January 2026! What are you reading??

[Anonymous]

I've started a reread of Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Her books almost require rereading, and I'm really enjoying it and seeing different things the second time around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yesterday I started on "My Italian Bulldozer" by Alexander McCall Smith.
It is about a guy who has a business trip to Tuscany and his rental car is not available. Someone loans him a bulldozer to use as transportation during his visit.
I am only 45 minutes into it so far.

My mother used to read books by that author because she found him very amusing. It sounds like this book too, is a funny one.

I finished "My Italian Bulldozer". It was a fun little story. The guy ended up using his bulldozer for getting around town, toting friends around, and for bulldozer purposes a couple times. I will probably check out more book by this author next time I am in the mood for something light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Started “The Correspondent” today. “Theo of Golden” is next. I’m aiming for 84 books this year, double what I read in 2025.

My MIL gave me Theo of Golden for Christmas - will be interested to hear what you think!

[Anonymous]

Just finished Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarrow (I know, not high brow!) and found a copy of Gogol's Night Before Christmas that I'm going to read as a palate cleanser while the tree is still up. Trying to alternate between my huge pile of sci-fi and fantasy to read and getting some variety from genre fiction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarrow (I know, not high brow!) and found a copy of Gogol's Night Before Christmas that I'm going to read as a palate cleanser while the tree is still up. Trying to alternate between my huge pile of sci-fi and fantasy to read and getting some variety from genre fiction.

As a big sci fi/fantasy reader as well, I am not sure what to make of the Yarrow books. The first was messy and implausible and I confess I don't personally like the "roman-" part of romantasy. But I enjoyed the dragons & Iron Flame was free on Kindle--and I have to say, she might be the rare author whose sequels are getting better (though this may not be the reigning consensus). And almost seem to be attempting to retroactively clean up some of the earlier plot problems. It is too bad she didn't have a much better editor from the get go.

[Anonymous]

A Testament of Hope - MLK Jr (because it’s January)

We Are All Guilty Here - Karin Slaughter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I finished Audition this afternoon. I didn’t love it—it was unsatisfying, as I was expecting some twist or explanation at the end that didn’t really come—but it was interesting and unsettling. I suspect certain aspects of it will stick with me for a long time. Given that it was short, I am not sorry I read it.

I just finished this too, and kind of shrugged when it ended. I'm sure there's lots to dig into and theorize about with this one... maybe something that would have been interesting to read as part of a class. I wasn't sorry that I read it but I definitely wouldn't recommend it.

[Anonymous]

Finally getting around to Intermezzo. I've got 20% left. Enjoying it okay but I feel like it could have used some more editing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finished Among Friends by Hal Ebbot. Debut novel. Terrible book. I almost always check goodreads before new books and somehow I didn't on this one (it has 2.8 stars). Read the beginning, realized i was half way through and nothing had happened. After the event, I skimmed the rest. I'm appalled at the mother's response. Unrealistic writing and too much jumping between past and present with zero clue for why. Felt gross to read.

I DNFed it last year for a similar reason. I usually finish 95% of books I start reading, but not this one.

[Anonymous]

Currently reading Anna Karenina, the Penguin Classics translation. This is my first Tolstoy experience and so far I'm thoroughly engrossed and enjoying it. I don't really like any of the characters so far except maybe Konstantin Levin (and even then not really), but I'm not sure I'm supposed to. Tolstoy is very good at making everyone very human and just slightly ridiculous without laying it on too thick. I love the way he conveys his characters' inner thoughts. It reminds me of what I liked about Lonesome Dove.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started “The Correspondent” today. “Theo of Golden” is next. I’m aiming for 84 books this year, double what I read in 2025.

My MIL gave me Theo of Golden for Christmas - will be interested to hear what you think!

I’m intrigued so far but I haven’t fallen head first…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarrow (I know, not high brow!) and found a copy of Gogol's Night Before Christmas that I'm going to read as a palate cleanser while the tree is still up. Trying to alternate between my huge pile of sci-fi and fantasy to read and getting some variety from genre fiction.

As a big sci fi/fantasy reader as well, I am not sure what to make of the Yarrow books. The first was messy and implausible and I confess I don't personally like the "roman-" part of romantasy. But I enjoyed the dragons & Iron Flame was free on Kindle--and I have to say, she might be the rare author whose sequels are getting better (though this may not be the reigning consensus). And almost seem to be attempting to retroactively clean up some of the earlier plot problems. It is too bad she didn't have a much better editor from the get go.

I found the "looove intensely forever" and "main character is the smartest AND most powerful ever" parts a little eye rolling (I'm sorry I'm not 20 years old anymore!) but enjoyed the dragons and her shenanigans to win fights. I'm strapping in for the third to be rough on those fronts, but I'm two books in, they're light reads, I'll probably grab it from the library.

Just started An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. Got it from a white elephant exchange.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this thread!

[Anonymous]

Small great things by Jodi Picoult. I’ve never read anything by her before. I’m reading it on Libby on my phone, and I just started it last night and I’m about 30% through. It’s ok so far. Quick.

I finished a Marriage at Sea on New Year’s Eve. That was wonderful.

[Anonymous]

I’m 25% into Buckeye and I am really enjoying it.