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Book Review: The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham (The Academy #2)

2026-09-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I read The Academy (the first book in this series) in January 2026. Here was my review at that time –

Tiffin Academy is a boarding school in rural Massachusetts, and the novel follows one year in the students' and faculty members' lives. With all the teenage drama, hook-ups, break-ups, slang, and cultural references, I felt that this book is targeting the YA audience rather than Elin Hilderbrand's typical readers. There are quite a few characters to keep track of, and the majority of them (faculty included!) are making bad decisions. Unfortunately, there are too many characters and not enough plot and character development for me.

Fast forward to September 2026, when I read the advanced reader’s copy of Thoroughbreds (the second and final book in this series). To be honest, the same review can be used for this book.

The book once again seems to be a YA book, and I’m definitely not that target audience. There is way too much product placement and name dropping, most of which goes right over my head. There are too many characters to keep track of, both faculty and students. And some of the names are so similar – Rhode, Royce, Roy. Predictably, the ending ties up everything in a neat little bow and everyone is a winner. And a note to the authors – when you are “dismissed” from a boarding school prior to graduating, you DO NOT apply to graduate school as your next step; you must first graduate from an undergraduate program!

I understand why the mother /daughter team wrote this book together. Shelby attended St. George’s boarding school in Rhode Island, and now is a student at the University of Miami, which figures prominently in this storyline. I wanted to give both books in this series a better score because typically I really enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s writing, but that was just too much of a challenge.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an advanced reader copy of this upcoming book, pubished September 15, 2026.

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Book Review: Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters by Laura Vanderkam

2026-09-22T16:30:00.000-04:00

Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters by Laura Vanderkam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the past, Laura Vanderkam has written about how to get more things done. In this book, she focuses on how to find time so you can spend it doing what you love. She has developed nine rules and spends a chapter doing a deep dive into each of them:

• Give yourself a bedtime
• Plan on Fridays
• Move by 3 p.m.
• Three times a week is a habit
• Create a back-up slot
• One big adventure / one small adventure
• Take one night for you
• Batch the little things
• Effortful fun before effortless fun

I retired a few years ago and my adult children are not living with us, so I am not the target audience for this book. It targets a busy professional with children, typically very young children and I definitely could have used this book 15 years ago when I was in that situation. That being said, I embraced many of her rules and was able to apply them to my life. Who doesn’t want to feel better rested each morning and even though we don’t want to accept it, the way to accomplish that is to give yourself a bedtime.

Laura wrote this book in 2022 and did the research with the participants in 2021, so the pandemic is very prominent in her writing and the participant responses.

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Book Review: Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing by Lili Taylor

2026-09-20T11:32:00.000-04:00

Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing by Lili Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(4 ½ stars) Lili Taylor began her interest in birds 15 years ago in Upstate New York and has continued her interest through the years. She is now involved with the National Audubon Society and the New York City Bird Alliance. This book is a collection of 13 short essays, each one on a different bird or a different situation. She discusses a variety of geographic locations: New Mexico, Austin, Texas, Nebraska, Bryant Park in New York City, and the Empire State Building. She also includes several chapters on birding festivals, buying binoculars, and even a bird tattoo contest.

I read this book over a two-month period, while bird watching in my own backyard with two bird feeders (finches and hummingbirds) and setting up a new bird bath. We regularly eat lunch and dinner on our patio, just feet from the feeders and bird bath, so can get an up-close and personal view of all the winged visitors.

Beautiful pencil sketches are included at the beginning of each chapter, but the artist is not acknowledged. I appreciate that she mentions several birding apps and websites, all of which I found quite helpful:
• eBird
• BirdEye
• Merlin Bird ID
• iNaturalist
• David Sibley
• Bird Cast

To be honest, I would have given this book five stars if it wasn’t for the chapter on sparrows (read other Goodreads reviews for content warnings).

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Book Review: Chain Reaction by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Jack Reacher #31)

2026-09-18T15:22:00.000-04:00

Chain Reaction by Lee Child
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

General Susan Turner, formerly of the 110th Military Police Unit is now leading a covert investigative group for the Army. One of her team members was killed and she can’t yet trust the other team members, so she asks Reacher to investigate the murder off-book. This takes him to Colorado, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C., tracking down the secrets behind a huge data center, hundreds of solar panels, and AI in a remote location. Reacher and General Turner, along with her deputy commander, Dexter Elwood, make a fine team to track down the ultimate foes and ultimately save the world.

