Category: Monthly review

July Top Books

August Reading Challenge & July Recap: Celebrate a month of unforgettable reads, including a perfect 5-star standout, God’s Country by William Kent Krueger. From coming-of-age stories and redemption tales to gripping mysteries, July delivered plenty of new favorites. Looking ahead, August’s mystery-themed reading challenge pays tribute to classic influences like Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, featuring prompts centered on detective work, true crime, memorable sidekicks, and books by women authors. Join us as we uncover more page-turning mysteries in the month ahead!

June Top Books

June was such a strong reading month—9 books, all 4 stars or higher, with action fiction clearly leading the way. My two 5-star standouts were Hidden in Plain View, a fascinating look at quilt symbolism and history, and Backtrack by Marc Cameron, a gripping thriller with excellent character development. The list also includes 4 pre-release titles, full reviews, preorder links, and one more review still to come. If you love thrillers, upcoming releases, and standout monthly recaps, this one is worth a look. Which title would you pick up first? #bookish #RWL2026 #ThrillerReads

May Top Books

May proved to be an exceptional reading month, delivering five five-star books and an especially strong lineup of fantasy titles. From magical realism to bold, inventive worldbuilding, each selection offered something memorable, with Satan’s Diary ultimately emerging as the standout for its originality and unexpected depth. Looking ahead, June shifts toward adventure-driven reads—blending quest narratives, action-packed favorites, and intentional reflection in honor of Juneteenth, with a continued focus on meaningful, thought-provoking storytelling.

March Top Books

If you’re searching for the best books to add to your March reading list, this month delivered an enchanting mix of folklore‑inspired fantasy, fairy‑tale retellings, and standout new releases. Our March reads were filled with magical myths, re-imagined legends, and powerful character journeys that brought fresh whimsy to our shelves. From captivating mermaids to the … Continue reading March Top Books →

February Top Books

When we were planning out this year’s reading challenge, February was one of the months I was most excited about—I’m always here for a good romance. We had a lot of fun exploring a few different subgenres, though there are still so many we didn’t get to this time around. Did we manage to read … Continue reading February Top Books →

December Recap & January Prompts

I am busting at the seams with excitment trying to type this post for so many reasons - I get to tell you about my favorite book this month, and then my favorite book of 2025, and we get to talk about the new 2026 Reading Challenge again! With today being Christmas, I'm away from … Continue reading December Recap & January Prompts →

November Recap & December Prompts

I hope you're enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend as much as we are - we have explored bookstores in our vacation town and spent lots of time reading on the cabin porch the past few days. As we get ready to head into December, I'm thinking back on all our great reads this month and looking … Continue reading November Recap & December Prompts →

October Recap & November Prompts

The holidays are in full swing at our house - we're just days from Halloween, I'm planning our Thanksgiving feast (on the road...more to come on that), and I have Christmas music blasting on every speaker. I'm not normally one of those people who pulls out the Christmas tunes before Thanksgiving, but holiday movies started … Continue reading October Recap & November Prompts →