Q2 2026 reading recap
Summer updates, Q2 book favorites, and my latest DNF confession
Ahhhh. Summertime. That special season of the year that beckons us through the cold winter months with its promises of fun and plans and (should I say it?) relaxation, only to smack us in the face with overwhelm. For me, it’s always a powerful reminder of the importance of ~living in the moment,~ mostly because what’s coming next—even if it’s great!—is never quite what we think it could be. Summer over here is off to good start, but it’s not the stuff of my February fantasies… and that’s okay!
Since I’m still reentering a more regular posting cadence here, let me share a few quick updates before we get into the reading recap:
Matt and I just got back from a six-day trip to Anguilla, which was planned largely in celebration of a milestone wedding anniversary (ten! years!). We did almost nothing but take in the scenery and read and I hit peak vacation state of reading a book a day. As grateful as I was for a break in the chaotic day-to-day routine, I also missed Will (and Stu), and getting everyone back together has been super fun. Big thanks to my parents for taking such good care of our guy!
Now that we’re home, we’re in the middle of some big transitions, especially a new school/camp for Will. Since our move in December, I was driving him about 35 minutes each way so he could stay in the program we knew and loved. I’m glad we decided to finish out the school year with his class, but that kind of commute obviously isn’t sustainable. He’s started at a program that’s a little closer this week, which is exciting, but also scary for him and emotional for us. Logistically, things are also a bit different, which has made returning to “normal” after vacation feel extra strange. I know things will flow more smoothly soon, but right now, nothing feels normal.
Another major update post-vacation: we have a nest of fresh baby bunnies living in the backyard. Like, I think they were born hours before we found them. Predictably, I am now extremely concerned about them, making several wellness checks a day to make sure they are doing okay. Rest assured I have done all the research and am not doing anything to interfere with what’s best for them bonding with their mom, but it’s stressful to have them on my watch! Plus, Stu is basically on house arrest until they move on, which means lots of pent-up energy for him and some extra inconvenience for me.
I am in the final stretch of a new round of edits for Book 2! At this point in the process, it’s hard to see a project clearly, but I’m hopeful that we’re almost getting the manuscript to a place where I can feel excited about and confident in it. Once I’ve turned the edits in to my editor, I’ll get back into drafting my next project, which I was feeling lots of fun energy about before I had to refocus my attention. There have been some other big developments in my writing life lately that I’m not quite ready to talk about yet, but I think there will be more to come soon.
Get the details on the early part of the year with my Q1 recap:
Okay. Let’s talk about my Q2 reading.
I’ve been reading a lot lately, but not a lot that I’ve loved.
Looking back at my little reading log for April, May, and June, though, I realized that there have been some major high points throughout this quarter—and my vacation book binge put some other new favorites on my radar.
Here are my favorite reads of this quarter…
1. So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder: This book was racking up lots of buzz in the run-up to its publication, and in my humble opinion, it was totally deserved. I’m a sucker for anything with an ensemble cast and a big, sweeping scope, and So Old, So Young incorporates both of those things beautifully. Grant Ginder takes a fresh approach to the “friend novel” by using a handful of central parties and gatherings to tell the story of a tight-knight social group that first came together in college at NYU. The book opens with a college party introducing readers to the cast. From there, it revisits the key players every few years as they reunite around a big event. The author cheats the structure a little bit with lots of flashbacks, but it still works, and his writing and character work is so fantastic that it’s easy to forgive. So Old, So Young will get you thinking about your own long-term friendships, the major moments that have brought you together, and the way those moments have shifted the trajectory of your lives and relationships.
2. Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors: I read and adored Blue Sisters last year and was so excited to learn that it wasn’t the author’s first or only book. It’s always a fun surprise to learn that a new fave writer has other work already out in the world, don’t you think? Cleopatra and Frankenstein was Coco Mellors’s 2022 debut and it tracks the arguably toxic love story between the title characters in absolutely stunning prose. Frank and Cleo grapple with an age gap, visa issues, and fundamental differences in class and values—but they can’t seem to quit their obsession with each other. Coco Mellors could turn even the most basic of narratives into a painfully gorgeous work of art, but the complicated romance between these two characters is the perfect stage for her to show readers how extraordinary she is.
3. Good People by Patmeena Sabit: I chose this as my Book of the Month a couple of months ago and was excited to discover that it was selected as the April pick for Bad on Paper podcast’s book club. Here, author Patmeena Sabit really plays with form, unfolding a major family saga through accounts written by dozens of bystanders and witnesses. Candidly, it took me about 50 pages to get into the rhythm of Good People, simply because the structure was such a departure from other things I’ve read. By the end, though, I felt deeply invested in the family at the heart of the book and their central conflict, which is really one of cultural pride versus assimilation. It also gave me a chance to learn a lot about the Afghan American experience, particularly for refugees. (And so nice to have the Bad on Paper book club episode to listen to when I was finished!)
4. Famesick by Lena Dunham: Even before her new memoir became an instant #1 bestseller, Lena Dunham didn’t exactly need my endorsement to secure readership or success here, and if you’ve been following me for a while, you know that this means my shoutout is even more heartfelt. I loved every moment of the Famesick reading experience and echo Becca Freeman’s take, which was (roughly) that Lena Dunham “wrote the shit out of this book.” Prior to reading and hearing reviews in this vein, I figured this was just another celebrity cash grab, and I’m so glad I gave it a try. If you doubt the praise and acclaim, I encourage you to reconsider, even if you wouldn’t call yourself a Dunham fan. (I also really enjoyed her publicity tour, especially her appearance on the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler).
