This is my monthly roundup of books that I added to my shelves in December 2025. Some of the books came directly from authors or publishers, others were purchased, or were given to me as gifts. You’ll find books from all kinds of genres, including adult and children’s books. I’ll even share a few updates from our family’s life in the last month as well.
Family and Life Update
We received a significant amount of snow at the end of November. This photo, taken on December 2, looks out our back door. It was certainly pretty, and now, on January 1, all the snow is gone.
We had permanent lights installed on our house and are so happy with them. We can change the colors to fit the holiday or even when our favorite sports team is playing!
I didn’t take very many photos this Christmas. I was present and in the moment, enjoying time with our kids without the distraction of my phone.
We celebrated Christmas as a family the weekend before and then had a low-key Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, including church and time with our extended families. This break has been refreshing and relaxing, including lots of reading, puzzling, movie watching, and time with family. I feel ready to start 2026 with energy and excitement!
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I will be subbing long-term for nearly two months, and then immediately after, I’ll be leaving on a trip with my mom for a month. I’ll post as many book reviews as I have time for and try to share what I’m reading and loving on my socials. Thanks for being here!
Now, on to the books!
I finished 9 books in December. December can be a difficult month to find time to read. If you are a weekend reader and weekends are full of family events, then it’s hard to find the time. As I’ve mentioned before, I find audiobooks a great way to keep reading when the time for physical or eBook reading is at a minimum. I hope this encourages you to try audiobooks if you haven’t and to read in the small and big pockets of your day. Even 10 minutes at a time can make a big difference. Be sure to follow me on Instagram, HERE, to see snippets of what I’m reading or what’s going on in my daily life.
This month’s book stack is small but includes some upcoming 2026 titles, a popular, recently published best-seller, as well as some upcoming 2026 children’s books. My current reads include A REAL EMERGENCY for review, THE MIRACLES AMONG US, my First Book of 2026, SCATTERGOOD a middle-grade novel set in Iowa, and THE BOOK OF SHEEN on audio.
If you have missed any of my recent book reviews, you can see them all by clicking HERE. Or you can stay up to date with my monthly Quick Lit Roundup.
Clicking the photos of each book will take you to a link to purchase. If you choose to purchase through any of the links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Adult Fiction and Non-Fiction
I TOLD YOU SO
By: Matt Kaplan
Published: February 24, 2026
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Non-Fiction
Format: eBook for Review
I thought this sounded like a fascinating read. I love reading and learning about people from history that did amazing things.
For two decades, Matt Kaplan has covered science for the Economist. He’s seen breakthroughs often occur in spite of, rather than because of, the behavior of the research community, and how support can be withheld for those who don’t conform or have the right connections. In this passionately argued and entertaining book, Kaplan narrates the history of the 19th century Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis, who realized that Childbed fever—a devastating infection that only struck women who had recently given birth—was spread by doctors not washing their hands. Semmelweis was met with overwhelming hostility by those offended at the notion that doctors were at fault, and is a prime example of how the scientific community often fights new ideas, even when the facts are staring them in the face.
In entertaining prose, Kaplan reveals scientific cases past and present to make his case. Some are familiar, like Galileo being threatened with torture and Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó being fired when on the brink of discovering how to wield mRNA–a finding that proved pivotal for the creation of the Covid-19 vaccine. Others less so, like researchers silenced for raising safety concerns about new drugs, and biologists ridiculed for revealing major flaws in the way rodent research is conducted. Kaplan shows how the scientific community can work faster and better by making reasonably small changes to the forces that shape it.
JUNE BABY
By: Shannon Garvey
Published: May 19, 2026
Publisher: Random House
Fiction
Format: eBook for Review
This is a debut novel, and I thought it sounded fabulous.
At seventeen, Ruth lost her mother to cancer, and her father, unable to handle his grieving daughter, shipped her off to Block Island with nothing but a name scribbled on the back of a Diana Beckett. Diana, a renowned photographer, took Ruth in for the summer, and Block Island became Ruth’s refuge, a place of beauty and creativity, a place where she could nurture her dreams of being a writer, a place where she could fall in love for the first time—with Diana’s nephew, Charlie.
Now, at twenty-seven, Ruth has spent the last ten summers living and working among the lucky few who get to vacation in this wealthy beach town, and the rest of the year just scraping by, yearning to return to the place where she feels safe and unburdened. But then Ruth’s world is upended by tragedy again. Desperate for an anchor, she reaches for the person she’s been pining for since she met him—Charlie—who has his own startling revelation to share. And when another surprise comes in the form of a box left to Ruth by Diana, its contents raise questions about just how well she knew the two women who raised her. • Torn between what to believe about her past, and what her future might hold, Ruth is faced with another choice: does she dare to rewrite her story entirely?
Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief, set against a backdrop of golden dunes and seaside sunsets, June Baby shows us what it might look like to embrace a life shaped not by loss, but by possibility.
THEO OF GOLDEN
By: Allen Levi
Published: November 11, 2025
Publisher: Atria
Fiction
Format: Audiobook through Audible
This book is everywhere and made it on several Best Books of 2025 lists. I used my Audible credit to get it.
