Category: Books and Shows

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: November 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

I’m a bit late doing so, but today I’m sharing the books I read in November. Yesterday, I was able to find a few minutes to read during my SNOW DAY! Can you believe it?! In all my years teaching, I don’t think I’ve ever had a snow day in December. We only got a couple of inches, and the roads were fine by 9am or so, but I guess it was one of those days where it was snowing at just the right time for them to call off school.

Anyway, November was a decent month of reading for me.

This month, I read two books and listened to two books. Discovering audio books really has upped my reading opportunities lately.

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Starting with the two audio books…

My Life with the Walter Boys:

Summary:

Jackie does not like surprises. Chaos is the enemy! The best way to get her successful, busy parents to notice her is to be perfect. The perfect look, the perfect grades-the perfect daughter. And then…

Surprise #1: Jackie’s family dies in a freak car accident.

Surprise #2: Jackie has to move cross-country to live with the Walters-her new guardians.

Surprise #3: The Walters have twelve sons. (Well, eleven, but Parker acts like a boy anyway)

Now Jackie must trade in her Type A personality and New York City apartment for a Colorado ranch and all the wild Walter boys who come with it. Jackie is surrounded by the enemy-loud, dirty, annoying boys who have no concept of personal space. Okay, several of the oldest guys are flat-out gorgeous. But still annoying. She’s not stuck-up or boring-no matter what they say. But proving it is another matter. How can she fit in and move on when she needs to keep her parents’ memory alive by living up to the promise of perfect?

Quick Thoughts:

I stumbled upon this book while searching the Libby app for books that were currently available and had high ratings. I guess this is book one of two, and it’s a young adult book…and it certainly read that way.

The premise of the book was sad, but it obviously set the foundation for the plot. That being said, I thought it was odd that Jackie would go live out of state with people she didn’t know. Also, she was in boarding school, so I kept wondering why she didn’t just stay in boarding school? Honestly, I didn’t like how the boys treated her when she arrived…honestly, some comments from them were sexual harassment. As Jackie settled in with the family, some of the boys weren’t nice at all. Obviously, there was more to the plot, but I just had a few sticking points while reading.

Rating:

For a YA reader, this would probably be scored higher, but for me, it’s three stars.

Mean Moms:

Summary:

Meet Frost, Morgan, and Nell—a wealthy, gorgeous group of New York City moms, the queen bees of downtown Manhattan. Their children attend Atherton Seminary, the top private school in the city, and their social lives revolve around elaborate themed parties.

On the first day of school, the arrival of a new mom and mysterious beauty from Miami named Sofia shakes up their world. When Sofia quickly integrates herself into their clique, inexplicably bad things start to happen to the women. Frost is the victim of a hit-and-run electric scooter incident. Nell’s dream of launching a fashion line is thwarted when the clothing samples cause people to break out in a rash. Morgan’s new sound bath spa is robbed at gunpoint by a moped-driving thief. Morgan declares it all a “negative event cluster,” but the other women aren’t so sure.

Is someone at school out to get them? Another mom with a vendetta? Let’s not forget to mention the handsome headmaster, Dr. Broker, who every mom has a crush on (and one of them might be sleeping with).

Quick Thoughts:

Mean Moms seems to be a popular book, and I was on the library wait list for a bit before it was my turn to listen to it. Overall, it reminded me a little bit of Real Housewives of New York! The main characters weren’t super likable, and there were quite a few minor characters to keep up with. I liked the drama of it all and there were some suspenseful moments. I enjoyed the last half of the book far more than the first half as there seemed to be more action and a few twists and turns.

Rating:

This is mostly three stars for me, but the last 25% of the book was four stars.

Horse:

Summary:

A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history

Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamour of any racetrack.

New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance.

Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse–one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success.

Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.

Quick Thoughts:

My Gma suggested Horse to me a couple of years ago, and I finally got around to reading it. This book was amazing…and maybe the best book I read all year…for sure in the top five!

You know I love historical fiction, and the connection to the horse industry and Lexington, KY obviously caught my attention. That being said, there was so much more to the plot as three different time periods were woven together. This was beautifully written and very informative. The ending had a twist that I wasn’t expecting, and I really didn’t want the book to end.

The afterword with historical context info was so insightful too. As I read the book, I shared so many excerpts with Trav. Overall, this book is a fave for sure!

Rating:

The Christmas Cookie Wars:

Summary:

Melody Monroe will do anything to help her nine-year-old twin boys muster up the holiday spirit. Especially since they lost their father, the boys have started questioning the point of Christmas at all. 

