Happy happy BOOK DAY!
It’s our first BOOK REVIEW OF 2026!
Eeeks, I am so excited about a fresh year ahead of us in BOOKS!
Anyone else? I just love the anticipation of knowing we are all about to discover and read SOME REALLY AMAZING BOOKS.
That being said, if you are not one of my book-ish friends, do not worry. I have a second post just for you today. I am also sharing how I added LITTLE VALENTINE’S DAY TOUCHES to our home this year.
A little book, a little home, a whole lot of Thursday happiness.
Before we get to my JANUARY BOOK REVIEW, let’s RECAP!
Here were my Top 3 Favorite Books of 2025…
#3: The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
#2: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
#1: One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter
You can read about all 58 books I read last year (the highs and the lows), see reviews and get all of the details in ONE PLACE. I highly recommend all three of those books for your 2026 along with so many more referenced in this post.
Now, on to my JANUARY 2026 reads!
This month, I read FOUR books to kick off our year.
Three fiction, one memoir/encouraging little read…and boy do I have a lot of thoughts about each of them.
Here we go…
Book #1 this month was:
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
As many of you know, this was our JANUARY BOOK CLUB pick! If you have read this book, please head to THIS POST to discuss. If you haven’t read this book, let me give you a few deets and also encourage you NOT to read the Book Club post as it does contain spoilers.
Curious about this one? Here is my review (without spoilers):
Trigger warning, trigger warning. This novel contains many themes that are sensitive. If you don’t enjoy reading books about children passing away, alcoholism, and/or assault, this probably isn’t the novel for you.
Based on the Book Club chat, I would say that this novel is divisive. I don’t think anyone is questioning the author’s ability to pen a wonderful novel, but due to the sensitive nature of the plot and how the characters are developed/how the story progresses, about half of us loved the book (many naming it their favorite of 2025) and half did not (solely based on how heavy the content was).
This is the story of a young father who finds himself in a terrible cycle of alcohol and prescription drug abuse after losing his job. Due to this, a terrible, horrific accident occurs at their home and thus, the story really unfolds.
There are many layers to this novel. It’s certainly about recovery from addiction, but it also really emphasizes that though one might be forgiven, the damage that is done can often ruin lives.
I don’t want to give away ANY spoilers as this is certainly a rollercoaster of unexpected situations and events, but it really was a page turner. I might have been upset by things that happened in the book, but I certainly wasn’t about to put it down. I read this novel quickly. While it certainly wasn’t my favorite book, there is no denying that the writing is brilliant.
After this book, I finally read THE BOOK that was THE MOST suggested to me in 2025…
Book #2:
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
I finally read it 🙂 .
Okay, NO SPOILERS in the comment section please. I won’t publish spoilers, so when you comment, please make sure they don’t contain any.
Here’s the deal with this one, I really, really, really wish I would have made it a Book Club selection. In hindsight, it would have been the PERFECT novel for our Book Club. If you are currently in a club and haven’t read it, make this your next selection!
You ladies started suggesting this novel to me as soon as it was released, and I immediately put it on my Kindle. That first night when I went to open it though, my Kindle told me it would take me a crazy long time to read it (something like 15 hours), so I put it down and read something else. My Kindle typically says a book will take me about 6 to 7 hours, so I was really caught off guard by this. I started asking friends if they thought the book was crazy long and everyone said no. Finally, I was in an airport book store, and I picked it up and saw that it was NOT a long book.
Why did my Kindle think it would take me a long time to read it?! It made no sense to me. And then I started reading it…
I don’t know if this is possible or not…but it’s like my Kindle knew this one would be a struggle for me to read.
I was about 70% of the way through when I finally told Erika that I thought I might quit. She told me that she had felt the exact same way but to keep going because the last 20% made it SO GOOD. I persevered and LOVED it!
If you are working your way through it and it just seems loooooong and kind of boring, keep going. The last 20% does bring the whole story around and really make it a very special book that I truly think you’ll want to read…BUT…because I did struggle through that first part, I’ll go ahead and tell you now, this won’t be in my Top Three of 2026. That first part could have been sliced in half and the last 20% expanded on. (Don’t hate me, I’m just being honest!)
