Category: Books and Shows

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: August 2026

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday.

August is on its way out, and I have books to share.

I can’t believe it, but I read five books this month. With back to school, I just never know how much time I will have to read.

Here are the books I read in August:

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife:

Summary:

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head—as long as his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.

Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard’s facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter’s health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man deceive her again.

As Fred walks in Bernard’s shoes, he leaves a trail of kindness behind him, fueling Denise’s suspicions about his true identity. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Denise rediscover their sense of purpose and learn how to return a broken life to mint condition.

Quick Thoughts:

I actually finished this book at end of July after sharing my July post…

My sister-in-law recommended it to me, and she said it’s one of her favorite books of all time.

Goodreads said, “for readers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and A Man Called Ove…” I loved Remarkably Bright Creatures, so this book was definitely for me.

I feel like this is a book that I can say “I’ve never read anything like it.” The idea that Frederick swaps spots with Bernard…at first, my mind had a hard time grasping that concept…like before I even read more after the identity swap, I was thinking “Well, how is this going to work?” Anyway, Frederick is endearing and many of the other characters are as well. There’s a point towards the end where I didn’t want it to end because I wasn’t sure how it was going to end….but I was really satisfied with the ending.

This was just such a clever, heart-breaking, and heart-warming story all wrapped into one.

I did see there’s a (movie?) adaptation in the works. I will definitely watch it when it comes out.

Fave quotes:

  • “His mother had always said that Fred had been born with an extra helping of love in his heart….the problem was now he didn’t have anywhere to put it. Grief was love with nowhere to go.”
  • “Love is…about picking someone up and never, ever putting them down again, no matter how heavy things become.”
  • “You can’t have shadows without light.”

Rating:

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol 2:

Summary:

The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Quick Thoughts:

Last month, I shared that I’d listened to vol 1, and this time I read Vol 2. I appreciated the journal format while listening to Vol. 1 but even more so while reading vol 2.

The characters are quirky, and I love getting to know them more and more with each journal entry.

Just like the first volume, there’s some humor, romance, and drama.

I loved the literary references of Pyramus and Thisbe (which I read with my freshmen), and the Cat’s name is Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet!)

I’m actually reading Volume 3 now!

Rating:

Down with the Shipmans:

Summary:

It’s the week after Fourth of July, and the Shipman sisters are returning to their picturesque summer home on the New Hampshire coast for what they believe is a family reunion, the first without their late mother. However, their tranquil setting quickly becomes a stage for drama when their father, Calvin, drops the bombshell news that he plans to sell the cherished beach house.

Mae, the youngest daughter, who has a newfound penchant for attracting trouble, is distraught, already dealing with her own emotional scars and a problematic rescue dog. Natalie, the middle sister and social media darling known for her seemingly idyllic life as a tradwife, is equally anxious, especially since her flawless public image is on the verge of imploding. Meanwhile, Jordan, the eldest, a high-powered crisis communications expert, is ready to be rid of the house so she can tend to her own professional disaster.

As old memories are stirred up and the sisters navigate both the packing of the house and their personal crises, the arrival of Calvin’s new wife pushes Jordan, Natalie, and Mae to decide how far they’re willing to go to preserve the Shipman bond.

Quick Thoughts:

This was a pretty quick read.

As expected, the three sisters were all different, and it was interesting to follow them as they have all experienced the same loss but are navigating this new phase of life differently while also learning about themselves as they go through other personal issues. Their mom’s coffee mugs with sayings were a fun part of the story line.

My favorite mug referenced was, “I’m the middle child. I’m the reason we have rules.” haha

Anyway, this book was about family dynamics and how sister relationships can be complicated. But, it was also about growing up, moving on, rebuilding lives and coming together at just the right time.

Fave quote:

  • “The greatest acting job, a wise man has never said (but should), is being a mother.”

Rating:

Love You More:

Summary:

Billie has built the perfect life. Her practice as a doctor in New York City is thriving, and she’s finally found the right partner in Dean after years spent trying to move on from her high-school sweetheart, Mick. Their young love had been intense and true, but distance and ambition pulled them apart when she left Wisconsin for medical school.

Then one morning, just after accepting Dean’s romantic marriage proposal, Billie’s phone rings. It’s Mick—calling for the first time in nearly a decade. His news is urgent, and in a moment, everything changes.

As Billie boards a plane back to Wisconsin, the past comes rushing in—her friendships from home, the love she shared with Mick, and the choices that shaped them. What awaits her is a reckoning with what she’s lost, what she’s built, and what she still wants.

Quick Thoughts:

This book wasn’t on my radar, but I saw it shared on Instagram. It was a good read … and while somewhat predictable, there were some twists to keep my attention. I also appreciated the short chapters which kept me reading.

As Goodreads states, (the books is) “Gripping and deeply moving, Love You More is a story about the plot twists life throws at us—and how love, in all its forms, has the power to change everything.”

Fave quote:

  • “Sometimes I wonder how much of who we are comes from our own choices – and how much is shaped by where we come from.”

Rating:

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage

Summary:

In March 2020, Belle Burden was safe and secure with her family at their house on Martha’s Vineyard, navigating the early days of the pandemic together—building fires in the late afternoons, drinking whisky sours, making roast chicken. Then, with no warning or explanation, her husband of twenty years announced that he was leaving her. Overnight, her caring, steady partner became a man she hardly recognized. He exited his life with her like an actor shrugging off a costume.

In Strangers, Burden revisits her marriage, searching for clues that her husband was not who she always thought he was. As she examines her relationship through a new lens, she reckons with her own family history and the lessons she intuited about how a woman is expected to behave in the face of betrayal. Through all of it, she is transformed. The discreet, compliant woman she once was—someone nicknamed “Belle the Good”—gives way to someone braver, someone determined to use her voice.

Quick Thoughts:

I first saw this book on Shay’s blog in March….and then it seemed that this book has been “all the rage” the past few months.

