Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Charter Books

We recently took a family trip to Newport, Rhode Island, so you know my sister and I had to check out a local indie bookstore!  Enter Charter Books, which opened in 2020 and is located in the downtown historic district.  The outside is classic and beautiful, and this aesthetic follows inside!

The inside is warm and inviting, with beautiful wood shelves and floors, and seems to go on forever!  There is a large selection of fiction books right when you walk in, and if you go all the way to the back, you'll find an extensive children's section.  My sister was really impressed with their middle grade selection!

The children's section features these adorable reading nooks, decorated with sea life and flowers.  I love that kids get these lovely spaces to check out their books in.

The store continues on a lower level, and along the staircase, visiting authors have signed the walls - I just happened to notice the signatures of Team W, including one of my favorite authors, Beatriz Williams!

The downstairs level is a little more utilitarian, but still offers a lot!  About half of the shelves downstairs are nonfiction and the rest are a continuation of fiction.  

I snagged a book about local Newport history for myself and a board book about lighthouses for Henry, who is still absolutely obsessed with them!  If you ever take a trip to Newport, definitely check out Charter Books!

Recent Reads

When The Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi (2025) 

What would happen if, one day, the moon suddenly became a sphere of cheese, floating in space?  John Scalzi imagines a world reacting to the news that our moon, as we know it, has been replaced by cheese.  From regular people to astronauts to politicians, he takes us through various conversations and events, showing the wonder, fear, and incredulity that such an unexpected event might inspire.  Each chapter moves to a different POV, keeping the story fresh and fast-moving.  At times humorous, heart-warming, and whimsical, this was definitely an entertaining read, even if the conclusion was a bit unsatisfying for me.  4 stars

And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens (2025)

Chloe feels stuck and unsuccessful in her life, and she's worried about seeing her former best friend, now a successful director, at their upcoming college reunion.  So, she uses a dating service to find an unconventional plus-one for the weekend, hoping to save face in front of her friends.  I love Cousens's books - they are heartwarming with just the right amount of quirk.  Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me.  I don't know if it's just the books I read, but I am tired of seeing female characters who are always down on their luck, not moving ahead in life, comparing themselves unfavorably to everyone around them.  To a point, I could relate to Chloe, but I also felt exasperated by her situation, and to think she could distract from all that just by bringing a hot date for the weekend was a little heartbreaking.  I also felt no chemistry between Rob (her date) and Chloe (of course, there is a big twist here that I won't spoil!).  I appreciated that the true love story here was quite unexpected, and I'm still looking forward to whatever Cousens writes next!  3.5 stars

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Can't-Wait Wednesday: She Made Herself a Monster

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

She Made Herself a Monster

Anna Kovatcheva

Expected publication date: February 10, 2026

A heady, dark-hued Gothic gem of a debut in nineteenth-century Bulgaria, a self-proclaimed vampire slayer—actually, a traveling con artist—joins forces with a teenage girl to create a monster deadly enough to vanquish their own demons. 

We make monsters in order to destroy them. For thousands of years, we’ve named witches and burned them, suspected demons and exorcised them. When crops die and children fall ill, who better to blame than a monster?

In nineteenth-century Bulgaria, Yana rides from one desolate town to the next, staging grisly displays while the villagers animal corpses in the public square, eggs filled with blood in the chicken coop. She tells the stricken villagers stories of vampires that stalk the night. Then Yana eliminates the threat, and leaves seeds of hope in her wake.

The village of Koprivici, however, is plagued by exceptional illness and misfortune, its children rarely surviving infancy. There, Yana meets a headstrong orphan who the villagers blame for their curse. As Anka approaches womanhood, the village Captain is grooming her for marriage against her will. Anka is powerless against him—that is, until Yana arrives. Together, the orphan and the vampire slayer hatch a to conjure a monster so vile, it might provide cover for Anka to escape. But their plan quickly takes on a horrifying life of its own...

Inspired by Slavic folklore, She Made Herself a Monster concocts a clever mix of witchery, ghost stories, heresy, and deception to spin a feminist fable about agency and the power of collective action. It is a haunting and astoundingly cathartic tale of two women who will stop at nothing to take control of their fate. - from Goodreads

Michele's Monday Picks #87

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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The Forest on the Edge of Time

By Jasmin Kirkbride

Expected Publication: February 3, 2026

From Goodreads:

The Future of Another Timeline meets The Bone Clocks in this dazzling piece of time-travel climate fiction.

