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)

The Duke & I

 Book 27 of my 2026 Reading Challenge

read from February 28 - March 2

The Duke & I

by Julia Quinn

published 2000

3 stars

Jumping on the bandwagon for the Bridgerton series.  I've finally seen enough clips of the show on TikTok that I decided to give the books a try.

This was a quick read and I liked it but I'm rating it 3 stars because if I had read this before the show/knowing the backstories and what's to come, I would've been more confused and less invested.  My favorite part was the banter between the characters; I'm a sucker for witty dialogue.

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Ways This Book Met my 2026 Reading Goals:

- 27th book read in 2026 (my goal is 100)