I enjoy reading memoirs so I figured I would like this one even though the topic is heavy…I feel like memoirs are permission for readers to be nosy. haha

Anyway, since I listened to this book and Belle Burden was the narrator, I was even more invested in the details. I thought her life was interesting, I immediately Googled her grandmother when she talked about her. Sometimes, I like to read books that I can’t relate to…and I can’t relate to growing up rich or being rich in NYC. I think the back drop of the timing of March 2020 is really distinctive because it’s a point in time that I can reference, and as I reminisced on what I was going through at that time, her marriage was breaking up. Some of the details about her husband just leaving with no answers and not wanting to co-parent the kids just blows my mind.

While Belle lives a seemingly privileged life, this memoir is a reminder that heartbreak stops for no one.

Rating:

As I look back on my ratings, I’m wondering if I getting too easy on my ratings? haha

I just rarely read a book I don’t like…because if I’m not enjoying reading a book, I will move on to another one. Anyway, lots of four star reads for me and one five star read this month.

Summer Reading Update:

For the first time ever, I finished all my summer reading books. Also, the past few summers, it’s been pretty rare that I’ve read other books besides the ones on my list. This summer, I read a total of 17 books! (and I’m currently listening to and reading two others)

On top of that, when I finish those books I’m reading/listening to now, I will have completed my Goodreads goal of reading 40 books this year. The past couple of years, I’ve fallen short of my goal, and now I still have four months left of reading in 2026!

Honestly, I had a tough spring, and I really wasn’t enjoying reading very much…which kind of “scared” me a bit since I’ve always loved reading. It’s been so nice to find my reading groove this summer. I can’t wait to keep checking books off my TBR list!

Happy reading!

Posted in Books and Shows

Summer Viewing

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Y’all, I’m tired. Two days into teacher work days, and I’m exhausted. There’s no tired like back to school teacher tired. haha!

This might sound silly, but one of my “goals” this summer was to get caught up on some of my favorite shows and even watch a few shows and movies that I’ve had on my viewing list. I’m sharing those shows and movies with you today!

Travis and I both watch The Night Agent. Season 3 came out in the winter, but we didn’t watch it until July. I think I’d just forgotten a new season was out and the spring was really busy.

We loved season 1, I thought season 2 was ok, and season 3 was really good.

My brother suggested The Lincoln Lawyer to me. There are four seasons and the fifth and final season will be out next year. In the summer, when I have a bit more time on my hands, I like to watch a series I’ve never seen before. A few years ago, I watched the first few seasons of The Crown before finishing the series as the last few seasons rolled out. I also watched Schitt‘s Creek a couple of years ago. So, the summer is a great time to dive into a series.

I watched a couple episodes of season 1, and Travis asked what I was watching…so this has become a show we’re watching together. We have three episodes left of season 4, and it’s been the best season. I think season 2 was the weakest, but we’ve loved the other seasons. Now we can’t wait for season 5 to come out in 2027.

I suggested the series to my dad who said he’d seen the movie and read the book. I’d forgotten about those options too!

I started watching Love Story when it first came out on Hulu in the winter. I think an episode came out every week. Anyway, I must have gotten distracted in the spring, and I had two episodes left to watch. So, I finished that series this summer too.

I’ve watched every season of The Diplomat…this past season came out in October, but I hadn’t watched it yet, so I watched it in June. It’s such a good, intense, entertaining series.

I’d heard of The Four Seasons, but I didn’t know what platform it was on, and it just wasn’t on my radar. I think it was in May, I was listening to a podcast, and Tina Fey was on it talking about the series. There are only two seasons, and the episodes are short. I knocked this one out quickly, and I loved it.

The movie People We Meet on Vacation came out in January, and I’m sure I saw it as an option on Netflix, but I don’t watch a ton of movies. Anyway, this summer, I realized I hadn’t read the book, so I did that before watching the movie. I enjoyed both so much!

I saw The Woman in Cabin 10 listed on Netflix, and I’d forgotten that it was a movie. I’d read the book, so I added this movie to my list. I watched it one gloomy rainy day, and I thought it was really good. I haven’t seen a movie with Keira Knightley in quite some time, and she was phenomenal.

I was soooo excited about The Five Star Weekend to come out on Peacock, and this series didn’t disappoint. I love anything with Jennifer Garner, and the supporting cast was amazing too. I enjoyed the series as much as I enjoyed the book.

I’ve watched all eight seasons of The Rookie, and it’s truly one of my favorite shows. It’s one I tend to get behind on because new episodes don’t air until January and we just tend to be busy in the spring. So, it’s usually a show I chip away at when I can, and then get caught up in the summer. I love all the cast, and the show is a good one!

I like documentaries, but especially sports documentaries. I truly don’t watch a lot of tennis, but I do tend to watch a lot of the Wimbledon tournament since I’m home in the summer. Anyway, I saw this documentary and was interested. It’s only an hour and a half, so it was an easy one to watch.

Of course, I know of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and even that they played at the same time, but I didn’t realize what good friends they were…but of course they were competitors on the court. I think this documentary was mostly filmed last summer, but I hadn’t realized that both of them were going through cancer at the same time, and they seem to live somewhat close to each other in Florida. It was interesting to watch them relive some of their moments on the court while sharing the bond of their health battle.

I’ve watched all seasons of Full Swing even though I don’t watch a ton of golf. Each season seems to have less and less episodes…this season only had four. It was good but not as good as the other seasons, in my opinion.

I’d added Miracle: The Boys of ’80 to my Netflix list when the Olympics were on this past winter, but I never watched it. One night, I didn’t have much going on, so I was scrolling Netflix and decided to watch it. It was really interesting to hear the guys’ stories, watch them relive the moments on the ice, see the Lake Placid venue, and re-learn what was going on in the world during that time.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve always heard the “Do you believe in miracles?” line, and I knew it was because the US beat Soviet Union, but I’d always thought we’d beat them for the gold medal. So, I guess you could say I learned a lot from this doc.