So, when Melody learns the school’s Yuletide Cookie Club has disbanded due to dissension in the top ranks, she knows she must take over the cookie club herself, even if it means dealing with the infuriating school principal, Jonathan Braxton.

But when a small argument turns into a town-wide bake-off between her and Jonathan, Melody finds that her competitive spirits have turned romantic. Love can’t be in the cards. Her focus is on her boys, and saving Christmas. This year, will Melody be willing to let go of the past and embrace the magic of the holidays for herself?

Quick Thoughts:

I always like to read a holiday book in November to kick off the holiday season, and have one book to share with you going into December.

My TBR Christmas list on Goodreads is full of so many great titles. The Christmas Cookie Wars was available on Kindle, so I snagged it. It was the perfect read to start the holiday season. I loved that Melody’s boys were rambunctious, and of course she’d had heartbreak only to find love in an unexpected place. The cookie war wasn’t without a little drama too.

This was definitely a cute, seasonal read.

Rating:

Did you catch my Friday Favorites post last week? I shared quite a few holiday books that I’ve read through the years.

My Goodreads reading goal was 40 books again this year, and I’m up to 36 read. I don’t know if I can get four books read/listened to this month, but I sure look forward to trying. I have a couple of good holiday options downloaded on my Kindle. I’m not ready for another snow day just yet, but the weather is making it easy for me to want to sit inside and read by the glow of my Christmas tree…I just need my “to do” list to chill a bit!

Happy reading!

Posted in Books and Shows, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites: Holiday Books

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your Thanksgiving? It’s truly my favorite holiday…food, family, football and a break from school.

If they’re hosting, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites...

…to share…some of my favorite holiday books. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I’m ready to read some Christmas/holiday themed books which has been my December tradition the past few years.

Currently I’m reading…

I always try to read one holiday book in November, so I have a new idea to share with you all for December. The Christmas Cookie Wars was the perfect way to kick start my holiday reading. I will share my November books next week.

On my list for December is this book I picked up from Barnes and Noble. Like I shared previously, I learned via Tik Tok (thanks to my sister-in-law) that every two months Barnes and Noble has a book in their cafe that is $5 with a cafe purchase.

Murder at Holly House is the November/December book. I can’t wait to read it.

I’ve shared/read these books in the past…

…and I recommend them all.

Mr. Dickens and his Carol, Christmas in Paris,

and Bright Lights, Big Christmas are all faves…

…and I loved Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter Street series…10/10 recommend!

Besides Christmas Cookie War and Murder at Holly House, I hope to read…

  • Christmas with the Queen and The Merry Matchmaker, both of which I have downloaded on my Kindle.
  • I have a few others on hold at the library. I don’t know that I can actually read them all, but on my list are: A Ferry Merry Christmas, Secret Christmas Library, and Christmas at the Ranch

What holiday books do you recommend?

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Monday memes
Sweet 16

On Sunday, I hope to share my Monthly Moments for November. Have a great weekend!

Posted in Books and Shows, Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives: November 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Well,, we went from fall to winter around here with temps now in the 30’s and a chance of snowflakes. Thankfully, it won’t last long.

It’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting Share Our Lives with some of my favorite bloggers.

This year, we’ve discussed…

  • Saving time on chores in January
  • Tips for falling asleep in February
  • Day in the life, an average day in March
  • Creative outlets/free time in April
  • How do you spend your birthday in May
  • Unique things about where you live in June
  • Best vacation memory in July
  • How do you take a break in August
  • 5 things we do each season in September
  • Go to snacks in October

This month’s topic is…habits to make time for reading.

Well, whether you’ve read my blog once or one hundred times, you probably know that one of my favorite things to do is read a good book…

I grew up with parents who read and trips to the library often, and, to me, reading is such a gift!

Some of my favorite memories as a parent are the times I took my kids to the library for story time and to check out books in the summer, on a Saturday or a snow day from school.

My kids aren’t big readers now, but I hope one day they circle back and find the joy in books again.

Anyway, on to our topic for today…here are a few tips I have for making time for reading.

1. Routine

Making reading a part of your routine. There is hardly a day that goes by that I don’t read for even a few minutes. Most of the time, it’s at bedtime, so I end up drifting off, but just having a book or my Kindle on my bedside table or coffee table makes it easy for me to read for a few minutes.

