Short and sweet book reviews of what I've been reading lately
Welcome to Quick Lit, where I share short and sweet reviews of what I’ve been reading lately on (or around) the 15th of the month, and invite you to do the same.
I’ve been reading up a storm lately, but today’s list is indeed short and sweet: I am knee-deep in Summer Reading Guide prep, but I won’t tell you about those new books I’ve been reading until May 15! But today I’m happy to share two re-reads plus a new book I had to tell you about right away. (I’ve also been working on my German reading, but I don’t have any full-length books to report on there. Maybe someday soon?)
I hope you find something that looks intriguing for your TBR here (and in these comments), and I look forward to browsing your recent reads below. Thanks in advance for sharing your short and sweet book reviews with us!
Welcome to April Quick Lit
I read this for the first time in 2019 after picking it up from the staff picks shelf at Asheville's Malaprops Bookstore; I've been meaning to re-read it for YEARS and finally did so after choosing it recently for my morning reading time. When I read it the first time many of the concepts in it were entirely new to me; this time I went in with a better understanding of trauma and how it impacts the brain and body. Here van der Kolk explores how trauma affects the mind, brain, and body and what can be done to heal trauma, with a heavy focus on somatic therapy. This book was published in 2014, and on this re-read, I found myself quite curious about what an updated edition might look like. More info →
This was our March Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club selection; I re-read it just before our conversation with Monica Wood. This poignant Maine novel—her first since The One-in-a-Million Boy, which I also loved—centers three lonely people, two of whom are in their 60s, all connected by a terrible tragedy. Violet was just nineteen when, drunk and high, she caused the death of a beloved local teacher and was sentenced to twenty-eight months in prison. Harriet runs the book group at the women’s prison, where the inmates spend one precious hour a month finding comfort in tearing apart the classics. And Frank is the victim’s widower, who fills his time by volunteering his handyman services at the local bookstore. This 2024 Summer Reading Guide selection is a deeply moving tale of redemption, second chances, and the power of books. More info →
I've been looking forward to this book from my friend Jessica Turner for a long time; it turned out to be an accidental but apt pairing with The Body Keeps the Score. In it Jessica writes about how she was unexpectedly forced to, in a sense, start her adult life over again: Jessica married young, at age 22, but sixteen years into their marriage her husband came out as gay and they ultimately decided to divorce. This book is part memoir and part self-help: Jessica both shares her story and offers encouragement to anyone dealing with major disappointment (or who just struggles with the sense that yeah, wasn't it supposed to be better than this?). When faced with this unwanted change in the structure of her life, Jessica decided that if she had to start over, she wanted to give it her all, and here she documents how she grieved, made the best imperfect choices she could, poured into relationships with family and friends, had new experiences, and ultimately built a life she's happy with and proud of. More info →
What have YOU been reading lately? Tell us about your recent reads—or share the link to a blog or instagram post about them—in comments.
P.S. Housekeeping update: because the 2025 Summer Reading Guide drops on May 15, we won’t host Quick Lit for May. We’ll resume our regular schedule—that’s on or about the 15th of the month—in June. Thanks!
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In this month’s BOOKBAG –
* 6 books that brought me joy, insight … or both
* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kindle deals by favorite authors
* 2 October releases I can’t wait to settle in with
* a conversation about what you’re paging through
https://lindastoll.substack.com/p/browse-my-bookshelf
Alison M says:
My book club read Shark Heart last month and had a really great discussion. We overall enjoyed it. I loved it.
This month my favorite so far has been Good Dirt.
Sandy says:
I’m currently reading three British novels:
– The Turn of the Key, by Ruth Ware, in hardcover,
– Ruth, by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, in Hoopla,
– The Midnight Feast,by Lucy Foley, as a CD audiobook,
and also the hardcover biography, JFK, Jr.
I have Jessica’s book in my pile of to-reads, and I’ve seen many great reviews so far. The other two are also on my to-read list. This month, my list includes 4 books I loved (two 5-star & 2 4-star) plus 2 new books I chose to DNF. Check out my thoughts on each of these books on my website.