That being said, in my defense, I was about a month old when this game happened. My mom tells the story of how I was sleeping, and she hoped I’d stay asleep, so she could watch the game. haha

The last two series I watched were pleasant surprises of the summer. I’d read Every Summer After by Carley Fortune a few years ago, and I really enjoyed it. While listening to the Open Book with Jenna podcast episode with Carley, I realized Every Year After was the adaptation of the book. I don’t watch a ton on Prime, so I really don’t know if I would have known about this series had I not listened to the podcast.

I have two episodes left, and it’s been so good! I think Fortune has a few more adaptations of her books in the works too which is exciting.

Little House on the Prairie wasn’t on my radar at all. I saw it pop up on Netflix, but it really wasn’t a show I was going to prioritize. Well, after a couple of people mentioned it, I decided to dive in, and it’s been the surprise of the summer. It’s just so good. I have one episode left, and I really have been holding off watching it because I don’t want it to end. Surely there will be more seasons of this amazing show?!

A highlight of my summer was seeing The Odyssey in the theater; even better was that my family wanted to see it too. I have taught The Odyssey so many times through the years, and it’s one of my favorite texts to teach. My kids remember reading it in their English 1 class, and Travis really wanted to see it. The night before, while at the dinner table, I gave everyone a quick synopsis so they were somewhat prepared. Hayden sat next to me at the movie and had so many questions. It was a great family night for sure, and it’s definitely a movie I’d see again!

Just a reminder to make myself feel better about the TV watching I’ve done, I did read five books in June and seven books in July. (I’ve also already read two books in August!)

Screenshot

What’s the best show or movie you’ve seen this summer?

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: July 2026

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Needless to say, one of the best things about summer break is having more time to read. This month, I read seven books, and I enjoyed them all…

Here are the books I read in July…

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

People We Meet on Vacation:

Summary:

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart — she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown — but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together — lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

Quick Thoughts:

I started this one in June while we were in Florida because I figured it would be a good vacation read. I finished it right at the end of the month, and I really enjoyed it.

I don’t read a ton of romance/fiction, but this one was so cute. Poppy and Alex have their ups and downs, the yearly vacations provide a lot of insight into their relationship, and of course there’s some drama too.

I also watched the movie recently, and thought it paired nicely with the book. It’s a movie I’d watch again!

Rating:

The book is probably 4.5 stars, I think because I also loved the movie so much I will give it five stars. It’s a great summer read.

The Sandy Page Bookshop:

Summary:

After her publishing career and engagement fell apart in Boston, Leah Powell has no choice but to return to her sleepy coastal hometown on Cape Cod. Feeling lost and discouraged, she stumbles upon a once prominent historic sea captain’s home that now looks as dilapidated as she feels. Suddenly inspired, Leah decides to transform it into a bookstore and café she will call The Sandy Page.

Luke Nicholson, a life-long local and contractor, remembers Leah even if she doesn’t remember him. Intrigued by her return and her project, he agrees to help her bring the old captain’s house back to life. As they work together, The Sandy Page slowly becomes the town’s go-to gathering spot for locals, tourists, and anyone who is feeling adrift during this long, sweet summer. It’s a home for second chances. But will it be enough for Leah and Luke?

Quick Thoughts:

I read this book in a few days. It was such a good read. The plot has a sweet premise with the book shop, but heavier topics are covered too – relationships, anxiety, impaired driving, loss of loved ones, financial trouble and more.

It’s more “complex” than your average summer beach read which I think is why I liked it so much.

Rating:

Until Next Summer:

Summary:

Growing up, Jessie and Hillary lived for summer, when they’d be reunited at Camp Chickawah. The best friends vowed to become counselors together someday, but they drifted apart after Hillary broke her promise and only Jessie stuck to their plan, working her way up to become the camp director.

When Jessie learns that the camp will be sold, she decides to plan one last hurrah, inviting past campers—including Hillary—to a nostalgic “adult summer camp” before closing for good. Jessie and Hillary rebuild their friendship as they relive the best time of their lives—only now there are adult beverages, skinny dipping, and romantic entanglements. Straitlaced Hillary agrees to a “no strings attached” summer fling with the camp chef, while outgoing Jessie is drawn to a moody, reclusive writer who’s rented a cabin to work on his novel.

The friends soon realize this doesn’t have to be the last summer. They’ll team up and work together, just like the old days. But if they can’t save their beloved camp, will they be able to take the happiness of this summer away with them?

Quick Thoughts:

I’ve read two other Ali Brady books (by the way – “Ali Brady” is actually the pen name for two BFF authors) through the years – The Beach Trap and The Comeback Summer. I like The Beach Trap better than the other, and I like this book more than The Beach Trap.

First of all, I love a book about summer camp (My fave is Summer of Songbirds) and this one fit the bill. I think I like books centered around summer camp because the (original) Parent Trap is my fave movie.

Anyway, this book had romance, nostalgia , and drama. I liked that the characters, both major and minor, grew and developed along the way.

Like in the other Ali Brady books, there are some R rated scenes….so reader beware…or just skim through those parts.

Rating:

Judge Stone:

Summary:

The most respected citizen in Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), is Judge Mary Stone. She holds two responsibilities running her family farm and presiding over her courtroom. It’s there she draws the most controversial case in the history of the South.

Criminally, it’s open-and-shut. 
Ethically, there is no middle ground.
Essentially, it’s a choice between life and death.

No judge can satisfy everyone. It would be dangerous to try. But Judge Stone is willing to fight to bring justice to the people and place she loves.

Quick Thoughts:

A friend gave me this book to read, and I told her I’d read it this summer.

So this book wasn’t on my radar, but I really enjoyed reading it. It was an interesting legal thriller with some mystery.

The chapters were really short, I liked the southern setting and the strong female character in Judge Stone. The trial seems “cut and dry” but it’s more complex than that.

This book was written by James Patterson and Viola Davis which I thought was really neat.

Rating:

Our Perfect Storm:

Summary:

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

Quick Thoughts:

Is it even summer if Carly Fortune isn’t putting out a book for us to read? I’ve read a Fortune book every summer since 2022…and this was my favorite book of hers yet.

Per usual, the Canadian setting was amazing. Besides romance, the story includes so much about nature that it’s just so beautifully written. This one really seemed to be more idyllic when describing the landscape. The connection between Frankie’s name and her mother’s work with whales was beautiful and complicated.

