Saturday, September 26, 2026

Day 6 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Best of 2026

Guys this is it. It's the final day of 2026 Five Fall Favourites. I hope your TBR is full of wonderful books, and your kindle library is full of new freebies to read. Today is always bittersweet for me. It sweet to have accomplished this much blogging in one week, and it's bitter that the fun time is over. However, before we close this chapter, I believe there is one more set of Five Fall Favourties to share. For today's list, I have found it's easy to find books to share, the hard part is keeping the list down to five titles. A couple of these titles traded places with other books up until it was time to send the list to Katja for her lovely, Five Fall Favourites ultimate booklist. Remember to check out her page today for the full list of recommendations from all bloggers. I use this final blog as a catch all for the books that I love that didn't fit on one of the prompts for this week.


Here are the Best of 2026. This list has one sequel that was way better than the first book, and one prequel that it was so good I struggled to keep reading. There are two holiday books (no. 3 is a Valentine's book, if that's not obvious) and one summer book that broke my physical book reading slump this year. On a side note, I decided to count the other books shared this week to see how many books I read since last Five Fall Favourites that made the list. The total is fourteen out of the twenty-five I shared. So far this year I've read 83 books. So, you know this list is the cream of my reading crop.

1. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

In this prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy, it's the fifitith annual Hunger Games, the second quarter quell, and a sixteen-year-old Haymitch Abernathy is reaped as one of District 12's four tributes.  For the second Quarter Quell, everything will bigger, brighter, and badder (more dangerous, but I wanted to keep the alteration). To survive the games, he will have to compete against forty-seven other tributes. Only he doesn't plan on surviving, he only wants to die on his terms. Content Warning: grief, violence, mild language, major character injuries, death, mentions child pr*stitution and LGBTQ+ characters.

This series is written with teen reading habits and interests in-mind, but reading and rereading these books as an adult, I see nuances that I didn't understand when I read them as a teen. I think these might only be teen books because they are fast paced and have teen characters as the heroes. The political theme and effects of war and easier to miss and harder to understand when I was a teen. You're probably wondering how a book that took me 10 months to read ended up being a five-star read and worthy of a spot on this blog. In short, it's because I've read the original trilogy. From Catching Fire, readers learn some of Haymitch's experience in the games, filtered through Katniss's perspective. That knowledge made me want to read this book slowly. I had to be in the right headspace to suffer alongside this young man that I already knew and loved. However, this story takes the bit readers already know and fleshes it out. It's beautiful, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful. One of the best books, I read all this year-and half of last year. 

2. Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider 

Sloane's boyfriend broke her heart, and then her hand because she punched him in the nose. She had just found out he slept with her best friend because her bestie is now pregnant with his child. Thanks to a waterproof cast she'll still be able to swim and surf as Sloane and her twin brother spend the summer before senior year living with their mom and her new husband in Hawaii. This trip might be the break she's needs to recover and rediscover herself. As she reconnects with her summer friends, she meets a new guy amongst the group, although after her last boyfriend, she's not sure she's ready to trust again. Content warnings: language, kissing, mentions teen having s*x, teen pregnancy, underage drinking. and LGBTQ+ characters.

In the past year I've learned that my reading interest is encouraged by books with high stakes or a sense of urgency. For Sloane each teenage challenge from page one feel like life or death to her. She has anxiety that triggers asthma attacks, so everything stressful actually is life and death. This is a contemporary romance, so most of the time the issues weren't that big, but that urgency made this an easy and engaging read for me. I read it in three weeks. I haven't read a physical book that quickly all year. It is not a literary masterpiece, but it is the most engaging physical book I've read in a long time.

3. How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

PH. D candidate, Jamie and her best friend Laurie attend a speed dating event. Vibes go from rom com to slasher movie when the light go out and one of the speed daters (Is that a real word?) gets his throat slashed. It's convenient that Jamie is an expert in both, that's literally what the dissertation she's struggling to write is about. She encourages everyone to stay together, look something to defend themselves, and find an exit to escape. However, actually getting people in crisis to work together is much harder than watching a movie. Tension, both the danger and romantic, builds as she struggles to keep herself and her best friend alive. Content warnings: Language, violence, gruesome deaths, S*x a little description.

This book has very mixed reviews. Readers either loved or hated it. I will say that is because it was actually written for a very small segment of readers: fans of rom coms and slashers. If you only like one but not the other, this book isn't for you. It's equal parts horror and romance. As I listened to the audiobook with dual narrators and sound effects, I felt like it was written just for me. There's no way for me to tell you about any of the other characters beside Jamie and Laurie without giving the whole book away, but the guys are hot, the suspects are suspicious, and plot is fast-paced. The sequel comes out next spring and I can't wait. If you love rom coms and slashers this is for you.

4. Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter

This is the sequel to Better Than the Movies if you wish to read book 1 without any spoilers, skip down to the next paragraph where I tell you why I love this book. In order to explain Nothing Like the Movies I have to spoil a few things from the first book: Wes and Liz enjoyed a few beautiful months together. Shortly after they started school together at UCLA, Wes's family experiences a tragedy, and he decides to return home to be with them. Two years later, Liz is a Junior in college starting a prestigious internship that should help her launch her career scoring music for film and television, when Wes returns. He's worked hard to get back to UCLA, back to playing baseball, and now all that's left is to win Liz's heart back. Only she is not the girl he remembers, and she's got a new fake boyfriend. Content warnings: language, kissing, grief, alcoholism, Wes does some dangerous things in pursuit of Liz, drinking-I can't remember if they are underaged or not, and LGBTQ+ characters.

Here is a book that some might consider a teen book, but it is definitely a young adult/college romance book. There is kissing, but no s*x. I know I was a pretty innocent teenager, but some of the content of what the teens were doing in the previous book, made me uncomfortable reading it as an adult. However, I was less uncomfortable when the same behavior was being done by adults in this story. The split narrative was masterfully told and made me fall in love with both characters, in a way that I hadn't before. I listened to book 1 as an audiobook last year and it was average to me. I picked book 2 up on a whim when I was looking for an eBook from my library and saw this was available. Soon, I was obsessed and eager to unravel the mystery of what had happened the last two years of their lives. This writing really showcases how even a published author can improve in her craft.

5. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

Maggie is the new queen of cozy mystery, and Ethan is the big-time triller author. She hates his guts. He can't even remember her name. When they, along with a few other people from their publishing house, are invited to spend Christmas at the English Mannor of Eleanor Ashley, publishing's Dutchess of Death, they're only hoping that it's better than sitting home alone for the holidays. However, when Eleanor Ashley disappears from a locked room in her own house, they have a mystery to solve and no one else they trust. They will have to put aside their differences and maybe learn each other's names to get to the bottom of this locked room mystery. Content warnings: language, kissing, peril, mild violence and LGBTQ+ characters.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was my first book of 2026, and it's still one of the best. I love Ally Carter books. Her romance is hilarious and she knows how to write thrills alongside giggles. These two were the funnies, the sweetest, and frankly, most broken characters. I loved every moment of getting to know them. This was one of the few physical books I've read quickly this year. I read this while I was going through a dark time last winter, and the fact that it brought me some laughter and fun, I have to commend it for that alone. If you are looking for a cozy-mystery-romance-holiday read with a dash of laughter and suspense, I would highly recommend.

Conclusion

Here are five of my favorites reads this year. If you combine that with all the other posts, I've shared 19 favorite reads from the past year. All of these were four, or five-star books. I have also had a couple of other books that I loved that didn't fit a prompt and couldn't be fit into this list. If you would like to see those, please visit my Goodreads or Instagram. All of these had plots I found compelling and engaging. Characters which I loved and often related to. A couple of these are by some of my favorite authors while others were new to me, but I hope to read more from them soon. I can't wait to get back to reading so I can discover more favorite books to share next year. There's just not much time for reading when I'm writing six blogs in one week.

You all, thank you for taking this journey with me yet again this year, or maybe it's your first time. I'm so blessed you could join us. I hope that I blessed you too. Please follow or come back here again soon. I post a monthly feature about the books I read from my library. I work at a library, so I'm there roughly five days a week, surrounded by the books. I always have way too many in the TBR queue. The September Love Your Library goes life on Monday, September 28th. I would love to have you all come back to read it. In 2027, one of my goals will be to launch a newsletter. At the moment, the plan is for it to be a monthly digest of the different reading and writing ventures I've undertaken that month. Stay tuned as we get closer to the new year for that.

As I close, I would like to give a round of applause to all the bloggers for all their hard work this week. A big thank you to our hosts Katja and Kate. Team Mouse, I would like to give your heart hands. 🫶 Bella, Kate, Meagan, and Virginia you all are the best. I'm grateful to be amongst your team this week. Like Bella says, "There’s no competition – only the opportunity to ensure everyone’s posts are shared." Although there's no rule that says I can't cheer for my team like it is a competition. 😄 So... *CHEERING*

Thanks for reading! If you haven't entered the giveaway, today is your final chance. Details for that as well as links for the hosts, Team Mouse, my other FFF 2026 blogs, and social media sites are below. I hope to see you back on Monday, and until we meet again, may your books be good, your hearts be light, and your TBR pile stay standing upright.

Hosted by Kate from Once Upon an Ordinary and Katja from Little Blossoms for Jesus!

Check out all the other Fall Favorites of Mouse!

Bella: E. G. Bella

Kate: Once Upon an Ordinary

Meagan: Blooming with Books

Skai: Inspirational Skai

Virginia: Books by Virginia

I love meeting new booklovers! Best way to do that is to follow me Instagram: @Skai_BooksAndBracelets
Read Monday's blog here: Day 1 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Community/Neighborhood
Read Tuesday's blog here: Day 2 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Traditions
Read Wednesday's blog here: Day 3 | Five Fall Favourites: 2026: Hobbies
Read Thursday's blog here: Day 4 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Arts

Don't forget to enter the annual Five Fall Favourites Giveaway! This year there is a US prize and an international prize. See full rules and exclusions at the link to enter.


