Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail

Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail by Early Swift (2026), 368 pages 

I seem to be on a kick of reading novels where middle-aged men revisit an adventure from their youth. Between Mississippi Solo, Walking with Sam and Up on Cove Mountain, I have found the latter to be the most interesting. BUT, if I was likely to actually undertake one of the three treks, it would definitely be the Camino de Santiago (then the Mississippi River with the Appalachian Trail a far third). Why? Because Swift does an excellent job of conveying just how hard and long the trail is. I cannot imagine doing it twice, with the second time being 66 years-old. Swift notes how the trail has changed over 34 years and how climate change has affected the availability of resources (especially water) for hikers. I learned a lot about how people hike the trail, trail culture, and what it means to thru-hike. I thought it meant you did the hike in one long fell-swoop. Apparently, it is not uncommon to leave the trail and come back many times and, as long as you complete it within a year, you are considered a thru-hiker. Swift also touches upon a tragedy that happened during his first thru-hike: the murder of a young couple on the trail. He had interacted a few times with this couple and their murder shocked him and the otherwise insular AT community. While this is an interesting sub-plot, the majority of the book is devoted to what it means to hike the trail and the self-discovery it brings along the way.

The Midnight Special

 The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music by Colin Asher, 336 pages, © 2026

This was a great book, just nominated as a finalist for a National Book award. At first glance it seems like this might be a book about great albums inspired by prison but it's actually more of a mediation on policing and incarceration in America and how those systems influence and gatekeep artistic expression. Asher narrows the focus down to five artists, each from a different time period and genre, diving into each person's background and how they came to be ensnared in the carceral system--with the exception of Johnny Cash. Cash's story is the middle of the book as an intentional counterpoint to the other stories as it may surprise readers to learn that he spent less then a week in jail his entire life. Unlike artists like Tupac and Leadbelly, who were forced to rely on their criminal public personas to book performances and sell records, Cash was not beholden to his outlaw persona, despite having similar personal problems as the others in this book--he could always pivot to something else, like supporting Native American rights or singing gospel music--black artists often did not have that luxury. Elmo Hope was an incredible jazz pianist who fell into drugs and, because of New York City's insane Cabaret Card law (which was a legal way of criminalizing black jazz musicians), spent time in Riker's Island, where he recorded an album with the prison band. Perhaps the most unknown artist in the book is Ike White, the only one actually guilty of committing a violent crime. His natural talents as a musician were enough to attract the attention of larger celebrities who were invested in the prison reform movement of the 60s and 70s. He used that interest to help him  record an album in prison, which is now considered a lost soul record. Highly recommended. 

A Divided Duty

A Divided Duty by Seanan McGuire, 400 pages.

 

Toby Daye is finding a new normal in her makeshift family after her baby was born, a normal which may be upended as Rayseline Torquill original term of offense runs up and her mother tries desperately to pull her from October's home (where she has friends and a therapist) to her own domain. Raysel does in fact find herself kidnapped, and Toby has to return to the dark shadows of her past to get her back.

 

This is the 20th book in the October Daye series, and honestly it was mostly fine. I feel like it really needed another pass with the editors. Most of the book felt like rising action, and the payoff felt underwhelming, leaving the pacing sort of lackluster. It's not a terrible book, but if this was the quality of the earlier entries I probably never would have gotten into the series. 

Back After This

 

Back After This by Linda Holmes (2025) 304 pages

Cecily is a producer of audio podcasts for a company that sees its business model failing. Her boss, Toby, sees an opportunity to bring out a series that will help right the sinking ship. Cecily hasn't had a relationship since her last boyfriend dumped her, taking their shared podcast with him. She is being asked to work with relationship coach Eliza Cassidy on a series that will have Eliza setting Cecily up with 20 dates in order to find her a husband. Advertisers are lined up to support this program. It is not what Cecily really wants to do, but she agrees because she will be hosting, it will help save the job of one of her colleagues, and Toby has agreed to let her make a pilot for her own project after this is done.

As the series gets underway, Cecily runs into a guy she doesn't know, and helps him corral a Great Dane who had gotten away from his owner. Later she sees this guy, Will, again and again. He has had his own relationship woes, but he's funny and thoughtful and she is drawn to him, but knows that she needs to take the dating project seriously.

The characterizations are good and the dialogue feels real and is often funny. Readers get the inside scoop on audio project details from the author, who works for NPR. I liked the novel a lot, just as I liked a previous novel of Holmes', Evvie Drake Starts Over.