So much of the plot was just Frankie and George but the secondary characters were just so meaningful to Frankie as well.

I enjoyed reading the author’s note at the end that provided some background and information about Canada and whale research.

Per usual with Fortune books, there’s a some R rated scenes.

I listed to the Open Book podcast where Jenna Bush Hager interviewed Carley Fortune, and it was fun to get her perspective on her writing process. Also from listening to that, I learned that her first book Every Summer After was adapted for TV …Every Year After is on Amazon Prime…I haven’t gotten to watch it yet, but maybe I can squeeze it in before summer ends.

Rating:

Dolly All the Time:

Summary:

Dolly Brick has never met a problem she couldn’t solve. Not when her mom left when she was twelve, and not at thirty-nine when she moves with her son back to Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home.

So when she comes across Stewart Whitfield—annoyingly handsome scion of the Whitfield family—with a flat tire and at the wrong end of a very public, very humiliating breakup, it’s in her nature to help. But Stewart’s proposed arrangement ends up being more than either of them bargained for, because as public dinners and high-society benefits turn into sunset boat rides and kisses that hit her bloodstream like a ghost pepper, Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful. She’s never relied on anyone besides herself—can she really start now?

Quick Thoughts:

So many people shared this book, so I added it to my TBR list. I couldn’t put this book down…and read it in 24 hours…I don’t know the last time I’ve done that.

Dolly and Stewart are so opposite which is why I think I liked them as characters. Of course, with a romance book, you think you know how the book will end, but every relationship is complicated!

Besides being opposites, I appreciated that they both have a strong work ethic and Dolly’s strong family values in regards to her brother, dad, and son made her such a likable character. Dolly is pretty unfazed by Stewart’s wealthy family which made her so endearing.

I thought the plot was somewhat unique, I liked the New England setting and that there was some drama and character growth as well.

Rating:

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 1

Summary:

The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s. Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House

Quick Thoughts:

Well, you know I love historical fiction and I got my fix with this one. I’d never heard of this series, but when Andrea shared the recent books she read, I thought I’d check it out.

I’ve only listened to one other book this this summer, so imagine my surprise when I found volume one audiobook on Libby…and it wasn’t even two hours in length. I almost felt guilty counting this as a book read, but I did see that the other volumes are longer (and longer!), so it counts.

Emma is a hoot…there are some humorous one liners, I love the historical context, the neighborhood of St. Crispian’s and the varying characters…who are characters. haha

I wasn’t looking for a series, but this series found me. I look forward to chipping away at it. I’m already reading volume 2.

Rating:

Summer Reading Update:

Usually I’m heading into August with a couple of books left on my TBR summer list…I can’t say that this summer. I only have one book left to read on my summer reading list…

  • Read: Our Last Vineyard Summer, Our Italian Summer, Summer State of Mind, The Sandy Page Bookshop, People We Meet on Vacation, Our Perfect Storm, Until Next Summer
  • On my Kindle: Down with the Shipmans

What’s the best book you’ve read this summer?

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: June 2026

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday! How, how, how is it already the last Monday in June!? Summer needs to slow its roll!

With summer, comes a bit more time to read. Last week, we were in Florida, so I had a little more reading time. We spent a few days in Siesta Key before going to Orlando for Hadley’s last volleyball tournament of club season. I will say that the volleyball tournament provided some long days, so I didn’t get to read as much as I do when we’re on a typical vacation. Anyway, it was still a good month of reading…

(and, y’all, this post is my 1500th blog post! That seems like a “big” milestone, and since I love reading so much, I’m glad the milestone is a book related post!)

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Our Last Summer on the Vineyard

Summary:

After suffering through her first year of graduate school at Columbia following her senator father’s death, Betsy Whiting is hoping to spend the summer with her boyfriend…and hopefully end the summer as his fiancée. Instead, her mother—a longtime feminist and leader in the women’s movement—calls Betsy and her sisters back home to Martha’s Vineyard, announcing that they need to sell their beloved summer house to pay off their father’s debts.

When Betsy arrives on the island a week later, she must reckon with her strained familial relationships, a long-ago forbidden romance, and the complicated legacy of her parents, who divided the family even as they did good for the world.

Following a dual timeline between 1965 and 1978, and filled with the vibrant, sunlit nostalgia of the cherished New England vacation setting, Our Last Vineyard Summer poignantly captures two generations of women navigating love, loss, and womanhood while trying to find the courage to stand up for what they believe in—and the strength to decide if the home they once loved is worth saving.

Quick Thoughts:

This was the first book I read on my “Summer Reading List,” and I couldn’t have loved it more! I’ve also read All the Summers in Between by Foster, and I enjoyed that one too. This book is historical fiction, so I figured I’d like the book, but I loved it. I always love when the plot goes from past to present which keeps my attention. There’s love, drama, complicated relationships, secrets and more.

Fave quotes:

  • “Women find a way to protect the people they love.”
  • “She liked the idea that memories, whether soft of sharp, shaped us like the ocean shaped the contours of the beach.”
  • “Books didn’t just transport you to faraway places…They could sharpen your identity and remind you who you aspired to be.”
  • “Mothers can’t just stop doing their job because we have a bad day or even a bad year.”

Rating:

His & Hers

Summary:

There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone isn’t telling the truth, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

Quick Thoughts:

Travis and I watched His & Hers on Netflix a few months ago. It wasn’t until after we finished the series that I realized it was based on a book. So, I immediately wanted to read the book for comparison. The waitlist was long at the library, and then I read half of it before getting side tracked. I finished this month, and I’m so glad I did.

I enjoyed this mystery/thriller as much as I did the series.

The book is in London not Georgia, and the ending seemed a smidge different, but I can’t remember all the details from the series.

If you like thriller books, this one had lots of twists and turns as well as a surprise ending.

Rating:

Mad Mabel:

Summary:

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She’s lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years–longer than anyone else. Aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else’s business, few would suspect that Elsie has a past that she has worked exceedingly hard at concealing. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies. And Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, once a little girl and now an old lady, has a strange history of people in her life coming to a foul end.