If you have no idea what this book is about, I don’t want to spoil anything, but this is the story of a little town in Georgia and a man comes to stay for a year. His interactions with the various people in the town and what he brings to each of them is special. This isn’t a “faith-based” book, but goodness, it’s a faith-based book. This story has all of the qualities you want to see in the world today…forgiveness, hope, restoration, peace, acceptance, selflessness, generosity, family…it’s so good. I have nothing but praise for this book outside of the fact that it did seem a bit long at the beginning.
There isn’t a swear word, any adult content…it’s hopeful, optimistic and in my opinion, will be loved by everyone you know who reads.
Two big thumbs up. (Just don’t quit if you think it feels long!)
Next up…
Book #3:
An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
After two heartier novels, I wanted something lighter and romcom to read and well, I found it!
This is quintessential chick lit 🙂 .
This cute little book is about two Australian academic nemeses who are forced to work together to secure jobs at a university. This book checks all the boxes: cute little town, adorable secondary characters, lots of wine and cheese references, a cozy apartment, a lot of bickering, and of course, some love. The language in this book is very adult and the content mature so buyer beware. The story though is light, happy, easy to read, and very adorable.
After two “meaty” books, I was excited to read something happy go lucky.
If you love a romcom too, here you go.
And finally…
Book #4:
I Just Wish I Had A Bigger Kitchen by Kate Strickler
Well goodness, I feel like everyone is reading this book, so I wanted to read it too!
This is a memoir/self-help/encouraging/uplifting book written by influencer Kate Strickler all about comparison and thriving where you are planted.
I loved it!
Kate covers everything from “I wish I had a bigger kitchen” to “I wish I had a better husband” (or better kids, or a better body, more time, more money, more control etc) as she chronicles her own personal journey navigating these thoughts that have popped into her (and let’s be honest, MY OWN) head over the years. Her writing style is easy, direct, humorous, honest, and really encouraging. Her faith is certainly sprinkled throughout which made this even more special to read.
I read a little of this book every day with my morning quiet time and really loved it. She has a wonderful way of being relatable and loveable as she encourages the reader.
If you scroll through Instagram and have the “I wish I had…” thoughts in your head too, this is a great book to hopefully help give you some perspective and encouragment.
And that’s our FIRST BOOK REVIEW of 2026! I hope you found something today to read this next month.
Don’t forget…
To see the complete list of books I read in 2015 (all 63 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2016 (all 62 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2017 (all 62 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2018 (all 61 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2019 (all 54 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2020 (all 54 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2021 (all 59 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2022 (all 60 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2023 (all 51 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2024 (all 58 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2025 (all 58 of them), click here.
If you want to stay current on all of the books I’m reading in 2026, THIS PAGE HERE is where I keep the books, authors and reviews each month.
We would love, love to have you join us in February for our BOOK CLUB! Next month, we are reading…
…The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff and discussing it on February 22nd.
Okay, what should I read next? I would love any and all recs and suggestions! Cheers to another great year in books, friends!
Don’t forget, I have a second post today! I am also sharing how I added LITTLE VALENTINE’S DAY TOUCHES to our house.
I hope you all have a wonderful day! I’m already excited about the comment section below 😉 .
See you tomorrow. xx
Elspeth Mizner says
I just started to read the river is waiting! I’m anxious to see how i feel about it! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Celia says
OK, you’ve encouraged me to finish Theo of Golden. I quit about half way through, but will now keep going!
Mix and Match Mama says
Keep going! The end is really special.
April Ciervo says
Someone told me to pretend the first half is poetic, using beautiful language to get to know the depth of each character. To take it slow and not get antsy. Great advice for all first time readers! Because when the end came, I wish I had read even more slowly the first half!
Susan says
I agree with you about Theo of Golden. Maybe my expectations were too high because of all the great reviews I’d heard. It was a good book, and, I loved reading a wholesome book, but, it was not my favorite book at all.
Jill says
Have you read The Correspondent?
