Show Us Your Books June 2026

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May turned out to be a decent reading month despite the bonkers business of the end of the school year and graduation. I even had my fourth five star read of the year with The Canticle. (It has not been a five star reading year for me- I don’t know if it’s me and the world or if I’m just not picking good books.)

My Four and Five Star Reads from May 2026

(Click on the titles to learn more.)

Canticle by Janet Rich Evans - This book was frightening, empowering, frustrating, and feminist. The mystery of faith. I loved it so much.

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng - This book was so beautifully written. I don’t know why it’s been sitting unread on my kindle for years. WWII and life is dangerous and complicated for the residents of Malay. Phillip who is half English and half Chinese does what he thinks gives the greatest chance for his family’s survival. No one agrees with him. Years later he still struggles with his choices.

Called Again by Jennifer Pharr Davis - I love books written by endurance athletes, and this was no exception. The description of what it took to set a record on the AT was brutally honest and fascinating.

Bamboo and Blood by James Church - These books are such a nap dream. This is the third one I’ve read in this series and I don’t think I’ve followed a single one. It works when the main character is solving mysteries in North Korea though.

The Trespasser by Tana French - Tana French’s books start off slow then before you know it the 75th twist happens and you’re looking for yard work and laundry to do so you can just listen a little longer. The last installment of the Dublin Murder Squad series was just what you would expect from a Tana French book.

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn - The book about books I’ve been looking for! Libraries save lives! Don‘t ban books! Hooray!

Have a great reading month everyone.

On My Nightstand June 13, 2026

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reading buddy

I can’t believe it’s mid-June already. How did that happen? I need time to slow down a little bit, or I need to clone myself so I can finally get a few things done. Either will work.

Quote of the week

“Why are we all tormenting each other when everything might be so comfortable?”
— Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Summer storms on the way

On My Nightstand This Week

(Click on any of the titles for more information)

Kindle - I’m still working on cleaning up my kindle a bit. In that spirit I am finally starting Lift by Kelly Corrigan.

Audiobook - Last year I bailed on Brave The Wild River by Melissa Sevigny, but I wanted to try again. Hoping it was me and not the book.

Paper Book - Still working on The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher. Such the perfect 1980’s chunkster.

magnolia time

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Walking Wednesday June 10, 2026

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I haven’t done one of these posts in a while, but now that the evenings are longer and weekends aren’t as scheduled I have been venturing out of my neighborhood a bit more.

This week I’ve been listening to The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny again. I’m doing a re-listen of this series, and while I don’t care for this one as much I don’t want to skip any. So here I am.

My June 2026 TBR

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On My Nightstand June 6, 2026

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summer games under the lights

My daughter still has a few more days of school, but we’re feeling the summer vibes around here. My summer reading is in full swing, and I’ve been doing a much better job of sitting down to read instead of listening to audiobooks while multitasking. (NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!)

Quote of the week

“That hat is at least ten fire emojis. It’s all that, and extra butter.”
— Arsenio by Arsenio Hall

Summer flowers

On My Nightstand This Week

(Click on any of the titles for more information)

Kindle - Summer reading time! I’m working on a group read of Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave on Litsy.

Audiobook - After I finished The Talisman I needed to do a re-listen to Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub.

Paper Book - Another summer group read! The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher is great for reading in the sun.

finally accomplished my walk across the wilson bridge bucket list item

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand May 30, 2026

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It’s official!

We did it! My son graduated yesterday. I wondered why they had the ceremonies on Thursday and Friday instead of the weekend, but it is nice to have two days to recover before I go back to work. I even managed to sit down and read 100 pages of a book this morning. Hopefully things will calm down a bit now. I always say that…

Quote of the week

“People always think despair will kill them, but a little maple syrup, and life looks different.”
— Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

cat naps

On My Nightstand This Week

(Click on any of the titles for more information)

Kindle - I couldn’t settle on anything so decided to do a re-read of Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese.

Audiobook - I joined in on another challenge to read all of the Newbery Medal books in order starting with The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon.

Paper Book - I’m alternating between the heavy The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and the light Called Again by Jennifer Pharr Davis.

the sun came back!

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Shipwrecked!

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It’s another summer filled with reading challenges! This summer I have been #Shipwrecked!

I was on a cruise, but unfortunately, I was thrown overboard. Thanks to years on swim lessons I was able to make it to an uninhabited island. In a strange turn of events the island has a cabin filled with books. Here’s a list of 30 that I’m interested in. It’s my partner’s job to pick 5 for me to read while I wait to be rescued.

(Click on the titles to go to bookshop.org and see what they’re about!)

