Note: This is a spending report, so I’m only talking about money I spent after it hit my bank account. Don’t expect to see anything about my 401k, FSA, health insurance, etc.

Bills ($2,872 | ↑ $189 from May): This includes rent, phone, electric, Internet, utilities, car payment, and school loan. My electric bill was up by $24, and I expect it to continue to rise throughout these wretched summer months. I also missed a utilities payment in May (oops) and finally figured out how to set up automatic withdrawals for that account. I had to put close to $200 toward utilities between May and June bills, eeks.

Food ($557 | ↓ $314 from May): Look at that! My food spending went way down in June! I started grocery shopping twice a week, and I think that has helped tremendously because I’m only thinking about what I want to eat for a few days at a time. Also, my Uber Eats spending was under $100, which means I get a bougie pedicure this month. WOOHOO!

Shopping ($409 | ↓ $75 from May): My shopping budget continues to decrease, woohoo! This month, my highest categories included books ($130), home ($121), and clothes ($59). Some fun new purchases this month: a wooden TV tray, a new lamp for my dining room, and a sunshade for my car (which has already come in clutch).

Entertainment ($256 | ↓ $80 from May): I’m happy to see that my entertainment spending didn’t go off the rails, even though I had a lot of fun plans with friends and family this month! A lot of this consists of dinners out and some fun things with Kim while she was in town.

Car ($253 | ↓ $33 from May): I only needed to get gas once in June, so that helped my car spending a bit. I also paid for my car wash membership, paid some tolls, and put money away for car insurance.

Savings ($200 | ↓ $460 from May): I didn’t put any extra money away in my savings this month, just my typical automatic withdrawals. I need to do better in July!

Spa ($162 | ↓ $218 from May): Not too much to report here! I paid for my massage membership, got an underarm wax, and paid for a massage upgrade + the tip to my therapist.

Pets ($275 | ↑ $30 from May): I paid for the girls’ vet plans and got boring things like litter, food, treats, etc.

Travel ($105 | ↓ $98 from May): Just a few odds and ends during our book club weekend, nothing crazy!

Household Supplies ($82 | ↓ $64 from May): A lot of my spending on household supplies this month was devoted to fruit fly supplies (and thankfully, the infestation has been eradicated!). And some random things like toilet paper, dishwasher pods, floss picks, etc.

Subscriptions ($70 | ↓ $35 from May): Nothing crazy to report here. This is a normal month for me. (Last month, I paid for a year’s subscription to Emily in Your Phone’s Substack, which accounts for the overage.)

Medical ($18 |↓ $3 from May): I had to replace my multivitamins. Exciting!

Gifts ($0 | ↓ $167 from May): No gifts to buy in June! Surprisingly, it’s not a busy birthday month in my world.

Spending Goals

I’ve been ending these posts with my overall thoughts on what went well and where I can improve, but it started to feel a little samey-samey. So instead, I’m going to keep track of five different money goals every month and report on how I’m doing:

• Spend below my means – Complete! I spent $633 below my means in June.
• Spend under $600 on groceries and $100 on Uber Eats orders – Complete! I spent $405 on groceries and $98 on Uber Eats orders.
• Spend under $500 on shopping – Complete! I came in right over $400.
• Add $250 to my emergency savings every month – Not complete. I only added $100 in June, but this is a new goal for me, so hopefully I can achieve it in July!
• Track and report on no-spend days – No data for June since I just decided to make this a goal, but we’ll see where I land in July!

Do you have any money goals this year?

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles (★★★☆☆ 1/2)

E-Book • Libby • Historical Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: As a newly inherited earl fights to secure his contested estate, he must trust the son of a notorious smuggling clan—even as dangerous secrets threaten to turn ally into enemy.

I really enjoyed my first K.J. Charles book, so I was excited to pick up the second book in her Doomsday series. My thoughts on this one are a little all over the place. On the one hand, I really loved the romance between Rufus (the earl) and Luke (the smuggler’s son). Their love story was so sweet, and the sex scenes were hot, hot, hot. On the other hand, this novel had so much going on that I started to get a bit lost. There’s the main plot, as Rufus tries to figure out the rightful earl of the estate—is it him, Luke, or Rufus’s greedy uncle? Then there are several side plots, including one involving Luke’s real reason for coming to Rufus’s estate. It all started to feel convoluted and even a bit overdramatic, especially toward the end, and I think the story would have been stronger with a tighter plot and fewer unnecessary storylines. All in all, though, it’s a great romance if you’re looking for something with a little more substance (and aren’t scared off by graphic sex scenes!).

Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein (★★★★★)

E-Book • Libby • Contemporary Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: Two sisters examine what they owe each other and what they are willing to sacrifice to make their family dreams come true.

I am so, so glad Lisa put this book on my radar. I read Beck Dorey-Stein’s memoir a few years ago and didn’t like it at all, so I had essentially written her off, but I decided to give her fiction a try after Lisa’s recommendation. It was… spectacular! I absolutely devoured this novel about two sisters growing up with a single mom. One of the sisters, Cricket, is a soccer phenom, and the story explores the sacrifices families make when one person is destined for greatness. The plot moves quickly, and more than once I sat down intending to read for just a few minutes, only to look up 20 minutes later because I couldn’t put it down. It’s beautifully written, with fully realized characters, and there’s a sweet love story woven throughout that was the icing on the cake. I have a feeling this will end up on my favorites list at the end of the year, and I want everyone I know to read it!

First Wife’s Shadow by Adele Parks (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Hoopla • Thriller • 2025

Short synopsis: As a wealthy woman rushes into marriage with a widower still haunted by his late wife, jealousy and suspicion spiral into a dangerous game where no one can be trusted.

I’m a sucker for a good domestic thriller, but this one got off to a shaky start for me. I didn’t particularly connect with Emma (the new wife) or Matthew (the widower), and the first half felt like an endless cycle of Emma experiencing alarming events while everyone around her insisted she was imagining them. Watching her repeatedly doubt herself because no one believed her was frustrating, and I am just not in the headspace to read about a man consistently gaslighting a woman. NOPE. But then the novel did exactly what a good thriller should: it pulled the rug out from under me with a twist I never saw coming, and suddenly, I was completely invested. What started as a frustrating read transformed into a compelling story about revenge, wealth, and power, while also exploring forgiveness and second chances. I really loved the way everything unfolded, and I have to give the author credit for keeping me on my toes until the very end.

What are you reading?

July 4, 2026 – My Fourth of July plans? Reorganizing my bookshelves. I spent a lot of time pulling books off the shelf, rearranging them, deciding I hated the new look, pulling them off again… It’s been a lot. The bookshelves look a lot better today than they did on Saturday, though. They’re coming along!

July 5, 2026 – Have you ever been sitting on a window ledge, contemplating life, and then the weird woman who lives with you squeals, “OMG YOU ARE SO CUTE DON’T MOVE!” and then shoves a phone in your face? No? Eloise has.

July 6, 2026 – It seems like every quarter, I want to revamp my planning system. I guess this means I just haven’t found the right planning system. Maybe one day I’ll do a post about it. Anyway, I bought this planner via Amazon, and I didn’t realize how big it is! It’s like carrying a Bible around. We’ll see if it sticks.

July 7, 2026 – I had an auntie date at the library with Mikaela and Kim and their kiddos. We mostly played games, and sometimes the kids hung out in the play area without us. My favorite part of the night happened after Olive (age 6) won round after round of a matching game against her sister (age 4), and started cheering, “Let’s have a drumroll for the winner… ME!” I asked Mikaela and Kim, “Is this what I’m like?” (My worst trait is my competitiveness. Book club has banned me from ever playing Phase10 with them.)

July 8, 2026 – I took the day off for my mom’s birthday, and we kicked things off with an epic dolphin tour on Clearwater Beach. We were starting to get despondent about seeing any dolphins when suddenly, there they were! It was a nursing pod with three female dolphins and two baby dolphins, and the babies were so, so, so, so, so cute. No jumping, but they did get pretty close to our boat! (This photo isn’t zoomed in!)

July 9, 2026 – Does anyone else take a cute photo of their pet and then show it to them to get approval? Just me? Hmm.

July 10, 2026 – While we had a family dinner on my mom’s actual birthday, she was really craving a fancy steakhouse dinner, so that’s what we did yesterday! We went to Fleming’s and enjoyed some complimentary champagne, delicious food, and a to-die-for dessert (a gooey brownie). We had a great time!

A few years ago, I realized that my mom is the great love of my life.

If you’re lucky enough, you’ll have one of these great loves. For many people, it’s their romantic partner. For others, it’s a dear friend. For me, it’s my mom. She is my person in every sense of the word, the first person I think of when I have good news and the only person who can comfort me when I have bad news. Seeing her face immediately calms my nervous system.