Questions linger about Theo, a pleasant but mysterious stranger, after his arrival in the southern city of Golden. Who is he, and why is he here?
He arrives early one spring and by chance – or is it? – he visits a coffee shop where 92 framed pencil portraits are on display. Inspired, Theo sets out on a mission of purchasing all the portraits one at a time and quietly bestowing them on their ‘rightful owners.’
Stories are told; friendships are born; and lives are changed.
Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted story about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the far-reaching possibilities of anonymous kindness.
THE MIRACLES AMONG US
How God’s Grace Plays a Role in Healing
By: Dr. Marc Siegel
Published: November 18, 2025
Publisher: Harper Influence
Non-Fiction
Format: Hardcover gift
This was a gift from my husband for Christmas. I also chose it as my First Book of 2026. I love these kinds of true medical stories, especially this one that also includes faith.
Almost everything a doctor sees can be explained scientifically. Almost.
Drawing from his extensive experience as a physician, Dr. Marc Siegel explores the profound and often mysterious intersection between faith and medicine. He shares riveting stories of patients who have experienced remarkable recoveries, challenging the boundaries of medical science. These narratives highlight not only the resilience of the human body, but also the inexplicable moments when intuition and foresight play a crucial role in healing.
Doctors see more than just patients who are cured against all odds.
From a rabbi who somehow knew a carpenter’s infant son had a heart problem, to an NFL player’s amazing survival from a rare kind of cardiac arrest, these stories bolster the belief there is a higher power at work.
The Miracles Among Us reminds us that God’s love has the capacity to surprise us even in our darkest moments. Whether you are a healthcare professional, a patient, or simply someone intrigued by the mysteries of medicine, this book provides an enlightening exploration of how miracles manifest in everyday life.
84 CHARING CROSS ROAD
By: Helene Hanff
Published: January 1, 2002 (Originally 1970)
Publisher: Virago
Memoir
Format: Paperback gift
This was a gift from my BFF Tammy for Christmas. I love epistolary novels!
This charming classic, first published in 1970, brings together twenty years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London. Through the years, though never meeting and separated both geographically and culturally, they share a winsome, sentimental friendship based on their common love for books. Their relationship, captured so acutely in these letters, is one that will grab your heart and not let go.
Children’s Fiction and Non-Fiction
HANGING OUT WITH GRAM
By: Nancy Viau
Illustrated by: Amanda Lenz
Published: January 15, 2025
Publisher: Schiffer Kids
Fiction
Format: Hardcover Picture Book for Review
I’ve shared a few books by Nancy Viau previously, HERE. I love this story of a grandson and his gram doing activities together.
Young Mateo is excited to hang out with his grandmother, and he has carefully prepared a list of activities that he thinks are exactly right for sweet, old Gram—complete with leisurely walks, lots of rest, and carefully selected foods. However, Mateo soon realizes that Gram has her own way of interpreting his list. One by one, she debunks his expectations, encourages him to be more active, and leads him on a series of unexpected, new adventures.
CLICKETY CLACK: CLICK-CLACK, LITTLE CRAB!
By: Amy Blay
Published: March 3, 2026
Publisher: Twirl
Fiction
Format: Interactive Board Book for Review
This is such a cute interactive book that actually clicks when you pull the handle.
Little Crab loves to greet its friends by clacking its claws. Who will it say hello to? Pull on the handle to meet each new adorable baby marine animal! And Little Crab’s friends have a surprise as well. What is it? Pull the handle to find out!
BIG BRAIN PUZZLES: PLANT PANDEMONIUM
By: Camille Pichon
Published: March 3, 2026
Publisher: Twirl
Non-Fiction
Format: Interactive Board Book for Review
Such a unique, interactive puzzle book for kids!
Forty-five challenging games designed for kids aged 6 and up are included in this interactive plant-themed book. Fold and unfold flaps to arrange the houseplants, move play pieces around to plant vegetables, slide tabs to find the earthworms that have been digging underground—and more!
READY FOR MAZES: BABY ANIMAL MAZES
By: Susann Hoffman
Published: February 24, 2026
Publisher: Twirl
Non-Fiction
Format: Interactive Board Book for Review
A cute and fun book to introduce your young child to the concept of mazes.
Baby Duck has to catch up with its family, Baby Bear wants to get some honey, the sleepy baby foxes want to get home to their cozy den―and more adventures fill the pages of this interactive board book. Designed for kids aged 2 and up, this sturdy book includes maze pieces to complete the paths so the little critters can go on their merry way.
ULTIMATE DISCOVERY: T. REX
By: Raphaële Glaux
Illustrated by: Amélie Falière
Published: March 10, 2026
Publisher: Twirl
Non-Fiction
Format: Interactive Board Book for Review
A great interactive book for the young dinosaur fan!
The youngest readers will learn about the T. rex in this simple interactive book. They can slide the tabs to hatch a baby T. rex, open the T. rex’s huge jaws, and even battle another dinosaur!
Which books are you adding to your reading list?
Click HERE to see all the posts featuring new books on my shelves.