2026 Reading Recap: Quarter 1
I’m closing out the first quarter of 2026 with 34 books under my belt! You can read a brief review of each one below. To make it easier, I’ve bolded the titles that I enjoyed. Comment below if you share my thoughts or have any good books that you’ve read recently!
Fiction
The Beast of Ten by Beth Brower
Really intriguing beauty and the beast retelling (kinda 😅) I didn’t love the witchcraft and black magic elements, although those were clearly for the “bad guys”. The ending seemed really appropriate, although I see some people didn’t care for it! I have now read everything that Beth has written, and this is by far the strangest. It is darker and won’t be for everyone. However, I couldn’t put it down.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion (Volumes 1-8) by Beth Brower
This was my second time reading this series. I read the first time a year ago during a monthly trial of Kindler Unlimited, and loved the books so much that I requested paperbacks for Christmas and birthday gifts. It was fun to reread them in physical form, and I’m glad to report that they are just as charming and funny the second time through!
I noticed so many more details and foreshadowing that I didn’t see before. I find myself Team Hawkes now. Also, they are so funny; I literally found myself laughing out loud as I read the books in public places. I so look forward to volume 9 being released this year. Are any of my readers fans? I would love to discuss and speculate on what you think will happen next!
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
I found it really hard to get into this one—it took me five days to read the first 40 pages, and then I finished the rest of the book in just over a day. I wanted more from the plot, and from the unique characters that were introduced! I did appreciate how it was a character study of several different men—how each handled their convictions and commitment to the truth and integrity.
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
I enjoyed this greatly! What amazing characters- from their names, to their real-ness, to their faults and good points. My favorite character is Mr. Harding, who embodied true humility more than anyone else! What an inspirational character! Though this was a great book, I don’t like Trollope’s writing enough to continue the series at this point.
Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
(I aim to revisit these books every two years, alternating with Lewis’ Narnia series. I’ll be back to Tolkien in 2028, Lord willing!)
The Hobbit
Always a favorite! This was not my first time through, but it was my first time listening to it on audiobook, read by Andy Serkis. My husband and I listened together on a road trip and thoroughly enjoyed the experience!
The Fellowship of the Ring
It gets better every time! I particularly appreciated the use of a map this time reading; it made the journey come alive.
The Two Towers
Always a favorite! Tolkien’s writing is so good- I got chills as Frodo and Sam climbed away from Minas Morgul. I loved all the extra detail for the battle of helms deep. I also noticed that Tolkien’s characters are really courageous and heroic, not quite as flawed/struggling as the movie portrays them (to give a character arc). It’s great to read stories of heroes facing evil with courage.
The Return of the King
Beautiful! Each time I read it, new things stand out to me. I appreciate the heroic leaders and many displays of true courage. It’s impossible to read this and not be inspired.
A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie
This was a good one, several twists and turns that I didn’t see coming!
A Menagerie of Dragons by Christina Baehr
Another lovely book by Christina Baehr! A second series about the same characters can be so tricky to do but she handles it so well. This one is set ten years in the future of the Secrets of Ormdale books, and focuses on the younger children who have now grown up. They have some realistic character arcs- some not resolved fully in this book. New characters are also introduced. It took me a while to get into the book and understand the plot, but once it clicked, I flew through the last quarter of the book. I’m excited for the second in this series to be released this year?! If you want to read this, I would definitely recommend reading the Ormdale books first!
Janushek in Love by Christina Baehr
Much shorter than I expected, but fans who have read the Secrets of Ormdale series will appreciate it!
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
This was a bizarre read! My expectations were high since I had heard it was inspired by The Magician’s Nephew. Unfortunately, it lacked the charm and hope that the Narnia books contain. However, the plot, storyline, and mystery were fascinating—enough that I read this in about six hours! I was also disappointed by language in the book, including multiple f-words. Since I had already linked this book to the Narnia series, I was really disgusted by this choice. (In hindsight, perhaps it was only compared to Narnia, but my expectations had already been set).
A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
This is Little House on the Prairie for grown ups! It was a sweet biographical sketch about a mother’s life- a story of sacrifice and beauty of life. It was bittersweet, especially seeing the paths that her children took and how they didn’t quite understand how much she had done for them. This was recommended as a book that spoke positively about the beauty of motherhood and it certainly did that!
Fiction (adolescent literature)
The Princess and The Goblin by George MacDonald
Delightful! So much underlying Christian symbolism; absolutely loved the high moral ideals that Irene and Curdie hold themselves too. I can see why he inspired Lewis and Tolkien.
Winterbound by Margery Wlliams Bianco
It was a pleasant surprise to realize that this book was by the same woman who wrote The Velveteen Rabbit! It is utterly charming, simple, wholesome read about four siblings surviving a New England winter together. Family bonds, bravery, and sacrifice—all great themes to explore. I’ll be remembering this one for a future read aloud with my kids!
