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.
Around here, we’ve had a few weeks of relatively pleasant weather, and WOW is that reflected in my audiobook listening time! I’ve spent most of my print time with potential Summer Reading Guide titles, but my listening hours have been devoted to not quite brand new but also not terribly old books I didn’t make time for upon release, in a variety of genres. I feel like I’m on a roll with these selections and it’s a great feeling.
I’m also sharing one brand spanking new selection from our recent Spring Book Preview Library Chat, a nonfiction work that I suspect holds broad appeal.
I hope you enjoy this month’s selections, and that you find something that looks intriguing for your TBR here. I’m so curious to hear what YOU have been reading and enjoying lately. Or that you haven’t been enjoying—I’m interested in that, too, and I suspect I’m not the only one.
Thanks in advance for sharing your short and sweet book reviews with us!
Psst—if you’re wondering how in the world that photo above connects to today’s new edition of Quick Lit: that monstera in an east-facing window is a nod to one of this month’s books, Shannan Martin’s Counterweights.
Welcome to March Quick Lit
This was a tad sentimental for my taste (as was Cronin's debut, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot) but nevertheless a winsome and enjoyable read. How could I not root for protagonist Eddie Winston? Ninety years old, with his academic career long behind him, he spends his days volunteering at a charity shop in Birmingham. He finds purpose in stewarding donated items that he suspects, though they may have been hastily dropped off for donation, that the donors aren't truly ready to part with—and he keeps them safe until their owners return for them. It's this secret mission that bring Eddie and twenty-four-year-old Bella together; the two subsequently strike up a friendship that leads places neither could have foreseen. The two are good for each other. Bella especially enjoys having an older friend whose company she can enjoy, and whom she can help in practical ways—and when she finds out that ninety-year-old Eddie Winston has never been kissed, she resolves to help Eddie finally find the love he's been missing in his life. What Bella doesn't know yet is that Eddie has known great love, though the timing has been all wrong. Through their quest they learn more of each other's stories, widen their new circle of friends, and set out to finally find the love Eddie has been yearning for all his life. This would be a promising pick for fans of stories featuring second chances, seasoned protagonists, and found family. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kim Durham, Clare Corbett, and Natalie Nightingale. More info →
I picked this up on Ginger's recommendation and enjoyed it so much! What she specifically said was something like, I have so much to do but all I WANT to do is keep reading this book! Once I picked it up I could understand why. This was such a juicy pageturner and I don't want to give anything away. In the first chapter we meet Honor, who feels she ought to be enjoying her Christmas holiday with her husband and young child at the Ritz in Paris, but who is instead consumed with her longing for another child. But then everything changes for her family in an instant: plans are derailed, secrets are kept, friendships are strained, relationships are dissolved and reformed ... it's not the story I expected but I enjoyed it so much, especially on audio as narrated by Fiona Button. (Psst—if you want to avoid spoilers do NOT read the reviews!) More info →
This book has been on my radar since before its August 2025 release; this month I picked it up on a whim—on audio—and DEVOURED it; I couldn't stop listening. Emotionally, the reading experience felt a lot like that of Finding Grace, but absent the shared theme of grief the stories aren't readalikes. I went in knowing next to nothing and didn't mind that a bit: when the story opens, thirty-year-old Julia is speaking at the Los Angeles memorial service for her twenty-nine-year-old best friend and first love Gabe, who's just died in an accident. The novel revolves around Julia processing her complicated grief. Going back and forth in time, we experience Julia and Gabe's relationship from the beginning, when they met in Barcelona when his mother was her study abroad professor, up through the last time they saw each other weeks before his death. In the present timeline, we see Julia navigating her private grief over the loss of her celebrity friend, and traveling to London to befriend his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth under not quite honest pretenses. I enjoyed the exploration of complex relationships, but the textural details really made the book for me: the Barcelona and London specifics, the intricacies of Julia's jewelry designs and business, the numerous references to art and artists, the food and decor at Elizabeth's Shoreditch restaurant, Gabe's songwriting process and tour norms—I ate it all up. I listened to the audio, narrated by Emma Ladji. More info →
