Code Name Helene

 Book 65 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from June 18 - July 1

Code Name Helene

by Ariel Lawhon

published 2020

4 stars

I read this at the recommendation of my daughter.  Riveting and easy to get lost in, this book was especially interesting since it was based on a true story.  Certain things devastated me but that's real life.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 65th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

Somebody is Walking on Your Grave

 Book 64 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from June 21 - 27

Somebody is Walking on Your Grave: My Cemetery Journeys

by Mariana Enriquez

published 2025

3 stars

The pictures were great, the history was interesting, the writing was fine.

I also have a fascination with cemeteries and their architecture and history.  The author travels specifically for cemeteries but I don't, although my husband will usually try and find a cemetery to visit during trips we're taking.  I've visited two of the cemeteries the author talked about in this book, Greyfriar's in Edinburgh and Montparnasse in Paris.

Maybe it was because it's a translation but I felt a detachment from the writing.  The author did a good job describing the history of the places she visited but I didn't feel as much emotion from her as I think she was trying to convey when talking about her reasons for visiting and how she felt when she was there.

The author seemed anti-tourist and judgmental about others, as though she was there for the "right reasons" and others weren't.  I already didn't like that but then she told the story about STEALING A BONE from the Innocents.  That's so disrespectful but to have that coupled with her writing about other visitors, it felt hypocritical.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 64th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

Rare Objects

 Book 63 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from June 19 - 21

Rare Objects

by Kathleen Tessaro

published 2016

4 stars

This was a lovely book where glittery surroundings cover dark secrets.  It ended hopefully and that made me happy but I also wanted more now that things appeared settled for the characters.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 63rd book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I received for Christmas 2025 (my goal is to read all my Christmas 2025 books by the end of 2026)

Eat the Apple

 Book 62 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from June 14 - 18

Eat the Apple

by Matt Young

published 2018

4 stars

The title of this memoir comes from the Marine proverb "Eat the Apple.  Fuck the Corps."  The author has a way of writing that I call "bleeding on the keyboard"...it was raw and visceral but also polished and contained.  This felt like the kind of book that was more about a cathartic release from the author than any audience that would read it.  It was gritty but not disrespectful.

The writing style of short chapters, some drawings, and different elements kept things moving and experimental but also a little detached and jumpy.  I'm not sure I would encourage the author to dig deeper without a licensed professional but it may be beneficial.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 62nd book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'E' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

 Book 61 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from May 24 - June 17

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

by Julia Quinn

published 2002

3 stars

It was fine.  I liked that the conflict necessary to keep the plot moving was generated by outside forces, not back and forth denial.  They had good communication.

I'm pretty neutral on continuing the series.  I haven't watched the show but had seen enough clips that there was some familiarity up until now; continuing the books when I don't know the endings might be too much uncertainty for me to enjoy.  I have a low tolerance for problems that become bigger than they should because of simple miscommunication and that has been a trend in the series so far that I imagine would continue.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 61st book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

We Are Water

 Book 60 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from May 24 - June 12

We Are Water

by Wally Lamb

published 2013

2 stars

I know the author is well-known and well-loved but his books may not be for me.  I might try another one before completely writing him off though.

I found this book to be slow and had too many big plots happening.  I felt like every 50 pages or so I was starting a new book with a different plot.  There were things relegated to "side quests" that either should've not been included or been bigger parts of the story; I probably would've erred on the side of not including them since the book was over 500 pages.  

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 60th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I own (my goal is to continue chipping away at my shelves/boxes of unread books)

- A book I own that is leaving my house for a new reader to find (my goal is to declutter and make progress on whittling down my shelves/boxes of books in my house)

The Serial Killer Files

 Book 59 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from May 10 - June 10

The Serial Killer Files

by Harold Schechter

2 stars

A very low 2 stars.  It took me a month and the book is only 421 pages.  No chapter breaks and very text-heavy oversized pages made this feel like a slog.  There was also unnecessary repetition - for example, I know I read about Albert Fish sticking pins in his penis at least 3 separate times and that's without even really paying attention.  

There was a lot of information about people I hadn't heard about before so I feel this could've been improved with editing to streamline (remove repetition and have some organization with presentation) and add breaks.