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Friday, September 25, 2026

Day 5 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Family

Hello! Welcome to Friday's Five Fall Favourites! This week has been both fun and tiring. I enjoy reading everyone's posts and exciting book suggestions. I also enjoy writing about the books I love. But it's an exhausting week; I've been stay up late nights for rehearsals and up early every day to do some writing before I go to work.

Today is the last of the themed prompts. This year the theme was about blessing. One blessing that we are talking about, but also not mentioning this week, is the ease of access to books. We have access to a wide variety of printed books, and on top of that we also have eBooks and audiobooks. Personally, I'm blessed to be a woman with the education to read and write. In some parts of history and even still in some parts of the world today, I would not have had the opportunity to learn those skills. Tangent about education for women out of the way, I should get into today's theme which I know might be considered controversial to call it a blessing. This blog is all about family!


For today's book I wanted to make sure I had both blood family and found family represented. I even have a fake family, that might just be the realest one on this list. Family can feel like blessing, but it can also feel like a curse. I had some trouble finding more modern books about blood relatives that are positive examples of family. Although, all these stories represent what it truly means to be family, both the good and the hard. 

1. The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer

This is a Gothic-historical-mystery. After Fiona's divorce is finalized and her kids are at college, she decides she wants a fresh start renovating her late uncle's hundred-year-old manner. On the dining room table, she finds a package filled with books, all of them the same title. Her uncle was a writer and passed along the joys of reading, so it only feels fitting that she honors him by reading the book, that he must have wanted to share since he had a couple dozen copies. She reads the story of a young woman stuck in an abusive relationship and a writer caring for his very ill sister. Two strangers who meet at a diner. She discovers strangle parallels. Including the fact her rural Austrian town and uncle's manner are in the book. Content warnings: language, domestic abuse, violence, grief, death, and a haunted house *SPOILER* it is not supernaturally haunted.

The Story Keeper is one of the best books I have read this year. It is a dual narrative, fifty years apart. What starts as a confusing mystery soon turns into a tapestry of one story that helps Fiona better understand her distant mother, the uncle who raised her, and her cousin who refuses to step foot into the old, haunted manner. It is a story about family by marriage, by blood, and by choice. In this story the found family is so close they might as well be a real family. The ending was so beautiful I cried, and it finishes with author's note on the research she did to depict a specific type of domestic abuse, coercive control as well as valuable resources for those who want to learn more or need assistance. 

2. The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

The Escape Game is a reality show where teenagers team up to compete in escape room challenges to win prizes. Last season during the finale Sierra found her sister's body in her team's locked room challenge. This season, she's back for the truth, because everyone believes that she killed her sister. She's paired up with Adi a cryptographer with Hollywood ties, Carter a math whiz-social media influencer, and Beck who's an expert puzzle maker and want to be a game master. Each has their own reason for being there and enough secrets to fill an escape room. When someone starts filling the escape room games with clues to Sierra's sister's killer, they have to stay in the game if they want to expose the truth. Content warnings: Language, grief, violence, kisses, one character is drugged, mentions s*x between an 18-year-old and someone much older, and LGBTQ+ characters: Beck is trans.

Following all four kids, this story starts with themes of family as Sierra finds her sister's body, and throughout the story we learn about the ups and downs of each of the kid's families. However, the focus really is on found family as they grow from a reluctant team put together by a reality TV show to friends who will do anything for each other. Throughout the adventure it was interesting and fast paced. What stands out most to me was the characters and their relationships with each other.

3. Spy X Family, Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo

Two fictional nations are at war, and Twilight is a superspy-master of disguise. His mission is to go undercover in enemy territory. To blend in he must assemble a fake family. Adopting a young girl, Anya should get him closer to his target, who also has a kid. Anya has a secret, she's a telepath. While he looks for an illegible wife, a single woman with a stable job and quiet life, he meets Yor. Working as an admin assistant is city hall makes her the perfect candidate, only she is actually an assassin. Now the three of them have to balance their domestic family life with secrets and missions. Content warnings: Language, war, and graphic violence. Subsequent volumes deal with other difficult themes.

My sisters showed me the anime of this manga graphic novel, and after watching a couple of episodes, I had to read the books. It is hilarious and heartfelt as they character navigate secrets and lies as well as family dinners and school pick up lines. The series has stories focused both on spy missions and family life. Twilight adopts Anya and raises her as his own. Yor truly plays the role of stepmother to the best of her abilities. Although Twilight and Yor are respectful of each other's privacy, pretending to be a couple in public they have slowly budding feeling for each other. This fake family may be a far realer family than most.

