Mid-Year Goals Check-In

We are officially halfway through 2025, so it's time to look back at the goals we set at the beginning of the year!

• Read my 2025 preorders in 2025.  So far I have preordered 6 books and read 3 of them - to be fair, those last 3 came out within the last month, so I think it's justified that I haven't gotten to them quite yet!
• Use my library more.  My goal is to try to get 40% of my reads from the library and I am currently at 37%.
• Read 75 books.  I am currently at 57 books read, so I'm well ahead of this goal!
• Attend two bookish events.  We've been lucky enough to attend one bookish event so far this year (Hazel Gaynor release event)!
• Complete 30 states in the Literary Escapes Challenge.  Currently, I have read books set in 19 different states for the Literary Escapes Challenge hosted by Dollycas, so I am well on my way!  I'll definitely be checking out Sam's Sloth Goes Places series at We Live and Breathe Books for inspiration for some of those harder to find states!

Here is a check-in for Michele's goals:

• Read 225 books – I just dropped this to 200 as I had a slow start to the year (in my real life I am a CPA who works a crazy tax season and the reading was slow in February and March).  I’m a little over halfway to this goal so I feel good about it.  
• Read books from a wide variety of genres – Doing good on this!  I have really upped my numbers of nonfiction and historical fiction, with my overall romance genre coming down a bit.
• Don’t be afraid to DNF books or take a break from certain authors – I have definitely DNFed some books this year and had a few series I decided to not finish.  It still makes me a little itchy to leave a series unfinished but if I’m not truly excited about something, I just can’t justify devoting the time to it. 
• Utilize my library more – So far my percentage of books read from the library is up this year!  My daughter has also been using the library a ton.
• Buddy read with my daughter and husband – James has already read a couple books I picked out for us and now I need to catch up so we can discuss!  Luna is working through her remaining chapter books and will probably be totally into middle grade books this fall – we already have plans about which ones we want to read together.

How are you doing on your 2025 goals?

Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Thunder Road Books

Last week I posted about a release event we attended with Hazel Gaynor at Thunder Road Books, located in Spring Lake, New Jersey, so I thought it would be good to give you a little tour of the store today!  They recently moved from a smaller location down the street into this new corner store, which allows them to offer more books, a seating area for reading, and a larger children's area!

When you enter the store, you're greeted by a table of new releases and that fabulous rolling ladder/bookshelf combo!

I loved how bright, open, and airy the store was, with tall ceilings.  There are a couple different couches and cozy chairs to curl up with a good book in.  The store was set up for an event, so a few things had been moved around.

The children's area is huge, with playful seating options and these adorable hot air balloon light fixtures (shh, don't tell Henry!).  There are lots of books at eye level and reachable for little hands!

As I said before, we were there for an event, so I didn't get to browse as much as I would have wanted to - that just means we'll have to come back!  They host tons of bookish events, so there's something for everyone.  Definitely check this store out if you're near the Jersey shore!

Month in Review: June 2025

 

June had some really fun events, as well as some quiet time at home (escaping the crazy heat we experienced for a bit!).  My company is currently moving locations, so early in June, I went down to the office for one last time before the move, to work for the day and also attend a painting event after hours.  It was really fun for the ladies of the office to get together - we always have a good time!  My sister and I attended a book event with Hazel Gaynor, which was awesome!  We ended the month with a belated birthday party for our niece and nephew, and we all had fun playing in the pool.

The highlight of Henry's month was going to a hot air balloon festival!  It wasn't a big event, but there were several balloons, including two tethered ballons that were going up and down for a couple hours.  He got to see them being blown up, which was a blast.  In the evening, many balloons were blown up and flew off from a big field.  We set up our blanket and watched them all - Henry was so excited!  For our hot air balloon-loving boy, seeing them in person was an absolute thrill!  I also (finally) made the decision to transition Henry from a crib to a toddler bed, and while it is a little nerve-wracking for me, he is enjoying it, especially that he can get in and out by himself and we can read together in bed instead of on the floor!

The Books

The Ship Beneath the Ice // Say You'll Remember Me // Dream Girl Drama // The Seventh Veil of Salome

Dark Matter (reread) // A Gentleman and a Thief // Unchain Me // Class Mom

Southern By Design // The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (reread)

The Posts and Reviews

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Before Dorothy

Recent Reads

Little Free Library Sighting: The Jersey Shore Edition, Part 4

Recent Reads

Top Ten Tuesday: My Summer TBR

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Overruled

Michele's Monday Picks #72

Release Event with Hazel Gaynor

Recent Reads

Michele's Monday Picks #73

How are you doing?

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Michele's Monday Picks #73

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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These Summer Storms

By Sarah MacLean

Expected Publication: July 8, 2025

From Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean’s first foray into contemporary fiction, with a sharp, sexy novel about a wealthy New England family's long-overdue reckoning with hidden desires, destructive secrets…and one week that threatens to tear them apart.

Alice isn't like the other Storm siblings. While the rest stayed to battle for their parents' approval, attention, and untold billions, she left, building her own life beyond the family’s name and influence. Nothing could induce her to come back, except the shocking death of her larger-than-life father. Now back on the family’s private island off the Rhode Island coast, she plans to keep her head down, pay the last of her respects, and leave the minute the funeral is over.