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
What a great future read aloud, full of old fashioned adventures and virtues!
Nonfiction
C.S. Lewis Through the Shadowlands by Brian Sibley
This is a lovely tribute to C.S. Lewis and Joy Gresham’s love story! It is glorifying to God, though tragic. I highly recommend following this up by reading A Grief Observed.
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Not my first time reading, but still edifying and enlightening. An honest journey of grief. Lewis grapples ultimately with the character of God, and comes away with some pretty strong and hopeful conclusions.
The Flirtation Experiment by Lisa Jacobson and Phylicia Masonheimer
Less about “flirting” and actually about developing closeness and romance with your husband—an easy read with many good ideas to keep the spark alive ! Loved how it was from a Christian perspective too.
Mother Culture by Karen Andreola
I really enjoyed this book and found it so informative and motivating! Not just for homeschooling, but for family life in general. It was practical where it needed to be and idealistic where it needed to be. There are specific chapters I will for sure be revisiting in the future!
The (Good) Food Solution: A Shame-Free Nutritional Journey to Food Freedom, Spiritual Nourishment, and Whole-Body Health by Meredith Fletcher
This was a bit of a disappointment for me, as I’ve been waiting to read this for several months. I really liked the first part of the book where she discussed gut health and its link to your overall health, as well as how to eat to support your gut and therefore overall nutrition. I also liked the overall big picture of enjoying the food that God created without shame.
Towards the end of the book the author began taking about trauma more than nutrition; she took the view that unresolved trauma, specifically from attachment disorders as infants, affect each person’s nutrition. While I absolutely agree that difficult circumstances and actual trauma can result in poor nutrition knowledge or patterns, I felt like her view created a victim mentality. She also didn’t spend much time addressing sin and the effects unresolved sin may have on a persons health—since she focused so much on trauma, I think that sin’s effects definitely should have been included as the author claims to be a Christian. I would have enjoyed this book more without the secular psychology.
In The House of Tom Bombadil by C.R. Wiley
I just so happened to start this at the exact time Tom Bombadil entered the scene in my current reading of LOTR! I enjoyed (and agreed with) the author’s suggestion of who Tom Bombadil was and what his purpose was (I won’t spoil it for you!) In some places, I think the author took some big leaps, and I sensed a few theological things that I wouldn’t agree with. But overall, a short and thought provoking take on Tom B! By the way, Amazon should have read this before writing their version of Tom in Rings of Power…
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
I have very strong thoughts after finishing this! 1) seeing the data and studies that prove how harmful phones and social media are for adolescent brains is… overwhelming. Please don’t offer these to your children without doing your own research, starting with this book. There are literally no positive reasons for offering your children smartphones with access to social media, even teenagers!! Honestly even adults need to be wary. 2) the author makes a decent point that it’s not just the mainstream use of smartphones but a rise in “safetyism”, the combination of which has rewired childhood. Absolute food for thought. 3) as a Christian, I have to note that the author comes from an atheistic worldview. Because of this, I think he can only go so far in his speculations. For example, he makes reference to non-binary people, then gives entire chapters to how boys and girl have been affected differently by phones (citing biology!). He negatively talks about the time boys spend watching porn and discusses its harmful effects while at the same time saying that pornography isn’t inherently wrong in and of itself. I couldn’t help but think that a biblical worldview is the missing gap to close the gap.
Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey
Thoroughly enjoyed this, not the least for Russ Ramsey’s excellent writing. I love the deep dive into selected works of art- though I imagine the process of narrowing down and choosing was extremely difficult, the reader was well served by these deep dives. Art portrays a message; more accurately, a worldview. As Christians, we need to be both aware and discerning (Ramsey didn’t speak to the latter as much, though I’m glad he didn’t seek to polish the discussing of some of the artists’ depraved lifestyles) Art can show us truth, but it can only go part of the way. The last chapter on Lillias Trotter was the perfect way to wrap up the discussion: someone with immense talent and potential who literally gave it up to serve God. The appendices on how to go to an art museum and how to look at a painting are amazing!!
Home & Design
Love Color: Choosing Colors to Live With by Anna Starmer
This was fun to page through—a lot of words, though. I mainly flipped through until I found a color or photograph that intrigued me and spent more time on those pages. I was surprised by the colors I was more drawn to!
Furniture Makeovers by Barb Blair
The beginning section on repair/process of cleaning, prepping, and painting furniture were helpful. The projects themselves were not as inspiring as I had hoped and a little outdated (published in 2013).
The Art of Home: A designer Guide to Creating an Elevated Yet Approachable Home by Shea McGee
3.5 stars on this one… the back part of the book with the style guide was the most helpful part. I give this a lower rating mainly because I don’t love the McGee design style! All the pictures in the book felt so flat and cold, with very muted tones and almost no color. So I wouldn’t say that I got much design inspiration from the photographed homes, which is the bulk of the book.