When a new little girl (talkative, curious, nosy) moves into the neighborhood and stops at nothing to befriend Elsie, her carefully-constructed life threatens to come crashing down as the secrets in Elsie’s past start coming to light. Who was “Mad Mabel” fifty years ago? Who is Elsie Fitzpatrick today? And if the past has a habit of repeating itself, who has the most to lose?

Quick Thoughts:

I’ve read quite a few books by Sally Hepworth, and I couldn’t wait for this one to be published. Also, who am I reading two thriller books in one month? Thriller/mystery used to be my favorite genre before I really got into historical fiction.

Anyway, just like with most Hepworth books, the characters are so unique. Mabel was a hoot! She’s the quintessential grumpy neighbor who wants nothing to do with her neighbors…which means they are all in her business. ha!

We learn about Mabel’s childhood which is filled with drama and tragedy, and of course that comes into play in her present day life.

I loved all the (present day) relationships in the book, and the ending couldn’t have been more perfect. I think Mad Mabel will be a top read for me in 2026.

Summer State of Mind:

Summary:

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.


But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm.

Quick Thoughts:

Ugh… I hate to say it, but I didn’t like this book much at all…which is rare for me to say. I’d been “warned” as I’d read unfavorable reviews on other blogs, but I’ve read nine of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s books, so I had to see for myself about this one. It was just so predictable, there were so many topics (and some seemed unrealistic), and there were many cheesy parts.

Shay’s post is spot on (FYI – there are spoilers in the post). From her post, “Not to be too picky here, but this book never felt “summery”, so I was confused by the title. It took place before/after Easter.”

That being said, I did enjoy the author’s note…Woodson Harvey says, “What is this book really about?” So, I definitely wanted to see her thoughts… She continues, “This book is about family, sure. And love. And unlikely friendship. But really, it’s about how, sometimes, our past wounds heal when we least expect it, how the people whose paths cross with ours might change our lives in ways we never could have imagined, and the pure joy of finding, at long last, where we belong. But, most of all, it’s a reminder that no matter the season, if we dig deep, we can always find that beautiful, glorious Summer State of Mind.

So, with that, she clarifies about the title, and I appreciate reading her perspective on what she wants the reader to take from the book, but it was still a miss for me.

Rating:

I should probably give this a 2 or 2.5, but I’d feel bad doing so. haha…and the author’s note helped me re-evaluate my thoughts a bit.

Our Italian Summer:

Summary:

Workaholic, career-obsessed Francesca is fiercely independent and successful in all areas of life except one: family. She struggles to make time for her relationship with her teenage daughter, Allegra, and the two have become practically strangers to each other. When Allegra hangs out with a new crowd and is arrested for drug possession, Francesca gives in to her mother’s wish that they take one epic summer vacation to trace their family roots in Italy. What she never expected was to be faced with the choice of a lifetime. . . .

Allegra wants to make her grandmother happy, but she hates the idea of forced time with her mother and vows to fight every step of the ridiculous tour, until a young man on the verge of priesthood begins to show her the power of acceptance, healing, and the heartbreaking complications of love.

Sophia knows her girls are in trouble. A summer filled with the possibility for change is what they all desperately need. Among the ruins of ancient Rome, the small churches of Assisi, and the rolling hills of Tuscany, Sophia hopes to show her girls that the bonds of family are everything, and to remind them that they can always lean on one another, before it’s too late.

Quick Thoughts:

I listened to this book, and it was long! The audio length was 13 hours.

This book was ok. I think I “struggle” with romance books because they are predictable and can be cheesy.

I did like the three different female story lines…from a teenager to mother to grandmother. The Italian setting was lovely, but it wasn’t until after the first 25% of the book that they finally made it to Italy. I felt like some of the ideas were far-fetched, and it really did feel unnecessarily long.

Rating:

Overall, 3.5 but a 3 because it was too long…and didn’t need to be!

Summer Reading Update:

  • Read: Our Last Vineyard Summer, Our Italian Summer, Summer State of Mind
  • Currently Reading: People We Meet on Vacation (I started this one while on vacation, and I’m really enjoying it!…I want to watch the movie after I finish the book)
  • On my Kindle: Down with the Shipmans, The Sandy Page Bookshop
  • Waitlist: Our Pefect Storm

I can’t wait to read more great books in July!

Posted in Books and Shows

Summer Reading 2026

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Well, we did it…we finally finished up the school year. Today, is the first official day for the kids…although they’ve been summering off and on the past couple of days thanks to a few early finals in some of their classes. I still have a work day with graduation today and a faculty meeting tomorrow, and then I can officially say hello, summer break.

Speaking of summer break, I always look forward to having a few summer books to read during my couple of months off.

This is one of my favorite posts to write because I just look forward to having some downtime to read and a list to look forward to checking off. That being said, I will sprinkle in some other books that are on my TBR list…like right now, I’m reading Mad Mabel which I’ve been looking forward to reading even though it’s not on my “official” summer list.

This was my summer reading list for 2021:

2022:

2023:

2024:

2025:

Here’s my list for this summer…2026:

I hope to read all of these, but most summers, I fall a couple short. We’ll see how it goes this summer, but I’m looking forward to checking as many of these off my TBR summer list as possible:

To me, it’s not summer without reading a new Carly Fortune book, and the same with Kristy Woodson Harvey. I want to watch People We Meet on Vacation, but I want to read the book first! I’ve read a few books by Ali Brady, Brooke Lea Foster, and Meg Mitchell Moore, so I’m looking forward to their books as well. The Sandy Page Bookshop sounds sweet, and I’m currently listening to Our Italian Summer.

I just need school to quit getting in the way of my reading/listening time!

What’s on your summer TBR list?!

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: May 2026

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I feel like I’m limping to the finish line of this week! It’s been a good but busy week. Actually, it’s been a good but busy month of May, but with the busyness means I didn’t have a ton of time to read this month.

