I had to dig deep to find some of these, as I’ve switched accounts a couple of times over the years (and that’s long story). I tried my best to be accurate though.
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 parents are up visiting for a long weekend. They arrived on Thursday and will be leaving on Tuesday. It’s been a revolving door around here as my sister and her family just left from visiting us. I can’t wait for it to be F-Troop back to normal around here.
Have I taken any photos since my parents arrived? Of course not! I’m so bad at that. I like to just live in the moment and enjoy life!
I am reading a book I received for free titled The Rich’s Guy Wife. I needed a book with blood on the cover for HRCYED 3.0 and this is the first one I found on my TBR list.
I am listening to The Shadow of What Was Lost. I started reading it at the beginning of the year, and about a little more than a quarter of the way through I was getting confused on some plot stuff. Then the book was due back to the library and I returned it unfinished. The Audiobook became available on Libby and I borrowed it.
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 reading Old Ham, an ARC I received. It’s a novella so I’m hoping to have it finished by the weekend.
I started to read The Shadow of What Was Lost at the beginning of the year, but returned the book back to the library when it was due and soft DNFed it. The audiobook was available on Libby so I borrowed it. I could use a switch up of genres right now.
Speaking of switching it up, I randomly chose The Evening and The Morning off the shelf at my library. I may soft DNF this one also because getting in the middle of two chunky series isn’t my thing.
My parents are visiting for a long weekend so I doubt much reading will get done while they are here anyway.
Since I last posted all of the books pictured above have been finished, and rated &/or reviewed on Storygraph.
I started In His and just put it down without going back to it (with no real reason why I abruptly stopped reading). Gonna give it another go. And He Had It Coming is an ARC I have is next on my list to read.
Title: One Of The Family Author: Mark Edwards Format: eBook Length: 336 pages Publication Date: August 4, 2026
Patrick couldn’t believe his luck when Holly fell for him. She’s wickedly funny, beautiful, and with an intimidatingly successful father, Charles.
So when she invites him to Charles’ mansion for a New Year’s break in Scotland, all he’s hoping is that they’ll accept him as one of the family.
But everything feels a little off. Whispers in hallways. Rumours of a body that got found nearby the previous year. And something very strange about Charles’ new girlfriend.
Every family has secrets, and Patrick tells himself all he needs to do is survive the next few days.
But then the first body is found, and Patrick realises that all he needs to do is survive the next few days…
Thank you to NetGalley for approving my request for this ARC.
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.
We also went to my NJ in laws house yesterday. My father in law has a boat as he lives on a lagoon, and he took us out on two boat rides out in the bay. It was Rollo’s first boat ride and he LOVED it!
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
“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!
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
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!
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.
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’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.
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.
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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
