The Stormlight Archive has been one of my favorite series for a long time–I read the first book, Way of Kings, back in 2011 (my first Brandon Sanderson book!) when it was the only one in the series and fell in love. I’ve revisited the series every time a new book has come out and love each reread.
Stormlight Archive is an epic fantasy series in the Cosmere. The first book follows three main characters, with some random cast interspersed, and the cast expands as the series progresses. There will be ten books total in the series, with a break between the first five and the second five.
With the fifth book just releasing a few months ago, I thought it would be fun to look at which ones are my favorite/least favorite in the series. My post today is ranking them from my fifth favorite to my absolute favorite!
#5 Wind and Truth
Coming in as my least favorite of the Stormlight books is the newest release, Wind and Truth. I have to admit, I was very disappointed in this one. There were some parts I really liked, but for the most part, it was a let down. It felt like the moral focus of the book had changed, there were things that drew me out of the story (like the word “therapist” repeatedly being used), and I found myself not caring about a lot of the plot. I did really enjoy all the sections following Adolin, but I found myself not caring about a lot of the sections in the spiritual realm, hated Honor’s flashbacks (they felt very much like exposition to me), and didn’t really love most of the sections with Kaladin and Szeth. Add to that the tone shift that I felt and didn’t like and it was hard to get through. However, I will say that the parts I did like, I loved and made it worth it to me to read the book.
#4 Rhythm of War
Rhythm of War is the fourth book in the series and before the fifth book came out, this was my least favorite. Something about this one just doesn’t pull me through the way the first three do. I suspect part of it is that I get bored by the Venli flashback sections, because we don’t really get to see much that we didn’t already learn in past books. My favorite parts of the book are the sections that follow Navani and her character arc. On the reread, I also loved Kaladin’s sections more than the first time I read it, which helped me like it more as well. That is part of why I put this book as my fourth favorite rather than fifth.
#3 Words of Radiance
Words of Radiance is the second in the series and my third favorite. One of the fun parts of this book is seeing Shallan grow into herself as a character, even as she faces some big struggles. It’s also really fun to read about the interactions between Shallan, Adolin, and Kaladin, and to see Dalinar gain confidence. There are a few different mysteries to pull me through and I care so much about the characters and what’s happening with them, I can’t put it down. And of course, the Sanderlanche is very satisfying at the end. If the other two books weren’t so good, this would be a favorite. As it stands, it is squarely in the middle.
# 2 Way of Kings
Way of Kings is the first in the series and focuses on Kaladin. In the past, I’ve had a harder time getting through some of Kaladin’s sections because he can complain a lot, but on my most recent reread, I didn’t have that issue at all. I devoured the book again (much like I did on my first read). I love all the characters in this book, including Shallan (I know a lot of people don’t like her until at least the second book). It’s so fun to see Dalinar at the beginning of his journey, to watch Shallan figure out how to be on her own, and to experience Kaladin’s character arc. His arc is my favorite thing about this book, especially the payoff at the end–everything you read about him leads up to a choice he has to face and leads him to the choice you as a reader want him to make. It makes me cry every time I read it. And then Dalinar’s choice at the end too–it’s all just so good. These books are long, but man are the payoffs worth the effort.
# 1 Oathbringer
And finally, my favorite book of the series! Oathbringer focuses on Dalinar, who also happens to be my favorite character. I know I am in the minority here and that this is a lot of people’s least favorite book. They talk a lot about having an issue with the pacing. I have never experienced that myself, though on my most recent reread, I could see why they would say that as the first half of the book not only doesn’t get into a lot of the Dalinar plotline yet, but also follows the characters attending a lot of meetings. It still doesn’t bother me, but I can see it.
The reason this is my favorite book is because of the ending and the way all of Dalinar’s struggles (including in his flashbacks) all lead up to the ending. I am literally getting goosebumps sitting here writing about it. I cry every time and it leaves me motivated to be a better person. On this most recent reread, I noticed the theme of taking responsibility for your own choices is not only woven into Dalinar’s pov at the climax, but also into Kaladin’s conflict. It is so brilliantly put together, it makes me want to go reread the book just talking about it. I don’t think I’ve ever read an ending that has hit me as hard as the ending of Oathbringer.
That is how I would rank the 5 Stormlight books! Despite being disappointed with the fifth book, I’m super excited for when he writes the next five books and to see what else he comes out with. Do you read Brandon Sanderson? What are your favorite books by him? How would you rate the Stormlight books?
February is one of my favorite times to read romance books (November is another one for some reason) and I thought it was a great time to share some of my favorite romances! I don’t like to read books with sex scenes, so these books are clean but fun romances!
These are my top ten favorite romance books!
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
I love Katherine Center’s romcoms! They are all closed door with characters I love. While they are heavy on the romance, they also focus on other issues the characters are facing. At the end of this book, the author talks about how she tries to share hope, even in the face of hard problems, with each of her books and for me, she succeeds.
This is my favorite by Katherine Center (so far!), but a close second is What You Wish For.
The Enemy by Sarah Adams
Sarah Adams has a lot of romcoms and some regency romance. Her earlier romcoms are “clean but steamy”. This was her second romcom and is my favorite! I love the way she did the hate-to-love in it and of course, donuts! I also love the mom and daughter relationship in it.
