WWW Wednesday – June 25, 2025

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?


My summer reading was ON FIRE at the beginning of the month, and pretty much TANKED for the rest of June!

The last eBook I read was When We Were Friends by Jane Green. I am trying to get through some of my First Reads backlog. You can check out my Storygraph review here. At the writing up of this post, I started reading Stranded by Sarah Goodwin, a book I borrowed from my library on Libby. It was recommended to me by a friend and it’s holding my interest right from the get-go. I plan to read Sun Burned by Katherine Wood next. The bright summer cover screams July to me lol. And I am also trying to get my NetGalley ratio up higher. (I am so close to 80% woohoo!)

The last audiobook I listened to was Angels & Demons, but I ended up DNFing it. I wanted to reread the series in anticipation of the newest book in the series coming out in the fall, but with the crazyness of life in June I just put the book aside and moved on. Now at the writing up of this post I got about thirty minutes in to Don’t Believe It by Charlie Donlea. This one was also recommended to me by a friend, and since Donlea books always hit I borrowed it from my library! The next audiobook I plan to listen to is King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby- I was sent an audiobook widget from Macmillan. I keep hearing amazing things about this book on TikTok and I wanna listen to what all the hype is about!

I am trying to read more physical books, and this summer I want to get quite a few in. The last physical book I read was back in March lol (The House Hunt by C.M. Ewan)! I started Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson and made good progress into the story the other day. It should be finished by the end of the month. I plan to reread Sail by James Patterson next. It’s been YEARS since I read it (and don’t remember the plot one bit) but this book has been calling me to reread it so I am gonna this summer.

Q: How is your summer reading going so far?

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

The Sunday Salon #4

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. 

Wednesday was Graduation Day!

Thursday was my last day of work till September!

Friday was all about getting the house and yard ready for the graduation party!

Saturday was the graduation party!

Sunday was my day to recooperate from all the excitement of the week!

Currently:

I started Kill Your Darlings last week, then with everything going on it just sat on my nightstand collecting dust lol. It’s definitely being a priority this week!

I borrowed an ecopy of Lifeguard by James Patterson & Andrew Gross from the library. I am also not that far into it. This is a reread from when it came out years ago.

I am listening to Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, and also annotating a traveling hardcover book copy at the same time. This is a reread from when it came out years ago (and in anticipation for the newest book in the series coming out in September).

Just Finished:

This story has definite And Then There Were None vibes (and even a very small Clue (the movie) reference early on), so while it absolutely started off slow… it got more interesting once the characters were being killed off. I guessed the murderer incorrectly, and did not see any of the twist coming. I like how each character had a different personality and it felt like a real writing retreat (minus the murders lol).

I enjoyed each narrator and am glad they gave each characters chapter their own narrator. It helped keep the story flowing.

Note: I gave this one 3.5 on Storygraph, but marked it as 4 stars on NetGalley because they do not use half stars. 

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads this year (and didn’t really keep up with it last year) because I want to support a black woman business owner over a white male billionaire.

Review: You Are Fatally Invited

Title: You Are Fatally Invited
Author: Ande Pliego
Narrator:  Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Alejandro Ruiz , Victoria Villarreal, Feodor Chin , William Damron, John Lee , Dawn Harvey , Jeremy Carlisle Parker 
Format: eBook / Audiobook
Length: 363 pages / 11 hours 02 minutes
Rating: 3.5 stars
Publication Date: February 11, 2025

Challenges: Audiobook, COYER, Library Love, NetGalley

Review: This story has definite And Then There Were None vibes (and even a very small Clue (the movie) reference early on), so while it absolutely started off slow… it got more interesting once the characters were being killed off. I guessed the murderer incorrectly, and did not see any of the twist coming. I like how each character had a different personality and it felt like a real writing retreat (minus the murders lol).

I enjoyed each narrator and am glad they gave each characters chapter their own narrator. It helped keep the story flowing.