4. Lost Brother: Book Two in the Lost Mystery Trilogy (The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers) 

Frank and Joe were camping in the wildness investigating a string of missing children. In the previous book they received ominous threats outside their tent. Each morning, they saw a new letter spelling the word L-O-S-T. When Joe returned from an emergency trip into town, Frank was missing. Now he's on his own, unsure who trust as he hunts for his lost brother. It's difficult to describe the sequel without giving too much away but if you would like to start with the first book, it's Children of the Lost. Book two is my favorite in the trilogy. Content warnings: Mild language, peril, non-graphic violence, missing children, and *Mild Spoiler* kids are drugged against their will. 

It's basically a tradition that I share a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book on Friday. I picked this one because "Brother" is in the title. It is also one of my favorite Hardy Boys books from my childhood. When I was putting this list together, I struggled to find recent books that painted family in a good light. From the beginning, this series was about both brothers working as a team to solve mysteries. Frank and Joe may have their squabbles, but they always have each other's back. This book is a great example of what blood family can and should mean to each other.

5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Last but not least is a classic tale of family, Little Women is about four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy as they grow up. The book is filled with each girl facing her own challenges and learning the joy and privilege of getting to walk in life along with a loving family. Readers have noticed the absence of the father, as in the story he is off fighting in the civil war. This book is semi-autobiographical; it's known that Alcott didn't have a very good relationship with her father. I don't remember the specifics. You can read a bit about her on Britannica. Content warnings: Peril, old fashioned language and terms some might find offensive, and kissing (I think), but mostly when the girls are older.

When I think about stories with families to learn from, I think of these sisters and their mother. I read this one in high school. It was one of the few books I actually read from cover to cover. Since the different chapters can also standalone as short stories, I've reread a few chapters since, but I think my mom sold our (her) copy recently when she was cleaning up the old homeschool stuff. It would definitely be worth the reread as I'm a little rusty of the specifics of the story.

Conclusion

Here are five of my favorite books about family. I read Lost Brother back in 2010 when it came out, and I listened to The Story Keeper back in July this year. Over the last sixteen years, I've read several books about family, and these are some of the best. Amongst these pages are admirable examples of what family should be for each other. None of the families are perfect, some aren't even real families, but the difference they make in each other's lives has an impact. That is something readers can take away from these stories. 

I copied last year's Friday blog as my template all week. so, I have been rereading the closing all week. So, to quote last year, "As with all of the categories this year, the challenge was to find books that I felt fit the daily theme, and I have had so much fun pulling together these lists. I admit tomorrow's theme is less about finding the absolute best of 2025 2026, and more about making sure I don't miss talking about any of my favorite recent reads." I don't think I could have said it better myself. 😉

Thanks for reading! Check out the other bloggers' posts, enter the giveaway and if you are on Instagram, please follow me to keep up on all my reading and blogging. Links for all of those are below. Thank you to our hosts Katja and Kate. I might be biased, but Team Mouse, Bella, Kate, Meagan, and Virgina are the best and you should totally check out their blogs. I hope to see you all for one final post tomorrow.

Hosted by Kate from Once Upon an Ordinary and Katja from Little Blossoms for Jesus!

Check out all the other Fall Favorites of Mouse!

Bella: E. G. Bella

Kate: Once Upon an Ordinary

Meagan: Blooming with Books

Skai: Inspirational Skai

Virginia: Books by Virginia

I love meeting new booklovers! Best way to do that is to follow me Instagram: @Skai_BooksAndBracelets
Read Monday's blog here: Day 1 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Community/Neighborhood
Read Tuesday's blog here: Day 2 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Traditions
Read Wednesday's blog here: Day 3 | Five Fall Favourites: 2026: Hobbies
Read Thursday's blog here: Day 4 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Arts

Don't forget to enter the annual Five Fall Favourites Giveaway! This year there is a US prize and an international prize. See full rules and exclusions at the link to enter.


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Thursday, September 24, 2026

Day 4 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Arts

Wow! Can you believe it's already ready Thursday? This week has flown by. My TBR pile is now, so tall it's about to topple over. Well, not literally, it's in notebooks and Goodreads, so it won't fall. I have had so much fun checking out everyone else's recommendations.

Thank you for coming back to read another Five Fall Favourites. Today's theme is perhaps my favorite of this week's themes. Two of today's books are ones that I was surprised I have yet to share. I read those titles back when I was a teen or young twenty-year-old. And if there is a type of character that I can easily relate to because of similar interests, it's this one.


Today's theme is Arts. Since I was kid, I've loved being hands on and creative. All of today's books features characters who are artists. A variety of different types of arts are represented. These books feature actors, writers, singers, musicians, illustrators, poets, and filmmakers. Here are today's Five Fall Favourites!

1. Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle

I can't remember how old I was when I read Famous in Love, but it released in 2014. I was in high school dreaming of being an actor. When I picked up this book about a girl who was just an average high schooler, when a nationwide casting call lands her the lead role in the hottest teen book being made into a movie, I was enthralled. Pagie Townsend has to navigate fame, working in a high-pressure industry and young love as the world watches. Content warning: Language, kissing and foreplay, underaged drinking, and LGBTQ+ characters.