As a warning, there's some pretty graphic descriptions.  That wasn't surprising based on the content and it didn't bother me but it is something I'll mention as a heads up.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 59th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I received for Christmas 2025 (my goal is to read all my Christmas 2025 books by the end of 2026)

- A book I own that is leaving my house for a new reader to find (my goal is to declutter and make progress on whittling down my shelves/boxes of books in my house)

Kills Well With Others

 Book 58 of my 2026 Reading challenge

read from May 24 - 29

Kills Well With Others

by Deanna Raybourn

3 stars

I read this book immediately after the first one.  I think it would've been 3 stars for me anyway but I'm also factoring in that I gave Killers of a Certain Age 4 stars and enjoyed this book quite a bit less.

The fun and wit was missing as they all fought with each other with no counterbalance, the case itself was more convoluted, and another book of every single bad guy dying without any loss of a good guy takes away some of the suspense.  Not that I'm advocating for anyone to die but it becomes clear the author isn't willing to take risks, even with side characters, and that changes the way I read it.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 58th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

Killers of a Certain Age

 Book 57 of my 2026 Reading challenge

read from May 22 - 23

Killers of a Certain Age

by Deanna Raybourn

published 2022

4 stars

Unique concept, unusual kill styles, and a quick read.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I think this could also make a good tv series, especially with the flashbacks they included of younger times.

A very high 4, maybe a 5 on another day.  I'm glad I anticipated that and checked the second book out at the same time - it's a holiday weekend and I plan on jumping right into the next one.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 57th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'K' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Daughters of the Winter Queen

 Book 56 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from April 25 - May 22

Daughters of the Winter Queen:

Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, 

and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots

by Nancy Goldstone

3 stars

The first chapter was a slog introducing so many people but then it settled down and was more manageable to read.  It made sense to do things chronologically but the chapters flipping back and forth between characters had me still checking the family tree to orient myself for pretty much the entire book.

Pockets of interesting stuff and didn't feel like a 400+ page nonfiction book but also not something I'm raving about or a subject I'm interested in researching further. 

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 56th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'D' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

just what kind of mother are you?

 Book 55 of my 2026 Reading challenge

read from May 13 - 18

just what kind of mother are you?

by Paula Daly

published 2013

2 stars

I felt uncomfortable reading this but not in a good way.  I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and while it was an ending I didn't expect, the way it was presented didn't pack the punch it could've and there were too many coincidences wrapping everything up after so many unknowns.  

There was more than one instance of a person knowing something/not sharing it/sharing it under little to no pressure at a convenient time to move the story along.  I can't put my finger on it because each plot piece was needed to have everything fit together but it also felt like too many things for one book.

I'm reading this 13 years after it was published and see it was the author's debut novel.  I might try a more recent book to see if things have improved because I did like the writing style and unique details (such as the dog's involvement).

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 55th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'J' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Goodbye Days

 Book 54 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from May 7 - 8

Goodbye Days

by Jeff Zentner

3 stars

I'm really torn about this book and want to read others' opinions.  It was a roller coaster up and down for me which is how I ended up in the middle at 3 stars (but a high 3 because I enjoyed more than I disliked).  The romantic aspect was something I was really hoping wouldn't become a plot point even though I saw it coming and it made me groan every time the hints of it crossed the pages.

I would definitely read this author again though and it caused me to reflect on grief and how different people handle it.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 54th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I own (my goal is to continue chipping away at my shelves/boxes of unread books)

- Title starting with 'G' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Saturday Night Widows

 Book 53 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from April 23 - May 7

Saturday Night Widows:

The Adventures of Six Friends Remaking Their Lives

by Becky Aikman

3 stars

I have absolutely nothing to say about this book because it didn't register with me.  It was fine as I was reading and the pages turned so I don't have anything negative to say but I also just finished it and have nothing to reflect on so I don't have anything positive to say.  A truly truly neutral read.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 53rd book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I received for Christmas 2025 (my goal is to read all my Christmas 2025 books by the end of 2026)

- A book I own that is leaving my house for a new reader to find (my goal is to declutter and make progress on whittling down my shelves/boxes of books in my house)

I Know You Know

 Book 52 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from April 30 - May 2

I Know You Know

by Gilly Macmillan

published 2018

2 stars

There were too many plot obstacles for my taste and it made it even stranger to have everything neatly wrapped up in the end.

