What's On My Nightstand (October 2026)

Life likes to throw curve balls. This time two years ago we were still crawling out from underneath the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Last year we were about four months out from my mom passing away and we were still going through all the "firsts," trying to figure out a new normal. This year hasn't been any less wild. 

For starters, our five kids (three at home, two adults) keep us on our toes. We graduated another kid in May, sent four children overseas for the summer, moved a daughter to college in another state in August, and are currently trying to figure out how much to help (or not) while the firstborn is figuring out how to handle some really big adult decisions. 

Since that was apparently not enough to keep us busy, we decided this fall that it was a good time to pursue a job opportunity that would have required us to move out of state (that door closed for the moment), while my siblings and I navigate what it looks like to care for our father, who is also trying to come to grips with new seasons of aging and widowerhood. 

Not enough? The Hubs and I have bills to pay and work to do, we continue to be involved in various roles at our church, make sure all the boxes are ticked for our third child to graduate this spring and fly off to college (like how we pay for that), while still homeschooling our two youngest who are both in 9th grade. 

Need more? I get to do all of this while I deal with the ever-changing symptoms of perimenopause, hopefully with grace and joy (though I know that is not always the case!). There are times when I want to throw up my hands and say, "Who has time for reading??" 

Which is why, towards the beginning of last month, I picked four books off of one of my TBR shelves, took a photo, and shared it on Instagram. I had to give myself a goal to work towards.

Photo by C.G.Koens - onethousandpens.blogspot.com

So the real question is: How did I do? Well, you can see for yourself below...

1. Wrack and Rune (Peter Shandy #3) by Charlotte MacLeod - ⭐⭐⭐ Obviously, this one wasn't even on the list, but it was on my Kindle list and felt like a nice, mindless read. Sometimes you need those too. There were twists and turns and lots of characters in this book. There were times when this got a bit confusing with who was doing what and which story line we were following, but all in all, it was a cozy little mystery, albeit with a couple of murders along the way, but also with a large dose of Swedish charm and the marriage of two 100+ year olds. Not sure I'd recommend the series to buy, but if you tried it from a library or Kindle Unlimited, you might find it enjoyable. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. Autumn Chills by Agatha Christie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five stars for the gorgeous cover and end papers, four stars for the short story collections found within. You can never go wrong with Christie. A brilliant writer who knew how to create interesting characters and who understood human nature. There were several of the stories I had read before, but a few with which I was unfamiliar (particularly the Tommy and Tuppence story - though is anyone watching that BBC show?). The cover is absolutely stunning, but when I went to put this on my shelf with my other three seasonal collections I almost died! No idea why, they're all UK editions, but this book is about an inch SHORTER than the other three!! If you're a book lover, you'll know why this is absolutely unacceptable! It doesn't change my enjoyment of the book, but the way the four look on my shelf is going to drive my OCD side nuts. {Amazon Associates Link} 
3. The Secret of Red Skull by Ben Stahl - ⭐⭐ First of all, a confession: I'm cheating on this, because I technically finished this book on November 1st, but since I read most of it in October, I'm counting it! You might remember that two years ago I read Stahl's first book, Blackbeard's Ghost, because I grew up watching the 1968 Disney movie that was VERY LOOSELY based on the original story. Although that was a bit of a disappointment, I decided to give the sequel a try. In trying to explain the premise to my husband, I said it was like mixing The Hardy Boys with Blackbeard's Ghost/pirates, and a dash of the 1960s/1970s James Bond villains. The result? A truly weird mix, and one that I wouldn't recommend. The plot went multiple directions, the characters a mixed up mess, and the ending rushed. If you know the Disney movie, stick with that version and avoid both books. {Amazon Associates Link - for the film!}

That leaves me with The Maid and the newest In the Time of Five Pumpkins for November, but I'm okay with that. Two out of four, plus an ebook, isn't bad, all things considered. And with the days growing shorter and the nights longer, we're heading into the perfect season for cozy reading...assuming that life slows down long enough for a few minutes of reading each day. Only time will tell. 

What was on YOUR nightstand in October?