This was a word-of-mouth pick for me: I've noticed our MMD Book Clubbers saying good things about Brooks's grief memoir in our forums since it came out last winter. Brooks had been married to fellow writer and journalist Tony Horwitz for thirty-five years when he collapsed and died in 2019 while on book tour far from home. He was just sixty years old. She was stunned—and then quickly swept into a barrage of pressing to-dos, everything from finding new health insurance for herself and her sons to finishing her manuscript-in-progress (that would be the 2022 novel Horse) so she had money to pay the bills. Three years after his death, she traveled to tiny Flinders Island, off the coast of her native Australia, to finally give herself time and space to grieve. This book is the result of that experience. I listened to Brooks narrate her own audio and that format served the story well; it doesn't feel quite right to say I "enjoyed" a grief memoir but this book was gentle, lovely, and moving. I'm so glad I read it. More info →
This was one of my most-anticipated spring titles: as hoped, it was the right book at the right time for me and I'm certain I won't be the only one. How can we possibly bear all the heaviness the world is throwing our way? Shannan's encouragement in these pages is to look for the counterweights. She quotes her father—a man handy with tools of all kinds—to explain: "From the time my siblings and I were small, he taught us that carrying something heavy becomes more efficient, more doable, if we carry something equally heavy in the other hand.” If the bad in the world is heavy in one hand, Shannan urges you to load up the other hand with goodness—those things that help bring some sense of steadiness to a wobbling world. Some of Shannan's favorite counterweights are thrifting, freshly washed sheets, anything pickled, and neighborly kindness, but this book includes countless invitations for readers to notice the good in their worlds. Shannan is no Pollyanna in these pages, she knows the hard is HARD and doesn't shy away from naming it as such. But is this still a world that sings sometimes? Indeed. I highlighted the heck out of this; I found it to be grounding and needed and I am highly likely to read it again soon in its entirety. (Shannan’s writing is rooted in her Christian faith but I believe her writing to be hospitable to a wide audience.) Coming March 24. 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.
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In this month’s LITERARY CHATTER –
Rachel Held Evans, Aundi Kolber, & Theo.
Plus online reads from Anne (!), Kendra Adachi, Karen Swallow Prior, & others.
Kindle deals & a TBR basket, too.
https://lindastoll.substack.com/p/tbr-edition-porch-213
Virginia Kessen says:
Counterweights goes to the top of my TBR as soon as it’s released
Sandy says:
Lately I’ve read:
The Correspondent, a novel by Virginia Evans
An Inside Job, a novel by Daniel Silva (for March book club)
The English Wife, a novel by Lauren Willig
Queen Esther, a novel by John Irving
Young Jane Young, a novel by Gabrielle Zevin
Why Boys Fail, nonfiction by Richard Whitmire
And my current books are:
The Kept Woman, a CD novel by Karen Slaughter
The JFK Conspiracy: the secret plot to Kill Kennedy and why it failed, by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch
The Spare Man, an SF novel by Mary Robinette Kowal
Screen Schooled, nonfiction by Joe Clement
.
Teresa says:
I LOVED Young Jane, Young! I recommended it to everyone I knew when it came out–so happy to see it mentioned here!
Lisa Litz-Neavear says:
I agree. Great book!
JanJ says:
I also adored quirky Young Jane Young after reading Gabrielle Zevin’s book The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.
Caroline Rose says:
Wanted to add I read Stone Yard Devotional not long after Memorial Days, and the similarity in the cover, setting, and theme of leaving the everyday to examine a life meant I assumed I was reading a second memoir! Imagine my surprise when I returned to the jacket flap and learned it was a novel. 🙂
I had mixed feelings about Finding Grace….it definitely felt like a bait and switch, not at all the book I thought I was picking up!
I didn’t have great luck with fiction this month, with a few books I was REALLY excited about failing to meet expectations. But you’d better believe I had some thoughts to share! In addition to the disappointments, I read some incredible nonfiction (one that is going on my All Time Favorites shelf) as well as a couple of very moving novellas.
https://kendranicole.substack.com/p/quick-lit-march-2026
I will second Finding Grace. I had the ARC, so I went in knowing nothing, and that first chapter blew me away. Do not read anything before reading!
I’m in Florida this month, and my reading has been so good. I’ve got some popular 2025 titles that I finally listened to and some other good ones.
Here is what I read and listened to. Visit the link if you want details.
The Things We Leave Unfinished
The Miracles Among Us
Wild Dark Shore – audio
The Names – audio
The Snowbirds – audio
https://www.sincerelystacie.com/2026/03/quick-lit-march-2026/
Andree says:
Should I save Finding Grace to read at Christmas?
I appreciate your recommendations, Anne. I’ll look into Martin’s book on hope because I need that one the most. 🙂
The books I recommend this month stretch from memoir to science to historical fiction. Michelle Obama’s beautiful book, “The Look,” was one of my favorites.
