Recent reads: June 2026

It's been a while and this year has turned out to be about three things for me: moving my body a lot each day, getting back into music, and books. I feel like there are a lot of books here, but maybe this is becoming my new normal. I'm reading a lot and I'm doing so both on my phone digitally and paper books. I'm heavy on romance as well, they're easy and take me away from the world and right now I'm reading whatever I want and not thinking about it too much. Better to read a book than be online.

The Crow Valley Karaoke Championships

I started this book and many times as I was reading I was wondering what exactly I was reading. Taking place entirely in one day, this book was an adventure once I realized where it was going and it has an absolute banger of an ending. A pillar of the community died in a forest fire a year ago and the community is coming together for the karaoke championship he loved in honor of him. So much was going on that is revealed slowly, but I ended up really loving this book so very much.

The simple truth about marriage matched the startling truth about life. It was often unfair and sometimes boring. Stale, one-sided, disappointing. Lonely. But it could also be forgiven and celebrated and enjoyed. There was no greater intimacy than the intimacy of effort and nothing more heroic than detecting the fires and putting them out. (p 411 of epub)

Founding Brothers

More reading about the founding of the United States. Another Joseph Ellis book and this one won the Pulitzer in 2001. A slim volume that examines several different occurrences and relates them back to the larger founding story, which I thought was a super interesting. I finally read about Hamilton and Burr and what was really going on there. I read about Washington's final address, which was written, but super interesting. And I revisted the Adams marriage and the Jefferson and John Adams friendship at the end.

Careless People

In the 2010s I got an email from a Facebook recruiter promising me big money and great opportunities if I was willing to move the Bay Area. What struck me about the email, aside from the fact that they never mentioned housing costs and how much of your salary would be eaten up that, was that it was sent to an email address I didn't publicly advertise. However, it was the address associated with my Facebook account which I kept hidden from any public view. The recruiter had access to my private Facebook data and I replied to them being upset about that fact and saying no. Not long after I deleted my Facebook account.

I say all of this because reading Careless People was a reminder that my instincts about that company were dead on. It is awful. The book itself isn't great. It isn't well written and it felt at times like I was reading a horrible diary draft. I read it more for the information and account, but all the while I was questioning why in the world Sarah stayed in the job. One person isn't going to change the way that big, awful machine grinds along, unless that one person is the one at the top. If you too want to see how truly bad Facebook is and don't mind writing that's not great, I recommend it. I picked it up used at Powells, they had a lot of copies.

The Life Impossible

I enjoyed The Midnight Library and saw this book available from the library and grabbed it. I enjoyed the story of a woman who takes a huge risk and goes to Ibiza after inheriting a house. It's a wonderful story. A bit of detective work to figure out what happened to the woman who owned the house and, as is usual with Haig, things aren't always what they seem. The cast of characters in this book was fantastic and I really enjoyed it.

You Are Here

I absolutely loved this love story and had no idea what I was getting into and that made it all the better. This book isn't a typical romance but it is a love story. I'm enjoying stories about people who are a bit older and are coming out of something life threw at them and that's when the story starts and when they meet each other. This story is just like that and I don't want to say much more because I think going in cold is better.

Love and Other Brain Experiments

More romance to take me away from the awfulness of the world. I really liked this one, set in the world of academia when two competing scientists meet at a conference. I also loved how Brohm somewhat made fun of some of the tropes of romance in the book and I'm fairly sure one of the secondary characters was based on herself, which I also loved. If you like these types of books, I'm sure you'll like this one.

Olive

An interesting story about four friends who graduate university together and go out into the world and take very different paths, but remain friends. The central story is about having, or not having, kids. As someone who hasn't had them I found Olive and her thoughts quite relatable. The story is well done and I'm so glad I happened upon it.

Girl Abroad

I grabbed this book because it was recommended in the NPR book concierge from a few years ago under romance and I enjoyed it. A 19 year old goes to study in London and has arranged a flat share but doesn't realize until she gets there that her flatmates are men, not the women as she thought. It's not a the best book, but it kept me entertained and honestly reminded me of myself a lot when I was in college.

Check & Mate

I had no idea when I was reading this book that it was a YA romance, but it didn't really matter to me all that much. I enjoyed it even though I know nothing about chess and went with those parts of the book. I found Mallory and Nolan to be relatable characters but also the awkwardness of that age comes through so well.

Romantic Comedy

A reread! I got this book digitally when we were traveling knowing that having something I could get into would be good and also something I wouldn't mind getting interrupted while reading. I still love this book and several things jumped out this time, one was how Sittenfeld was talking about story structure in a meta way (via Sally) while the story was unfolding. I started listening to a lot of Noah Kahn this spring and was wondering if Sittenfeld based her Noah character on him at all. And finally I still completely relate to the anxiety of Sally and how hard a time she has with the entire relationship. Such a great book and it led to me reading a lot more Sittenfeld, but this is still my favorite book of hers.

Rome, Kentucky Romance Series

A entire series that takes place in a fictional small town in Kentucky and I enjoyed the series, but the first two books in the series are the better books (When in Rome and Practice Makes Perfect). If you like romance and want some quick, easy reads, these may be up your alley.

And Now Back to You

I read the first book, in what will be a triology, and saw the second book was out and decided to read it as well. I didn't enjoy this one as much as First Time Caller but I did finish it. This is what happens when I'm traveling and need something to read.

How to Find Love in a Bookshop

A woman's father dies and she returns to her village near Oxford to take over the bookshop he ran while raising her. Emilia discovers parts of her father she never knew, learns how much the community can and does support her as she tries to turn around the shop, and of course, she finds love. There are a lot of various story lines in this book with all the various people in the community and I enjoyed that it was really about so many folks and not one couple.

500 Miles From You

I saw this book in a bookshop in London and ended up being able to get it via my library when I got home. Two nurses swap places, one taking over in London for the one who goes to his small village in Scotland. As you can probably already guess, as they discuss cases and help each other through the transition, they feel some sparks. I love romance that comes about via texting/emailing/talking on the phone as I think it adds so much to the thoughts of each character (see also Romantic Comedy). This was cute and funny at times and I enjoyed it.

Patchwork: A Sewists Diary

A really beautiful group of essays where Maddie Ballard talks through sewing a pattern but along with the sewing she talks about life. As you go through the book you see Ballard learning and becoming more confident in her sewing and I really enjoyed seeing how someone modified and made patterns her own. If you sew you'll recognize the patterns and I think you'll really enjoy the book.

Broken Country

A difficult story where a lie sets off a chain of events about 15 years later that tear at a marriage and a family. I thought this was a beautiful story but also a hard story to read. Beth and Gabriel were in love in high school and now Beth is married to Frank, running a farm in the village she grew up in, when Gabriel returns to his family home, a famous author. As Beth comes to terms with Gabriel's return, the past rears its head and brings all three of them back into each other's lives. This was a quick moving read and hard to put down, I couldn't wait to see where it was going even if I knew it was going to be sad.

Everything I Ate in One Year (and related thoughts)

I wanted something light and not a romance and on the library shelf I saw Stanely Tucci looking at me and thought it would be perfect. It was, it was perfect for my mood. It's a diary about the food he ate but of course, also about his life. Tucci is laugh out loud funny when talking about his life and family. Highly recommend this one.