Books do something magical when readers get to live vicariously through the characters. For a teenager who grew up watching Disney Channel and Hunger Games and dreaming of what it would be like to be a professional actor, this book felt like it was written just for me. Rebecca Serle has written several popular adult novels since but this book and its sequel will always hold a special place in my heart.

2. With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer

This book is the sequel to Instant Karma, but it can be read alone. It follows Pru's twin brother Jude as he gains phenomenal luck when he finds a ruby red 20-sided die. When his luck wins him a pair of concert tickets to see his crush's favorite musician he asks her out. With luck on his side, he finds the courage to send his art to magazines to have it published. However, luck might just be the thing that pulls him away from his closest friends, including Ari, Pru's best friend who has always been there supporting Jude. Content warnings: language, kissing, fantasy violence, magic (with no magical system explanation), and LGBTQ+ characters.

So much happens in With a Little Luck. I don't really want to give too much away, and if I keep talking about it, I will. This is a sweet romance with a little bit of magic, but nothing paranormal. The two main characters are both artists. Jude is an illustrator who draws comics and writes D and D campaigns. The book even includes a few comic book-like sections that are glimpses into Jude's mind. Ari is a singer-songwriter. Her songwriting is written on the page throughout the books showing her feelings.

3. Famous Anonymous by Morgan Baden

Four neighbors spend their first night home alone and accidentally become a viral social media sensation. Middle schoolers Harper, Luke, Sophie, and Gus have been neighbors since they were little, but now in middle school, they've started to go their separate ways with their different activities and friend groups. When they post a zany video bringing to life characters in a popular video game, they go viral overnight. Now, they have to navigate their secret stardom, in addition to the challenges of navigating middle school. Content warnings: Mild language, kids on social media without parents' permission, and LGBTQ+ parents, but there's no romance between the kids.

I don't read much middle grade fiction, but this novel was advertised as "Hannah Montana" for the social media generation. This early 2000s kid had to read it for herself. Each of the four kids takes turns narrating chapters and each has a distinct personality and voice. Harper is known for being unfocused and not sticking with new hobbies and activities very long. While her brother Gus has centered his life around soccer and only recently discovered his interest in writing. Their neighbors are Luke and Harper. Luke is autistic; it's part of his character and causes complications, but it feels realistic and should be relatable to kids. Finally, Harper is a thespian, wanting to be the lead in the school play. They are all unique characters, and each have their own arts they like. Creating social media content in and of itself is also an art.

4. The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

In this thriller, six mid-list authors are brought to one private island to spend three days writing the novel that could change their life. Aruthur Fletch was a bestselling author and was in the middle of writing the final book in his popular series before he died. Now each of these authors has a chance to finish the man's story, and the best ending will get a three-book deal with his publisher. 10,000 words in seventy-two hours sounds reasonable, but things get much more complicated when someone starts killing them off. Content warnings: Adult language, violence, major character death, kissing, sensual description, and LGBTQ+ characters. 

For the first half of this book, I was bored and confused. However, during the second half, I was hooked. I found it a five-star read that I can't stop talking about. All six authors, with the exception of writing duo, each was a writer is from a different genre. The book's authors play around well with tone and voice to capture the thoughts and writing styles of each of the different genres. It also pokes fun at writers and the publishing industry. Additionally, Evelyn Clarke is a penname for the writing duo of V. E. Schwab and Cat Clarke, I had not yet read anything by either of those authors, but this book makes me want to read some of their other titles.

5. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Recently Violet lost her twin sister in a car accident. Finch's life has spiraled out of control since his parent's divorce. Although long time classmates, they meet atop the school's bell tower. Together they embark on a project to see their state as a tourist. They discover all the bright places. This is a story of grief, mental health, and growing up. Both beautiful and heartbreaking, this is a book that can be both cathartic and triggering. Please check the content warnings before you start to read it. Content warnings: language, underage drinking, drugs, kissing (I can't remember if there is more, but I know it wasn't explicit), mental health, grief, depression, mentions self-harm and s*icide.

To start I should share a little of the backstory of this book, the Jennifer Niven wrote it as she was processing her own grief after she discovered the body of a friend. It does not shy away from heavy, hard topics and is difficult to read. I spent about two years reading it off-and-on because I would put it down when it got too heavy. It fits today's theme since Violet is a poet and Finch is a musician. For both of them on good days they love their art, on tough days they find comfort from it. Art can be really very therapeutic, however if you do need actual mental health assistance, please reach out to a health care professional. Anywhere in the US you can dial 988 for mental health resources or in an emergency dial 911.

Conclusion

When I initially choose to finish with All the Bright Places, I didn't expect to finish on such a heavy note. As I close, I should probably include a disclaimer that I am NOT a licensed therapist, and I am NOT qualified to offer mental health advice. However sometimes all we need is a friend. If you find me on Instagram my DMs are open. When I say on this blog that I love making new bookish friends, I mean it.