What's On My Nightstand (September 2026)

When I was a girl, September meant cooler days and nights, pulling my cold-weather clothes out of storage in the basement, and snuggling under blankets as the days slowly grew shorter. But now, as a middle-aged, perimenopausal woman, it's all about cranking down the A/C and trying to survive some of the hottest days of the summer. And I am not impressed. Which is why when, on the eve of a forecasted triple-digit day, the motor on our A/C unit died, the household gave a collective groan. Ma Ingalls might have survived summer in a covered wagon while wearing an insane number of clothing layers, but I prefer my creature comforts and not sweating to death while trying to sleep. Hot flashes are bad enough with air conditioning, let alone without it. 

In the end, the A/C was repaired, the days chilled out a bit, and I still managed to enjoy a few Pumpkin Spiced Lattes (hot) while waiting for true autumn to arrive and grace us with its presence. 

Photo by C.G. Koens onethousandpens.blogspot.com

In the meantime, I've been attempting to work through some more of my TBR stacks (both paper and ebook), and take advantage of the last couple of months of my Audible trial (one book each month for four months - conclusion: I'm still not a fan of audiobooks). I fell far short of my goal for the month (as you can see below) due to some life circumstances and the inability to focus, so I settled on a couple of very light weight books to fill the gap, neither of which I'm writing home about, but it's still better than nothing (a motto that I'm fast embracing in life).

1. Charming Artemis by Sarah M. Eden - ⭐⭐⭐ I started this series back in the spring (while looking for books for my youngest teen daughter to read - she's totally into romance at the moment, but it's hard to find stuff that's appropriate!), but I got fed up after four books of basically the same thing (longing looks, annoyance with the one person you know they're going to end up with, awkward conversations where you just want to grab them and yell, "SPIT IT OUT!!", etc.). I took a break for the summer, but after showing Seeking Persephone to three of my teens after the three-episode movie came out on Amazon, I decided to finish the book series. In short, it was a nice ending, a lighthearted little book, easy to read, enjoyable. Nothing deep, nothing noteworthy (though it is very clean), but good for when you just need a little pick-me-up story. And I have no qualms letting my younger teen daughter read it. One word of warning (if it bothers you)...I did discover that the author is LDS, though there is absolutely no religion in these stories (or the movie). {Amazon Associates Link}
2. Always Be My Pumpkin by Linda McEvoy - ⭐ Yes, you see that correctly. Just one star. The "heat" index on this was a bit high for me. I got this for free through the Kindle First Reads program, and the write up made it sound a little more tame than the reality. If sex in books doesn't bother you, then this won't be an issue for you. However...I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this if you are looking for a cozy romance (along the lines of the Lancaster family series). While those are romantic without the sex, this book offers more than a little in the closed-door bedroom department. I ended up skimming one whole section due to the more graphic details offered. Sex aside, the writing was just okay, the character development was thin, and the premise of a cozy fall festival and pumpkin spice Irish town fell short of my expectations. Turns out, I'm more of a "Miss-Read-Village-Fete" kind of fall reader. So the one-star rating is as much for me (it not being my preferred genre) as it is for the book. I'd also like to add that I've read clean books that frustrated me just as much with their characters' inability to communicate and propensity to jump to conclusions. (NOTE: It's one of the reasons I really enjoy Emma M. Lion, because of the caliber of the writing.)

That's it. Just two books. I have an audiobook, two ebooks, and a paper book all in process, but I cannot seem to focus long enough to get more than a page or two, or occasionally a chapter, read at a time. But we press on! Today's a new month. Happy October!

What's On My Nightstand (August 2026)

Around the middle of July, I had a moment where I realized that if I didn't start doing something different, nothing was going to change. I know, I know...DUH! But this time it wasn't even about losing weight or gaining muscle, it was about the fact that I had become so sedentary, I was huffing and puffing to go up and down the stairs in our house, and I could barely keep up with my family as they trekked across various Walt Disney World theme parks earlier in the summer. This, I decided, was unacceptable and something needed to change. And that something...was me. 

I saw a post on IG around the same time that said: 

• The heart attack at 50 began at 20.
• The Alzheimer's at 70 started at 40.
• The loss of independence at 80 began at 30.
• The aging you want tomorrow begins with the choices you make today.