I found her first four or five books to be the “cleanest”, and then while they stayed fade-to-black, I felt they were quite a bit steamier than her earlier books. It didn’t surprise me when she announced that her newest book (The Rule Book) would be open door (meaning a sex scene). But all of her books written previous to that (The Match, The Enemy, The Temporary Roomie, The Off Limits Rule, The Cheat Sheet, Practice Makes Perfect, When in Rome, and her regency romances) are all closed door or fade-to-black.
Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone
This is a short (and cute) Audible original (meaning they only have an audio version of it). I loved the characters and the premise of the book, I listened to it in one sitting.
*There is more language in this than most rom coms and has a chapter where the f word is said quite a few times
The Roommate Situation by Katie Bailey
I absolutely loved this romcom and its sequel (The Neighbor War)! I loved the sibling relationships in this one and how awkward but cute the main character is. The romance is also very fun!
27 Ways to Find a Boyfriend by Shari L Tapscott
This is a light-hearted romance, exactly what you would expect from a romcom. I especially loved the friendship between the love interests and all the hilarious scenes that come from her list.
The sequel (27 Ways to Mend His Broken Heart) and the Christmas novella (10 Ways to Survive Christmas with your Ex) were just as enjoyable!
Promised by Leah Garriott
I’ve read quite a few regency romances and this remains one of my all time favorites! I really loved the main characters (which is very important in a romance) and the chemistry they had with each other. I was rooting for them throughout the entire book. The plotline felt unique, which was nice in a regency, and I flew through the book.
The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden
Sarah M. Eden is one of my favorite regency romance authors and this has been my favorite book by her so far! I loved watching the relationship unfold after they are already married and the character growth of the main characters.
What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
This is an historical romance with some time travel magic in it. The romance is beautiful, the history taught me a lot, the atmosphere is Celtic, and the relationship between the grandfather and granddaughter brought me to tears.
Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen
This is an historical romance following a lady who is pregnant out of wedlock and becomes a wetnurse afterward. The romance is cute and I loved the sections on nursing. It does talk about relations out of wedlock, but doesn’t have any scenes describing it.
A Face in the Shadows by Susan Evans McCloud
This is a historical romance that follows a girl attending BYU, with two different love interests and a traumatic past following WWII. I love the depth of characters and the way the love triangle pays out in this one!
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
This is a super popular YA romance and for good reason! It has such a fun premise–Laura Jean writes a goodbye letter after each crush that they’ll never see, but then they accidentally get mailed. It also has fun hate-to-love and fake dating tropes and is a fun, clean read!
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
This is another really popular YA romance that lived up to the hype for me. It has some “You’ve Got Mail” vibes, which is my favorite hate-to-love trope and there is a really fun girl friendship as well.
There is some language, including the f word.
Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
Kasie West is a great go-to if you love sweet, clean YA romance. I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by her. This one, aside from a focus on the romance, has some great friendship relationships (including one with her Grandpa) and the main character has fun character growth.
Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston
This is technically the third in the “series”, but you can read them as stand alones. This one was fun because it had a lot of parallels to Beauty and the Beast and the bookish aspect of that is always fun!
Ashley Poston does tend to use more language in her books.
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
This is a fantasy romance. It has a really fun love triangle with a bit of a mystery to it. There are two men that show up and like Lia, but then we also get a viewpoint from an assassin who is there to kill who and we don’t know which of the love triangle is the assassin. It’s a fun twist on the love triangle and I loved the journey of it.
Angels Don’t Knock by Dan Yates
Angels Don’t Knock is a cheesy book, but also just a fun experience. Samantha is engaged when an angel only she can see enters her life claiming to be her soulmate. Due to an accident, he was born a hundred years early and died before his time, so now he’s trying to make it right. The romance is great, the characters’ interactions are funny, and the world building around the angels is fun to see.
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Shannon Hale has several books that I really love (including the Goose Girl and Princess Academy), but this is my favorite by her and also such a great romance. It has a fantasy feel to it and is YA but doesn’t have as strong of a YA-feel to it. The characters in it, especially the main character, are so strong and feel very real.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ella Enchanted has been one of my favorite books since I first read it when I was 8 and one of the biggest reasons is because of the romance between Ella and Char. They are so sweet together and it is fun to see their relationship grow throughout the book.
I love a good romance in a book! Let me know your favorite romances in the comments below!
A new reading year! I always love looking ahead at what I might be reading in the coming year and one of my favorite ways to do that is to look at what new books are coming out. There are a lot of great new books slotted for publication in 2026 (as well as some books that came out in the last few months) that I’m really excited to read.
Here are the new releases I am looking out for this year:
2025
There were a few new releases that came out last year that I haven’t gotten to yet that I very much want to read. On my new releases page, I do count books that were released in the last year, so that includes 2025.
Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson is one of my top auto-buy authors. Tailored Realities came out in December of 2025 and I haven’t gotten to it yet (though I do own the audiobook already). This is a short story collection of his science fiction stories (non-Cosmere) and includes a new one that he hadn’t published yet, Moment Zero. I am really excited to revisit some of my favorite stories by Sanderson and to read the new one!
The Steps by Wendelin Van Draanen
Wendelin Van Draanen is one of my favorite authors (she’s very famous for Flipped, which I really like, but my favorite by her is Sammy Keyes, though her two newest books, The Peach Rebellion and Mr. Whiskers and the Shenanigan Sisters are both up there for me too). The Steps came out in September of 2025 and I had so many other books I was trying to finish before the end of the year (along with not realizing until it came out that it was coming out) that I didn’t end up reading it. Draanen is an autoread author for me, though, and I can’t wait to get to it.