As someone who is very artsy myself, I love reading about artists in books. Today the hardest part was narrowing this list down to five books about artists. I tried hard to make sure that many different types of art were represented. This list has musicians, writers, illustrators, actors and social media content creators. Do you do any arts? Or do you have any favorite books featuring artists? I have play rehearsal again tonight, so I will read as many blogs as I can afterwards, but I wasn't able to get to all of them on Tuesday. I'm expecting it to be about the same today.

Would you believe that tomorrow is Friday? This week as flown by. Please do come back tomorrow. a couple of my favorite reads of the year are on tomorrow's list. I will be talking about both the family we are born into and the families we make, real and fake.

Thanks for reading! If you haven't entered the drawing yet, what are you doing? There is a link below. Also check out all the other fabulous blogs. Bella, Kate, Meagan, and Virgina (TEAM MOUSE) are killing it with their book recs this week. Finally, I would like to give a big thanks to the amazing hosts Kate and Katja.

Hosted by Kate from Once Upon an Ordinary and Katja from Little Blossoms for Jesus!

Check out all the other Fall Favorites of Mouse!

Bella: E. G. Bella

Kate: Once Upon an Ordinary

Meagan: Blooming with Books

Skai: Inspirational Skai

Virginia: Books by Virginia

I love meeting new booklovers! Best way to do that is to follow me Instagram: @Skai_BooksAndBracelets
Read Monday's blog here: Day 1 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Community/Neighborhood
Read Tuesday's blog here: Day 2 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Traditions
Read Wednesday's blog here: Day 3 | Five Fall Favourites: 2026: Hobbies
Read Thursday's blog here: Day 4 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Arts

Don't forget to enter the annual Five Fall Favourites Giveaway! This year there is a US prize and an international prize. See full rules and exclusions at the link to enter.


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Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Day 3 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Hobbies

Guys! It's day three of Five Fall Favourites! This week always flies by so fast. My TBR is rapidly growing. I've thought about making a "Ten Before the End" of 2026 list. With all these new TBR additions, I actually might need to just to keep up with all of the recommendations.

So far this week, I've shared mostly new books. Today I'm going to flip that and share mostly book's I read a while back, only one of today's titles is one that I read at the end of last year. Here are five titles that I'm very excited to share. I don't really read many nature books, so when I was trying to figure out what books to share, I decided what I wanted to write about instead the books that I like to use for my hobbies. By the end of this blog, you will know so much more about me and my hobbies.


For the last two years, on Wednesday I've shared non-fiction titles. This is my third year participating in Five Fall Favorites. The first year, it was my choice, Then the second year it was the genre prompt. For my third FFF it felt like I should keep up the tradition. (See how cleverly I called back to yesterday's blog. If you haven't read it, there is a link down at the bottom.) So, here are five non-fiction (factual) titles that I use for my different hobbies.

1. Friendship Bracelets 101: Fun to Make, Wear, and Share! (Design Originals) Step-by-Step Friendship Bracelet Patterns for Beginners, Kids, and Teens - Make Knotted Embroidery Floss Jewelry by Suzanne McNeil

Here a book simple enough to teach kids how to make friendship bracelets. It's filled with several different patterns and illustrated diagrams that show the order to make them. I had done some macramé before trying my hand at this book. I think I started making them when I was in sixth or seventh grade. I've made friendship bracelets on-and-off ever since. I started again after college and when I launched a Bookstagram where I share friendship bracelets beside books, I knew this was going to be a regular hobby again. I keep saying I'm going to launch some sort of online store, but for now I've only been selling these in person. If I have any updates, I will share on this blog. 

2. Finish Your First Novel: A No-Bull Guide to Actually Completing Your First Draft by Char Anna

This is the one nonfiction titles on this list, that I read last year. I have been doing to Novel Writing challenge in November for the last few years. Last year I didn't finish 50,000 words goal, but I had finished the last several years. Honestly my computer is full of messy first drafts, I'm not sure how to clean them up. I encountered Char Anna's book and realized it gives a very clear and easy to follow recipe for a focused and well plotted first draft. Meaning, I should be able to write a less messy first draft. She starts with creating characters and exploring themes for the book well before starting to draft. As I've tried to go back and read my pervious first drafts, I've found the most difficult part reading to less for little edit and more to refine the story. This book is written help writers prevent that trap. (If anyone has great editing or rewriting book recommendations, please share those in the comments.)

3. Waiting in the Wings: How to Launch Your Performing Career on Broadway and Beyond by Tiffany Haas with Jenna Glatzer

When I decided to put together a nonfiction list about books that I use for my hobbies, I had to think about which book to share for this hobby. I've always loved stories and acting to me has always been a special way to bring them to life. I read this title back during 2020, after I had performed in 7-week long community theater show of Murder on the Nile. The show ran in January and February then closed right before my hometown shut down. After that high, I wanted to imagine what a career in acting would look like. This book is primarily about the business but touches on the craft. Presently, I'm rehearsing for community theatre production of Shakespear's Much Ado About Nothing, and again I am dreaming about what a career as an actor might look like. Maybe it's time for me to pick this book up again. It is filled with many interesting and a few cautionary tales about the realities of an often-glamourized business.

4. Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book? by Ally Carter

While Finish Your Novel is more of a practical how-to look at writing Dear Ally is more like an anthology of writing thoughts complied by a very accomplished Young Adult author. It's the perfect for teens who would like a peek into writing as a career. In each chapter she answers a different question about writing. Some of the chapters focus on the craft while others focus on the business and career aspects. I also read this title during 2020, by the time lockdown was over I was basically sure I wanted a career as a writer and actor. However, for now those are hobbies. This book is filled with interviews and tips from many other authors of young adult and middle grade books. It's perfect for teens (and adults) who would like a glimpse into the world of writing children's books.

5. Bastien Piano Basics: Piano Primer Level by James Bastien

When I started learning piano as a child, this was my first piano book. After college I was looking for ways to do music professionally, and substitute my income, so I started teaching piano. I use this book for my beginner students. I would highly recommend this book for teaching piano to kids. It starts kids playing the piano right away by numbering fingers and giving diagrams of hand positions. Gradually, it starts teaching kids how to read and play the notes. When I'm teaching, I also supplement it with flashcards and manipulatives to reinforce note reading. My most advanced student is now a fourth-year piano student working on Level 3. We've used this series since the beginning, so I can confirm can be used for teaching kids for the long term.

Conclusion

So, those are five of my favorite books for four of my different hobbies. The hobbies are writing, acting, making friendship bracelets, and teaching piano. All of these books I have read from cover to cover and enjoyed. Practically speaking, I have used the friendship bracelet book and the piano book, but I have not put into practice all the advice in the other three. I found them fascinating and encouraging books to support my hobbies and I hope others find them useful too.

If you have been reading since Monday, we are now halfway done. If you still have not entered the giveaway, the link is below. As well as links to our fabulous hosts and the other bloggers on Team Mouse. Go team Mouse! Check out all the hard work and care they are putting into their book recommendations.

Thank you again, and please come back tomorrow. I will be sharing another five book recommendations from my favorites. Tomorrow's list features two books that I read long before I started doing Five Fall Favourites and honestly, I was shocked when I didn't see them on a previous blog. I am excited to share those with everyone.

Hosted by Kate from Once Upon an Ordinary and Katja from Little Blossoms for Jesus!

Check out all the other Fall Favorites of Mouse!

Bella: E. G. Bella

Kate: Once Upon an Ordinary

Meagan: Blooming with Books

Skai: Inspirational Skai

Virginia: Books by Virginia

I love meeting new booklovers! Best way to do that is to follow me Instagram: @Skai_BooksAndBracelets
Read Monday's blog here: Day 1 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Community/Neighborhood
Read Tuesday's blog here: Day 2 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Traditions
Read Wednesday's blog here: Day 3 | Five Fall Favourites: 2026: Hobbies
Read Thursday's blog here: Day 4 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Arts

Don't forget to enter the annual Five Fall Favourites Giveaway! This year there is a US prize and an international prize. See full rules and exclusions at the link to enter.


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Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Day 2 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Traditions

Welcome to day two of the Five Fall Favourites. I had so much fun checking out everyone's recommendations yesterday and my giant TBR pile has grown exponentially, well metaphorically speaking, not mathematically speaking. Today is Tuesday, so tonight I will be very busy with rehearsal. I'll try to get to read as many as possible today, but I will likely have to come back later to properly go through all the recs.

Yesterday's blog was a variety of different books all featuring communities that make an impact. For today, I had to reflect back on my own life to find books that all fit with "tradition."


When I first saw the prompt "traditions" for today, I had no idea how to connect it to books. So, I had to get creative and think about what "traditions" means to me. Personally, I don't see myself as someone set in tradition. Maybe it is because I've experienced a lot of change in recent years, but I don't feel like I have many traditions. Then I thought about my faith as a tradition, so I decided to let the prompt influence the genre I chose to share today. All five of today's books are Christian fiction. I like it when in stories characters allow their beliefs to influence actions. These main characters in all allow their faith tradition to help guide their behavior and choices. This list has many different types of books represented. It has romance, thriller, sci-fi, contemporary young adult, and children's fantasy. Let's get into the recommendations. 

1. Spies, Lies, & Alibis by Natalie Walters

Cybil knew Ben as her cousin's childhood best friend, so when she meets him as an adult only his name is Miles and he's a financial investor for a crime lord, she knows something is wrong. Only she's too busy spying on her boss, a real estate mogul with shady connections, to deal with Ben. Ben is really an undercover FBI agent looking for evidence to bring down a criminal empire. Both keeping secrets, Ben and Cybil pretend they've never met before, but as the situation grows increasingly dangerous, they will have to work together to stay alive. Content warning: mild language, violence, kissing and Christian values. 

Honestly, this is less of a Christan fiction book and more of a book where both main characters just happen to be Christians. It's a clean romance with lot of witty banter and hilarious high-stakes hijinks. For me, it was a good time of secret identities and spies. I hope this author writes more in this series because, these characters were just so fun.