Here’s what I’ve been reading lately…

The two books I read this month were:

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Meet the Newmans:

Summary:

For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ idealized apple-pie perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb—literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and the charmed luck of rock ‘n roll idol Shep may have finally run out.

When Del—the creative motor behind the show—is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken, impassioned young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?

Quick Thoughts:

This book was such an interesting read. I’m kind of an “old soul” when it comes to TV shows, and I remember growing up loving watching reruns of shows like Leave it to Beaver, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, and I Love Lucy.

The Meet the Newmans show is very similar to those family shows with the perfect family…but of course looks can be deceiving. This book had family drama, deception, romance and more. In today’s world, we know that social media portrays the perfect, and in this book, the show portrayed perfection, but the Newmans had a very different life behind the scenes.

Rating:

The Last Book Shop in London:

Summary:

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.

Quick Thoughts:

I chose this audio book based on it being available on the Libby app, it was historical fiction and less than 8 hours listening time. Anyway, this was a pleasant surprise. I love reading about WW 2, and the setting of London is always one I’m drawn to.

I loved all the characters in the book, especially Grace. She was as strong woman who carved a life out for herself. So many other characters were the perfect fit as friends, confidantes and mentors. Grace’s involvement and growth as she works in the bookshop is beautiful as is the relationships that come because of her work there. This was a lovely read, and I highly recommend it!

After reading the Goodreads summary, I learned that the book was “inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz.”

Rating:

Soon, I’m going to compile my summer reading list, and I can’t wait!

Usually, I save Fridays for a Friday Favorites post, but this week I’m just blogging about what I can when I can. Since I usually do a “recap” of posts, here are the other posts I had this week:

Weekly Recap:

May Memes
Monthly Musings

I hope you have a great weekend. I hope to be back with a post on Sunday to recap May!

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: April 2026

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

It’s hard to believe that there are only two days left in April…which means it’s time for me to share the books I read this month.

After having such a big reading month in March, I should have known that April would be the complete opposite in regards to reading.

Well, this month I read one book and one short story…but they were both good!

Screenshot

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

The Book Woman’s Daughter:

Summary:

In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned, Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.

Picking up her mother’s old packhorse library route, Honey begins to deliver books to the remote hollers of Appalachia. Honey is looking to prove that she doesn’t need anyone telling her how to survive, but the route can be treacherous, and some folks aren’t as keen to let a woman pave her own way. If Honey wants to bring the freedom that books provide to the families who need it most, she’s going to have to fight for her place, and along the way, learn that the extraordinary women who run the hills and hollers can make all the difference in the world.

Quick Thoughts:

Last month, I read Book Woman of Troublesome Creek which had been on my TBR list for quite some time. When Tanya shared that the third book in the series was coming out soon, I wanted to get to reading the first two! This book, just like the first, didn’t disappoint.

Just like with the first book, I appreciated the setting of Eastern Kentucky, and I love reading historical fiction. Honey Lovett, just like her mother Cussy, is a force to be reckoned with. She makes the best of her situation, stays true to her values, and paves a way to figuring out her future.

I can’t wait to read The Mountains We Call Home.

Rating:

Leave it Up To Love:

Summary:

Ready for her big break after publishing her first novel, Lila Everwood has two fresh book ideas and dreams of quitting her barista job. She’s hopeful about her future—until her writing catches her literary idol’s attention in all the wrong ways.

Elizabeth Lancaster, the queen of regency romance, hasn’t written a word in three years. Her publisher’s solution? A ghostwriter. Specifically, her favorite coffee server. It’s either brilliance or madness—and her literary agent son Grady thinks it’s definitely the latter.

As the ideas begin to fly, so do the sparks—between Lila and Grady. And, as Lila’s and Elizabeth’s worlds collide, the two writers must lean on each other, learning something vital in the In life, love, and publishing, sometimes you have to write your own happy ending.

Quick Thoughts:

There’s hardly a KWH book that I haven’t read. As a matter of fact, I counted…and I’ve read ten of her books. It’s not a summer without a KWH book, and I can’t wait to read Summer State of Mind. That being said, I don’t know that I’ve ever “reviewed” a short story, but I appreciate that she put this one out to tide us over until her latest novel is released.

This was a quick and great read. I liked the premise, the characters and the short story line. Even with the abbreviated plot, there’s lots of dialogue, characterization and plot development.

Rating:

I’m hoping for more reading in May…but of course, who knows how much time I will have during May-cember!

That being said, it’s hard to believe that soon I will put together my summer reading list!

Do you have any summer book suggestions for me?

Happy reading,

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: March 2026

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Ours was pretty good! The kids were busy with their various activities, we watched basketball (and baseball!), and the sun was shining all weekend.

Before I get to today’s post, did you see my post on Friday? Last week was kind of busy, and I apparently set the post to publish late!

Anyway, as the month of March is drawing to a close, I’m sharing the books I read this month.

…and what a month of reading I had! I don’t know that I’ve ever read seven books in a month…let alone a month that’s not June or July when I tend to have more time to read. That being said, I think I finished reading one book and listening to another right at the beginning of March. Anyway, I read and listened to quite a variety this month.

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Atmosphere:

Summary:

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easygoing even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, it all changes in an instant.

Quick Thoughts:

Like the tennis book, Carrie Soto is Back, that focused so much on tennis, I wondered if this one would mostly focus on space. Well, this plot included so much more. There was history, drama, romance, suspense, and more!

After I finished the book, I actually went back to the beginning and read the first few chapters again just because the book started with the end, and I wanted to re-read those details.

Fave Quotes:

  • “To look up at the nighttime sky is to become a part of a long line of people throughout human history who looked above at the same set of stars. It is to witness time unfolding.”
  • “Bravery is being unafraid of something other people are afraid of. Courage is being afraid, but strong enough to do it anyway.”
  • “Day in and day out, the Earth keeps spinning and revolving and sailing through the Milky Way. That is why time never stands still.”

Rating:

The Unexpected Spy:

Summary:

When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.