The Float Test
The Girls of Good Fortune
Lighthouse
Broken Country
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old
https://www.sincerelystacie.com/2025/04/quick-lit-april-2025/
I really enjoyed How to Read a Book, it was on my list of 2024 favorites! I can see how Jessica Turner’s book would be a great pairing with The Body Keeps the Score.
March was a lackluster reading month for me, with a sea of 3- and 4-star books—which isn’t terrible, but after multiple excellent reads in January and February, this was disappointing. Celebrities were a theme in my nonfiction, with two celebrity memoirs (audiobooks) and a celebrity cookbook that I read cover to cover. In fiction, I read a few novels—a clever whodunit, a quirky office story, a romantic comedy with a twist, and an atmospheric mystery—with very different premises but an odd number of similarities that made them feel sort of the same. My kids and I also worked together to review a recent read-aloud that didn’t quite hold up to a reread for me.
https://kendranicole.substack.com/p/quick-lit-april-2025
Thank you for the nudge to move How To Read a Book on my TBR. It’s been hanging out there for awhile!
I didn’t realize this initially, but after reviewing my recent reads, I realized each book has a common thread. Each, obviously or not, references something literary or culturally popular: Wuthering Heights, Dungeons and Dragons, Barbie, and Sleepless in Seattle. Thanks, Anne, for always pushing me to look a little deeper into my reading life.
https://ourlittlebookcollection.substack.com/p/march-reading
A friend suggested annual rereads as one way of marking my own growth and development as a human. In that spirit, I also recently reread The Body Keeps the Score. (And for fiction, What Alice Forgot.) I would also loved to see an updated version, though the original continues to resonate in familiar and new ways. Here is more about what I’ve been reading: https://open.substack.com/pub/wecouldalluseanap/p/march-reads?r=37bi6&utm_medium=ios
I would likely benefit from a reread also of The Body Keeps the Score, for all these same reasons. You’ve got me interested in every one of your books this month!
To see how your small changes alter history, I highly recommend this book: “Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters.” It’s fascinating!
All 7 books I recommend this month are here:
https://lisanotes.com/books-i-recommend-april-2025/
PJ HALL says:
Just finished People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. I liked it but didn’t love it. Loved Book Lovers, another title by her.
Recently read Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent. Interviews with Dame Judi Dench about all the Shakespeare characters and plays she did on stage. Loved it. I’m currently in a Shakespeare study group and it was great fun to peek behind the curtain at the actors off stage.
Sholar Howard says:
I have had HOW TO READ A BOOK on my shelf since last’s summer’s reading guide. The premise still calls so strongly to me- I think I keep putting it putting it off because I want to keep the pleasure in front of me. But this Quick Lit is inspiring me to jump in!
Deirdre says:
Unlike many of your listeners, I mostly avoid books about books, but I may now read How to Read a Book based on your description. We just watched the fantastic movie Sing Sing about an acting group in the NY prison and how it changes the men’s lives. It’s fictional but based on truth and uses many formerly incarcerated people as actors playing rolls based on their younger selves. Highly recommend!
In the past few weeks I have read:
– Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword (loved this so much!)
– The Sound and the Fury as my yearly classic buddy read with my daughter (difficult but rewarding)
– The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (fun)
– Persuasion (a reread)
– Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent (beautifully written but fell flat for me)
I’m reading “The Ride of Her Life” by Elizabeth Letts, about Annie Wilkins, a woman from Minot, Maine, whose health and farm were beginning to fail, in the 1950s. She bought a horse and headed south and west to ride across the country to California with her faithful dog. It’s wonderful! And gives a historical perspective into rural Maine life before my time (more my grandparents’ time). I’m loving it!!!
See my blog for other Maine-based books. Happy reading!
Headed over to your site because I’m also a Maine girl, and the book sounds wonderful!
Carol Gallman says:
“The Ride of Her Life” was one of my favorite books from last year! My 20-plus member book club read it, and most of them didn’t find the book so great. They got bogged down with the details, but I came to love Annie–what a tough lady she was.