2. Lists

I love when others share what they’ve been reading, and then I add book titles to my TBR (to be read) list. For years, I had a note on my phone with a running list of what I wanted to read and what I read, but three or four years ago, I started using the Goodreads app to track my lists and my reading. It’s fun to follow friends and see what they’re reading and how they rate books.

I also think it helps to read a variety. For years, I love chick lit, but now my favorite genre is historical fiction. That being said, I still love a good mystery as well as a memoir/bio/autobio. I think reading a mix of genres keeps reading interesting.

3. Reading Goals

I’m a pretty goal oriented person, and I’m somewhat motivated to see how many books I can read in a year. So, I’ve done the Goodreads challenge the past few years. There are a variety of challenges, but I just set a goal for the number of books I hope to read, and track that way. My goal is typically 40 books, and I come close to achieving the goal most years.

4. Maximize time

I used to exclusively read books, but now I’ve owned a Kindle for probably seven years. Now, I mostly read on my Kindle, but I still love to hold a book in my hands. The Kindle is just more convenient for me. I keep it in my purse to read when I’m waiting on my kids to finish a practice, and it’s easier to download a few books before a vacation than to lug books in my carry on.

Also, I’m still somewhat new to audio books, but they are another way that I maximize my time. Now, I can listen to a book when I workout, go for a walk, or while I’m in the car. I’m really starting to like listening to books, but I do find it hard to finish one in the two week library check out window…sometimes I have to listen to them on 1.75x speed! (Of course, some books can be renewed if they aren’t on a wait list, giving me more time)

5. Reduce distractions

It’s easy to get distracted, but when I’m reading, I do put my phone away or turn the television off. It’s just good for me to have a few moments of quiet to read for a bit to unwind. Reading is definitely a stress reliever for me and something I truly enjoy doing.

What good reading habits do you have?

Next month, we’ll have our last topic of 2025…staying connected with kids/spouse/significant other. As always, we hope you’ll join us.

I hope you have a great start to your week.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: October 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

It’s hard to believe that October is almost over…which is probably something I will say for every post this week. October tends to be one of my favorite months, so I’m actually typically sad when it’s over! October started with me reading on the beach and is ending with me cozy and reading at home while it rains outside.

This month I read three books…

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

The Academy:

Summary:

It’s move-in day at Tiffin Academy and amidst the happy chaos of friends reuniting, selfies uploading, and cars unloading, shocking news: America Today just ranked Tiffin the number two boarding school in the country. It’s a seventeen-spot jump – was there a typo? The dorms need to be renovated, their sports teams always come in last place, and let’s just say Tiffin students are known for being more social than academic. On the other hand, the campus is exquisite, class sizes are small, and the dining hall is run by an acclaimed New York chef. And they do have fun—lots of parties and school dances, and a piano man plays in the student lounge every Monday night.

But just as the rarefied air of Tiffin is suffused with self-congratulation, the wheels begin to turn – and then they fall off the bus. One by one, scandalous blind items begin to appear on phones across Tiffin’s campus, thanks to a new app called ZipZap, and nobody is safe. From Davi Banerjee, international influencer and resident queen bee, to Simone Bergeron, the new and surprisingly young history teacher, to Charley Hicks, a transfer student who seems determined not to fit in, to Cordelia Spooner, Admissions Director with a somewhat idiosyncratic methodology – everyone has something to hide.

Quick Thoughts:

This was my fall break book! I rarely purchase books, but I saw it at Target when I was picking up a few things, so I bought it too. I was so excited to read it while soaking in the sunshine.

Quick Thoughts:

This was a highly anticipated book for me, and I love Hilderbrand’s books; this one she co-wrote with her daughter. How fun!

The plot moves through the school year with each chapter a month September to May.

This book was easy to read, and I loved the boarding school drama…although there were definitely some things that surprised me from high school students. Tiffin’s campus is just what I would expect for a boarding school, and I loved that there was a map in the front of the book where all the buildings were located. There’s romance, drama, friendship and more in this book. They leave us hanging because we know there’s a letter to be opened when they graduate, which for some of the students is the next year. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Rating:

4.5 stars

Confessions of a Grammar Queen:

Summary:

There are no female publishing CEOs in 1960’s New York. And that is exactly what savvy, ambitious Bernadette Swift plans to change.

Bernadette Swift, a young copyeditor at Lenox & Park Publishing, is determined to become the first female CEO in the publishing industry. But first she needs to take the next step up that ladder with a promotion that her boorish and sexist boss wants to thwart. Seeking a base of support, Bernadette joins a feminist women’s book club at the New York Public Library, and soon, she’s inspiring her fellow members to challenge the male gatekeepers and decades of ingrained sexism in their workplaces and pursue their personal and professional dreams.