And it really struck me. I'll be 45 this year. Halfway to 90. From here on out, I start rounding up...meaning I'm closer to 50 than I am to 40. The Hubs is already in his 50s. We have two adult kids, four teenagers, and when the next World Cup rolls around (assuming the whole world isn't boycotting it), we will be about a month shy of having five adult kids out in the world. Empty-nesting is on the horizon and I'd hate to get there and be too winded to do anything with it. 

And so I started walking. Again. Daily. Usually just laps around our driveway. I listened to audiobooks. I prayed. I enjoyed the blue sky and the rain and did my best to walk early to avoid the heat and humidity. Sometimes it was just a few laps, snatched before the day got hectic, and other times it was several audiobook chapters before I went back inside. While the kids were in Africa this summer, I pulled out the push mower and did my part to keep the lawn trimmed (and, maybe, my waist as well). I stopped saying, "I need to..." and I just started doing. Even on the days when I didn't feel like it. As of hitting "publish" on this post (scheduled to go live at 3 AM), I've successfully walked 46 days out of the last 49 days. Today will be day 47. 

Whether it's incorporating movement into your daily schedule or intentionally connecting with a friend who you've "been meaning to" get together with, it's time to stop making excuses to yourself and figure out what you can actually do to make a change. Take the stairs, park farther away from the store, text the friend, issue the invitation, put the phone down, read the book. If you don't like where you are now, you're the only one who can do anything different. Remember...what you do today will make a difference--for you, for your family, for your friends--tomorrow and next month and 20 years from you. Do something different.

Photo by C.G. Koens, onethousandpens.blogspot.com

August was not a slow month. At the end of the first week, we drove down to Florida and picked up four of our kids who had spent their summers in Madagascar and Malawi, three of whom returned to us with flu-like symptoms lasting several days and generously shared with their father. When the car pulled back into our driveway the countdown began as we had a brief window for them to see friends and family, share about their summer adventures, recover from jet lag and illness, and then pack up again for a four-hour drive north, launching daughter #2 off on her college journey. Five days later, we began our sixth official year of homeschooling the three who were left (one senior, two freshman!), chauffeuring to new jobs, building driving hours (and saving accounts) to get another licensed driver, all while working to pay the bills, going to doctor's appointments with my aging father, and opening our home for fellowship and ministry to those who are weary and in need of encouragement. God sustains. 

Reading? Oh, yeah, I did a little of that, too. 

1. The Case of the Reincarnated Client by Tarquin Hall - ⭐⭐⭐ This was not the first book I've read in this series, but it has been a number of years since I read the last one, and I remember not being favorably impressed with it. But, as I said, since it had been a number of years, when I saw this on Kindle for cheap this month, I decided to give it another try. And it was...confusing. There were a number of characters and plot lines going on, and it was a little challenging to keep them all straight (who was whose daughter and wife, who was involved in which part of which stories from the past, etc.). Although I recall enjoying the very first book in the series (The Case of the Missing Servant) and gave it four stars on Goodreads, and while I do enjoy the cultural aspect of the series being set in India, I'm not sure it's still my style. However, it's enjoyable to read a cozy mystery that's not set in a British village, and Vish Puri's Mummy-ji is an unexpectedly fun sidekick. If you decide to give this series a try, I would start with book 1, skip book 4 (The Case of the Love Commandos), and consider book #5...if you find it for cheap on Kindle (as I did). {Amazon Associates - Book #1, Book #5 - Currently $0.99 on Kindle)
2. My Beloved by Jan Karon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Okay, this is honestly a hard review for me. First of all, you have to understand that I absolutely love the Mitford series. It's one of the few series that I have re-read multiple times, and will go back to time and time again when life is heavy. A trip to Mitford, a stop at the Happy Endings bookstore or groceries from the Local, a visit out to Meadowgate Farm or a conversation with Uncle Billy...it's like stepping back into a simpler time and I am here for it. All of it. And I love this surprise bonus book in the Father Tim series, and I love that it centers around Christmas (a common theme in this series). I assumed we'd never get another book from Karon, and if you read her note in the end, we almost didn't. All that being said...this is a very different, more choppy, style that one is used to from her earlier books. It's not my favorite, and that makes me a little sad, but it also made me remember my mom, in the best way (she loved reading Mitford with me), and I think she would have had lots to say about the style of this one, but we still would have enjoyed reading it together and comparing notes. So...as a good friend wrote in her review of this on Goodreads...die-hard Mitford fans should definitely read this, but if you've never read Mitford...start at Book #1. {Amazon Associates - Book #1, Book #15}

