Another TBR Update: 20 Books I've Recently Discovered - Mommy The Journalist

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Another TBR Update: 20 Books I've Recently Discovered

I just can't seem to stop myself from adding books to my TBR pile!

I know, I know. It hasn't been long at all since I shared my Fall Reading List of twenty books I'd like to read over the next few months, but if you think those are the only titles I've added to my list recently, you clearly don't know me very well.

I currently have 264 samples in my Kindle library and have borrowed 15 of the allowable 20 KU titles. My digital library holds are currently maxed out, and my wish list there is steadily growing.

It's not even that I'm always actively looking for new things to read. Every day I get emails about books and ads about books in my social feeds, and I just can't help myself. If it sounds interesting, I download a sample or add it to my wish list.

I think I've said it before, but it definitely bears repeating. Reading books and looking for books are two completely separate hobbies, and there is simply not enough time to read all the books in the world that are worth reading.

So here are 20 books I've recently discovered and added to my never-ending, always growing TBR list.


The First Witch of Boston

Author: Andrea Catalano

This is a historical fiction book based on the true story of the first woman to be found guilty of witchcraft in Massachusetts. Margaret Jones and her husband, Thomas, arrive in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1646 ready to start a new life, but Margaret's bold and unguarded nature soon draws unwanted attention in the strict and suspicious Puritan community.


Call of the Camino

Author: Suzanne Redfearn

Reina Watkins and Isabelle Vidal are each walking the ancient 500-mile Camino de Santiago trail in Spain. Reina is following in her late father's footsteps as she comes to terms with her past, while Isabelle is fleeing her boarding school in search of a promising new life.


Goodnight from Paris

Author: Jane Healey

This is another historical fiction book based on a true story. Y'all know I love these! Drue Leyton is an American film star living in Paris during World War II. When her husband is dispatched to Brittany, Drue accepts an opportunity with the French Resistance to broadcast radio programs to the U.S. in an attempt to rally America to action.


The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth

Author: Barbara O'Neal

Barbara O'Neal is one of my favorite authors, so I'm excited to read this one. Fresh from her divorce, Veronica Barrington accepts a position as travel companion to Mariah Ellsworth, whose Olympic career has just come to a halt due to injury. Grieving the death of her mother, Rachel, a lauded food writer, Mariah wants to trace the steps of her mother's final, unfinished project by following clues in Rachel's letters.


The Midnight Bookshop

Author: Amanda James

This book has really good reviews but a really brief blurb. I don't actually remember what made me add it to my TBR list -- probably an ad on one of my socials. Jo, Adelaide, and Kye are part of a midnight book club that shows them a single book can change everything.


American Sky

Author: Carolyn Dasher

During World War II, Georgeanne "George" Ector and Vivan Shaw take to the skies with the nearly-launched WASP program. But when the war ends, George and Vivian are expected to return to a traditional woman's life of marriage and children.


The Last Secret of Lily Adams

Author: Sara Blaydes

Seventy years after she disappeared from the Hollywood spotlight, Lily Adams has died, and her granddaughter, Carolyn, is sifting through the memorabilia of Lily's career. Carolyn finds a letter from her grandmother admitting a secret dealing with the murder of Lily's archrival, Stella Lane.


Summer of '69

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

The Levin siblings have spent every summer at their grandmother's historic Nantucket home, but in 1969, nothing is as expected. The oldest sister, Blaire, is stuck in Boston; middle sister, Kirby, is working at Martha's Vineyard while also participating in Civil Rights protests; only-son, Tiger, is deployed to Vietnam; and the youngest, 13-year-old Jessie, feels like an only child. Just like the Levin family, the nation is going through major changes.


One Dark Window

Author: Rachel Gillig

Elspeth sets out on a quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Her partner is none other than the king's nephew, Captain of the Destriers and guilty of high treason. The duo have until the Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards, but Elspeth is battling an internal Nightmare, a monster that is slowly taking over her mind.


