January 2026 reads

My links are all going to The StoryGraph now, since that's what I'm using instead of GoodReads for tracking (I still have some updates on GoodReads for Netgalley purposes). StoryGraph is Black-woman owned. GoodReads is Amazon owned and fuck billionaires. Please for the millionth time I beg of you, do not buy physical books on Amazon unless they are available literally nowhere else.  

You can find me on StoryGraph here. 

Engrossing Reads

The White Hot by Quiara Alegria Hudes - I could not put this down. A quick read, excellent writing, hard shit, Philly base. Ticks my boxes. OCNJ library hardcover

Tourist Season (Seasons of Carnage #1) by Brynne Weaver - This was a fun one, as everything I've read by Brynne Weaver has been. A little thriller, a little gore, a little darkness. OCNJ library hardcover

When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. Montgomery - File under: things you don’t learn in school and should seek out for yourself. I am not a big nonfiction reader, but I  loved this and how the author wove trees and history together. Beautiful and awful, both. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review 

A Suit or a Suitcase: Poems by Maggie Smith - Mind, body, and memory - a solid collection of poems. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review - publishes 3/24

Passed the Time Just Fine

The Briars by Sarah Crouch - I liked this a lot - the setting, characters, and storyline all hit for me and I tore through it. OCNJ library hardcover

Skylark by Paula McLain - Slow to get into, doubly so for me because I don’t love alternating timelines, but amazing writing as typical of McClain Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review, and the publisher for a paperback copy which I am happy to keep on the shelf. 

One Beautiful Year of Normal by Sandra K. Griffith - I fell right into this, and couldn't put it down despite it being slower paced than I prefer. Family and secrets, a recipe for a good novel in a lot of cases including this one. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 

Her Beautiful Life by Brianna Labuskes - Not my favorite Labuskes but it still had me in a grip. Who can be trusted? Gotta race to the end to find out. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Sweetbitter Song by Rosie Hewlitt - 3.75 - the central love and friendship relationship in the context of power did not sit right with me throughout but I enjoyed this read and am still not over the ending. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 3/17

She Fell Away by Lenore Nash - I think this is about to be a series - I hope it is, because I'll continue with it. I liked Lake Harlowe a lot. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 3/10

Whidbey by T. Kira Madden - Totally forgot this title in the monthly read visual. Whoops. This was the first book I finished this year. A story about how trauma lives in people is not uplifting in the slightest, but the writing is good. It drug a little towards the end. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review 

Not For Me

The Last of Earth by Deepa Anappara - Sometimes it just moves way too slowly for me, and that was the case here. Really interesting storyline but quite dry and slow. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen - I usually connect with Anna Quindlen books, and that was not the case here. Still surely readable and a good storyline, but overall not for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Did Not Finish

Pinky Swear by Danielle Girard via Netgalley 

Such Sheltered Lives by Alyssa Sheinmel via Netgalley 

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What have you been reading?

I can’t look at my phone I need to pick up my phone

I picked up my phone in a meeting to see something a coworker sent, the banner told me ICE murdered an American woman in her car. I looked back at the screen and affirmed the mailer is in design

No phone this morning, so much shit is flying around that I clenched my jaw so hard in sleep my teeth are going to crack if I keep doing that and this little computer will show me things I cannot see right now, I have to go to my office and act normal

But I need to pick up my phone to 

check the train schedule

sign in to my computer for two factor identification 

respond to a notification on a work social account 

text my sister in law happy birthday 

answer my intern

No phone this morning, my neck is so tight it feels like it might snap I don't think ibuprofen can help this and this little computer will show me things I cannot look away from right now

Can’t pretend it’s not happening

Can’t excuse what’s happening

Can’t ignore what’s happening 

Can't operate through the day without the knowledge of this sitting behind my eyes, in my body and we all know the body keeps the score

What are we doing to ourselves

What are we doing to each other

There’s no liberty in any of this

Take me back to 

paper everything

analog everything

news that airs three times a day in half hour segments

news that does not disrupt my central nervous system 

precedented times

Although in the history of the world and of the United States, these actually are quite precedented times

when we don't look at the whole picture of history

when we whitewash history

when we intentionally silence certain voices in history

when we learn to memorize for a test and not to understand history

when we don't think critically and connect the dots throughout history

We're doomed to repeat it, in the most embarrassingly precedented manner.