The Steps is a YA mystery thriller, one of my favorite genres. The main character—a chess whiz named Ruby—is from a wealthy family. Following the death of her mother and aunt, her father remarries (the “steps”), her cousin/BFF is no longer allowed around, and strange and dangerous things start happening. Ruby has to put up a fight and break some rules to both get her cousin back and beat her new step family at their own game.
The Ivory City by Emily Bain Murphy
Emily Bain Murphy is another author I’ve really enjoyed (and underrated in my opinion), especially her book Splinters of Scarlet. The Ivory City is a historical mystery set at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. It released in November of 2025. It follows two cousins, Lillie and Grace who have been friends since birth who attend the World’s Fair (or the “Ivory City”) together. When one of their party is killed, however, Lillie’s brother is the top suspect. They must do all they can to clear his name despite the danger it poses to themselves.
Giant by Judith McQuoid
One more from last year–Giant released in June of 2025 (so awhile ago). I heard about this book from Sarah at Read Aloud Revival. It is a magical retelling of CS Lewis’s childhood, following Jack (or CS Lewis) and a fictional boy named Davy, who meet when Davy comes to work at Jack’s household. Even though it came out earlier in 2025, it sounds magical and I don’t want to miss it.
2026
And now for the new releases coming out this year!
Room to Breathe by Kasie West
Room to Breathe came out just a little while ago on January 6. It is a YA friends to lovers contemporary romance following Indy, a girl whose life falls apart in a way she can’t share with anyone, even her friends. That creates distance between her and her friend group, especially one boy in particular, until she gets trapped in a bathroom with him and they have to try to makeup in order to get out. Kasie West writes clean YA romances that are always fun and light (she’s also coming out with an adult romcom this year, but her adult books that she’s started writing recently have explicit sex scenes in them). Room to Breathe sounds like it will be a good one!
Europa by James Ponti
Europa, the next book in the City Spies series, comes out in February of this year. City Spies follows a group of kids who live like family as they work together for a spy operation. In Europa, the group of kids are working to prevent a dangerous criminal from escaping prison. I’m sure we’ll also learn more about Mother’s kids and wife, as that has been a plotline threaded throughout the series. I am excited to continue this series with my kids.
Snapshots of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons
Snapshots of Sunlight, coming out in February, is the sequel to Abbie Emmons book 100 Days of Sunlight. Both are YA contemporaries following two high school students, Tessa and Weston. I haven’t actually read 100 Days of Sunlight yet, but I’m excited to. I did read The Otherworld (her stand alone novel) and loved it. I am excited to read this series this year!
Read Between the Lies by Jesse Q Sutanto
Read Between the Lies is also coming out in February this year. It is a psychological suspense thriller following Fern, who is finally becoming a published author. Because of the pandemic, she becomes part of an online author community, where tensions are high and everyone (including her) has secrets. I have loved some of Jesse Q Sutanto’s books in the past and am excited to read a thriller about authors!
Magnitude by Jennifer A. Neilsen
Magnitude is a middle grade historical fiction coming out in March. Jennifer A. Neilsen is my favorite middle grade historical fiction author and this one is about the Great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, which is not something I know very much about. I’d love to read this one with my kids, who also love Jennifer A. Neilsen.
Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee
Stacey Lee has recently become one of my favorite authors and her new release, Heiress of Nowhere, is coming out in March. This book is a YA historical mystery following an orphan named Lucy. Lucy washed up on the shore of an island when was a baby and 18 years later, she is about to leave the island for college when her employer is found dead–and she has to find the real killer before she takes the fall. This one sounds different from some of her other books, but I’m sure her writing style and characters are going to be amazing as always.
A Kingdom of Shadows (Lightseekers) by Emily Bain Murphy
A Kingdom of Shadows comes out in March. It is the first of a series called Lightseekers and is a middle grade fantasy about a group of kids who have to fight the shadows that have been slowly taking over their land. It sounds like a book both myself and my kids will enjoy. After having enjoyed others of Emily Bain Murphy’s books in the past (she’s the one who also had Ivory City come out last year), I’m especially excited, even if this is a different genre than her other books.
Last One Out by Jane Harper
I have loved every single Jane Harper book so far and I can’t wait for this new release by her coming out in April. Last One Out is a slow burn mystery set in a ghost town following a woman named Ro whose son went missing five years earlier, but now is wondering if something was overlooked in his case. Jane Harper’s books are always atmospheric, character-driven, slow thrillers that draw me in and I am expecting this to be similar.
In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
In the Spirit of French Murder is the fourth in a series and comes out in April. Colleen Cambridge writes fun, historical adult murder mysteries that I’ve loved (my favorite are her Phyllida Bright mysteries). This series follows a woman who lives in Paris and is best friends with Julia Child before she became a famous chef. She keeps stumbling onto dead bodies (a new one for each book) and helping solve the mystery of who killed them. I am actually reading the third book in the series right now and was very excited when I saw that there will be a new one soon!
The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss
While I have enjoyed some of Marissa Meyer’s books, she is not an auto-read author for me. The Escape Game–coming out in April–looks like my kind of book and I’m excited for it. The setting of the book is an escape room television show, where season four ended with someone’s murder. Now they’re filming season five–not only are they trying to play the game on the show, but now they’re trying to solve the murder as well. This YA mystery book sounds really fun!
Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q Sutanto
Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block, coming out in April, looks like it is going to have a similar feel to Vera Wong. It follows a nearly divorced woman who starts culinary school in an attempt to win her husband back, but then a disappearance of her only friend there leads her to start investigating. I love the sound of this book and am very excited for a new Sutanto book!
The Shippers by Katherine Center
Katherine Center is one of my favorite romcom authors (always clean and hilarious). The Shippers comes out in May and is a friends to lovers on a cruise ship destination wedding. The main character JoJo is ready to woo a fellow wedding guest with her childhood friend as a wingmate–but of course, I’m fully expecting her to start having feelings for her wingmate instead. This one sounds so fun, I can’t wait.
Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian
Brandon Sanderson has been cowriting a lot more lately, so that he can still write a lot of the fun projects he has planned while also focusing on his Cosmere books. I’ve really enjoyed quite a few of his cowritten books so far. Songs of the Dead, cowritten with Peter Orullian, comes out in June and is a fantasy sci-fi that combines magic and rock music.
Make Your Story Matter by Abbie Emmons
Make Your Story Matter is a nonfiction written by Abbie Emmons (mentioned above for the novel Snapshots of Sunlight) and comes out in August. Abbie Emmons has an amazing YouTube channel (which is where I first discovered her) teaching people how to improve their writing and now has come out with this book. I love her channel and expect the book to be very helpful and accessible.
An Edge Sharp Enough by Jesse Q Sutanto
Another book by Jesse Q Sutanto! An Edge Sharp Enough is very different from her other books–it is a dark fantasy following an assassin, a scholar, a con man, and a guard who are all working together to save the world. I’m very interested to see what her writing style and characters will be like in a fantasy world. It comes out in August.
The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar
Louis Sachar most famous book is Holes, a childhood favorite of mine. As an adult, I also read his YA sequel to Holes, which was very different from the first book, but I loved it. The Magician of Tiger Castle is, again, very different in that it is an adult fantasy book. A princess named Tullia is facing an arranged marriage that will save her struggling kingdom when she falls in love with a lowly scribe. There’s a disgraced magician, alchemy, and forbidden love. I have loved this author’s writing style in the past and am excited to read this one!
Dream Big by Shannon Hale
Dream Big is the sequel in a middle grade contemporary graphic novel duology (the first is Dream On). It comes out in September. The duology follows a girl who hopes to win a magazine sweepstake, thinking it will solve all her life problems if she does. My girls and I love Shannon Hale’s other middle grade graphic novel series, Best Friends, and I am looking forward to this duology (and if I love it, I will share it with my girls!).
The Unusuals by Gail Carson Levine
Gail Carson Levine has been a favorite author since I was a child (I still love Ella Enchanted!) and her new book, The Unusuals, comes out in September. The Unusuals is a middle grade historical fiction set in Midieval England. Two young Jews and a Christian, already an unusual group of friends, meet and befriend a starving outlaw. When two murders in their families take place, they come up with a plan to find the culprit. I love the sound of this book and am very excited.
Death Down the Aisle by Colleen Cambridge
Death Down the Aisle is the next book in the Phyllida Bright series, a series that I have been loving. Phyllida Bright is the (fictional) housekeeper for Agatha Christie and, using Poirot as an example, helps to investigate crimes and murders that keep occuring in her vicinity. This one comes out in October, just in time to read it for fall.
Liar in the Hollow Court by Bethany Atazadeh
Liar in the Hollow Court is a fae fantasy book following Brynn, a girl who never believed in fairies until her mother and then family was stolen by one. As she investigates, she ends up in Hollow Court, the fae kingdom. I have really enjoyed Bethany Atazadeh’s other books. I am not sure how I will like this book, as fae isn’t my favorite, but I’m excited to give it a try. This book is likely to come out in 2026, but I haven’t seen a release date for it yet.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Volume 9
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion was one of my favorite series in2025 and I’m very excited for volume 9 to come out in (hopefully!) 2026. As far as I’ve heard, the actual release date has not been announced yet. The series follows Emma M. Lion, who has amazing friends as well as some archenemies the reader loves to hate and is always getting herself up to the most ridiculous and fun to read antics.
Those are the new releases I am most excited for this year! What new book are you looking forward to in 2026? Have you read any of these authors or series? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below and we can chat about books!
One of my very favorite parts of parenting is reading aloud with my kids. I’ve loved it since my first was a baby (she loved to sit and be read to, even at a really young age!) and it’s only gotten more fun as they’ve gotten older.
I share books with my kids in two primary ways–I read out of a novel with them at bedtime for 20-30 minutes each night and we have a family audiobook that we listen to together (in the car, especially on long car trips, but also sometimes while coloring at the table together). It is such a joy to share some of my favorite childhood worlds with my kids and to discover new books with them as well!
Here are the books I’m planning on reading with them in 2026:
Little House in the Big Woods + series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I’ve read the first two books in the series with my kids before, but I’ve never read the entire series together. This year, we are! We’ve started Little House in the Bigs Woods before bed this month and are loving it (even my four year old boy, who is just starting to follow the longer read alouds, so that’s really fun!). I plan on reading the rest of the series (other than The Last Four Years, since it wasn’t ever technically finished and I don’t think is as good for kids) during the next few months. I have one book in the series planned for each month, so we’ll probably finish up the series in August or September.
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
When we finish up the Little House series, I want to reread Because of Winn Dixie with the kids. It’s been awhile since we read it together, but it was one of their favorites when we read it years ago. It is also a quicker read, so if we need to use some of September to finish up the Little House series, we should still have time for it.