1) The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

2) A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

3) AI Valley by Gary Rivlin

4) The Palace At The End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien

5) Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore

6) The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese

7) Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

8) Abscond by Abraham Verghese

9) Heart Lamp by Banu Mashtaq

10) American Royals by Katherine McGee

11) Lift by Kelly Corrigan

12) The Supper Club Saints by Claire Swinarski

13) Flamingo Fatale by Jimmie Ruth Evans

14) The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield Claudia Gray

15) The Foursome Christina Baker Kline

16) American Rambler Issac Fitzgerald

17) Cherry Baby Rainbow Rowell

18) The List of Suspicious Things Jennie Godfrey

19) The Jills Karen Parkman

20) The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

21) Flashlight by Susan Choi

22) Go Gentle by Maria Semple

23) Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

24) Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

25) The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

26) Endling by Maria Reva

27) Murder by the Book by M.R.G. Davies

28) A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford

29) Monsters in the Archives by Caroline Bicks

30) Where The Sea Lavender Grows by Kitty Johnson

On My Nightstand May 16, 2026

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roses from the garden

BREAKING NEWS: I actually calmed down and read all of the books I wanted to read last week. Very exciting. Hopefully this trend continues because even though my reading has slowed down my kindle deals and library check outs have not! It’s supposed to be really hot next week (after being in the 50’s this week) so I’m planning on porch reading nights as often as I can.

Quote of the week

“I took the trouble this morning to call on the pretended count- if he were a real count he wouldn’t be so rich.”
— The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

yard reading

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Another goofy cozy from my kindle- Dirty Water: A Red Sox Mystery.

Audiobook - It’s time for James Monroe in my one president a month buddy read group. I picked James Monroe: A Life by Tim McGrath.

Paper Book - I found a copy of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt in a Little Free Library up the street and can’t wait to dive in.

library haul

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand April 25, 2026

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It’s still spring but the skies are starting to look like summer

The weather has been wild, but I have gotten some good porch reading sessions in. It’s been helping in my quest to actually read books and not scroll social media.

Quote of the week

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope”
— The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

books + ice cream = summer

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Still going on The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng. It’s so good, just long! I really picked some chunksters this year.

Audiobook - I am cracking up at Secrets of the Purple Pearl by Kate McKinnon. This series is great for audio walking.

Paper Book - I’m about to start Bamboo and Blood by James Church. It’s from a mystery series set in North Korea.

what is up with this cat

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand April 18, 2026

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i love to read under this apple tree when it is in bloom

I was looking at my March stats and it was really heavy on audiobooks. So my goal in April is to read more while sitting on my butt - either in print or on kindle!

Quote of the week

“I had never imagined I would have to explain the significance of chocolate bunnies that laid caramel eggs in nests of shredded green plastic each Easter...”
— A Tender Struggle by Krista Bremer

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - I finally started The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng. I’m looking forward to long spring evenings on my porch with this one.

Audiobook - I’ve got another long one- Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I started it on paper, but it was taking me too long to get through so I switched to audio so I could multi task.

Paper Book - I’m trying to finish Heaven’s Keep by William Kent Krueger before the library repossess my car or something. Paper books have just been so slow going for me lately.

lunch and a book on a warm day

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Walking Wednesday April 15, 2026

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We’ve been everywhere lately. We’ve done six college tours, countless field hockey and lacrosse games and tournaments, plus family walks in the last two weeks. I have the step count to prove it.

I’m looking forward to getting back to my strolls through my neighborhood with my audiobooks. Right now I’m listening to Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park. It’s a good counterpoint to the Little House on the Prairie books.

Note: Links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Show Us Your Books April 2026

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March was a upside down month, but looking back I read some good books. One of my reading groups was reading from Northern Ireland and that led to some good reads. I also finally read a few ARCs I had lingering on my kindle. Here are some brief reviews of the best of the best from March 2026.

Four and Five Star Reads From March (In No Particular Order)

Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose - Stephen Ambrose focused on the adventure of the mission and it was a thrilling take (though complicated from a modern lens.) Fair warning the end of this book is completely heartbreaking.

Watching Over Her by Jean-Baptise Andrea - I started this book way back in December, but it’s such a hug in a book I just didn’t want it to end. If you love art and historical fiction you should read this book about Mimo, an Italian sculptor, and the love of his life Viola. Beyond that it’s hard to explain. (I got an ARC from NetGalley and I am very late in reviewing it.)

Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe - I’m amazed that I knew so little about this period of time. This book was extremely compelling and meticulously researched. Great on audio too. By the end I didn’t really know who was good and who was bad, but my heart broke for the kids.

The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty - I liked this a lot. A Catholic police officer during The Troubles in Northern Ireland tries to solve a gruesome murder. So many twists and turns. Happy to see it’s a series.

Wild Swans by Jung Chang - Anyone who wants a revolution or who idolizes any political figure should read this book.

The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny - This was a great thriller from Louise Penny and Melissa Fung. From Washington, DC and Akron, Ohio to China and Taiwan my head was spinning trying to figure out how everything would get resolved. Highly recommend for fans of political thrillers and the Gamache series. (This comes out on May 12. I got an ARC from NetGalley.)

The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon - This was so much fun to listen to while I did my chores. I really enjoyed the audiobook even if I didn’t look at the PDF once!

Have a great month everyone!

