What Fiction are you reading this week, January 4, 2026?

[hermetic]

This discussion thread is pinned.

Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal. Called the “most beautiful bookstore in the world,” this shop sits nestled between a stunning garden and a natural sciences museum. The neo-Gothic building has been the home for the shop since 1906.


Still reading The First Gentleman by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. I am not fond of how most of the chapters are 2-3 pages long. The book is 500 pages but half of them are empty. It's very chop, chop. Easy to see why readers bail. But then, as is common in Patterson books, it is turning into an interesting who-actually-done-it about half way through. And the chapters get longer. So, I'd advise: stick with it.

Listening to Ascension by Nicholas Binge. "A mind-bending speculative thriller in which the sudden appearance of a mountain in the middle of the Pacific Ocean leads a group of scientists to a series of jaw-dropping revelations that challenge the notion of what it means to be human." Just started this but there's no mountain yet.

My new year's wish is simple: No more fascists. No more crooks. Just happy people reading books! - borrowed from Sara Paretsky

[cbabe]

1. Murder by the Book/Amie Schaumberg

Starting today:

Goodreads:

Timid English professor protagonist

‘She must find the strength to confront a killer who is turning the stories she loves into lurid scenes of death.

Amie Schaumberg has crafted a smart, thrilling and utterly compelling mystery that will have you trying to figure out whodunit right up until the end.’

…

Finished latest Reacher. Exit Strategy. Another Lee/Andrew Child brothers collaboration. Lacking the rhythm and detail of early Lee titles. Pass unless you really need a lukewarm Reacher hit.

…
Ascension sounds tasty

[hermetic]

2. Oooh boy

Murder by the Book sounds great. Gotta find that one.

[cbabe]

3. The library is your friend. Cheers.

[Polly Hennessey]

4. Am reading one cozy fiction, First in Snow by David Rosenfelt.

One nonfiction, Henry V by Dan Jones (am loving this one).

[hermetic]

7. I've read many Rosenfelts

Never heard of that one..... Ah, oops, it's Best In Snow. No problem, I just wanted to clear that up since there are several fans here and I didn't want them to be confused, too. It's all good.

[Polly Hennessey]

16. Thanks, Hermetic. Maybe, being first is always best??

Count me as a big Rosenfelt fan.

[BOSSHOG]

5. Sycamore Row by John Grisham

Another excellent study of life in the Deep South. A suicide, a change of will, race, lawyers, small time America, violence.

[hermetic]

8. Sounds great

"A powerful testament to the fact that Grisham remains the master of the legal thriller,"

Thanks!

[BOSSHOG]

12. John is often long winded

But worth the read.

[PittBlue]

6. I just finished "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evan's.

I thought it was brilliant.

[hermetic]

9. Nice

Lots of 5 star reviews.

"A gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person...might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read.

[Bayard]

10. Finished, "Fever Dream," by Preston and Child

I was suprised to find that Agent Pendergast had been married, and his wife killed by a lion. Years later, he finds out it was murder, and the chase begins.

I finally scored a copy of, "Relic," too. Its where the character of Pendergast is first introduced by Preston and Child. Apparently he was left out when the movie was made. About halfway through that one.

I just received my big box of xmas present books, thanks to Mr. Bayard. Very exciting!

[mentalsolstice]

11. I like your new year's wish!

I’m reading The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. A 63 yo man goes on a road trip with his daughter, two orphaned kids, and an orange cat 🐈 who can predict death. Just what I needed after this last week.

Peace and love to all!

[MIButterfly]

13. Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben

I just got it from the library; I finally made it to the top of the hold list. I'm about 100 pages in and so far, it's holding my attention. I like Harlan Coben a lot but have found he's not very consistent. When he's good, he's great. When he's not, he's meh.

[txwhitedove]

14. Love the quote and happily send that wish back to all. Whew, 2026 in with a bang.

Note to self, never accept two intense non-fictions to read in limited time during Christmas.

So, now reading very light fiction, The Forgotten Cottage by Sage Parker. First mystery is how I let myself get duped buying an e-book in sections, each only about 75-pages! Seemed easy light, but got me hooked with the first. "After a difficult divorce, Sunnie is ready to leave her past behind—even if it means moving into a run-down cottage in the quiet village of Hazelwood. The house is old, the roof leaks, and the townspeople seem more curious than welcoming. Still, there’s something about Hazelwood that feels like it could be home. But when a bookshelf collapses during renovations, revealing a hidden room that hasn’t been touched in nearly a hundred years, Sunnie finds herself drawn into the cottage’s mysterious past. Tucked inside are forgotten journals, tender love letters, and hints of a long-buried story the town would rather leave alone." Well written mental cozy, no one is bombed.

[hermetic]

15. Sounds like a nice place

to escape to. I live in an old cottage but there's obviously no hidden room behind my built-in bookcase. Too bad.