Reading

Recent Did-Not-Finish Books

~ Rose Sparrowking

There was a time when if I opened a book, I finished it. No matter what. Even if I hated it. Even if I resented it. Even if I fantasized about gently placing it in the freezer.

Yes. That sounds ridiculous.

Probably a leftover habit from reading required books in school, where “DNF” was not an option and SparkNotes did not count as literary engagement.

Fortunately, I have reformed.

I was briefly part of a Facebook book group for women of a certain vintage (read: my age). One woman posted something like:
“I’m on chapter 15 of such-and-such. How much longer before it gets good?”

Chapter fifteen.

Friend… why are we negotiating with a book?

If you’re not enjoying it in the first few pages — let alone the first few chapters — close it. Set it free. Move on.

There. Are. So. Many. Books.

I work part-time at our small-town library. We don’t have the budget of a big city system, and yet the number of new books that arrive each month is staggering. Truly. They just keep coming.

I look at the stacks and think: I will never read all of you.

And that’s okay.

Now I browse with freedom. I look at the cover. I read the blurb. If something sparks, I take it home. If it doesn’t? Back it goes.

I can rule out whole categories at the moment — though that’s always subject to change. I love fantasy, but I’m taking a break. I rarely read horror or westerns. I don’t generally reach for historical romance (or much romance at all). And I’m steering clear of hard-core murder mysteries. The world is ugly enough right now. My heart needs a softer place to land.

Last month, I stumbled onto a few delightful surprises. This month? A couple of flops.

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I was genuinely excited about this one. I have a bit of a hit-or-miss relationship with Taylor Jenkins Reid. When she works for me, she really works. So, I went in hopeful.

But the interview-style format just didn’t land. I never sank into the story. I never forgot I was reading. Instead of disappearing into the world, I felt like I was flipping through transcripts.

I gave it a couple of chapters. I tried. I wanted to like it. But sometimes it’s just a nope.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

While I’m waiting (impatiently) for the next Inspector Gamache to make its way to our library, I decided to branch out.

Both of these sounded charming. Short. Cozy. Gentle stories. And — very importantly — cats on the covers.

Cats trump all.

But… neither one hooked me.

Part of it may be the translation. The sentences felt slightly awkward, just enough to keep me aware of the writing instead of the story. And I never quite sensed that anyone needed to change. Without that pull, that something-at-stake, the events felt pleasant but weightless.

I kept waiting to care more. I didn’t.

So, two more nopes.

And back to waiting for Inspector Gamache.

There are too many good books in the world to spend time with the wrong ones. Onward to the next.

Tacking the TBR for January 2026

~ Rose Sparrowking

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’ve read Malibu Rising and Atmosphere by Reid, and while her writing is phenomenal and her characters complex, something about those books never quite worked for me—perhaps the plots. So I approached The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with hesitation.

I nearly put it down early on because Monique never felt like she had much narrative drive; she seemed more an observer than a participant, carried along by Evelyn’s story. That never fully changed for me. While Monique is stronger by the end, her arc feels secondary, raising the question of whether she is truly the protagonist at all—or whether that role belongs to Evelyn. And if so, would Evelyn have been capable of change without wealth and fame?

Despite these reservations, I did enjoy the book in the end. Evelyn is undeniably fascinating—a woman who embodies strength, ambition, and fierce loyalty to those she loves, unburdened by many of the anxieties that so often constrain women. Would I want to be her? Absolutely not. But she is a character worth learning from. This novel convinced me to read Reid again.

Still Life, A Fatal Grace, The Cruelest Month — Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. I’d never read them, despite having shelved them countless times at the library over the years. As a fan of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, I finally decided to give Inspector Gamache a try. These books are beautiful. The language is beautiful. The art and poetry references are beautiful. The mysteries are properly convoluted and surprising, and the characters are interesting and complex. Ruth Zardo has to be my favorite.

My one small complaint is that I always have to wait too many chapters before Gamache arrives. And because my library didn’t have the fourth book, I had to request it from another library — and with the snow we’ve had recently, I’ve been forced to read other books while I wait. Such hardship.

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller. Loved it. Funny and truthful. Nazis and Critical Race Theory, drag queens and cheerleaders, good ol’ boys and a movie star. It’s a satire that throws every stereotyped Southerner into the same story and somehow comes out the other side with something hopeful and humane.

Some of my favorite quotes: “When you have everything, the only luxury left is taking things away from others,” and “Stories are the most powerful things in this world. They can mend broken hearts, bring back good memories, and make people fall in love,” and “Gather as much knowledge as you can, because information is power. And choosing how to use it is freedom. The more you know, the freer you will be.”

I now have a new list of books to read from the banned titles referenced in the novel. I’ve read some of them—though maybe they deserve a refresh—and many I haven’t read at all. I was genuinely disappointed to discover that All Women Are Witches: Find Your Power and Put It to Use doesn’t actually exist. I wanted to read that one.

I’d also argue that most people banning books haven’t bothered to open them. During the 2024–2025 school year, PEN America recorded 6,870 instances of book bans across 23 states and 87 public school districts.

Our library—and I personally—stand against book banning. You can decide what your own children read (though rebels will defy you and read anyway), but you don’t get to decide what other children will read.

The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson. Any book that can logically bring up Star Wars, Shakespeare and Bridgerton has my vote for a great read. This was such a fun mystery! Great twists. Characters to hate and to love. Romance and book clubs. And a wardrobe I’m jealous of. 🙂

Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry. Everyone was a suspect at one point or another and I had no idea how it was going to come together at the end, but it was a fun ride getting there.

