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What I’ve been reading lately: the new and the notable

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.

This month I haven’t read very many books even though I suspect my page count has been pretty typical, and that’s because this month I finished three hefty doorstoppers! I found these books to be well worth my reading time, and good thing, because WOW did they require a lot of it. Today I decided to focus on those long books in my Quick Lit roundup of what I’ve been reading lately: in addition to hearing your short and sweet reviews of what you’ve been reading lately, I’d love to hear about your own experience with long books in comments.

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 October Quick Lit

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

Author: Robert A. Caro
If every reader holds a fascination for an unlikely subject, mine is urban planning—which is why the recommendations I've received to read The Power Broker over the years are legion. This summer I finally picked it up and slowly made my way through its 1344 pages, which have frequently been described as a tour de force of biography, history, and journalism. In these pages I learned how I had no idea what I didn't know, and that my own experience moving through New York City, the United States, and even some cities of the world had been decidedly impacted by this man who never held elected office and yet built more infrastructure and structures than anyone who's ever lived—and influenced the building of many more. I'm so glad I finally read this: I was expecting something akin to Witold Rybczynski's A Clearing in the Distance about Frederick Law Olmsted and the building of America (and NYC parks) in the 19th Century, and was surprised to discover it felt much more like Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, a Lincoln biography that lingers on the question of how history would be different both then and today had Lincoln survived to lead his country through the Reconstruction era. Here Caro poses an inversion of that question, asking how New York City might be better—that is, more equitable, accessible, and beautiful—had Moses not held the power to shape the landscape and infrastructure from the crucial years of 1924 to 1968 in ways that today are irreversible. I'm told I should listen to the 99% Invisible podcast series on the book next, but I don't know—after spending 1344 pages here I feel like I have some catching up to do on my reading list! (Convince me either way in comments?) More info →
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The Lack of Light: A Novel of Georgia

The Lack of Light: A Novel of Georgia

Author: Nino Haratischvili
This new 736-page Georgian novel from the author of The Eighth Life was just published in the U.S. on September 9; I found out about it just after we wrapped our 2025 Fall Book Preview list or would have included it there. In this sweeping platonic love story, four female friends first meet as grade schoolers in a Tblisi apartment courtyard in the late 1980s. In alternating timelines, we see how these women’s lives tangle with and are impacted by their home city and its political upheaval, invasions and civil war, and violence of organized crime over the course of twenty years. This was a hard read—both challenging to me as a reader and utterly heartbreaking—but my time here was well spent. Translated from the original German by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin. More info →
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The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

Author: Kiran Desai
The rave reviews from bookseller friends convinced me to pick up this new release (already shortlisted for the Booker) despite its hefty 688-page length. It's a family saga and love story featuring two characters that had me rooting for them from beginning to end. Sonia dreams of being a novelist—but after a disastrous college love affair with an older man left her feeling desolate and haunted, she returns to India to try and recover her sense of safety. Sunny also left India for the U.S., seeking to become a successful journalist, and first sees Sonia on an overnight train while back in India visiting his family. The two feel pulled towards each other, and though their initial embarrassment about their families having once tried to matchmake them nearly derails their young love, it takes root and grows. But for them to find happiness, they must navigate their meddling families and somehow break the curse of Sonia's ex-lover. I read that Desai spent twenty years on this novel and it's no wonder—I found it to be a sad, sprawling, and wistful tale of two young people seeking to make sense of their families, the world, and who they can be to each other. More info →
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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. 

58 comments

  3. Stacie @SincerelyStacie says:

    My reading life has been affected lately by changes to my schedule and routine. I’m hoping to get back into my regular reading flow now, but today’s Quick Lit includes books from the last 3 months. My list includes a celebrity memoir I recently discovered, as well as a historical nonfiction, a historical fiction, a fantasy, a fiction I absolutely loved, and a nonfiction released this year. Find out my thoughts in the link below.
    I Don’t Know What You Know Me From
    Oz: The Complete Collection
    A Short History of the World According to Sheep
    The Spectacular
    The Correspondent
    Ordinary Time

    https://www.sincerelystacie.com/2025/10/quick-lit-october-2025-edition/

  8. Linda Stoll says:

    Anne, I do love a big hefty saga, especially this time of year when evening comes early and us homebodies head toward a comfy chair, book in one hand, a mug of tea in the other. My TBR list just got noticeably bigger, thanks to your reviews!

