2026 Quarter One Reading Wrap-Up & Book Reviews
Can you believe quarter one of 2026 is over? So much occurred in my life, and it went by in a blink. However, I’m grateful for all of the stories I dove into—client work aside, this book list includes all the stories I read in quarter one of 2026. My goal is to read 30 books this year—excluding my stories and client work. Inside this article, I’m sharing book reviews and my quarter one reading wrap-up for 2026. So far, I’ve read one non-fiction, two fiction short stories, and five fiction novels. For the most part, I enjoyed my time with them. Now, let’s dive in!
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When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune DNF
The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Second Time’s Sweeter: A Short Story by Melissa Mastro
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
The Wood at Midwinter: A Short Story by Susanna Clarke
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Forget-Me-Not-Library by Heather Webber
Quarter one non-fiction wrap-up and book review
I love reading memoirs and hope to dive into more this year. This choice came from my in-person book club and we had quite an emotional discussion about it.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Forward by Abraham Verghese
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Random House, January 12, 2016
Summary: When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir about a neurosurgeon grappling with his stage-four lung cancer diagnosis at age 36. This novel is about coming to terms with death, and what it means to live a meaningful life when facing mortality.
Book Review: This story was emotional—not solely because the author is facing mortality—but also because he’s constantly surrounded by it. Kalanithi is a neurosurgeon and his patients are often facing critical diagnoses themselves. His work is highly demanding, yet there’s an emotional distance doctors must exhibit because of the nature of their analytical career. So, when Kalanithi must face death himself, this novel explores what it means to be alive, how challenging it is to be a patient as a doctor, and how to face one’s mortality. This memoir is mystical and scientific; Kalanithi grew up religious—then left his faith—but through his diagnosis, he came back to his Christian values. Although Kalanithi was analytically-minded, I found his reflections thought-provoking and moving because he grappled with the mystical aspects of life and death. Sadly, the story abruptly ended because of his death, but his wife concluded the story for the reader. As you can imagine, this narrative choice was emotionally heavy. When Breath Becomes Air is a quick read and I recommend it.
Quarter one fiction short story wrap-up and book reviews
Second Time’s Sweeter: A Short Story by Melissa Mastro
Second Time’s Sweeter by Melissa Mastro
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Attic Ebooks, September 10, 2025
Summary: Tate and Ophelia are struggling to find joy within their lives so they enter a European cooking competition. Two problems arise: they don’t know they’re each other’s competition until they arrive, and the two of them haven’t spoken since their relationship fell apart. Secrets are revealed and they’re not in the recipes.
Book Review: This was a short and sweet second-chance romance. Mastro did a wonderful job developing her characters, and making their emotions real and grounded. It’s a heart-wrenching tale, but one worth reading. I found myself wanting more and will definitely pick up her debut novel, One Week of July.
2. The Wood at Midwinter: A Short Story by Susanna Clarke
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
★ ★ ★ | Bloomsbury publishing, October 22, 2024
Summary: Merowdis Scott feels one with nature; she talks to animals and believes the woods are her sanctuary. Then, one day when she ventures into them, she encounters a dark figure and can’t go back to the life she once knew.
Book Review: This is an extremely short story. The illustrations are powerful, however, I wish there was more to the plot and character development. It feels like a fairy tale, but sadly this story was simply too short.
Quarter one fiction novel wrap-up and book reviews
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
DNF | Berkley, May 10, 2022
Summary: Persephone “Percy” goes back to a favorite childhood lake house for a funeral—a funeral for the mother of her long lost love, Sam. This story jumps between past and present, as well as multiple POV’s to showcase how their love story began as teenagers, and never truly left them six years later.
Book Review: I DNF’d this book because of the teenage sex scenes. They were over indulged by the author; I do not want to read a book with graphic sexual scenes of teenagers.
2. The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Berkley, Ocobter 23, 2018
Summary: Satoru lost his cat when he was younger, but when he grows up he takes in a stray, Nana. We follow the two of them on a road-trip journey to visit Satoru’s friends. And on the trip, they develop an unconditional connection that bonds them for life.
Book Review: I absolutely adored this novel. I loved going on adventures with Satoru and Nana, and found myself quite emotional by the end of the book. The author gives us a POV into Nana’s inner thoughts, which was often comical. And somehow Arikawa builds Satoru and Nana’s character arcs with such an emotional gravity that you miss the characters by the end of the story.
3. The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
★ ★ ★ | Holt Paperbacks, February 11, 2025
Summary: A historical magical fiction novel set in Manchuria 1908, at the end of the Qing Empire. Bao, a detective, is uncovering the truth about a dead courtesan and the lore of foxes. These mysterious creatures lure people by turning into beautiful men and women themselves.
Book Review: This novel is quite complex. I listened to the audio version, and found myself wandering in and out of the plot. However, I love stories about folklore, magic, and animals. I found parts of this novel highly conceptual and intriguing, other parts a little slower. I recommend that if you want to read this novel, grab a physical copy because there’s a lot to unpack.
4. Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
★ ★ ★ ★ | Grove Press, October 29, 2024
Summary: Six men and women from varying countries around the world are selected to travel through space as the last astronauts of this particular program. We get a glimpse into their lives and psychology as space travelers.
Book Review: This is not your average narrative—in fact, it doesn’t follow a storyline at all. This novel explores the psyches and lives of multiple astronauts as they communicate with loved ones, random people on earth, and each other. It’s a highly creative fiction novel that reflects on the human condition, space exploration, and the human fingerprint. I found the writing style immersive and atmospheric. It’s a quick read. I recommend it to those who love reflective prose.
5. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Candlewick, December 8, 2015 (Reprint)
Summary: A little mouse proves that bravery doesn’t depend on height, but the size of one’s heart. From the moment Despereaux was born, he loved stories, and found that he soon was living one.
Book Review: This is a beloved classic story, and rightfully so. I loved following Despereaux and the world DiCamillo created. I highly recommend this book for readers who seek to read about classic heroes and doing the right thing, no matter the stakes.
6. The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber
The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber
★ ★ .5 | Kindle Edition, St. Martin Press, November 4, 2025
Summary: If one finds themselves with a broken down vehicle in Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, there’s something to learn. Juliet Nightingale recently suffered a bizarre lightning accident. As she struggles to deal with the trauma from that event, Juliet decides to take a road trip to clear her mind, but her vehicle breaks down Forget-Me-Not, Alabama—not quite by accident. On the other hand, Tallulah—a new single mother from that mystical town is starting over. With her new job at the town’s library, she’s forced to deal with a past she doesn’t want to face. Both women’s lives intertwine as they embark on internal journeys towards healing and happiness.
Book Review: I thoroughly enjoy small town stories about healing, living, and love. This book provides the common tropes a reader may ask for within a found-family, small town tale. Heather Webber previously wrote one of my favorite books, Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe. However, there are a lot of moving parts to this particular story—almost too many. Part of me wonders if the theme would have been more impactful had this book been from one perspective instead of a dual POV narrative. I also felt that the plot twist at the end came out of nowhere, and was contrived.
There it is! My quarter one reading wrap-up with book reviews. Now, what’s your favorite book of 2026 so far? Share in the comments below.
Happy reading!