The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder’s tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In high-security, steel-walled rooms in Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for weapons of mass destruction. She created a chemical terror chart that someone in the White House altered to convey information she did not have or believe, leading to the Iraq invasion. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists – men who swore they’d never speak to a woman – until they gave her leads. She followed trails through North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, shutting down multiple chemical attacks.

Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate – and thus change the world.

Quick Thoughts:

I’ve always been intrigued by the CIA and FBI, and I love a good memoir, so this was an interesting read for me. I started following Tracy on Instagram after Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. Someone must have posted a reel of her sharing her thoughts about the case as a former CIA/FBI agent, so I followed her account. When I realized she had a book, I added it to my TBR list.

I enjoyed reading about her life, how applying for the CIA kind of fell into her lap, all about the days leading up to 9/11, her work in counterintelligence, her travels overseas, how she was treated as a female in the CIA/FBI and more.

Rating:

This Book Made Me Think of You:

Summary:

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago…


The gift is simple – twelve carefully-chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.


Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?

Quick Thoughts:

Admittedly, I don’t read a lot of romance fiction…it’s just not usually what I gravitate to. I’d heard a lot of hype about this book leading up to release, and wow did it live up to the hype!

While there are many moments of sadness with Tilly missing Joe, the idea of a year of books is romantic and endearing. What I loved about each book is that they were so different and “asked” something different of Tilly from month to month. I loved the various minor characters including the book store employees and a grief group that she meets in Paris. This book was sweetly charming with moments of tenderness and inspiration. I can’t imagine it won’t be in my top 5 books for 2026!

Fave Quotes:

  • “Tilly has always thought of bookshops as a gathering place: all those books lined up neatly on the shelves like potential friends she just hasn’t met yet.”
  • “Maybe this is what books do…They offer your own meaning among the words. They are for everyone and yet they are for you too.”
  • “But it’s OK to feel happy and sad at the same time. Very few moments involve just one emotion. That’s life, isn’t it? It’s messy.”
  • “I am the person I am because of the books I have read. My reading history is a map that shows the path of my life.”

Rating:

Here are the books I listened to this month…

Boat Baby:

Summary:

Starting in 1975, Vietnam’s “boat people”—desperate families seeking freedom—fled the Communist government and violence in their country any way they could, usually by boat across the South China Sea. Vicky Nguyen and her family were among them. Attacked at sea by pirates before reaching a refugee camp in Malaysia, Vicky’s family survived on rations and waited months until they were sponsored to America.

But deciding to leave and start a new life in a new country is half the story…figuring out how to be American is the other. Boat Baby is Vicky’s memoir of growing up in America with unconventional Vietnamese parents who didn’t always know how to bridge the cultural gaps. It’s a childhood filled with misadventures and misunderstandings, from almost stabbing the neighborhood racist with a butter knife to getting caught stealing Cosmo to read the answers to Do You Really Think You Know Everything About Sex?

Vicky’s parents approached life with the attitude, “Why not us?” In the face of prejudice, they taught her to be gritty and resilient, skills Vicky used as she combatted stereotyping throughout her career, fending off the question “Aren’t you Connie Chung?” to become a leading Asian American journalist on television. She delivers a uniquely transparent account of her life, revealing how she negotiated her salary in a competitive industry, the challenges of starting a family, and the struggle to be a dutiful daughter.

Quick Thoughts:

Again, another memoir! I’ve seen Vicky Nguyen many times on the Today Show, but I’d never heard her mention her book until recently. I think it came out last year. Anyway, I enjoyed listening to Vicky tell her story that highlights trials and tribulations of coming to America, but it’s also filled with humor and wonderful anecdotes. I also enjoyed following her journey of being a journalist, and her family dynamic is interesting as her parents have typically lived with her as is customary in her culture.

Rating:

Wreck:

Summary:

Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who’s back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in.

It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them—and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all.

Quick Thoughts:

Ok, I don’t really know where to start with this one. I can’t remember where I saw it recommended, but I always appreciate an audio book suggestion. Before I downloaded the book, I realized it’s by the same author as Sandwich which is a book I started and didn’t read much of a couple of years ago.

Anyway, Rocky’s family is quirky which I liked. She navigated her health journey while caring for her father and dealing with her adult children which provided many complicated layers and dialogue. The wreck seemed to be secondary but it was woven into the plot. There just wasn’t a lot going on, and I guess I was just kind of bored while listening to this one.

Rating:

3.5 stars

Sandwich:

Summary:

For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.

This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.

It’s one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.

Quick Thoughts:

Since I hadn’t read Sandwich and I thought Wreck was ok, I decided to give Sandwich a second try. Obviously it was written first, so I did want to see how the characters were before the second book. Just like when I tried to read it a couple of years ago, I almost quit listening to it, but a few hours in the car by myself got me to the finish line.

Had I read this one first, I don’t think I would have read Wreck, so I’m glad I read Wreck first. The setting of a week in the summer in Sandwich was interesting as it was Rocky, her husband, her kids, and both her parents. Again, the family is kind of quirky, making for serious and light-hearted moments. In both books, there were references to abortion and miscarriage, so those ideas could weigh heavily on some readers.

Rating:

3 stars because I feel bad giving it less!

Let me know if you’ve read either of those books. It’s pretty rare for me not to feel like I can connect to characters or a plot.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek:

Summary:

In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry.

The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.

Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government’s new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.

Quick Thoughts:

I’ve had this list on my TBR list for quite a while. When Tanya shared her “Spring Books” post, she mentioned that the third book in the series comes out soon…So I decided to bump the first one to the top of my list.

I don’t think I’d heard of the “blue people” of Appalachia..but then I as I continued with the book, I realized maybe that I had?!

Anyway, I was immediately intrigued by Cussy, and I loved the Lexington, Frankfort, Louisville references. Cussy is strong, smart, caring, interesting, and inspiring.

This book reminded me of a mix of The Frozen River and The Giver of Stars, both books I loved so much.

This was the only historical fiction book I read this month, and as you probably know, that’s my favorite genre!

Rating:

I’ve already downloaded The Book Woman’s Daughter to listen to next!

