Hi friend,
As you know, in 2026, I’m doing an experiment I’m calling: The Taste Test. It’s a reading challenge where I’m choosing one genre per month and reading a few books from it, in an attempt to figure out what my reading taste is as an adult… and maybe even find a new author/genre to obsess over!
I’m not going to write about it all month. Instead, I’m just going to write a recap at the end of each month. And at 2,800 words, this first one is a beast, haha. But I’m not sorry! Because it’s the first one, it explains how I’m going to format these posts. And it helped me understand what questions I want to be asking myself, as I read.
In January, I read the only nonfiction genre I’m including in the challenge: memoir. This is a genre I already knew I liked, but it was still fun to dig a little deeper and pay attention to some of the stories I told myself as I read each one! If you like books, or like exploring within yourself, I hope you enjoy this!
The Story I Told Myself About Memoirs
I’m going to start each of these recaps by sharing what my initial thoughts were on the genre. Any assumptions I had, judgments I made, and any resistance or intrigue I noticed in myself before reading. Because this is all an experiment, you could say this is the “hypothesis” of the month! But let’s label it as what it really is: the story I told myself about the genre. As a rule, I think being comfortable with challenging the story you tell yourself about anything is a great life skill! And it’s one of the main objectives of The Taste Test. But I gave myself a soft start in January…
The story I told myself about memoirs is that I typically like them. Because I’ve been focused on reading more fiction, I haven’t read as many in recent years. A few celebrity-ish memoirs: THE THIRD GILMORE GIRL by Kelly Bishop, I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED by Jennette McCurdy, and FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough (loved this one). ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER by Elizabeth Gilbert. ON WRITING by Stephen King. Plus, AMBITION MONSTER by Jennifer Romolini, SOCIOPATH by Patric Gagne, and WHAT MY BONES KNOW by Stephanie Foo (another fave). Ok, that list is longer than I first thought!
I listened to most of them as audiobooks, because I like hearing an author narrate their own stories. It feels more human, and helps me feel more connected to their words. And one of the reasons I enjoy memoirs is because I think they inspire me to try new things with my own writing. That’s the reason I decided to start with this genre: because I’m currently working on a nonfiction book proposal, and have found that reading books in the same genre helps keep my head in the game while I do. So the other story I told myself was that reading memoirs in January would help me stay focused.
The Reading Experience
For the next part of these recaps, I’m going to share what it was like to read the books I’ve chosen for each genre. I don’t want these to be read as book reviews. I want them to reflect my personal experience of each book. Why I chose it. How it felt to read. What pulled me in, or where I got lost. And if I can find any patterns of thoughts/feelings. Anything that will help me figure out what I like/don’t like about books!
In December, I originally came up with a list of three memoirs to read in January. But when I finished my second audiobook on January 7th, I decided to add 1-2 more to the list and see how many I could get through.
The first three were all nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Readers’ Fave Memoir in 2025—and couldn’t have been more different. So let’s start with those…
THE HOUSE OF MY MOTHER by Shari Franke - I’d never heard of Shari Franke before. I also hadn’t heard of her mother or the family’s YouTube channel. So I had no invested interest in this book. I chose it because it won the award for readers’ fave memoir of 2025 and just thought: let’s start here. The audiobook is short (7 hours) and the pacing was fast-enough that I finished it in a couple of days. But that doesn’t mean I liked it… I thought most of the writing felt young and clichéd (then looked her up and discovered she’s only 22, so that makes sense). And I appreciated the boundaries she had around sharing her siblings’ stories, but kept waiting for her to share stories of her own that felt… worse? (I later learned the abuse some of her siblings experienced was horrendous. But wondered what it says about me that I didn’t find some of Shari’s stories more shocking? Or maybe she was just withholding a lot?) Overall, it was fine to listen to. Not a bad book. But I finished it wondering why/how it got the most votes for this category. I don’t really understand that, other than perhaps the “celebrity-ish” factor. People have followed her/her family online for years. I also have a theory that people who openly talk about religion/spirituality gain the most followers (especially in the US)… anyway, I finished it wondering: how might this book have been different if she’d waited and done some therapy and written it 10 years from now? And, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Because it was fast-paced, which I like. And I finished it quickly.