The Things We Never Say

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (2026), 224 pages

I am not sure what to say about this book. I see what Strout was going for; Artie a middle-aged teacher struggles with his life, current political conditions, and what the future entails, but feel she really missed the mark. The book was almost painful to read as it clunkily tried to tackle big issues without garnering a whole lot of compassion and, really, any interest in the characters. I suspect the book would have been more compelling if Strout had written more and deep-dived some of the story lines. As is, it reads as a person trying to get their anger at the current state of the world out too fast and coming across frustrated and malcontent. I would pass on this if I was you.

I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell

 I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell by Mackenzie Reed, 352 pages. 

Brie has felt like a ghost of herself since her parents' deaths, living a sort of sad life as the receptionist for an insurance company, watching reality TV with her favorite coworker (and only friend), and nursing a small crush on her hot boss. But when she sees said boss performing an exorcism on a coworker after work hours, right before her friend and a rash of other women vanish, she forces her way into the rescue mission to hell. 

I'm afraid I wasn't impressed by this one. It's so aggressively by-the-numbers that it felt almost mass produced. Perhaps it's because I'm a little particular about my romance novels, but I found myself rolling my eyes pretty constantly, and some neat set pieces couldn't make up for a weak plot and prose that was very fine. Maybe read this if you want the most expected of romances, but honestly there are better things out there.

Serious Music by Percival Everett

Serious music by Percival Everett, 304 pages. This will be published on March 2, 2027.

Arthur is an African American music major and aspiring composer when circumstances lead him and his friends to serve in WWI. He returns to New York and Washington DC, where he uses his musical talents to fight racial injustice in unvonventional ways. This is standard Percival Everett, with plenty of "what might have been" alternate history and satirized people and institutions. It's not necessary to understand music theory to enjoy the book, but an appreciation for it definitely helps us understand Arthur and how he sees the world.

This was pretty good, at times beautifully written. The first third or so of the book is one of the best WWI narratives I've read (which admiitedly is not many). I'm definitely glad that I read it, though I found it really similar James and some other things I've read. If you like this one or James, I recommend a Everett's collection of western short stories Half and Inch of Water, which is sadly overlooked.

Japanese Gothic

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker, 352 pages

In one house, 150 years apart, two young adults are living through their own horror stories. In 1877, Sen is a young female samurai, hiding from the imperial forces when her father takes a monstrous turn, placing her between the danger of her father and the soldiers, either one of whom could kill her whole family. In 2026, Lee has retreated to the same house with no recollection of why or how he killed his roommate, but sure that his father's new home will provide sanctuary from investigators half a world away. When the two meet, they discover that they may be able to help each other, whether it's through searching the archives to find out how and when Sen's family died or helping Lee sort through his untrustworthy memory.

The idea of this book is really interesting, and I thought it played out well. It was definitely atmospheric and creepy at times, and there was true horror as the falsehoods were stripped away. I don't know that it's the best example of the horror genre, as the plot beats were a bit too predictable, but it was definitely an enjoyable read.

The 10:12

The 10:12 by Anna Maloney, 320 pages

Retired art professor Claire was on the titular train between Manchester and London when it was hijacked by a group of armed men. When she encounters one of the hijackers near the restroom, she's faced with a choice: stand by passively or fight back. Claire chose to fight, and for the first half of the book, we have a fast-paced thriller akin to Speed in a train. But once the train reaches London, the pace slows down as Claire navigates the legal proceedings afterward in which she is seen as both a hero and a villain, depending on who's talking. It's an interesting way of presenting a hijack story, and one that I'm not sure I fully enjoyed, especially with the rapid slowdown. Meh.

This book will be published Oct. 20, 2026.

Fallow

 Fallow by Sarah Anderson, 336 pages

Natalie hates working, so when a nurse at the blood bank mentions an experimental job opportunity to be a corporate surrogate with large compensation, she is thrilled. The contract is "simple", Natalie must deliver 7 babies in 10 years for high level women at The Company, so they can have the benefits of motherhood without pregnancy interrupting their work. The benefits seem endless, as Natalie gets to live in a luxury condo with a chef, a housekeeper, a personal trainer and premium healthcare, all provided by the company. In addition, she receives bonus compensation for certain things, like having a natural birth. Between pregnancies, she enjoys her time off and spends the money she earns on things like luxury coats and spa trips. Natalie finally likes working. During her last pregnancy, almost at the finish line of her contract, an unexpected employee issue arises, and everything falls apart. There is really not much else I can say without spoiling it. 

This book is divided into three parts, and I was so invested in the first two parts. The third part is where things started to put me off a bit, as it takes a strange turn and it feels like a completely different book and a completely different main character. The third part was still engaging, and I would still recommend this book, just not what I expected.