Our relationship is not your average mother/daughter relationship. It’s not even your average mother-daughter best-friend relationship. It goes much deeper than that. She is imprinted on me in only the way a great love can be.

There are reasons for this closeness. Growing up with an abusive husband (her) and an abusive father (me) made us closer because she became my safe place in a volatile childhood. Even when my dad was at his worst, I knew my mom would be the calm in the storm. And then later, after she had divorced my dad and my brother had moved out to live with his then-girlfriend (now wife), it was just the two of us against the world. For years and years, it was just her and me, living together, our lives seamlessly intertwined.

My mom has never asked me to be anything but who I am. She hasn’t pressured me to date more or made me feel bad about not being in a serious relationship. She’s never questioned my desire to be child-free, even knowing how much joy she got from being a mother. I was terrified to come out to her, so worried that it would impact our relationship, but all she ever wants is for me to be happy and satisfied with my life.

Today is my mom’s birthday. It’s a different kind of birthday, as it comes after a big change in her life, but she reminds me time and time again of how strong and brave and badass she is every day. She was in her thirties when she left her marriage, two tweens in tow, to move back in with her parents. She was in her forties when she left the career she had been doing her whole life (teaching preschool) to forge a new career in insurance. She was in her fifties when she remarried and took another chance on love. And now, in her sixties, she’s starting over again. She’s got a pretty good track record of figuring it out and living the life she wants, and I am excited to see what this new pathway brings for her.

My mom is the best person I know. She is my favorite human, my ride or die, my bestie for the restie. Some people are lucky enough to marry the great love of their life and build a family with them. But I know I am the luckiest that the greatest love of my life is the woman who grew me in her belly, raised me, and made me into the woman I am today.

Happy birthday, Moomie. I love you to infinity!

Books Read

(6/8) The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick (★★★☆☆ 1/2 – audiobook, Hoopla, 2025) – I wish another writer had written this book because there’s an important story here, but it just fell flat for me.

(6/10) Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane (★★★☆☆ 1/2 – print, owned, indie bookstore, 2025) – I am really not a fan of a slow-burn romance, but this was like MEGA SLOW BURN. literally nothing happened between the two main characters until the last few pages.

(6/11) Good People by Patmeena Sabit (★★★★☆ – print, owned, Book of the Month, 2026) – a quick-moving novel told from a variety of perspectives about the ripple effects of one family on a community.

(6/15) The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 5 by Beth Brower (★★★★★ – audiobook, Hoopla, 2021) – I don’t know how I lived my life before I knew of Emma M. Lion and her wonderful found family.

(6/18) In the Weeds by B.K. Borison (★★☆☆☆ – e-book, Libby, 2022) – a second-chance romance with two exceedingly boring characters who had no chemistry. ymmv, but I loathed this book.

(6/18) Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson (★★★★☆ – print, owned, Amazon, 2021) – this book taught me so much about textiles and laundry as a whole, and as a bonus, the author is just a delightful human being.

(6/23) How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin (★★★☆☆ – audiobook, owned, Libby, 2025) – a lackluster mystery with some rather bland characters. I don’t think I’ll continue with this series.

(6/25) All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert (★★★★★ – print, owned, author talk, 2025) – a whirlwind book about Elizabeth Gilbert’s love affair with her best friend who is dying from cancer.

(6/26) The Kiss Quotient by Helen Huong (★★★★☆ – print, owned, Book of the Month, 2018) – one of my all-time favorite romances that didn’t quite live up to the hype the second time around, but was still a fun read.

(6/29) A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (★★★★☆ – print, owned, Barnes & Noble, 2025) – this was a wonderfully written book about a witch who has lost her magic and the lengths she’ll go to get it back. (the romance was so sweet!)

(6/29) The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 6 by Beth Brower (★★★★★ – audiobook, Hoopla, 2022) – everything about Emma M. Lion makes me smile. she is extraordinary and so are these books.