And that's it. That's all I marked off my TBR list in August. But I'm still ahead of schedule, and I upped the number of books I set as my goal to read for the year, so I'm still counting it as a win. I've got a number of books in progress at the moment, and loads of books on my physical and electronic shelves, so I'm not lacking for content. I'm also attempting to finish The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett on my free trial of Audible. I'm on Chapter 11, and I cannot say I'm a fan so far. Everyone I've seen who has read it says to push through and it gets better, but it's a bit of a slog at the moment. Stay tuned...

What was on YOUR nightstand this month?

What book did you enjoy and what book are you pushing through?

What's On My Nightstand (July Edition)

My Instagram algorithm has been picking up on a few things about me over the last month. 

1. I have been sucked into the World Cup (specifically Scotland, Cape Verde, and Norway). 
2. I'm solidly in perimenopause and content about symptoms makes me stop scrolling.
3. Fall is coming and I'm here for all of it.
4. Despite my doomscrolling tendencies, I feel a pull toward slower traditional life.

The last one is the one I want to focus on at the moment. It's the idea that turning pages of a paper book and forcing my brain to focus on something for longer than 5-20 seconds is a good thing. The idea that doing something with my hands (this month it has been baking pies) is better than scrolling through pictures of other people doing things. Remembering that taking the time to travel and see things in person, stopping to read the content at places like Kennedy Space Center, and making an effort to (re)connect with people that we normally keep up with through texting or social media is superior to "liking" someone's post or hurrying through an experience to get the picture-perfect shot. 

I've been thinking a lot about the fact that if I live to be 84, like my mother did, I'm over halfway there. I've been considering what I've done with the first 44 years of my life, and what I might want to do with the final 40...assuming I get that many. I'm asking myself what have I wasted time on (Instagram), and what do I want to spend time on (investing in people). My mom had 84 years on this earth, which sounds like a lot when you're young, and feels like not enough when the timeline is starting to slide down instead of up. 

This month I went to the funeral of the parent of a childhood friend, someone who drove me around in their family station wagon, took me camping, and welcomed me into their home. Strangely, I was somehow more prepared for my own parent to die than I was to see the parents of my friends start to go. Maybe because I've been actively watching my parents age, whereas, in my mind, my friends' parents are all perpetually younger because I haven't seen them since they were...my age.  

I'm in the sandwich season - still raising teenagers and while simultaneously caring for aging parents and in-laws. Receiving graduation announcements and wedding invitations for the children of my friends... while also responding to funeral notices. And in the meantime, trying to figure out who I am now, and actively preparing for whatever God calls me to in the future. I don't know what's next, but I think it's safe to say it's not passively scrolling on Instagram. 

Photos by C.G. Koens, onethousandpens.blogspot.com

In the meantime...I read. Although I was sucked into the World Cup, some of the games were...less intense. That's a nice way to say "slow," right? So when some of the games were 0-0 for a solid 45 minutes to an hour, I brought a book (and booklight) and relied on the Hubs to shout when something actually got interesting. Here's what got checked off the list in July, and yes, you might notice it's a lot of cozy mysteries, but that's what the brain said it wanted, so that's what it was fed. 

