In Episode 225, Sarah and Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books catch up on the 12 new releases they shared in the Spring 2026 Book Preview, now that they've read them — or at least tried to! They share their reading stats and discuss which books worked and which didn't…and why.

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CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

Get the 2026 Summer Reading Guide

This year's Summer Reading Guide is bigger than ever — and now available as a full PDF with in-depth write-ups on every book.

Here's how to access it:

• Full PDF Guide (with write-ups):
  • Available to current paying members on Patreon or Substack
  • Start a free trial (Patreon: 7 days | Substack: 30 days)
    • *Be sure to use the link above to access your free trial on Substack.
• Free Cheatsheet (no write-ups):
  • Available to everyone on the blog
• Free Trials close:
  • Friday, May 22 (Memorial Day weekend)

When you sign up, you'll also get:

• 2–3 bonus podcast episodes per month
• Full back catalog of bonus content
• Weekly reading updates + more

All the details in the recent IMPORTANT DETAILS bonus podcast episode and post.

Highlights

• This time last year, Catherine was rocking a 100% success rate — this year's was "armageddon"
• Sarah had really successful spring with one 5-star book and only 1 DNF with a total average star rating of 4.15.
• They name their best and worst books picks for spring!

Books We Read Before the Preview

April

Sarah's Pick

• The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne (April 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [3:07]

Spring 2026 Circle Back

April

Sarah's Picks

• Into the Blue by Emma Brodie (April 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:33]
• Leave Your Mess At Home by Tolani Akinola (April 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:27]

Catherine's Picks

• American Fantasy by Emma Straub (April 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:45]
• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (April 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:25]
• Like This, But Funnier by Hallie Cantor (April 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [19:23]

Other Books Mentioned

• All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun (2026) [7:59]
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985) [14:24]
• August Lane by Regina Black (2025) [16:32]
• Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (2021) [16:39]
• Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino (2025) [20:24]

May

Sarah's Picks

• The Mediator (Max Ringo, 1) by Robert Bailey (May 12) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:10]
• The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff (May 19) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:39]
• Returns and Exchanges by Kayla Rae Whitaker (May 19) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:25]

Catherine's Picks

• The Liar's Playbook by Leslie Bradford-Scott (May 5) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:20]
• The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung (May 12) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:35]
• The Tapestry of Fate (Amina al-Sirafi, 2) by Shannon Chakraborty (May 12) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:16]

Other Books Mentioned

• The Boomerang by Robert Bailey (2025) [22:17]
• Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond (2021) [26:30]
• The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (2025) [29:43]
• Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (2025) [33:24]
• The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi, 1) by Shannon Chakraborty (2023) [42:06]