Michele's Monday Picks #92

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!

*********************************************************************************

 

The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire

By India Holton

Expected Publication: April 21, 2026

From Goodreads:

When two history professors and best friends are forced to fake hate to protect their reputations, chaos ensues, in the next rollicking historical-fantasy rom-com from beloved author India Holton.

Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumors about their relationship spread, they're forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs.

The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it’s the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can’t get into trouble.…

Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real.

It wouldn’t be spring if I wasn’t recommending the newest India Holton book! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Recent Reads

Gradchanted by Morgan Matson (2025)

Cass is celebrating her high school graduation at Disneyland's Grad Nite.  After spending her childhood constantly moving for her dads' work, she wants one magical night before she leaves again.  However, the night is a total disaster and Cass is shocked to find herself reliving the night, over and over and over again.. I love a time loop novel, from the main character discovering and accepting they're in one to how they figure out how to get out of it - it's always fun!  I loved the Disneyland setting of this one, and I appreciated how Cass finally came to terms with how her childhood affected her ability to get close to people.  I thought there was WAY too much time spent on Cass trying to help musician Freddie, believing that was her key to escaping the loop.  Clearly, it had to be about her and the mistakes she's made.  But overall, I thought this was a clever, spirited addition to the time loop genre!  4 stars

Meet Me on the Bridge by Sarah J. Harris (2024)

Julia discovers she has the ability to time travel, and she uses it to hopefully meet the man of her literal dreams, who she discovers died a year ago while trying to save others.  However, Julia realizes that her attempts to change the past have effects on the future that she never anticipated.  I love a time travel romance, so I was excited for this one; however, it was a bit of a letdown.  The writing is so clunky; the transitions aren't good, things are not explained well, and Julia is not a character I found myself sympathizing with.  I wanted to like her, but she was so over-written, almost to the point of caricature.  3 stars

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

Month in Review: March 2026

 

March was a fun month!  We took advantage of our zoo membership and went one weekend; it was a little chilly, so we didn't see all the animals, but we still had fun!  We've signed Henry up for tball, so we got ready for that - picked up his equipment, met his coach, and started practicing in the backyard.  Tom and I have been toying with the idea of joining Kiwanis, a service organization (we met doing volunteer work in Circle K, the college level of Kiwanis), and since there are a couple clubs in our general area, we've been going to various meetings and events trying to figure out which club would be the best fit for us.  We did a Project Linus service project with one club where we made fleece blankets for kids, and Henry had a great time practicing his scissor skills and charming all the ladies in the room, ha!  We also went to Medieval Times for a Kiwanis get-together, and Henry loved being back at the castle!

The Books

Northeaster // Gradchanted // This Is Not a Game // Tinker Bell

Meet Me on the Bridge // White Widow // The Forgotten Sister // The Memory Collectors

What Happened Next // The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie

The Posts and Reviews

Recent Reads

Michele's Monday Picks #90

Review: My Name is Rusha

Michele's Monday Picks #91

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Write Off

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: The Storm Edition

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Adventure Is Out There!

Blog Tour + Review: Dibs the Dragon and the Marshmallow Rescue

How are you doing?

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

Blog Tour + Review: Dibs the Dragon and the Marshmallow Rescue

Today I'm partnering with WOW! Women on Writing to celebrate the release of Dibs the Dragon and the Marshmallow Rescue by Ellie Ross!  I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Summary

How does a bubble-blowing dragon make his very first friend?

In the magical land of Lickitypop, Dibs the Dragon hears a tiny cry for help from the sticky syrup swamp and discovers Mooch, a marshmallow mole who is very, very stuck. With a licorice vine, a bit of bravery, and a whole lot of heart, Dibs leaps into action—and begins a friendship that will change everything.

This gentle, whimsical picture book is filled with kindness, imagination, and cozy read-aloud moments that celebrate the joy of helping others and the magic of making friends.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, librarian, or cozy-color enthusiast, this sweet story is sure to become a beloved favorite on your shelf—and a magical introduction to the Lickitypop series.

Purchase a copy of Dibs the Dragon and the Marshmallow Rescue on Amazon. Be sure to also add it to your GoodReads reading list.

Dibs the Dragon is kind and helpful, but he's a little lonely and is looking for a best friend.  One day he finds Mooch, a marshmallow mole, stuck in syrup, and he uses his ingenuity to rescue him, leading to an inseparable friendship.  This book was so adorable!  The illustrations are colorful and whimsical, and it has a great message for kids - there's a friend out there for everyone, and it's also really good to be kind and helpful to others!  Dragons, candy, and a sweet story with a lovely message - what more could you ask for in a children's book?