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Every October, I like to pick a “Halloween” themed read aloud. I have read The Witches with the older kids, but it’s been years. I think my middle child will especially like the book and I know she has no memory of reading it before. It should be a fun October read.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
I didn’t read Where the Red Fern Grows until I was an adult, but it is one of my favorite books. This is another book that I read with the kids when they were younger, but none of them remember. I’m excited to revisit this one with them, though I’ll have to warn them again that it is sad (anyone else get in trouble for reading sad books to their kids?). We like to watch the movie after reading this book as well, the version with the kid that has dark hair (not the one with blond hair). I always cry when reading the book, though I don’t usually cry when watching the movie.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
For our Christmas read this year, I thought I’d read them Little Women at bedtime. They’ve never read it before and I love the Christmas scene at the beginning of the book.
The Complete Christmas Books of Lucy Maud Montgomery
I read this myself in 2025 at Christmastime and it was truly delightful. It is a collection of short stories set at Christmas and New Year’s that are full of helping others and learning the true meaning of Christmas. While not all of them are middle grade, I think the kids will love and appreciate all of them (other than The Red Room, which was more of a dark, sad story which I’m planning on skipping over). I want to read this with them in December during our homeschool day.
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards
I was today-years old when I found out that Julie Andrews the actress has written children’s books! A neighbor brought over some books they were getting rid of for the kids and The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles was one of them. I started reading it and was instantly charmed–it is so cute and very well-written. I want to read it with the kids this year if I can find the time, whether we finish our read alouds at bedtime sooner than planned or if I end up reading it during our homeschool day. It’s a quick read, so I think I’ll be able to manage it.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
This is another “if I can squeeze it in” book–if we finish up Little Women at Christmastime soon enough, I want to read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with the kids. It’s such a good Christmastime read. We’ve read it a couple times together already (and the kids love the movie), but I am considering reading the entire series (which we haven’t read together) next year and I want to start with this book. If we don’t get to it this year, it will likely be our first read in 2027.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets + series by JK Rowling
For our audiobooks right now, we’ve been listening to the Harry Potter series. We finished book one at the end of December and are currently listening to book two. We’ve read and listened to book one before and years ago (when Parker was Oliver’s age), we listened to book three, but most of my kids haven’t read any others (my oldest has listened to all of them about 50 times). I’m having a lot of fun rereading the books (especially as we moved past book one, which is the one I’ve reread the most) and I love seeing my kids enjoying them.
The Secrets of Winterhouse + The Winterhouse Mysteries by Ben Guterson
Our December read at bedtime in 2025 was Winterhouse and the kids loved it. They wanted to read the rest of the series, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to read them aloud (my memory is that I really liked the first and the next two in the series were just okay). Once we finish up the Harrry Potter audiobook series (if we finish them this year, which I think is likely), then I’ll start the rest of the Winterhouse series on audio with the kids. It’s easier for me to listen to the audiobook than to read it aloud.
That’s what I have planned to read and listen to this year with my kids! What does your family reading time look like? What books are you planning on sharing with your kids this year? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
I cannot believe we are already five days into 2026! Last year went by so quickly, it feels like it just disappeare. I read some really great books in 2025 and it was hard to narrow down my favorites. To help me pick just ten (with a couple bonus!), I give myself some categories to pick from each year (like a favorite book that made me cry or a favorite new release).
Here are my top 10 favorite reads of 2025:
Favorite New Release
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping released in April, right after I had Leah, and I had such a fun time reading it. While I loved a lot of new releases in 2025, Vera Wong is my favorite! I loved the first book in 2024 and this sequel was such a delight. I don’t know how much I’d like Vera Wong in real life, but I could read about her all day long. I also love the other characters around her and the relationships they all form with Vera and each other, as well as the mystery. I’m hoping this author writes another Vera Wong book (I’ve read the Auntie books by Jesse Q Sutanto and enjoyed them, but I like Vera more).
A Favorite Book that Surprised Me
The Key to my Heart by Lia Louis
The Key to my Heart is a contemporary romance dealing with grief–Natalie’s husband died two years ago and she’s having a hard time moving on. It was on my 2025 TBR list, so you would think I was expecting to enjoy it, but I kept putting it off and was reluctant to try it for some reason. As soon as I started it, though, I was hooked. I loved the romance in this and especially the love triangle. The friendships and relationships were very well done as was the foreshadowing. There was music involved, as she was a pianist, and a little mystery around the music, which was really fun and I didn’t see the resolution of that coming. It felt a bit like a Sophie Kinsella book, but a little more serious. Overall, I was surprised by how much I ended up loving it.
Favorite Nonfiction
Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft
I love to read nonfiction and this year, I set a goal to read at least one nonfiction book a month (I hit that goal plus some). I read some really good ones and it was hard to pick just one (the runner up was Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss). I learned so much from Why Does He Do That? and was able to understand situations both in my past and that I’m close to currently in a new way. I think it’s a must read, especially for girls as they start to date seriously (my husband and I want all our daughters to read it when they are older). The book is very well-informed, but also very accessibly written and well organized, making it easy to read and also easy to go back to as a reference.
