Recent Reads

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan (2024)

Rae is dying from terminal cancer when one day she is approached with a mysterious offer - a chance to live by first entering the fantasy world of her favorite book series and retrieving a flower.  With nothing to lose, Rae takes a chance and wakes up as a character in the story, with the world around her feeling all too real.  She's been cast as one of the villains, and she'll have to be truly devious to keep herself from being killed.  I really enjoyed this book!  It took me a little bit to really get into it - the writing is very dense, to create this fantasy world - but the concept is amazing!  A chance to meet some of your favorite characters and experience their world?  Awesome!  As Rae makes it further into the storyline, things are not quite as she expected, and even her own actions will have serious consequences.  I admired Rae's ability to maneuver this world while still being herself, and the cast of characters around her are both terrifying and extraordinary.  I'm excited to see where Brennan takes the story next!  4 stars

Dating After the End of the World by Jeneva Rose (2025)

After spending her childhood unhappily helping her doomsday-prepping dad, Casey left as soon as she could and hasn't looked back.  That is, until a zombie apocalypse surges through the nation and she's forced to return to her childhood home.  There, she finds her father had continued his prepper ways and is now thriving, somewhat, while offering refuge to several other people, including Casey's childhood nemesis, Blake.  This book had a little bit of everything, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  There's some science fiction, with the zombies, and of course plenty of gore comes along with that.  There's action and drama, as the survivors fight to keep their home safe.  Casey and her father are able to work on their damaged relationship, and I definitely shed some tears there!  And Casey and Blake finally find some common ground and, in working together, love blossoms.  After an explosive ending, I'm hoping for a sequel!  4.5 stars

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Month in Review: September 2025

 

September was a pretty chill month for us.  After our vacation, it was back to work and back to school - Henry started preschool at daycare, so that has been a fun adjustment!  We decided not to do any structured activities like music classes this fall, so our weekends have been a mix of outings, walks, and playground visits.  We visited a couple Jersey shore lighthouses one Saturday (I've lived in NJ all my life and have only been to like one lighthouse, so Henry's new obsession meant we all got to see something new!).  My sister, niece, and I took a beeswax candlemaking class at a local farm one day, and then the week after we took Henry back to the same farm so he could meet all the animals - goats, geese, and peacocks!  We also did a local Walk to Fight Alzheimer's - it was at a park we often go to anyway, so it was perfect! - and took Henry to a Touch-a-Truck community event at the mall.

The Books

Wait for It // The Witch's Apprentice and Other Stories // Under the Stars // Long Live Evil

Dating After the End of the World // Never Lie // Here One Moment // The Astronaut Wives Club

Reputation

The Posts and Reviews

Recent Reads

Michele's Monday Picks #77

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Circle of Days

Blog Tour + Review: The Witch's Apprentice and Other Stories by Ekta R. Garg

Michele's Monday Picks #78

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Soul Searching

Recent Reads

Guest Blogger: My Favorite Audiobooks #4

Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall TBR

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Good Spirits

Recent Reads

Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Eight Cousins Books

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

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Boleyn Traitor

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

Boleyn Traitor

Philippa Gregory

Expected publication date: October 14, 2025

#1 New York Times bestselling author and “queen of royal fiction” (USA Today) Philippa Gregory returns with a dazzling historical novel of ambition, betrayal, and survival in the court of Henry VIII.

Jane Boleyn watches from the shadows of the Tudor court, where secrets are currency, every choice is dangerous, and even the faintest whisper can seal the fate of queens.

For Jane, survival demands playing every role required of her: a loving wife who conceals her doubts, a devoted sister to Anne Boleyn at the height of her power, and an obedient spy who carefully wields her words. But in a court ruled by ambition and a tyrant’s sword, Jane must rely on her sharp wit and skillful maneuvering to outthink those around her, knowing that one wrong move could cost her everything.

Philippa Gregory masterfully shines a spotlight on the untold story of Jane Boleyn, peeling back the myths to reveal a complex portrait of a woman who dared to survive at any cost. Perfect for fans of thrilling historical drama and readers captivated by the intrigue of the Tudor period, Boleyn Traitor is a must-read. - from Goodreads

Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Eight Cousins Books

We recently traveled to Cape Cod for a big family vacation, so you know I had to be on the lookout for indie bookstores while we were there!  In downtown Falmouth, we came across Eight Cousins Books!

Eight Cousins Books actually has two storefronts, just a few doors down from one another.  I first went to the location that carries books for adults (and also some puzzles and gifts).  It's not a huge space, but they manage to pack a lot in!  I snagged a holiday romance for later this year!  My sister and I went back for a second visit, and she really loved the selection.

After that, I went to their second location, which caters to children!  I loved it, a whole store just for children's books, games, and toys!  Eight Cousins Kids is quite a bit larger than the other location, and Henry had a great time checking everything out, as you can see in the last picture!

If you find yourself in Falmouth, I definitely recommend checking out these two indie bookstores!

Recent Reads

Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay (2021)

Annabelle is looking for a fresh start when she moves to Arizona to work for her friend's design company.  Her landlord Nick is recovering from a stroke, fearful about leaving his home, but when he and Annabelle finally meet, sparks fly.  Could they help each other find happiness?  I really enjoyed this book!  I have to say, it wasn't even really about the romance for me; it was about the journeys that Annabelle and Nick each take in overcoming their own issues (but of course, the way they help each other and come together didn't hurt, either!).  I liked watching Annabelle tackle her workplace issues and also make some realizations about her romantic history.  Nick's medical issues and past family traumas made his storyline a bit heaver but equally compelling.  4 stars

Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams (2025)

Audrey and her mother have returned to Winthrop Island to get Meredith sober.  While there, Audrey reconnects with her father and they discover a chest full of paintings, uncovering many secrets in the process.  In a second timeline, a young woman gives her account of surviving a shipwreck near Winthrop Island two centuries earlier.  I love dual timeline stories and seeing the way the stories eventually come together, often in surprising ways.  This was no exception!  I was anxious to see how Williams would tie the present-day and past timelines; Providence (the woman who survived the storm) was especially compelling to me.  I felt like the present-day story had all the hallmarks of a Beatriz Williams book, with family and secrets and love, but also felt a bit... grittier?  There was a lot of cursing and it did detract from the story a bit for me, but I enjoyed getting to know Audrey and Meredith and seeing them work on their relationships.  I also love the way Williams writes romance - it's not so obvious and in your face, it's in the glances and subtle wording and small moments.  4.5 stars

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

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Good Spirits

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

Good Spirits

B.K. Borison   

Expected publication date: October 21, 2025

The New York Times bestselling author of First-Time Caller, B.K. Borison is back with a whimsical new holiday romance—this time with a magical twist—that will have everyone falling in love with the Ghost of Christmas Past.

He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. She’s not exactly Scrooge.

Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future.

Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together— and realize there might be more to moving on than expected.

With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection? - from Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall TBR

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is our fall TBR!  I have a mix of books from my unread shelf and my library, as well as some nonfiction reads to prepare for November!  What will you be reading this fall?

Have you read any of these?  Where should I start?