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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Walking Wednesday January 7, 2025

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Given the holidays I actually got to walk all over instead of around my one block last week. Back to normal this week. I’m actually looking forward to getting back on schedule.

This week I’m listening to Travels With George by Nathaniel Philbrick for a US presidents reading challenge.

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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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Snowed In 2025

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This is a fun challenge from Litsy…

You've found yourself in a lonely cabin in the middle of nowhere. Heavy snowfall means you are #SnowedIn but you've found several books, a warm blanket, and a comfy chair. Time to settle in and read away the night.

Make a list of books and someone else will pick what you read. You will also pick what someone else reads. (I am requesting that my match pick 5 books.)

The books I want to read all come from the 2026 Tournament of Books Long List (https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/the-year-in-fiction-2025):

Antidote by Karen Russell

Beneath The Moon and Long Dead Stars by Daniel Wallace

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward

The Director by Daniel Kehlman

Flashlight by Susan Choi

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

Metallic Realms by Michel Lincoln

Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslet

Palaver by Bryan Washington

Run For The Hills by Kevin Wilson

Sky Daddy Kate Folk

So Far Gone by Jess Walter

The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers

Theft By Abdulrazak Gurnah

Tom’s Crossing Mark Z. Danielewski

Underspin by EY Zhao

The Unveiling by Quan Barry

We Do Not Part by Han Kang

Thank you!

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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Show Us Your Books November 2025

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I re-read a lot of books in October, but I also fit in a few great new/new to me reads as well. October is one of the best reading months of the year, and I partook in it.

The Best of the Best From October

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn - This book starts with a woman faking her death to escape her abusive husband and then goes full throttle into serial killers, feminism, the supernatural, and family ties. I don’t want to give too much away but I just loved it.

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley - Boulley returns again to Northern Michigan for another engrossing book. A great mystery that touches on Native American adoption. Don’t skip the afterward.

Ghosted by Amanda Quain - A fun Northanger Abbey retelling where Northanger is a possibly haunted boarding school.

Dark Carnival by Ray Bradbury - I didn’t realize this was out of print when I picked it to read this month. I finally tracked it down and I’m glad I did. The short stories in this collection were creepy and unsettling in the best possible way. My favorites were the one about the misunderstood vampire and the murdering baby. (If you’re interested in this book it happened to be featured on the Overdue podcast last month!)

Have a great month everyone!

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On my Nightstand November 8, 2025

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This week has been a tornado of work and kids. I am very ready to cuddle up on these dark nights and read the time away. I’m aiming to finish up some challenges and enjoy some holiday reads these next two months.

Quote of the Week

“It was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again.”
— The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Finally getting to Summer of my Amazing Luck by Miriam Toews. I like it, but I’ve been reading for a while and am still waiting for something to happen.

Audiobook - I just started the Street by Ann Petry. I like the old fashioned feel.

Physical Book - Still working on 107 Days by Kamala Harris.

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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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On my Nightstand November 1, 2025

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I’m back! I ended up unintentionally taking a few weeks off due to family reasons good and bad, but I missed my little space here. I can’t believe it’s November already. I need a do-over on October.

Quote of the Week

“Mr. Welland was a mild and silent man, with no opinions but with many habits.”
— The End of the Innocence by Edith Wharton

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - I’m finishing up The Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb. I’m enjoying it. His characters are great.

Audiobook - I just started The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb. Not going to lie, the opening scene of this one shook me and I’m not sure I’ll keep going.

Physical Book - 107 Days by Kamala Harris - I’ve heard good things, but haven’t started yet.

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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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Show Us Your Books

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nancy drew giving some side eye

August seems like a thousand years ago, but looking back I did read some good books I’m excited to share.

Here are the best of them, in no particular order.

Best Reads From August 2025

The View From lake Como by Adriana Trigiani - I was so happy to have a new Trigiani book to keep me company last month. I’ve been reading her books forever, and they don’t disappoint. In this one Jess, the youngest in a large family, finally learns to reach for what she wants rather than what she’s expected to do.

Last Days of the Dinosaurs by Riley Black - The former kindergartner in me was so excited to read a book about dinosaurs. Weirdly, my favorite parts were not about the dinosaurs but about the ferns and the appendix where the author explained the thought process behind each chapter. I wish this was available for every book!

The Nick Adams Stories by Ernest Hemingway - I read these short stories last month during our Northern Michigan mini break and enjoyed them. I have never been able to get through Hemingway’s novels, but these short stories were just right.

The Road To Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett - This book started slowly for me, but by the end I loved this quirky story and the characters. Great on audio. Pancakes and gang were good company on a busy day.

Tilt by Emma Pattee - This book about a pregnant woman caught in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Oregon was good but super stressful. It was my most anticipated summer reading book, and while it didn’t end up being my favorite it was very readable.

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