Friday Five: Graduation Is Right Around the Corner

 

Little Sister has just two more days of high school until she's done.  Her graduation party is this Sunday, and commencement is next Sunday.  May is so busy with end of the school year stuff, and trying to get this party planned has taken up more mental space than I've wanted.  However, once I check off a few more things on my to-do list, I'll feel like we have things under control.

I really do need to stop looking at Instagram as much as I do. There are so many people I follow that share items I want to buy.  My willpower is only good up to a point.  

I rarely dress up for work, but I did wear a dress I found and ordered from an Instagram site.  I like the dress, but I'm trying to move books around and the crawling on the floor and lifting, carrying, climbing up on top of chairs was hampered by the fact that I kept on stepping on the bottom of my dress.  It's back to a book-themed t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes today.

1.  By Together Peter Pan Collar Top

2.  Lars Classic V-Neck Tee

3.  Embroidered Wide Sleeve Boxy Tee

4.  Scalloped Merion Wool Blend Cardigan

5.  Seek Me Barrel Leg Sweatpants

6.  Bucketlist Striped Terry Oversized Sweatshirt Top

7.  THML Genevieve Floral Print Puff Sleeve Splitneck Dress

8.  Poplin Collared Top

9.  Braided Strappy Sandals

10.  BDG American Crewneck Sweater

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

Waiting on Wednesday: The Academy

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

This week's pick: The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham

Due out: September 16, 2025

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

It’s move-in day at Tiffin Academy and amidst the happy chaos of friends reuniting, selfies uploading, and cars unloading, shocking news arrives: America Today just ranked Tiffin the number two boarding school in the country. It’s a seventeen-spot jump – was there a typo? The dorms need to be renovated, their sports teams always come in last place, and let’s just say Tiffin students are known for being more social than academic. On the other hand, the campus is exquisite, class sizes are small, and the dining hall is run by an acclaimed New York chef. And they do have fun—lots of parties and school dances, and a piano man plays in the student lounge every Monday night.

But just as the rarefied air of Tiffin is suffused with self-congratulation, the wheels begin to turn – and then they fall off the bus. One by one, scandalous blind items begin to appear on phones across Tiffin’s campus, thanks to a new app called ZipZap, and nobody is safe. From Davi Banerjee, international influencer and resident queen bee, to Simone Bergeron, the new and surprisingly young history teacher, to Charley Hicks, a transfer student who seems determined not to fit in, to Cordelia Spooner, Admissions Director with a somewhat idiosyncratic methodology – everyone has something to hide.

As if high school wasn’t dramatic enough...As the year unfolds, bonds are forged and broken, secrets are shared and exposed, and the lives of Tiffin’s students and staff are changed forever. The Academy is Elin Hilderbrand’s fresh, buzzy take on boarding school life, and a thrilling new direction from one of America’s most satisfying and popular storytellers.

Monday Mini-Reviews: The Road To Tender Hearts: Five Star Read

Last week I had two five star reads back to back.  It helped me feel like my reading struggles weren't going to hang around forever. It's helped to pick up books that I've been waiting to be published for a long time.  

Annie Hartnett's book Unlikely Animals was a winner for me when I read it in 2022.   And now, The Road To Tender Hearts is also a winner for me. 

 

Annie Hartnett's latest novel is full of the quirky and interesting characters. PJ Halliday at age sixty-three has been lucky enough to be a million dollar lottery winner. But he has also seen some tragedies: the tragic death of his oldest daughter and his marriage's demise.  

Now, when his brother's grandchildren are dropped off with him after the tragic (and somewhat bizarre) deaths of their parents, PJ sees that he has a second chance at being the parent he always wanted to be.  

He knows he's living on borrowed time: he's already had a few heart attacks, and the fact that he's an alcoholic isn't making things any better.  

So, PJ, the two children and his youngest daughter set off on a road trip. They're off to find PJ's high school crush who is newly widowed, in Arizona.  

The characters are unique, the story has humor, and yet there is more to this book than just a fun way to pass time.  I found myself laughing at various parts, and still felt sad for PJ, a great guy with a lot of problems.  As soon as I finished this one, I wanted to talk to someone about it and had to hold myself back from sharing bits and pieces that I am hoping my friends will discover during their reading of this one. 

I still need to go back and read Rabbit Cake by Hartnett, a book I am also sure I will love. 

If you need something a little different, enjoy a good story, appreciate humor and wit, and still like to feel a little heartbreak along with some hope, this is one for you.

