Books I read in the winter of 2026

I did a good bit of reading this winter (14!). I left off with the book Buckeye (my fall reading list) and let me tell you it was so hard to find something that could live up to that book. It was like a book hangover. I did finally find some really great books though. It just took a little while.

The Perfect Love Song by Patti Callahan Henry – 2/10 (and that’s being generous)

I thought maybe a cute little holiday read might be just right after reading Buckeye. Boy, was I wrong. I’ve read this author before and this book is kind of a one off book she did and it was just off alright. Like a bad Hallmark Christmas movie. I suffered through it until the end and I’m not sure why because it never got any better.

A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve – 9/10

Next up was this book thinking that this author, that I’ve read quite a few of her books, might bring me out of my post Buckeye book coma. It was pretty good. About a group of friends 20 years after high school that get together for 2 of the friends wedding at another friends bed and breakfast. There’s some interesting backstories about all the friends and how their lives are now vs. then.

The Maid by Nita Prose – 9/10

This was a good little mystery novel. The main character is a girl that’s just a bit different. She seems to maybe have autism but it never really comes out and says that. She is a maid at an upscale boutique hotel and becomes the suspect in a murder at the hotel. It’s pretty good and keeps you guessing.

The Last House by Jessica Shattuck – 9.5/10

This book had been sitting on my shelf for quite a long time and when I picked it to read it was kind of crazy because it starts out in the 1970’s and it’s about the oil crisis in Iran. Very interesting and eye opening. First it’s told by a husband and wife and then their daughter. The husband/dad works for the oil company and they buy a vacation house in Vermont and it’s a story about this family. The only reason I didn’t give it a 10 was that I wished they would’ve told the story more from the parents point of view but otherwise it was really good.

Don’ Let Him In – by Lisa Jewel 10/10

A really good thriller about a guy that comes into this ladies life right after her husband dies and the ladies daughter thinks he is very sus. Meanwhile another lady’s husband has been acting very strange lately and she can’t quite figure out what’s going on. There’s a lot of twists and turns and I had a hard time putting this one down.

Lily by Paulina Simons – 10/10

I loved the Bronze Horseman trilogy by this author so I was excited to read this book even though it is nothing like the trilogy. The book is set in New York in the 2000’s and is about a girl who’s roommate goes missing. She starts a relationship with the detective on the case . She also has a winning lottery ticket, a dysfunctional family, and a health crisis. At 582 pages it’s quite a big book and there were some instances where I said to myself, “Oh come on!” but I literally could not put it down. Plus the ending was kind of like wait, what?

Clock Dance by Anne Tyler – 9/10

This is about a woman who has 3 chances to start her life over. Then she gets a phone call from a stranger and is given 1 last chance to change everything. It’s a quick read with some eccentric characters and makes you think about impulsive decisions and how they can change the way you look at life.

Belgravia by Julian Fellows – 11/10

The author is the creator of Downton Abbey. This book is set in the 1800’s about British society and the families involved in a scandal that they try to keep hidden. I seriously just loved this book. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen in it so I could literally not put it down. If you like period pieces, then you should def read this book.

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott- 10/10

This book jumped around a lot and at times I wasn’t sure who was narrating the chapter so it got kind of confusing but it’s a really interesting book based on real events. It’s about 2 secretaries in the CIA typing pool who become spies during the Cold War. It’s also about the mistress of Boris Pasternak- the author of Dr. Zhivago who’s book was banned in the Soviet Union. The different stories all tie together and it’s just a really good, interesting book.

The Tenant by Frieda McFadden – 9.5/10

A good, quick read that keeps you guessing until the end. It’s written from the POV of a man which was something new for the author. There’s lots of twists and turns and it was a hard one to put down.

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker – 11/10

I LOVED this book. A heart wrenching love story/coming of age story/mystery that I could absolutely NOT put down. Like I almost peeked at the end because I just had no idea how this book would end and I needed to know. This book was sitting on my shelf for quite a long time (years maybe??) and I can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner. It’s seriously ranking in my top 10 favorite books of all time. I also wrote about it here.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult – 11/10

Another great book. This has intertwining timelines about 2 writers forced to hide their work behind another name ( a man’s name). One timeline is modern day and the other is 1581 during the time of Shakespeare. The Shakespeare timeline was really good and so interesting. It’s based on actual facts that Shakespeare quite possibly did not write everything that he has been given credit for. I found it quite fascinating and def recommend this book.

Snow in July by Heather Barbieri – 9/10

A quick little read about a girl that always grew up in her sister’s shadow. The sister is now a drug addict with 2 little kids and the main character and the mom try to help the sister one more time.

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks – 10/10

A good little psychological thriller with a lot of twists and turns about a happily married woman with 3 kids who invites an old college roommate to stay with her after she hears the roommate is going through a tough time.