat!
Adrienne H. says:
Michelle – You made my day! I have loved this series, currently on Vol. 8, and I am thrilled to hear there will be more. Yay!!! I have listened to them on Hoopla as well, but may have to splurge and buy the physical books.
Anne says:
My mom, my daughter, and I are all in love with Emma!! I’m dying for Vol. 9! Audio all the way!
Rebecca says:
I’m reading an Anne Tyler book for my book club right now—“Clock Dance”! Enjoying it so far!
Katy Clark says:
Clock Dance was my introduction to Anne Tyler, and what I came on here to suggest as well. I’ve since read a ton of Anne Tyler and she’s a comfort/favourite to come back to.
Naomi Skena says:
If I recall correctly, Member of the Wedding is from the POV of a lively and amusing child…I remember it being witty and observant, not bleak. But thank you for the heads up on her other book! 😬
katherine hardee says:
I can’t seem to get off a Lily King high since reading Heart the Lover and rereading Writers and Lovers recently. So I am taking your suggestion and devouring Five Tuesdays in Winter. I adore Anne Tyler too and did some backlist reading last summer. Breathing Lessons is one I would suggest if you have not read it. Completely deserving of its 1989 Pulitzer prize in Fiction. I am also currently reading our January MMD pick Sipsworth and enjoying it so much.
A Spool of Blue Thread has been on my TBR for a while. Thanks for the nudge. I also had Happy Land on my Kindle and haven’t gotten to it. But when you said Bahni Turpin narrates the audio, I immediately bought it. I have loved all of Dolen’s books.
I have 11 books I’ve read since mid-November to share, including some middle-grade and young adult titles as well as fiction, a holiday romance, and historical fiction.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
The Mountains Sing
The Tree that was a World
My Name is Lucy Barton
Lovely War
The Christmas Box
The One Year Bible
Wreck
One Night, Two Holidays
The Hundred Dresses
Scattergood
https://www.sincerelystacie.com/2026/01/quick-lit-january-2026-edition/
Lynette says:
From the week between Christmas and New Year’s until 2 days ago, I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed:
Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree
Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
Murder Most Royal by S.J. Bennett
I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (I wish this one had gone on forever – it was so enjoyable and comforting!)
Emily says:
For years and years Anne Tyler has been one of my very favorite authors. I don’t reread many books, but hers I do. I particularly recommend The Accidental Tourist, Breathing Lessons, Saint Maybe, Ladder of Years (this might be my favorite), and Digging to America.
Anne says:
Thank you for these recommendations! (The Accidental Tourist was the first Anne Tyler I read and I thought it was a lovely introduction to her work.)
Chris C says:
Anne Tyler is one of my must-read (and re-read) authors. Ladder of Years is my favorite too. It really spoke to me the first time I read it, as a young mother, and I still enjoy it. My daughter now lives in Delaware in a town which reminds me so much of the one where most of this novel is set.
Suzy says:
Oh my goodness, I have read many Anne Tylers, but I have NOT read Ladder of Years or Saint Maybe, so now I’m excited to pick up those two next!! I had not heard any recommendations for Ladder of Years previously! Thank you!
Guest says:
My first book of 2026 was The Correspondent: A Novel on audiobook. A 5 star read (listen?) for sure. I decided to see what ChatGPT had to say about what my next listen should be so I plugged in some of my favorite books and audiobooks, it gave me recommendations – many (most?) of which I’d already read – and then I spotted Excellent Women by Barbara Pym. I was not familiar with her work but my goodness, I adored that book on audio! Will read more of hers but I don’t like to read author’s books one after another.
Currently listening to Strangers: A memoir of marriage and reading Something in the Heir which is a lighthearted regency. Strangers is almost painful to listen to but I’m invested because I read her viral Modern Love submission several years ago. Something in the Heir is a bit of a palate cleanser for an easy breezy read that is fun.
Anne says:
I’m listening to Strangers right now, too! (And wow do I see what you mean about “almost painful.”) But I didn’t know about the Modern Love column. Thanks for mentioning it; I’m off to look it up. 🙂
Guest says:
I was coming back (as I listened further) to say, Anne, you’ll love hearing about her mother’s work in urban planning! Fascinating.
Laura says:
Ok, who else just learned that Carson McCullers was a woman?
Adrienne H. says:
…raises hand
It wasn’t quite the finish to the reading year that I had planned – sadly, I left a favorite reading challenge unfinished – but overall still a good one. I wrapped up the year with some popular books that were hit (loved Wild Dark Shore!) and miss (All the Colors of the Dark) for me.
https://avikinginla.com/2026/01/what-ive-been-reading-lately-november-december-2025/
Jean I says:
WILD DARK SHORE a book with a plot & characters I’ll not forget! a lovely example of agape love.
Michelina says:
The start of 2026, I’ve been working my way through some of my TBR list. I’ve finished Bel Canto by Ann Patchett and A Heart for Christmas by Sophie Jomain which was a gift from a friend.