Note: I gave this one 3.5 on Storygraph, but will mark it as 4 stars on NetGalley because they do not use half stars. 

I received a complimentary e-copy. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I borrowed the audiobook through my local library to immerse myself into the story.

Review: When We Were Friends by Jane Green

Title: When We Were Friends
Author: Jane Green
Format: eBook
Length: 44 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Publication Date: October 1, 2024

Challenges: Amazon First Reads Backlist, Beat The Backlist, COYER, Mount TBR

Review: Not bad writing, just not really a book for me. I could see this one being made into a made for TV movie on Lifetime lol. 

I received this book for free as part of Amazon First Reads program.

Review: Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand

Title: Natural Selection
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Format: eBook
Length: 54 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Publication Date: September 1, 2024

Challenges: Amazon First Reads Backlist, Beat The Backlist, COYER, Mount TBR

Review: This book was a good read, except for the ending (which was literally two sentences long). Felt it needed just a few more pages to give the story better closure. My first Elin Hilderbrand book and I can see why people enjoy her work.

I received this book for free as part of Amazon First Reads program.

The Sunday Salon #3

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. 

This past week was soooooooo busy! It was my second to last week of work, so lots of getting the kitchen put away and cleaned up before the end of the school years. I am also getting my house and yard all set up and ready for my daughter’s graduation party. My family is coming up to New Jersey to visit as well.

Had to take the dog to the vet yesterday. He wasn’t putting pressure on one of his back legs and we were concerned. Turns out, joker stubbed one of his toes and it was swollen, causing him pain. He was Rx pain meds and he’s on the mend!

Today is my daughter’s 18th birthday! We are gonna go out to dinner tonight to celebrate. Restaurant of her choice of course.

Currently:

I just started Kill Your Darlings on Friday. I am not far in but I am already intrugued!

I am almost done listening to the audiobook of my NetGalley ARC You Are Fatally Invited. Definite And Then There Were None vibes (and even a very small Clue (the movie) reference early on) but I want to know how it all ends up for these characters. Should be done in a little bit.

Lie In The Tide is starting off slow, and I think I am not really feeling it is because there are a lot of characters and You Are Fatally Invited has a lot of characters too so my brain is overloading lol. You readers all know what I mean! I think I am going to give it one more day and if it’s not drawing me in I’m gonna put it aside and find something else to read.

Just Finished:


Gemma James finally published the latest book in the Zodiac Queen series, Capricorn, and since I am absolutely invested in this crazy story I needed to read it. Best one in the series so far, but check those trigger warnings on this series before getting into it.

I needed a cover with a bathing suit on it, and this Elin Hilderbrand short story was an Amazon First Reads bonus pick sometime last year. I gave it three stars- story was pretty good but the ending reallllllllllllly tanked my rating.

Read another short story from Amazon First Reads titled When We Were Friends. This one was pretty decent for a short read. I could see this one being made into a made for TV movie on Lifetime lol.

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads this year (and didn’t really keep up with it last year) because I want to support a black woman business owner over a white male billionaire.

Books Acquired In May 2025
Library Stats and Savings For May 2025
Monthly Wrap Up: May 2025
Review: So Happy Together by Olivia Worley
WWW Wednesday – June 4, 2025
June Is National Great Outdoors Month
Review: Safari by Jaclyn Goldis

Publication Day: Jill Is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda

Title: Jill Is Not Happy
Author: Kaira Rouda
Format: eBook / audiobook
Length: 256 pages / 7 hours 11 minutes
Rating: 3 stars

Some secrets keep a couple together.

If you ask Jill Tingley, she’ll tell you she and her husband Jack are college sweethearts living the dream in Southern California. Wealthy, popular and genetically blessed, theirs is an enviable life, though they’ve grown distant in recent years. Newly empty nesting with their daughter Maggie away at college, Jill suggests a road trip to reconnect.