Marcia says:
Our book club read The Ride of Her Life and we all enjoyed it and found Annie very brave but a different time in the 1950s. I like Elizabeth Letts writing and telling a story.
I am currently reading Yellow Face and also Maame. One is an uncomfortable read and the last one is a gentle story so far.
Lauren says:
Currently reading:
-Lost & Lassoed by Lyla Sage. Cute, easy, light read. I’m really enjoying it. The banter is *chef’s kiss (paperback)
-Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams. Heavier, good. I forget how much I dislike dual timeline novels, but Williams always does a good job with this and this story is enough to keep me coming back every day. (audiobook – thank you Libby!)
-Graveyard Shift by M L Rio. Novella. Unique, not my normal read, I like it! (hardcover)
Amapola says:
Maya & Natasha by Elyse Durham. I enjoyed the setting and athmosphere of this story more than the actual characters. The story is promising, but the main characters felt too stunted in their personal growth, with some realizations coming way to late in the plot. This is one of those stories that could benefit from a screen adaptation to give more depth to the characters.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez. I was suprised about how much I enjoyed this story. I’ve been recommending it to all my friends.
The Dark Hours by Amy Jordan. It was an entertaining mystery.
Heidi says:
The Body Keeps the Score keeps resurfacing for me. I need to read it!
Fiona says:
I read Because Fat Girl by Lauren Marie Fleming
I keep hearing about Jessica Turner’s book. Maybe it’s a sign…
In preparation for Easter, I read and reviewed Wesley Hill’s little book, and received the surprise that Easter is not merely a day, but an entire season comprising fifty days of joyous celebration! https://michelemorin.net/2025/03/26/when-you-celebrate-easter-you-celebrate-resurrection/
It’s not too late to begin!
The Jessica N. Turner book is on my TBR! Her The Fringe Hours was really impactful to me ~10 years ago, whenever it came out.
Finished a few books with my sons (including one my 6th grader really disliked for homeschool) and overall did some lighter reading for myself in March! March Reading Recap
Laura says:
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden. Her books amaze me.
AnnMarie says:
The Ride of Her Life sounds fantastic. I come from a long line of Northern Mainers who moved to Northern Michigan long before I was born. I’ve been to Maine several times and I love it. Such a beautiful state.
Karen says:
I loved the ride of her life. Glad to see it discussed here.
I read The Story She Left Behind. Knowing it is based on the actual disappearance of an author made it more interesting.
Read The Paris Express because Donoghue wrote it. Historical fiction that was interesting enough.
The Case of the Missing Maid was an entertaining female detective story.
Presumed Guilty was not as intriguing as past Turow books.
None of these books were so compelling I could recommend them without reservation. Fortunately I am confident there are great reads waiting for me.
Mary Lou says:
I was stunned by How to Read a Book. It has a place on the very short list of the best books I read in my life. It was so beautiful and moved me deeply. Your interview with Monica Wood is the reason I finally joined Book Club.
Eileen says:
I am so curious on the German reading. I’m trying to learn German and I would love to get to a place where I can read a German novel. I fear we are a long way from that point!
As for what I’m reading now, finishing up The Postcard and reading the O Henry Awards Best Short Stories collection from 2024. I’m really looking forward to the summer reading guide!!
Lynn Seybolt says:
Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow. Not too far along yet, but caught up in it from the start.
Colleen says:
I am reading five books for April:
-The Measure by Nikki Erlick – not crazy about it to be honest, but an intriguing premise
-History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund – resonating with this one because of my personal experience with watching someone die because of his adherence to Christian Science principles
-The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara – won the Pulitzer back in the day; a novel of the Battle of Gettysburg; thought it was going to be a bore but it is growing on me, along with the terrible sense of impending tragedy
-The Buried: An Archeology of the Egyptian Revolution by Peter Hessler – tough going in parts, but interesting tidbits about life in Cairo and about ancient Egyptian artifacts
-Homecoming by Kate Morton – this is a reread, just for fun; I am understanding the plot better this time, since I know the ending