To be honest, this is the first book in the series written by both Lee and Andrew Child that I have liked. It’s quite an action-packed page-turner, and the Reacher that we know and love seems to be back. We get insight into his thought processes, mental math, short, bullet-like sentences, and of course the hand-to-hand combat we are accustomed to. The character of Susan Turner has appeared in two previous books – a small role in 61 hours (#14) and a more prominent role in Never Go Back (#18). All in all, I’m really looking forward to the next Reacher book in the series!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for an advanced reader copy of this book, which is scheduled to be published on October 20, 2026.

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Book Review: The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America by Kostya Kennedy

2026-09-13T15:48:00.000-04:00

The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America by Kostya Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paul Revere’s famous ride from Boston to Concord, Massachusetts (18 miles) took place on April 18-19, 1775. Half of this book is devoted to Revere’s backstory – his early years, his family, and his occupation of silversmith, engraver, and dentist. It also sets the scene in Boston surrounding the Revolutionary War: the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, etc. The other half of the book is a thrilling re-telling of the actual ride. Revere was a very well-known and reliable Express Rider, so it was obvious that he should be the one selected to spread the news of the impending British invasion.

The last chapter, entitled Echoes, focuses on the Longfellow poem, historical Boston locations, various Paul Revere named items, and other related poems. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem was written 85 years later, just before the Civil War (1860), and is most likely why American schoolchildren are very familiar with Paul Revere’s famous ride. There’s also an interesting chapter detailing Jonathan Singley Copley’s painting of Paul Revere.

Overall, this is an exciting book of narrative non-fiction. It is very well researched, both with original sources and with visits to various sites mentioned in the book. It also includes an extensive bibliography of books, journal articles, websites and documents, along with an index including all the individuals and locations mentioned in the book. The author even met and interviewed Paul Revere III. The map of the various routes taken was extremely helpful to this reader. And I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s retelling of his climb to the top of the Old North Church steeple, 175 feet off the ground!

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Book Review: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1 by Beth Brower (The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion #1)

2026-09-11T15:51:00.000-04:00

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1 by Beth Brower
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(4 ½ stars) Set in 1883 London, a young Emma M. Lion has moved into her family’s house in the St. Crispian’s neighborhood. We gradually meet the quirky characters: her spiteful cousin Archibald who banishes Emma to the 5th floor garret, cousin and good friend Arabella, aunt Eugenia Spencer, housekeeper and cook Agnes, and evil Aunt Matilde. Lapis Lazuli is the house previously owned by her father, which he left to Archibald until Emma turns 21 years old. Archibald has taken advantage of the situation and has frittered away the entire fortune, leaving Emma penniless.

Mysteries abound – who exactly is Maxwell, why does Cousin Archibald hate Emma, what is the scandal of the Incident which lead to the Scar, and more!

I raced through this charming book but kept telling myself to slow down so I could savor the descriptions of the time, the place, and Emma’s perspective on the world. She has a perpetually cheerful outlook despite everything, and appreciates the humor in every situation. To be expected, there is a lot of tea drinking in her journal, and she adores books and reading – a woman after my own heart! It’s a very quick read – only 107 pages. I will definitely be reading more of this 8-volume set!

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Book Review: Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie (Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid #13)

2026-09-05T15:07:00.000-04:00

Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gemma Janes is a Scotland Yard detective who is extremely stressed and overworked. She worries about her job family, a sick mother, supporting her friends, all the while trying to plan a wedding. Once again she teams up with her husband, Duncan Kincaid to investigate the murder in the East End of London.

In the end, clues were revealed, and guilty parties were identified and arrest in the last two chapters. I felt it was a little too much of a rushed and tidy ending. I wasn’t fond of the storyline in this book, but what really stood out for me were the detective teams of Gemma James/ Melody Tabot and Duncan Kincaid / Doug Cullen. Each team worked together quite well and I enjoyed reading about their partnerships. And who doesn’t appreciate a map included on the end pages which identifies all the relevant streets and buildings discussed in the book!

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Book Review: Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

2026-08-30T14:46:00.000-04:00

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(3 1/2 stars) Lottie Jones is a 75-year old “retired serial killer” who leads a “quiet life” in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Earlier in her life, she changed her name and moved to escape possible arrest and imprisonment for killing several people. She only kills when she gets very angry and when opportunity presents itself. She stopped killing once she moved, but circumstances changed and she realized that her backstory was about to catch up with her.