1. The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith -⭐⭐⭐⭐ It took 25 books, but Mma Makutsi finally came through on her own this time, with a little help from her talkative fancy shoes and a willingness to admit her tendency to assume the worst of a certain person who barely made the 50% cut at the Botswana Secretarial College. As someone who has read this series almost from the original release, it was fun to see her character develop beyond flying off the handle. I was glad that McCall Smith allowed Grace to show some growing maturity and self-awareness, and also to see Mma Ramotswe as a secondary character who was able to display a softer, gentle presence in the lives of two men who have been worn down and discouraged. All in all, another lovely addition to a beloved series. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 7 (Audiobook) by Beth Brower - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yes, I read this in April. And no, I don't normally include books that are a re-read (especially when I just read them the same year!), but I got a free trial of Amazon Music for four months, and it included four audiobooks (something I don't normally do - my mind drifts and I don't focus on the book, so I'm not an audiobook fan). Since I knew I loved the Emma series, I decided to listen to Vol. 7 again, and the narrator did a great job with voices and the like. I still prefer reading Emma M. Lion to listening to it, but if you are a fan of listening, then by all means, give this one a shot! I enjoyed it just as much the second time through. {Amazon Associates Link}
3. Rest You Merry (A Peter Shandy Mystery) by Charlotte MacLeod - ⭐⭐⭐ I'd probably give this three-and-a-half stars if I could. It's not quite to the four-star level, but it was highly enjoyable and surprising. I got it for free as part of the Amazon Prime First Reads program for the month of June (it was the bonus book for the month, which they do at times) and enjoyed it more than I was expecting. Peter Shandy is a likable enough character, a slightly reclusive New England professor, who gains a sidekick along the way in Helen Marsh (who conveniently becomes Helen Marsh Shandy by book #2). The Christmas holidays are upon them, but the holiday cheer doesn't stop murder from happening. Nothing gruesome, enjoyable characters, decent plot, fun setting (college town/campus), I'd read another one. {Amazon Associates Link}
4. Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie -   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five stars for the book cover binding and the end papers (daisies) on this special hardcover edition, and for being a fantastic, eye-catching addition to my bookshelf. Four-and-a-half stars for the stories within, nothing new, of course, just a collection of some of Christie's classics. Some more or less favorite, but still a great selection from the master storyteller. A wonderful summer read, and also not to be confused with Midsomer Murders (the delightful BBC mystery show). {Amazon Associates Link}
5. The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The newest addition to "The Marlow Murder Club" series ties up a lot of loose ends. Although there were a number of plotlines happening in this book, threading themselves throughout, some with origins that started in Book #1 (like Judith's mysterious past), but, as always, Thorogood does a great job of linking them together in ways that make you say, "Ah, how did I not see that?" For example, I didn't see the killer coming at all, so that was a bit of a twist. I did feel that Judith's primary/secondary (it was hard to tell which was more important at times) plot was a bit of a stretch (i.e., the photograph and old paper, the ties to her former in-laws, etc.), but not enough to make me not enjoy the book. I don't know if the author will write another book in this series (and this one does wrap everything up nicely), but I'm here for it if he continues. {Amazon Associates Link}
6. Theo of Golden (Audiobook) by Allen Levi - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I'm honestly still processing this one. I had several friends recommend it, and I'm not usually one to jump on the bandwagon of books that everyone says "you must read," especially when it is found on celebrity book lists. But, much like I did with the Emma M. Lion series, I was willing to give it a shot when enough people I actually knew started raving about it. And I'm glad I did. The author has created a unique and beautiful story, weaving together the lives of characters from wide and varied backgrounds, incorporating Christian ideas and beliefs (primarily through the main character, Theo), but not in a threatening or overpowering way. Levi doesn't shy away from using profanity or incorporating the harsh realities life in the stories of his characters, but he does allow many of them to be impacted by the life of one man, who knows how to see people and loves them well. The ending was...totally unexpected. I mean, it's an old man, so I was prepared for his...exit, shall we say, but the events surrounding that (both right before, during, and after) were a gut punch. You have been warned. It is...a delightful book, one that I would recommend (the audiobook was actually fantastic - love the narrator!), but also, as I started out by saying, there's a lot to process. I almost feel bereft coming to the end of it. So there's that. {Amazon Associates Link}

And there we have it. Another month down, six more books checked off the list. I've actually increased my reading goal for the year (on Goodreads) because I didn't hit the normal slump this summer that I've encountered in the past (I'm not homeschooling year-round, for one thing, and I'm not processing the recent death of a parent for another). I've also recognized that I have an obscene amount of books in my personal library that I have not yet read for myself, so it's time to get serious and start working through those stacks and shelves, bins and baskets. 

