Waiting on Wednesday: Same Bright Stars

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released title I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella

Due out July 2, 2024

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

From the author of the Read with Jenna Bonus Pick A Little Hope, an uplifting and emotionally resonant novel set in a Delaware beach town about a local restaurant owner at a turning point.

Three generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant and Jack has been at the helm since the death of his father. Jack puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with a string of failed relationships, no hobbies, and no days off as proof of his commitment to the place. He can’t remember the last time he sat on the beach, or even enjoyed a moment to himself.

Meanwhile, the DelDine group has been gradually snapping up beloved eateries along this stretch of coast and are pursuing Jack with a very generous offer to take Schmidt’s off his hands.

Jack craves companionship and maybe even a family. He wonders if closing the door on the restaurant might open a new window for him. But who would he be without Schmidt’s, and can he trust DelDine’s claims that they will continue to employ his staff and honor his family’s legacy?

When he receives startling news from the past, Jack begins to reshape his life and forge unexpected new friendships. But will he really let go of the very things that have defined him?

Monday Mini-Reviews: Romances

 I don't read a ton of romances, but I generally enjoy them when I do.  My daughters are all in the phase where they enjoy rom-coms and chick lit books a lot.  Often I can hand off the romances I read to them.  However, the last three I read are definitely more open door than I feel comfortable giving to them. (I'm totally fine with them reading them on their own, but I won't be pressing them into their hands).

Done And Dusted by Lyla Sage is the first in the Rebel Blue Ranch series set on a ranch in Wyoming.  Emmy returns home after a bad fall from her horse that has left her unable to ride at all.  She's always found her brother Gus' best friend, Luke, to be annoying- definitely not someone she would spend time with.  But Luke isn't who Emmy thought he was and when he volunteers to help her get back to riding again, she takes him up on his offer.  This the familiar frenemies to friends to lovers trope which I always enjoy.  The second in this series is already out and I know I'll be picking it up soon.

Before I Let You Go by Kennedy Ryan is the first in the Skyland series.  Ryan is a new-to-me author, but she is quickly becoming an auto-read author and I can't wait for the third installment to be published.

This first book features Yasmen and Josiah a couple who was so in love that they couldn't ever imagine being apart.  But after a series of devastating losses, the two can't seem to find their way together and eventually divorce.  Narrated by both Yasmen and Josiah, we can see their thoughts and perspectives as they navigate being single, yet working together and raising children together.  And trying to deal with the fact that they both are still in love with each other.  

The second installment in the Skyland series features Soledad Barnes, one of Yasmen's best friends.  Soledad is the mother to three girls and unhappily married.  This book features the demise of Soledad's marriage and the aftershocks she must deal with as her ex was even more devious and dishonest than anyone would expect.  

I liked that Yasmen makes many appearances in this novel and we continue to see how her story plays out.  And I can't wait to read Hendrix's story in the third installment.  

All of these books are predictable as far as romances go. I knew who each woman would end up with and that the road to get there would be full of challenges, but that true love would prevail.  These three books are steamy, but the stories are also engaging and kept me turning pages.

I'm glad I have a few more by these authors that I will get to enjoy soon.

Friday Five

Just when I think spring has arrived, winter comes back for a while.  We had snow again the other night and I have skipped two of Little Sister's track meets because it is just too cold. 

I've found a few things to share this week. I haven't had a lot of time to browse online since this is the time of year that things really pick up at school. 

Enjoy!

 

1.  Puff Sleeve Button Front Shirt in Liberty Arrow Floral Fabric

2.  Sleeveless Ruffle Top

3. BDG Saylor Spliced Quarter Zip Sweatshirt

4. Hotty Hot High-Rise Lined Short 4"

5.  Open Stitch Sweater

6.  Joni Crewneck Top

7.  Liv Textured Top

8.  Women's Signature Original Cotton Sweater

9.  The Bureau Matisse Floral Long Sleeve Tee

10.  Quiet On Set

That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Kid Lit Thursday: The Book That Can Read Your Mind

Several years ago I happened upon a read aloud that my students were crazy about.  Press Here by Herve Tullet was a fun and interactive story I shared with all my elementary students and each time the students were rapt with attention.

The Book That can Read Your Mind is just as engaging and fun. 

Although I'm now in the middle school, this book has been a winner with my students at school.  The way this book is able to "read your mind" makes everyone who hears it pause and think - and want to see if I can read their mind again. 

I know there's some type of math involved as each listener picks an audience member and reveals what row the character they have picked is in.  When intermission occurs and the characters move, they reveal the row their character is now in.  And from that information the reader is able to determine which audience member the listener picked.  

Ta-da!  Mind reading has occurred.  

I have been surprised how many middle school kids love this one and already know that elementary students will all want to get a chance to pick the audience member to see if their mind can be read.

This is a must purchase; in fact you might want to get two copies.  I envision that this will be a favorite that kids will fight over.

Waiting on Wednesday: Summer Romance

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released title I can't wait to read.

 This week's title: Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

Due out June 4, 2024

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

The heart-tugging and hilarious story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past, from the bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer and Nora Goes Off Script.

Benefits of a summer romance: it’s always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken.

There aren’t enough labeled glass containers to contain the mess that is Ali Morris’s life. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember. She’s a professional organizer whose pantry is a disgrace.

