Small Press Pages January 2026
By Christina Consolino
Welcome to 2026 and the first column of the New Year. While January can feel arduous at times—the letdown after the holidays is real for many people, and the cold, gray days often feel like obstacles to surmount—the month invites reflection, fresh starts, and stories that spark possibility. January also invites truth, clarity, and a sense of purpose. This month’s book list offers a mix of thoughtful, immersive reads—perfect for easing into the new year with curiosity, comfort, and a renewed sense of momentum.
80% Done with Straight Girls by Mari SanGiovanni (Bywater Books)
Humorous fiction featuring a classic loud, loving, and chaotic Italian family that tries to help heal a daughter’s heartbreak as her already disastrous love life takes yet another turn for the worse. When her meddling family descends on a lake house retreat meant to heal her heartbreak, an unexpected visitor tests Marie’s resolve to change her romantic fate—whether she likes it or not.
Summit’s Shadow by Heather Werner (Launch Point Press)
Adventure fiction with main protagonist Tana Walker, who reunites with her college friends for an Alaskan climbing expedition and secretly returns to the mountain where her family vanished decades earlier. As unseen forces stalk them and deadly “accidents” mount, Tana realizes the peak is alive with something sinister, forcing the women to fight for survival or be claimed by the mountain forever.
Be in the Room: How to Stop Shrinking and Start Leading with Purpose by Lauren Morrison (Honey Blossom Press)
Business nonfiction for women who have earned their place but still second-guess themselves. Be in the Room speaks to high-achieving women ready to stop performing and start leading with clarity, boundaries, and their full, authentic voice.
Momma May Be Mad: A Memoir by Kerry Neville (Madville Publishing)
A powerful and inventive account of motherhood and mental illness, chronicling Kerry Neville’s struggle with bipolar disorder, anorexia, and alcoholism as her family life unraveled. Through failed treatments and profound despair, Neville’s enduring belief in love guides her fight back to hope, healing, and her life with her children.
We Have Reached the End of Our Show by Ali Gordon (Wildling Press)
Science fiction focusing on Gabe, who chooses to stop cancer treatment and reclaim his life just as news breaks that a world-ending impact is only twenty-five days away. As chaos erupts, Gabe, his boyfriend, and his cousin set off on an unexpected road trip, discovering love, humanity, and what truly matters at the end of the world.
Secrets of MicroPublishing: For Those Who Aspire to Publish by Kate Isbester, Ph.D. (Claret Press)
Practical book that offers an experienced and candid guide to defining, running, and professionalizing a micropress—ideal for creators, organizations, and collectives looking to publish with purpose.
Fat Off, Fat On: A Big Bitch Manifesto by Clarkisha Kent (The Feminist Press)
A sharp, funny, and moving memoir about reclaiming the body as a gift, untangling fatphobia from other oppressions, and beginning the difficult, joyful work of self-liberation. The book centers around body dysmorphia, mental illness, anti-Blackness, and homophobia.
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Christina Consolino is the author of REWRITE THE STARS, THE WEIGHT WE CARRY, and THE MARRIAGE DEBT, all contemporary fiction. Her work revolves mainly around family, marriage, relationships, and physical or mental health issues. She also writes romance under the pen name Keely Stephens. She can be found most days running, reading, writing, teaching, or sitting with a warm cup of coffee.
THE MARRIAGE DEBT
Sex is never just about sex.
From the outside, Nika Stewart’s life looks perfect: two loving kids, a fulfilling job as an elementary-school librarian, and a wonderful second marriage to Ethan, her sexy husband. The only problem? She doesn’t want to have sex with him.
Maybe it’s the harrowing hot flashes and formidable fatigue, or maybe it’s trying to juggle a weed-junkie dad, an onerous stepsister, and the avalanche of responsibilities that have left sex just another chore to cross off the to-do list.
When an honest conversation with her best friend leaves Nika worried her aversion to sex might drive Ethan away, she begrudgingly agrees to see a sex therapist. But as the sessions go on, Nika discovers that talking about sex with a therapist isn’t the same as facing the problem with her husband and that sex with Ethan might not be the only problem after all.
Filled with humor, candor, and at least one pair of role-playing chaps, The Marriage Debt examines the hard truths about sex that overbooked women face in their forties, as well as the joys still to come once a woman knows who she is and how to ask for what she wants.
Category: On Writing
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