2. There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

Finlay has struggled with panic attacks, depression and eating disorders since her brother's death. She hopes that spending her senior year in her brother's favorite place, Ireland might help her rediscover her faith, like it helped him. Before she arrives in Ireland, she meets Hollywood star, Beckett Rush on the airplane. He's known as a playboy, and the last thing a troubled girl trying to clean up her act needs. Only he's staying at the bed and breakfast her host family runs while he's in Ireland shooting a movie. Beckett offers to be her tour guide as Finlay follows the journey in her brother's travel notebook. Content warnings: mild language, kissing, mental illness including grief, depression, eating disorders, and mentions s*icide, and Christian views.

I tried reading this book last year, but then I watched the movie based off this book, and I lost interest. The movie while cute, following the plot, but it barely touches on Finlay's internal struggles with grief, mental illness, and insecurity. I was glad I waited to read the book until this year. I would not have been ready for it last year. While the movie was more about the love story and finding herself, the book was about struggling to keep her faith through the bad and the good. I found it overall a stronger, more impactful journey.

3. When the Day Come by Gabrielle Meyer

Libby lives two lives simultaneously. When she goes to sleep in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg, she wakes up in 1914 Gilded age New York City, and when she goes to sleep in 1914, she wakes up in 1774. On her twenty-first birthday she will have to give up one life. In Williamsburg she lives a simple life as a public printer helping her family keep the business afloat after her father's death. While in New York, she's amongst lives among the upper-class. She feels so much more love and meaning in her 1774 lifetime, but the schemes of her 1914 mother may put that at risk and make her choice considerably harder. Content warnings: some language, kissing, r*pe without any explicit descriptions, violence, major character death and Christan views.

This description was so hard to write without giving too much away. I hardly ever enjoy historical fiction, but this sci-fi twist made it into a high-stake adventure, as she lives her lives and wrestles with her belief in God's sovereignty. This book has two wars, romance, and science fiction. I can't say more without giving stuff away, but for readers who enjoy historical fiction, war stories, romance, or science fiction, especially readers who love "genre blends," this book is for you.


4. Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham

Katie is a travel writer who since her sister's death hasn't wanted to put down roots anywhere. Graeme is a Scotsman, loyal to his family and their ancestorial home. Katie is spending three weeks staying in the recently renovated Scottish manor Craighill House at their Edwardian experience trial run to write about it ahead of its grand opening. Quickly her travel blog is taken over by her awkward adventures and misadventures with Graeme, and her #HotScot adventures might just earn her a coveted editor position. Content warnings: mild language, grief, kissing and Christan views.

When I started this book, it was slow, there was so much backstory and history. As the story unfolded it was a beautiful reflection on grief and continuing to live. This story was a contemporary romance full of funny moments and lovable characters. My favorite characters were Graeme's young nephew and his dog. This one was about characters returning to their family traditions as well as to their faith.

5. Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is a modern Christian fiction classic. During WWII four siblings are sent to live in a manor in the English countryside. Peter, Susan, Edward and Lucy discover a wardrobe that leads to another land where it's always winter, an evil witch opresses the land, and the return of a lion is fabled to be their salvation. This beloved allegorical tale has entertained and informed for generations. Content warning: violence, peril, major character death, and Christan views.

I first read this story as a kid and when I decided to write this blog on my favorite Christian fiction books, it felt like the right traditional book to finish with. All the Chronicles of Narnia books are a tradition that I hope to one day pass down. 

Conclusion

I hope everyone enjoyed five of my favorite fiction books that follow my faith tradition. Four of the books were ones that I read earlier this year. At least one of them, I found because of a previous Five Fall Favourites recommendation. For readers who enjoy a clean romance with zero spice and all the chemistry, I would recommend any of the romance books on this list. Do you have any other great Christan fiction books you would recommend?

Thank you for reading today. Remember to check out all the other fabulous blogs, and if you haven't signed up for the drawing at the end of this week, do that too. Details are below.

For tomorrow's blog, I will be going rogue and doing one of the alternate prompts with my own twist, so please come back and see what five books I recommend. Hint: they are books that I frequently return to because they are a wealth of knowledge for my leisure activities.

Hosted by Kate from Once Upon an Ordinary and Katja from Little Blossoms for Jesus!

Check out all the other Fall Favorites of Mouse!

Bella: E. G. Bella

Kate: Once Upon an Ordinary

Meagan: Blooming with Books

Skai: Inspirational Skai

Virginia: Books by Virginia

I love meeting new booklovers! Best way to do that is to follow me Instagram: @Skai_BooksAndBracelets
Read Monday's blog here: Day 1 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Community/Neighborhood
Read Tuesday's blog here: Day 2 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Traditions
Read Wednesday's blog here: Day 3 | Five Fall Favourites: 2026: Hobbies
Read Thursday's blog here: Day 4 | Five Fall Favourites 2026: Arts

Don't forget to enter the annual Five Fall Favourites Giveaway! This year there is a US prize and an international prize. See full rules and exclusions at the link to enter.



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