This Month in Reading - October 2026

Monthly Reading Total: 15

Type:

Print - 5

Ebook - 4 

Audio - 6

Genre:

Mystery - 9 

Fiction - 4

Nonfiction - 1

Romance - 1

Favorite Books of the Month:

The Third to Die by Allison Brennan - This police procedural was such a page turner and I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author.

Favorite Audio:  The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston - I'm not a big fan of time travel but this was more of a timeline slip and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Monthly Armchair Reading:  

Domestic Travel:  I visited Washington for the first time this year and revisited Arizona, Maine, New York, North Carolina, and Massachussetts.

International Travel:  I went to England 4 times, Ireland, Scotland, and Austria

Friday Fives - November TBR

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. Since this is the first Friday in November, I'm planning my November TBR.  Here are 5 books I plan on reading in November.

1.  Birth of the Witch by Nora Roberts - This is the first in Nora Roberts' latest trilogy and I'm so excited to read it.

2.  The Luck Runs Out by Charlotte Macleod - This is the next book in the Peter Shandy series and I really enjoyed the first one so I'm looking forward to it.

3.  A Gala Event by Sheila Connolly - I'm on the downhill slope of this series with only two left.  This is one of the first cozy series I started reading and it'll be nice to finish it.

4.  The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor - This month I'm focusing on books I've been meaning to read and this book is at the top of that list.

5.  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - This is another book I've been meaning to read and one I've heard nothing but good things about.

What are you hoping to read in November?

Books from the Backlog - Daughter of Egypt

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

Blurb:  1920’s London was enthralled by the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Filled with priceless statues, jewels, and the gold-encased mummy of the boy Pharaoh himself, the burial site unleashed a fascination with the ancient world and revolutionized the world of archeology.
The discovery was made by Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle and his associate, famed archeologist Howard Carter. What no one knows is that without the pioneering spirit of Lady Evelyn Herbert, Carnarvon’s daughter, the tomb might never have been found. As a young woman, Evelyn was fascinated by the story of Hatshepsut, a woman who had to assume the guise of a man in order to rule Egypt. Although she brought peace and prosperity to Egypt, her male successors ruthlessly and thoroughly erased her name from history.

Lady Evelyn’s ambition to find the tomb of Egypt’s first woman ruler exposes her to life-threatening danger and pits her against archeologists who refuse to believe the tomb can be found―and certainly not by a woman. Refusing to give up, Evelyn is on the verge of success when she is suddenly forced to make an agonizing choice between loyalty to her beloved father and Carter and realizing the dream of a lifetime.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf: This has been on my TBR since I first heard about it.  I really like this author and love the sound of this one so I need to read it soon!

What I'm Reading Right Now - November 4

I always have a few books going.  Here is what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about them.

Ebook:

Birth of the Witch by Nora Roberts - I just started this so I don't have an opinion yet but I have high hopes.

Print Book:

Charisma by Jo Bannister - So far I'm enjoying this straight forward police procedural pretty well.  It's not outstanding and I don't know that I will be moved to track down the rest of the series but I am curious to see how it ends.

Audio Book:

The Lieutenant's Nurse by Sara Ackerman - I'm not fully hooked on this one yet but I am enjoying it and am looking forward to seeing how the characters develop.

Slow Read:

Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell -This was one of my most anticipated read last year that I never really got into. So far, I'm liking it okay, but it is definitely not this author's best work.

What are you reading right now?

Top Ten Tuesday - One Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I've Read

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is One Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I've Read.  This is a topic I always enjoy!