I liked the characters but the situations unfolded so quickly, especially considering people had been keeping secrets for 20+ years in some cases.  I guess all someone had to do was ask the one right question and everything would unravel?

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 52nd book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I own that is leaving my house for a new reader to find (my goal is to declutter and make progress on whittling down my shelves/boxes of books in my house)

- Title starting with 'I' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Working Stiff

 Book 51 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from April 23 - 25

Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and 

the Making of a Medical Examiner

by July Melinek and T.J. Mitchell

published 2014

4 stars

The description of the book is accurate so if you have an interest in the material, this book is informative and engaging.  Not for the squeamish.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 51st book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'W' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball

 Book 50 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read on April 24

What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball

by Elisabeth Aimee Brown

published 2024

3 stars

Light and entertaining, I read this in a few hours.  I really really liked that there weren't extra obstacles created - everyone knew the real identities of everyone else and were upfront with their thoughts (other than the slow burn of love, obviously).

The stuff near the end with Hugh and Hester felt jammed in and took me out of the pacing but then it got back on track with a satisfying ending.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 50th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

You Shouldn't Be Here

Book 49 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from April 19 - 21

You Shouldn't Be Here

by Lauren Thoman

published 2024

1 star

EDIT: I write my reviews first without looking at anything else and then read others' reviews for community/curiosity after publishing mine. Now that I've done that and seen the discourse I feel I need to point out my 1 star is for PLOT ONLY, nothing to do with characters' pronouns, politics, etc.

I chose this from the Amazon "First Reads" monthly selections.  Unfortunately, it was a miss for me.  There was a very major clue involving the dog that I clocked immediately and spent 75% of the book waiting for them to figure out (which they never did, it was shoved in their face).  There were other major clues involving a backpack and a photo that somehow hadn't been revealed in ten years yet were somehow discovered at just the right time.  There was a villain monologue confession while holding people at gunpoint which led to them getting caught instead of the people being killed.  There were supernatural time travel elements never fully explained.  This just didn't hit for me.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 49th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'Y' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line

 Book 48 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read on April 19

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line

by Hiro Arikawa

4 stars

Delightfully cozy book that felt like people watching without leaving my house.  I'm glad I was able to read this over the course of one lazy Sunday.

The stops on the way to Nishinomiya - Kitaguchi were more enjoyable to me than the return trip back to Takarazuka for two main reasons.  One, the element of surprise as new characters were introduced.  Two, having everyone cross paths again to continue their stories felt a little more forced.  So I liked the journey of the first half and the resolution of the second half. 

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 48th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.

 Book 47 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from April 8 - 18

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.

by Nichole Bernier

published 2012

2 stars

When visiting my elderly aunt in another state earlier this year, I came home with a trunk full of things from her home she wanted me to have.  I was especially excited about the boxes of photos; I've become the keeper of our family's history both by interest and by necessity.  There was no rhyme or reason to the photos so when I got home I was sorting everything and having lovely trips down Memory Lane when BAM...nude photos of my aunt and her partner from many years ago.  Ok, that was surprising but another day, another box and BAM..more nude photos of my aunt and a different partner just casually mixed in.  It was surprising to say the least.  Her memory isn't all there so I didn't bother asking her about them but I did feel like if she remembered they were mixed in there, maybe she would've taken them out.  Or maybe they could've at least been in an envelope so there was notice and I wasn't just flipping through photos with my husband and kids.  Which made me think about the stuff we leave behind for others...maybe there should be a box that just says "discard without looking in this" where people can take their secrets with them.

What does that have to do with this book?  The premise of this book is Elizabeth dies unexpectedly and her neighbor/friend Kate discovers she has been left Elizabeth's trunk of journals.  Elizabeth's husband Dave and Kate's husband Chris are also main characters with their own conflicting feelings over Elizabeth's choice of skipping Dave and Kate's involvement (obsession?) in reading them.

Great premise, didn't love the actual execution.  A complete side plot of someone on the island selling their home/possibly losing their restaurant that was left unresolved.  Too many "coincidences" leading to information being discovered.  I was invested in her younger self but it felt unrealistic about what Elizabeth chose to write about once the journals reached the point where the other main characters were in her life.  