Recruited by the mysterious Project Kairos to change history and save the future from ecological disaster, Echo and Hazel are transported through time to opposite worlds. Echo works as a healer’s assistant in Ancient Athens, embroiled in dangerous politics and wild philosophy. Hazel is the last human alive, in a laboratory on a polluted island with nothing but tiny robots and an untrustworthy AI for company.

Both women suffer from amnesia but when they fall asleep, their consciousnesses transcend time and they meet in their dreams. Together, they start to uncover their past – but soon discover the past threatens humanity’s survival.

If Echo and Hazel have a chance of changing the future, they must remember to forget…

THE FOREST ON THE EDGE OF TIME is a novel about family and duty and the worlds we try to save along the way.

I thought this sounded so unique! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: The Tudor Edition

The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens by Nicola Clark (2025)

King Henry VIII's six queens were served by numerous ladies-in-waiting (and weirdly enough, four of them became Queen themselves!), and Nicola Clark dives deep into history to tell their stories.  This was an absolutely fascinating read.  The Tudor era is a particular favorite of mine, and Clark has added new dimension to it by exploring the lives of those who served, somewhat of a blank spot in our knowledge.  Yes, there are some we know more about (Jane Boleyn, for example), but others have remained fairly hidden until now.  Told in chronological order, Clark introduces us to many of these ladies-in-waiting, some of whom will have short stints while others will linger for years, serving multiple queens.  She tells us about their personal lives, while also revisiting famous people and events, adding interesting layers to things we thought we knew about.  I enjoyed how Clark explores some accepted rumors of the era and debunks them, and I was truly impressed by her research and how detailed the story is.  Yes, the amount of people (and the fact that many share similar names) can get overwhelming, but this is a small price to pay for such a comprehensive and entertaining read.  4.5 stars

Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory (2025)

Phillipa Gregory is back with another installment in her Plantagenet/Tudor series, and this one focuses on the court life of Jane Boleyn, wife of George and sister-in-law to Queen Anne Boleyn.  It follows her from her time with Anne to her downfall with Kathryn Howard.  Jane served five of King Henry VIII's six queens, so she certainly saw a lot.  Gregory imagines her as a wily, intelligent lady-in-waiting, much relied on by her queens.  It's interesting to get this perspective of the Tudor court, all the behind-the-scenes things, as we watch Jane not only serve her queens, but also exert a lot of power as she guides them.  Gregory's writing is refined and elegant, really evoking the time period.  Another fascinating installment!  4 stars

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2026 Goals

Today I wanted to share some bookish and non-bookish goals for 2026!  I thought about it a lot, and I'm only going to set one bookish goal.  I just want to keep things simple and I don't have the bandwidth in my brain to be keeping track of too many things, ha!  But, I also wanted to set out some non-bookish goals to help me focus on other areas of my life.

1. Read 75 books.  This is lower than what I usually read, but it will keep things low-stress for me!
2. Complete the sit-to-standing test.  Has anyone else been seeing this "longevity" test everywhere lately?  Supposedly, being able to get up from sitting on the floor to standing, without using hands, knees, or leaning on anything, is a good indicator of your health and predicted longevity.  So, I tried it and couldn't do it, but my goal is to gain the strength to complete the test and continue doing it.
3. Do 100 jumps a day.  This is another fitness thing I've been seeing lately - jumping!  In general, I want to get healthier and I am always struggling to lose 15-20 pounds, but unlike my husband, who has impeccable willpower and drive, I am much slower to make changes.  I need to start somewhere, though, and this seems like a good thing to add to my growing fitness routine!
4. Complete 52 puzzles.  Last year I did 95 puzzles and as much as I love doing them, it maybe felt like too much?  Puzzles take time and I don't want to feel like I'm neglecting other things.  Aiming for one per week (treating myself after finishing work on Fridays, LOL!) seems reasonable.
5. Complete at least 4 new-to-us baking projects with Henry.  Henry always wants to "make something" in the kitchen - he loves helping me measure things out and watch its progress in the oven.  We are trying to help him overcome an egg allergy, which means he needs to eat baked egg daily, and the easiest way we've found is through things like muffins.  Admittedly, not the healthiest, so in addition to box mixes, I've been trying to make "healthier" versions from scratch.  So, I would love to find some new things to add to our repertoire!  Please drop your suggestions in the comments!

Michele also wanted to share some bookish and non-bookish goals for 2026, so here they are!