And that is precisely what Bernedette does on a daily keeps her eye on the prize—equality for women in the workplace, and a promotion—while fending off the ire of her boss and the sabotaging efforts of a jealous coworker. With the support of her book club buddies and a certain charismatic editor at Lenox & Park who has completely fallen for her, maybe, just maybe, Bernadette will prove able to claim victory for herself and the young women coming after her.

Quick Thoughts:

I read this book thanks to Sarah’s suggestion, and I couldn’t have loved it more. First of all, who doesn’t love grammar? Just kidding.

Bernadette is such a unique character as she is strong-willed and independent but she’s also vulnerable. I loved the history, the women’s book club, the characters, the love story, the message and more!

Another aspect I enjoyed was that every few chapters were written from the point of view of Bernadette’s dog Frank. So sweet and fun.

I think this book is a contender for the best book I’ve read this year.

You know I love a book if I have a couple of favorite quotes:

  • Though women were outranked on every floor, in every department, they were also the backbone of the workforce, the glue that stuck the pages to the spines. Without them, everything fell apart.
  • Good mentors never tear you down. They hold your hand and tug you through the portal of dreams.

Rating:

Paris is Always a Good Idea:

Summary:

It’s been seven years since Chelsea Martin embarked on her yearlong post-college European adventure. Since then, she’s lost her mother to cancer and watched her sister marry twice, while Chelsea’s thrown herself into work, becoming one of the most talented fundraisers for the American Cancer Coalition, and with the exception of one annoyingly competent coworker, Jason Knightley, her status as most talented fundraiser is unquestioned.

When her introverted mathematician father announces he’s getting remarried, Chelsea is forced to acknowledge that her life stopped after her mother died, and that the last time she can remember being happy, in love, or enjoying her life was on her gap year. Inspired to retrace her steps–to find Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy–Chelsea hopes that one of these three men who stole her heart so many years ago, can help her find it again.

From the start of her journey nothing goes as planned, but as Chelsea reconnects with her old self, she also finds love in the very last place she expected.

Quick Thoughts:

I listened to this book. I enjoyed it, but it felt very long.

The premise of reconnecting with three previous loves set the timeline from the start. I thought that was a fun aspect in that Chelsea traveled to three different countries, and reconnecting with the men each provided a different encounter.

Of course, there’s some twists and turns along the way, along with a couple of R rated scenes. As the story progressed, I knew how it would end, but I was happy with the ending!

Rating:

3. 5 stars

While I’ve been a consistent reader, I’m afraid I’m going to fall short of my 40 book goal this year. I’ve read 31/40…but I feel like I’ve read more this year! Oh well, the goal is just a fun thing to do year to year. I’m doing the best I can, and I still enjoy reading, and listening to a good book!

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: September 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

It’s hard to believe that there are only two days left of September, so I’m sharing the two books I read listened to in September. I guess the busyness of back to school really caught up with me in September, and most of our weekends had a lot going on too. Also, honestly, when I’m tired, I just want to watch mindless TV rather than read, I guess.

I enjoyed both audio books this month, and thank goodness I’ve gotten the hang of listening to books here and there.

This month I read:

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Big Dumb Eyes

Summary:

Nate Bargatze used to be a genius. That is, until the summer after seventh grade when he slipped, fell off a cliff, hit his head on a rock, and “my brain got, like, dented or something.” Before this accident, he dreamed of being “an electric engineer, or a brain doctor, or maybe a math person who does like, math things for a living.” Afterwards, a voice in his head told him, “It’s okay. You’re dumb now. All you got is standup.”* But the “math things’ industry’s loss is our gain because Nate went on to become one of today’s top-grossing comedians who breaks both attendance and streaming records.

In his highly-anticipated first book, Nate talks about life as a non-genius. From stories about his first car (named Old Blue, a clunky Mazda with a tennis ball for a stick shift), life as a Southerner (Northerners constantly ask him things like, do you believe in dinosaurs?), and his first apartment where a rat chewed a hole right through the wall to how his wife keeps him in line and so much more. He also reflects on such topics as Vandy football and the origins of sushi (how can a Philadelphia roll be from old-time Japan?).

Quick Thoughts:

Nate Bargatze is so funny. To me, he’s the male version of Leanne Morgan who I also find hilarious. His stories of growing up in Old Hickory, Tennessee, his love for Vandy, his journey of making his way in comedy from Chicago to New York were also so endearing and funny.

