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, my reading life was overwhelmingly occupied in this month’s Quick Lit window by potential 2026 Summer Reading Guide selections. I’ll have plenty to share on that front soon. But I’m happy with the variety of my non-SRG reading: one deep backlist selection and one more recent, one brand new collection, both fiction and nonfiction, all totally different stories and genres.
I hope you enjoy this month’s selections, and that you find something that looks intriguing for your TBR here. Especially on a month when my own Quick Lit list is brief, I’m curious to hear what YOU have been reading lately.
Thanks in advance for sharing your short and sweet book reviews with us!
Welcome to April Quick Lit
Corregidora
Only the Beautiful
The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love
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.
23 comments
This month had a wide variety of books, including a 5 star fantasy, a romance perfect for spring and my thoughts on The Housemaid!
https://neverenoughnovels.com/2026/04/14/april-2026-book-reviews/
Thanks for another round of great recommendations. I’m going to be watching for “Only the Beautiful” at my library.
The books I finished this month each invited me to pay closer attention – to them and to the stories in my real life too. They included two older but important novels: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and Sold by Patricia McCormick.
See all 6 books here (and one that I only halfway recommend):
https://lisanotes.com/books-that-invite-you-to-pay-attention/
In this month’s LITERARY CHATTER –
* Theo of Golden (finally!)
* A Larry Crabb Classic
* The Sensible Shoes Series
* Rachel Held Evans
https://lindastoll.substack.com/p/my-favorite-books-so-far-this-year
I feel like you’d really need to read The Best Dog In the World after those other two because they sound hard! I’ve only read one Susan Meissner book, and I really liked it so I could be persuaded to read Only the Beautiful but I’d have to be in the right kind of mood I think.
Here’s what I’ve been reading: https://readeatrepeat.net/2026/04/books-in-progress-april-2026/
The Best Dog in the World sounds lovely! That also sounds like it could be a perfect gift book for a dog lover.
My reads this past month have been mostly solid, if not standout: https://cocoonofbooks.blogspot.com/2026/04/what-ive-been-reading-lately-quick-lit.html
Oh my goodness. I must read The Best Dog in the World (because somehow it’s possible that every dog is the best one, isn’t it?).
On my blog I’m discussing a few books I’ve been meaning to read for years and one I happily stumbled upon (about a woman who is now my newest hero):
Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrum
Grandma Gatewood’s Walk
Cry, the Beloved Country
https://carolinestarrrose.com/quick-lit-what-ive-been-reading-lately-51/
It’s been a while since I read a Susan Meissner. I had a good month in March although I wish I read more with my eyes than with my ears.
https://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/blog-1/2026/4/14/show-us-your-books-april-2026
Only the Beautiful has been on my TBR list since it came out. Thank you for the reminder to move it to the top of the list. I might have to try it on audio. I have read some great books recently, including a nonfiction book about allergies that ended up being a five-star read for me. https://fromourbookshelf.com/march-reading-2026/
I had a couple of unexpected 5-star reads this month! And it was only thanks to books clubs that I read them. I had been stubbornly resistant, convinced I wouldn’t enjoy them because of my own preconceived notions, even though they were incredibly popular books. So glad I finally read them!
https://avikinginla.com/2026/04/march-2026-what-ive-been-reading-lately/
I’ve put Only the Beautiful on my library holds list. I was not aware of this one! Meissner’s As Bright as Heaven was a 5-star read for me.
I think I have to read the Best Dog in the World. My reading was on the hefty side. Check out what I read https://myviewofthehoneypot.blogspot.com/2026/04/what-i-read-in-april.html
Anne, even though your list was short (for very good SRG reason), it made my TBR 3 books longer, thank you! I’m reading & ADORING The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. How about that timing? Only 10 pages left and I’m heading to them after I type this. I really enjoyed listening to Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves by Alison Wood Brooks. Has anyone here discovered Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama? It’s delightful, so sweet, and an homage to third spaces.
Hot Chocolate on Thursday sounds intriguing! I just added it to my TBR – thanks for the recommendation. Have you read any of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series? They might be of a similar vein and I very much enjoyed them.
I just started reading Father by the same author and it is delightful!
I’ve really been focusing on my reading goals this year, and this month I’ve done really well. I laid it all out in my latest post. https://angiearey.substack.com/p/what-ive-been-reading-so-far-c72
I had a pretty exceptional reading month, with a couple of stellar historical novels that I can’t stop talking about, some compelling middle grade, and nonfiction that met me exactly when I needed it.
https://kendranicole.substack.com/p/quick-lit-april-2026
dilapidated
I picked up a copy of a posthumously published Barbara Pym. I was actually looking for Excellent Women and wound up with Crampton Hodnet (1985): A novel written in 1940. To my surprise one of the characters shares my maiden name. I guess it was meant to be. I recently read Kin by Tayari Jones. I loved hearing her honesty when discussing the book and how it was not the book she had set out to write. My first time reading her and she will be a repeat author for sure. Also read More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen. She is another repeat author for me. Just picked up copies of Yesteryear and Go Gentle. My library has been a little slow putting up wait lists for newer titles.
I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for Only the Beautiful!! This month so far has been slow for my reading. I finished The Grace Year and absolutely loved the dystopian world and the resiliency and rebellion throughout the book. I finished King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby just last night and it worked so well for me! I loved to the siblinghood that the book is centered on and the theme of “How far would you go/what all would you do for your siblings?” kept me hooked all the way through and had me thinking about my siblings and our relationships with each other. This morning I started American Housewife by Anita Abriel, and while I am only about 10% of the way through it, I am eager to see what happens as I am going into it completely blind!
I have been anticipating Carl Truman’s latest book for some time, and it did not disappoint! https://michelemorin.net/2026/04/08/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-human-being-today/
My recent reads included Elizabeth Berg’s Life: A Love Story, enjoyed very much, and The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion, on Vol 6, and I love these! Trying to pace myself because there are only 8, but can’t stop!
Just started Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris, and so far liking it.
I came here just to write about the Unselected Journals of Emma. M. Lion!! GAH! I read them like a chain smoker smokes, all 8 over my spring break! If feels like they should be more talked about!
Books 26-38 of 2026
https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2026/04/reading-update.html
I also loved Only the Beautiful and really anything Meissner writes. I will have to tell a friend about Hoffman’s dog story collection!
I’m sharing 4 recent reads, including some older historical fiction, a popular science fiction, and a newer fiction that I suggest you read with caution.
HALF HIS AGE
PROJECT HAIL MARY
IF THE CREEK DON’T RISE
THE HOUSE OF EVE
https://www.sincerelystacie.com/2026/04/quick-lit-april-2026/
After a slow start to the year I have finally had a run of 4- and 5-star reads 🎉🎉
The Astral Library – Kate Quinn
The Great Mann – Lyra Davis Lurie
This Book Made Med Think of You – Libby Page
Tell The Wolves I’m Home – Carol Rifka Brunt
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf – Rebecca Romney