Favorite Spontaneous Read
The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall
The Secret Bridesmaid could have also been put under a book that surprised me–it’s another contemporary romance following Sophie, whose job is a “professional bridesmaid”. People hire her to be their bridesmaid, to both plan the wedding and pretend to be their friend for the wedding, as their bridesmaid. She gets hired by the parents of a rich and spoiled girl to be a bridesmaid, but the girl doesn’t want her and does everything she can to make Sophie’s life miserable. I loved the hate-to-friendship relationship there and of course, the romance that made the whole situation even more tricky. I also appreciated how clean the book was.
Favorite Christie Book
Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie
I read at least one Agatha Christie book a month, so she’s a big part of my reading every year. I love to pick a favorite by her and this year, it was Death Comes as the End. This one also surprised me (I guess I had a lot of those this year!) with how much I liked it, because it is a bit different than Christie’s typical murder mysteries–it is a historical mystery set in Ancient Egypt. Because of that, the names and setting are quite different from most of her books, but the richness of the characters and the murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the end were the same. I ended umep loving the mystery and the themes of this book and was so sad when I finished it.
Favorite Series Book
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion is a very hyped series and for good reason. I was seeing it all over and tried the first in the summer. It was an okay read, cute but a little slow. I’d heard from others though that the series took a couple of books for them to get into it. Book two, I already liked much more than book one and by book three, I was fully invested and loving it. I’m so happy that there are going to be so many books in the series, even if it will be hard to wait for them all to be released. The book series shines with its characters (there are characters you simply love and characters you simply love to hate) and their relationships with each other. It also has the most charming little town as a backdrop that I wish I could live in!
Favorite Recommended Book
Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
Mother-Daughter Murder Night was my favorite read in October. Lana Rubicon gets cancer and moves in with her daughter and teenage granddaughter as she goes through treatment, when they get wrapped up in a murder. It was a fun whodunnit mystery, but my favorite part was the relationship between the three–the grandmother, mother, and daughter. There was a different dynamic between them all and we got to see each of their perspective throughout the book. They all played a role in solving the mystery and their relationship with each other grew in a really satisying way.
Book that Made me Cry
What Does it Feel Like? Sophie Kinsella
What Does it Feel Like made me bawl. Sophie Kinsella is the author of Confessions of a Shopaholic (among other books) and this is her final, semi-autobiographical book that she wrote. A successful novelist, the main character Eve wakes up in the hospital after having had a brain tumor removed, but with no memory of it. The book is short, but so emotionally charged. I have the hardest time with mothers who have cancer and this book was no exception. But I also loved it. I devoured it in one sitting. At the time that I read it, Sophie Kinsella was still around, but a few months later, she passed away. I’m really sad for her and her family. I am so glad she wrote this book, and her others, before she died.
Favorite Read Aloud Book
One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen
One Wrong Step is a middle grade historical fiction about climbing Mount Everest in the 1920’s. Jennifer A. Nielsen is one of my favorite authors for middle grade historical fiction and this was one of my favorites by her. We actually listened to this one in the car together on a long trip (it was a 7 hour drive, round trip) and everyone in the family was very invested in the story, including my husband–at one point, he had to run inside a store and had us pause the book while he did so he wouldn’t miss anything. The reader was fantastic, the story and characters were amazing, and we all learned a lot. My favorite part of it was the next day when Ben and I were doing the NYT Mini together (back before they put it behind a paywall) and there was a prompt about Mount Everest–because of listening to the book, we knew the answer! It made me happier than it probably should have.
Favorite Book by a Favorite Author
Exiles by Jane Harper
Jane Harper was an unexpected favorite author for me. She writes character-driven thrillers set in Australia and I have loved every single one of her books. Exiles is the third in a series, but you could read it without reading the others (I read the other two so long ago, I was having a hard time remembering what happened in them, and it didn’t affect the book much at all). The book follows Aaron Falk as he visits some old friends on the weekend of the one-year anniversary of a woman’s disappearance. Jane Harper does a good job of mixing current tension with mysteries from the past, and layering all of that with relationship dynamics that draw you into the characters’ lives.
Bonus:
Favorite Reread with the Kids:
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
I had to add in two bonuses this year, because I reread Anne of Green Gables as I read it aloud with my girls and it was so fun! I loved sharing Anne’s world with them and especially seeing how much my girls all loved the book and the movie. Every night as we were reading, they begged me to keep going when it was time to stop. Then as we watched the movie together, they fell in love with Gilbert, noticed the differences from the book, and anticipated all the best parts (knowing what was coming because of reading the book). It was such a fun experience together.
Favorite Reread:
These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My main rereads during 2025 were the Little House books and it was so fun to revisit them! My favorite of the series was These Happy Golden Years. I actually remembered very little of the book, as I hadn’t read it since I was maybe 8 or 9. I don’t remember what I thought when I was a child other than I loved all things Little House, but as an adult, I absolutely loved seeing the romance between Laura and Almanzo bloom. It was heartwarming and sweet–now this year I want to reread all the Little House books with my girls and introduce them to the TV show!
Those are my picks for my favorite books I read in 2025! I had such a great reading year and am looking forward to 2026. What were your favorite reads in 2025? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Each September, one of my favorite BookTube channels Luminous Libro hosts a readathon called 30 Books in 30 Days. The idea is to read 30 books (or stories or poems, etc) in 30 days, or to read for 30 minutes day. I haven’t done it every year she’s hosted it, but the years that I have, I’ve always had a lot of fun! I wanted to try it again this year–the worst that can happen is I don’t hit 30 reads but read more than I would have otherwise!
I picked some short stories and shorter novels knowing that it will probably stretch me quite a bit to get that much reading in this month. We’ll see how it goes with 5 kids, a 4 month old, and homeschooling!
