T10T: My Latest 5-Star Reads

        

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As I missed last week, I will be throwing back to it this week.

This week's prompt is..... my latest 5-star reads

These are from most to least recent

1. Cambria by A.R. Tyler
2. The Weight of Ashes by Erin FitzGerald
3. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
4. Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell
5. Ain't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton by Martha Ackmann
6. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
7. Better Not Pout by Maren Moore
8. Half-Light Harbor by Samantha Young
9. Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown
10. Burning Down the House by Dani Galliaro

I am actually quite picky with my 5-star reads. They are likely what some people would consider 6-star reads. My 5-stars are only books I know will stick with me forever. As such, only the first three are from 2026.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

How picky are you with your 5-star reads? Please share your 5-star recs as I am due for one! See you tomorrow for some gushing!

CWW: The Price of Vengeance

 

This week's book is.... The Price of Vengeance

Author: Erin FitzGerald

Publisher: Erin FitzGerald

Release Date: April 14th, 2026

Series: Colson Creek #5

Blurb:

I followed her even though I knew better. Distance has never been enough to save me from the things I want—or the damage I leave behind.

I spared a life I was ordered to end, something that only buys time with the ruthless crime family that shares my blood. There is no debt they fail to collect.

Relocating to Colson Creek wasn’t an accident. I came to watch over the woman I swore to protect years ago, the life I spared. Hiding in a quiet Minnesota town was never part of the plan, but it gave me something I never expected: A sense of belonging. My best friend’s family welcomed me as one of their own, and for the first time, I started to believe I could be more than what I was raised to be.

I tell myself I’m here out of duty, though I know it’s also out of guilt. The truth is darker and far more dangerous, because I’ve always wanted more than her safety. I’ve wanted her.

When she learns the truth, she’ll never forgive me. But I would give up everything I am, everything I’ve ever known, to see her safe… and happy.

After a lifetime of bloodshed and vengeance, the real question isn’t whether I deserve redemption.

It’s whether love can survive the truth.

Explanation:

I have the ARC for this one and I am SO hyped! I have ADORED every book I've read that Erin has written. I also have the privilege of considering her a friend. This series feels like coming home. I am enthused to feel like I'm going home again. Sadly, this is likely the last book in this series. That is the only part I'm not looking forward to regarding reading it.

FFAF: Spring Cleaning Book Tag

   

Intro

I am so happy that spring is upon us! At the time of writing this blog it's in the 80s outside which is so warm! As such, I've got the cleaning bug. That's where the spring cleaning book tag comes in! I found it on the Book Cheshire Cat blog. The tag is originally from Between the Shelves. Let's clean up!

The Prompts and My Picks

Getting started: a book series you've been wanting to read

The Addicted/Calloway Sisters series by Krista and Becca Ritchie

I absolutely adore the Webs We Weave series that these sisters also write. I've heard amazing things about this series. The only reason I have read it yet is that I want to read it physically. As I am trying to maintain a book buying ban, I am only very slowly able to obtain the series. So far, I have collected the first two books.

Cleaning/organizing the closet: the best way to organize books

The simplest answer is, however they fit and works for you. 

I think in my official library I hope to have once I move, I would sort by genre and keep series together. Other than that, just a vibe really.

Getting rid of unnecessary things: book/series you no longer need

Let Me Count the Ways by Laurel Osterkamp

I have read this book and don't think I would ever reread it. As such, I do not find the need to keep it.

Get some air: you favorite lighthearted read

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

This was one of my top reads of last year. It was oh so good and perfect for me during the time I listened to it. I loved it on so much. Highly recommend! 

Clean out the kitchen cupboards: favorite food-themed read

Café con Lychee by Emery Lee

This was such a nice YA read. It's got queer rep and portrays culture so well! You should absolutely check it out if given the chance.

Dust the shelves: what's the fifth book on your bookshelf

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

As she is my favorite author, her books come up first on my shelves. This series is currently ongoing so I look forward to finishing it!

Wishing for the end: a 2026 release you are excited about

Game On by Navessa Allen

I have just read the second book in this series. While I did not enjoy it as much as the first book in the series, I still enjoyed my time with it. I'm curious to see if book three works better for me.

Long but satisfying: the longest book series you've read

The Wolf Mountain Ranchers series by Erin FitzGerald

I am not counting any of the series that I read as a kid and know I never finished (as some are still getting books added). As such, this series with 5 main books and a novella is the longest series I have finished as an adult.