2026 Reading Challenges

~ Rose Sparrowking

I read 28 new books in 2025. That doesn’t sound like much, but I also re-read many old favorites. Some books have become comfort food in a sense. When I’m stressed or worried (which is frequent) or I can’t sleep (also frequent), I re-read books I know well. If I fall asleep, it’s okay. If I stop and move onto something else, it’s okay—I’ve read them before. My comfort reads usually involve Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series or L. E. Modesitt, Jr.’s Corean Chronicles.

I decided to keep my 2026 reading challenge simple: fifty new books. I read that much and more, but I need to focus on new-to-me books and get out of the rut of reading the same thing over and over. I’m on Goodreads if you want to see what I’m reading. I rarely review, which is a change for another New Year. I always have my phone with me, even when working at the library, so it’s quick to add yet another book to the TBR list!

Do you more of a reading challenge for 2026? Here are 4 for you to try:

2026 NoveList Reading Challenge. ‘For the 2026 Novelist Reading Challenge, we’re inviting your library and your patrons to join us on a journey of reading exploration to “Find What You Like.”‘ “NoveList Plus is the premiere database of reading recommendations, available through libraries around the world presenting fiction, nonfiction, and audiobooks and includes expert recommendations, reviews, articles, lists, and more.” See if your library offers this database. Their 2026 challenges encourages you to read a different genre per month to find what you like. For January, the challenge is to read a science-fiction novel.

Book Riot’s 2026 Read Harder Challenge. I wish you didn’t have to subscribe to Book Riot for complete access. You didn’t have to in the past but with the economy as it is… First challenge: Read a microhistory. I would need to look up what that is and what books are recommended.

Boston Public Library is doing a Winter Reading Challenge. “This winter, the Boston Public Library is challenging you to read a book by an author from each of six geographic regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania.” This one looks like fun! I’m always reading authors from the USA or the UK. Another perspective would be fascinating.

Massachusetts Center for the Book. 12 Months. 12 Books. Nice and easy. You have the chance to win free books! Woo! January’s challenge: read a book about or set in winter.

Can you guess what state I live in? Hahaha!

Let me know if you’re planning a 2026 reading challenge and what it entails!

Tackling my TBR pile this month

~ Rose Sparrowking

I’ve got dozens of books languishing in my Kindle’s TBR pile—most from Amazon’s Prime First Reads—and I’ve been guilt-tripping myself about it while rereading old favorites for the hundredth time. Most of these books are by authors unknown to me, so I’m taking chances on each one.

I don’t want to waste time on books that aren’t clicking, but I also want to give unknown authors a fair shot. My plan is to give a book 2 chapters and then quit and move to the next if I’m not enjoying it.

Let’s see how many I can actually get through this month!

1.Ten Thousand Light Years From Okay by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman

“A widowed and grieving young novelist believes her words create realities—both tragic and charmed—in a hopeful and surprising novel about family, newfound love, and moving on.”

I almost bailed on this one. Thea felt shallow at first, obsessing over her outfit for preschool drop-off, and the opening was heavy on backstory without much forward momentum. Usually that’s my cue to toss a book into my “Books that suck” collection and move on. But I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did. The story transformed into something beautiful and emotional about living with and through grief. It actually got to me. I might even reread it to see if those early chapters bother me less now that I know where it’s going.

Verdict: Kept reading past chapter 2—and finished it.

2. Slow Horses by Mark Herron

“Welcome to the thrilling and unnervingly prescient world of the slow horses. This team of MI5 agents is united by one common bond: They’ve screwed up royally and will do anything to redeem themselves.”

I love the Apple TV show, but like the show, this book starts slow. The opening is fantastic—River Cartwright’s operation goes spectacularly wrong, and then… did he really just get blown up!? But then it grinds to a halt with scene after scene introducing every person working at Slough House. Pure info dump.

I put it down once, picked it up again to give it a fair shot, and didn’t get pulled into the story until about the quarter mark. I imagine the sequels won’t suffer from this bland setup, but I’m not sure I’ll stick around to find out.

That said, Herron’s writing is lovely—almost poetic—while keeping the descriptions relevant to the story. That’s what kept me going.

Verdict: Finished but I doubt I’ll ever re-read it or read any more of the series

3. Tea & Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher

“A tea leaf reader in nineteenth-century England falls in love—and in danger—with a reclusive alchemist.”

I’ve been in a cozy-reading mood lately, so I was looking forward to this historical vampire fantasy. Unfortunately, it reads very much like a Dracula fanfic. Mina is simple and sweet, yet somehow the smartest person in any room—including the studious vampire himself. Naturally, the vampire doesn’t want to be evil; killing people for sweet, sweet blood is a terrible burden. Mina’s blood, of course, is the sweetest of all, thanks to her descent from an ancient people responsible for the vampires’ existence. And naturally, only she can fix everything.

As long as you take it for a fluffy read, it’s enjoyable.

Verdict: finished but unlikely to be read again.

Links List: Romance Writers’ Week and Why Do We Even Read?

~ Rose Sparrowking

Prowritingaid is hosting Romance Writers’ Week starting February 12, 2024. I rarely watch the sessions live, but go through them quickly afterward. You’ve got like a week or so to review the sessions before access is cut off (unless, of course, you fork over more money!). There are usually some good tidbits along with the usual sales pitches. It’s free.

Why Do We Even Read?: “The purpose of literature is, of course, to open up new worlds and introduce information and experiences. This is what libraries do and why libraries are a monumental resource and a cornerstone of democracy. They offer a whole world to their communities that does not change based on an algorithm. It’s based on providing tools, skills, and resources that benefit as many people as possible outside capitalism, which drives data collection and the resulting feeds curated for a user rather than curated by a user.”