Unfortunately, her father had other plans. The eccentric, manipulative patriarch left his widow and their grown children a final challenge--an inheritance game designed to humiliate, devastate, and unravel the Storm family in ways both petty and life-altering. The rules of the game are clear: stay on the island for one week, complete the tasks, receive the inheritance.

One week on Storm Island is an impossible task for Alice. Every corner of the sprawling old house is bursting dysfunctional chaos: Her older sister’s secret love affair. Her brother’s incessant mansplaining. Her sister-in-law’s unapologetic greed. Her younger sister’s obsession with "vibes". Her mother’s penchant for stirring up competition between her children. And all under the stern, watchful gaze of Jack Dean, her father’s enigmatic, unfairly good-looking, second-in-command. It will be a miracle if Alice manages to escape the week unscathed.

A story about the transformative power of grief, love, and family, this luscious novel is at once deliciously clever and surprisingly tender, exploring past secrets, present truths, and futures forged in the wake of wild summer storms.

I have enjoyed Sarah MacLean’s historicals and am really excited for a contemporary from her! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Recent Reads

 Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey (2025)

Sig and Chloe's immediate attraction to each other faces a big problem when they soon realize they're about to be stepsiblings.  Knowing a relationship between them would be seriously taboo and may have serious consequences for their careers, the two try to stay away from each other, romantically at least.  But can they truly fight their feelings?  I didn't really feel the "forbidden love" aspect of this - being related by marriage is way different than being related by blood, and especially when I figured out how Bailey was going to get around the issue, it seemed like it was making too big a deal out of the stepsibling deal.  I loved the way Sig was so protective of Chloe and wanted to help her become independent from her mother, but Chloe was a bit frustrating at times - she knew NOTHING about how to live on her own.  Like, stop buying eye cream and pay your rent!  You seem like a shopaholic who has no regard for actual life responsibilities.  In any event, I also enjoyed the interactions with Sig's fellow sports guys - always good for a laugh!  And Bailey is killing it with the epilogues in this series - I love the glimpses into the future - they make me feel all warm and cozy! 3.5 stars

A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue by Dean Jobb (2024)

During the 1920s, conman and thief Arthur Barry executed many heists, eventually stealing millions of dollars' worth of jewels.  His preferred method was to slip in and out of a house through an upper window, sometimes while the residents were downstairs eating dinner or even while they were sleeping just feet away.  Eventually, he was caught and sentenced to prison, but when his wife Anna became sick, he broke out so he could be with her.  This was an interesting, although sometimes repetitive, book.  It tells the life story of Arthur Barry in great detail and the many crimes he admitted to (and others he was suspected of).  Despite being a criminal, Barry came across as quite a gentleman, often dressing in a dapper suit and speaking politely to his victims.  Violence was a rarity for him.  His victims included some of the most famous people of the time; he was even accused of kidnapping the Lindbergh baby.  Fans of narrative nonfiction, true crime, and the Jazz Age will enjoy this book.  4 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Release Event with Hazel Gaynor

Last week, my sister and I headed to Thunder Road Books in Spring Lake, New Jersey, to attend a release event celebrating Hazel Gaynor and her newest book, Before Dorothy.  Hazel was in conversation with Kate, the store manager, and they talked all about Hazel's Wizard of Oz inspiration for the book, the research she did into the Dust Bowl to bring the setting to life, and what she's working on next (spoiler: nothing!  She's taking a much-deserved break to be with her family for awhile).  

The event took place in the store, and there were no more than 30 or so people in attendance, making it an intimate evening.  I like small events like these because they feel so personal.  Hazel was so lovely and charming and funny; her passion for this book really came through!  The audience was given time to ask some questions, as well.

After the interview, we were all given a chance to meet Hazel, chat for a minute, get the book signed, and snag a picture!  I always get a little star-struck and tongue-tied when meeting my favorite authors, and this was no exception.  But, I managed to squeak something out that was hopefully coherent!

We had a great time at this event and look forward to hopefully attending more there someday!

Michele's Monday Picks #72

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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Seven Brides for Beau McBride

By Amy Barry

Expected Publication: July 2, 2025

From Goodreads:

From the beloved author of Kit McBride Gets a Wife and Marrying Off Morgan McBride comes a ‘sweet, hilarious and totally delicious’ love story (Hannah Grace). Beau McBride wants a wife, and his meddling little sister Junebug is itching to find him a mail-order bride. But why stop at just one?

Beau McBride reckons he’s ready for marriage. But his ego is bigger than his brain, and his little sister Junebug can’t trust him to find the right woman. So they make a bet, both placing ads in the Matrimonial News to find the perfect bride. Junebug is set on winning, but there’s a hitch: Beau has made his pick, and she’s beyond beautiful. Junebug knows looks ain’t everything, so to even the odds she invites six more women to meet her brother.

Ellie Neale doesn’t expect much from life. Which is good, since life hasn’t given her much, except a head full of daydreams and her beautiful best friend Diana. But after answering an ad to be a mail-order bride, Diana is leaving for Montana. Ellie is happy for her, really she is ... after all, she was the one who wrote Diana’s letters for her.

Ellie can’t bear the thought of losing Diana, so she answers an ad from a man in the same town her friend is headed for. But when they arrive, Ellie and Diana discover they’ve answered an ad for the same husband. Along with five other women.

With seven brides vying for Beau’s attention, he needs to make a decision – fast. The only problem is, his heart is pulled to the one woman who wants nothing to do with him.

I have loved this series so far and highly recommend the audiobooks! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?