Happy New Year, y’all!

You may recall that I wrote last January that I didn’t want to assign myself a reading goal for 2025. My hesitance was borne mostly out of the fear that motherhood would be too all-consuming, and I wouldn’t have time to read, let alone hit my numbers. Turns out, motherhood is all-consuming! But I’ve found that my limited downtime is best enjoyed curled up with a good book. It took me all the way until December 31, but I did meet my arbitrary Goodreads goal of 45 books. We did it Joe!

Let’s get right into it for 2026. I’m eager to get back to reading Game Changers, which, in some lucky break from the librarian gods, became available to me the day after I finished watching Heated Rivalry. More horny hockey players! More butts!!

Books I read in Q4

The Rose Code - Kate Quinn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It dragged a bit midway through but I generally enjoyed this historical fiction about female codebreakers during World War II. We love women in STEM! I’m looking forward to reading more of Kate Quinn.

I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Picture this: A young woman who has grown up in captivity breaks out of her strange prison to a lonely post-apocalyptic hellscape. Dystopian and thought-provoking, this was the most unique story I read all year.

Broken Country - Clare Leslie Hall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There’s a reason why this one is on everyone’s Best of 2025 list. Heartbreaking, compelling and transported me right to the English countryside. Definitely add this to your list if you haven’t already.

Quicksilver - Callie Hart ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was hoping for a new romantasy series to dive into but this wasn’t it for me. What will fill the Fourth Wing-size hole in my heart? Send recs.

Nice Girls Don’t Win - Parvati Shallow ⭐️⭐️

I’ve been on a Survivor kick lately — binging a bunch of old seasons before Season 50 premieres next month. The Black Widow herself has a fascinating backstory. Her memoir helped me understand what it is that makes her such an excellent reality TV star.

Never Flinch - Steven King ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve really enjoyed Steven King’s turn with thrillers and mystery (a.k.a not too scary). I accidentally started with one of the later Holly Gibney novels but I’ll definitely be going back to the start. King is a master of pacing — weaving in and out of several storylines to tie them all up in a perfect bow of an ending.

Long Island Compromise - Taffy Brodesser-Akner ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A portrait of a dysfunctional family thoroughly messed up by the kidnapping of their father. I love Brodesser-Akner’s writing style and found myself openly giggling at some of her passages. That said, this is a long novel that’s heavy in character but low on plot, which means it sometimes plods along.

The Stationary Shop - Marjan Kamali ⭐️⭐️⭐️

While on the waiting list for The Lion Women on Tehran, I decided to start with this heartwrenching story of two young lovers torn apart by class expectations and geopolitical events fo 1950s Tehran. It’s sweet and full of longing.

As a recap, my top reads of 2025…

• Broken Country - Clare Leslie Hall

• The Goddess of Warsaw - Lisa Barr

• This Summer Will Be Different - Carley Fortune

• Beneath A Scarlet Sky - Mark T. Sullivan

• Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily Henry

• The Wedding People - Allison Espach

• Husbands And Lovers - Beatriz Williams

• Atmosphere - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Let me know yours so I can add to my TBR list!