Hello, readers! I’m excited to write to you as a fellow bibliophile and chat about my for-fun reading. Time to toss the agent hat and put on the regular ol’ reader hat, cozy up by the fire with a heated blanket and mug of hot peppermint cocoa, and discuss the reading year!

Once again my year was turbulent as a reader, but seeing the stats on StoryGraph made me chuckle. Some months I read one (or none), other months I read three or four books. I could read multiple books in a two-week period, or I could go up to ten weeks without cracking a spine or hitting play on an audiobook. I “participated” (using this loosely here) in two book clubs, showing up when I read and finished a book. Since I live the Quality vs Quantity lifestyle with my reading, I DNF quite quickly if a book isn’t working for me––so it was a big deal for me to show up to those book clubs!

This year I read 26 books, which were predominantly emotional, mysterious, reflective, dark, tense, and hopeful in terms of moods. My top genres were historical, literary, and fantasy. All of the books I read and finished were adult, with only one nonfiction. Three of my favorites were for book clubs, and three of my favorites were highly recommended by other people. 50% of my reading was via audiobooks, and 60% of my favorites were via audiobooks. A grand total of *drumroll* 10 books received 5 stars.

Historical Favorites

The Frozen River || The Book Club for Troublesome Women (audio)
The Briar Club (audio) || The Favorites (audio) || Weyward || The God of the Woods

Other Favorites

Blood Over Bright Haven (fantasy, audio) || The Correspondent (contemporary, audio)
What Does It Feel Like? (novella) || Raising Hare (memoir/nonfiction, audio)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Godkiller || The Spellshop || Definitely Better Now (audio) || The Book of Lost Hours (audio)

What did you read this year that were standouts for you? What did you gravitate to? Did you also have an up-and-down year, or were you reading at a steady pace? Do you read in formats other than paper books?

I hope you have an enjoyable reading year in 2026!