CARELESS PEOPLE by Sarah Wynn-Williams - This book got a ton of press in 2025, and it’s not hard to imagine why. Described as an “explosive memoir” that gives you a “front-row seat to Facebook, the decisions that have shaped world events in recent decades, and the people who made them.” Yea, that’s intriguing… and yet, I hesitated. I’d seen the cover many times and thought about reading it, but didn’t pick it up—even when I saw it sitting on the shelves at the library. I hesitated because I already didn’t like Facebook, and in general I don’t like reading more about things I don’t like… some might call this “hate-reading?” It feels like a waste of time and mental energy, so I try not to do it. But I do have some interest in tech, and I am curious about where it’s going next, and what role it will play in our lives… so I finally decided to read it—and it felt ok. I mean, the stories are not ok. And I still don’t like Facebook, and definitely don’t trust its leaders. But I didn’t feel like I was hate-reading the book. I felt like I was learning and processing new information and asking myself questions—including about the author herself (who I felt could’ve taken more responsibility for the impact of her own indifference). Again, the writing was fast-paced, which I’m quickly learning is something I like. The audiobook is over 13 hours long and I finished it in 5-6 days.
RAISING HARE by Chloe Dalton - In comparison to the first two books I listened to, this is one I was genuinely looking forward to reading. It’s the story of a woman in the UK who finds and raises a baby hare—and what she learns about them, and herself, through their time together. I didn’t know what to expect, other than it felt like a “Cait” book—and it was, friend. It reminded me of the years when the hedgehogs were living in my garden at The Lighthouse. How I never went near them, but took care of them from a distance. How afraid I was for the day they might leave and never return. And how much I cried when I found Mama Hedgie dead on the patio. (There weren’t many hedgie spottings after that.) Compared to the first two books, this one was slow-paced and meditative. I noticed I felt “bad” that it was taking me so long to finish it (2+ weeks for a 6.5-hour audiobook) which is an interesting observation in and of itself. Was there something wrong with me? I wondered. No. Was it a boring book? Not at all. Her stories were so vivid, I could have been standing inside her home! There were just a few times when I thought: is this really all the book is about? Stories of a woman paying close attention to a wild animal? The answer is yes. And by the end, I realized that’s exactly what my nervous system needed. ❤️
Outside of my initial TBR list, I picked up two more memoirs this month:
YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL by Maggie Smith (finished and loved it. Written by a poet, it was also a bit slow/thoughtful at times, and that was exactly right for it)
and HUNGER by Roxane Gay (not done yet)
First published in 2023 and 2017, they don’t quite fit the original criteria for The Taste Test. But I read/am reading them for a different reason: because I see them as potential comp titles for my next book. That means I’m taking my time… paying attention to how they do things… studying them. That’s not the same as simply reading a story or reading for pleasure. But reading for the sake of trying to find inspiration and wanting to be a better writer? It makes for a slower read. But it lights me up in a different way. 💡
The Aftertaste
The main reason I’m doing this challenge is to figure out what my reading taste is as an adult. So to close these recaps, I’m going to reflect on the original stories I told myself about the genre (many of which I haven’t read much of before) and how I feel about it now. Then I’m going to share any personal lessons I’m taking away from my reading experiences, which I hope will help me choose more “Cait” books in the future!
The story I told myself about memoirs is that I typically like them—and that remains true, friend. I can’t imagine this ever being a genre I was obsessed with/wanted to read all the time!? But I do enjoy memoirs, and their ability to help us feel connected via the human experience. I can imagine always reading a few each year! But I’m definitely going to be more selective about them, after this challenge.
A few things I want to remember, when I choose memoirs in the future:
I don’t want to read “celebrity-ish” (person who is well-known) memoirs, unless it’s about someone/something I feel genuinely interested in.
It’s still true that I don’t want to hate-read books. I’m not interested in the gossip or shock factor—and think it’s better for my nervous system if I avoid consuming it.
I also know there’s something we can learn from everyone—probably the key takeaway of this genre on the whole.
I would love to read more memoirs by writers. (By that I mean, memoirs where writers talk about their writing lives!)
And even though it can take me a while to finish nature memoirs (which isn’t a bad thing!), they serve as a balm. They help me slow down and feel present and notice more in my life. They aren’t meant to be rushed. So if I want a quick read, I shouldn’t pick up a nature memoir. But when my nervous system needs a balm, these + Mary Oliver’s poetry are the books for me.
And as for the story that reading memoirs would help me stay focused on my book proposal? Well, I’m happy to report that was true too. I still have a ways to go… but it definitely served its purpose!
