It’s a new year, but I’m the same reader! This is what I read in the first month of 2026.

• March: Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell – I am enjoying this graphic novel series, teaching me more of the history of the Civil Rights movement, and specifically John Lewis’s role.
• Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomery – I heard this book described and knew I would enjoy it. Author Sy and her illustrator, Matt, spent many months during the COVID pandemic volunteering for the Turtle Rescue League in the North East, where owners Natasha and Alexxia save as many turtles as possible each year. We are talking about hundreds of rescues, emergency patchwork, nest protection, and more, all to help many endangered and old creatures who are loved wholly in this beautiful tale. Each person who interacts with turtles can see that their eyes tell a story, their wisdom, their patience, and how slowly time moves for turtles. This was a wonderful story about conservation and found family and nature.
• Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum by Michael J. Fox and Nelle Fortenberry [audiobook] – I have loved Michael J. Fox ever since I “met” him as Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties. We even named our childhood cat Alex after him! I also loved Back to the Future, so it was fun to listen to Michael share the story of how he filmed this movie at the same time as filming a season of Family Ties, working on the sitcom by day and the movie by night. He goes into the details of how this couldn’t even happen today, how little sleep he got during the time, how fun it was, and how interesting the characters, the filming, and the actors were. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look, but wished it was a little longer with more details.
• What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown – This is the second book my cousin gave me for Christmas that I LOVED (thanks JJ!)! We meet Jane living off the grid in Montana with her father in the 1990’s, but soon Jane realizes that what she thought she knew about her life was not all true. We follow along with Jane as she discovers lies and tries to figure out the mysteries that led to her current circumstances. This book travels across time and states, exploring the role of technology in our present and future in interesting ways.
• We are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter [audiobook] – I believe I heard this recommended on a podcast, but I can’t remember for sure. I wish I had paid closer attention, because I got it as an audiobook and I wish I had had it in print. This was a great, fast-paced thriller, with a 12 year time jump and a lot of characters to keep up with. Officer Emmy Clifton worked hard to solve the cases of the two missing teenage girls, alongside her father, the sheriff. Twelve years after that case, another local girl goes missing and Emmy has to face her own past, family secrets, and race to find the bad guy. I’m glad to know this will be a series and I look forward to reading more.
• Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce – I heard this book described and it sounded cute and innocent and silly. It was those things, along with a slow start. We meet Margery in mid-life, unhappy with her teaching job and her life, when she suddenly decided to fullfill a lifelong goal: to travel to New Caledonia to discover the Golden Beetle. Her father had read books to her about this mythical creature in childhood and then a man at the National Museum taught her all about insect collections. Margery hires an assistant to travel across the world with her on this wild exhibition, completely out of her comfort zone. The journey, and the assistant, are nothing like Margery expected, with lots of bumps and challenges along the way. I like the quirky characters enough to read through the slow pace because I cared about that beetle and wanted to know how this adventure would end. This was a sweet story about friendship and goals and dreams.
• Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid [audiobook] – The TV adaptation of this book became all the rage in December and January, so of course I had to see what the hype was about. I loved the TV show for the beautiful world created – Canadian television has less rules than America, and just like the show Schitt’s Creek, it is possible to create a world without explicit homophobia. After loving the show, I wanted to read the book, which is just one of a longer series, based on the hockey players Shane and Ilya. When the Canadian and Russian superstars meet as rookies, there is an instant rivalry but also a secret connection. Despite the implied homophobia in the NHL, this connection follows them across more than a decade before the conclusion of the book, which was a slow-burn queer love story with heart. I’m sad that the epilogue wasn’t part of the TV show, but I know they are coming back for another season and I can’t wait to see what happens there, and in other books in this series.
• The Long Game (Game Changers #6) by Rachel Reid [audiobook] – Having a back injury was a great excuse to stay still and listen to another book in this series! This book, while #6 in the series, picks up right after Heated Rivalry (which is #2), where we left Shane and Ilya. It is also probably what Season 2 of the show will be based off of. I LOVED spending time in this love story, where Shane and Ilya now face building their secret relationship, deciding who they can trust, and how to create a life together carefully. There are new depths of anxiety and mental health addressed beautifully, as well as the spicy scences this series is known for.
• Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben – I was excited when I learned that one of my favorite actresses (who picks good books!) was writing this mystery/thriller with one of my favorite authors. I was not disappointed by their partnership! We meet Maggie after her husband Marc has died. They were both surgeons who worked in traumatic areas, trying to help underserved populations. Maggie’s grief caused destruction across her life, which is when the action begins, crossing countries and problems as she tries to figure out what truly happened to her husband.