No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her in the same way he claimed his favorite of her three children: by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little Summer Romance. Is there?

Monday Mini-Reviews: Five Star Read

 

The first quarter of 2024 is already over and I've read an amazing amount of great books.

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan is my latest five-star read; this one was nearly impossible to put down.

Narrated by a few different characters, we see how Nina's disappearance affects her family and her boyfriend's family.  But what happened to Nina? This story reads like a true-crime novel, aided by the fact that the plotline sounds a lot like the Gabby Petito case from 2021 when Gabby was killed by her fiance while they were on a trip across the United States.

This story doesn't entirely follow the Petito case, but there are certainly similarities and I appreciated the different points of view.  This was a book I could barely put down, and I wouldn't be surprised if this one finds itself in my best of list at year's end. 

Sometimes I don't like the resolution in suspense novels, but this one hit just right for me.  I'm hoping a few of my friends will read this one so I have someone to talk it over with.  

Waiting on Wednesday: The Rom-Commers

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released title I can't to read.

This week's pick: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center 

Due out: June 11, 2024

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.


Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?

Friday Five

 Happy Snowy Friday!  Although it's the end of March,  I drove through snow this morning on my way to school.  I'm hoping it is short-lived. I am ready for spring!

Here are the things that caught my eye this week:

1.  Athena Sweater

2.  Waist Defined Shirred Jumpsuit

3.  High Rise 70s Flare Jeans

4.  Open Stitch Sweater

5.  Easy Long Sleeve Rugby Tee

6.  Martha Stewart Bobs Sesame

7.  High Rise Light Pink Jogger

8.   Eyelet Mini Shirtdress

9.  Circle of Hope Brass Earrings

10.  We Were the Lucky Ones - I loved this book by Georgia Hunter and at some point I will watch this movie.

That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Waiting on Wednesday: Same As It Ever Was

Waiting on Wednesday  is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released title I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo

Due out June 18, 2024

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

The New York Times bestselling author of THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD (“wonderfully immersive…deliciously absorbing”—NPR) returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present.

At fifty-seven, Julia Ames is living an improbably lovely life. Despite her inclination toward self-sabotage and prickly alienation, she has found herself with a husband she loves, two happy children, and a quiet, contented existence in the suburbs. When she bumps into an old friend that she hasn’t spoken to in years—a friend who almost ended her marriage decades prior—Julia finds herself reexamining her supposedly happy life. Compounded with a bombshell announcement from her son and her daughter’s impending departure for college, this chance meeting threatens to send Julia spinning out of control.

Daunted by a looming empty nest, Julia becomes consumed with her checkered past—and with the chaos of her present. She grapples with a complicated new daughter-in-law, the reappearance of her own estranged mother, and the forbidden allure of rekindling a relationship that was once both her lifeline and her downfall. The novel follows Julia over the course of a few tumultuous months as well as the fifty-plus years that preceded them, from her chaotic childhood in Chicago to her fraught early days of marriage and motherhood. SAME AS IT EVER WAS ultimately examines the complete and complicated trajectory of one woman’s life and asks what it takes to form—and keep—a family.

NonFiction Tuesday: The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon

 

This week's pick: The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington's Most Private First Lady by Heath Hardage Lee

Due out August 6, 2024

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

In America’s collective consciousness, Pat Nixon has long been perceived as enigmatic. She was voted “Most Admired Woman in the World” in 1972 and made Gallup Poll’s top ten list of most admired women fourteen times. She survived the turmoil of the Watergate scandal with her popularity and dignity intact. And yet, the media often portrayed Mrs. Nixon as elusive and mysterious. The real Pat Nixon, however, bore little resemblance to the woman so often described in the press. Pat married California lawyer Richard Nixon in June of 1940, becoming a wife, mother, and her husband’s trusted political partner in short order. As the couple rose to prominence, Pat became Second Lady from 1953-1961 and then First Lady from 1969-1974, forging her own graceful path between the protocols of the strait-laced mid-century and the bra-burning Sixties and Seventies.

Pat was a highly traveled First Lady, visiting eighty-three countries during her tenure. After a devastating earthquake in Peru in 1970, she personally flew in medical supplies and food to hard-hit areas, meeting one-on-one with victims of the tragedy. The First Lady’s 1972 trips with her husband to China and to Russia were critical to the detente that resulted. President Nixon frequently sent her to represent him at significant events in South America and Africa solo. Pat greatly expanded upon previous preservation efforts in the White House, obtaining more art and antique objects than any other First Lady. She was progressive on women’s issues, favoring the Equal Rights Amendment and backing a targeted effort to get more women into high level government jobs. Pat strongly supported nominating a woman for the Supreme Court. She was pro-choice, supporting women’s reproductive rights publicly even before the landmark Roe v. Wade case in 1973.

When asked to define her “signature” First Lady agenda, she defied being put into a box, often saying: “People are my project.” There was nothing Pat Nixon enjoyed more than working one-on-one directly with ordinary human beings, especially with women, children, and those in need. In The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, Heath Hardage Lee presents readers with the essential nature of this First Lady, an empathetic, adventurous, self-made woman who wanted no power or influence, but who connected warmly with both ordinary Americans and people from different cultures she encountered world-wide.