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. 

******************************

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).

*****************************

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.

**********************

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.

***************************

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?

****************************

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.

****************************

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.

*********************************

Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

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