- - Jenna Bush Hager Names This ‘Stunning Memoir’ Her January Book Club Pick — A Tender Mother-Son Love Story

Meredith GordonJanuary 6, 2026 at 9:34 PM

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Photo by NBC on Getty Images

Whether you’ve got some free time due to your commitment to Dry January or you made a New Year’s resolution to read more, 2026 is already proving to be a sensational year for book lovers. From Katie Couric to Reese Witherspoon, notable celebrity readers are already revealing the books they’re reading in January. Now Read With Jenna, the highly influential book club founded by Today Show co-host Jenna Bush Hager, has named its January book club pick. Last month, Jenna took readers back in time with her December pick, Pride and Prejudice. To start the new year, Jenna’s first pick of 2026 is a memoir she called “a beautiful debut.”

On Tuesday’s episode of the Today Show, Jenna Bush Hager announced her Read With Jenna January pick as Homeschooled by Stefan Merrill Block. Published on January 6, Jenna says of the book, “Stefan writes a tender mother-son love story about forgiveness, hope, and the ways to heal. I love its raw honesty and the very American story of one little boy growing up in a family where love is obvious, but so is dysfunction.”

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Jenna calls Homeschooled “the perfect book for the first month of the year,” and readers concur, calling the pick “so great.”

Related: New York Times Books Names This 'Stunning Romantasy' One of the Year's Best Hidden Gems

What Homeschooled Is About

A Plano, Texas native, Stefan Merrill Block is the author of several novels, including the international bestseller The Story of Forgetting. Homeschooled is his debut memoir, centered on his childhood experiences after being pulled out of school by his mother and educated at home in a chaotic, unstructured environment following his family’s move to Texas.

Stefan Merrill Block is an American writer who grew up in Plano, Texas. His first book, The Story of Forgetting, became an international bestseller and won multiple awards. He has published other novels, and his essays and stories have appeared in major outlets. Homeschooled marks his first foray into memoir.

Why Fans of Educated Should Read Homeschooled

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Jenna also calls Homeschooled a “must read” for fans of Tara Westover’s Educated, which chronicles growing up isolated in rural Idaho in a family that distrusted formal education and the government. With little to no traditional schooling, Westover eventually educated herself well enough to attend college and earn advanced degrees.

Homeschooled and Educated both explore the impact of nontraditional and informal education on a young person’s development. Each book focuses on the relationship between the author and their family during formative years outside of formal schooling and structured socialization, and how deeply those experiences can shape who you become.

Related: Public Libraries Names This New York Times Bestseller One of the Most Popular Books of 2025: 'Incredible Read'

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This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”