My favorite read so far has been Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady – it was cute and witty and jsut enough spicy for the winter months lol
I’m currently listening to Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell and reading The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner.
Looking forward to a very bookish 2026!
Bitsy Fitzsimmons says:
If you like Historical Fiction, give The Witch of Godstow Abbey a try. Set against the backdrop of Godstow Abbey near Oxford, the novel explores the collision between superstition, faith, and power in medieval England, and features strong female characters.
Meanwhile, I am thoroughly enjoying listening to The Correspondent.
Adrienne H. says:
Hello! I haven’t read The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and after Anne described it as “desolate,” I feel less compelled to read it. I read Mudbound late last year, and that book was desolate and depressing… My recent reads are:
* The Midnight Bookshop by Amanda James – 3 stars. This was a read for my book club and it was just too cute and cliched for me.
* The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison – 4 stars. I almost stopped this book about 50% of the way through as it felt very predictable, but I was encouraged to keep going and I’m glad I did. The second half had a great twist and the story ended up very differently than I expected, and I am still thinking about it.
* Heartwood by Amity Gaige – 5 stars. The hype is well-deserved for this gripping book.
* The Correspondent by Virginia Evans – audiobook, 5 stars. I read this in print back in 2025 and I FINALLY made it to the top of the holds list for the audiobook. Absolutely fantastic in this format.
Current reads are:
* The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 8 by Beth Brower – I have loved this series and will be sad to finish this one. Maybe there will be a Vol. 9??
* The River of Doubt by Candice Millard – This has been on my TBR for ages, and I recommended it to a co-worker who was looking for good nonfiction read based on reviews and a short synopsis/excerpt of the book I read a while ago. I decided I would read it too so I could discuss it with co-worker who is reading it too. I’m about 2/3 of the way through, and this is an amazing story. After reading this I’ve decided I will never venture into the Amazon forest… What a cautionary tale about the perils of a lack of knowledge, experience, and planning.
Happy Reading!
Claire P says:
Oh, please do NOT read The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter right now. Tremendously sad, I read it in my teenage years and it even broke through the narcissism of an adolescent! It’s very powerful.
I’m reading and loving Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield. It’s a beautiful story about a young girl, apparently drowned in a river who comes back to life. But it’s a book about the power and magic of storytelling as well.
Chris C says:
Forgot to mention how much I enjoyed Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. I started this and found it completely absorbing and so well-written.
Meredith Amadee says:
I LOVED Buckeye as well! That was my last read of 2025 and the perfect was to end the year.
Lee says:
Anne Tyler has long been a slump buster for me. My favorites are French Braid and A Spool of Blue Thread. Breathing Lessons, The Accidental Tourist, and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant are also outstanding.
Linda Henderson says:
Interesting. I am in the process of reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
Janna Steele says:
I just finished “Wild Dark Shore” by Charlotte McConaghy. My first complete book of the year, and it will probably end up on my best of list at the end of the year. (I am a little behind the others.)
I read “”Circle of Days by Ken Follet over a busy holiday season and into January. Do I count it for 2025 or 2026? I am a fast reader, and my ego was a little bruised that it took me so long, but it was an interesting and immersive read.
Tasha says:
My favorite book so the new year so far has been Home of the Happy by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot. It is a beautifully written story of family with a mystery and some history thrown in. Absolutely loved it!
Meredith says:
I started 2026 in the middle of a reread of East of Eden, which I used to claim was my favorite book (I don’t think it is anymore). I also read We are All Completely Beside Ourselves which Anne recommended to me in a Patreon episode and now I’m reading the Kite Runner for the first time! Trying to make my way though some the books I own before the year picks up more.
Erica says:
Finally read (and loved) The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue during the week after Christmas. Just finished, On Muscle: the Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters by Bonnie Tsui. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, so the fact that I found this book fascinating and easy to read says a lot. I’m currently listening to The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. Totally invested!
Michelle Wilson says:
I think I finished my favorite book of the year on the New Year’s morning!! Lincoln in the Bardo-George Saunders. It was my 3rd or 4th try. I always thought it was gonna be hard that maybe I wasn’t smart enough for it. Now loving it, I would not say it is hard. I would say there is a lot going on and the author does ask you to pay attention and make some of your own decisions. This time I did a tandem read and it was amazing!! The audio is simply incredible!
Anne, The Accidental Tourist and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant were my first and remain my favorite Anne Tyler books.
Kendra S says:
I’ve been on a poetry-reading kick! Rachel Joy Welcher isn’t famous, but her collections “Two Funerals, Then Easter” and “Sometimes Women Lie About Being Okay” are lovely. And Daniel Mitsui’s “The Wretch on the Gallows Tree” (rhymes and carols) is unique and thought-provoking.