Outro

Are you feeling cleaner? I know I am! If you are interested in doing this one, consider yourself tagged!

FFAF: Romance Reader Book Tag

  

Intro

As Valentine's Day is tomorrow, it is definitely the perfect time to talk all about romance books. It is my favorite genre after all! I got the prompts from Alli the Book Giraffe whose list can be found here. Let's dive into it!

The Prompts and My Picks

What age did you start reading romance novels? I do not exactly remember, but I think I read a romance or two in middle school. Since then, my consumption of the genre has skyrocketed.

If you could pick one hero to meet from your favorite romance novels who would it be and why? Oh gosh, this is a tough one. Maybe Mark from Something Lost by Erin Fitzgerald. I feel like he has a pretty similar personality and mannerisms to my fiancée, so I feel like we would get along well. 

Who is your favorite romance authors and why? I enjoy Erin FitzGerald, Dani Galliaro, Maren Moore, and Harriet Ashford because they write incredible indie romance stories that feel like home.

What is a favorite romance novel to re-read? Soooooo, I don't actually reread almost at all. So uh, the only romance I have considered rereading is Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood so I can annotate it.

What book would you recommend to a non romance reader? I would recommend any books in the Colson Creek series by Erin FitzGerald because they are fantastic stories with such loveable characters. But more importantly, all of the books also have strong suspense storylines which adds a bit beyond the romance to get a good start.

Which is your favorite, contemporary, suspense, or historical and why? In the past, I would wholeheartedly say contemporary because that is what most of my favorite authors write. As of late, it is honestly romantic suspense. It makes me wanna keep reading endlessly. I will always kinda hate historical because all I can focus on is how it is inaccurate. 

Outro

I feel like this was the perfect tag to celebrate Valentine's Day. Are you a fellow romance lover? I would love to hear your recs!

FFAF: My Life in Books 2025

Intro

This is a fun bookish challenge that involves a number of life-milestone related prompts. I will see how many of these make sense versus are a bit of a stretch. I got the prompts from Secret Library Book Blog whose list can be found here. I also referenced Dini Panda Read's prompts which can be found here. Let's see how I do.

The Prompts and My Picks

In high school I was: Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel

People might be surprised by: Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism by Stewart "Brittlestar" Reynolds

I will never be: Secretly Yours by Stephanie Rose

My fantasy job is: Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong

At the end of a long day I need: Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

I hate: The Flirting Game by Lauren Blakely

I wish I had: A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard

My family reunions always make me wonder about: The Wages of Silence by Erin FitzGerald

At a party you'd find me with: Annie, Juliet, and the Great-Tailed Grackle by Sandra LJ

I've never been to: Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

A happy day includes: Nights with Him by Lauren Blakely

A motto I live by: The Bad Boy Rule by Maren Moore

On my bucket list is: One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

2025 was the year of: Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

In 2025 I wanted to be: Unapologetically ADHD by Pete D. Wright and Nikki Kinzer

In 2025 I was the: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

In 2025 I gained: Good Lookin' Cookin' by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton-George

In 2025 I lost: The Girlfriend Zone by Lauren Blakely (this one is because I got engaged, not due to a break-up).

In 2025 I loved: Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia

In 2025 I learned: Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell

In 2025 I missed out on: The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas

In 2025 my family were: Will the Drama Ever End? by Karyl McBride

In 2026 I hope it will be: Runnin' No More by G.T. Dípè

Outro

This was a lot of fun! While most of the answers to these prompts are pretty truthful, there are a few that I just had to pick a book to fit the prompt and call it a day. I highly recommend giving challenges like this a go! I hope to do many more in 2026 as they are honestly my favorite kind of blog post. 

T10T: Books with Appealing Typography

 

Welcome back to Top 10 Tuesday, following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! (Yes I am now going to try to pull 10 for every week).

This week's prompt is..... books with appealing typography

These are in no particular order

1. Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
2. Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman
3. Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone
4. The Weight Of Ashes by Erin FitzGerald
5. Untangled by Mallory Thomas
6. The Rival Upgrade by Lauren Blakely
7. Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
8. Back to December by Laurel Osterkamp
9. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
10. Better Not Pout by Maren Moore

              

All of these are such nice titles. As you can probably tell, I do have a bit of a go-to style. What can I say, pretty is my vibe. 

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

This one was such a fun prompt to do. It made me realize I should spend a bit more time appreciating nice typography on book covers. Do you have any favorites?

