Welcome to Quick Lit: February 2026 Edition, where I share books I chose for my own reading enjoyment in a mini-review format. These are not books I received for review, but books I’ve wanted to read or that have caught my attention. Most of them have been talked about ad nauseam or have been on my to-read list for a long time, so they don’t really need a full review. But I’d still like to give them some space here on the blog, so instead, I’m offering mini-reviews of the books that won’t get full-page space here on the blog.
I’ll be sharing with Modern Mrs. Darcy and her monthly Quick Lit post. Be sure to head over to see others share their Quick Lit posts in her comments.
This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read more about that.
Did you know I also regularly review children’s books? Check them out HERE.
I’m currently reading WOMEN OF A PROMISCIOUS NATURE for review and THE MIRACLES AMONG US. I’m just completing a 6-week-long term sub job and starting another week-long one. Then, I’m off to Florida for a month with my mom. I’m trying not to start anything new until I get settled in Florida. My mind is racing with all of the things to get done before I leave and all the things I need to remember to pack.
I recently reviewed THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM, the sequel to THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME.
I’ve recently been watching and loving The Pitt on HBO Max. I just started Season 2, and I’m going to be so sad when I am all caught up. We have also been to several movies lately, including Eternity, Wicked: For Good, Song Sung Blue, Solo Mio with Kevin James, and we watched Wake Up Dead Man, the 3rd in the Knives Out series on Netflix. All were excellent. Pat and I have also started watching Modern Family. In 2009, when it started, we were deep in parenting 3 kids ages 4-9. We didn’t watch much TV then, except kids’ shows. So far, we are enjoying it, and since the shows are so short without commercials, it isn’t a huge commitment in the evenings to watch an episode or two.
Follow me on Goodreads, HERE.
UNDER THE TULIP TREE
By: Michelle Shocklee
Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
Published: September 8, 2020
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction
Historical Fiction
Format: Audiobook
Rena’s life crashed after the 1929 stock market crash. Her father, as a bank manager, loses everything, and their friends and neighbors blame him for the loss of their homes and more. Rena loses her job as a newspaper reporter. She accepts a job as a writer for the Federal Writers’ Project, where she is tasked with interviewing former slaves in the Nashville area.
“Maybe confidence in oneself had nothing to do with what other folks thought or did. Maybe it was deep down inside you, just waiting to be let loose like a spring of water gushing to the surface.”
As Rena begins interviewing Frankie, an elderly former slave, she becomes invested in her story. She finds that she knew very little about slavery, especially living such a privileged life. As more of Frankie’s story comes out, Rena begins to realize she may have a personal connection to Frankie that she never expected.
“Wasn’t that what life was about? To know and be known. To offer encouragement to others and share the burdens we all face. No matter the color of one’s skin, weren’t we all supposed to care about each other?”
I really loved how this story came together. There is a bit of romance along with history, both related to the stock market crash and how it affected people, plus the history of slavery in Tennessee. Christianity is a subtle part of the story, but it doesn’t overpower it; it’s just a part of the characters’ lives. This was our book club read for January and offered lots of discussion. I am definitely intrigued by Michelle Shocklee’s writing and plan to read more of her novels.
THE HEART OF WINTER
By: Jonathan Evison
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
Published: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Dutton
Fiction
Format: Audiobook
This book was on several Best Books of 2025 lists, and I already had it on hold in Libby, so I was thrilled when it was finally my turn to listen. I was not disappointed.
“Time did not march on methodically, minute by minute, day by day; it sprinted away from us in mad bursts, a thief in flight.”
Abe and Ruth have spent a lifetime together on Bainbridge Island, Washington. As they enter the final years of their lives, Ruth is facing a health challenge. In alternating chapters, we follow along as Ruth and Abe handle the challenges of medical appointments, surgery, and the follow-up care needed afterwards, and then we travel back in time to how Abe and Ruth met, the early days of their marriage, raising kids, and the various struggles of a 70+ year marriage.
“Like all institutions, a marriage requires maintaining, and amending, for it is more than a binding commitment, it is a process, one that demands participation, a willingness to absorb, to accept, to reassess. Ruth didn’t need a marriage counselor to tell her any of that, she’d learned it in the trenches, and was still learning after twenty-six years. After the vows, and the bouquets, and the trip to Honolulu, marriage was mostly work.”
I was already a fan of Kimberly Farr, and her narration was spot on. I absolutely fell in love with Abe and Ruth and their story. I appreciated that their marriage wasn’t easy, yet they chose to stay together and support each other. As Ruth was struggling with her health, I was reminded of my own parents and how they cared for each other and fought to stay independent. The ending was heartfelt and sad, and not what I expected. I loved this story so much, and it will likely be a favorite of the year.
THE UNSELECTED JOURNALS OF EMMA M. LION
Vol. 1
By: Beth Brower
Narrated by: Genevieve Gaunt
Published: November 2, 2019
Publisher: Rhysdon Press
Historical Fiction
Format: Audiobook
This series is everywhere in the book arena. With 8 books in the series, people are binging them all at once, especially since they are all quite short, in the 100-200 page range. I purchased the first one on an Audible deal, and since they are all quite short, I’m not really willing to pay the regular price for the rest of them. So, I’ll just wait for a deal or until they come in on Libby to read the rest.
It’s 1883, and Emma has returned to Lapis Lazuli House in London. Unfortunately, she is forced to live with her nasty cousin Archibald, who has also spent most of her inheritance. Through her journal entries, readers learn about the people in her neighborhood, her innermost thoughts about her cousin, and her curiosity about the handsome new neighbor.
“But my true love is the evening walk, that last hour of daylight that has its way with sunlight, shadow, and soul. That was the case this evening. The lamps were lit, light coming from the houses, and there walked I, alone, and not upset to be so.”
Emma is witty and doesn’t hold back in her journals. I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did, and I’m anxious to keep reading the rest of her journals, rooting for her on every page.