That Library Girl

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #53

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. Hosted by Readerbuzz.

What is the Sunday Post? The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up.

My sister and her family were visiting us this past week, so they could attend my son’s graduation party. And even though she moved away to NC deep down she misses NJ… so she likes to give her kids a NJ summer by going to the boardwalk, mini golfing, the beach… stuff they don’t have close by them.

The kids also had Vacation Bible School this week. They attended when they were children and now they volunteer there. VBS is a week long children’s ministry program our church hosts, like a summer camp for Christians.

I am reading a NetGalley ARC titled Old Ham. It’s a novella so I am hoping to get through it rather quickly and get a book under my belt early in to the month.

I am listening to a Libby audiobooks, Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped, the third book in the The Guild Codex: Demonized series. I am enjoying this read-along so much!

I am reading You Killed Me First, a paperback I was gifted. I barely had time to read it last week so it’s definitely a priority.

Currently up to date with the current season of House of the Dragon.

Library Love Audiobook Challenge 2026

Mid Year Celebration Tag

Library Stats and Savings For July 2026

Review: Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

https://thatlibrarygirl27.blog/2026/08/01/monthly-wrap-up-july-2026

*subject to change

Spotlight: One Of The Family by Mark Edwards
WWW Wednesday – August 5, 2026
The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #54

Monthly Wrap Up: July 2026

Good morning, readers! I had a semi busy month, and had family visiting at the end of the month, but managed to get a good amount of books in!

If you’re not following me on Storygraph, you should! I live on that app and update it every single day. This is my page.

Review: Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

Title: Dear Debbie
Author: Freida McFadden
Format: eBook
Length: 340 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Publication Date: January 27, 2026

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden is a quick psychological thriller with a straightforward writing style typical of the author. The story moves at a steady pace and kept my interest. The characters are not especially deep. It’s an easy read that may appeal to readers looking for a light, uncomplicated suspense novel.

I received a complimentary e-copy. Thank you to Edelweiss.

Library Stats and Savings For July 2026

I absolutely LOVE using my library for all my books and audiobook needs. I do not have a lot of money to blow on a hobby, so I found a good way to support my community, my library and my reading habit! The library has a ton of resources and I always check there first for audiobooks I want to listen to or books I want to read. Libby is my friend and I have multiple library branches hooked up to my account for maximum borrowing.

I thought it’d be fun to post monthly updates about my library stats, on top of keeping up with my official challenge page.

Mid Year Celebration Tag

I saw this tag floating around the internet and I finally got around to making a post about it. I mainly read the same two genres so choosing the books was a little more difficult than I thought it would be.

Have you read any of these? Lets chat!

The post Mid Year Celebration Book Tag appeared first on Bookishly Jessie.

Library Love Audiobook Challenge 2026

From June 1 to July 31, I needed to listen to at least three audiobooks from my library. EASY PEASY!!!! I am a listening BEAST in the summertime!

Here are the audiobooks I listened to for this challenge:

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #52

My NJ in-laws (I have two sets) were gracious enough to offer up their house to host our son’s college graduation party, which happened yesterday. My sister and her family came up from NC so they could attend the party… and have a week of “Jersey Summer” as she likes to call it (since we grew up here and her children didn’t she likes to come in the summertime and take them to the beach and boardwalk… summery things they don’t have down south lol).

The week was spent getting everything ready for the party and having house guests staying with us.

I can’t believe that July is practically over…. which means that summer is kinda almost over. Not cool!

I am reading a NetGalley ARC titled Do You See What I See?: A Novella. This was a Christmas in July plan but didn’t get a chance to get to it until now. Should be finished with it in the next day or two.

I chose Silent Victim back in 2018 as a First Reads choice, but never got around to reading it after all these years. I am doing really good with clearing out my e-reader (the COYER challenge) so I randomly decided to read this one. This one should be finished come Monday.

I am reading You Killed Me First, a paperback I was gifted.

This is an older show, and I am sure I’ve seen some of it before… but it popped up on my TikTok page last week and I decided to watch. I am halfway done with season 2.

I got sucked back in to Dreamlight Valley and I played for a few days this week. I have a ton of quests I have to complete, and a bunch of realms to open up. Cozy game my butt cheeks, haha!

