Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: Another Tudor Edition

 Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History by Tracy Borman (2024)

Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, was also mother to Queen Elizabeth I.  Elizabeth was not even three years old when her mother was executed, so it could be assumed that Anne's influence on her life was minimal; however, author Tracy Borman posits that Anne actually had quite a large influence on her daughter as she grew up, including her religious beliefs and her stance on marriage.  Anne's untimely and violent end would stay with her daughter for the rest of her life, but this tragic event would not be the only thing Elizabeth took from her brief time with her mother.  Borman offers intriguing evidence showing how Anne doted on her daughter and also how Elizabeth honored her after her death.  Although she had to be discreet for awhile, she still found ways to keep her mother's memory alive.  After she became queen, she surrounded herself with Boleyn relatives and friends, and her mother's strong religious beliefs helped shape Elizabeth's reign.  I very much enjoyed this fresh look at a favorite topic of mine; we know a lot about Elizabeth and much about Anne (although there are still many questions), but I've never read a book that so directly linked the two.  4 stars

Henry Tudor Must Die by Jillian Lane (2026)

Imagine a world where Queen Catherine of Aragon faked her own death, and then helped Anne Boleyn escape the gallows, and then the two women work for a secret society that works to improve women's rights and education throughout Europe and ultimately get their revenge on King Henry VIII - sounds wild, right?  This premise of Henry Tudor Must Die had me hooked immediately and as a consumer of all things Tudor, I was very excited to read it.  This book did not disappoint!  Told mostly from the dual POVs of Anne and Catherine (called Lina here), we watch as the two former enemies form a friendship and support each other during their Hellebore Sisterhood missions.  They recruit others along the way and help change the fates of most of Henry's other wives, intriguingly blending history with fiction (and witchcraft!).  Friendship, love, revenge, motherhood, and the strength of women are all explored, and I was here for all of it!  4.5 stars

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

Michele's Monday Picks #102

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!

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

 

Winterveil

Ava Reid

Expected Publication: September 24, 2026

From Goodreads:

The Secret History meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in #1 bestselling author Ava Reid’s brand new, thrilling, dystopian YA novel.

There is no application process for Valeran Academy, but it boasts the brightest – and precociously criminal – students in the nation.

A disgraced politician from a powerful American dynasty.

A coldly brilliant strategist who will sacrifice anything to win.

A former pageant queen with a talent that could change the world.

A prodigious female soldier with an enigmatic past – and a dangerous secret.

With eerie war simulations, cutthroat competitions and foreboding new technology, Valeran trains its students to be elite assets in a Cold War that has dragged on for nearly a century. But as a sinister conspiracy takes shape and these four are drawn together for a mysterious mission, their loyalties are tested, their convictions shaken and they all begin to are they ushering in a new era of freedom, or tyranny?

I have loved Ava Reid’s previous books and thought this one sounded fantastic! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

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

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

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

How are you doing?

* 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!

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

 

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?