“That Way There: Eight Years in a Big Rig” (Sterling Q. Abram) is a quirky memoir of a retiree who took up trucking for a season. I’m working my way through Andrew Osenga’s new book, “How to Remember: Forgotten Pathways to an Authentic Faith,” as well as Fleming Rutledge’s “Means of Grace: A Year of Weekly Devotions.”
I’m also wrapping up Christmas books (including Jenny Colgan’s newest).
Beth says:
For some reason, I always turn to Anne Tyler in the winter time and just yesterday I started reading “The Accidental Tourist”. I read it years ago and am enjoying reading it again. A few months ago, I read “Digging to America” for the first time. I love how her books tell stories about ordinary people and observations of normal human behavior that we can all relate to.
Marilyn says:
My final book of 2025 was Theo of Golden, and my first book of 2026 was Theo of Golden. Yes, I listened to it the first time and read it the second. And…just wow! It will go down as one of my favorite novels EVER!
Suzy says:
Ha! Anne, I’m delighted that you picked up The Beginner’s Goodbye because of my comment! Made my day!
For my reading month, I had some winners and some…not as great ones. I reread The Correspondent just 6 months after I first read it, and yup, it’s still the best! Now, to write a handwritten letter to Virginia Evans….
I read Wreck, and didn’t like it AS MUCH as Sandwich—honestly, she was worrying about possible cancer most of the book and it made my stomach very tense and almost queasy! I felt very uncomfortable reading this book, I was feeling for her!
I read The Ghostwriter and that was good. Good twists, info on ghostwriting.
I read Jeannine Cummins next book (“I’ll fix everything everyone criticized me for in my last book”)—Speak To Me of Home. I have to say, it did not engage me very much and I had trouble picking it up. American Dirt it was NOT.
And for January, I read The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell. I either love or hate Maggie O’Farrell, and this was a LOVE! I had not heard of it, but it was offered cheaply on Kindle, so I started it, and I was engrossed! It was so well done, the two timelines/stories coming together!! Awesome!
And finally, Port Anna, by Libby Buck, set in Maine and VERY authentic—it’s an area I know well (Blue Hill), but the story was filled with all the cliches and tropes….too much packed in.
I love Anne Tyler and A Spool of Blue Thread may be my favorite of hers. But they are all excellent!
This month I’m reviewing a little parenting, a lot of theology, and two novels that totally surprised me but had me completely riveted.
https://kendranicole.net/quick-lit-january-2026/
Tamara says:
My reading between Christmas and the New Year were novellas that had been on my TBR for awhile. I fell in love with Love & Saffron and Small Things Like These. I’ve been reading The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion beginning in the month they begin,so I will see if I can wait until March for the next one.
A long roadtrip had myself, my teenage daughter, and my husband enjoying four of the Murderbot books on audio.
Candy says:
Hm… it seems like Anne Tyler is the common theme. I listened to and enjoyed Three Days in June the first day in January. Three other books that really made an impression are My Friends by Fredrik Backman ( I was on my Libby waiting list since October!), Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon (which reminded me of Dandelion Wine, Stand By Me, and The Sandlot), and The Names by Florence Knapp (difficult but compelling). Finally, I can’t help but recommend to readers of middle grade fiction The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt.
Beth C. says:
I also like Anne Tyler and have added many of the above mentioned titles to my TBR.
December was a great reading month for me as the holidays were not busy but quiet. I think all were recommendations from WSIRN and MMD, with the exception of Lisa Jewell’s book.
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen
When We Were the Kennedy’s: A Memoir from Mexico, Maine by Monica Wood
Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson
Us by David Nicholls
Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
Shirleen says:
I haven’t read much Anne Tyler so I checked out The Beginner’s Goodbye and am really enjoying it. I went to our weekly library book sale yesterday and found The Accidental Tourist, A Spool of Blue Thread, Digging for America, and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. All trade paperbacks in excellent condition 50 cents each on a bargain cart. I have too many books and try to limit my visits 🙂
I am also reading Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home by Stephen Starring Grant, It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree by A J Jacobs, and Pastorale by Andre Alexis.
I read I Don’t Care if We Never Get Back:30 Games in 30 Days on the Best Worst Baseball Road Trip Ever by Ben Blatt and Eric Brewster from Anne’s list of books about baseball. Loved it.
Thanks to everyone for all the great book recommendations. I look forward to emails from Modern Mrs. Darcy.
Tara L. Western says:
What an Aha moment! I have had this “Reader’s Journal” for years, but its format was too restricting for my “I Have Read” books.
But it is perfect for my TBR list!
Thanks!
Jennifer says:
Read the following so far in 2026:
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian
Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About: A Memoir by Isabel Klee
999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz by Heather Dune Macadam (for a book discussion)
First Lie Wins for Ashley Elston (reread for a book discussion)
Audiobooks: The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi
Currently listening to The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah and reading The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
I’ve been working on my reading goals and it’s been going great so far. I’ve been meaning to read more Anne Tyler, so I may pick up Blue Spool!