Just for Fun: Middle Grade Options
Before I sign off, I want to share one more thing. Last month, I told you I had an idea for something extra I could add to this challenge. A very “Cait” idea, and it’s this: for some of the months, I want to also read a middle grade option in that genre. Middle grade books are written for ages 9-12, but I believe can be enjoyed by anyone—especially adults. Sales of middle grade books have been going down for a few years, and I’m starting to think that finding a new audience (like adult readers) might be their only hope of going back up. (And maybe if kids see us reading them, some of them might be inspired to read more again too!?)
Goodreads used to have a category for children’s/middle grade books in their readers’ awards, but they seemed to cut it after 2022—and I think that was a huge mistake. And because these books haven’t been written for us, it may not be the easiest age category to dip back into. So, how do we discover new middle grade books!? By browsing the shelves at your library! Talking to booksellers! Scrolling through the books that have been nominated for the Newbery Award and/or Carnegie Medal! And sharing the ones we’ve read with other adults. That’s what I’m going to do here.
As far as I know, there aren’t many “memoirs” written by kids aged 9-12… (Anne Frank got her diary at age 13, and Naoki Higashida was 13 when he wrote THE REASON I JUMP.) So I would say the best comparison is realistic fiction. Stories with people/places/plots that could happen in real life. I didn’t read any middle grade books this month, but realistic fiction is probably my favourite genre for this age group—and the one I could imagine writing someday. If you’re curious, a few of my faves over the years have been:
OCTOBER, OCTOBER and THE LIGHT IN EVERYTHING by Katya Balen
SARA AND THE SEARCH FOR NORMAL by Wesley King
RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE and FERRIS by Kate DiCamillo
ROBIN by Sarah Ann Juckes
In February, I’m Exploring: Crime/Mystery/Thrillers
I thought about saving this genre for one month in the fall. Darker months feel like a great time to read books with darker themes. And February could’ve been the “perfect” month to read romance!? But I have a theory about crime/mystery/thrillers, which is that I think I might really like them. I could be wrong! And I know I wouldn’t like all of them. (I hate reading anything with a lot of violence.) I haven’t read many thrillers over the years… but whenever I have, I DEVOURED them. So I want to test out my theory! I want to know if I’m right or wrong about this!
I’m not sure I’ll actually get through all of these books (4 novels in one month is a stretch for me), but here’s what I’m going to attempt to read:
BEAUTIFUL UGLY by Alice Feeney - Nominated for Readers’ Fave Mystery & Thriller in 2025. I’ve seen the author’s name many times, and assume she probably writes “classics” in this genre!? I don’t know. But I chose this one because it’s set in Scotland! Yes, please!
THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore - This was the winner of the Readers’ Fave Mystery & Thriller in 2024. I remember seeing EVERYONE share it on social media. I read a sample and now I want to see what all the fuss was about!
JULIE CHAN IS DEAD by Liann Zhang - I spotted this on the Canada Reads’ 2026 Longlist. I can’t tell if it’s going to be serious or more lighthearted. But I’ve read it’s perfect for people who liked YELLOWFACE and that was me, me, me!
Middle Grade Option: MAGNOLIA WU UNFOLDS IT ALL by Chanel Miller - I feel like a lot of middle grade novels have a mystery in them… but the plot for this story feels like a true mystery. And it just sounds so cute and wholesome! (And was probably a balm for her, after publishing KNOW MY NAME.)
Because I’ve been so excited about diving into this genre, it probably won’t surprise you to know I have (many) more options saved! But let’s see if I can get through these ones first, and how I’m feeling on the other side…
Ok, that was a doozy of a first recap, friend! If you’re still reading, you must really love books, haha.
Have you read any of the memoirs I finished this month? Or any of the books on next month’s list?
I’d love to hear your (spoiler-free) thoughts!
xx Cait
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In a very spoiler free way, I think The God of the Woods feels like a perfect mystery for you! It really leans into the setting and atmosphere, with a twisty but not altogether scary or jumpy plot (I thought anyways!) It’s slower paced than some by virtue of the length but it was a great read that I enjoyed!
I enjoy reading Memoirs about women on a great adventure. I don't know the titles but one book was about a woman that rode a camel across a desert, one woman paddled the nile, a rock climber and a grandma that walked the Appalachian trail to name a few.