This book is humorously narrated in the first person by Lottie and is almost a “how-to” book on murder. Suspend your disbelief when you read about an elderly woman killing a visitor by hitting her over the head with an umbrella. It’s definitely got a cozy feel, but it’s more violent than that. It’s fairly fast-paced but has a lot of different characters to keep track of. I read this for my mystery book club, and virtually everyone in the group loved it.

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Book Review: Slough House by Mick Herron (Slow Horses #7)

2026-08-26T16:36:00.000-04:00

Slough House by Mick Herron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Slow Horses gang is back at it pretty quickly after the finish of book #6 - Joe Country. But it turns out that someone is trying to kill the entire Slow Horse squad. Rodney Ho (Rodster, Rodman, Rodinator, or Dyno-Rod as he refers to himself) is more of a hindrance than a help as usual, but he considers himself the star of the team. Jackson Lamb is even more offensive, if that's possible, but that is certainly part of the humor. Peter Judd and Diana Taverner take on large roles in this book, all focusing on the secret funding of "The Park." The entire cast is back, along with a surprise appearance by a previous Slow Horse.

The upcoming season 6 of Slow Horses on Apple TV + is due to start this month (September 16, 2026) and will be based on books #6 and #7. I'll be interested to see how they combine the storylines, especially since there is no sign of the huge snowstorm in Wales which figured prominently in book #6.

I love reading the books, but also love to see how they translate to the screen. The characters, the humor, the drama are all so enjoyable! I see that they have been renewed for seasons 7 and 8! And you know that I'll keep reading these wonderful books.

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Book Review: The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

2026-08-21T15:55:00.000-04:00

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Artie is a middle-aged high school history teacher. He and his wife Evie seem to be at odds with one another, and he doesn’t see or talk to his grown son Rob nearly as much as he’d like to. He wonders why people make small talk but don’t tend to talk about important subjects and speculates frequently about free will. He realizes that people keep secrets from one another. He is suffering from depression and isolation, and it’s starting to affect his teaching and his relationships with others.

This is a very character-driven novel which takes us through a year in Artie’s life – 2024-2025. The reader gets more than a peak into Artie’s mind and thought processes, interspersing vignettes with his wife, his son, his students, friends and neighbors. And it shows the impact that Artie had on all of them. I absolutely loved the relationship that Artie had with his son, and how it developed throughout the book. This is the first book I’ve read by Elizabeth Strout and it certainly won’t be the last. Content warnings.

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Book Review: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (Harlem Trilogy #1)

2026-08-17T16:26:00.000-04:00

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ray Carney is the owner of an up-and-coming furniture store in Harlem, married to Elizabeth, with their second child on the way. His in-laws live on Strivers Row in Harlem where he aspires to live, and his father-in-law is a member of the Dumas Club, a club he would like to join. His life vacillates between running his furniture store and fencing the stolen goods that his cousin and friends bring to him.

Whitehead’s writing gives the reader a true sense of place – the Harlem neighborhood of 125^th Street in 1959-1964 – by including real places such as the Apollo Theater and Morningside Park, and real events such as the riots. There is an overall theme of race, class structure, and how the law can be applied.

I’m anxious to read the second in the series, Crook Manifesto, which covers the 1970’s, and the third and final book in the series, Cool Machine, which covers the 1980’s.

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Book Review: A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #12)

2026-08-12T15:12:00.000-04:00

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Armand Gamache is back in #12 of the Inspector Gamache / Three Pines series. He has come out of retirement and accepted a new position as the Commander of the Surete Academy, the training course for the cadets who will become detectives. He and Reine-Marie are still living in Three Pines, and an ancient map is discovered in the walls of the Bistro.

Working at the Academy, Gamache is dealing with former best friends, foes, and enemies, along with all of the cadets. He meets regularly with two third year cadets and two first year cadets, giving them advice and assignments to help them develop their detective skills. He encounters murder, corruption, and deceit within the Academy, and discovers the importance of the newly uncovered map.

Many of the characters that we know and love from previous books make appearances: Clara, Myrna, Ruth, Olivier, and Gabri in Three Pines, and Jean-Guy, Isabelle, and Michel Brébeuf in the Surete du Quebec. It is character-driven rather than action packed, but it is still quite a page-turner. It would have been even better if a drawing of the map was included in the book. I kept imaging what it looked like with all the important Three Pines sketches.