The Phoenix Pencil Company

Author: Allison King

Monica Tsai's grandmother, Yun, survived two wars in China before moving to the United States. Now, her memory is fading, and Monica is determined to find Yun's long-lost cousin, Meng. During World War II, Yun and Meng worked for the Phoenix Pencil Company, where they learned of the special power women in their family possess: the ability to reforge a pencil's words. When the government learned their secret, they were forced into a life of espionage.


The Bookshop of Yesterdays

Author: Amy Meyerson

When her Uncle Billy dies, Miranda inherits his bookstore, Prospero Books. It's where she spent her childhood until she was 12, solving scavenger hunts her uncle designed just for her. Now, Miranda has returned home to Los Angeles and Prospero Books, determined to save the store and solve her uncle's final scavenger hunt.


The Art of Catching Feelings

Author: Alicia Thompson

Fresh off her divorce, Daphne heads to the baseball park where one too many beers results in her heckling one of the players until he cries. Horrified, Daphne reaches out to Chris on social media to apologize but forgets to identify herself as the heckler. Chris impulsively messages back, and the two start to develop a relationship...except Daphne still hasn't come clean about who she is.


The Winds from Further West

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Dr. Neil Anderson's life is going great. He's got a new job at the University of Edinburgh, and he's moved in with his girlfriend, Chrissie. Then he's accused of making insensitive comments and discovers a troubling secret about his relationship. So, he packs everything up and moves to the Isle of Mull off the coast of Scotland. Not long after Neil's arrival, two wolf cubs are brought to the island, stirring up controversy and leading Neil to the possibility of new beginnings.


Little Fires Everywhere

Author: Celeste Ng

When Mia and her teenage daughter, Pearl, move to Shaker Heights, Mia's mysterious past and disregard for the status quo threaten to upend the carefully ordered community. When one of the neighbors try to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle dramatically divides the town, leading Mia's landlord to obsessively try to uncover her secrets.


Assistant to the Villain

Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

What's interesting about this one, to me, is the fact that it started as a TikTok series, so I'm interested to see what all the buzz is about. Evie Sage is desperate for a job to support her ailing family, so when Rennedawn's most infamous villain makes an offer, she accepts. Pretty soon, Evie's falling for her boss, and when it becomes clear someone is sabotaging his work, she sets out to get to the bottom of it.


Under the Neon Lights

Author: Arriel Vinson

The roller rink is Jae's escape from reality. Her best friend has been distant, and her estranged father has shown back up in her life. Then, she meets Trey, and the summer seems to be changing for the better...until she learns that the rink is shutting down.


Booked for Murder

Author: P.J. Nelson

Madeline Brimley's life on the stage hasn't turned out as successful as she dreamed, so when her aunt leaves Madeline her bookstore, she heads back home to Georgia to restart her life. When she gets there, she faces unexpected challenges. Someone burns down the gazebo in the back yard, and she's getting late-night calls from someone threatening to burn down the entire store if she doesn't leave immediately. Determined not to be intimidated, Madeline ignores the threats. Then there's another fire and someone is killed inside the store.


Something in the Walls

Author: Daisy Pearce

Mina is a child psychologist with no experience, so when a journalist approaches her with a proposition, she says yes. Alice is a 13-year-old girl who claims she's being haunted by a witch. The town she lives in has a history of superstition and witchcraft. Not only is Mina trying to uncover the truth of Alice's condition, she also wants to understand the town's sinister traditions.


Nightbitch

Author: Rachel Yoder

Two years after putting her career on hold to be a stay-at-home mom, a woman discovers she's no longer altogether human. Seeking a cure for her canine-like condition at the library, she discovers A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography. She also meets a group of marketing-scheme moms who may be more than they seem.


The Ex Hex

Author: Erin Sterling

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones put a curse on her horrible boyfriend. She wasn't worried it would do more than give Rhys a bad day or two, but then he returns home and faces one calamity after another. Suddenly, the town is under attack from toys, a ghost, and a talking cat, and Vivienne realizes her little curse wasn't as harmless as she thought.

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