February 2026
January was bonkers, but DUDE did I read a lot.
We are back with another edition of The Book List, and I am so happy to be here.
Talking about the books I'm reading is one of my favorite things ever. I hope that in this list, you find something to try or get confirmation on something to skip.
Because we have EIGHTEEN books to review, let's skip the preamble and just get right to it.
This Month’s Books
Book Reviews
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Casting: None really, although I did try Theo as Antonio Banderas. Too dashing.
Content warnings: Abuse, assault, the death of a child but all done with care and not at all gratuitous
Book words: Quiet, tender, kind, pure, deeply unpretentious
I started this book in November and finished it just a few days ago.
That is not because it's slow, boring, or I didn't think about it. It actually is slow, but the right kind. It's the opposite of boring, but it is quite pure. Human stories usually are. And I thought about it all the actual time. This book is truly special, and I hope everyone reads it.
Theo is a stranger to the city of Golden. No one knows why he arrives, what he's after, or why he's obsessed with the portraits hanging in the local coffee shop. The story is better if you discover it yourself, so that's all I'll say about the plot. However, it is remarkable. Utterly, quietly remarkable.
The Lodge by Damien Marlowe
⭐️
Casting: None
Content warnings: Gore, I guess?
Book words: Bad campy horror that took itself too seriously
We go from sublime to pretty terrible. I really hope Damien doesn't read this newsletter, and I will seek kindness. As I've said often, writing a book is no small feat. Good for him.
That said, I didn't enjoy this at all. I wanted to! Loved the premise. A couple goes to stay at a creepy lodge, and the house is a character. Made me think of Mexican Gothic which I loved. Alas, it did not rise to the occasion.
Most of the book was a series of repetitive dramatic fights between the husband and wife. She kept hearing weird things, he'd dismiss her, she'd accuse him of thinking she's crazy, he'd dismiss her again, and we'd do it again the next day. The stakes just stayed put forever, and I honestly was like, "The house can have them, bye."
I read to the end because why not, but no life raft came. Full skip.
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
⭐️⭐️
Casting: None
Content warnings: Violence, gore, bullying
Book words: Dark, gritty but not in a good way, horrifying, gray
Another example of a premise I liked but didn't pay off. I started and quit another Chuck Wendig book recently, and I think he's just not for me.
A family moves into the husband's childhood home after his abusive dad dies. The house does things, the woods do things, and there's some creepy dude in a fur coat doing things. I liked the characters okay, but I did not enjoy the vibe. Same with the other one I tried and quit. It just felt... slimy.
The Strength of the Few by James Islington
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content warnings: None
Man, oh MAN, was this thing amazing. I won't go into the story since this is book two of a trilogy (The Will of the Many was in August's Latest Lazy Letter, pre Book List), but it was so good.
A word to future readers. This book is told in three storylines, and I suggest reading Part One, one storyline at a time. Each storyline is labeled with a different symbol, so read all of the first symbol in order until you get to the end of part one, flip back and do the same for symbol two, and then again for symbol three. Once you hit part two, you’ll be sufficiently cemented in all three stories without being confused. My book twin Katie read this before I did, gave me that advice, and she was spot on.
It’s so good. I can’t wait for book three.
Casting: This is still for book one. Sharing book two characters seems like a spoiler.
Exiles by Mason Coile
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Casting: Three astronauts are Jessica Chastain, John Cho, and Josh Brolin.
Content warnings: Sci-fi violence
Book words: Stark, taut, locked-room mystery that's a little gross
This surprised me. Genuinely enjoyed it, but it is solidly sci-fi horror, so if you're not a horror person, skip it.
Three astronauts head to Mars in the first wave of a mission to populate. Awaiting them are three robots. When things start going haywire, the astronauts are skeptical. Plus, these robots are showing emotion which they're not programmed to do.
You can feel the starkness and sand of Mars. You feel the quiet horror of being secluded literally in the middle of nowhere with people and robots you're not sure you can trust. It's truly visceral, and I enjoyed it.