1.  Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter - Fine

2.  Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney - Unsettling

3. The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston - Lovely

4.  After Midnight by Daphne du Maurier - Uneven

5.  The Saint Mary's Cipher by Anna Elliot and Charles Veley - Fun

6.  Sauvigone for Good by J.C. Eaton - Okay

7.  The Claus Conspiracy by Tamara Berry - Fun

8.  The Third To Die by Allison Brennan - Suspenseful

9.  Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry - Fascinating

10. The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas - Compelling

The Best Christmas Ever - Fiction Review

Goodreads: The Best Christmas Ever by Sarah Morgan

Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
Source: Publisher

Description:  As the snowstorm of the century bears down on New England, reclusive author Mabel Miller is preparing to spend yet another Christmas alone with her cats. While everyone else is making merry, she’ll be avoiding the whole painful holiday. No decorations. No tree. No traces of Christmas. That is, until the weather intervenes and sends not one but two cars spinning into the stone wall surrounding her isolated cottage. Now she has a house full of strangers when the last thing she wanted was company for Christmas.

Yet Mabel’s unexpected guests—a family with two young children expecting Santa to drop gifts down the chimney, and two work colleagues who clearly have a history—are determined to make the best of the situation. As her attempts to protect her privacy are thwarted by the two little ones who are charmingly oblivious to her boundaries, soon Mabel is making cocoa and cookies for the first time in years, and allowing them into her library, a place that contains so many of her secrets.

Mabel has her reasons for keeping her truths so deeply hidden. But this Christmas, if Mabel is brave enough to share, she might finally be able to rewrite the past and find a festive happy-ever-after - for her new friends, but also herself.

Genre: Fiction 

Why I Picked This Book: I've really enjoyed everything I've read by this author and this sounded like a good one!

My Impression:  Three groups of characters are racing a snowstorm and dealing with very different feelings regarding Christmas in this latest from Sarah Morgan.  When all three paths collide everything is turned upside down for the better.  I loved all three main characters - Mabel, Brooke, and Izzy - as well as all the other side characters - Jason, Matt, and the two little girls Elsie and Poppy.  I'm not always a huge fan of kids in books but these two were handles really well and really added to the story.  

This was a warm and cozy read but tackled some really serious issues regarding families and relationships.  Family relationships can be complicated at the best of times especially when holidays are involved and I really liked how Morgan handled the different perspectives.  It never got too angsty but nothing was presented as an easy fix.  I also really enjoyed the relationships between the three women and the friendship that developed as well as the very different relationships between the two different couples.  

This was a lovely cozy holiday read that was neither cheesy or cookie cutter sweet.  I thoroughly enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I need to look through this author's backlist and pick up the books I haven't read and I'll definitely be looking for her new books.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would!  If you're looking for a cozy holiday read with relatable and likable characters this is a perfect pick.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Sleeping Murder - Read Christie 2026 Review

Goodreads:  Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie

Rating: Love It (5 Stars)
Source: Purchased

Description: Soon after Gwenda moved into her new home, odd things started to happen. Despite her best efforts to modernize the house, she only succeeded in dredging up its past. Worse, she felt an irrational sense of terror every time she climbed the stairs.

In fear, Gwenda turned to Miss Marple to exorcise her ghosts. Between them, they were to solve a “perfect” crime committed many years before.

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This was the October 2026 Read Christie Challenge pick - and it happens to be my favorite Miss Marple Mystery.

My Impression: While this was Christie's last published book she actually wrote in in the 1940s and put aside to be published after her death.  If you are reading the Miss Marple books in order it will be a bit surprising as all of a sudden Miss Marple is suddenly in much better health and Colonel Bantry has come back to life.  As is common in her books, Miss Marple is very much a side character who gently (or pointedly) steers the characters to the truth.

This is definitely one of my favorites and a reread didn't make it lose its status.  I really enjoy Gwenda and her husband Giles digging into the investigation.  The story itself does start with a coincidence but coincidences do happen.  Miss Marple is at the top of her game though Giles and Gwenda don't always fully listen.  They do have a lot of respect for her and for each other which I appreciated.

This was a delightful read with a fascinating mystery.  I've read it countless times, and it never lets me down.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  Next month is And Then There Were None which is another favorite.

Would I Recommend this Book? Yes, this is always on my Top Ten list for Christie recommendations and that hasn't changed.