Book Stats

• # of books read: 11
• # of pages read: 3,609
• Genre breakdown: fiction (5), romance (2), nonfiction (2), mystery (1), fantasy (1)
• Format breakdown: print (6), audiobook (4), ebook (1)
• Fastest read: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping (4 days)
• Slowest read: Cover Story, Good People, and In the Weeds (10 days)
• Biggest reading day: June 26, 2026 (233 pages read, 2 hours, 27 minutes of audiobook listening)
• Star average: 4

Superlatives

• The best book I read in June: All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert
• My favorite romance in June: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Huong
• The book I thought I would love more than I did: In the Weeds by B.K. Borison
• The book that taught me the most: Laundry Love by Patric Richardson
• The book with the most intriguing plot device: Good People by Patmeena Sabit

Reading Miscellaneous

Unread Shelf Project | June prompt: A book with a queer main character: All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert. I was surprised to learn that I don’t have a ton of unread books on my shelves with LGBTQIA+ representation! I chose this book because it has been staring me down, and I finally wanted to see what the buzz was all about. I expected to read the first 30-40 pages and DNF it, but instead, I was captivated from the very first page and couldn’t put this book down for anything. It’s not a perfect book, and it’s definitely not for everyone, but it was the right book for me.

Where I traveled this month (in my books): I spent a lot of time in England, specifically Manchester, London, Dorset, and Lancashire. I also visited Silicon Valley and spent some time in the suburbs of Virginia and a cute Christmas tree farm in Maryland.

DNFs: One DNF this month – The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. I read a few of the stories, but I just wasn’t vibing with the writing. Hopefully, I can come back to it at some point.

Something I learned from my reading: Oh my goodness, so much about laundry! My biggest takeaways were about the types of products I should be using in my laundry and how to get out very specific stains from textiles.

What’s Coming Up in July

Here are some of the books I’m going to try to get around to reading in July:

• Go Gentle by Maria Semple – I’ve heard so many mixed reviews of this book, so I’m going into it with tempered expectations. I hope I love it, though!
• Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe – This book has been on my TBR list for yeeeears, and I finally put myself on the waiting list for the audiobook. My hold is ready, so I’m diving in soon!
• The Compound by Aisling Rawle – Another book with mixed reviews, especially regarding the ending. We’ll see how I feel about it!
• No Matter What by Cara Bastone – I have read and loved two previous novels by Bastone, so let’s shoot for the trifecta!

What was the best book you read in June?

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Huang (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Contemporary Romance • 2018

Short synopsis: Stella, a brilliant econometrician with Asperger’s, hires Michael, an escort, to teach her about relationships, only to discover that their practical arrangement blossoms into an unexpected love story.

This book has lived on my “favorite romances” shelf for years, and I decided it was time for a reread. What I remembered most was how this novel made me feel—how much I loved Stella and Michael and watching their relationship blossom. Thankfully, that feeling held true on this reread. While the reader I am today wouldn’t give it five stars (as you can see, I bumped it down to four), I completely understand why I loved this novel so much. Stella is such a wonderful character. She’s unapologetically herself while also understanding that the world doesn’t always appreciate how blunt and literal she can be. Michael is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and has chosen sex work to help pay his mom’s medical bills. It’s a sweet romance with a lot of heart, and the neurodivergent representation is fantastic.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Fantasy/Romance • 2025

Short synopsis: After losing her magic, a grumpy witch joins forces with a handsome historian to restore her powers.

I adored Mandanna’s 2022 release, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, so I was excited to discover she’d already written another witchy fantasy in the same vein. (The books aren’t connected, but they exist in the same magical world.) While this one didn’t quite capture the magic (heh) of her earlier novel, I still had a wonderful time with it and am now desperate for another book from this author! The story follows Sera, who lost her magic after resurrecting her great-aunt and now runs an eccentric inn with an unforgettable cast of characters, including a talking fox and a man who works as a knight at the local medieval fair and never takes off his armor. Desperate to get her powers back, Sera’s fortunes begin to change when Luke, a magical historian, books a stay at the inn with his autistic sister and may finally be able to help her reclaim her magic. I fell in love with almost every character in this story (okay, maybe not the talking fox because she’s rather annoying) and thoroughly enjoyed stepping into this magical world.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 6 by Beth Brower (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Hoopla • Historical Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. 

I don’t know what I will do with myself when I finish the last book in the Emma M. Lion series. At least there are more coming? I just adore Emma and this found family she has collected. After learning that some readers are shipping Emma and Hawkes, I am watching their interactions much more closely. I’m still on Team Pierce, but I can see the appeal with Hawkes. Once again, this book made me giggle and sigh with happiness and get really, really sad when the audiobook was over. Beth Brower, you have done this world a service with this series.

