Space Station Mir

 Once again, I feel like I've got a lot of reads going at once, for book clubs, pleasure, and learning. I finished more of them in June, and there are a lot that I would recommend, in addition to a few that were just okay or just not for me. Books Read in June 2025 The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop (Book club read)--This was one of the best memoirs I've read in a while. I didn't realize Kelly (formerly Carole) Bishop not only originated the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line , but "At the Ballet" is based on her real life. I loved learning about her life in show biz, including her time on one of my favorite shows, Gilmore Girls! Family Family by Laurie Frankel (Other book club read)--Interesting perspective on different types of adoptive families. Letter to a Stranger: Essays to the Ones Who Haunt Us, edited by Colleen Kinder--I was entranced with these letters to strangers from various writers. D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins--I loved...

  The Best Advice by Amy Dressler (Shakespeare Project, Book 2) Publication Date: July 8, 2025 After reading a second book of hers , I'm going to go ahead and say that I'm a fan of Amy Dressler and I look forward to reading more of her books, particularly this Shakespeare retelling series! Her first book, How to Align the Stars,  retells my favorite Shakespeare comedy, Much Ado About Nothing , and The Best Advice  follows up with a retelling of my second favorite Shakespeare comedy, As You Like It.  In both books, Dressler deftly transplants the scenarios and characters of the respective plays to the contemporary Pacific Northwest. However, unlike the most creatively imagined setting for a performance of the original script, Dressler makes the bones her own, sculpting and weaving them into lived-in and relevant characters and settings in a novel for a modern audience, with playful references to the original text (e.g., Phoebe Shepherd-Shepherd) and (mostly) ironing ...

 I missed this topic last week, so this freebie post is my chance to make it up! A lot of mine would probably be the same as Jana's , but I'll try to throw a few different ones in there. It is definitely shaping up to be an outstanding year for the fun, cozy books I'm most drawn to these days! (And I'm clearly not the only one.) I discussed a lot of these in my last post , so I've only added quick descriptors for the ones I didn't. My Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025 Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders, Publication Date: August 19, 2025 All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert, Publication Date: September 9, 2025 The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez, Publication Date: September 9, 2025--"A gorgeous, atmospheric debut fantasy that reimagines the Jewish myth of golem in a tale rooted in history, folklore, and sapphic romance"--Say less! The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah...

Unfortunately, I missed posting yesterday, but I still wanted to get this out. I'm really excited for summer reading this year! I've been on a reading roll lately, and I'm excited about a lot of books that are coming out this summer or summer-related books that are already out. It's also finally time where I can spend a lot of time sitting and reading outside, which I enjoy every summer.  Books On My Summer 2025 To-Read List The Best Advice by Amy Dressler, Publication Date: July 8, 2025--Last year, I reviewed Dressler's Align the Stars , a modern retelling of Much Ado About Nothing, which I enjoyed, and I'm excited to review the eARC for this one ahead of the publication date. I already love its spin on As You Like It. Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders, Publication Date: August 19, 2025--Already preordered this sure to be amazing and poignant book from one of my favorite authors. Might even get an ARC if the stars align. All the Way to the Ri...

For this Top Ten Tuesday' s "Summer Freebie," I'm doing books that make me think of summer, based on cover, title, description, setting, or anything else. Some of these are books I've read and others are on my TBR.  Books That Make Me Think of Summer  Summer Sisters by Judy Blume Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan Camp by L.C. Rosen Well Met by Jen DeLuca The Villa by Rachel Hawkins The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland One Last Summer by Kate Spencer Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez Until Next Summer by Ali Brady

I feel like I did a lot of reading this month. Even though I only finished a few books, I started and continued reading many more. I've been a vociferous and random reader lately--so here's some variety. Books Read in May 2025  Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli--Random library browse find, about a woman who was raised as a social media star, the impact it's had on her, and her quest to save her little sister from the same fate. Tina: The Dog Who Changed the World by Niall Harbison--I've followed Harbison on social media for a while, and I love his stories about his rescue dogs in Thailand, so I was happy to buy the book to support. It's a more long-form version of his online stories, and I really enjoyed the stories about Tina and the other dogs. Funny Story by Emily Henry--Another impulse library grab, because I knew I would enjoy another literary romance from Emily Henry. This one is a really absurd situation--living with the ex-boyfriend of the woman...

A Thorn In Every Heart by Kate King (Enchanted Legacies #1)  Release Date: April 1, 2025 Full Disclosure: I applied and was accepted to receive an eARC for this book, but there was a mix-up and I never got it/never received a response. Recently, I found it on Kindle Unlimited, so that's how I read it. First of all, if you're looking for a heart-pumping, spicy romantasy, this is definitely a great book for you. Second of all, the same thing that got me to pick up the book is probably the main reason I'm not giving it 5 stars: Beauty and the Beast meets Anastasia! I was EXCITED. One of my favorite fairytales and one of my favorite historical mysteries! Yeah...no.  Don't get me wrong. The book is clearly heavily influenced by both Disney films, but as someone who, yes, has seen the Disney films, but also has read other versions of both stories...no. I don't really see a lot of the Anastasia story at all, again, unless, you count select elements of the Disney movie, and...