I appreciated listening to this one since he’s the narrator. If you are familiar with him, or even if you aren’t, I think you’d like this one.

Rating:

The Stranger in the Lifeboat

Summary:

Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, ten people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in. “Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says. “I am the Lord,” the man whispers. So begins Mitch Albom’s most beguiling novel yet.

Albom has written of heaven in the celebrated number one bestsellers “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” and “The First Phone Call from Heaven”. Now, for the first time in his fiction, he ponders what we would do if, after crying out for divine help, God actually appeared before us? A fast-paced, compelling novel that makes you ponder your deepest beliefs, “The Stranger in the Lifeboat suggests that answers to our prayers may be found where we least expect them.”

Quick Thoughts:

This book was really interesting. It actually wasn’t on my radar, but I was scrolling available options for audio books on the Libby app and this popped up. I appreciated the back and forth between what was going on with the characters in the lifeboat and the others who found the lifeboat and were investigating the situation. This made the plot move quickly. Mitch Albom was the narrator, and one of the first books I ever read and a young adult was his Tuesdays with Morrie that my dad gave me. The spiritual component of the stranger and how the plot unfolds was interesting as well.

Rating:

I’m hoping to get more reading in this month. I rarely buy books, but I picked up Elin Hilderbrand’s newest book that she wrote with her daughter. I’m liking it so far!

Have a great Monday.

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: August 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Another month of reading is in the books for me. I was afraid with heading back to school that I might not have as much time to read, but I still was able to read my average of three books this month too.

This month, I listened to two books and read one.

Screenshot

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Seven Summers:

Summary:

Six summers to fall in love. One summer to change everything.

Liv and Finn meet six summers ago working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finn’s life is in LA with his band, and Liv’s is in Cornwall with her family—so they make a promise. Finn will return every year, and if they are single they will spend the summer together.

This summer Liv crosses paths with Tom—a mysterious new arrival in her hometown. As the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, they find themselves falling for one another. For the first time Liv can imagine a world where her heart isn’t broken every autumn. Now Liv must make an impossible choice. And when she discovers the shocking reason that Tom has left home, she’ll need to trust her heart even more.

Quick thoughts:

I really loved this book although it’s not a light-hearted read. The chapters alternated in flashback of the seven summers and then present day. Then, it continued with some summers after the initial seven. Liv was a character you cheer for…for her happiness and her heart. I actually didn’t really see the ending coming, and I thought it was perfect.

Rating:

I’d say 4.5 stars

Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones

Summary:

A beautiful celebration of Dolly Parton’s iconic sense of style through entertaining personal stories and 450 full-color photographs, including exclusive images from her private costume archive.

In Behind the My Life in Rhinestones, global superstar Dolly Parton shares, for the first time, the full story behind her lifelong passion for fashion, including how she developed her own, distinctly Dolly style, which has defied convention and endeared her to fans around the world.

Featuring behind-the-scenes stories from Dolly Parton’s life and career, and the largest reveal of her private costume archive, this gorgeously photographed book spotlights her most unforgettable looks from the 1960s to now. The sky-high heels, famous wigs, bold makeup, eye-catching stage clothes—she shares them all. Along the way, Parton discusses memorable outfits from her past, from the clothes her mother would sew out of feed sacks (including her “Coat of Many Colors”) and the bold dresses and hairdos that shook up Nashville, to the bunny suit on the cover of Playboy, evening wear at Studio 54, costumes from her most famous film and TV roles, and the daring styles that continue to entertain and inspire today.

Filled with candor, humor, and lots and lots of rhinestones, Behind the My Life in Rhinestones is a shining tribute to one of the most beloved musicians in history, a treasured keepsake for anyone who loves Dolly Parton, and an indispensable guide to forging your own path to beauty and confidence.

Quick Thoughts:

Sarah recommended this book, and I love a memoir…and I love Dolly!

I think listening to it is the way to go. Hearing Dolly’s voice during the interviews as well as snippets of songs of hers through the years was icing on the cake. By not reading the book, I missed seeing pictures of the dresses, but Dolly is such an amazing story teller. Her upbringing and childhood are so interesting and she has a great sense of humor. There’s no one like Dolly!

Rating:

Dolly is of course…five stars! I do wish the book was longer, so I’d rate this 4.5 stars…but closer to five than four!

Parents Weekend:

Summary:

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up at dinner.

At first, everyone thinks that they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours click by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon, the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths call them—come from five very different families. What led them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril or a threat to the friend group from within?

