12 Books That Scary Mommy Editors Devoured In February

I opened this book thinking, Eh, I'm a little bit of a people pleaser, sure. By the end, so much of my life and my choices had been explained to me in the most graceful, non-shameful way. I can't recommend Clayton's walk through the fawn response enough. It's educational, yes, but if you've ever been ashamed of how you handle conflict, this is a very healing read. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment

This is a riveting memoir about the unraveling of a marriage during the early days of COVID. It's shocking, it's revealing, it's thought-provoking. In short, it's a really excellent read. I read it in two nights; I could not put it down. — Kate Auletta, Editor in Chief

I'm always looking for new high-quality romance authors, and I kept hearing about this book! It did not disappoint. It follows Luke Randall, a Black country music star who has a secret: His biggest hit was written by his first love, and he never gave her credit. When he returns to his small hometown, hoping for a career comeback and ashamed at the way his life has turned out, he's finally ready to face her and make things right. But a lot has changed. — Sarah Aswell, Deputy Editor, News & Social

I’ve been a glutton for punishment lately when it comes to reading historical fiction that feels infuriatingly timely, and the latest from Donna Everhart follows in that trend. Based on the long-buried history of the ‘American Plan,’ the book follows young women in 1940s North Carolina who are arrested and institutionalized simply for being deemed ‘promiscuous’ (being unmarried is apparently cause enough). The story is told through the perspectives of three different women, all captivating. The pacing is a bit slow, but I think Everhart is just that type of writer because she really paints a picture with her research and character development. This left me feeling both heartbroken and galvanized. — Julie Sprankles, Deputy Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment

If you're looking for a cute small-town romance, this will fit the ‘cozy read’ bill. It follows the female main character, named Charlie, and the male main character, named Grayson, who run into each other at the Get Lost lodge. Both of them are relationship-phobic because they have both been hurt before. However, the chemistry between these two is undeniable. I was truly into this book, rooting for these two crazy kids, and very happy by the end. It was sentimental and sweet and just what I needed for a good vacation read! — Katie Garrity, News & Social Editor

Good romantasy is getting harder to find, but this book had me kicking my feet and was seriously un-put-down-able. I loved that our heroine uses her intelligence and strategies to stay alive instead of being the typical sexy assassin badass who is somehow just naturally invincible (we're over it). The plot twists actually took me by surprise, and the characters were all so well done. Atakan is my new favorite completely immoral male main character. — Katie McPherson

Last year I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and it was one of my favorite books ever! And then I found out that Angelou had written an entire series of autobiographies. This is Volume 2, and it is absolutely incredible. It feels like she has lived 8,000 different lives, including short-order cook, professional dancer, and sex worker. This was a whirlwind, and it's also practically poetry at the same time. I'm planning to read ALL of these now. — Sarah Aswell

This is my favorite read of 2026 so far. Little One tells the story of Catharine, a high-performing freelance writer who seems incredibly disciplined. When a journalist reaches out to ask her about her upbringing in a central Florida cult, you start to understand why. The story flashes back between past Catharine recalling her bond with her adopted sister, Linna, during their childhoods, the abuses they faced, and her present-day self trying desperately to control the story this reporter is piecing together. The ending had me sitting and staring for a while after I finished it. Bonus points: As a central Florida native, I can confirm the descriptions of the landscape were so spot on, I could feel the humidity. — Katie McPherson

This book came out last year; many people recommended it to me. It's told through the eyes of the protagonist, a young woman from a prominent African American family from New England, in modern times, weaving in her family's history in slavery. It's so well-written, so moving, and just so so good. I think about reading it all day. — Kate Auletta

If you can't tell at this point, I only read Black authors during Black History Month, and I was really excited to go back and read this sleeper hit from 2020. It was easily the best book I've read so far this year, and I'm so excited I discovered James McBride. This story follows an old man named Sport Coat who decided to take matters into his own hands and shoot his housing project's biggest drug dealer. What happens next involves the entire community, the history of Brooklyn, and a whole lot of cheese. This is moving, beautifully written, hilarious, and hopeful. — Sarah Aswell

This is a fictional retelling of four true stories of ensalved people rising up violently against their oppressors, written by journalist Clay Cane. These stories are blunt, brutal, and shocking, and so important for everyone to read. Rarely have I read accounts of slavery that have been this tough to take in — he truly captures the unthinkable injustice of it all. This novel is written by a non-fiction writer, so the storytelling is a little rough in spots, but it's all worth it for the history lesson. — Sarah Aswell

I know, OK — I’m super late to this party. But I love Liane Moriarty, and I really loved the Peacock adaptation starring Annette Bening, so I figured better late than never when I found Apples Never Fall at my local thrift store. I like how this starts as a story about a mom gone missing but turns into so much more, and how it captures all of the tiny fractures that can crack a family wide open. There are a lot of characters and the pacing is thick at points, but it’s still so very readable. — Julie Sprankles