What are you reading?

June 20, 2026 – Sweet girl. She’s gathered an impressive assortment of catnip mats and toys for herself.

June 21, 2026 – I enjoyed some time on the patio in the morning with my book and my girl. Eloise runs to the patio whenever I open the door. She loves that fresh air!

June 22, 2026 – The crepe myrtles lining the street where I do my walks make me so, so happy!

June 23, 2026 – Kim was in town! We had such a great day together: a cat cafe, a food hall for lunch (followed by ice cream), and then a romance bookstore before we decided to head back to her Airbnb and chill until dinner time. We went to downtown Safety Harbor for dinner, and Kim’s husband and my mom joined us. Yay!

June 24, 2026 – This is Kim’s photo, but I’m stealing it for this photo project. Thanks, Kim! We had another fun day together, and this time, we visited a cat cafe near me that recently opened. They had a quiet room for all of their skittish kitties, and this little tortie stole my heart. After Kim and I sat down at a table in the room, she cautiously came up to us for pets and then bumped her head against my hand just like Lila does. She even splayed herself out on the floor and showed me her belly! I’m in love. I desperately want to adopt her. Are three cats too many for one person???

June 25, 2026 – Speaking of cute cats… this girl. I love that she’s using this tower next to my desk more and more! It makes me so happy to have her next to me while I’m working.

June 26, 2026 – Book club weekend! We arrived early on Friday, so we couldn’t check in. Instead, we checked out the clubhouse pool! (I also really failed at getting almost any photos on Friday. I don’t know what was wrong with me!)

June 27, 2026 – Celebrating 16 years of this wonderful book club!

June 28, 2026 – A few of us were keen to get home early on Sunday, so I was so happy to be back in my space and with my girls by 11 a.m.! Look at these sweet little bebes. We missed each other. <3

June 29, 2026 – I woke up from a nap on the couch to see Lila posed like this. WHY IS SHE SO CUTE THO

June 30, 2026 – I took this photo while on a walk and then received a warning that my phone was too hot and needed to cool down before I could use it. Lovely. It’s going to be a long summer.

July 1, 2026 – The pink toe beans, the soft belly, the look of contentment on her face… all of it settles something inside me. <3

July 2, 2026 – I named her “Eloise Joy” but maybe “Eloise Murder Eyes” would have been a better moniker.

July 3, 2026 – Let the birthday festivities commence! My mom’s birthday is next week, and we kicked things off with game night and chocolate cake last night. (Also, please appreciate how Lucy is using her tail to hide her girly parts in this photo. How ladylike!)

June Goals

1) Schedule an appointment with a cardiologist. Complete! I had my first appointment on June 19th, which did not go as planned, but all is well now. I really like my cardiologist and feel confident in the diagnostic path ahead.

2) Create my organization spreadsheet. Half-complete. I didn’t realize what a big job this would be! I spent a little time in June going through my different organizational systems in my home, but didn’t quite finish the project.

3) Move my body every day. LOL, no. I only managed 13 out of 30 days of intentional movement. This is better than May (9 days) but worse than April (15 days). I miss having a regular workout routine.

4) Go to my apartment pool twice. Nope! However, I did enjoy a lot of pool time during book club weekend. Does that count?

5) Figure out my 401k situation. Somewhat?? Forward progress was made, at least. The next thing I need to do is mail the check my old 401k company sent me to my new 401k company (which feels like a really wild way to do things, but here we are), and pray everything goes to plan.

July Goals

1) Finish my organization spreadsheet. Rollover goal.

2) Figure out a workout routine. What I need is to figure out exactly what I’m going to do (and when I’m going to do it), rather than winging it, which is how I’ve been approaching exercise the past few months. Every day needs to have a specific routine, whether that’s going for a walk, riding the bike at my gym, or stretching, and a specific time I’m going to do it.

3) No caffeine after 3 p.m. I sleep so much better when I limit my caffeine intake, and these days, my sleep has been wretched. I think some of that has to do with long-term steroid use, but I also figure it can’t hurt to cut down on caffeine and see if that improves my sleep.

4) Start wearing my Apple Watch again. I’m planning on doing a full review of my Oura ring after I’ve been wearing it for three months. The short version is that I really love it, but I think I want to pair it with my Apple Watch for activity monitoring. The Oura does a lot of things well (the sleep data is great!), but a part of me is missing the real-time stats that come with the Apple Watch. This is an experiment, as I may end up hating the fact that I have two different devices measuring everything going on in my body.