  13. Sandy says:

    These are the books I’ve read in the last month or so:
    America Fantastica, Tim O’Brien
    The Seventh Floor, David McCloskey
    Early Warning, Jame Smiley
    Familiaris, David Wroblewski
    Connie, a memoir, Connie Chung
    A Marriage at Sea, Sophie Elmhirst
    The Stolen Lady, Laura Morelli
    Standup Guy, Stuart Wood

    • Penelope says:

      I like your list of books and will look them up further ….and I read “A marriage at sea”. . Wasn’t that something !!!!😬😬😁😁

      • Judy says:

        I, too, read A Marriage at Sea and was totally immersed until about two thirds in and it changed course, so to speak.

  14. Diane says:

    Please make sure “the Correspondent” by Virginia Evans is on your reading lists! It features a senior citizen as main character—bonus points for me.

  15. kathleen duffy says:

    The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
    Dark maestro by Brendan Slocomb
    Rules for Engagement by Stacey Abrams
    Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwonghwamun
    Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
    Birnam Wood, Power of the Crone, and The Sweet Blue Distance in progress
    That would bring me to 103 –adding audible has fit many more books in my read pile.

  16. Naomi says:

    Anne, I am one of the ones who asked you about Sonia and Sunny after the Fall Preview…I have since read it and I did not love it 🙁 I think I was expecting something along the lines of Covenant of Water, in the epic family saga style…that may have been too high a bar, as that is truly one of the most magnificent books I’ve ever read. I just found it really slow, and I kept hoping something MORE would happen. I thought the most interesting part of the whole book was the terrible relationship between Sonia and her ex. The parts between Sonia and Sunny didn’t grab me, and there were really very few of them?! Surprising, for a book of this size, that is supposedly about them! I was underwhelmed, and disappointed, after all the lead up.

    But thanks for these other two suggestions – my husband was listening to the 99% Invisible podcast about Robert Moses this summer and I was fascinated by the portions I overheard, so your review has tipped that one onto my TBR. And The Lack of Light sounds intriguing as well.

    While on the topic of German authors…I am currently reading The Granddaughter, by Bernhard Schlink, and it is VERY GOOD. I think you would enjoy it very much.

  17. Jennifer says:

    I’m in a bit of a quandry. I have so many triggers now, a result of the political mess and the deliberate mistreatment of people, that I’m having difficulty finding and staying with books that are about lost or abused children or women, anything from WWI or WWII, book burning, well, you get the idea. I have returned the last 10 books from the library, all well reviewed, because I couldn’t continue beyond the first 50 pages. So, I am re-reading authors who write well written books about kind, curious, strong, capable, spiritual people who know how to be a good friend, and care about other people. I’ve just re-read the Jan Karon Mitford series, which I initially read when they were first published. I’ve re-read my favorite authors such as Katherine Center, Kate Clayborn, wishing that the author who wrote The Correspondent had her second novel completed, and so on. I don’t know where to turn. I didn’t sign up for the mini-match because I couldn’t imagine that someone on Anne’s team could fight through all the restrictions to compile a list for me!

    • Pam C. says:

      I suggest trying the Miss Read books. All of her books list Miss Read as the author, but they are written by Dora Seton. If you can imagine, she is cosier than Jan Karon. Two friends of mine each keep one of her books by their bedside so that they can sleep peacefully.They were long out of print until I started finding them on Amazon. I had been buying used copies from alibris.com.
      She has two series, one about Miss Read, the other about the town of Fairacre. Your dilemma is perfectly understood soI hope these help.