Jack would rather do anything else than drive to Utah with his wife. He’s only stayed in this marriage because of a shared secret, a tragedy in the past he wanted to keep buried. And for his daughter’s sake. But Jack is finished with the charade of his marriage. He’s filing for divorce as soon as they return, no matter what.

But he doesn’t realize what else Jill is hiding.

So begins a cat-and-mouse road trip as a cunning wife–think Ripley in yoga pants–and a reluctant husband match wits and drive each other to the edge. But everything will be fine. Jill still loves Jack and believes he’s the only one for her. She’ll do anything to keep him. Anything. She always has.

Challenges: Audiobook, COYER, NetGalley

Review: This was a wild ride! Jill is delusional in her relationship with Jack. Jack wants out of this marriage and keeps getting trapped into staying by Jill’s words and actions. The more the story goes on the more unhinged Jill becomes. A really good thriller I would recommend to people who read the genre.

I would like to note that I feel this book could of used another narrator, a man, for Jack’s chapters, instead of Marnye Young reading both Jack and Jill’s chapters.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse for allowing me to read and listen to this book. I received a complimentary eBook and audiobook.

The Sunday Salon #2

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. 

This past week was the busiest it’s been in forever! My daughter’s Senior Prom was on Friday and a few of her friends were coming over beforehand to hang out and take photos. So we had to get the yard and house party ready, on top of work/school and extra curricular activities.

Currently:

I am in the middle of two ARCs (one audio and one eBook). I should be done with Jill Is Not Happy by the middle of the week, and hoping to be done with Lie In The Tide by the weekend. My NetGalley ratio is currently at 76%.

Just Finished:


You can check out my review of The Safari on the blog, or on Storygraph.

The Perfect Sister is a NetGalley backlog that I didn’t get around to reading last year. This one was a three star review for me. That review is also on Storygraph.

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads this year (and didn’t really keep up with it last year) because I want to support a black woman business owner over a white male billionaire.

Books Acquired In May 2025
Library Stats and Savings For May 2025
Monthly Wrap Up: May 2025
Review: So Happy Together by Olivia Worley
WWW Wednesday – June 4, 2025
June Is National Great Outdoors Month
Review: Safari by Jaclyn Goldis

Review: Safari by Jaclyn Goldis

Title: The Safari
Author: Jaclyn Goldis
Format: eBook
Length: 320 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Publication Date: May 20,2025

Challenges: COYER, Netgalley/Edelweiss

Review: SOME SPOILERS WILL BE IN THIS REVIEW- Honestly, I probably should of DNFed this one. The beginning of the book had different POV chapters so you get to know the characters. I didn’t really feel the suspense of a typical thriller book. Most of the characters annoyed me, so I wasn’t invested into their backstory or what was going on with them. Odelia is murdered and a family member is missing. When that family member is finally located, the explanation as to what happened is so preposterous I literally paused and scratched my head. It was badly explained away with ‘I left my cell phone behind so I couldn’t call for help’. I could not take the rest of the book seriously after that.

This is my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

This book is about a Jewish family, and a lot of Orthodox Jewish rituals and customs are mentioned throughout the book. I thought it was important to mention this fact to my blog readers.

I received a complimentary e-copy. Thank you to Aleaha Reneé from Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this ARC through Edelweiss.

June Is National Great Outdoors Month

June is National Great Outdoors Month. In 2019, the U.S. Senate officially designated June as Great Outdoors Month. The month aims to raise awareness of the importance of outdoor recreation for physical and mental health, as well as to promote responsible outdoor behavior and conservation efforts.

This month I plan to spend as much time outside as I can, as my body needs sunshine and vitamin D. The weather here in New Jersey has been overcast and rainy waaaaayyyyyyy more than normal this entire year and it’s really making my body depressed.

I want to read outside as much as possible also!

WWW Wednesday – June 4, 2025

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?


If you cannot tell, I have LOTS of summer reading plans!