Do yourself a favor and start reading Louise Penny’s books at the beginning, and you will be immersed in these wonderful characters and better understand the series. I’m looking forward to reading #13!

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Book Review: London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe

2026-08-10T14:54:00.000-04:00

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(4 ½ stars) Zac Brettler is a 19-year-old living in London, and in 2019 he plunged to his death off a luxury high rise apartment into the Thames River below. His family was shocked by his suicide, but even more surprised when they discovered that he was leading a secret double life. He claimed to be Zac Ismailov whose father was a Russian oligarch worth billions. He became friends and was doing business with various wheelers and dealers in the London business scene, a world financial hub.

Zac’s parents questioned whether it was suicide or murder, potentially caused by the gangsters and criminal underworld of London that he was associating with. Despite his parents pressuring Scotland Yard to investigate their son’s death, nothing seemed to be getting done. At times Scotland Yard seemed like the Keystone Cops.

Once again Patrick Radden Keefe has written a fascinating narrative non-fiction account of Zac’s actions and his parents’ attempt to uncover the truth. He is at the top of his game with incredibly well-research investigative reporting. This book was a tense account of Zac’s downfall, along with his parents’ repeated attempts to make those guilty accountable for their actions. I was immediately drawn into this family tragedy which told the emotional story of Zac’s death and its impact on his parents and older brother. It’s a tough book to read, but incredibly compelling.

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Book Review: Around the Table: Tables and Traditions for Gathering by Shea McGee

2026-08-04T16:51:00.000-04:00

Around the Table: Tables and Traditions for Gathering by Shea McGee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an absolutely beautifully photographed book of menus and tablescapes, arranged by season and holiday. The recipes are included for each of the dinners and celebrations. They all look so elegant but what really stood out for me was the innovative combination of ingredients and the use of what I probably already have in my kitchen, freezer or pantry. No need to scout out and buy obscure items that I will never use again. With just a few exceptions, the recipes and instructions don't take an inordinate amount of time and many can be made ahead of time.

This book is an inspiration for those wanting to entertain more - whether it's complex holiday meals or just a simple pizza party or burger slider gathering in the back yard. Shea McGee is such a wonderful hostess -- please invite me to your next dinner party of any occasion!

I first heard Shea interviewed on Katie Lee Biegel's podcast All On The Table a couple of months ago -
https://overcast.fm/+ABJ62W71YsE

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Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

2026-08-01T12:08:00.000-04:00

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Set in the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound, Tova is a 70-something woman who works the night shift at the local aquarium. One of the famous aquarium exhibits is Marcellus, a giant aging octopus with whom Tova develops a friendship. Cameron is an immature 30-year old who recently relocated to the same small town searching for his long-lost father as well as meaning for his life.

The story unfolds from three different points of view – Tova, Cameron and Marcellus. Tova and Cameron find each other and slowly realize their connection with help from Marcellus.

It’s always a delight when I discover a five star book after reading too many three star fair to middling books recently. Bonus points because it’s a debut novel!

Suspend your disbelief and immerse yourself in the lives of Tova, Cameron and Marcellus the octopus, along with the other quirky characters in Sowell Bay. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you certainly won’t regret it! Such a unique magical realism five star read!

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Book Review: The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorodooc (Marlow Murder Club #1)

2026-07-27T14:21:00.000-04:00

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Set in small town Marlow on the Thames outside of London, three murders occur in a short period of time. Details indicate that the same person killed all three individuals. Judith is 77 years old and more than a little bit nosy. She intrudes on the scene of the first murder, then takes it upon herself to investigate further. She is joined by two other local women, hence the Marlow Murder Club.

I was expecting something along the lines of the Thursday Murder Club, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, the mystery is lame, the dialog is uninspired, the characters leave a lot to be desired, and I'm just not motivated to read any of the other books in this series. Such a disappointment!

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Book Review: Joe Country by Mick Herron (Slough House #6)

2026-07-24T17:48:00.000-04:00

Joe Country by Mick Herron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(4 1/2 stars!) The Slow Horse gang is trying to recover from their latest case with Roddy Ho's "girlfriend" and the attempts made on his life. River Cartwright's grandfather has passed away, and who should show up at the funeral but his father. Jackson Lamb and Catherine Standish are bickering as usual. There's a new Slow Horse who doesn't seem to fit in with the group (big surprise). And Diana Taverner is now working as First Desk, but Peter Judd is back in the private sector, and making her life a living hell as usual.

