Exit Ticket: January 2026

8 books to read, 4 rounds of Scatterverbies, and 1 recommendation from Ash Davidson

8 Books to Read

Within Arm’s Reach by Ann Napolitano — I learned from Ann Napolitano long before I read her work. In 2020 I took her online class through One Story called “Lost and Found: A New Way of Looking at Plot.”¹ I found her series of generative exercises so helpful that I still use them today, so it was about time I read her novels! As a bonus, she was our January P&P speaker. Within Arm’s Reach tells the story of a large family that loves deeply but struggles to communicate. A father reels from witnessing a terrible accident. A daughter’s unexpected pregnancy upends familial dynamics. A strong-willed grandmother hopes to reunite her loved ones before it’s too late. Read this one if you like multi-generational family stories with chapters that alternate characters’ points-of-view.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano — Of course, I missed Ann Napolitano’s P&P lecture (because that’s just the kind of January I had), but I’m so glad I read two of her books anyway. I initially passed on Hello Beautiful because I saw it pitched as a retelling of Little Women in early reviews. My deep sentimentality for Little Women made me hesitant, but after reading Hello Beautiful, I don’t think “retelling” is the right descriptor. “Inspired by,” perhaps, but Napolitano’s story is wildly different from Alcott’s. The four Padavano sisters are incredibly close until Julia marries William. As the sisters begin to forge their separate ways, their old connections are threatened, and they must decide where the line between loyalty and love lies. If you’re looking for a deeply felt family drama that might make you cry (and will definitely make you miss your sister²), check out Hello Beautiful.

Cooking for Picasso by Camille Aubray — This book club pick was not the book for me, so the Rule of Thumper³ applies. Make-up artist Céline travels to the French Riviera to track down the story of her grandmother, who cooked for Picasso once upon a time. This book may be for you if you like dual timelines, French cooking, and outsized coincidences.

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid — Just as I was beginning to wonder if I was the only person who had never read anything by Reid, this novel was selected for book club. It’s written as an oral history of a Fleetwood Mac-ish band that rose to superstardom in the 1970s. The audiobook is outstanding because each character is voiced by a different actor. The result is a fun, gossipy tale of a band that feels so real, you’re likely to forget you’re listening to fiction. When you need a book that will fully distract you from whatever is going on in your life, find yourself a copy of this one!

How It All Began by Penelope Lively — How It All Began has been my car book for a few years. What is a car book, you ask? Silly question. It’s the book you keep in the side door in case you ever forget to bring the book you’re reading. A car book ensures you are never without reading material at an appointment or in the car wash! I’d picked up this book a few times for just that purpose but only recently got around to reading the whole thing. The novel opens when an elderly woman named Charlotte is mugged in London. The incident sets in motion a domino chain that transforms the lives of strangers. An affair comes to light, a marriage unravels, and friendships are tested. I especially loved the relationship that develops between Anton, a newly arrived immigrant, and Rose, the daughter of the mugging victim. Read this one if you’re a fan of Rube Goldberg machines and/or Joan Silber’s novels. (Also, I need a new car book.)

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen — Read my full review here.

Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan — As Sashi and her brothers come of age in 1980s Sri Lanka, the country plunges into a merciless civil war. The government oppresses Sashi’s Tamil community in Jaffna, and various militant groups organize in response. Infighting among the groups tears families apart. Sashi, a doctor in training, decides to share her medical knowledge in the Tigers’ field hospital, even though she disagrees with their brutal methods. The situation becomes increasingly complicated as her family members take opposing sides. As a reader, I tend to pick up a new book as soon as I finish one, but I couldn’t do that after Brotherless Night. The ending really affected me, and I needed an evening to experience the feelings it brought up. This is the book to read if you need to get out of your comfort zone.

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather — Book #45 in the Kate-and-Dave book club! I love Willa Cather and was excited to reread this one. Alexandra Bergson moves from Sweden to Nebraska as a young child. When her father dies, she carries her family through hard years on the Nebraska prairie. Despite the stretch of drought and bad luck, she’s unwilling to give up on the land. But her determination comes at a high personal cost, leaving Alexandra to wonder if it’s her fate to remain alone. And the final scene in the orchard! Read this book for the beauty of Cather’s prose and a reminder that America is a country of immigrants.

4 Rounds of Scatterverbies

It’s narrative essay season in my Honors English 10 classes! Last January I shared a classical music listening activity that I use to help students think about imagery beyond visual stimuli. This month, I thought I’d share a game that challenges students to use more precise action verbs: Scatterverbies!

It’s sort of like Scattergories, but instead of coming up with words that start with a single letter, students have to come up with synonyms for a basic, boring verb. I set them up in groups of 4-5. Then I write a lame verb, like say, on the board and give them 60 seconds to brainstorm as many synonyms as possible. In groups, students take turns sharing their answers. They only earn a point for a word if no one else thought of it! After playing four rounds as a class, the top scorers from each group face off for a winner-take-all final.

This is a fun and easy way to review action verbs as well as tone. For instance, if you provide a sample sentence with each verb, then you can ask groups to rewrite it using a synonym at the end of the round. Groups can share and compare their sentences to explore how diction influences the overall tone of the sentence.

My slides are nothing fancy, but feel free to grab a copy of them here.

1 Recommendation from Ash Davidson

A year ago, I said you should read Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson, a novel about the human and environmental impacts of logging in 1970s California. I’m delighted that now Ash has a recommendation for us! Here’s why she thinks you should read Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan:

Find out more about Ash and her work here. Thanks for sharing, Ash!

And now, to borrow the sign-off my daughter uses in her weekly third-grade emails:

Joy, love, and cheer,

Kate

1. Sadly, this course doesn’t appear to be listed any longer! But you can check out One Story’s other offerings here. I also recommend Hannah Tinti’s self-paced workshop.

2. Jackie, I’m counting down until March!

3.