Happy reading,

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: February 2026

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Another month of reading under my belt for 2026 and it was a good one. Today, I’m sharing the books I read this month.

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

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

The Correspondent:

Summary:

Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.

Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has—a mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.

Quick Thoughts:

I’ve never read a book like this one…and I mean it in the best possible way.

This book is beautifully written, and letters Sybil writes moves the plot forward. Sybil is such an interesting character…her letters and emails are beautiful, funny, witty, serious, grumpy, straightforward and more.

Through her letters, we learn about love, heartbreak, loss, relationships, and mistakes she’s made in her life. As I was reading, I wondered how it would end…how the plot, driven through letter writing, would wrap up. This book was a memorable one, and one that will tug at your heartstrings.

I would have loved to listen to this one, but my library had the Kindle version available sooner.

Fave Quote:

  • “But I think of life rather like a long road we walk in one direction. By and large a lonesome walk out in the wildness of hills and wind. Mountains. Snow. And sometimes there is someone to come along and walk with you for a stretch, and sometimes you see in the distance some lights and it heartens you, the lone house or maybe a village and you come into the warmth and stopover and go inside.“

Rating:

The First Time I Saw Him:

Summary:

Five years after her husband Owen disappeared, Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey have settled into a new life in Southern California. Together they’ve forged a relationship with Bailey’s grandfather Nicholas, and are putting the past behind them.

But when Owen shows up at Hannah’s new exhibition, Hannah knows that she and Bailey are in danger.

Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety—and finds there just might be a way back to Owen.

Quick Thoughts:

This was one of the books I listened to this month. This is the sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me. With the second season of the series coming out, I wanted to read this book. I guess this book was a “slow burn” with not a lot of action until the last 20% of the book. It did a good job of filling in the blanks since it had been a while since I read the first one. I feel like the ending left with the opportunity for a third book in the series?

Rating:

The Irish Goodbye:

Summary:

It’s been years since the three Ryan sisters were all home together at their family’s beloved house on the eastern shore of Long Island. Two decades ago, their lives were upended by an accident on their brother Topher’s boat, a friend’s brother was killed, the lawsuit nearly bankrupted their parents, and Topher spiraled into a depression, eventually taking his life. Now the Ryan women are back for Thanksgiving, eager to reconnect, but each carrying a heavy secret. The eldest, Cait, still holding guilt for the role no one knows she played in the boat accident, rekindles a flame with her high school crush, Topher’s best friend and the brother of the boy who died. Middle sister Alice’s been thrown a curveball threatening the career she’s restarting and faces a difficult decision that may doom her marriage. And the youngest, Maggie, is finally taking the risk to bring the woman she loves home to her devoutly Catholic mother. Infusing everything is the grief for Topher that none of the Ryans have figured out how to carry together.

When Cait invites a guest to Thanksgiving dinner, old tensions boil over and new truths surface, nearly overpowering the flickering light of their family bond. Far more than a family holiday will be ruined unless the sisters can find a way to forgive themselves—and one another.

Quick Thoughts:

I added this book to my TBR list since it was one of Jenna’s pics, and I really enjoyed this book. The three sisters are so different, and so much of the plot is over only a few days which I thought was interesting. The plot starts with the accident and goes from there, including a few flashbacks. The accident affected every family member differently, and those layers were peeled off through the years. I know what an “Irish Goodbye” is, but the reference to it in the story was subtle and kind of gave me pause to think about the connection. There are some heavy topics like miscarriage and abortion.

Rating:

4.5 stars!

Yes Please:

Summary:

In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by.

Quick Thoughts:

I chose this book because it was a quick audiobook and I needed something to listen to. It is from 2014, so sometimes I had to remind myself of that with some of her reference points. I always love hearing about other people’s lives, and this one didn’t disappoint. Amy’s Boston accent is so fun, and the stories of her childhood and making her way through the ranks for TV and comedy were interesting. I loved listening to it because she’s funny, but she also had guest readers like Carol Burnett, Seth Myers, and even her parents!

Rating:

3.5 stars

I’m almost finished with one more book, so I guess I will have ended up reading five books in February. I’ll share that one next month though.

Happy reading!

Posted in Books and Shows

Olympic Movies

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

The Winter Olympics have been so fun to watch so far. Over the weekend, I watched Glitter & Gold on Netflix which got me thinking about other movies and documentaries that focus on the Winter Olympics.

Ice Skating:

I loved Glitter & Gold and wish there were more episodes. Ice dancing is so amazing, and of course the different partnerships and drama are also interesting.

Chock and Bates are my fave duo, and I was able to watch some of their performances live thanks to the weekend and snow days. I inadvertently saw the results of the ice dancing, but I still watched it in Prime Time last night.

Who doesn’t love the movie The Cutting Edge? This movie was one of my all time faves in the 90’s, and I loved watching it with the kids a few years ago.

My brother will randomly say “Toe Pick!” #iykyk haha

Admittedly, I’ve not seen I, Tonya, but wow…I remember the Kerrigan/Harding rivalry in the 90’s and being fascinated with all the details of Kerrigan’s injury after being assaulted and if she’d be able to perform.

Bobsledding:

Cool Runnings was another fave from my childhood, but again, the kids loved watching it too. I wanted to re-watch it before the Olympics started but never had time. I will definitely try to watch it again soon.

Hockey:

I was born right before the big Miracle on Ice game. My mom tells the story of her hoping I’d stay asleep so they could finish watching the big game. It’s been years, but I did see the movie Miracle, and I’m pretty sure I’ve watched it with Hayden as well.

The latest documentary on Netflix, Miracle: The Boys of ’80, was another one I’d hoped to watch before the Olympic games started. I will definitely watch it soon as well.

The Mighty Ducks is an absolute classic, and it’s another fave I loved re-watching with my kids a few years ago.

Snow boarding:

I’ve not seen this Netflix documentary, but it’s about Scotty James, an Australian Olympic snowboarder.

I’m thankful my kids were interested in watching great 90’s movies with me…and I enjoy watching documentaries as well.

What did I miss? I’m sure there are other Olympic themed movies and docs that I’ve forgotten.