Quick Thoughts:

You’d think college kids would be the issue, but these parents are a hot mess! There was all kinds of family dysfunction, but that did make the characters interesting. The chapters were really short and the plot was somewhat suspenseful, so this was a quick listen for me. I like the ending in that the readers gets an update on each individual family.

Rating:

Summer Reading Update:

Reading in the summer is one of my favorite things to do, and I love having a list to guide my book choices. .

I didn’t get to read two books…The Summer Book Club and Summer Light on Nantucket, but maybe next summer?! I’d say my favorite book of the summer was All the Summers In Between.

My summer reading list was a good one, but I’m ready to move on to other books I have on my Goodreads list.

I’m ready for cooler temps, my Kindle and a cozy blanket.

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: July 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Where or where did July go? There’s nothing like having a bit of extra time to read in the summer…and in July, I read on vacation, at the pool, on my porch and more. What a luxury to have a little bit of downtime.

Today, I’m sharing the three books I read in July.

This month, I read two books and listened to one book:

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Maine Characters:

Summary:

Every summer, Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster spend a month with their father at his lake house — separately. Raised in New York City, Vivian is an ambitious sommelier with a secret that could derail her future. Lucy grew up in a tiny Maine town, where she now teaches high school English while watching her marriage unravel. They’ve never met. While Lucy envied her half-sister from afar, their father kept Vivian in the dark.

When Vivian arrives at the lake to spread his ashes and sell his cabin, she’s shocked to find Lucy there, awaiting his return. In an ideal world, they’d help each other through their grief. Instead, forced to spend the summer together, they fight through a storm of suspicion and hostility to untangle the messy truth about their parents’ pasts. While Lucy is desperate to hold onto the house, Vivian is scrambling after a betrayal. After thirty years apart, is it too late for them to be a family?

Quick Thoughts:

The Parent Trap is one of my favorite movies (the OG Hayley Mills version….the Lohan version is cute too!), so I liked that element of the plot. Another summer book set at a lake…what’s not to love?! While the plot was somewhat predictable in that the sisters started out at odds with each other, their complicated past as well as the extended family and romance provided a well-rounded plot.

Overall, I thought this was a good read!

Rating:

Beach House Rules:

Summary:

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

Quick Thoughts:

Is it even summer without a Kristy Woodson Harvey book? She’s one of my favorite authors. I thought the concept with the “mommune” was interesting. I will say I felt like the plot jumped from Charlotte and her daughter needing a place to stay to her moving into the beach house with the other ladies seemed to fall into place rather quickly! Also, some of the beach house rules (like no phones) just seemed a bit far fetched to have in place with no one questioning it. The Instagram account was a fun break in between chapters.

Rating:

While this wasn’t my favorite KWH book, I still give it four stars!

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The Comeback Summer:

Summary:

Hannah and Libby need a miracle. The PR agency they inherited from their grandmother is losing clients left and right, and the sisters are devastated at the thought of closing. The situation seems hopeless—until in walks Lou, an eccentric self-help guru who is looking for a new PR agency. Her business could solve all their problems—but there’s a catch. Whoever works with Lou must complete a twelve-week challenge as part of her “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program.

Hannah, whose worst nightmare is making small talk with strangers, is challenged to go on twelve first dates. Libby, who once claimed to have period cramps for four weeks straight to get out of gym class, is challenged to compete in an obstacle course race. The challenges begin with Hannah helping Libby train and Libby managing the dating app on her sister’s behalf. They’re both making good progress—until Hannah’s first love rolls into town, and Libby accidentally falls for a guy she’s supposed to be setting up with her sister.

Things get even more complicated when secrets come to light, making the sisters question the one relationship they’ve always counted each other. With their company’s future on the line, they can’t afford to fail. But in trying to make a comeback to honor their grandmother, are they pushing themselves down the wrong path?

Quick Thoughts:

I enjoyed listening to this book as the plot was easy to follow. I liked the unique aspect of the plot and how the sisters are trying to save their company by completing the program…and of course that’s difficult for each of them to do. There was some R rated content in a few of the scenes! This book fell a little flat for me.

Rating:

Summer Reading Update:

Two months of summer reading and I’ve read six of the nine books on my list:

  • Read: All the Summers in Between, One Golden Summer, Bad Summer People, Maine Characters, Beach House Rules, and The Comeback Summer.
  • On my Kindle ready to read: Seven Summers, The Summer Book Club, and Summer Light on Nantucket

I had hoped to read more than three books this month, but it is what it is I guess. Realistically, with the busyness of back to school in August, I’m guessing I will be lucky to read two books, but we’ll see! The last three books on my list have been downloaded on my Kindle just in time. We’ll see what I can get to this month.