Friday Five: Not Counting Down

Here we are at Friday already.  I've boycotted counting down how many days of school we have left.  May is always so busy and I feel like we try and cram so much into this month. I don't have time to sit around and think about being done with the school year when I still have a lot to get done before I can have a summer break.

I keep finding great things to share- and buy. I've been sucked in to so many Instagram accounts that feature great deals.  Here's what caught my eye this week:

 

1.  Pilcro Collared Cable Cardigan Sweater Vest

2.  Cutaway Vest Top in Linen

3.  Meadow Dress in Poplin

4.  New Balance and Calia Women's 327 Shoes

5.  Pointelle Open Front Wrap

6.  Risen High Rise Olive Distressed Straight Cropped Overalls

7.  Women's Coaster Cord

8.  Lock and Key Heel

9. Gap x DOEN Linen Blend Pointelle Cardigan

10.  Four Seasons on Netflix

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

Children's and YA Lit: The Trouble With Heroes

 A few years ago I ran into someone that has read my blog since it started long ago.  She remarked that I no longer reviewed kids books. That was never my intent, but as my kids have grown older and I moved to a middle school job, I certainly find myself only rarely posting about children's literature. 

However, I'm still reading a ton of middle grade and YA books.

Kate Messner is an author I've been with since she first was published. The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z and Sugar and Spice, Messner's first two middle grade novels are ones I've thought about many times over the years.  They are such a great middle grade novels that would work well for book clubs.  

And Messner's middle grade novels just seem to keep getting better.

The Trouble With Heroes is Messner's latest novel. I picked it up over the weekend and devoured it.  A novel-in-verse, Finn is still grieving the death of his father - a real life hero who carried a woman to safety during 9/11.  

In anger, Finn kicks a headstone in a cemetery, causing damage. Because the headstone belonged to a woman known for her abilities as a mountain climber, her daughter proposes that as restitution Finn must agree to climb all forty-six peaks of the Adirondack mountains.

Finn learns a lot about himself during this time, but he also learns more about his dad.  And what he finds out helps him come to terms with his dad's death. 

Messner's book is a perfect pick for middle grade readers. Just as with her previous novels, I am left satisfied, but already counting down until she releases another.

Waiting on Wednesday: The View From Lake Como

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

This week's pick: The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

Due out: July 8, 2025

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

Jess Capodimonte Baratta is not living the life of her dreams. Not even close.

In blue-collar Lake Como, New Jersey, family comes first. Recently divorced from Bobby Bilancia, “the perfect husband," Jess moves into her parents’ basement to hide and heal. Jess is the overlooked daughter, who dutifully takes care of her parents, cooks Sunday dinner, and puts herself last. Despite her role as the family handmaiden, Jess is also a talented draftswoman in the marble business run by her dapper uncle Louie, who believes she can do anything (once she invests in a better wardrobe).

When the Capodimonte and Baratta families endure an unexpected loss, the shock unearths long-buried secrets that will force Jess to question her loyalty to those she trusted. Fueled by her lost dreams, Jess takes fate into her own hands and escapes to her ancestral home, Carrara, Italy.

From the shadows of the majestic marble-capped mountains of Tuscany, to the glittering streets of Milan, and on the shores of enchanting Lake Como (the other one), Jess begins to carve a place in this new/old world. When she meets Angelo Strazza, a passionate artist who works in gold, she discovers her own skills are priceless. But as Jess uncovers the truth about her family history, it will change the course of her life and those she loves the most forever. In love and work, in art and soul, Jess will need every tool she has mastered to reinvent her life.

Fed by the author’s cherished Italian roots comes a bighearted, hilarious novel of the moment: the story of one woman’s determination to live a creative life that matters, with enough room left over for love. With a one-way ticket to Italy, Jess is determined to write a new story on her own terms--this time, in stone.

Non-Fiction Tuesday: Coming Soon: JFK: Public, Private, Secret

 

I love nonfiction and am always adding nonfiction books to my TBR.  There are some topics I consistently read about and the Kennedys is one of them. J Randy Taraborrelli is a well known author who has several Kennedy books to his credit already.  I have read several and enjoyed each one.

This summer Taraborrelli has a book coming out about JFK.

JFK: Public, Private, Secret is coming out on July 15, 2025

Synopsis take from Amazon:

From the New York Times bestselling Kennedy historian and author of Jackie: Public, Private, Secret comes the other side of the story―her husband’s: JFK: Public, Private, Secret.