January 2026 Reads

This month I read 11 books 

I DNFed 2 books

These books were 100% fiction

They were 0% physical, 36% digital, and 64% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.09 stars

My longest reading day was the 24th

The Books

➽ The Weight of Ashes by Erin FitzGerald

➽ The Sweetheart Shortcut by Evie Sterling

➽ Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone

➽ Game Changer by Rachel Reid

➽ Just Breaking the Rules by Lauren Blakely

➽ Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke

➽ Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

➽ Dear Red, Be Mine by Bella Greene

➽ Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman

➽ Just For the Cameras by Meghan Quinn

➽ Superfan: A Novel by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

 Top 5 Tuesday: Best Books I Read in 2025

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday, now following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As always, I do a top 5 instead of a top 10 because I tend to struggle to find 10 books for prompts.

This week's prompt is..... best books I read in 2025

These are in no particular order

1. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
2. Bunny Season by Bindi Kennedy
3. The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford
4. The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
5. We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald

I took a break from these in December for my Indie Author Advent, which I really enjoyed. That said, I am very happy to be back to this fun little challenge. I had a lot of trouble picking my top 5 our of my 5-star reads so this is a smidge of a random pull from them. Just know there are a ton of honorable mentions I wish I could've included (which I could if I did top 10, but shhhhh, I do not normally have 10 picks for a prompt).

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

Again so happy to be back to this. What were some of your top reads you think I should give a try? Here's to many fun lists in 2026!

 Top 5 Tuesday: Authors I Am Thankful For

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday, now following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As always, I do a top 5 instead of a top 10 because I tend to struggle to find 10 books for prompts.

This week's prompt is..... authors I am thankful for

These are in no particular order

1. Harriet Ashford
2. Erin FitzGerald
3. Jennifer Lynn Barnes
4. Bindi Kennedy
5. Dani Galliaro

Happy Thanksgiving season to those who celebrate! While I am against the holiday in terms of its heavily falsified history, I do like that it encourages people practice gratitude. As such, I'm expressing gratitude for authors I love. Most of these are people I now consider friends. The only exception is Jennifer Lynn Barnes who I do not know personally. She is on this list because her books got me back into reading for fun in high school. If I hadn't picked up The Naturals my freshman year, I would probably not be writing this blog post right now. 

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic as always

I am looking forward to all of the family time this time of year lends itself to. Crazy that the next time I do this list it will be December aka my birthday month! Does anyone have any fun ideas of what I could do for it?

Top 5 Tuesday: Satisfying Book Series

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday, now following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As always, I do a top 5 instead of a top 10 because I tend to struggle to find 10 books for prompts.

This week's prompt is..... satisfying book series

These are in no particular order

1. The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
2. Wolf Mountain Ranchers series by Erin FitzGerald
3. Orleans University series by Maren Moore
4. So Not My... series by Evie Sterling
5. Streams and Schemes series by Rebecca Kinkade

I am admittedly not the best at finishing series, but here are a few that I did finish that I feel like were bangers all the way through. All are romance series apart from The Naturals. I know there are a lot of series currently in progress that I am reading and loving. I would be happy to include those if a similar prompts comes up again when those series are concluded.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

It took me a minute to find all completed series, but I did it! All of these have different vibes, but all are ones I loved. Have any of y'all finished any of these series? See you tomorrow!

Top 5 Tuesday: Villains

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday, now following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As always, I do a top 5 instead of a top 10 because I tend to struggle to find 10 books for prompts.

This week's prompt is..... villains

It feels like spooky season is approaching with this prompt! It will honestly be a bit of a struggle to find characters for this prompt, as I do not tend to read books that include villains. Let's see what I find.

These are in no particular order

1. Rocky from the Webs We Weave series by Krista and Becca Ritchie
2. Troye from the Green Line Ice series by Bindi Kennedy
3. Josie from Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady
4. Charlie's right-hand man (sorry, I do not remember his name) from The Greatest of These by Erin FitzGerald
5. Diana from We Did Nothing Wrong by Hannah Jayne

Alright, none of them are villains, but they all make mean choices. Rocky is definitely not actually a villain, but he does have very questionable morals and is a con artist. Troye is certainly not either, to be honest, but he does play a partially antagonist role in the books. Josie is just a jerk a number of times, so due to my personal dislike of her, she is on this list. The one character I cannot remember a name for is the most villainous... I'm just a romance girlie, okay?