Mix and Match Mama says
I have! I read it last year and LOVED it!
Amy J says
Okay I need encouragement for this book. I quit it at 34%! I was so frustrated with all the letters I couldn’t keep up with the characters and was bored. Do I need to finish it? It has such great reviews.
Mix and Match Mama says
If you’re bored and only 34% of the way through, move on. I’m giving you permission to quit 😉 .
Amy says
I’d recommend switching over to the audiobook, which is read by several different narrators. It’s unpausable! I promise you’ll love it.
YOLANDA MCLEAN says
I agree completely! The audiobook is excellent. There is no confusion! It’s a wonderful book!
Kristen says
I felt the same way about Theo of Golden.. I enjoyed it but I didn’t love it until the last quarter of that book.
Ashley D says
I read 3 books this month!
The Rule Book by Sarah Adams: (4 STARS) Cute storyline-loved the main character, Nora, and her sunshine personality. There was a fun twist with the female character being the sports agent and representing her ex who happens to be a professional football player. They sure do find themselves in a funny situation. Definitely recommend this adorable book!
Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter: (4 STARS) I loved this adorable story – millionaire meets maid who poses as his girlfriend. Witty, fun and a little predictable, but overall good! I gave it four stars because there was a lot of language that I didn’t think was necessary.
She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena: (3.5 STARS) I really wanted to give this book 4 stars, but landed on 3.5 stars! First off, there are a lot of characters so you have to keep them all straight.. and to be honest, some were not needed. At times, it was fast paced and at times a little slow. The author did pull me in with this murder mystery as you are reading until the very last page wondering what is going to happen. I do think it is set up for a sequel, so we will see. All in all, I would still read it!
Susan Jeffries says
Ok I am adding Theo of Golden to my TBR. I actually loved The River is Waiting but the content is very heavy. Wally Lamb is a brilliant author. You need to read his other books. All good. I also loved The Bright Years. I am thankful there are so many great books to read as I don’t watch tv anymore. Happy reading!
Erika Slaughter says
The ending of Theo made THE ENTIRE 15 hours WORTH IT!! It still might earn a top spot for me. I ended that book wanting to get a new dog and name him, “Theo”, have another kid and name him, “Theo”, etc. I was ALL IN! hahaha! There were SO many good lessons throughout that story. Whew! It was a good one!
Mix and Match Mama says
I will never un-see Tab describing you reading it on the airplane. Bahahaha!
Lisa D says
I told my son to name their next boy baby Theo!
Ellen says
I totally wanted a little boy named Theo! Husband said no. 🙁
Jessica says
Love book review day! I didn’t really care for The River is Waiting. I loved Theo of Golden. I started this year with The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. I listen to his book every January as it is such a good reminder to slow down. Next was The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave. It is the sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me and both were wonderful. The TV series for the Last Thing he Told Me was great and they’re making the First Time I Saw Him into one also. I then read 2 more by the same author-The Night We Lost Him and Eight Hundred Grapes and enjoyed both. I read Whispers of War by Julia Kelly that was such a sweet book about friendship. I listened to Die with Zero and can see why you recommend it so much. I am right now working my way through The XX Brain by Lisa Mosconi.
Melanie says
I really enjoyed The first Time I Saw Him as well. She did a great job pulling things together. I was curious about the author’s other books. Glad to hear you liked them. I’ll be checking them out.
Kit says
Shay! Love book day SO MUCH! Had to tell you that the author of First Lie Wins (I remember you read this in Nantucket and LOVED it – me too!) has a new book out called Anatomy of an Alibi – it is also SO GOOD!!! You will love it!
Mix and Match Mama says
Adding it to my Kindle NOW! Thank you!!
Brooke G says
I just finished reading Wild Dark Shore. I usually don’t love Thrillers but couldn’t put this one down.
Kristen says
I just read this too which isn’t my normal go to , but I ended up loving it as well!!! great book!!!