So it prompted thoughts about my real life and what I would do (I'm not a journal writer) but the book itself was meh.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 47th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'U' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Actress of a Certain Age

 Book 46 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from April 12 - 17

Actress of a Certain Age:

My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success

by Jeff Hiller

published 2025

4 stars

I checked this out from the library after seeing an interview with the author on TikTok.  It was an enjoyable read made better by my knowledge that the author has won an Emmy since publishing this book, hopefully giving him more confidence that he's "made it".

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 46th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading

 Book 45 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 28 - April 12

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading:

Finding and Losing Myself in Books

by Maureen Corrigan

1 star

The author is a professional book reviewer and she gave some examples of lines people could use in a negative review.  Here's my contribution - the book has the great title of "Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading" but after finishing the book I feel a more accurate title would be "Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading [Literally Anything but This Book]".

That's glib and snarky so I won't pile on.  But I didn't enjoy this book at all.  I'm not a professional book reviewer and I don't generally analyze the books I read so I don't have thought-out reasons why.  I was bored.

The bright side: I bought this book for .50 at a book sale to give to my husband for my Christmas box of books.  I can sell this book to Thriftbooks for .78, making a small profit (and hopefully getting this book into the hands of someone who will enjoy it more).

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 45th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I received for Christmas 2025 (my goal is to read all my Christmas 2025 books by the end of 2026)

- A book I own that is leaving my house for a new reader to find (my goal is to declutter and make progress on whittling down my shelves/boxes of books in my house)

The Look

 Book 44 of my 2026 Reading challenge

read from April 4 - 6

The Look

by Michelle Obama with Meredith Koop

published 2025

4 stars

This oversized book was a fun look at beautiful garments.  There is so much more thought that goes into the messages of clothes, hair, etc. than I realized and Mrs. Obama seemed to nail it pretty much every time.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 44th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

Bookish Broads

 Book 43 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from April 1 - 3

Bookish Broads: Women Who Wrote 

Themselves Into History

by Lauren Marino

published 2021

3 stars

I read most of this on a plane and it was a smooth way to pass the time.  It gave superficial level information on many different women and would be a good start to discovering new authors to research further.

Fun fact: Harper Lee and Truman Capote were neighbors and friends since kindergarten.

Quote from the Book

"When Charlotte [Bronte] died her profession was listed as "wife"...She had been married for a few short months and had been writing her entire life."

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 43rd book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

We Are Still Tornadoes

 Book 42 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 30 - 31

We Are Still Tornadoes

by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen

published 2016

5 stars

I read this on vacation and it was a perfect mix of light and heavy topics.  The letters format made it easy to pick up and put down as I was traveling around town.  There were lines that made me laugh out loud and I'm a sucker for young romance.  Even though I'm happy with the ending I also wasn't ready for it to be over and wanted more from the characters.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 42nd book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I own (my goal is to continue chipping away at my shelves/boxes of unread books)

- Title starting with 'W' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

The Edge of Lost

 Book 41 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 21 - 27

The Edge of Lost 

by Kristina McMorris

published 2015

5 stars

Lovely book with good pacing, interesting characters, and a satisfying ending.  Just by coincidence I finished this book on the plane to California and we visited San Francisco and saw a display about attempted escapes from Alcatraz.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 41st book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'E' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

1920

 Book 40 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 21 - 26

1920: The Year of the Six Presidents

by David Pietrusza

published 2007

4 stars

"The President of the United States lay bleeding on the bathroom floor."  This opening line set the tone for an accessible nonfiction book that wasn't dry and didn't feel like the 533 pages it was.  There were a lot of people to focus on and while I got lost in the connections of some of the secondary players, the book was overall easy to follow.

What an amazing election cycle to have 6 past, current, or future presidents running.  No other election has come close to that; my first thought was because of term limits but my second, sadder thought is because presidents now skew so old they aren't around for as many cycles.  My kids have heard me lament many times about the lack of Gen X presidents - the Boomers didn't leave and now the Millennials are coming up.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 40th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'N' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Just the Funny Parts

 Book 39 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 21 - 26

Just the Funny Parts: ... And a Few Hard Truths 

About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boys' Club

by Nell Scovell

published 2018

3 stars

Even though I didn't know Nell Scovell by name it turns out I've seen and enjoyed a lot of her work.  The book was entertaining with good jokes and amusing anecdotes.