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: June 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Well, I don’t love that June is wrapping up, but I do always love sharing the books I read.

This month, I listened to two books and read one on my Kindle:

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{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

All the Summers in Between:

Summary:

When wealthy, impulsive summer girl Margot meets hardworking and steady local girl Thea in the summer of 1967, the unlikely pair become fast friends, working alongside one another in a record store and spending every spare moment together. But after an unspeakable incident on one devastating August night, they don’t see one another for ten years…until Margot suddenly reappears in Thea’s life, begging for help and harboring more than one dangerous secret. Thea can’t bring herself to refuse her beloved friend—but she also knows she can’t fully trust her either.

Unfulfilled as a housewife, Thea enjoys the dazzling sense of adventure Margot brings to her life, but will the truth of what happened to them that fateful summer ruin everything? Testing the boundaries of how far she’ll go for a friend, Thea is forced to reckon with her uncertain future while trying to decide if some friends are meant to remain in the past.

Quick Thoughts:

This was one of the two books that I listened to, and I loved this one. The two main characters, Thea and Margot, are very different which I think hooked me from the beginning. I also like when books bounce back and forth between time periods. The time span was only ten years in between 1967 and 1977, and that actually took me a second to pick up on since I was listening to it. Lots of life happened in those ten years, but I’m used to reading books that bounce between bigger periods of time.

This book was filled with friendship, summer, and mystery. The Hamptons setting was also a bonus point for me.

Rating:

One Golden Summer:

Summary:

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.

Quick Thoughts:

This is the fourth Carley Fortune book that I’ve read. I looked back and I’ve read each of her books every summer since 2022.

One thing I liked about this book is that there were minimal characters to keep up with. The lake setting, like all her books, is perfect for summer. Charlie and Alice both seem similar, but they have their differences too…those tend to develop as the plot goes on. I thought it was sweet that Alice headed to the lake with her grandma and that she was a minor, but sweet character. There’s lots of romance with some R rated parts, but this was a great summer read.

Rating:

Bad Summer People:

Summary:

None of them would claim to be a particularly good person. But who among them is actually capable of murder?


Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker rule the town of Salcombe, Fire Island every summer. They hold sway on the beach and the tennis court, and are adept at manipulating people to get what they want. Their husbands, Sam and Jason, have summered together on the island since childhood, despite lifelong grudges and numerous secrets. Their one single friend, Rachel Woolf, is looking to meet her match, whether he’s the tennis pro-or someone else’s husband. But even with plenty to gossip about, this season starts out as quietly as any other.
Until a body is discovered, face down off the side of the boardwalk.

Quick Thoughts:

This was the other book that I listened to. My first thoughts were: these people are bad…privileged and bad. haha

There were quite a few characters to keep up with, but since I was listening to it, I think that’s why it was a bit of a pet peeve. The plot had a little bit of mystery and quite a few tennis references.

Rating:

I give it 4 stars for a summer book, but I’d probably rate it lower for just average reading.

Summer Reading Update:

Well, I’ve read one third of the books on my list! That’s pretty good…

  • Read: All the Summers in Between, One Golden Summer, Bad Summer People
  • Just started: Maine Characters and The Summer Book Club are on my Kindle, and I have The Comeback Summer downloaded to listen to on Libby.
  • Library wait-list: Summer Light on Nantucket, Seven Summers and Beach House Rules* (*I love KWH books, so I might buy this one is July)

This time last year, I’d read way more in June…but we’d also gone on our vacation to the PNW. Maybe July will be a bigger reading month for me.

Happy reading,

Posted in Books and Shows

Summer Reading 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday! Mondays just hit different in the summer!

How was your weekend? Ours was great…Friday night, we celebrated my niece’s birthday; Saturday was mostly spent at the state track meet, and yesterday, I was a lazy bum until the afternoon! Then, we attended a grad party and went to my brother’s house for dinner. It was a really great weekend, but I truly feel like I’m hanging on by a thread. The end of the school year was no joke and that coupled with the busyness of Friday and Saturday have me needing a moment to do nothing.

Did you catch my post yesterday? I recapped May in a “Monthly Moments” post. It was such a great month!

Now, it’s time to turn the page to June which means it’s time for summer reading!