      • Hannah says:

        I will second Miss Read. My mom has been rereading her every year for the past 5 or 6 years now. They are her comfort reads. I bought all of Miss Read Jan Karon endorsed editions from Harper for her 12 years ago because a friend never returned mom’s copies. You can still find them new through independent or chain bookstores. Hope these work for you Jennifer.😊

    • Chris C says:

      I understand and share your feelings. I don’t know if you like the Alexander McCall Smith series about Mma Ramotswe (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency). I turn to them when I need something with humor, happiness and thoughtful themes. Also I just ordered a copy of Because of Winn Dixie (the anniversary edition with an introduction by Ann Patchett). I gave away my original copy and I think it is a good time to reread it. One of my all-time favorites.

    • Beth C says:

      Jennifer, Try Irish author Maeve Binchy. She died in 2012, but wrote 16 novels, several short story collections (wonderful!) and a few novellas. Also some non-fiction (she was a journalist before writing fiction). Most stories are set in Ireland and are quiet, family stories. Some build on each other but can be read in any order.

    • Janice says:

      Have you read The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion? I’ve enjoyed the first four, but my library doesn’t have the others. 🙁

    • Joan Croce says:

      Hi Jennifer, I get it! Also loved the Correspondent, so here’s a few a really liked: Narrowboat Summer by A. Youngson, Incredible Winston Browne by S. Dietrich, VeraWongs Unsolicited Advice for Murder, any mystery by Anthony Horowitz, Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, Pooley Enjoy!

    • Jen says:

      I wonder if middle grade novels would be a good fit for right now? I find them very safe and relaxing even if they touch on tough topics, because they’re written for children. But the writing is really good, especially in award winners. Some of my favorite authors are Erin Entrada Kelly, Karina Yan Glaser, Kate DiCamillo, Pam Munoz Ryan, Kate Allen, and Patricia MacLachlan.

    • Elaine G Clements says:

      Jennifer, I feel your pain and am in a similar “boat”. I truly enjoyed “I See You’ve Called in Dead” by John Kenney and “The Briar Club” by Kate Quinn. I’ve recommended both of them to several friends and all have liked them very much. If you liked the Mitford series, you might like “Theo of Golden”, sweet book with some Christian undertones but not overtly blatant–nicely religious, like the Mitford books.

      • Chris C says:

        These are such great authors. I should have mentioned above that Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo fits in this genre. Also, the Vanderbeekers books by Karina Yan Glaser would be a good fit for the domestic, family novel category mentioned in an earlier discussion. Set in NYC too with a lot of wonderful baking.

    • Lindy says:

      Hi! You might enjoy the Unselected journals of Emma Lion. I read all 8 of them in a row and reread the last two to spend more time with these amazing people. I also loved the audiobook of the Correspondent!

  18. Angie Mollis says:

    I read “Life, Death and Giants” after you mentioned it on a recent podcast. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well-developed, especially Gabriel’s mother with her conflicts.
    Now I have started “Bug Hollow,” but I am not far enough in to form any opinions yet.
    I enjoy your podcasts and have expanded my TBR with your comments and suggestions.

  20. Kate, Portland OR says:

    My standouts for the last month:
    Native Nations: A Millennium in North America
    Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession (male friendship)
    See No Stranger: a Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love
    Phoebe Variations by Jane Hamilton (coming of age, friendships, identity
    Three Keys by Laura Pritchett (woman takes road trip after death of husband to rediscover self)
    Week by week reviews on my substack.

  22. Lee Ann says:

    You might also enjoy Andrea Barnet’s Visionary Women, which contains a chapter about Moses’s foe, Jane Jacobs. I haven’t read Jacobs’s book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, but it’s on my list.

  23. Jenny says:

    I just finished Endling by Maria Reva for my book club and it is was so fascinating. One of those books that takes you by surprise in content and structure. It is about the Ukraine romance tours (I didn’t realize this was an actual thing), a snail research scientist, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We had a great discussion for book club and I was so glad I read it.