Thus begins the action packed escapade, set in Wales during the midst of a huge snowstorm. I read the book during our summer's heat wave, yet I felt like I was there shivering with the Slow Horses team. Be prepared for some violence and gruesome deaths, more than usual for this series of books. Luckily, there's always the dark humor to balance our the violence.

The Slough House building is the primary character that appears in each of the books in this series with absolutely moody descriptions by Mick Herron. It's downtrodden, forgotten, falling apart and shabby, just like the Slow Horses that work there. Each of his books definitely have literary fiction overtones, and I just want to read slowly so I'm immersed in the language.

This is the 6th in the Slow Horses series, and in my opinion they just keep getting better! I've watched the previous five seasons on Apple TV+ and am anxiously awaiting the 6th season which is scheduled to premier on 9/16/2026 (based on this book).

"If Spook Street is where spies live, Joe Country is where they go to die."

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Book Review: Fair Warning by Michael Connelly (Jack McEvoy #3)

2026-07-16T15:57:00.000-04:00

Fair Warning by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jack McEvoy is an investigative journalist working for a non-profit independent news website in California - Fair Warning. He uncovers a situation where women are submitting their DNA to a low-cost genetic analysis company and their profiles are subsequently sold for unsavory purposes. After further investigation he discovers that there are a series of murders across the country which are all related to the genetic analysis company.

It's interesting to see how Jack as a journalist approaches a story, which is much the same way as Harry Bosch, a detective, would approach a murder case. Those individuals familiar with the Harry Bosch series will be pleased to find out that Rachel Walling figures prominently in this book, teaming up with Jack on the investigation.

Fair Warning as a news website, and its editor, Myron Levin (Jack's boss in the novel) actually exist in real life, reporting consumer issues. However, when looking into it I discovered that it was no longer in existence. Their archives are available on the Wayback Archive - https://wayback.archive-it.org/16877/20210929142827/https://www.fairwarning.org/

This is the third in the Jack McEvoy series and I am very hopeful that Michael Connelly continues to write about Jack in the future. The first two books are The Poet (1996) and The Scarecrow (2009); this book was published in 2020. The book ends with a new project for Jack which I foresee as being a great concept for the fourth book in this series!

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Book Review: View from the East Wing: A Memoir by Jill Biden

2026-07-11T10:38:39.548-04:00

View from the East Wing: A Memoir by Jill Biden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(3 1/2 stars) This is Jill Biden's memoir primarily covering the time that her husband was President and she was First Lady. It was a challenging time which included the pandemic, the January 6th insurrection, her husband's campaign for re-election, and his ultimate withdrawal from the race. Soon after their time in the White House, President Biden was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer and was subsequently treated.

In spite of all of these challenges, I found that her story was just superficial without much depth or insight into these stories. In addition, this book was just random vignettes, not at all linear but rather jumping around during Biden's presidency. It does give the reader a peek inside the incredibly busy life of a First Lady. And kudos to Dr. Biden for being the only First Lady who continued to work while her husband was in office. She was a college English professor at Northern Virginia Community College. I was a little disappointed in this book, especially having read her first memoir - "Where the Light Enters: Building a Family and Discovering Myself."

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Book Review: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

2026-07-08T08:42:00.000-04:00

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sybil Van Antwerp is a septuagenarian who writes letters every day. To the casual observer she has had a very fulfilling life -- a career in law working for a judge, two successful adult children, grandchildren, a wonderful home on the water in Maryland, her expansive garden, and friends and pen pals. However through the letters she writes and receives, we discover more about her -- missed opportunities, loneliness, medical issues, grief, regretted decisions, and much more.

This epistolary debut novel is told entirely through letters from 2012-2022, revealing Sybil's life to the reader little by little. It was a delight to read, one of the best fiction books I've read this year, plus one of the most unique in structure. I am anxiously looking forward to another book by this ingenious author!

July 2026 Update: I read this book again for a summer book club, and enjoyed it even more the second time around! The six of us had such a lively discussion, and this book give us so much to talk about. I have been recommending this book to all my friends, and very highly recommended for book clubs!

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Book Review: The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews

2026-07-03T09:52:00.000-04:00

The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clare Gast is a stay-at-home young mother living on the Upper East Side of NYC with a PhD in art history (all but dissertation). Her husband is a lawyer, and her in-laws are affluent and very connected in New York City society. She meets the owner of an art gallery and makes the first in a series of very bad decisions when she starts having an affair with him.