So why 3 stars instead of 4?  I don't want to overtax myself by going back through the book for specific quotes but some of the more serious points rubbed me the wrong way.  She was judging others harshly for actions that, from this outsider's opinion, she also did (off the top of my head, an example would be rolling her eyes at a young woman entertaining male writers with a story about her boobs when earlier she said she would try to start with a filthy joke to let others know she was 'one of them').  Diversity is an issue and should be talked about but she seemed to want to hold others accountable while making justifications for herself at times that she had as much power as the people she was talking about to possibly make changes. Or the system of 'word of mouth' in general...it's not good when it's white men recommending/choosing white men but doesn't the system also fail when it's white women recommending/choosing white women, like it's the gatekeeping and not the specific demographic that's the issue?

The "funny parts" read quickly and I enjoyed them.  The stronger messages were on point but I'm taking the messenger with a grain of salt. 

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 39th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I received for Christmas 2025 (my goal is to read all my Christmas 2025 books by the end of 2026)

- A book I own that is leaving my house for a new reader to find (my goal is to declutter and make progress on whittling down my shelves/boxes of books in my house)

- Title starting with 'J' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

The Reading Promise

 Book 38 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 16 - 20

The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared

by Alice Ozma

published 2011

4 stars

When talking about buying books that can be read and passed down through generations..."What greater gift to your descendants yet unborn than the love of books and reading?"

The book was very readable with a great message.

Reading with your kids?  Great.

Sharing something special?  Great.

Having a common goal?  Great.

If I started looking beyond the reading into other aspects of their dynamic (as told by the author)?  Maybe a little codependent.

If I started thinking about the mom and/or sister and projected my own feelings of being left out?  Possibilities of hurt feelings.

But overall, I'm really happy for the author and the memories she was able to create.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 38th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'R' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Accidental Astronomy

 Book 37 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 12 - 19

Accidental Astronomy: How Random Discoveries 

Shape the Science of Space

by Chris Lintott

published 2024

2 stars

This is a low 2 star read for me; it's not a 1 because I'm not angry but I am pretty bored.  I read lots of words but can't say I retained a lot of information.  My mind wandered.

I saw this book while browsing at the library and expected actual random discoveries in space (like the example of discovering penicillin in medicine), like "happy accidents".  That was not the case (or if it was, I completely missed them).

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 37th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'A' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Bad Girls With Perfect Faces

 Book 36 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 15 - 17

Bad Girls With Perfect Faces

by Lynn Weingarten

published 2017

4 stars

This author knows how to make interesting titles.  I read her book Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls in 2018 and added this to my list at that time...there's no rhyme or reason to what ends up making it off my never-ending TBR.

For most of the book I felt uncomfortable in a 'low stakes' way, like with second hand embarrassment or concern about the consequences on their social lives.  The stakes got higher as the book went on and while I can't say I found the ending realistic or satisfying, it was interesting and I couldn't put it down.

I can picture that final scene of crossing paths in a movie shot before fading to black.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 36th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'B' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Carnegie Libraries Across America

 Book 35 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 12 - 16

Carnegie Libraries Across America: A Public Legacy

by Theodore Jones

published 1997

3 stars

"Free libraries maintained by the people are cradles of democracy, and their spread can never fail to extend and strengthen the democratic idea, the equality of the citizen, [and] the royalty of man.  They are emphatically fruit of the true American ideal." 

~ Andrew Carnegie

I picked this book from a library display.  Spending time browsing at a library and coming home to read about libraries and look at pictures of old libraries?  Sold.

Even though it was published almost 30 years ago it's not outdated other than the stats about how many libraries are still in use.  The majority of the book was about the history of the Carnegie grants and the beginning of public libraries.  Iowa connection: the first Carnegie library was in Fairfield, IA.  At the time of the book's publication the library was being transitioned; I looked it up and the building is still standing and currently a Carnegie museum.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 35th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'C' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

 Book 34 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 12 - 15

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

by Bob the Drag Queen

published 2025

5 stars

I love Bob TDQ's passion about any project they're involved in and hearing them talk about this book was no exception.

The concept of this book was very creative and although I have no shared life experience with any of the characters they were written in a relatable way passing knowledge in an accessible way.