5) Figure out my 401k situation FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY. Rollover goal.

Do you have any goals for July?

June: The Quick Snapshot

• Title of the month: Life’s a Roller Coaster
• Weather notes: Just like last month: hot, humid, and not enough rain. This is from Google’s AI overview, so it might not be totally accurate, but in June of last year, we got over 11 inches of rain, and this year, we’re around 3 inches. The drought continues.
• Mood: I had some dips in June. It’s a hard month because it’s my dad’s birthday and Father’s Day, so I’m always a little tender. But there was a health scare and falling into some old patterns that I’m trying to work through in therapy, so meh. Maybe a 6.5 out of 10? I’m not spiraling, but I’m paying attention to my mood more these days.

The Best Parts of June

• Adding a gorgeous bench to my bedroom. The cats love it, and they have yet to use it as a scratching post. That’s all I can ask for!
• Spending afternoons on the patio, reading my book and hanging out with Eloise (who also loves the patio). Lila is getting braver every time we’re out there and will come onto the patio, but runs away quickly.
• Olive and Eleni’s dance recital! Olive was in so many dances this year, including the big performance with all of the older dancers. It’s cool to see her blossom like this!
• Officially canceling my gym membership and starting to use my apartment gym. I’m excited to utilize it more when I’m cleared for strength training again.
• Having more people join us at trivia! My older nephew came one week, and two friends joined us on a different week. It’s been fun to have some new faces (and much smarter brains) at our table.
• Seeing Beetlejuice: The Musical with Bri, Sean, and Amber! I loved it so much more than I thought I would.
• Beginning the tapering process with my steroids! I’m so glad I haven’t felt my symptoms increase as I lower my steroid dose. Fingers crossed it stays that way!
• Discovering that the trees lining the street where I live are crepe myrtles! (I love crepe myrtles so much that I have contemplated planting one at my mom’s house, even though I am the last person who should think about planting anything.) The trees’ pink blooms make me smile every time I drive past them.
• Two days with Kim! She came to the Tampa area with her husband, and I was so delighted to spend time with her. We went to two cat cafes, two bookstores, and one coffee shop (with vegan treats!). And she came to my apartment and got to meet Eloise! (Lila hid from her the entire time, sigh.)
• Book club weekend. It did my heart good.

The Hard Parts of June

• A health scare – For a few hours on a Friday, I thought I might have a blood clot in my lungs, which would have required an ER visit. Thankfully, the CT scan was clean. I’m having some troublesome heart-related symptoms that prompted me to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist, so now that we know I’m not experiencing a pulmonary embolism (!), it’s time to do some other tests. I have an echocardiogram scheduled for mid-July.
• Fruit fly infestation – The fruit flies have descended. I don’t even know how they got here, but they have decided my home is a perfect nesting ground. I have multiple Zevo filters and bowls of apple cider vinegar all over my apartment, and they persist. Pest control came two weeks ago, and it helped somewhat, but it did not fully take care of the problem. It’s madness.
• Psoriatic arthritis – In June, I started my steroid taper! Yay! The good news is that tapering from 12mg to 8mg did not trigger any symptoms, but the bad news is that doing so did cause my inflammation markers to increase. This likely means that the steroid has been doing the bulk of the work controlling my inflammation, so I’m finally cleared to start a biologic. I’m waiting for my insurance to approve a Humira prescription, which will mean giving myself a second injection twice a month. (I’ll continue to be on methotrexate until everything stabilizes, and then we’ll discuss tapering off MTX. It’s also possible I need to be on both meds to control my symptoms.) It’s… a lot. This whole treatment process has been a lot. I’m very tired.

