Recent Reads

The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester (2026)

After her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Aria Jones is sent to California to live with her aunt, at the iconic Chateau Marmont.  She grows up in the hotel, learning all sorts of secrets and meeting all kinds of people.  When Theo Winchester buys the hotel, Aria finds herself falling in love with the rock star - but will she get her happily ever after?  I was interested in this book because it's a Jane Eyre retelling and that's one of my favorite books.  There are enough callbacks to the original to make the comparison, yet Lester also brings a fresh, new story.  I have to admit, I struggled a bit in the beginning with this book.  The story moves back and forth between the present day and flashbacks to Aria's early years at the Chateau.  The writing, however, wasn't always super clear and I honestly couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't at times.  When we get to the part of the story where Aria/Jane runs away from her wedding, due to discovering a big secret about her fiancé, I finally felt like the story came alive.  After years of never leaving the Chateau, Aria makes a big move, and I appreciated her courage to finally make changes in her life and also help those around her.  3.5 stars

The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf (2025)

A wealthy ranching family hosts a gender reveal party, but things turn chaotic when two explosions rock the party, leaving one woman dead.  An ATF agent is brought in to investigate, and more secrets than anticipated are revealed.  Since there always seems to be a headline about gender reveal parties going wrong, I was intrigued by this premise, but unfortunately this turned out to be kind of a "meh" read for me.  First, the writing was just not great - very stilted and could have used more editing.  There were inconsistencies in the narrative, too - first they said the gender reveal party was when Madeline was 37 weeks pregnant, then she was 7 months, then 4 weeks away from giving birth - none of it made sense!  The ATF agent had a clear conflict of interest but decided to keep it a secret.  None of the reveals were particularly interesting or surprising - just a bunch of unlikable people doing bad things.  The one exception was Madeline's sister, and I wish we had gotten to know her a little better.  3 stars

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Month in Review: August 2026

 

August was a busy month!  We attended a big picnic with our community service group, and then my mom came to visit!  She stayed at my sister's house but came up to our house to attend Henry's music class with us.  My sister had a pool party, which was a lot of fun.  Henry's daycare took a fieldtrip to the Land of Make Believe, a small theme park here in NJ.  We celebrated Tom's birthday and then went on our big vacation for the summer - a road trip to Pittsburgh, Grand Rapids, and Cleveland!  We went to 3 zoos, visited lighthouses and windmills, saw some cool sculptures, gardens,and parks, and of course, visited some indie bookstores!  We also got to meet up with our Chicago-area family and meet our nephew!

The Books

All Hail Chaos // Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I // Henry Tudor Must Die // The Perfect Hosts

In Your Dreams // The Catch // The Wedding Ringer // Happier Here With You

The Posts and Reviews

Michele's Monday Picks #101

Blog Tour + Review: The Economy Always Gets Better

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

Blog Break!

 

Summer is winding down, so I'll be taking a brief break from the blog to soak up these last days!  Thanks for stopping by, and I look forward to talking books again in September!

Blog Tour + Review: The Economy Always Gets Better

Today I'm partnering with WOW! Women on Writing to celebrate the release of The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Uncertain Times with Confidence by Nikki M. Finlay, PhD.  Keep reading for my review!  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Uncertain Times with Confidence

Nikki M. Finlay, PhD

Published August 18, 2026

For those of us who forgot what we learned years ago or never had the opportunity to take an economics class, terms like recession, depression, tariffs, inflation, and gross domestic product can make our heads spin.

If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place.

In The Economy Always Gets Better, award-winning economist Dr. Nikki Finlay explains the economy in its simplest terms, making it easier to understand and giving readers the tools to approach even the most distressing economic information with confidence.

Dr. Finlay combines her knowledge and years of academic experience in this practical and accessible guide for anyone wishing to better their understanding of the economy. Using personal stories, useful metaphors, visual representations, and statistical data, she makes economics accessible to everyone.

Whether you’re worried about the current economic troubles or trying to figure it all out for the first time, The Economy Always Gets Better will leave you better informed and better prepared to thrive. - from Goodreads

I am not a person who follows things like politics or the well-being of the economy very closely.  I'll be honest, I don't really understand a lot of it.  Sure, I notice things like the cost of groceries and gas and how my investments are doing on a quarterly basis, but I don't really think too much about (or understand!) why those things happen the way they do.  Economist and professor Nikki Finlay aims to solve that problem with her new book, The Economy Always Gets Better.  She explains terms and concepts in an easy-to-understand way, breaking down big picture themes into smaller bites.  She uses examples from her own life to illustrate the concepts, and she also references the pandemic often, since the economy was hit so hard.  The book is split into two parts: part 1 focuses on basic concepts such as prices, trade, and banks, while part 2 focuses on problem areas such as inflation, unemployment, and recessions and the role the government plays in helping us get out of tough times.  I liked the way she ended each chapter, with a little exercise asking the reader to think about how they would explain the gist of the chapter to an 8 year old.  Sometimes breaking something down into its simplest terms is the best way to learn.  While I'll never be an expert, I do feel a little better equipped to talk about the economy after reading this book.