Love this thought:

This is one of my favorite posts to put together every year.

Here’s a look back on my lists the past few years:

This was my summer reading list in 2021:

2022:

2023:

2024:

When I make these lists, I try to be reasonable with what I actually think I can read. It seems like eight to nine summer books is attainable. I choose books that are available at the library, but then there are typically books that I know I’ll be on the wait-list for a bit. And, usually, I will purchase one book that’s new and on my list. Anyway, here’s my summer reading list for…

2025:

Is it even summer reading without a book written by Carley Fortune, Nancy Thayer or Kristy Woodson Harvey? I added The Comeback Summer to my list again this summer since I didn’t get to it last summer.

The good news is that I’ve already started listening to All the Summers in Between, and I have One Golden Summer added to my Kindle. I’ve started reading/listening to both, and I have zero regrets putting them on my summer TBR list!

What’s one of the books on your summer reading list?

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: May 2025

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday…It’s our last day of school, so that makes this Wednesday even sweeter!

Well, I was afraid this might happen. The month has come where “my reading roll” slowed down. I did read one book and listened to one other, so I’m sharing those two with you today!

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

I’ll Have What She’s Having:

Summary:

There’s a woman I want to become, Chelsea Handler thought as a child. She’ll be strong and confident. She’ll light up a room and spread that light to make others feel better. She’ll make a living being herself. She’ll be a survivor.

At ten years old, Chelsea opened a lemonade stand and realized she’d make more money if the drinks were spiked. So she added vodka to her recipe and used her earnings to upgrade herself to first-class on a family vacation—leaving her parents and siblings in coach. She moved to Los Angeles and got fired from her temp job when she admitted she didn’t know how to transfer calls. She’s played pickleball with the scions of an American dynasty. She’s sexted a governor. She shared psychedelics with strangers in Spain. When she accidentally ended up at dinner with Woody Allen, she was not going to leave the table without asking him a very personal pointed question. She went on national television and talked about having threesomes. She’s never been one to hold back.

But this life of adventure and absurdity is only part of her story. Chelsea knows what it is to truly show up for her family—canine and human, biological and chosen. She’s discovered how to spend time with herself, how to meditate, how to be open to love, and how to end a relationship with dignity. She is a sister to the many women who rely on her.

Quick Thoughts:

Chelsea Handler was one of the first comedians I remember seeing on TV. I’d sometimes watch her Chelsea Lately show on E! and I read her 2008 book Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea.

Overall, I think she’s funny. She has a self-deprecating humor about herself, and listening to her read this book made it more enjoyable. Also, I think if you are interested in reading her book, listening to it is the way to go. If you know her humor, then of course, it was crass and inappropriate at times, but it was also funny and inspirational too. I didn’t realize she’d dated a man with three daughters and hearing about their relationship and how she’s continued to be there for the girls into their adult lives was a sweet spot in this memoir. She reads journal entries and reflects on her journey with therapy which also shows a softer side to her. She’s short and to the point and times and one of the best parts is when she shares the email she sent her family, her nieces and nephews, after one of the epic vacations she took the family on at some point. She’s very matter of fact with them about all they take for granted, how they should treat their mother (her sister), how they should treat others, and more. Again, Chelsea probably has a polarizing personality, but I thought this was a humorous read.

Rating:

Greenwich Park:

Summary:

Helen’s idyllic life—handsome architect husband, gorgeous Victorian house, and cherished baby on the way (after years of trying)—begins to change the day she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother-to-be. Rachel doesn’t seem very maternal: she smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. Maybe Rachel just needs a friend. And to be honest, Helen’s a bit lonely herself. At least Rachel is fun to be with. She makes Helen laugh, invites her confidences, and distracts her from her fears.

But her increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. And Helen’s not the only one who’s noticed. Her friends and family begin to suspect that her strange new friend may be linked to their shared history in unexpected ways. When Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy all of their lives, it becomes clear that there are more than a few secrets laying beneath the broad-leaved trees and warm lamplight of Greenwich Park.

Quick Thoughts:

It’s been a bit since I’d read a mystery/thriller, and this one hit the spot! I always love a London setting and a creepy main character. From the start, you know something is “off” with Rachel but you’re just not sure what. There are twists and turns and pieces that I started to put together….but then of course, there’s always another final twist to round out the story. Some of the chapters are written in the point of view of the park which added an extra layer to the story. This was a good, quick read!

Rating:

Soon, I’ll share my summer reading list! I definitely hope to have more time to read in the next couple of months!