Someone Knows by Vi Keeland
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Casting: None
Content warnings: Sexual assault, open door sex scenes
Book words: Twisty, dark, a little heavy-handed and exploitive with the trauma of sexual abuse, at least in my opinion, a page turner
The ending bumped it up half a star for me. A great end.
Elizabeth is an English professor teaching a summer creative writing course. One submission catches her eye because all of the details are exactly like the story of her covering up a murder when she was a teenager.
It's twisty, dark, a little ick sometimes but that's part of the story, and a straight down the middle thriller.
Heather, the Totality by Matthew Weiner
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Casting: None
Content warnings: Family dysfunction, violence
Book words: Uncomfortably close to the human condition, sparse, detailed, visceral
Matthew Weiner is known for creating Mad Men and I can totally see that in this book. He captures detail in such an intricate way, knowing exactly what to focus on to suck you in. This story isn't a fun time, but wow is it quick and interesting.
Mark and Karen are wealthy New Yorkers with a daughter named Heather. Heather becomes their whole world, to the detriment of their marriage, their identities, and maybe Heather herself.
It's dark, a little depraved, and totally felt like prestige TV.
Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Casting: None
Content warnings: Abortion, dementia, domestic violence, infidelity, classism, racism
Book words: Family drama, surprisingly funny, rich with humanity and story
I'm genuinely surprised I loved this as much as I did. It is also like prestige television but a little softer around the edges.
In a series of vignettes, you meet a slew of Palestinian Americans living in Baltimore, woven together in various ways. All of their stories are visceral, sometimes heartbreaking, and you hope so much for good things.
This little book packs a punch, and the author stuck the landing.
Carrie by Stephen King
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Casting: None but I definitely kept picturing Sissy Spacek
Content warnings: She gross but only for a minute
Book words: Dark, sparse, riveting, occasionally terrifying
Stephen King is a master storyteller, and that is on display in Carrie. You probably know the story like I did. Carrie is a sheltered teenager who becomes the target of mean girls at school. At a school dance, things go a bit upside-down, ending in catastrophic tragedy.
The storytelling is so interesting, told in news articles, interviews, and book excerpts, it feels like a documentary. Absolutely riveting and a tremendous book club book. So much to discuss.
In fact, if you love Stephen King or want someone to help you love him, check out Laura Tremaine. She hosts a Stephen King Summer book club, and right now, she and Sarah Stewart Holland of Pantsuit Politics are doing a Slow Read substack for The Stand, another Stephen King classic (my second favorite after It).
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Casting: Jennifer Lawrence
Content warnings: Drug use, sex, suicidal ideation
Book words: Who knows, man
This is a book about a wealthy, depressed 30-something who decides to sleep a year away after a breakup, and there is no reason I should've loved it this much BUT I DID.
When book twin Katie finished it, her text said, "It was really good and I have no idea why." Yep. I cannot stop thinking about it, and I will never get over it.
Words for this are impossible to conjure, so I'm just going to share some by reviewers that captured it better than I can.
"Darkly comic and ultimately profound / a strange, exhilarating triumph / bizarrely fascinating / maniacally entertaining / makes you laugh out loud by drawing blood."
It's just incredibly bizarre, weirdly tender, both unrelatable and deeply resonant. I don't get it, I also totally get it, and I love it with my whole heart.
Experiencing the Trinity by Darrell W. Johnson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Content warnings: A book about the trinity and the Christian faith
I heard about this book from John Freeman, husband to Emily P. Freeman and the steward of Grace Discipleship, a nonprofit that provides spiritual direction. I love what gets John excited about life in Christ, so I grabbed this book.
It was short, bursting with enthusiasm for the mysticism of the Triune God, and I absolutely loved it. The thing I keep thinking about is that God is a relationship, and I'm invited to be in it. This book is simple and profound, and I'll easily read it again.
Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Content warnings: Another Christian faith book
Tish Harrison Warren wrote one of my favorite books ever, Prayer in the Night, and I was thrilled to finally read this one.
Liturgy of the Ordinary connects spiritual practices with daily monotony. The chapters are titled Making the Bed, Losing My Keys, Fighting with My Husband, and somehow she connects the mundane with the spiritual in an extraordinary, relatable way.
Truly excellent.
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrated by Ralph Cosham
Casting: None
Content warnings: Murder, verbal abuse, a lot of fat shaming
Book words: Not quite a cozy mystery but close
I think I would've ranked this higher if not for all the fat shaming. Seriously, I just got so annoyed with it and found it unnecessary. Aside from that, the story is awesome, and I am a huge fan of Louise Penny.
When a disliked local woman is found dead during a curling game, everyone is a suspect.
Penny's series following Inspector Gamache does not have to be read in order, but I'm enjoying it all the same. The third audiobook is waiting for me on Libby right now, so it'll be on the next Book List.
Along Came a Spider by James Patterson 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrated by Taye Diggs
Casting: None
Content warnings: Murder, child kidnapping, graphic crime scenes
Book words: Gritty, mainstream, thrilling
I think this would've been higher if the narration were better. I love Taye Diggs' voice, but the cadence with which he read threw me off throughout the story. I read it on super fast speed to help dull some of the awkward pauses, but it took me out of the story a bit.
I've never read anything by James Patterson, and I can see why he has a million books. Formulaic, thrilling, twisty, but nothing too cerebral, this was a solid crime story.
Alex Cross is after a serial child kidnapper in a cat-and-mouse game that keeps you in it. I liked it, but I probably won't go after any other Alex Cross stories in the future. I'd rather read Louise Penny or Tana French.
Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Narrated by Catherine Ho
Casting: None
Content warnings: Nothing that I can recall
Book words: Character-driven, a little frothy, heartfelt
This is kind of a cozy heist? I'm not sure how to explain it. I liked it fine.
Three longtime friends hatch a plan to steal the red envelopes of wedding cash given at one of their weddings, a bride who isn't interested in getting married at all. They all have different reasons to want money, and those reasons, of course, morph as they get closer to actually going through with the theft.
It's good. It is. But reviewers called it dazzling, funny, and delightful, and I didn't get any of that. It was just good. Maybe if I'd listened in the summer, it would've gotten another half star. I also like a lot of action in my heists, and this had a lot more talking.
Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrated by Lydia Leonard
Casting: None
Content warnings: I don’t remember any
Book words: Very character-driven, alternate timeline, literary
I don't remember much about this book actually, which I feel bad about considering the main review line describes it as "funny, smart, and memorable." I expected witty, and I got melancholy. Or maybe I listened to it when I was melancholy? I don't know.
The story follows Adam and Coralie ten years after they get together. Adam brought a daughter into the partnership, and Coralie is still unsure if she wants a kid at all. There are professional squabbles and midlife discoveries, and they were handled well enough. I just didn't really care enough.
The narrator was excellent. I could listen to her speak all day, but I felt lulled by the story in a sleepy way rather than a thoughtful one.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrated by a full cast
Azkaban is maybe my favorite Harry? The podium is definitely Azkaban, Order, and Hallows. They sometimes shift places, though.
This full-cast audio was seriously so good. I feel like the audio editors are finding their way a little better. Plus, Azkaban is where we meet Remus and Sirius, and both of them were voiced impeccably. Made the earnest kid actors a little more palatable.
Loved it so much.
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrated by Caroline Lee
Casting: None
Content warnings: A little bit of everything but none of it terribly intense
Book words: Character-driven, descriptive and easily imagined, tender
On a plane full of people, a woman travels down the aisle in a trance and tells everyone when and how they will die. It's weird, and people react to it differently. Then the first person dies the way The Death Lady said.
This is way more character-driven than I expected, but I genuinely loved it. I think that's partly due to the phenomenal narration. Just excellent.
It was surprisingly poignant. A great read for most people.