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #51

Review: Three Reasons For Revenge by Dervla McTiernan

Review: Two Kinds of Stranger (Eddie Flynn #9) by Steve Cavanagh

Review: Druid Vices and a Vodka by Annette Marie

Library Love Audiobook Challenge 2026
Library Stats and Savings For July 2026
Monthly Wrap Up: July 2026

Review: Druid Vices and a Vodka by Annette Marie

Title: Druid Vices and a Vodka
Author: Annette Marie
Format: audiobook
Length: 9 hours 15 minutes
Narrator: Cris Dukehart
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: March 17, 2020

Druid Vices and a Vodka was another fun, entertaining installment in the The Guild Codex: Spellbound series. The investigation pulled me in right away, blending supernatural intrigue with plenty of humor, danger, and unexpected twists. The mystery unfolded at a steady pace, with enough surprises to keep me guessing without ever feeling overcomplicated.

What I continue to love most about this series is the cast of characters. Every one of them feels fully developed, and I really enjoyed seeing how each character’s arc continued to evolve. Whether they were facing personal challenges, strengthening long-standing friendships, or discovering new sides of themselves, their growth felt genuine and rewarding. The relationships between the characters remain one of the biggest strengths of the series, adding heart to the fast-paced magical mystery.

The world-building continues to expand naturally, introducing new magical elements while keeping the familiar charm that makes this series so enjoyable. The mix of witty dialogue, paranormal action, and emotional moments creates a story that’s just as much about the characters as it is about solving the case.

While this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, it was still a very satisfying read with a strong conclusion. If you’ve been following these characters from the beginning, this installment delivers another engaging mystery, plenty of laughs, and meaningful character development. I’m already looking forward to seeing where their journeys take them next.

Review: Two Kinds of Stranger (Eddie Flynn #9) by Steve Cavanagh

Title: Two Kinds of Strangers
Author: Steve Cavanaugh
Format: eBook
Length: 400 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Publication Date: March 24, 2026

Steve Cavanagh has done it again!! Two Kinds of Stranger grabbed my attention from the very first chapter and never let me go. The story is packed with tension, twists you don’t see coming, and the kind of suspense that keeps you saying, “Just one more chapter” long into the night.

I loved how every character seemed to be hiding something, making it impossible to know who could be trusted. The pacing was relentless, with shocking reveals that continually changed my assumptions. Cavanagh’s ability to build suspense while delivering believable, complex characters is what sets his thrillers apart.

This was a fast-paced, addictive read that kept me guessing until the very end. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers with clever plotting, unforgettable characters, and jaw-dropping twists, this book is an absolute must-read!

Thank you to Edelweiss for my e-copy of this book. I listened to this one thanks to my library.

Review: Three Reasons For Revenge by Dervla McTiernan

Title: Three Reasons For Revenge
Author: Dervla McTiernan
Format: audiobook
Length: 10 hours 28 minutes
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: July 21, 2026

Dervla McTiernan has delivered a brilliantly layered thriller with Three Reasons for Revenge. What begins with Alexis Turner reporting an assault to Detective Sergeant Judith Lee quickly spirals into a much larger mystery, when Alexis vanishes and three seemingly unrelated people receive mysterious packages designed to destroy their lives. I loved how every new revelation only raised more questions, and the connections between the characters unfolded so naturally that I was constantly rethinking my theories.

I also appreciated how each of the package recipients had their own compelling storyline, making it impossible to know who could be trusted or what role they ultimately played in the larger puzzle.

This is a smart, fast-paced thriller that rewards readers who love piecing together complex mysteries alongside memorable, well-developed characters. I plan to read more books by this author!

Thank you to William Morrow’s Scene Of The Crime Program, which sent me a complimentary audiobook.

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #51

“Canadian wildfire smoke” covered New Jersey in the middle of the week and I refused to be outside breathing in all that crap. So we stayed inside and did a whole bunch of nothing. Then we had two nasty rain storms with up to 80 mile an hour winds one of the days, so we were practically inside all week. BUMMER!!!!!!

I am reading an older Amazon First Reads choice that I never got around to reading called White Out. I am using it as for two HRCYED 3.0 prompts as well. This one should be done by the middle of the week!

I have the ARC of Dear Debbie, but had also thrown myself on the waitlist with Libby for the audiobook. The hold came in so I borrowed it. I am enjoying it more than I thought I would (since I am on the fence with McFadden books), and am about 40% of the way through.

I am not too far in to The Pallbearers Club, a book I borrowed from a friend. It’s a different style of writing and not my usual genre, so I am taking my time with it to really give it a chance.

I can’t stand Argentina so I am rooting for Spain. My son’s girlfriend is also half Spanish so he is supporting her team too, lol!

This is an older show, and I am sure I’ve seen some of it before… but it popped up on my TikTok page last week and I decided to watch. I am almost halfway done with season 2.

Since we were in the house all week, I got sucked back in to Dreamlight Valley. It’s a cozy game that you can pick up pretty much whenever, so I was just messing around on it for almost three days straight!