Bookish Goals 2026

• Read 200 books – This is less than my 2025 total, and will force me to be more selective in my reading
• Read books from a wide variety of genres – I have been reading more thrillers, historical fiction and middle grades the last couple years and would like to continue with that
• Utilize my library more – Especially now with my daughter getting more into reading, I will try to be more proactive in using our township library and its resources
• Buddy read with my daughter and husband – Luna and I have been sharing so many middle grade books and I look forward to continuing that in 2026.  My husband has a goal of reading 15 books this year, so I’m sure we’ll have some overlapping reads!

Non-Bookish Goals 2026

My bookish goals are admittedly a rehash of my 2025 goals – reading has been a hobby of mine for years so there’s not much to add at a certain point.  I also want it to keep being something fun for me.  But I thought I would document some of my non-bookish goals as well!  I try to choose a word or phrase for the year – just something small and quick to kind of guide me.  For the last couple years, the phrase has been With Purpose, to remind myself to be intentional with my time and energy.  This year I’m switching it up and the word will be Progress – some of my goals are things I want to learn for the first time or things I want to get better at, so I think this will be a good mindset to have.  

2026 will be a challenging year professionally – my husband is changing jobs and is going to be in office a majority of the time, instead of fully remote.  I was also promoted to partner at my CPA firm last year (kinda cool but mostly terrifying) so my responsibilities there will be changing this year.  Despite this (because of this?) my 2026 goals pretty much pertain to my personal life and the fun stuff I’ll need to stay sane.

• Learn needlepoint.  Do I need a new hobby?  No.  Am I going to do it anyway?  Probably.
• More monthly baking challenges.  My daughter and I follow the monthly baking challenges from Sally’s Baking Blog and The Salted Sweets.  We did a few last year but really want to keep up and do as many as we can this year.  
• Plant a garden.  Ok, not a full garden but a couple vegetable plants would be good to start!
• Complete 24 puzzles.  I try to carve out time to complete a couple puzzles a month – it also helps me bump up my audiobook listens!
• Continue my fitness journey.  I only got serious about exercising a couple years ago – while I regret waiting until I turned 40, I know that I can still make great progress and better myself.  I try to focus on a couple different apps (iFit and Reps nMotion) to keep me on track and progressing and I want to try to accomplish as much as I can.

What will you be focusing on in 2026?

Henry's Shelves #10: New Additions

 

Hi, all!  It has been so long since I shared what's going on with Henry's bookshelves and what he's been enjoying, so today I thought it would be fun to show some of his new books!

A New Friend for Dragon // Bluey: Grannies and Other Stories // How to Catch a Dinosaur

Three Hens and a Peacock // Birthday Surprise! // Lilo & Stitch

Good Night Lighthouse // The Mighty Avengers // The Incredible Hulk

Have you read any of these?

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Michele's 2025 Reading Wrap-Up!

2025 was a fantastic reading year!  I was able to read 263 books – here is my breakdown by format, genre and source:

Format

⦁ Ebook 78

⦁ Physical 128

⦁ Audio 57

Source

⦁ Haul (purchased, borrowed, Audible subscription) 173

⦁ Library 59

⦁ Kindle Unlimited 31

Genre

⦁ Romance 82

⦁ Thriller/Mystery 58

⦁ Historical Fiction 16

⦁ Genre Fiction 16

⦁ Adult – Other 19

⦁ YA 35

⦁ Nonfiction 16

⦁ Middle Grade 23

My most read authors were Stuart Gibbs (11), Sierra Simone (4), and Amalie Howard (4).  I also read 8 anthologies.  Romance was still my top genre, but I definitely branched out into some new genres.  Here are some of my favorites of the year:

       

                                 

Do we share any favorites?  What books are you looking forward to in 2026?

Michele's Monday Picks #86

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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Carnival Fantastico

By Angela Montoya

Expected Publication: February 3, 2026

From Goodreads:

An unputdownable romantasy following a young woman posing as fortune-teller at a magical traveling carnival, where the handsome boy who once broke her heart resurfaces and warns her that the carnival is more sinister than it appears.

Welcome to the Carnival Fantástico, a spectacle of magic and mischief, and the perfect haven for a runaway. Using her tricks and razor-sharp wit, Esmeralda becomes the carnival's resident fortune-teller, aiming for the lead role in the Big Top Show. Success would mean freedom from her former employer, the commander of the King’s army.

Ignacio has defected from the army and is on the hunt for evidence of his father’s corruption. But the last thing he expects to find on his father’s trail of lies is the only girl he's ever loved, spinning false fortunes at a traveling carnival.