  24. Joy Orr says:

    I’ve just added The Loneliness of Sonia and Sonny to my list, although I did not get through The Inheritance of Loss, although I was listening, and this isn’t always the best format for more sweeping books.
    I also recently added Darling by India Knight and Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford to my list (based on episode #496), but I was so sure that I’ve already read the Mitford — but Goodreads says otherwise. We’ll soon see.
    I’ve had an excellent summer (Q3) of reading, with lots of Anne recommendations keeping me on track. I wrote about it here:
    https://jumbleofseaglass.substack.com/p/summer-reading-success?r=5i2n0

  25. Nikki S says:

    I’m in the middle of a doorstopper on Renaissance history so I read fewer than normal books this month: The Frozen People (Griffiths), The Italian (Radcliffe) (this one also slowed me down; the only way through the 18th C prose was to read with my eyes and ears at the same time), and Sky Daddy (Folk).

  26. Elizabeth says:

    I LOVED The Eighth Life, so The Lack of Light immediately went onto my TBR. I love a good door stopper novel. Recently read and thoroughly enjoyed The Covenant of Water. I didn’t think family sagas were in my wheelhouse, but apparently I was wrong….

  27. Kerri Campbell says:

    One book of note that I just finished on audio: Culpability. A must read! It is so timely for the AI age in which we find ourselves living.

  28. Ruthie says:

    Most recently, How to Read a Book, a novel that started off great, so great I’d ordered 4 copies to give as gifts until I passed the halfway mark, and the protagonist got involved in a romantic situation that I simply couldn’t believe. Cancelled my order. Finished the book; it was OK, but could’ve been great:)

  30. shari wampler says:

    I loved reading about all three of these books. Some of my favorites lately were- Amity, The Correspondent, The True True Story of Raja the Gullible, and Culpability.

  31. Wendy Barker says:

    I also finished one doorstopper this past month, Tom Jones by Henry Fielding. I saw the miniseries on PBS a few years ago and just knew there would be much more to the book. I was right. I had a lot of fun reading it because Fielding is quite funny. I’m in the middle of another doorstopper, A Tale of Love and Darkness, by Amos Oz which is about his life in Israel. I next would like to read a book from the Palestinian point of view so if anyone has any suggestions, I’d appreciate it.

  32. Jennifer says:

    On 99% Invisible, I enjoyed it. I read Power Broker around 10 years ago. Listening to the podcast is basically rereading the book and I appreciated revisiting it. According to a recent 99% episode I may watch Drop Dead City covering similar material.

  33. Emily K says:

    After hearing you mention The Power Broker, Anne, I decided to check it out. I’ve really been enjoying the deep dive by listening to the audiobook and the 99 Percent Invisible podcasts as I go along. They will recap a few chapter for the first 2/3 of most episodes and then interview someone the last 1/3. I’d recommend listening to the Robert Caro interview and fast forwarding to the end for any interviews you are interested in. They also have some supercut episodes of the recaps and interviews. I’m on track for a slow pace to finish by Thanksgiving or end of year.

    • SUSAN THERESA TAYLOR says:

      I thoroughly second this recommendation! The podcast was wonderful, and I read along with them with great enthusiasm. The interviews can be listened to alone if you’ve already finished the book, but if you haven’t started, I highly recommend reading along with the podcast. I wish there were more experiences like this – a podcast is the perfect vehicle for a detailed read along, and these guys hit it out of the park. Imagine reading something like Lolita with an expert in Nabokov to guide you through – that would be something.

  35. Tess says:

    I loved the audio version of The Correspondent, especially since different voices were used for the various letter writers, and also because the main character was a very interesting and lively woman in her 70s. Also listened to Broken Country (over two days. I was obsessed with the characters in this beautifully written family story) and read Culpability, which was totally different but another family story that left me with a lot to think about.

  37. Beth says:

    The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny was a DNF for me. I read 150 pages and just couldn’t get into the book. But a 4.5 star read for me was The Mad Wife.

  38. Karen Hanrahan says:

    Bravo on finishing the Power Broker! That was my entire January 2025. Do listen to the 99% podcasts. Do it while driving so it doesn’t interfere with other catch-up reading. It is TOTALLY worth it! Gives you additional takes on Caro’s book plus at least two (three?) in person interviews with him.

  41. lisa bossoli says:

    I read The Power Broker about Robert Moses several years ago. I found it fascinating and profoundly sad. I grew up in Brooklyn and watched it happen.

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