Note: Links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This post will be linked to Quick Lit on Modern Mrs. Darcy.

Walking Wednesday April 1, 2026

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Can we just all agree this year has been enough of a joke, and we don’t need to try and fool each other?

Anyway, it’s undeniable that this is the best time of year to walk in the DC area. We just have flowers everywhere. Even the weeds are gorgeous this time of year.

I’m rushing to listen to Katabasis before the library takes it back. Yes, another long book!

My April TBR

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March Beginning TBR: 502
March Ending TBR: 521
(Not a good sign going into summer reading season, but can I help it of people keep writing books?)

My reading has slowed down this year, but I’m hoping with the better weather and the return of porch reading season things will pick up again. Concentration issues are a problem too, but I just need to keep reminding myself that the world is going to keep turning no matter if I’m watching it or not. It’s a rough time. I’m hoping books will keep me sane.

I’m looking forward to my April list. I’m going to try to get through a bunch of books I’ve had on my shelves (physical and virtual) forever. A bit of spring cleaning if you will. We have a trip planned so I’m hopeful I can get my mojo back.

My April TBR

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

All The Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

How to Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

My Fourth Time, We Drowned by Sally Hayden

The Fatal Unpleasantness and Netherfield by Claudia Gray

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub

At Wits’ End by Kiersten Weiss

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

The Clue of the Velvet Mask by Carolyn Keene

The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost

Nothing To Envy by Barbara Demick

The Bone Seeker by M.J. McGrath

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

A Perfect Union by Catherine Allgor

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Bamboo and Blood by James Church

Happy reading!

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On My Nightstand March 28, 2026

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cherry blossom time!

Another busy week here. Looking at the calendar it will stay that way until graduation. I hope my brain can stay calm enough to read.

It’s almost midnight as I write this, and I just got back from dropping a car full of teens off. I’m still a little wired from being out so late so I think I will catch up on my chapter a day classic reads before I go to bed. Maybe a late night snack too?

Quote of the week

“Life is choice. All day, everyday. Who we talk to, where we sit, what we say, how we say it. And our lives become defined by our choices. It’s as simple and as complex as that. And as powerful. so when I’m observing that’s what I’m watching for. The choices people make.”
— Still Life by Louise Penny

catching up on some reading and journaling

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - I’m about to start Unshakable by Fr. Mike Schmitz as this year’s Easter Read.

Audiobook - I’ve got another long one- Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I started it on paper, but it was taking me too long to get through so I switched to audio so I could multi task.

Paper Book - I’m trying to finish Heaven’s Keep by William Kent Krueger before the library repossess my car or something. Paper books have just been so slow going for me lately.

lunch and a book on a warm day

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Walking Wednesday March 25, 2026

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Spring walks mean wildlife and flowers! I love this time of year when fast growing flowers mean something new to see almost every day.

I’m listening to Fingersmith this week. I read somewhere it’s based on Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

Note: Links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

On My Nightstand March 21, 2026

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flowers just before the rain (Asheville, nc)

Spring is official now! I still haven’t put my winter clothes away though. We’ve been touring colleges and getting ready for a French student to come stay with us. There’s so much going on! My audiobook consumption is still outpacing my physical book consumption by a lot.

Quote of the week

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope”
— The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

PJs and book all laid out on a busy day

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - I have the ARC of The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung.

Audiobook - I’m in the middle of the very long Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose.

Paper Book - I’m still reading Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I picked so many long books this month!

morning skies

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Walking Wednesday March 18, 2026

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Mid-March already, wow. This month is flying and it’s only going to go faster as my son finishes his senior year. Thank goodness I have my walks to keep me sane.

This week I have a bunch of middle grade books downloaded to keep my ears happy. I’m starting with Secrets of The Purple Pearl by Kate McKinnon. I loved the first in this series and grabbed the second from the library as soon as I could.

Note: Links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Show Us Your Books March 2026

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February is a short month, but the cold nights make for great reading. Here’s the best of the best of the books I read last month.

Four and Five Star Reads From February 2026

King Sorrow by Joe Hill — I absolutely loved this book. It was long, but I could have definitely kept reading. I loved the characters even the evil ones. Just so good.

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor — I enjoyed this book about an isolated community off the coast of Wales just before WWII. The audiobook was excellent and really added to the sense of time and place.

Stolen by Ann-Helen Laestadius — When she was 9 a young Sami girl witnessed someone illegally butchering her reindeer when she was skiing at night. As the years go by and she devotes her life to her reindeer the crimes don’t stop and the police do nothing. This was a great winter read and gave good insight into life in Northern Sweden.

A Tender Struggle by Krista Bremer — I found this book to be well written and really relatable. A blonde American marries a Libyan ex-pat and they try to blend their lives in North Carolina. The author did a really good job of describing their struggles to blend their beliefs and raise their children but also shows how much they care for each other.

Have a great month everyone!

Note: Links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This post will be linked to Quick Lit on Modern Mrs. Darcy.