Perhaps fortune has thrown them together for a reason. They strike a deal: she’ll help him expose his father if he helps her secure the main act. But old feelings don’t die easily, and the commander’s secret isn’t the only thing they'll need to confront.

I have really enjoyed this author’s other books and thought this sounded fun! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

2025 Goals Recap

I'm still ruminating on my 2026 goals, so I thought it would be a good idea today to recap and reflect on our 2025 goals!

• Read my 2025 preorders in 2025.  I didn't get to two of my preorders, although they came out in November, so maybe that's ok?
• Use my library more.  My goal was to try to get 40% of my reads from the library and I ended at 38%.
• Read 75 books.  I read over 100 books, so goal accomplished!
• Attend two bookish events.  I was lucky enough to attend three bookish events - the Hazel Gaynor release party, the Morristown Festival of Books, and the local Prologue Event for a new romance bookstore, Charmed & Bound!
• Complete 30 states in the Literary Escapes Challenge.  I only managed 29 states.

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

• Read 225 books – Completed at 263!
• Read books from a wide variety of genres – Completed! Romance went from 50% of my total for 2024 to only 31% in 2025.  I definitely read more historical fiction and really picked up on my middle grade books.
• Don’t be afraid to DNF books or take a break from certain authors – Completed! I left some series unfinished and didn't continue with some authors I had read pretty regularly up until now.
• Utilize my library more – Completed! I borrowed more books in 2025 and they were a bigger percentage of my overall reads.
• Buddy read with my daughter and husband – Halfway completed!  My husband didn’t do much reading in 2025 (although he has a goal of 15 books in 2026!) but I did read an entire Stuart Gibbs series with my daughter throughout the year.

How did you do on your 2025 goals?

2025 Reading Year in Review!

I recently shared my favorite books of 2025, but what about everything else?  I read 40,484 pages over 115 books and my average Goodreads rating for the year was 3.7.  Let's take a look at some stats from my 2025 reading!

As always, backlist books dominated my reading!

Same as last year, I read significantly more female authors than male authors.

Romance is still my most-read genre, although the percentage has been on the decline for the past two years.  I'm reading much more broadly, which is great for me! (The two slices that are unlabeled represent horror [1 book] and fantasy [3 books], which for whatever reason weren't showing up on my chart!)

More than half of my reads came from my unread shelf (and if you saw the piles of books I get from my sister, you'd understand!).  I do try to use my library a lot, especially for Henry's books.

Wow, my Kindle was very neglected this year!  I cancelled my KU subscription, so that probably contributed a lot.  But, I did get in a few audiobooks, mostly during solo walks and long car rides.

What stands out from your year of reading?

My Favorite Books of 2025!

Hi, everyone!  You may have already seen my post over on Instagram, but today I wanted to officially share my favorite books of 2025!  It truly is a good mix of genres and really reflects my reading this year - romance, YA, fantasy, historical fiction, and nonfiction!

Sally's Lament by Mari Mancusi

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presly and Riley Keough

The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe

The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Waiting Game by Nicola Clark

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Ship Beneath the Ice by Mensun Bound

Dating After the End of the World by Jeneva Rose

Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens

What were some of your favorite books in 2025?

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Month in Review: December 2025

 

Happy New Year!  Let's recap December really quickly - we went to a holiday light show at a farm, and it was awesome!  Unfortunately, Henry got sick the next week and I had to miss my company Christmas party. Then it felt like I was sick for half the month, with a cold and then a stomach bug right before Christmas.  We took Henry to meet Santa, and it did not go well!  There were lots of tears.  We spent Christmas Eve at my dad's house with most of my siblings and their families, and then my in-laws came over on Christmas Day.  After that, we traveled up to Newport, Rhode Island for a trip with my sister, brother, and their families.  My mom, dad, and stepmom also came up, so it was a special trip.  We haven't all been able to get together, especially with the kids, in quite a long time.  We stayed in a big townhouse with a view of the beach.  We took a stroll on a snowy Cliff Walk, took in a holiday lights show, toured historic mansions, and rang in the new year together.

The Books

Promise Me Sunshine // A Merry Little Lie // The Christmas Cookie Wars // Christmas Fling

Date Night in December // Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon // Boleyn Traitor // Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder

 

 The Secret Bridesmaid

The Posts and Reviews

Nonfiction Recent Reads

Michele's Monday Picks #84

Holiday Recent Reads

Michele's Monday Picks #85

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Catch Her If You Can

Holiday Recent Reads

How are you doing?

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