Favorites of June

• Favorite show: The Traitors Canada (Karine is an iconic host)
• Favorite podcast: I really loved the Midlife Lady Potpourri episode on Girl Next Door. I am a few years younger than the hosts, so it was a glimpse into what is coming for me very soon!
• Favorite meal: A deviled egg sandwich during book club weekend. I haven’t had an egg sandwich in so long, and this one was so good.
• Favorite cat moment: When I came home from book club weekend, both girls were hiding. I said, “Mama’s home! Where are my girls?” and Eloise came running out of the bedroom, meowing at me. Even Lila poked her head out of the cat tower! I think it’s safe to say we are all obsessed with each other.
• Favorite purchase: My new bench!
• Favorite ordinary moment: Sitting around the table during our book club weekend and feeling this sense of peace and contentment as we all shared our favorite memories of the past decade+. It reminded me of that quote from The Office, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days, before you’ve actually left them.” And I was like, these are the good old days. Right here! (Hence the title of my post.)
• Favorite decision I made: To see a cardiologist. Even if all of these heart problems are steroid-related, I’m still going to be glad I did my due diligence.
• Favorite thing I learned: How difficult it is for non-locals to say the town name, Dunedin. This mainly came up because Kim and her husband weren’t sure how to pronounce the name, and I was delighted by all of the different ways they tried to pronounce it! (It’s duh-KNEE-din.)

Looking Ahead to July

• One thing I’m looking forward to: Adding a new bookshelf to my collection
• One yearly goal I want to work toward: I am woefully behind in my goal of watching movies/TV shows. My goal: finish season 2 of Suits and watch Sleepless in Seattle. I can do this!
• One big hope for the month: That I can get started on Humira without too many issues
• Something I want more of: Sleep
• Something I want less of: Worrying

What was a bright spot for you last month? What was the best show you watched?

In the Weeds by B.K. Borison (★★☆☆☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2022

Short synopsis: Burned out by life as a social media influencer, Evelyn returns to the last place she felt like herself—and to the farmer who isn’t sure he can trust her not to leave again.

How much did I dislike this book? When I finished the epilogue and saw there was a second epilogue, I said, “Oh hell fucking no,” and snapped my Kindle shut. I adored two other novels by this author, so I was excited to read this one, but omg, it was just so boring. The characters had zero chemistry, the plot never felt remotely believable, and the ending made me roll my eyes so hard. It had none of the charm and coziness of Lovelight Farms or the banter and spark of First Time Caller. It was just a bland romance, and if this had been my first BK Borison book, I wouldn’t have understood the hype. Skip this one, friends!

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin (★★★☆☆ 1/2)

Audiobook • Libby • Mystery • 2025

Short synopsis: After a local fortune-teller is murdered, a woman investigating the mystery uncovers long-buried secrets that connect to her great-aunt’s decades-old search for the truth behind a deadly crash.

This is the second book in a mystery series set in a small English countryside town, the first one being How to Solve Your Own Murder. I really enjoyed that first novel and thought the second novel was… fine. It was the kind of “brain candy” book where I didn’t feel like I needed to concentrate too hard while I was listening to it. Even if I missed something, I was sure I would figure it out along the way. For me, this is a pleasant reading experience. I don’t want all my books to be like this, but every now and then, I like an uncomplicated book with likable characters and an easy-to-follow plot. It’s not a standout, but it’s a fun way to pass the time.

All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (author signing) • Nonfiction • 2025

Short synopsis: In this deeply personal memoir, Elizabeth Gilbert traces how an unexpected friendship became the love of her life—and how heartbreak ultimately led to profound self-discovery.

I did not expect this book to have such a profound effect on me. I hadn’t heard much about Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest release when I bought a ticket to her author talk in Tampa. Then I started hearing about all the controversy surrounding the book, and I found myself less excited to read it. I went to the event, fell deeply in love with Liz because she is so damn charismatic, and then put the book on my shelf to wait for the right moment. And hoo boy, was this the right moment. This memoir is about many things, but at its heart, it’s about Gilbert’s sex and love addiction and the codependency that shaped so much of her life. AKA, the very thing I’m working through in therapy right now!

This book was a revelation. Gilbert writes with her signature blend of vulnerability and insight, crafting sentences that stop you in your tracks. It’s about the joy of finding the love of your life, but also how addiction, abuse, and unimaginable grief can utterly ruin you. I won’t judge a single thought Gilbert had during her partner’s cancer battle. Much has been said about the section where she contemplates killing her partner to end her suffering. For me, I found it utterly heartbreaking and incredibly courageous for Gilbert to share these thoughts, knowing it would change the way people saw her. I’m not here to argue with you if it did change the way you view her. I’m just saying that it landed differently for me.

I have a feeling this will be one of my favorite books of 2026 because it touched me so deeply. It reminded me why I love Elizabeth Gilbert’s writing so much and captured the grit, complexity, and rawness of grief in such a profound way. I’m so grateful she wrote this memoir because, at this point in my life, I truly needed it.

What are you reading?