5 stars

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Adventure Is Out There!

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

Adventure Is Out There!

Liz Braswell

Expected publication date: April 7, 2026

Adventure is out there in Disney’s New York Times best-selling A Twisted Tale series that asks, “What if it was Ellie who went UP to Paradise Falls?”

16-year-old Ellie Mullins is fed up. Sure, for some, life in small town Americana is idyllic. Nothing but picket fences and USO dances and holiday parades. But Ellie has long dreamed of towering mountains and tangled jungles and most of all…traveling to the incredible South American landmark, Paradise Falls.

Ellie thought these dreams made her strange, until she met her sweet best friend Carl (when he promptly broke his leg in her clubhouse). Carl is Ellie’s closest confidante. He’s also the only able to talk her off the ledge. But things between them seem weird lately as Ellie grows increasingly frustrated with his quiet way of doing things. And is it just her, or are there new feelings bubbling up between them?

Then Ellie begins her dream internship at the local zoo, where the flashy millionaire owner organizes an expedition to the Paradise Falls to collect new specimens. But the star newcomer, a bird given to him by Charles Munz himself, doesn’t adjust well to his new home and Ellie is put in charge of its hopeless-seeming recovery. Carl advises Ellie to laylow, to not make waves. But that’s not something Ellie has ever been good at. And when an opportunity comes for a last minute, emergency rescue mission, she decides to take it.

Will Ellie’s impulsiveness finally get the better of her? Or will she get the adventure she always wanted . . . and at what cost? - from Goodreads

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: The Storm Edition

 Northeaster: A Story of Courage and Survival in the Blizzard of 1952 by Catherine Pelletier (2023)

In 1952, a huge snowstorm hit New England, and Maine in particular, and Northeaster tells the true stories of what happened to several real people during those days.  The narrative flows in a chronological way and moves from person to person, giving you brief insights before revisiting them later.  Pelletier covers a wide range of individuals, from teenagers, to housewives/mothers, to soldiers.  Where I live experiences occasional blizzards and northeasters, so in one sense I was able to relate to the individuals, although I've never been in a storm of this magnitude, with snowdrifts piling 20 feet high, causing people to be trapped for days, so many of the stories were also shocking to me.  There were so many instances of neighbors helping neighbors, people helping strangers, doctors going above and beyond to help their patients.  However, be prepared because not every story has a happy ending.  4 stars

This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen (2025)

A grandmother and granddaughter are trapped at a lavish estate when a snowstorm crops up during a party, and to make matters worse, the party host is found dead in her room.  With the police unable to get there during the storm, the duo takes it upon themselves to investigate the murder.  Although not without its issues, this was a fun little murder mystery.  Grandmother Mimi is blackmailed into going to her neighbor's charity auction/party, and she invites her granddaughter Addie to go with her.  Addie is the co-inventor of a popular murder mystery video game, so she believes this gives her experience in crime solving.  In any event, the two interview suspects and look for clues, while the bodies continue to pile up.  I did think the story moved kind of slowly, and I couldn't get a good read on Mimi - although she doesn't seem like a loving grandma, she is also consistently referred to as someone that people are drawn to and open up to.  Kinda contradictory.  But, the story had its humorous moments and I did not guess the killer, so there's that!  3.5 stars

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

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Write Off

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

The Write Off

Kara McDowell

Expected publication date: April 7, 2026

Two rival authors are forced to confront a decade of love and heartbreak on the campus where it all started in this captivating debut romance by Kara McDowell.

It’s been thirteen years since Mars Darling first met West Emerson on a bench outside their writing class. What started out as a friendly rivalry turned into a best friendship and then, for a brief time, a romance. Now over a decade later, as Mars stands at their college campus as a once-esteemed YA fantasy author, ready to take on a book festival, she comes face to face with West—the muse behind her infamous trilogy’s heartthrob hero, the man who betrayed her in the worst way.

Mars is determined not to let her comeback tour be ruined by the fact that West is also at the festival as an author. But the longer they are on the campus that holds so many shared memories, the more time they have to untangle their past, and Mars starts to question if maybe it’s not only her writing career that deserves a second chance.

Told in two unfolding timelines—Mars and West’s frenzied college days where they grapple with their undeniable connection, and their tension-filled present of heartache and familiar yearning—this charming romance shows that while you can’t rewrite the past, it’s never too late to chase your happily ever after and get back the one that got away. - from Goodreads