For the Love of Reading, October 2026

I read 5 books in the month of October, here are my reviews.

Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Returning to the women of Big Little Lies was a pleasure. Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Truths is light, entertaining, and a fun opportunity to catch up with familiar characters as they navigate a new stage of life. While I think it could work as a standalone, much of the enjoyment comes from knowing these families and seeing how their lives have changed.

The little kids from the first book are now teenagers, facing peer pressure, teenage angst, and the complications of growing up. Their parents have their own concerns, including health issues, aging parents, and the realization that parenting doesn’t necessarily get easier as children get older. I enjoyed this shift in perspective and the way the story makes room for the challenges of both generations.

A subplot involving a teacher, a severed finger, and a pretty inept principal adds humor and intrigue to the mix. It’s an entertaining combination of family concerns and school drama, with plenty to keep the pages turning. For readers who enjoyed Big Little Lies, this is a welcome reunion.

Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Jenna Blum’s Murder Your Darlings is an entertaining, twisty read with unreliable narrators—yes, more than one!—and enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages. I figured out the big twist fairly early, but that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. There was still plenty of fun in watching the story unfold and deciding whose version of events to believe.

The settings are a particular pleasure: big country houses, cozy restaurants, and bustling bookstores create an inviting backdrop for all the suspicion and uncertainty. I enjoyed spending time in these places, even when I wasn’t entirely sure I trusted the people inhabiting them.

It’s a clever enough story and an enjoyable reading experience, though I think Blum’s strengths shine more brightly in her historical fiction. Still, this was an entertaining change of pace, and its predictability didn’t stop me from wanting to see how everything would come together.

Hexes Go Well with Tequila by LeAnna Ehrsam
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There’s a lot to like in LeAnna Ehrsam’s debut, Hexes Go Well With Tequila, particularly the magical house at the heart of the story. Creating a setting that captures the reader’s imagination is no small thing, and the house was easily my favorite part of this book. I enjoyed discovering its magic and felt that it was where Ehrsam’s creativity really came through.

I also appreciated the importance the story places on strong female friendships. The connections between the women give the book warmth, and I liked seeing their relationships given so much attention. There’s something satisfying about a story that recognizes how much women’s support for one another matters, and that was a real strength here.

The plot followed a fairly predictable path and the writing leaned more heavily on description than I prefer, with layers of adjectives sometimes getting in the way of the scene rather than helping me picture it. I would have liked a lighter touch in those passages to let the story move along.

There’s creativity and heart in this debut, and I’d be interested to see how Ehrsam’s storytelling develops.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mary Beth Keane takes her time in Whale Harbor, and I loved the way she allows the story and its characters to develop slowly. There’s room to get to know these people and watch their lives unfold without feeling rushed toward the next plot point. The settings of Ireland, Montana, and New York feel vivid and believable, adding so much to the atmosphere of the novel.

The mystery surrounding what happened to one brother adds a thread of suspense, moving the story forward and creating some real tension for the characters. I appreciated how each brother had different memories of their childhood and that big momentous events for some of them had little to know impact on others. Knowing that Keane drew on her own family’s history adds another layer of interest and poignancy.

My only reservation was the narrative distance. At times, I felt as though I were looking down at the characters from above rather than standing beside them as they lived their lives. I wanted a little more closeness, especially because I was so interested in them.

Still, this is excellent literary fiction, with the patient storytelling, richly developed characters, and strong sense of place that I love about the genre. Readers who enjoyed Ask Again, Yes, as well as fans of character-driven literary fiction, will find much to appreciate here.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Brightness by Chad Harbach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fifteen years is a long time to wait for a new novel from Chad Harbach, but The Brightness is a reminder of just how skilled he is at literary fiction. I loved this book, even if The Art of Fielding remains my favorite of the two. Technically a sequel, The Brightness also stands on its own, so readers don’t need to have read or remember much about the earlier novel to appreciate it.

Harbach has a particular gift for setting. Whether he’s writing about a rural college campus in Wisconsin, a beach wedding on Block Island, or bustling New York City, his locations feel fully realized and integral to the story. He captures the atmosphere of a place in a way that makes it easy to imagine being there.

I also appreciated his handling of the predominantly female cast. He writes these characters with sensitivity and care, giving them the time and space to develop as complicated people. Their changes unfold gradually, and watching them grow over the course of the novel was one of its greatest pleasures.

It is a very long book, and I suspect its length will put off some readers. For me, though, the careful character development and immersive settings made it a deeply satisfying read. Harbach’s talent makes him an author worth waiting for. I just hope the next wait isn’t another fifteen years.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Those last 2 books were the best of the bunch and they’ve both been published now so you should be able to get them easily. I hope you found something here to add to your TBR.