3.5 stars

Michele's Monday Picks #101

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my 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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Big Little Truths

Liane Moriarty

Expected Publication: August 25, 2026

From Goodreads:

In her first-ever sequel, Liane Moriarty examines the complexities of modern women’s lives, shining light on shame and family secrets with wit and compassion. Whether you’ve read Big Little Lies or not, this is the perfect novel for longtime fans and new readers alike.

The last time we saw the women of Big Little Lies—Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie—their children were five years old. If someone wasn’t invited to a child’s birthday party, feelings were hurt. But ten years have passed, and the kids are now in high school, with all of the drama that accompanies teendom (goodbye playdates, hello drugs, sex, and alcohol).

Now, after the principal of the high school receives a severed human finger in the mail, the parents are in an uproar. But Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie have other things to worry about. Celeste’s mother-in-law, Mary Louise, is behaving oddly—is it old-age forgetfulness and forthrightness, or something more sinister? Madeline is facing perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, Jane is at a dangerous fork in her marriage, Bonnie has realized there’s only so much solace in yoga. And Renata? Renata is living her best life—revenge is sweet.

When a strange man begins lurking around the school asking supposedly innocent questions, this tightly connected group of women must finally face the full repercussions of the big little truths they have and haven’t shared with their kids. Because the stakes are now much higher than not being invited to an ice-skating show—and the ice has never been thinner for any of them.

I loved Big Little Lies and the TV adaptation! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Month in Review: July 2026

 

July was a decent month!  We took Henry to the movies to see the new Minions movie, and he had fun!  We spent 4th of July in my sister's pool, which was so nice!  Henry started music again, so that's been a fun way to spend Saturday mornings.  We took advantage of our zoo membership to attend a Member's Night, free from the crowds.  My college roommate passed through New Jersey on a road trip, so we met up for dinner - it was so good to see her and catch up!  My stepmom hosted a craft day for the ladies, and it was such a fun, chill day - no kids or husbands allowed!  My craft was a paint-by-number painting, which is now proudly displayed in my home office, ha!  The weather this month has been wild - some seriously hot weather, wildfire smoke that kept us indoors for a couple days, and lots of thunderstorms!  But thankfully, we also got some really beautiful days.

The Books

The Devil Wears Prada // Tristan 4 America // The Storm // Gardens & Grudges

Mad Mabel // The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes // Fable for the End of the World // The Divorce

The Economy Always Gets Better // The Chateau on Sunset

The Posts and Reviews

Recent Reads

Mid-Year Goals Check-In

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Extracurricular

Recent Reads

Michele's Monday Picks #99

Recent Reads

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Residency

Review: Gardens & Grudges

Michele's Monday Picks #100

Recent Reads

How are you doing?

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

Recent Reads

 Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid (2025)

In a dystopian future, Inesa's mother has sacrificed her to the Lamb's Gauntlet in order to get rid of her debt.  In this livestreamed assassination, Melinoe, a trained assassin, will hunt down Inesa; however, neither of them expects that they'll have to work together to survive the wasteland and that feelings might develop in the most unexpected of circumstances.  I really liked the premise of this - a bit Hunger Games, a bit Running Man - but the execution really fell short for me.  It felt really dated, like I was reading something from 20 years ago that was trying to depict the future.  The constant references to tablets and Melinoe's physical upgrades (like her robot eye) didn't feel fresh.  And the plot holes and just overall inconsistencies - for instance, the author indicates that Melinoe's upgrades make her body temp colder, yet Inesa says something about her "warm body" later, and Melinoe explains that the rulers in charge can't do Gauntlets all the time, because it would diminish their effect, yet Inesa's Gauntlet is literally just a couple days after another one ends.  Also, we come across at least two parents that willingly sacrifice their CHILDREN to the Gauntlet to alleviate their OWN debt - so gross, sacrifice yourself!  However, I liked Inesa's brother and the tension he brought to the story, and while a lot of readers will have a problem with the ending, I appreciated that it was more open-ended and not your typical happy ever after.  3 stars

The Divorce by Freida McFadden (2026)

Seemingly out of nowhere, Naomi's husband Jeremy asks her for a divorce and kicks her out of their house.  Naomi is predictably upset, but even more so when she finds out that Jeremy has a new girlfriend, Veronica, and she becomes obsessed with saving her son Teddy from the secrets she uncovers.  I'll be honest, I've read so many Freida McFadden books because she has a huge backlist and there always seems to be one available when I need an audiobook.  I have been loving thrillers this year, so her books usually scratch that itch.  That being said - do I love her books?  Not usually.  Are they entertaining?  Yes, but also wildly implausible and totally bonkers, and not generally in a good way.  That brings us to The Divorce, my latest McFadden book.  For the first half or so, I was on board.  I really felt for Naomi and the cruel way Jeremy treated her, basically tricking her into moving out and then filing for divorce out of nowhere.  The way it seemed like he was gaslighting her was truly infuriating.  But then we get to the second half of the book and things started to go off the rails.  As is typical with McFadden books, no one is who they appear to be at first, so when we get a second POV (Veronica), the entire story changed.  Naomi went from having my full sympathy to being unlikable.  I did, however, enjoy the theme of mothers doing whatever it takes for their children.  3 stars

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