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

Look at me, successfully completing another week! Truly exciting stuff! Yay me! I hope to see you again tomorrow for me gushing about another book I am excited for!

 Free For All Friday: Roll the Dice Challenge

Intro

I found the roll the dice challenge on Twirling Book Princess blog and put it in my back pocket for a rainy day. This is that rainy day.

If you would like to do this challenge, consider yourself tagged!

The Prompts

• Favorite standalone
• Favorite sequel
• Favorite trilogy
• Favorite four-word title
• Last 5-star read
• Six books I recommend

My Picks

Favorite Standalone

Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell

This is a beautiful and relatable poetry collection.

Favorite Sequel

Destructively Mine by Krista and Becca Ritchie

The first book in this series is one of my favorite books of all time. The sequel just gave me even more of what I have been desperately craving. I loved every moment and the new reveals. 

Favorite Trilogy

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Absolutely nobody should be surprised that books by my favorite author are on my list. I found this series to be a lot of fun. Is it technically longer than 3 books... maybe... but the core story is a trilogy, so shush.

Favorite Four-Word Title

We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald

While I cannot explain why, this title is absolutely perfect for this series and book in particular. I love its simplicity while simultaneously telling so much. Erin, you know I love you and your books so much! Y'all should support her!

Last Five-Star Read

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

This book was exactly what I needed when I read it! It's quintessentially summer and a quick feel-good read.

Six Books I Recommend

Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn

The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Bridesmaid by Chance by Meghan Quinn

The Wiener Across the Way by Amy Award

Bunny Season by Bindi Kennedy

Outro

This was the absolute perfect and quick challenge! To my fellow bloggers, you should totally try it! I am also ecstatic that I was able to include all of my 5-star reads so far this year! It worked out so wonderfully.

Unfortunately, I have a super-long workday next Friday, so I won't be back then. That said, you can still catch me here earlier on that week!

Free For All Friday: Spring Cleaning Book Tag

Free For All Friday: Spring Cleaning Book Tag

Intro

Hello loveslies! As the spring weather is coming to a close, what better time to finally complete a bit of bookish spring cleaning? Of course, this is just a book challenge. I actually managed my shelves not that long ago. I saw this tag on Dini Panda Reads' blog. Anyone who sees this is welcome to give the challenge a try! Let's get to cleaning!

The Prompts

• Getting started: A book series you've been wanting to read (Beartown)
• Cleaning/organizing closet: the best way to organize books (by author and series)
• Getting rid of unnecessary things: book/series you no longer need (Skink No SUrrender)
• Get some air: your favorite lighthearted read (Beg, Borrow, or Steal)
• Clean out the kitchen cupboards: your favorite food-themed read (Sweet on You (on a peach farm))
• Dust the shelves: the fifth book on your shelves (Unsteady by Peyton Corinne)
• Wishing for the end: a 2025 release you are excited about (Caught Up)
• Long but satisfying: the longest book series you've read (Wolf Mountain Ranchers)

My Picks and Explanations

Getting Started: I have really been wanting to try reading the Beartown series by Fredrik Backman. I've heard fantastic things about it, and I am a big hockey fan, so I think it would be totally up my alley!

Cleaning/organizing closet: I admit I don't have the best shelf organization due to very limited shelf space. That said, I always keep series and authors together. Otherwise, it is just based on what fits. 😬 Hopefully, in the future, I also have room to sort by genre.

Getting rid of unnecessary things: The only book on my shelves that I don't know if I would actually read is Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen. I used to love his book growing up. I had gotten this one and even started it, but never got the chance to finish it. 

Get some air: I had a bit of trouble deciding what book I've read recently that would actually be considered nearly entirely lighthearted. That is when I landed on Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams. I remember it being quite lighthearted and a fun read. If I am incorrect and forgot something notably heavy, my apologies.

Clean out the kitchen cupboards: There are very few food-themed books I've read, which feels like a fail on my end, and I will do my best to remedy this in the near future. That said, I did recently read a book set on a peach farm, so I think that counts. Right? That book is Sweet on You by Dani Galliaro.

Dust the shelves: After referencing my shelves, the fifth book on it is Unsteady by Peyton Corinne. Which I admit I saw in Barnes & Noble one day, and totally fell in love with the cover. Needless to say, I really want to read it when I have the time. It appears to not be too long. 

Wishing for the end: Admittedly, I have a whole series on my blog called Can't Wait Wednesday, so I had a lot of trouble deciding which I wanted to choose for this challenge. In the end, Caught Up by Navessa Allen won out. I cannot wait to experience more of her dark comedic writing later this year!