The last eBook I read was The Devil’s Kiss by Gemma James. I will not be continuing the series, and you can check out my Storygraph review as to why that is so. At the writing up of this post, I am halfway through The Safari by Jacyln Goldis. I plan to read Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers on my Kindle Paperwhite next. I am trying to keep up with my ARCs and NetGalley’s.

The last audiobook I listened to was The Perfect Sister, a NetGalley backlogged book that I ended up borrowing the audiobook through the library. Now at the writing up of this post I am listening to The Vacation by John Marrs. I may DNF it since I am confused as to what is going on and the story is not keeping me engaged at all. We will see how I feel in another hour of listening. The next audiobook I plan to listen to is The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten, a Macmillan Audio Influencer ARC.

I am trying to read more physical books, and this summer I want to get quite a few in. The last physical book I read was back in March lol (The House Hunt by C.M. Ewan)! I am going to start Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson today when I get home from work. Then I plan to reread Swimsuit by James Patterson. It’s been YEARS since I read it (and don’t remember the plot one bit) and since I need a book with a swimsuit on the cover for a challenge I am doing, bingo, haha!

Q: Do you have any summer reading plans or goals?

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

Review: So Happy Together by Olivia Worley

Title: So Happy Together
Author: Olivia Worley
Narrator: Michelle H. Lee
Format: eBook / Audiobook
Length: 304 pages / 8 hours 47 minutes
Rating: 3 stars
Publication Date: June 3, 2025

Challenges: Audiobook, Backlog Board of Books, COYER, NetGalley, Read For The Stars

Review: This book kept my interest, as Jane is pretty much a stalker girl obsessed with her ex boyfriend Colin. You could see exactly where the plot is heading for most of the book, so it was sort of annoying. The characters are in the mid 20s but I feel like they act immature at times. I did not mind the narrator, Michelle H. Lee. This is the first time I am hearing her voice, and it fits the story perfect. This is a good thriller book and most readers will probably enjoy it. I gave it an average three stars because it just felt average to me.

I received two complimentary copies. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press Early Readers for allowing me to read this ARC and Macmillan Audio Influencer Program for sending me an ALC, which I used Netgalley to listen to.

Monthly Wrap Up: May 2025

Good morning, readers! My reading is going to be all over the place until the summer. Spring time with a Senior in high school is absolutely crazyness! I finished nine books, mostly audiobooks this month, but I am happy with getting a good amount of listening done.

My first five star read of the year happened this month. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides was awesome and completely had a hold of me! I did not see the ending coming, which is a huge plus for me.

If you’re not following me on Storygraph, you should! This is my page. I stopped using Goodreads last year and I do not miss it one bit. I actually forgot it exists, haha!

Library Stats and Savings For May 2025

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 am also doing two library challenges for this year, so I thought it’d be fun to post monthly updates about my library stats.

I borrowed The Well of Ascension, but did not finish it before it needed to be returned to the library. I will reborrow it as many times as needed to finish the book. I am currently 8th in line to borrow it again.

The Weekend Away was an impulse borrow because I needed a cover with sunglasses on it.

I own The Store in hardcover, but decided to borrow the audiobook because I do want to get through my backlist of books I have on my shelf.

Tiktok convinced me to read The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. It was available right away on audiobook so I borrowed it through Libby.

Books Acquired In May 2025

Good morning readers! These are all of the books that I acquired/received/borrowed onto my shelves, virtual and/or physical, for the entire month of May:

I was sent a complimentary paperback (with sprayed edges!) of The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley thanks to Sam Larrabee, Assistant Manager, Marketing & Publicity from Avon Books/Harper Voyager.

I was sent a complimentary hardcover copy of Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson. The return label said HarperCollins. Pretty sure I was supposed to receive a different book from their Tastemakers Influencer program, if this was from that. Oops, because I honestly don’t remember signing up with them. I need a better way to keep track of books I request lol.

Acquired: 12

Total spent this month: $0.00

Total spent this year: $0.00

Can’t Wait Wednesday – May 28, 2025

Can’t-Wait Wednesday  is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

I received this hardcover copy in the mail and I cannot wait to read it! It’s going to be the first book I pick up in June, that’s for sure!

