It's getting dark at 5 p.m., which apparently means my reading personality has undergone its annual transformation. 😂

There's something about this time of year that makes me crave darker, denser books. As the days get shorter and I settle into my end-of-year hibernation, I want complicated fantasy worlds, twisty thrillers, and stories I can completely lose myself in. Throw in a dash of romance, and I'm a happy girl.

Judging by my current reads, I'm fully embracing the seasonal shift.

🔪 Before I Disappear by Cate Quinn

This one comes out TOMORROW, and I am already on the edge of my seat.

April is exactly the kind of character I love. She's a criminologist with brains, secrets, and enough going on beneath the surface to make me suspicious of just about everything. Naturally, I've already developed several theories about where this story is headed.

But this is Cate Quinn we're talking about. I KNOW better than to get too comfortable with my predictions. 😂

⚔️ The Wolves of War by John Gwynne

Listen, I am a John Gwynne fangirl through and through. The Bloodsworn trilogy remains one of my favorite fantasy series EVER, so to say my expectations for this book are high would be a massive understatement.

The Slavic mythology?! Witches, wolves, fae, and multiple POVs?! My fantasy-loving brain is spinning, but in the BEST possible way. I'm trying not to compare everything to Bloodsworn, but let's be realistic. That's going to be a challenge.

🧂 Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

I am NERDING OUT over this book. Did you know the word salary is connected to the Latin word for salt and its historical value? Because I didn't, and now everyone in my household gets to hear about it. 😂

My kids are probably getting SO tired of the random salt facts I've been sharing, but I genuinely cannot help myself.

This is exactly what I love about nonfiction. Give me a seemingly ordinary subject and show me how it shaped the world, and I will happily become the most annoying person at the dinner table.

🎧 On Audio: Tyrant Lizard Queen by Riley Black

This might be my favorite kind of nonfiction: the kind that tricks me into learning something. We're following a T. rex from hatching through adulthood, and instead of feeling like I'm listening to a science lecture, I'm getting completely immersed in a STORY.

Meanwhile, I'm absorbing all these fascinating facts about prehistoric life without even realizing how much I'm learning. More narrative nonfiction like this, PLEASE.

A little reading confession...

I've also been getting MUCH more comfortable with DNFing books lately. I DNF'd THREE audiobooks last week. Three! Not necessarily because they were bad books. I just kept zoning out. I'd realize I hadn't absorbed anything from the last ten minutes, rewind, and then promptly lose interest again.

For me, that's a pretty big red flag. Sometimes it's the book, but sometimes it's simply my mood. And I've gotten a lot better at recognizing the difference. Here's the thing...I don't HAVE to read or listen to any book. I GET to choose what I spend my time reading.

Woohoo, free will! 😂

There are far too many books I'm genuinely excited about to force myself through something that isn't working for me right now. Maybe I'll come back to those audiobooks in a few months. Maybe I won't. I'm perfectly fine with either outcome.

I think that's where my reading life is heading as we close out 2026. Less obligation, more instinct. Darker stories, complicated characters, fascinating nonfiction, and absolutely no guilt about putting something down.

Now I'm curious about your reading life lately. 🖤

Are your reading tastes shifting with the seasons? And have you gotten more comfortable DNFing books, or are you someone who HAS to finish what you start?

Pull up a chair. I want to hear what's happening on your nightstand. 📚