My daughter, my best friend, and I are in the process of planning a road trip to Mount Rushmore and Grand Canyon National Park. If we were superhuman and could drive the whole way without stopping, it would take us 55 hours to drive the 3,763 miles. We're not, so we'll be making three extra

John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, didn't become a bestseller until its release as a trade paperback. A practicing lawyer in Mississippi, Grisham spent four years writing the book based on a case he observed. He went through a lot of rejections before being picked up for a limited run by a

I spend quite a bit of money on books. (I know...you're shocked.) For authors I enjoy, I will pre-order new releases and pay a premium for previous releases I haven't read. In some cases, I will buy the hard copy for my bookcase and the e-book to read on my Kindle. I generally don't wait

If I had a nickel for every time I told Corinne she is her father's child, it would be a lot of nickels. A review of "Where There's Smoke" by Rachel Louise Adams

While I spent a lot of time at camp when I was younger—Girl Scout camp, church camp (hey, I've already admitted to being a goody-two-shoes in What's the Punishment for Sneaking Out These Days?)—I never went to an extended summer camp. You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones highlighted in movi

Memory is a funny thing. I can remember the lyrics to dozens of Elton John songs from the 1970s (🎶 "It's a little bit funny...." 🎹), but I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday (or even if I ate breakfast 🤨). I can remember the preamble to the U.S. Constitution thanks to Schoolhouse Rock

Corinne's education for what she calls "professional dress-up" kicked off this past week when she started university classes. She declared majors in musical theater and digital media with the primary goal of being a stage actress—i.e., professional dress-up. During middle school and even into high s

Six years ago today, our world changed forever...yet life is still filled with constant reminders of you. A review of "Be My Baby" by Kathryn R. Biel

We've all heard the jokes about memory getting worse as we age—putting things in a safe place only to forget the safe place, walking into a room and forgetting why we're there, losing our keys when they're in our hand or our glasses when they're on our head. I have experienced all of those things

Twenty years ago, Paramount Pictures released Mean Girls, the story of Cady Heron, the new girl in high school who recently moved back to the States after being home schooled in Africa. Immediately embraced by misfits Janis and Damian, Cady finds herself drawn in by the popular clique led by Regina

Disclaimer: This blog post does not actually include a book review, and the only reference to reading is me always having a book at the ready while I'm waiting for something or someone. I hope you enjoy it anyway. 😊 Every year, I take off time before and after my daughter Corinne's birthday—to prepa

Someone told me once in a TikTok comment conversation that she loves finding book recommendations in the wild. A review of "The Wedding People" by Alison Espach

Parents will do just about anything for their kids. There are exceptions, of course. We’ve all heard horror stories and seen things on social media with a comment of “WTF is wrong with people?!” But for the most part, moms and dads will do just about anything for their kids. I have said before that

I don’t know many women who don’t like a good romantic comedy. I’m sure they exist. Heck, I’m sure I have some friends who wouldn’t sit through one. But I love a good rom-com. Do they idealize relationships? Yup. Do they create unrealistic expectations? Sure. Do they make me smile and feel good anyw

Who do you allow access for tracking your location? Is it ok for your spouse to always know where you are, or is that an invasion of privacy? What about a parent tracking their minor child? Every once in a while, this heated debate pops up on social media. Almost everyone lands firmly on one

The world of dating apps as described in the book below feels accurate based on what Corinne seems.... A review of "It's Not What You Think" by Clare Mackintosh

There has been some debate on Threads lately about whether readers should post reviews that are less than 4 or 5 stars. A lot of debate. When I first started blogging, I promised myself that I would share reviews of books that I love and books that I don't love. I literally put it at

There is a saying that the third time's a charm. Typically, it relates to when you screw something up or something goes wrong. So you try again...and again...and hopefully after you've messed it up twice, the third time will work. We have three dogs in our home (our first actually lives with my dad)

My Bookmory Calendar Every year, I join the Goodreads reading challenge. I typically average a book a week, so my goal is around the 50 mark to allow life to get in the way. While I had a handful of months where I read four or even five books this year, I started this year reading only

I don't remember the last time I had a summer of vacations. In fact, it's possible this has been my only one ever. A review of "If Not You" by Ellen O'Clover

For anyone of a certain age (🤫 Gen-X 🤫), any reference to changing the future probably brings on immediate thoughts of the Back to the Future series. Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly spends three movies using a time-traveling DeLorean to "fix" the past as a way to correct the future. Action-packed come

My husband Dennis loved what he called "boom movies." Anything with explosions and car chases (with subsequent crashes) could keep him entertained. When we first got married, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal were two of his staples. Despite the fact that I thought the plot lines were...ummm..

I have watched every episode of Survivor—all 620 of them (Confessions of a Reality TV Junkie), from season 1 when Jeff Probst was the blandest host on television to season 42 when he provided continuous, energetic color commentary and is a celebrity all on his own. When the show started in 2000, I w

I have said before that this blog is my passion project. A reader at heart, I started sharing reviews long before.... A review of "Dead Happy" by Nick Spalding

Corinne and I always plan for the next series to binge watch. Our current show is Modern Family. We're on season eight of eleven, and now I'm stuck waiting for two months until she comes home. A month ago, Corinne started a semester abroad in Liverpool. Since she can't stream the show there, I agree

Anyone who knows me well knows that I enjoy Shakespeare ("All the World’s a Stage"🎭). Some of my most vivid college memories come from Shakespeare—both from the course I took senior year as well as from the trip we took to the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada. I loved that trip...one of my best

The Golden Rule: Treat other people the way you want to be treated. A review of "Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive" by Stephanie Land

As an old Gen Xer, I grew out of my chunky earring phase a while ago. In my 20s, I did the whole.... A review of "Deadly Little Lessons" by Danielle Valentine

Stranger Things seems to have lost the plot...at least according to Corinne. (I didn't watch past.... A review of "It Should Have Been You" by Andrea Mara

If you were anywhere near a radio in 1990, you probably know "Hold On".... A review of "The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits" by Jennifer Weiner

When I was in high school, I knew I wanted to study journalism. Many people change their minds.... A review of "The Truth is a Theory" by Karyn Bristol

Corinne doesn't have her sights set on being the next Baryshnikov. First of all, she's not a boy. 🤷‍♀️ A review of "Whatever It Takes" by Kathryn R. Biel

I cried on my first day of kindergarten. I was so excited to be starting school, and I waited patiently.... A review of "46% Better Than Dave" by Alastair Puddick

The first Sunday in March, and my 2024 reading goal is already at risk. What?!?!?! By this time.... A review of "The Light in the Hallway" by Amanda Prowse

It can be difficult to find quiet time over the holidays. December fills up with shopping.... A review of "Completions & Connections by Kathryn R. Biel

Everyone loves pizza, right? I mean, it's possible there are people out in the world who don't. But on a.... A review of "Lost and Found" by Tarah DeWitt

Almost exactly five years ago, I wrote a post about how I select books and that I do judge a book by its cover. A review of "Ever After" by Amanda Prowse

When Corinne was in grade school, her school had "contracts" for behavior. Each student received a blank.... A review of "Half Sisters" by Virginia Franken.

If you've been reading my blog or have been my friend for any length of time, you already know that.... A review of "Heartbreak for Hire" by Sonia Hartl

My obsession with psychological thrillers started early...probably because there's a lot of crossover.... A review of "The Women in White" by Sarah Pekkanen