All 8 books I recommend are here:
https://lisanotes.com/books-about-being-human-march-recommendations/
Rebecca says:
Thanks to reading Vladimir a while back I watched the tv show and ended up reading ‘loved and missed’ by Susie Boyt because it was mentioned in the script. (Wow- loved)
Also listened to ‘if you’re reading this it’s meant for you’ by Leigh stein which is wacky and fun
I’ve just re-read Lenny by Laura McVeigh which I really enjoyed. The first time I read it was in December, but it was during a time of distraction and days without reading. I didn’t feel like I had given it a proper chance.
I’m so glad I picked it up again.
It’s an ultimate complex family relationship filled with characters doing their best while doing pretty terrible things. It is also a story of found family. Absolutely perfect for me.
I feel like maybe this book has not received as much praise at it should have. Give it a try.
And I’m currently reading The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai which I am loving!
Maureen LaGrandeur says:
I really enjoyed Finding Grace on audio. I can’t believe this whole time I thought Tom’s wife was named Anna not Honor. I would still be thinking that had I not read your review!
The book I absolutely cannot put down now is Strangers.
Suzy says:
I enjoyed both “Lenni and Margot” and “Eddie Winston” by Marianne Cronin!
And, Anne, you suggest we mention the ones we have NOT been enjoying….no fair! You rarely make a peep about ones that weren’t for you! I wish you would. Saying “Eddie” was a little too sentimental for you was about as close as I’ve ever seen!
For my month, I had:
“Isola” by Allegra Goodman. Hist Fic, filling in the details on a very sparse few known facts, and while the adventure was intriguing, esp. the part where she’s alone on the island in the winter, I found it lacking. The few sparse details were the best, the rest was filler and a little slow.
“The First Mistake” by Sandie Jones, a thriller, which I thought was excellent!
“Ladder of Years” by Anne Tyler, a backlist title which was heartily recommended here on Modern Mrs Darcy by readers—-Delia feels unappreciated and just walks away from her family, and starts a new life. I could RELATE in some ways and it was so emotional for me! On my Anne Tyler list of favorites now.
“I Who Have Never Known Men” by Jacqueline Harpman. Sci-fi, dystopian—definitely an original! No answers, but I spent the whole book trying to figure things out.
“Turn Right at the Rainbow: A Diary of Househunting, Happenstance and Home” by Roz Morris. This was such fun, right up my alley, and she writes wonderfully! Spoiler: The ending was a bit of a disappointment.
“Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel. I’ve been listening to this on audio for 3 months! A great work, and a good addition to my knowledge of the Tudors, but sometimes confusing as to who is speaking.
“Little Monsters” by Adrienne Brodeur. I had been avoiding this novel for months, somehow the title scared me. But it was an excellent family drama, set on Cape Cod, and I couldn’t read fast enough!
Peggy Collins says:
I’m still nursing my broken heart from reading The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb this weekend. Glad I read it but, man, so tragic all around.
Allison King says:
I feel the same about it! It was so well written, so beautiful, so hard at times, and so memorable. I really loved it. I also enjoyed listening to Oprah’s interview with Wally Lamb. Highly recommend if you haven’t listened to it.
Heather G-E says:
I just started Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns. Ms. Burns’ hometown is in my neck of the words and a friend of hers from high school is in our book club. (We chose the book for our March read before Jenna did!). I am so excited for Amy Jo’s success!
Sara Lanning says:
Memorial Days was lovely.
Karla T says:
I’m looking forward to Counterweights! Currently reading The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown, and a couple of herbal how-to books I found via the library. I’m between fiction, and looking for my next audiobook, so will see what comes there.
Ruthie says:
Counterweights sounds like just what I need right now. Thanks for the recommendation, Anne.
Sara says:
I also *loved* Loved One, probably my fav read of the year thus far.
Charity says:
I just finished Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. I would have never have picked this book up on my own, but after hearing Anne give it high praise, I gave it a go. I loved it!
Molly says:
Strangers by Belle Burden. Could not put it down.
Allison King says:
I recently finished Heart the Lover, and I looooved it! I previously read 2 of King’s other books, Euphoria and Writers and Lovers, and liked, but did not love, them. Heart the Lover was absolutely fantastic, though! It is the perfect trifecta: wonderfully written, page-turning plot, and deep characters. I couldn’t put it down and encourage it even if you didn’t love her previous books.
I then read In Five Years, which was recommended in a comment here on MMD. It was an enjoyable read about friendship, love, and grief + time travel. I had not heard of it and was so glad it was recommended here.
Suzy says:
Thank you for that comment, Allison, because I did not like Writers and Lovers, in fact, I never finished it—but you give me fresh reason to try Heart the Lover! I am encouraged.