What about you? 

How's your reading motivation been this summer? 

What was your favorite read in July? 

What's On My Nightstand (June 2026)

The Hubs and I spent almost the entire month of June in Florida, visiting family, seeing friends, dropping kids off for summer trips, even taking a couple of days to do Disney. Thanks to a family friend and an affordable house, we found ourselves based out of Orlando for most of the time, with a few day trips to both coasts. Since it's been almost a decade since it was just the two of us, we looked forward to some downtime sans kids. I optimistically packed a whole bag of books, thinking of all the time I would spend lounging around, reading through the stack that I brought. 

The reality was quite different. 

During the one week of actual vacation we allowed ourselves (the rest of the time I was working - the perks of a remote contracting job), I couldn't focus on any of the books (a mixture of being mentally fatigued and physically tired), and so I allowed myself to veg out screens. We watched old TV shows, we watched the YouTube live streams from the nightly rallies where our kids were, we watched the World Cup, we rented movies from Amazon, I turned off my phone timers for Facebook and Instagram and scrolled and scrolled and scrolled. Very few physical or digital pages were turned. And here's what I realized after a week of this...

I felt icky. 

My brain was more tired than when we started. My mind was more fractured. Rather than being rested and refreshed, I found myself craving normalcy and routine. It's like when you binge-eat junk food and your body begins to crave real food (fruits, veggies, grains, meat, etc.), that's the way my brain and body were crying out for real purpose and real substance. Binge-watching television shows I grew up on (Columbo; Murder, She Wrote; Home Improvement; Walker, Texas Ranger) ended up being less exciting than I remembered them being as a kid. In fact, I kept being struck by how "soap opera-esque" they actually were. I remember loving these shows once upon a time...but what I realized this week is that I've changed. 

I found myself desiring a reset. 

With one week remaining in Florida, I got back to work. While we still spent time in the evenings watching a movie or a World Cup match, during the days I focused more on my online work (proofreading and editing). I set up the timers on my phone again to fight the urge to doomscroll. I listened to music and took the paper books I brought out of the bag and had them easily at hand for moments when I felt like turning a page rather than changing a channel. 

Figuring out that who you once were and how you once used your time is no longer who you are or how you want to use the time that you have...now that's magical. 

Photo by C.G. Koens, onethousandpens.blogspot.com

So what did I end up reading in June? The answer is not as much as I would have liked, but I took advantage of a four months free trial for Amazon Music Unlimited, which included four free audiobooks as well. I have never been a fan of audiobooks, but free is free, and as I've been in the mood to re-read Emma M. Lions (yes, already!) and I'd heard good things about the narration of the EML audiobooks, I decided to give Vol. 7 an Audible try. I'm not counting it as another read for the year, but unofficially, it's another book. In addition to that, here are the other two that I ended up finishing during the last week of the month. 

1. An Assassination on the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey - ⭐⭐⭐ I've read most of the books in this series and while I cannot say the outcome was a total surprise, I will say that I liked Lady Hardcastle and Flo getting the jump on those who assumed they would be easy to fob off because they were female. There was a delightful chemistry between the characters, as always, and it's always enjoyable when Lady Hardcastle's brother shows up. The sibling interaction never fails to be a fun addition to the stories. If you're looking for a light summer read about two British ladies (well, technically one British lady and her Welsh maid) saving the world from war (at least for another few months) and throwing the world of men into a tizzy by breaking out of their box, I recommend you give this series a try. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. Sinister Spring by Agatha Christie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This collection of short stories gets at least 4 stars, simply because it's Agatha Christie, and she's a standard 4-star storyteller. These are all selected stories from other books or short-story collections, so don't expect anything new, but still enjoyable. However, much like the Midwinter Murder collection, I would give this particular version five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ solely based on the the binding and interior paper...visually, it's a beautiful book and a gorgeous addition to any bookshelf. I'm stoked to add this to my bookshelf and am looking forward to giving Midsummer Mysteries a go in July. {Amazon Associates Link}

Farewell June, Hello July! 