“From the New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing and Eight Perfect Murders comes an inventive, utterly propulsive murder-mystery in reverse, tracing a marriage back in time to uncover the dark secret at its heart.”

This premise is giving me Memento vibes (who remembers that movie from 2000? I loved it!). This is why I am so pumped about this book!

Kill Your Darlings publishes on June 10, 2025.

Mailbox Monday

Last week I got home from work to find a package on my porch. I opened it, not expecting any book mail… and I was so surprised to find Peter Swanson’s next book Kill Your Darlings in my hands. I immediately posted to Instagram on Thursday, but thought I would post about the book on the blog today.

Going through my emails, I found that I had signed up to be a HarperCollins Tastemaker a little while back, and apparently was approved (so cool!). So thank you to them for sending me the book!

Planning Out My TBR For June, July and August 2025

Good morning fellow readers! I am a mood reader, but since I am doing a summer reading challenge I wanted to plan out all the books I want to get to in June, July and August.

I have a good amount of ARCs publishing in the summer months, so I am prioritizing getting through them before publication day! Gonna try my best. Trying to get that Netgalley ratio up!

I also want to read these beachy summery cover books by the author who got me back into reading as an adult, James Patterson. His books are short chapters and quick plots and I devour them!

This list is by no means permanent. If any Libby holds come in I will more than likely accept them, and they are not on the graphic above.

Q: How many books do you plan to read in the summer?

The Sunday Salon #1

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. 

While I loved the freedom of not having social media for almost a month, I felt out of the loop with certain things (like my husband would say “did you see [this] on Facebook?”, and I would reply with “I can’t, remember?”) so I finally just made a new Facebook page. Now I am back in with my bookish groups and it feels great!

For those who don’t know, I am a lunch lady, and work is always chaos approaching the end of the school year. The kids are antsy for June to get here which makes them more rowdy than normal. Us lunch ladies can’t wait for the school year to end either, haha!

Friday was our first Gotcha Day! Last year, we welcomed Rollo home for the first time. Initially named Molasses, he eventually became Rollo; inspired by the character from Dragon Quest Builders; the candy reflecting his dark exterior and eventually turning to a light caramel color, as well as King Rollo, the Viking raider who became Normandy’s first ruler. Having overcome initial fears of minor noises, he now finds solace in outdoor activities like lying in the grass or occupying the entire bed. His affectionate nature seeks constant attention, disregarding personal space, as he continually seeks comfort from your family. His enthusiastic greeting, dubbed the “Wheaten Greetin,” is always a guaranteed whenever we return home, with energetic jumping, tail wagging, and affectionate kisses. We are grateful to celebrate the joy he brings to our lives!!!

Currently:

The life of a mood reader. For a challenge I am doing I needed a cover with a couple on it. The Devil’s Kiss by Gemma James has been on my owned but not read shelf for a little bit, so I decided to just dive in and read it. So far, not too much of a fan, but I am not that far in to the story.

So Happy Together is an audiobook I have from Macmillan Audio Influencer Program. It’s keeping my attention so far, and I am only a hour in at the writing up of this post. *I have been doing great with clearing off my ARCs shelf this month so I am trying to keep up the pace lol*

Just Finished:


For that same cover challenge I needed one a book with sunglasses on the cover. The Weekend Away was just a decent listen for me. Average thriller to me. Three stars.

I borrowed The Store from Libby as I own the hardcover but haven’t gotten around to reading it. James Patterson got me back into reading years ago with his fast paced quick chapters style… but this book was NOT IT! I gave it one star on Storygraph.

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads this year (and didn’t really keep up with it last year) because I want to support a black woman business owner over a white male billionaire.

Monthly Wrap Up: April 2025
Publication Day: Skin and Bones by Paul Doiron
WWW Wednesday – May 14, 2025
Stacking The Shelves #3