Long but satisfying: This prompt seems to really be made for the fantasy reader girlies, so this isn't really for me. I am also generally not a fan of super-long series, so the longest I could remember reading in recent memory was the Wolf Mountain Ranchers series by Erin FitzGerald. 

Outro

Well, lovelies, we have come to the end. Do you feel cleaner? I don't know if I would go that far, but I do feel productive, so that is worth something. I absolutely love doing book tags like this one, so if you discover any in the book blogging world, feel free to send them my way! I will see you all on Sunday for the start of the Wonderland Pride Spotlight interviews!

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Greatest of These

 

 Can't Wait Wednesday

This week's book is.... The Greatest of These

(sadly, I only have the ARC cover, so just know that banner will not be on the normal cover)

Author: Erin FitzGerald

Publisher: Erin FitzGerald

Release Date: May 6th

Series: Colson Creek

Blurb:

After twenty-four years of marriage, I'm starting over. A colorless condo and a cat I never wanted, an empty existence that reminds me of everything I've lost. Work keeps me tethered to reality, but it's the distance from my teenage boys that haunts me the most. Agreeing to keep a custody agreement out of the courts is a decision I regret every day, especially now, as I haven’t seen them in almost a year.

Enter Charlize Campbell.

She’s the last distraction I need, one my boys encourage. A tiny blonde with a mouth like a trucker, and a lifetime of hard-earned strength to back it up. I've known her family for years, but I’ve never truly seen her.

Until now.

The pull between us is undeniable. But when strange, menacing signs begin to appear, I can’t ignore the gut feeling that someone wants her gone—and I'm the only one who seems to take the threat seriously. The deeper I get into her world, the clearer it becomes: she’s tangled up in a dangerous turf war that could cost her everything. 

Explanation:

How can I not be super excited for the upcoming release of a best friend of mine? I was her reader first and became fast friends after many wonderful conversations! Truly, she's one of the sweetest people ever. Sadly, this is not another blog just worshipping her, so I digress. 

This series's first book was the wonderful feeling that I've come to know and love from Erin. I just know this one will be no exception. This series makes me laugh, smile, cry, and everything in between. If you are looking for a hard-hitting romance where the characters will end up with a permanent residence in your heart, this one will exceed that expectation!

I am also super excited to have the chance to read another beautiful story, I know will be at absolute minimum a 4-star read. Her work really is a comfort experience for me, so it's always super exciting when she blesses us with more! I also know you are reading this, Erin, so hello, I love you, and never stop writing my favorite books, please and thank you! 💙

See you next week for another Can't Wait Wednesday! (with a book I don't have the ARC for, I promise)

 

Top 5 Tuesday: Books that Made Me Laugh

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! As it is April Fool's Day, I thought it would be fun to do something somewhat realted

This week's prompt is..... books that made me laugh

All of these books are most definitely silly at times so if I laughed, the book counts. Without further ado, here are my picks!

1. The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award
2. The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
3. Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY by Ariana St. Claire
4. We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald
5. On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

See you all next Tuesday for another top 5!

February 2025 Reads

  February 2025 Reads

This month I read 15 books 

These books were 80% fiction

They were 0% physical, 40% digital, and 60% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.1 stars

My longest reading day was February 2nd

The Books

➽ Will the Drama Ever End? by Karyl McBride

➽ Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

➽ Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

➽ It Started With a Kiss by Clare Lydon

➽ Runnin' No More by G.T. Dípè

➽ The Wiener Across the Way by Amy Award

➽ Unthinkable by Dani Galliaro

➽ The Party by Natasha Peterson

➽ On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

➽ Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

➽ We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald

➽ Cross My Heart by Shae Ruby

➽ The Anaconda Downstairs by Amy Award

➽ The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg

➽ Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY by Ariana St. Claire

What This Week: February 24 - March 2

 What This Week: February 24 - March 2

How has another week passed already? I truly do not know but welcome back! I'm happy to have you here. I was able to accomplish a bit more this week, but I can't say the same for next week, so enjoy the long list for this time!

