BOOKS & STORIES I FINISHED READING IN 2026
17) Lucky Jim
~ by Kinglsey Amis
I thought this novel was hysterical. The main character, Jim, is a hoot. I was reading the last section before going to sleep, and I had to stifle my laughter in order to not wake up Lew! (The "had to stifle my laughter" part was when he finally was giving his talk to a packed auditorium.)
16) Unfettered
~ by John Fetterman
The U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania has an interesting background, and I appreciate his telling about it in this auto-biography. I don't share many of his viewpoints, but he seems to be more authentic and sensible than many of those in Washington, DC (on both sides of the aisle!). Caution: Language.
15) Inside Cut: A C.T. Ferguson Crime Novel
~ by Tom Fowler
When I saw this novel advertised, I knew I had to read it now, during March Madness! Some of the details are outdated (e.g., there was no NIL opportunity for college athletes in this story), but the sports betting aspect certainly is not outdated. This novel kept my interest. And, for the record, I am against sports betting.
14) The Sawmill Book Club
~ by Carolyn Brown
This novel would make a good Hallmark movie! Predictable plot, but you're happy it works out the way it does.
13) O. Henryana
~ by O. Henry
The description for this brief collection:
Seven Odds and EndsPoetry and Short Stories
12) The Donor: A High-Stakes YA Hacker Thriller
~ by Jennifer Dyer
This is a novel about teenage hacktivists, which are hackers that use their skills to assist a cause. The story kept me very interested. When I saw that this was Book 1 in the author's The Cardiac Files series, I was hoping to see that Book 2 already existed. It doesn't. I hope it does eventually, because there were some loose ends!
11) Lilith
~ by George MacDonald
An interesting fantasy remarking on the freedom that comes with death for the believer. I'm not sure how else to describe it! It took a while for Lilith to appear in the story; she's a tragic figure, by the way.
10) Limping Heavenward: Living by Faith in Comprehensive and Chronic Suffering
~ by Karrie Hahn
As I was driving around one day, I heard this author interviewed on the radio. Although I do not experience "comprehensive and chronic suffering", I am so glad I read this book. One takeaway is how to support others that are suffering. Helpful. Lots of Scripture references throughout.
9) Bitter Fall (Detective Justice Book 2)
~ by Bruce Robert Coffin
See entry #6 below. Another intriguing murder case, plus a couple side cases. Book 3 comes out in August... not sure I can wait that long!
8) Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman
~ by Brooke Shields
I've been familiar with Brooke Shields' fame for what seems like forever; she is only a couple years younger than I am. Although at times this book seemed repetitive (a "we're great, ladies" message), I did enjoy reading about her life. She mentioned a documentary that was made about her, which I was able to watch on Hulu.
7) Famous Once: A Short Story
~ by Jane Green
Astrid, ex-wife of a rock and roll star, works to mend her relationship with her daughter as they try to piece together the truth about a past tragedy. The story moved fast, and it was indeed short!
6) Crimson Thaw (Detective Justice Book 1)
~ by Bruce Robert Coffin
Bruce graduated from high school the year after I did. It's fun to read books published by a kid you grew up knowing! I believe this is the third series for him as an author (the second solo). Maine State Police Detective Brock Justice gets assigned a new partner, a trainee named Chloe. Their first case? The murder of a man found in the bottom of a pond... handcuffed to a snowmobile. I liked the story, and I'll be reading Book 2 shortly!
5) Can You Solve the Murder?: An Interactive Crime Novel
~ by Antony Johnston
Technically I didn't read this whole book; some sections I didn't get to read because I wasn't directed to them. And... yes... I solved the mystery! It was a fun way to spend a snow day.
4) Waif and Strays
~ by O. Henry
Another collection of short stories by the master of irony, O. Henry.
3) The Light Princess and Other Fairy Stories
~ by George MacDonald
A handful of fairy tale stories. Enjoyable.
2) Jesus' Final Warning: Hearing Christ's Voice in the Midst of Chaos
~ by David Jeremiah
This book was written in the lead up to Y2K, so it was interesting to read it over 25 years later! But he easily could have written this recently. God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, Scripture, the nature of sinful man... all are still the same.
1) The Book of Purrs: everyday thoughts from your feline friends
~ by Luis Coelho
This is a cute book of one-page comics starring cats. My favorites are those that address the quirkiness of cats and the mutual love between cats and humans. I even learned a couple new terms: smol and blep. Don't know what they mean? Google them yourself, ha ha! 😉
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