Happy Reading, everyone!

What's On My Nightstand (May 2026)

This month has been a bit of a slump in the reading department (though I'm still ahead of schedule, thanks to last month) as we prepare to graduate a child and send four kids off to the ends of the earth for the summer. I also blame Emma M. Lion. If you know, you know. Once you get started on that series, there is no casual reading, it's like a mad rush to the end, and there's no stopping it. In fact, I'm seriously considering re-reading them, that's how much I enjoyed them. If you haven't joined the Emma fan club, I must either ask you what you're waiting for, or I must warn you...I've seen rumors that there are a total of 25 books planned. We are on book #8 and it's been almost 2 years since that was released. Book #9 is scheduled to be released this year. So if you hate waiting...maybe it's best if you leave Emma to those of us for whom it is too late. We're already sucked in and invested in either Team Pierce, Team Hawkes, or Team Islington. Save yourself. 

Photo by Benjamin Cheng on Unsplash

In the meantime, after the letdown of finding, devouring, and finishing what has been written so far of Emma and The Alchemy's exploits, here's what I've managed to finish this month. I warn you, it is sad, indeed, in comparison. I remember now why I have a love/hate relationship with discovering a new book series that sucks me in so quickly...the book hangover is real. 

1. The Saint Mary's Cipher by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - ⭐⭐⭐ My complaint with many of the books in the "Homefront Sleuths" series is that the authors get in a phrase or word rut and then kill it with overuse. Two books ago, more women had "hair severely pulled back" than you could shake a stick at! For this book, their word of choice was "prickled." Things "prickled" at the back of throats, skin and senses "prickled," and so on. To the point that I started laughing when I got to another use of the word. People...get yourselves a good copy editor!! Apart from that, the story wasn't bad. Sending Evie and Nigel to France was a twist, though that felt like a side story that wasn't, perhaps, quite needed or finalized. The woman they rescued, in the end, had very little to do with the story. And some of the assumptions made by Harry and Co. were a little obviously obtuse. It's not a bad little series, but it is losing its attraction a bit with each book, sadly. The first couple of books held so much promise. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey - ⭐⭐⭐ I've read this series for a while now, and I honestly don't mind them as fun little mysteries, but I'd have to say that this was one of my least favorite so far. I suppose it's to be expected...I mean, how many murders can you explain away in such a small village (a fact that the author even included in the plot)? The exotic animals were a twist, though the villains were not much of a surprise (saw one of them coming a mile away). It would have been nice for it all to wrap up with knowing what happened to the animals, or perhaps with Daisy keeping the "giant rat" as a bar pet...but such is life. The writing is still good, the plot was just a little thin this time. But, it was included on Kindle Unlimited, so I won't complain too loudly. {Amazon Associates Link}

And that's it. Just the two completed last month. I have two more in process, but neither of them made the cut for May, sadly. However, I'm still ahead of schedule, and with plans to be away from home at times this summer, I'm hoping that I'll not get into the summer reading slump that I experienced last year. Only time will tell. But I've also reached the point that as long as I'm reading something every day, I'm satisfied. How about you? What's your book 📚 status for May?

What's on My Nightstand (April 2026)

At this point last year, my mom had finally been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer (of uncertain origin) and we were scrambling to figure out how long she had left (as it turns out, she had about six weeks) and how to make the most of our time together. From last Easter celebrations to early Mother's Day memories before the cancer really took her down, one year ago I was in no brain space to read. I would sit in waiting rooms, holding a book or staring at the Kindle on my phone, but my brain couldn't process words on a page. I would read and re-read the same page, only to close the cover or exit the app and just stare into space. 

Fast-forward twelve months and I've managed to knock out over 60% of my reading goal for the entire year in the first four months. What a difference a year makes. While my dad continues to age and we discuss what (if anything) we need to do to help him more during this season, it's not taking the mental toll that watching my mom waste away from cancer did. And for that, I am grateful. Reading continues to be my happy place, my way to step back from the stresses of aging parents, almost-adult teens, college paperwork, and so much more. I am grateful for the opportunity sneak moments throughout the day to read a few pages or move forward a couple of percentage points in an ebook before the world, once again, reclaims my attention. Here's to reading more.