We are immersed in the world of expensive art, wealth and privilege, along with deceit, theft and murder. Clare and her husband become suspects in the murder, and much of the last portion of the book delves into how this is resolved. This is another fast-paced, page-turner mystery, although the resolution is rather convoluted. Although many of the characters are very unlikable, I just loved reading about the art scene, art galleries, rich people gatherings, and entitlement.

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Book Review: The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest (Heart Beach #1)

2026-06-30T12:34:00.000-04:00

The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set primarily in the fictional New Jersey Heart Beach, Noelle and Jeremiah are 'fake dating.' Noelle has been laid off from one of her jobs and needs to save money for her fall tuition. Jeremiah is avoiding his family and their summer beach house by saying he's spending time with his new girlfriend. Noelle and Jeremiah meet cute and he asks if she would stand in as a his girlfriend in exchange for tuition money. It's no surprise that they start falling for each other throughout the summer.

This is the perfect summer beach read -- after all it's set at a beautiful summer beach house on the Jersey shore and involves three generations of Jeremiah's wonderful family. There's the boardwalk, the beach, hang gliding, boating, pools, summer food, books, desserts, and more! This was on the 2026 Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide under the category of Seaside Stories. Take my advice and read it this summer; you won't regret immersing yourself in Noelle and Jeremiah's summer romance!

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Book Review: The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

2026-06-25T11:43:00.000-04:00

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alexandria Watson - Alix - is down on her luck. She was fired from one of her three part-time jobs, her debit card was declined at the grocery store, and her roommate gave her one week to move out and find somewhere else to live. She visits her manager at the Boston Public Library to see if she can get more hours to work, but was unsuccessful. Frustrated, she goes through one of the BPL Reading Room doors only to discover that she has been transported to the Astral Library and her life is about to change!

This book is a fantastic immersion for the reader into the magical world of books! If you are in love with books, reading, book worlds, libraries, and librarians, then this book is for you! It's full of magical realism; set aside your real world expectations and get transported into various books.

What I loved about this book: the descriptions of the book worlds, the various period costumes, the elegant vocabulary (I wished I was reading the ebook instead so I could easily look up many of those unfamiliar words), the patterned edges of the book, the book's end pages. The author also mentions Henry Ford Centennial Library (in Dearborn, not Detroit as mentioned in the book); I worked at this library as one of my first library jobs!

What I didn't like about this book: the heavy handed overtones of The Library Board and many of the library detractors; it often felt like I was being lectured to. The middle section of the book got bogged down with going back and forth to many other books without any real destination or goal. Also, I have not read many fantasy novels so was not able to fully appreciate all the characters, locations, and authors mentioned.

"Have you ever wanted to live inside a book?" If so, then you will definitely enjoy reading this book!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Book Review: Ironwood by Michael Connelly (Catalina #2)

2026-06-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ironwood by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sheriff Stilwell is back in the second book of the new Michael Connelly series, once again set on Catalina Island. It's a small substation, with just six deputies and an office manager. But he has a lot on his plate including a small plane landing dark late at night from Mexico with a drug drop-off, evidence from a 4-year old cold case murder, stolen vehicles, sabotage to a local vineyard, and graffiti on two local landmarks.

The best surprise in the book was the involvement of Renee Ballard's cold case unit! Stilwell and Ballard team up to investigate and eventually arrest the individual responsible for the murder of five women over the past several years. Even Harry Bosch has a small role in this book!

I flew through this book in just two days. It's a quick read and very fast-paced, switching from one incident to another. And according to his website, Michael Connelly is working on the third book in this series, to be published in May 2027!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Book Review: The Scarecrow (Jack McEvoy #2)

2026-06-17T11:19:00.000-04:00

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jack McEvoy has just been laid off from his job as crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and has been given two weeks' salary to train his replacement. He decides to investigate and write the story of a 16-year old drug dealer who has been falsely accused of murder. He soon realizes that the police obtained a false confession, which leads him to similar cases of "trunk murder."

Thus begins the second (of three) in the Jack McEvoy book series written by Michael Connelly. Written in 2009, it reflects the beginning of the print newspaper demise across the country. It's a tense page-turner, delving deep into the extensive investigative research that journalists used to do. I'm looking forward to reading the third (and apparently final) book in this wonderful series - The Final Warning. Luckily, Connelly continues to write other series because he is definitely one of my favorite writers!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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