I don't do audiobooks but I feel like this book would be good in that format as well, especially if the songs are performed.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 34th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I received for Christmas 2025 (my goal is to read all my Christmas 2025 books by the end of 2026)

- A book I own that is leaving my house for a new reader to find (my goal is to declutter and make progress on whittling down my shelves/boxes of books in my house)

An Offer From a Gentleman

 Book 33 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 8 -12

An Offer From a Gentleman

by Julia Quinn

published 2001

3 stars

As I continue the Bridgerton series, I think this may be one of the few times I'll enjoy the show/movie more than the book.  I haven't watched any episodes but am reading the books because the clips of the show I've seen interest me (and I'm pretty much spoiled on all the twists and relationships).

For this particular book, it was fine but if I didn't know what was going to happen I definitely would've been antsier and skimming to the end.  When people withhold information and add unnecessary complications I anxiously wait for things to be revealed/resolved.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 33rd book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

Balls

 Book 32 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 4 - 11

Balls: It Takes Some to Get Some

by Chris Edwards

published 2016

4 stars

First off, great title (not surprising for someone successful in advertising).  I received an used copy of Balls for Christmas and found an accidental bonus: this is a signed copy (like a legit signed copy made out to a specific person listing a specific location).

He acknowledges the uniqueness of his situation because of his access to resources, his surgery choices, and the time period he was transitioning.  Although it's sad that the access and support is unique, it's true and in some ways could be worse now than when the book was published in 2016.

He was blunt but not 'shock value graphic' in his descriptions of his transition and there was more time spent on the smaller things like urinal etiquette and not having the door held open for him.  It was interesting and I'm glad his outsides appear to match his insides.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 32nd book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I received for Christmas 2025 (my goal is to read all my Christmas 2025 books by the end of 2026)

- A book I own that is leaving my house for a new reader to find (my goal is to declutter and make progress on whittling down my shelves/boxes of books in my house)

- Title starting with 'B' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

The Viscount Who Loved Me

 Book 31 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 2 - 4

The Viscount Who Loved Me

by Julia Quinn

published 2000

2 stars

This is the second book in the Bridgerton series and hopefully my least favorite one.  I don't love the 'enemies to lovers' romance trope anyway but especially in this book, Anthony was so mean and insensitive that it felt hard to come back from.

I will continue the series though.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 31st book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'V' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Geek Parenting

 Book 30 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 1 - 3

Geek Parenting

by Stephen H. Segal and Valya Dudycz Lupescu

published 2016

2 stars

Unique concept but cookie cutter parenting advice.  I expected more humor and I was skimming by the end.  It was interesting to see how many characters I recognized (more than I expected).

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 30th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'G' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

 Book 29 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 1 - 3

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio:

How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less

by Terry Ryan

4 stars

This was an interesting, entertaining read.  The timing of things coming through sounds too good to be true but I don't discount the effort Evelyn Ryan put into her contesting and it's good to read about a little magic during tough times.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 29th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- A book I received for Christmas 2025 (my goal is to read all my Christmas 2025 books by the end of 2026)

- A book I own that is leaving my house for a new reader to find (my goal is to declutter and make progress on whittling down my shelves/boxes of books in my house)

- Title starting with 'P' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)

Trial by Ambush

Book 28 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from March 1 - 2

Trial by Ambush: Murder, Injustice, 

and the Truth About the Case of Barbara Graham

by Marcia Clark

4 stars

I chose this book from the options in Amazon's First Reads.  I went in blind with absolutely no familiarity with the case.  The foreword said the trial seemed harsh and a movie about her (for which the leading actress won an Oscar) went the other direction and made her saintly.  I can't speak for the movie but I agree about the trial.  Incredibly frustrating, especially for a death penalty case, to have the prosecution act so unfairly (and the judge for allowing it).  

I'm against the death penalty generally but am especially glad they changed the blanket application of it applying anyone involved in a crime (for example, the driver of a getaway car where someone else killed someone is no longer eligible for the death penalty).  I agree with the author that Barbara Graham was there that night but I also agree with the author that it doesn't appear she committed any violence; she was brought as a decoy to get the victim to open the door in their plan to rob her.  I also agree that as the laws were written at the time, Graham likely still would've been found guilty for murder even if the prosecution hadn't hidden things but maybe she wouldn't have been sentenced to death.

The book was informative and a quick read.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 28th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)

- Title starting with 'T' (I'm doing an A-Z title challenge)