My Library Card Anniversary Day

WWW Wednesday – July 15, 2026

Review: Three Reasons For Revenge by Dervla McTiernan
WWW Wednesday
Review: Two Kinds of Stranger (Eddie Flynn #9) by Steve Cavanagh
Review: Druid Vices and a Vodka by Annette Marie
Sunday Salon #52

WWW Wednesday – July 15, 2026

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

I am trying to read books I already have, and White Out is a First Reads backlogged eBook (I chose it in 2020). This book will be used for two HRCYED 3.0 prompts as well!

Yesterday I started listening to Druid Vices and A Vodka, the next book in the group read-along I am participating in. I am enjoying this series and I know I will end up liking this one.

I switched up the physical book I was reading and started a book I borrowed from a friend titled The Pallbearers Club. I wanted to switch up genres to maybe help me get out of the slump…

Since I last posted all of the books pictured above have been finished and rated &/or reviewed on Storygraph.

Two NetGalley eBooks are next on my list. I am trying to keep up my NetGalley ratio and cleaning out my eReader!

Don’t forget to link up with Taking On A World Of Words to share your WWW!

My Library Card Anniversary Day

It has been THIRTEEN years since I walked into my local library and signed up for a library card. In those thirteen years I have borrowed physical books (of course), play away devices, audiobook CDs, video games, movie DVDs, TV show DVDs, used their computers to print out things, and went to my first library sale last spring. I also use the mess out of Libby and Hoopla for audiobooks and eBooks.

I can enjoy my favorite hobby on a budget because of my local library! I am forever grateful and will be continuing to visit my library as often as possible, as well as use Libby and Hoopla. Please support your library in your area!

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #50

Nothing too exciting happened in my neck of the woods. My son’s girlfriend came to visit for most of the week. The weather was mostly yuck out- warm, muggy, and rainy. I did not get a whole lot of reading in either – it’s sort of a slump and life things going on.

This photo was from their graduation day in May.

I am trying to figure out other types of posts I can share on my blog. Lately I feel like I keep sharing the same stuff (WWW Wednesdays, Salon Sundays, Monthly Wrap Up, Library Savings, Books Acquired, and obviously reviews) and it just feels stale to me. If you’d like to share any ideas I am all ears.

I am reading an older Amazon First Reads choice that I never got around to reading called White Out. I am using it as for two HRCYED 3.0 prompts as well.

I am listening to an ALC of Three Reasons For Revenge. It takes place in Australia and the author lives there, so one for The Laws of Five challenge.

I am about to start The Pallbearers Club, a book I borrowed from a friend.

I’ve watched almost every single match of the World Cup this year. What am I going to do once the tournament is over? Probably get back in to reading, lol!!!

This is an older show, and I am sure I’ve seen some of it before… but it popped up on my TikTok page last week and I decided to watch from season 1.

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #49

Review: The Safe Room: A Short Story by Lisa Unger

2026 Audiobook Challenge Mid Year Check In

WWW Wednesday – July 8, 2026

2026 Mid Year Challenge Check-In

Review: Slaying Monsters For The Feeble by Annette Marie

My Library Card Anniversary Day
WWW Wednesday
Sunday Salon #51

Review: Slaying Monsters For The Feeble by Annette Marie

Title: Slaying Monsters For The Feeble
Author: Annette Marie
Format: audiobook
Length: 8 hours 27 minutes
Narrator: Cris Dukehart
Rating: 3 stars
Publication Date: February 4, 2019

I powered myself through this one, relying on my love of the narrator, Cris Dukehart, to get me through it. The main character Robin straight up annoys me at every turn, and especially when she treated Zylas crappy for no reason. This one also lost me once the vampires showed up in the story. The story fits in to the read along just fine, this one was just not my cup of tea.

2026 Mid Year Challenge Check-In

Every year I say I will be participating in less challenges, and then it doesn’t happen. This year I have been sticking to the ones I really enjoy doing so it’s defintely a smaller list.

I constantly listen to audiobooks so I will definitely hit 30+ this year.

I always read backlisted books since I can’t keep up with my TBR haha!

COYER is going really well this year as well. I’ve been focusing on actually reading books I have on my Kindle and it’s working out.

Library Love is my favorite challenge and I always crush my goals!

I have been also trying to get through my NetGalley backlog (using audiobooks from the library, or actually reading the eARCs on my Kindle) and it’s going good.

Back in the day I would get emails about books that were free and I filled up my Kindle with them. Then I realistically could not read them all! I cleared some out and kept the ones I really thought I would like. Thrifty Thursday hasn’t been a focus, but I’ve read a couple this year and that’s progress to me.