In this deeply researched presidential biography, J. Randy Taraborrelli tells John F. Kennedy’s story in a provocative new way by revealing how public moments in his life were so influenced by private relationships with not only his family, but also Jackie’s.

But it’s the secret life that also surprises. As Congressman, Senator and finally President, JFK was a magnet for women. With exclusive interviews and meticulous research, Taraborrelli reveals not only the man’s many affairs but also the strength and resolve his wife showed in coping with them.

JFK’s women include:

· Jackie Kennedy, and her rules of engagement for Jack’s infidelity: “Show me some respect and don’t rub it in my face”
· Inga Arvad. JFK’s first love and how it ended over fears she was a Nazi spy.
· Marilyn Monroe. Why Jackie insisted JFK end it with her: “This one’s different, Jack. This one’s trouble!”
· Finally - the truth about of JFK’s relationship with Marilyn exclusively from Marilyn’s closest friend… and how it wasn’t what people believed.
· Joan Hitchcock. The mysterious brunette who comforted Jack after Jackie threatened to file for divorce.

Other great stories:

· How JFK’s grief over his infant son caused him to make rash decisions that pulled the USA into Vietnam for the first time.
· The real truth, once and for all, about the Mafia’s involvement in JFK’s election.
· The startling drug abuse that clouded the President’s decisions during the disastrous Bay of Pigs...
· … and how Jackie managed to wean him from those drugs in time for the nearly cataclysmic Cuban Missile Crisis.
· The Kennedys’ secret plans to renew their wedding vows, made just before JFK’s assassination.

The JFK presented in Taraborrelli’s definitive biography is a complex and endlessly fascinating historical figure, despite―and maybe even because of―his many flaws.

Monday Mini-Reviews: Another Five Star Weekend

 In April my reading felt hard.  I couldn't concentrate on anything and although I ended up reading some good books, my state of mind as I worried about my job didn't lend itself to pleasure reading.

This month will be better. I now know that I will be split between four buildings.  While I don't think that's a good solution and it certainly doesn't reflect how important I believe school libraries are, it's what the district has decided.  There are fifteen elementary and middle school librarians in my district that they have reduced down to four.  Eight of us applied for the four open spots, so I am feeling grateful I have a job.  

There are still a lot of questions about what next year will look like, but this weekend I happily lost myself in some amazing books.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is a debut novel that is absolute perfection.  Told through letters, Sybil Van Antwerp has used the written language as her preferred method for communicating with others in her life.  Each day she sits at her desk and writes a variety of people: her brother Felix, Joan Didion, her dear friend Rosalie, her children, the president of a college who won't agree to let he audit courses there, and a young boy named Harry.  Through these letters we get to know Sybil and start putting the pieces of a puzzle together as her story is fleshed out. 

Throughout the book we know that there is one piece of the puzzle that Sybil is unable to share with anyone, and there is also an ongoing letter that appears from time to time.

I finished this book on Saturday and have thought about it ever since.  There is so much wisdom in this story and Sybil was someone I loved for her imperfections.  This is the perfect book club selection, but also a book that is perfect for readers of all ages.  This is the book I'll be pressing into everyone's hands in 2025.  

This wasn't the only five star read of the weekend, either.  I'll be sharing the other amazing book I read yesterday very soon.

Friday Five: It's May!

The last month of school always seems so frenzied and this year my youngest daughter is graduating from high school, so there is an added busy-ness to things.  I've also got a different job description and instead of one library where I work full time, I'll be managing four school libraries and a couple paras traveling in between buildings.  I'm trying to think through what those changes mean, what my new schedule might be, and do a lot of cleaning out of my office since I won't be there all the time (things also have a tendency to walk away if no one is around to keep track of them).   I don't really need much for spring, but that hasn't prevented me from shopping.  

Enjoy this week's finds! 

1.  Chino Patch Pocket Shorts

2.  Pearl Huggie Drops

3.  By Anthropologie Flutter Sleeve Top

4.  Wide Leg High Rise Cropped Jean

5.  Yana Puff Sleeved Embroidered Park

6.  100% European Linen Square Neck Jumpsuit

7.  Shayla's Pullover

8.  Cheesecloth Frill Full Length Dress

9.  Andrew Marc Sport Solid Banded Tank

10.  Princess Charlotte Turns 10

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

Waiting on Wednesday: Overdue

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

This week's pick: Overdue by Stephanie Perkins

Due out: October 7, 2025

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?

Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They'll take a one-month break to date other people, then they'll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship― and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.

Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.