Lisa says
I felt the same way about Theo of Golden – well maybe not the same because I can’t say I loved it, i rated it 3 stars. It **felt** SO long and I was pretty bored during a lot of it but not enough to quit. I pushed through to see if the ending would give me answers to what all the fuss was about and while the ending was better than the beginning I was still kind of meh on it. Glad I read it I suppose, but not my favorite.
SS says
Agreed. Do not get the hype. Yes, Theo is a lovely guy. But that did not make a compelling book. I do agree the ending was actually enjoyable and not super boring – but the rest of the book was SO boring. This book was such a disappointment.
Stacy says
Theo of golden is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. It will live on in my heart a very long time – chapter 25 moved me to tears and I think hearing it read aloud on audio is a great way to read this story.
Lorrie says
I agree! I loved that it was a feel good book about different people and the author made you love them all!
Arika says
Rec for Ashby: Has she ever read Carl Hiaasen books? He is one of my favorite authors- I lived in Florida for several years, and writes really funny fiction (often satire) and all his novels are set in the Sunshine Sate. He has middle-grade books that are really fun reads. Hoot is what we started with (my daughter and I read it together) but now I can’t wait to read more – Flush and Scat are the next on our TBR list. Great characters and stories.
Mix and Match Mama says
I don’t know that she has. Thank you SO MUCH for the rec!
Jennie Storts says
Hi Shay, just a quick note about a typo in your post today: it’s Kate Strickler, not Kate Strickland. I love her and I’m so glad you loved her book too! Thank you as always for your great reviews and info!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well goodness, I am correcting that right now! THANK YOU!
K.K. says
You have me intrigued about the Theo book!!! And the kitchen book, I’m halfway in, and have loved it too!!
sandi says
Over the past few weeks, I have read two sweet books and stopped reading another. The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams and The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy were both Libby recommendations when the books I wanted were not available. They were both very sweet and a good start to the reading year. I tried reading Provence, 1970 but could not get into it. It’s a memoir of sorts about a winter meeting between Julia Child, James Beard and other prominent chefs of the day talking about the future of American food. The Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury was a December read… it was good but not great.
My current read is Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie that is exploring the life of a Nigerian college student and what it means to be black in America. Cued up next is These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean.
Kara says
I felt the same way about Theo of Golden. I kept starting and stopping it and thought it was very slow, BUT the ending was really good. It was a sweet story, just slow.
Jennifer F says
We read Theo of Golden in book club last year and I totally agree with you. I think things easily get over-hyped for me, and that book was one of them. I loved the ending (even cried) & I’m glad I read it, but I had to MAKE myself keep going:)
Charise says
I LOVED Theo of Golden! It was my top book of 2025. I do agree it was slow through the first half, but it also was one that I just could not put down once I started it.
Julie says
Love book day as I love adding ideas to my TBR list. Our book club picked “The Quiet Librarian” for February. I’m currently in the middle of Evelyn Hugo on audio and its really good, not sure why I waited so long to read it.
Victoria Leuck says
Theo of Golden. Not my favorite. I don’t understand the hype. But yes the last 20% was very good. Thanks for your honest opinion. I’m not alone.
Mary Anne Duke says
So glad you read Theo. (We will not bug you anymore). I enjoyed the slowness of it because you did not need to be in a hurry to read it. It is a book to savor…read a bit…put down but, always come back. We need more goodness and kindness in this world.
Also, the author and writing of this book is another whole story. Word of mouth success.
Sarah M says
I need to read Kate’s book! One of my favorite IG follows is Kate Bryan (@k8smallthings) and she is good friends with Kate S (lots of Kate lol) so I felt a spark of joy hearing you read the book! Kate Bryan is a hairstylist turned beauty blogger/influencer and I’m obsessed with her. I think you’d really love her, too! She is funny, witty, sarcastic at times, but joyful, inspiring, and has soooo many recs (good and duds) on all things hair, beauty, food, clothing, etc.!
Ellen says
I think your math is just about right on Theo of Golden. 🙂
I listened to the audio version. It was long, but I did appreciate a lot of things about it. By the end, the imagery felt very heavy-handed. But there are absolutely good takeaways. AND, it’s a self-published, first book from an author who is about 70 years old! That alone is impressive.