1 The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
I have read one book by this author and want to read more. This short story was on sale earlier this year for Kindle, so I own the ebook. I thought this month was the perfect time to enjoy this short story.
2 The Lamp by Agatha Christie
I recently bought this short story for Kindle when it was on sale as well. I’ve been working my way through all of Agatha Christie’s works and am excited to read this one this month.
3 Rebel Summer Bonus Scene: Dax’s Perspective by Cindy Steel
Another short story! These will really help me reach 30 this month. I read the novel Rebel Summer in August and decided to save this short story for September.
4 Spectacular by Stephanie Garber
This is a novella in the Caraval series, which I completed a year or two ago. The audiobook is about 3 hours long, which feels like a perfect length for my reading goals in September.
5 The Four Loves by CS Lewis
CS Lewis is another author I’m slowly working my way through. This nonfiction book is short and I am planning on reading a little bit in it each day until I finish it (hopefully in the month of September).
6 and 7 Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra (Space trilogy 1-2) by CS Lewis
This space trilogy is one I’ve been wanting to read for years. I own the second and just got the first from the library. It is short enough that I feel it’s reasonable to read it this month and am excited to finally jump into it!
9 Louisiana Longshot by Jana DeLeon
This is a short middle grade mystery book that I recently bought the ebook for. I have heard so many good things about it and am really excited to try it!
10 Okay for Now by Gary D Schmidt
Gary D Schmidt is such a great author! I am planning on listening to this with my kids during the month (I just got the audiobook from the library).
11 The Genius Files by Dan Gutman
Dan Gutman is another author I really love. I am planning on reading this aloud to my kids at bedtime once I finish up our other current reads.
12 Babysitter’s Club 4: Mary Anne Saves the Day Ann M. Martin
The kids and I have been reading the Babysitters Club series together and just started book four. We’re all loving it and they are such short reads, it’s perfect for September.
13 Babysitter’s Club 5: Dawn and the Impossible Three by Ann M. Martin
I originally had told the kids I would read the first 4 books aloud to them. They’ve been begging for the fifth one as well and I decided to go ahead and read it with them. We own it and it is from Dawn’s perspective, I feel like it’s a good place for me to stop with them (and they can continue on their own after if they want).
14-18 Kung Pow Chicken (books 1-5) by Cyndi Marko
Every time I do this challenge, I love to pick a new chapter book series that my kids either love or that I think they’ll love. This year I picked Kung Pow Chicken. My kids have gotten it from the library before and Rylee especially loves it, but I’ve never read it. I am planning on reading it aloud to them during homeschool (we have a time set aside each day for me to read to them). They are such short books, I know we can get through them all during the month and I think we’ll all have fun with them.
19 Stranded Ranch by Cindy Steel
I’ve also been reading through all of Cindy Steel’s books. She writes clean rom coms that I just love. This is the final book by her that I haven’t read and it’s short enough I felt I could include it in my September reading. I always fly through her books.
20 The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I’ve been rereading all the Little House books this year and just loving it. They are all pretty quick reads and this one is one of the shorter ones. I don’t remember if I’ve actually read it as a child or not, but I’m really excited to read it after how much I’ve loved revisiting all the others.
21- 27 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower (books 2-8)
This is a series that has gotten so much hype, I’m excited to get into it. I read the first one a few months back and decided to save the rest for September (knowing they would make great short reads for this challenge).
28 Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie
This is my main Agatha Christie read for the month. It’s not shorter than normal, but it’s one of the only full-length books I’m planning to read and I usually get through her books fairly quickly.
29 I Think He Knows by Katie Bailey
This is also not a particularly short read, but I got the audiobook from the library in August without ever actually getting to it. I want to listen to it before my hold ends, so that means it has to be in September. Katie Bailey is another of my favorite clean rom com authors, so I think it is one I will get through quickly!
30 Behind Enemy Lines by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Jennifer A. Nielsen is one of my favorite authors (we listened to One Wrong Step by her as a family and all loved it). This one is a little different–she normally writes realistic middle grade historical fiction (though she has some fun fantasy books) and this one is a time travel historical fiction. It’s only about 4 hours long, so it feels perfect to squeeze in this month. It’s part of a series by various authors and I haven’t read the others, but it sounds as if this can be read independently, so I guess we’ll see.
What books are you reading in September? Are you joining this reading challenge? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Man, hasn’t the summer just flown by? I feel like the more kids I have (and the older they get), the faster time flies. I don’t know if I have ever had a summer go by so quickly as this one has. It was a lot of fun though and I had some great reads!
In July, I read 18 books and 5,627 pages, for an average of 312 pages per book. It wasn’t my highest reading month, but it was close to the highest month for pages read. I read 16 books by female authors and 2 by male authors. I borrowed 9 books and owned 9 of the books I read. I read 6 middle grade, 2 YA, and 10 adult books. I read 8 eBooks, 7 audiobooks, and 2 physical books. I had 5 rereads and 13 new reads. I read 1 new release and shared 5 read aloud books with my kids. I read 5 stand alone books and 5 books from a series, starting 3 and finishing 0. I had 11 five star reads, 4 four star reads, 2 three star reads, and 0 two and one star reads. I DNF’d 1 book.
Today I am sharing my five favorite 5 star reads from July! What books did you read in July? What is a favorite book you’ve read recently?
The One with the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel
I love Cindy Steel–she writes sweet rom coms that I always binge read. This one has a super fun premise and fantastic characters!
