For your to-read stack:
some recommendations
It’s fair to say after ten years of publishing, I know a lot of people who write books — some of these folks are full time writers and speakers, some hold non-writing-related full time jobs, and some are somewhere in between those two. For awhile I thought maybe I’d try to be one of those full time writers, but, turns out it’s pretty tough to make enough money to live on and support a family without taking on lots and lots of speaking gigs, and that’s just not a good use of this quiet introvert’s energy. Fortunately I’m mostly satisfied with the work I do that is unrelated to writing books1 and/or pitching articles to various other publications.
2026 is the first year I am not releasing a book of my own since 2015, so that feels a little odd. But it’s time for a break, especially when it comes to the promotional component of publishing. Writing a book takes a lot of energy. And releasing a book and then promoting it to the public takes quite a bit more energy of a different sort. I’d guess many of my writerly colleagues would agree that marketing and PR and doing social media posts and giving interviews and writing pitches for op eds and lining up book events can be fairly exhausting work. These days even if you publish with one of the “Big 5” publishers2, much of this work still falls on the author. You can, of course, hire your own publicist, but that is an added (rather large3) expense that many folks aren’t able to take on.
Anyway, all this to say, I have several writing colleagues and friends who have released or will release new books this winter and spring, so it’s time to help them spread the word. The books that follow are all very different, but they are all well worth a look as you diversify your bookshelf and support indie authors and presses.
So, here we go. We’ll do this in order of publication date.
First up: The Way of the Desert Elders, by Lisa Colón DeLay.
“A spiritual expedition into the stories and wisdom of ancient, desert-dwelling Christians, who show us how to forge faith at the edges of empire.” Published by Broadleaf Books on January 27, 2026, you can order a copy now.
Read more about Lisa here: Ordinary Collisions interview and at Spark My Muse.
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Next: Fair Game, by Ellie Roscher and Anna Baeth with a foreword by Chris Mosier. Available now after being released on January 27 from The New Press.
Fair Game explores the role of sports in the lives of transgender youth and adults, offering a comprehensive, nuanced, and multivoiced picture of the transgender athletic experience. Through a woven collection of the narratives from a marginalized population, Fair Game examines the patterns of fear and gender stereotypes that undergird anti-trans legislation and offers helpful historical and political context about sex segregation in sports and how bodies (including trans bodies) work in sports.
Ellie is my co author of 12 Tiny Things, and you can read more about her work at Ellie Roscher and in her Ordinary Collisions interview from a few years ago.
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I Could Walk Forever and Know So Little, by Krissy Kludt. Coming March 5, 2026 from Green Writers Press.
Set among the oak-dotted hills and granite heights of northern California, I Could Walk Forever and Know So Little distills moments of communion with the natural world into spare, lilting language. The poems traverse ordinary days and periods of loss; they are elegy and wish. They examine motherhood and daughterhood and turn to the living land as source of solace and nurturing.
I had the pleasure of reading an early copy, so here’s what I think:
“Here are poems that nestle close to the bone, companions on the way through whatever comes, a balm for hard moments and a praise song for the joyous ones. I Could Walk Forever and Know So Little made me feel seen and allowed an exploration of places I've not yet been. Full of beautifully simple language and vivid imagery, this is a collection to return to time and time again. Read these words and be nourished.”
Learn more about Krissy’s work in her Ordinary Collisions interview and at Writing the Wild
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Conjuring the Hurricane, by Sarah Hanson. Coming April 28, 2026 from Inked Elephant Publishing House.
Conjuring the Hurricane is a survival memoir-in-verse about leaving a life that’s killing you and rebuilding a self you can finally live inside. Told in fragments that mirror the way trauma lives in the body, the book traces the nonlinear work of reclaiming identity, trust, and agency after abuse.
I was able to read an early copy of this one, too, and I can tell you this: "Sarah Hanson weaves a narrative of love, loss, pleasure, and pain, inviting us to bear witness to all the layers of life on planet earth. This gem of a book is full of realness and truth, woven together in a way that won't blind you with too much light. Read it, and be astonished at the beauty that is still possible despite everything."
Learn more about Sarah’s work at Sarah Hanson. Never fear, her Ordinary Collisions interview is coming soon.
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And finally, Waking up at Rembrandt’s by Thomas Lloyd Qualls is coming in April, 2026 from Wayfarer Magazine & Books.
About the novel: Maggie is a discouraged lawyer, Dillon, a heartbroken vagabond, and Phillip, a frustrated writer. Their stories are told by the mysterious Jillian, part purveyor of spirits and part spiritual guru. Inside the walls of Cafe Rembrandt, where whipping fresh cream is an act of poetry and pouring a drink an act of faith, we fall under Jillian’s spell. With a voice that is lyrical and immediate, she artfully trails her Ariadne thread to lead her devotees back into the light. Waking Up at Rembrandt’s is a fresh take on the tale of awakenings. It celebrates the sensual as well as the spiritual, skillfully bridging the two worlds.
Learn more at Jaywalking Between Worlds and Thomas Lloyd Qualls and….yes, his Ordinary Collisions interview.
So there you go—your to-read stack for the next few months. Order a copy directly from the publisher, at your local indie bookshop, or request your library get a copy or two.
Speaking of reading and books….there are two new indie bookshops opening in my area this month. I just dropped off some book stock at River Stone Bookshop and Coffee Stop in Osceola, Wisconsin this morning! It’s a very cozy space, full of gently used and some new books. Be sure to get to their soft opening on February 14, and stay tuned for upcoming author events and the grand opening this spring.
And Bruyere Books & Tea in Lindstrom, Minnesota is a book shop focusing on supporting neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ voices, is also opening this spring.
Here’s to reading and all the worlds doing so can open up.
which is in the wellness department at a non profit addiction recovery organization
1. Penguin Random House · 2. HarperCollins · 3. Simon & Schuster · 4. Hachette Livre · 5. Macmillan Publishers.
By ‘rather large’ I mean anywhere between $2,000 (for the minimum) and $20,000 (for a full 3-6 month launch period).
Great recommendations, thank you for sharing the works of others - it's a tough writing world out there!
Thank you! What an honor to be in the group of beautiful books.