Lindsay @ Lindsay's Sweet World says
I’m glad you pushed through and finished Theo! It’s one of my favorite books that I’ve ever read. Every single word is poetry and Allen’s writing is just incredible. I’ve actually known him personally for my whole life, and he is every bit of an amazing human as you would believe him to be. And he can tell a story like no other, especially when he has his guitar. ;o) And fun fact, Golden is based on my hometown, and I frequent the coffee shop that he refers to in the book! I read this book years ago when he first released it, and it’s been SO AWESOME to see it become so successful this past year!
Mix and Match Mama says
Really?! That is a SUPER FUN fact!!
Sarah says
Have you read The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series? I am loving them!
Mix and Match Mama says
I have not! Looking it up!
Meredith Northcutt says
I don’t think I’ve met a single person who doesn’t like the Emma M Lion series—there’s even a Facebook page for the fans!!! I would say to consider the first 2 books as one—they’re short and easy to get through and the writing is phenomenal. First book was my least favorite—I would still rate it a 4–but book 2 on are all 5 stars. Total of 8 books so far and author is currently working on more. They’re all highly rated on goodreads too! I’m such an Emma fan if you couldn’t tell! 😏
Jessamyn says
Totally agree! So delightful.
Julia Ramirez says
I picked up The River is Waiting from the McKinney Library the day before the Ice storm and I am glad I did! I really enjoyed the characters and the story was complex and painful. I found the story important from all angles and found myself thinking about it days later (that’s how you know it was a good read) I won’t say it’s one of my all time favorites but did appreciate the ponderous complexity it left me as a reader.
Denise Korsmo says
Listening to Theo of Golden on audible made all the difference! The narration was suburb. Listening to it made me feel like ‘home’, warm. I loved it!
Amanda says
Proof that books are different for all of us… which is great! I absolutely loved every minute of Theo of Golden. Top 3 books ever for me.
Donna says
Michael without apology by Catherine Ryan Hyde Great 5 stars
Older book, but still a favorite. These is my words by Nancy Turner 5 stars
Katie T says
I’m so glad you gave a light rom-com book suggestion! I feel like all I’ve been reading is heavy, so I needed a light read recommendation. Adding Theo to my list!
Lori Sawyer says
Loved Theo of Golden but I do understand how it might have felt slow. I was in a good headspace for that type of book when I read it so it worked for me.
Currently almost finished with The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. I became utterly obsessed with this series. Loved it so so so so much. Blew through all 8 books in the month of January. (Well, almost finished. Will likely finish tonight! I’m reading the last one slowly because I’m sad for it to end.)
Lisa D says
The books I read this month and loved are:
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. It’s only January but this is a top book of the year for me.
No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert. It deals with race and adoption, really well written and a lot to ponder.
Where The Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe. This is the first of 2 books. It spans 80 years and several generations. I can’t wait for the second book to be out to continue the story.
Julie says
I am in the middle of Theo of Golden and loving every minute of it as it is a great listen! Theo’s voice is enchanting and engaging. I haven’t found it boring at all. I would recommend people listen to this one. I can’t wait to hear how it ends.
Rebecca says
I felt the same way about Theo. It dragggged and became repetitive with the gifts. I think I would have enjoyed him gifting just a few people and dive deeper into their story/character. But I loved the message of faith and it was a sweet story.
Wanda says
I loved it! This book was never meant to be a page turner (those are the kind I typically read) but a delicious glass of wine or a hot cup of tea to be savored. I could see myself sitting in the cafe or sitting on that bench. How this wonderful elderly man brought some sun into their lives just by one act of kindness. Loved the characters that we pass by every day and never really think about their story. For me it was somewhat predictable but a great read.
Marae says
Have you read The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover? It is a sweet but insightful rom com, with so much more! O’Clover’s relatable characters bring so much depth to this beautiful novel. I couldn’t put it down.
Mix and Match Mama says
I have not! Looking it up right now. Thank you!
Kristen says
Please read “One and Only” by Maurene Goo. It was so delightful and my favorite book so far this year!