Hi! I’m back, babeeeee. While I took a year and change off from the book tracking, I continued to read voraciously, of course. I mean, it’s like breathing at this point, an autonomic physical function. I also have picked up another habit – I mean, hobby! – I’ve been painting quite a lot for the past year as well. Mostly watercolour, but I started with acrylic. So, this year as I resolve to start keeping a list of books I’ve read again, I’ll share a painting each month as well. That will be fun (for me, at least).
The Wedding People by Alison Asbach. As a delightful farewell to the old year and welcome to the new, I hope this novel sets the tone for the reading I have in store in 2026. It was charmingly original. The quick blurb: A recently divorced, emotionally exhausted adjunct professor decides to end it all. As a last gift to her self (and a bit of a private eff you to her ex), she books a fancy suite at a seaside hotel where she plans to eat a delicious meal, drink some wine, admire the view, and overdose on feline prescription medication. In the elevator going up to her room, she runs into the bride who has booked the entire hotel – less one suite, in an oversight – and finds herself getting swept into the weeklong(!) wedding celebrations. Pathos, humour, infidelity, Jane Eyre, rescue dogs, surfing - this novel literally has it all. Loved it.
The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid. It’s the enemies to lovers plus second chance at love tropes but make it gay and hockey-oriented, and I am here for it. You have probably heard of the new streaming series Heated Rivalry unless you are living under a rock. But if you are living under a rock and you are reading this, you have a solid internet connection so you’ve heard of it. It’s really, really beautifully done – not just the sexytimes and eye candy. It’s a gorgeous love story. Anyway…. If you like that show or the book it’s based on, you will enjoy this novel too. This time the story focuses on two former pro hockey players who reconnect years after they were (deeply closeted, confused, horny) teammates.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. When a story is told in the first person perspective and with a title like that, you know you’re dealing with an unreliable viewpoint. Cadence, the teenage narrator, thinks she’s speaking hard truths as she strips away the hypocrisy of her rich, WASP-y New England family. But is she lying? Or being lied to? Although I was braced for the inevitable twists because I am not a couple dimbulb, I was still taken by surprise. Super fun to read and would have been even better if I was reading it from a hammock in July.
A Family of Liars by E. Lockhart. The sort-of prequel to the previous and you definitely should save it for after as it opens with a yoooge spoiler. Another unreliable narrator, this time one generation up in the family tree, is speaking to us after the events in We Were Liars but about her childhood. Same setting: the family’s private island off Martha’s Vineyard. It’s at least as gripping as its predecessor, if not more so.
We All Live Here by JoJo Moyes. You know some types of books/movies that you save for when you need a good cry? JoJo Moyes’ books aren’t like that. They are so much more dimensional and not emotionally manipulative. And yet, I know not to read her when I’m feeling fragile because she gets me hard in the feels every time. In this novel, a woman going through the breakup of her marriage and trying to remain strong for her daughters comes to appreciate the preciousness of her piecemeal, volunteer family.
Tough Guy by Rachel Reid. Another in the Game Changers series though I’m honestly not sure what number. Other than the first two – Game Changers then Heated Rivalry – I don’t think I’ve read any of them in order. I’m not even sure how many there are. Happily, at least several! This one features Ryan Price, a hockey enforcer known for his on-ice brutality and off-ice lack of team camaraderie. A chance encounter with the out-and-proud son of one of his long-ago billet families marks the start of a new era and an opportunity for love.
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman. Another favourite series here, this is the latest outing for The Thursday Murder Club. The last one was heartbreaking, so I’m pleased to report the club – Elizabeth in particular – are finding their feet again. These books are so charming and well-written. I often want to read a witty turn of phrase aloud, but since no one else in this house is familiar with the characters, it would not receive the praise it is due. I was not as invested in the actual plot this time out, but the beautiful humanity keeps me turning pages. The side characters become more richly understood with each novel; in this one, we learn more about the perspective of Joanna, Joyce’s daughter, and meet some new folks who I hope will return.