What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski
I was surprised by how much I loved this one. It’s a middle grade/YA book about friendships and some heavier topics, all wrapped up in a mystery of what happened. I loved the mystery aspect of it and the way the heavier themes were handled.
Corsair’s Curse by Shari L. Tapscott
This underrated YA fantasy book was fantastic! It has dragons, a love triangle, and interesting magic. I really loved reading about the characters and their adventures.
Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft
This nonfiction book looks at abusive relationships, exploring why abusive men act the way they do and what you can do if you find yourself in a relationship in one, as well as red flags to look out for before getting into a relationship. He dispels different myths and lays out behavior you can expect to see, with lots of real-life examples. I found it fascinating. My husband also read it and it’s going to be required reading for our daughters when they reach dating age.
A Different Blue by Amy Harmon
Amy Harmon always writes such emotionally deep books. This was one of her earlier works, but I really loved it. There were aspects that I had to get over (the love interest starts off as her teacher, and nothing happens while he is teaching her, but it still felt a little weird), but there were other aspects of motherhood and childbearing that I just loved and bawled through. I could hardly put this one down.
Bonus: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
I know I’ve already shared five, but I couldn’t not talk about this reread–I read Anne of Green Gables aloud to my girls for the first time and it was a delight. They loved it and were laughing at Anne, my middle child related with Anne’s character, and I remembered why I love this book so much. Then we were able to watch the movie together, which they loved as well (and I havne’t seen it for so long, it was so fun to rewatch it and fall in love with Gilbert all over again). Sharing these things with my kids is such a fun part of parenting older kids!
Those were my favorite 5 star reads in July! What were some of your favorite books from last month? What is a book you’ve recently read that you just loved? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you and chat about books!
Brandon Sanderson has been one of my favorite authors for many years now. I love some of his books more than others, but I honestly have enjoyed every single book he’s written. Because of that, he is one of the authors I’m constantly recommending to others. He has written a lot of books, and a lot of big books, so it can be overwhelming to know where to start if you want to try his books but aren’t sure where to start.
That’s what this post is about today! I’m sharing the top 5 books I think are best to try if you haven’t ever read anything by Brandon Sanderson but want to!
Note: The Cosmere is a fictional universe that many of Sanderson’s books take place in. If a book is a “Cosmere” book, it takes place on a planet in that universe. Think of it similar to Marvel, but with fantasy books. Not all of his books take place in the Cosmere and so far, you can read all the Cosmere books independently, without having to read all the connected books. But, it can be fun to find the Easter eggs in the connections.
Legion
Legion is a short novella, making it a really quick read (I think the audiobook is less than 3 hours). It’s more detective and less fantasy, but it still has that magical element to it. The characters are amazing and it’s a fun concept.
Premise: Stephen Leads has a mental condition that generates hallucinations, which he calls aspects. These aspects each have their own personality and specialty. When he can manage his many aspects, they help him solve cases in a way no one else can.
The Emperor’s Soul
The Emperor’s Soul is also a novella, but pure fantasy. It takes place in the same world as Elantris (though you don’t need to read it first). If you are wanting a taste of Sanderson’s characters and world building, this is a low commitment option.
Premise: Shai is a Forger, someone who can recreate any item flawlessly by rewriting its history with her magic. After she is condemned to death, she is given a chance at freedom by attempting the impossible task of recreating a new soul for the dying emperor.
Elantris
Elantris a full length, stand alone epic fantasy novel. It has a unique magic system and some amazing character growth. Because it’s a stand alone, it’s a lower commitment while you also get the full “Sanderson experience”. It’s also a great introduction to the Cosmere.
Premise: Elantris once was home to demigods, called Elantrians, with magical abilities they used to help others. When the magic failed without warning or reason, these Elantrians became leper-like creatures cursed to live in filth and ruin. When Princess Sarene arrives in Elantris hoping to wed Crown Prince Raoden, she is told he has died, and she is now considered his widow. What she doesn’t guess is Prince Raoden was cursed as an Elantris and is struggling to find a way to survive.
The Rithmatist
The Rithmatist is another full-length novel, though considered an upper middle grade book. This is technically the first in the series, but Sanderson doesn’t currently have plans to write the sequel and the plot wraps up well enough to read as a stand alone.
Premise: Joel desperately wants to be a Rithmatist–someone who can infuse life into chalk drawings. Without that power, though, Joel can only watch as other students learn the art until he is assigned to help a professor investigating crimes involving Chalklings.
Mistborn
This list wouldn’t be complete without Mistborn. I personally think this is the best place to start with Sanderson. It’s a bigger commitment, because it is a trilogy, but still not as much as Stormlight. This series has a really fun magic system, lots of new secrets to discover as you read, characters you can fall in love with, and an amazing ending.
Premise: Skaa live as slaves under the Lord Ruler in a world where ash falls from the sky and no flowers bloom. Kelsier, a half-Skaa, is a brilliant thief who builds a team to not only pull a heist on the Lord Ruler himself, but to take the powerful God-like leader down.
These are all great books to start with on your Sanderson journey. The first book I read by him actually was Way of Kings, the first book in a series that can be a little overwhelming. He won me over with his characters and the payoff of the character arc, and I’ve been reading him ever since. Whatever book you start with, I hope you enjoy his books as much as I do!
What book by Brandon Sanderson have you been considering reading? If you’ve read his books, which is your favorite? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
