New beginnings

what's coming up in 2026

Dear readers,

Hope everyone is having a good start to the year. Lots to catch up on here, but before we begin I wanted to open with a book recommendation (of course!) but not just any book recommendation, but THE VERY BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN A LONG WHILE.

It was so good that I actually wrote a letter (hint!) to the author and her literary agent, and this is not something I usually do, and that alone is a testament to the power of this book.

I picked up The Correspondent by Virginia Evans and couldn’t put it down again until I finished it. I was floored by this book, and did not see that coming. It was a quiet read, and a lovely surprise. The last book to have moved me in such a way was Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, and if you know me in-real-life, or have been a reader here for a while, this is something you know about me.

Have you read The Correspondent? Please do write me and tell me. I want to hear everything.

For those who haven’t yet heard about The Correspondent, it is the exactly the kind of book you want to read right now: it’s about kindness, forgiveness, making sense of our world, and our place in it. It’s about a life well lived, and how even ‘a small life’ can make big impacts. And for us lovers of literature it’s an extra treat to read a book about books, and this one reminds me a bit of 84, Charing Cross Road in that way - the letters, the connections, the books! You’ll be adding to your TBR list as you read along with Sybil, a character who will stay with you long after you’ve read her last letter.

Another surprise this winter break was how much I enjoyed the television series adaptation of Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I had avoided the Apple TV production for the past two years because I loved the book so much, and didn’t want my love of the book to be tarnished in any way. Well friends, I’m happy to report that was not the case here at all. It was so good, like marathon-inducing good. I walked around with the characters in my head, and heart, long after the show ended. Let me know in the comments if you watched, and if you loved it as much as I did.

And saving the biggest surprise for last, well, this won’t come as much of a surprise to those of you long-time subscribers here who also follow our bookstore social media channels: we sold our beloved ‘pink house’, Curiosity House Books. The new owners have the keys effective this week. It’s an exciting time all around.

In a public letter to our loyal customers and community, I had announced the following:

It’s a special thing to be a caretaker for a beloved institution that has served book lovers for over 30 years, and for over a decade, we have taken this responsibility to heart…

…It has been our great privilege to care for Curiosity House Books for the past 11 years, and to now, be a part of its storied history, our names added to a long list of caretakers.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all of you, the best book loving bunch there ever was, and to our dedicated team of booksellers who help make Curiosity House Books such a special place.

We thank you for your support and for your loyalty over the years. Thank you for the stories, the connections, and the joy. It has been a wonderful decade.

Books bring people together, and for this, we will always be grateful.

New beginnings indeed.

I’m excited for what the future holds, and, in large part, in building this online community here of readers and writers.

What can you expect from this space going forward?

The same, but more of it.

More interviews with writers. More content on writing. More books. More engagement. More community.

I have a few plans for this space, including a new name, that I will announce shortly. Watch for the next newsletter. I hope you will continue to share this space with me.

I am so grateful to you all for your support, and readership, since I first launched this newsletter over a year ago. The community has tripled in size since we first started. Thank you for being here.

Books bring people together, and for this, I will always be grateful.

And I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a message, or say hi in the comments.