What books I finished:

• We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald
• Cross My Heart by Shae Ruby
• The Anaconda Downstairs by Amy Award
• The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg
• Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY by Ariana St. Claire
• The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy

What books I started:

• Scoring Grey by L.A Fero
• Overturned by Lamar Giles
• 
  

What I'm listening to:

• A lot of random new-to-me songs
• Rotten Mango podcast
• So Close to What by Tate McRae album

What I'm watching:

• Secondhand Lions
• Paddington 3 (in a theater with only my partner and I, it was so cool! I also highly recommend all of the Paddington movies for a delight)
• Sixteen Candles
• Little
• The Secret of N.I.H.M.

What I'm playing:

• Genshin Impact
• Office Cat
• A lot of word puzzles

What This Week February 17-23

 

 What This Week: February 17 - 23

Welcome to the second What This Week. It was a bit of a big week in my personal life so I haven't been consuming quite as much (I got a new job). That said, I truly love what I have been consuming

What books I finished:

• On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young
• Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

What books I started:

• We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald
• The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
• The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg

What I'm listening to:

• Even more of Short n' Sweet (Deluxe) by Sabrina Carpenter

What I'm watching:

• Genshin Impact content

What I'm playing:

• Genshin Impact
• Office Cat

Top 5 Tuesday: Books I Want to Reread Someday

 

 Top 5 Tuesday: Books Want to Reread Someday

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday. Everyone be proud, I'm here two weeks in a row. Even if it is pretty late, I got y'all

This week's prompt is..... books I want to reread someday

Some books are just so obvious that it will be a great time again in the future. My hope with all rereads is that I would gain something new by rereading it.

Let's break down the why for each of these...

#1 is the only thriller I thought could be cool to reread. I feel like it would be a very different but worthwhile experience to read it again a while down the line while having the context of what everyone in the story actually did. 

#2 is the start of a series that is written by possibly one of my favorite humans ever. That is one big reason I wanna go back to the beginning someday and experience the magic once again. I also find the MMC to be very similar to my partner in some ways so it would be fun to read it with that in mind.

#3 is chock full of helpful advice that is gonna be relevant throughout my life. I think it would be good to circle back whenever my life circumstances change a good bit to prioritize the advice that will help me at the time. 

With #4 I just really want to annotate it because I didn't the first time and kinda regret that.

#5 on the list is actually a book I would be reading for the 4th time because it is just that impactful for me. It was the series that got me back into reading for fun so I gotta give it some love every few years.

1. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
2. Something Lost by Erin FitzGerald
3. How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
4. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
5. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

See you all next Tuesday for another top 5!

The Something Smutty Book Club by Erin FitzGerald Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Silly novella

➮ Found family

➮ HEA

Synopsis

The last thing anyone should have allowed Mathilda Cooper to do was start a book club. The town's librarian and notorious man fiend has made it her mission in life to find the smuttiest, filthiest books in print and the women attending are starting to wonder if it's entirely for shock value.

Every other Wednesday night, the women in the small community of the Wolf Mountain Ranchers meet to talk books--and listen to Mathilda run her mouth. Catch up with Emily, Genesis, Lana, Ashley, Jenna, Clara, Talia, and Morgan in this fun collection of Wednesday night revelations.

My Thoughts

This novella was just a further reminder of how in love I am with these characters and this series as a whole. While I am very sad to see it go, I am also so happy with how it was wrapped up. It truly did such an amazing job at helping the plotlines of the main characters and background characters feel settled. While I will always be down for more of this series, I am also quite happy with this as the series conclusion.

This was such a perfectly silly goofy good time seeing everyone in the town come together. I really applaud Erin for creating character relationships in a small town that are genuinely interwoven but didn't end up where every character somehow automatically knew every other character just because they are from the same area. I really can see all of these ladies having a fun time in a book club together and most of their men reaping the benefits of their reading materials content.

This paragraph is to Erin and only Erin, everyone else can scroll past. Erin, babes you did it again! You absolutely knocked it out of the park. I am always amazed at how I love your writing more and more with every single book. I would give this more than 5 stars if possible honestly.  Thank you for blessing us with such beautiful characters! You know I am a ride-or-die for your writing and will shout from the rooftops about how everyone needs to experience the magic in your stories. 

You absolutely need to read the rest of the series before picking this one up but when you do it will be so worth it. It truly felt like coming home and being wrapped in a warm hug. Even one page in, there were no punches pulled with the silliness. Coop will always be Coop (iykyk). So many moments in this book pulled at my heartstrings to see everyone growing older and settling into their lives. 

If it wasn't obvious from the title, this book does contain spicy content. If you aren't into that sort of thing this book isn't for you. 

I received this book as an arc from the author. My review is honest and voluntary