The unprecedented part is 

access to first hand accounts 24/7 on this little computer

access to unreletenting breaking news on this little computer

access to so many books and studies on this happening throughout history that we can learn from

access to how this ends, how it has always ended

Yet despite the unprecedented access to historical information and real time real life no AI bullshit video, people are still

downplaying

going to great lengths to justify and defend

ignoring every cell in their body screaming this is wrong, on every level 

avoiding 

being willfully ignorant of Constitution of the United States

acting like everything is normal

saying this is just politics in America

thinking this has to just be politics, it can't be what it actually is

failing to understand that this is about human beings, and none of us can survive being flippant about the violation of someone else's humanity without losing an integral part of what makes us human ourselves

siloing individual existence when all of our existence is tied together

What are we doing to ourselves

What are we doing to each other

There’s no liberty in any of this

Take a break, we say 

Take a break and nevermind the people who 

are watching this in front of their faces and not on a screen

having their faces ground into pavements across the streets of this country under the boots of masked men with permission no encouragement from the administration, violence coursing through their blood

have their doors kicked in for looking a certain way despite being born here, as American as white lady me

can't look away because their continued existence depends on them having their head on a swivel every minute of every day

can't take a break

The continuation of this system relies on those of us who are privileged enough comfortable and still relatively safe enough to be intimidated, made afraid, shamed into silence, ridiculed like we're overreacting when we are in fact underreacting as individuals and a collective, get quiet, turn it off, zone out, take breaks 

We’ll come to a point where there’s no break for anyone

Then what?

Then what

Favorite reads of 2025

Please for the millionth time I beg of you, do not buy physical books on Amazon 

unless they are available literally nowhere else.  

You can find me on StoryGraph here - StoryGraph is Black-woman owned. 

December 2025 Reads

My links are all going to The StoryGraph now, since that's what I'm using instead of GoodReads for tracking (I still have some updates on GoodReads for Netgalley purposes). StoryGraph is Black-woman owned. GoodReads is Amazon owned and fuck billionaires. Please for the millionth time I beg of you, do not buy physical books on Amazon unless they are available literally nowhere else.  

You can find me on StoryGraph here. 

Engrossing Reads

First Sign of Danger (Haven's Rock #4) by Kelley Armstrong - Loved this as I’ve loved the other three - excited for the next! I'll be so sad when this series ends. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams - A great story and damn good writing. Loved the stories of these women and how they were woven together. So carefully and thoughtfully assembled. Couldn’t put it down. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review 

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead -  really liked these characters, all of them, and following their trajectory throughout. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wreck (Rocky #2) by Catherine Newman - I’d read a book about these people every year. They are so weird and imperfect and relatable and just trying to get it right. OCNJ library hardcover

Inside Man (Head Cases #2 by John McMahon) - Love these characters and this series - more head cases please! I tore through this one like I did the first. I will read as many as he writes. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review 

Passed the Time Just Fine

In Bloom by Liz Allan - I liked the stream of consciousness of this collective of girls. A gritty read - they seemed so young at times, simultaneously unable to grasp the serious shit going on and also doing whatever they could to survive it - is this YA, is it adult? In the end it felt like neither. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review 

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins - An easy ride with a few twists. Passed the time just fine, but I read it over Christmas so wasn’t doing much reading at all. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review 

Sisters of Good Fortune by Esther Chehebar - Loved the sister story and alternating POVs. The end felt somehow both elongated and rushed Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review 

Not For Me

The Counting Game by Sinead Nolan - Too slow moving for me, which is a shame because the story was good Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Did Not Finish

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman - via netgalley

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild - via netgalley

Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie - via netgalley

Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo - via netgalley

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What have you been reading?

November 2025 Reads

My links are all going to The StoryGraph now, since that's what I'm using instead of GoodReads for tracking (I still have some updates on GoodReads for Netgalley purposes). StoryGraph is Black-woman owned. GoodReads is Amazon owned and fuck billionaires. Please for the millionth time I beg of you, do not buy physical books on Amazon unless they are available literally nowhere else.  

You can find me on StoryGraph here. 

Engrossing Reads

Jigsaw: An Alex Delaware Novel by Jonathan Kellerman - Alex Delaware never fails to deliver, even after 40+ books Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 2/3/26

Wildwood by Amy Pease - This is the second book with these characters and you know I'm going to advise you to read the first one before this. I enjoy these characters, and this plot was good too.  More of them, please. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Book comes out 1/6/26

Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's Open AI by Karen Hao - Fuck AI is my standard position, so I went in knowing this would probably hit with me. It did make me hate big tech and technofascists more. This is all a fucking nightmare. Hard cover, borrowed

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave - This requires suspension of belief, but so did the first. This was a well done follow up IMO, a different type of story than the first. Capable women rule. I'm going to see Laura Dave in person in January so I've bought a hard copy since the ticket comes with one for signing if you choose. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Book publishes 1/6/26

Burn Down Master's House by Clay Cane - Whew. It's always werid to say you liked a story that originates in slavery and all the awful shit that goes along with it, but sorry fellow white people, this is the kind of shit we should be required to read...especially those white people who are very "slavery was years ago, get over it." This was very well done - loved the four paths and it was clearly well researched. Great writing. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 1/27/26

Passed the Time Just Fine

My Ex-Husband's Ex-Husband by Rachel Cohn, Melissa - I liked this so much more than I thought I would. A silly little story, with some deep cut shit here and there. The setting was tops. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

59 Minutes by Holly Seddon - For something with under an hour in the title, lord this drug on. I think this would've been an excellent short story. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Not For Me

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben, Reese Witherspoon - I've read every Harlan Coben and this book is at the bottom of the pile. Hardcover, borrowed

Did Not Finish

Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan - Via Netgalley, publishes 1/13/26

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What have you been reading?