I continued utilizing my three-month Kindle Unlimited trial ($0.99) and reading all the ebooks (which, honestly, are not my favorite form of literature, I honestly do prefer a paper book, but needs must!). This included finishing the entire Emma M. Lion journal series (at least, up to the most recent book), and now I would love to get my hands on the paperback versions of those for my physical shelves. So good! 

Books #1-7 of the month...don't ask, just read them. It's like a mix of Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, and the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society all rolled into one delightful story, written in journal entries from the point of view of one Emma M. Lion, so far covering the years of 1883 and 1884. It struck a chord with me as it reminded me, in many ways, of my own unique friend group in my teen years (younger me...plus a handful of older college guys, all of them, but one, dear as brothers, and one who became much more). May there be more to come, because these were so incredibly easy to read...it took me less than a week to start and finish seven books, and I laughed out loud, repeatedly. {Amazon Associates Link}

1. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 2 by Beth Brower - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love. Read in a day. Highly recommend.
2. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 3 by Beth Brower - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love more. Also read in a day. Actually, stunned by how much I'm enjoying this series. 
3. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 4 by Beth Brower - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved even more. Hard to believe they just keep getting better.
4. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 5 by Beth Brower - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sad to think I'm already half-way through the series. This is a must read. 
5. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 6 by Beth Brower - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loving the growth in the various relationships and looking forward to seeing where this is going.
6. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 7 by Beth Brower - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yes, but how can there only be one more book! This is killing me. Also...read it in a day.
7. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 8 by Beth Brower - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Not sure how I'm going to wait for book #9 to come out, and no idea where the author is going with this. The real question at this point (especially if you've read them): are you Team Pierce, Team Duke, or Team Hawkes? I started out favoring one, but I think I've slowly changed as the series has continued. I'll let you guess which one I'm favoring now... 
8. At Home by Bill Bryson - ⭐⭐⭐ Having read several of Bryson's other books and thoroughly enjoying them, this one was...confusing. Perhaps it was because I was expecting something entirely different based on the title of the book and the premise. When I saw that it went through the history of each room, I had a different idea in mind than where we ended up. There were times when we would get to the end of a room and the story we ended on was so far out of the context of the room that I closed the book, unsure of how we got there. I might have enjoyed it more if the title was, "Random Oddities and Other Strange Tales from History." The book gets three stars because it felt disjointed to me. If I took my preconceived ideas out of it and just rated the writing, I'd probably give it four stars. {Amazon Associates Link}
9. The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I am not, in general, a fan of "fan fiction," but this was well done. Poor Mary, so overlooked and sad in Austen's original work (Pride and Prejudice), really blossoms in this story. To observe her begin to learn things about herself, to make mistakes and recover, rings true to life. This was one of my favorite passages, because it resonated with how I have often felt about myself in life: “But good things don’t need to be showy or gaudy, you know. Sometimes the very best stuff can seem quite plain, until one examines it closely. It is only then that one sees its true quality.” As a bonus, this book is currently available through Kindle Unlimited (if you have a subscription). I'm making the most of my $0.99 three-month trial! Side Note: If the BBC version (coming to BritBox on May 6!) maintains even half of the book, I think it will be a delightful addition to the Austen film genre. {Amazon Associates Link}

If I'm being technical, I finished the last 13% of the final book on the morning of May 1st, but since the majority of it was read in April, I'm still counting it for the month. That puts me up to 28 books total for the year and 15 books ahead of schedule, which is good, since summer usually tend to be my slower time for reading (for various reasons). This month has been primarily full of thoroughly enjoyable reads, nothing too deep, however, but it kept the pace going and sometimes that's all I'm looking for. 

There are seasons of reading, and when life events keep the brain constantly in "on" mode and the calendar so full, reading doesn't need to be another task to wade through. So if you're afraid of looking silly by the things you read but you still want to read, cut yourself some slack and read what keeps you interested. There will be a season for the deeper stuff, too. 

What was on your nightstand (or Kindle) in April?

And if you've read Emma M. Lions...which team are you on??