I am doing pretty well on all my challenges. HRCYED 2.0 ends in a few days, and I have pretty much gave up on it to get prepared for HRCYED 3.0, lol! And for reading the books I wanted to read and then see if they fit into HRCYED prompts the challenge went way better than I was anticipating.

I also just joined the Law of Fives challenge and just backfilled my reading in from this year. I need to plan out a little bit of my books out to get more of this challenge done.

HOW ARE YOU DOING ON YOUR CHALLENGES SO FAR THIS YEAR?

WWW Wednesday – July 8, 2026

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

I am dealing with a reading slump at the moment, so these are the books I am trying to get into so the slump goes away…

Christmas in July, a thriller and a novella… Do You See What I See? by Peter Swanson is something I am gonna try to read later today. I requested this NetGalley ARC and was approved a few hours later.

I am listening to a NetGalley ARC that publishes later this month titled Three Reasons For Revenge by Dervla McTiernan, a new to me author. This one has an interesting premise, I just haven’t had a lot of time to listen to an audiobook in the last few days.

I wanted to read an older James Patterson book, so I chose one off my shelf… Sail. Summertime vibe and all that. But I’m not sure if it’s for me right now. I’m gonna give it two more days and if it’s not hitting I am just gonna DNF it and move on.

Since I last posted all of the books pictured above have been finished and rated &/or reviewed on Storygraph.

One read-along audiobook and two NetGalley eBooks that are publishing in August are next on my list. I am trying to keep up my NetGalley ratio!

Don’t forget to link up with Taking On A World Of Words to share your WWW!

2026 Audiobook Challenge Mid Year Check In

Halfway through the year and I have listened to 29 audiobooks!

23 audiobooks were from my library
6 were through NetGalley

For the challenge, I chose “Listen to 20-30 audiobooks this year (Binge Listener)” and I will complete that goal within the week. Woohoo!

Thanks to Kim, as always, for hosting this fun challenge!

Review: The Safe Room: A Short Story by Lisa Unger

Title: The Safe Room: A Short Story
Author: Lisa Unger
Format: eBook
Length: 63 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: July 1, 2026

Private investigator Rae Donovan’s relationship with her father is distant to the point of estrangement. But when she learns he’s dying in hospice, she drops everything to be at his side. By the time she arrives, he’s already too far gone to speak, and a doctor says his death is consistent with poisoning.

As she scours his isolated Adirondack home for clues, she discovers a hidden room filled with surveillance equipment, weapons, and a safe full of cash—maybe her father wasn’t the unassuming retiree she’d imagined. Rae must decide whether knowing the full truth about her family is worth the danger of tracking it down.

Lisa Unger knows how to pull you into a story, and The Safe House was no exception. From the very beginning, I was hooked by the mystery of who killed Rae’s father, and wanted to know how everything was connected. I wish this story could of been a little bit longer so the ending could of been more flushed out, but overall I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys quick paced thrillers.

I chose this book as a First Reads choice in June 2026.

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #49

Since I am off of work all summer, I get housework done in the morning and then have the rest of the day to do whatever I please. In the afternoon I would eat lunch, then sit in the backyard and read &/or watch World Cup games.

It’s been straight up BRUTAL outside for most of the week- this nasty heatwave is something else! Lots of staying cool indoors with the AC blasting!!

I switched it up and am reading a historical fantasy called Queen of Shadow. I am not that far into it at this point, but thought I needed a break from all the thrillers… and this ARC publishes in August so why not get a jump on it, lol. P.C. Cast is also a new to me author and I am really attracted to this cover art.

I just started listening to Three Reasons For Revenge by Dervla McTiernan. New to me author and I am excited to get into this one.

I am reading a physical book on my shelf called Sail by James Patterson. It’s an older title that I maaaayyyyyy of read before, but it’s been so long that it feels like it’s new to me. I also prefer James Patterson’s older books over his new ones lately so why not read it, lol.

I’ve watched almost every single match of the World Cup this year. Germany lost in penalty kicks, and it was such an atrocious loss. And I was rooting for Cape Verde to win, but that also didn’t happen. Lots of PKs to determine who moves on to the next round, which just feels… eh, to me.

Library Stats and Savings For May and June 2026

Books Acquired In June 2026

June Is Audiobook Month 2026

Monthly Wrap Up: June 2026

Review: The Delivery: A Novella by Gregg Hurwitz

Holiday: Fourth of July 2025

Review: The Safe Room: A Short Story by Lisa Unger
2026 Mid Year Challenge Check-In
WWW Wednesday – July 8, 2026
Review: Slaying Monsters For The Feeble by Annette Marie
2026 Audiobook Challenge Mid Year Check In
My Library Card Anniversary Day
Sunday Salon #50