On My Nightstand June 13, 2026

reading buddy

I can’t believe it’s mid-June already. How did that happen? I need time to slow down a little bit, or I need to clone myself so I can finally get a few things done. Either will work.

Quote of the week

“Why are we all tormenting each other when everything might be so comfortable?”

— Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Summer storms on the way

On My Nightstand This Week

(Click on any of the titles for more information)

Kindle - I’m still working on cleaning up my kindle a bit. In that spirit I am finally starting Lift by Kelly Corrigan.

Audiobook - Last year I bailed on Brave The Wild River by Melissa Sevigny, but I wanted to try again. Hoping it was me and not the book.

Paper Book - Still working on The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher. Such the perfect 1980’s chunkster.

magnolia time

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand June 6, 2026

summer games under the lights

My daughter still has a few more days of school, but we’re feeling the summer vibes around here. My summer reading is in full swing, and I’ve been doing a much better job of sitting down to read instead of listening to audiobooks while multitasking. (NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!)

Quote of the week

“That hat is at least ten fire emojis. It’s all that, and extra butter.”

— Arsenio by Arsenio Hall

Summer flowers

On My Nightstand This Week

(Click on any of the titles for more information)

Kindle - Summer reading time! I’m working on a group read of Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave on Litsy.

Audiobook - After I finished The Talisman I needed to do a re-listen to Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub.

Paper Book - Another summer group read! The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher is great for reading in the sun.

finally accomplished my walk across the wilson bridge bucket list item

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand May 30, 2026

It’s official!

We did it! My son graduated yesterday. I wondered why they had the ceremonies on Thursday and Friday instead of the weekend, but it is nice to have two days to recover before I go back to work. I even managed to sit down and read 100 pages of a book this morning. Hopefully things will calm down a bit now. I always say that…

Quote of the week

“People always think despair will kill them, but a little maple syrup, and life looks different.”

— Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

cat naps

On My Nightstand This Week

(Click on any of the titles for more information)

Kindle - I couldn’t settle on anything so decided to do a re-read of Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese.

Audiobook - I joined in on another challenge to read all of the Newbery Medal books in order starting with The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon.

Paper Book - I’m alternating between the heavy The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and the light Called Again by Jennifer Pharr Davis.

the sun came back!

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand May 16, 2026

roses from the garden

BREAKING NEWS: I actually calmed down and read all of the books I wanted to read last week. Very exciting. Hopefully this trend continues because even though my reading has slowed down my kindle deals and library check outs have not! It’s supposed to be really hot next week (after being in the 50’s this week) so I’m planning on porch reading nights as often as I can.

Quote of the week

“I took the trouble this morning to call on the pretended count- if he were a real count he wouldn’t be so rich.”

— The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

yard reading

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Another goofy cozy from my kindle- Dirty Water: A Red Sox Mystery.

Audiobook - It’s time for James Monroe in my one president a month buddy read group. I picked James Monroe: A Life by Tim McGrath.

Paper Book - I found a copy of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt in a Little Free Library up the street and can’t wait to dive in.

library haul

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand April 25, 2026

It’s still spring but the skies are starting to look like summer

The weather has been wild, but I have gotten some good porch reading sessions in. It’s been helping in my quest to actually read books and not scroll social media.

Quote of the week

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope”

— The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

books + ice cream = summer

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - Still going on The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng. It’s so good, just long! I really picked some chunksters this year.

Audiobook - I am cracking up at Secrets of the Purple Pearl by Kate McKinnon. This series is great for audio walking.

Paper Book - I’m about to start Bamboo and Blood by James Church. It’s from a mystery series set in North Korea.

what is up with this cat

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand April 18, 2026

i love to read under this apple tree when it is in bloom

I was looking at my March stats and it was really heavy on audiobooks. So my goal in April is to read more while sitting on my butt - either in print or on kindle!

Quote of the week

“I had never imagined I would have to explain the significance of chocolate bunnies that laid caramel eggs in nests of shredded green plastic each Easter...”

— A Tender Struggle by Krista Bremer

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - I finally started The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng. I’m looking forward to long spring evenings on my porch with this one.

Audiobook - I’ve got another long one- Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I started it on paper, but it was taking me too long to get through so I switched to audio so I could multi task.

Paper Book - I’m trying to finish Heaven’s Keep by William Kent Krueger before the library repossess my car or something. Paper books have just been so slow going for me lately.

lunch and a book on a warm day

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand March 28, 2026

cherry blossom time!

Another busy week here. Looking at the calendar it will stay that way until graduation. I hope my brain can stay calm enough to read.

It’s almost midnight as I write this, and I just got back from dropping a car full of teens off. I’m still a little wired from being out so late so I think I will catch up on my chapter a day classic reads before I go to bed. Maybe a late night snack too?

Quote of the week

“Life is choice. All day, everyday. Who we talk to, where we sit, what we say, how we say it. And our lives become defined by our choices. It’s as simple and as complex as that. And as powerful. so when I’m observing that’s what I’m watching for. The choices people make.”

— Still Life by Louise Penny

catching up on some reading and journaling

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - I’m about to start Unshakable by Fr. Mike Schmitz as this year’s Easter Read.

Audiobook - I’ve got another long one- Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I started it on paper, but it was taking me too long to get through so I switched to audio so I could multi task.

Paper Book - I’m trying to finish Heaven’s Keep by William Kent Krueger before the library repossess my car or something. Paper books have just been so slow going for me lately.

lunch and a book on a warm day

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand March 21, 2026

flowers just before the rain (Asheville, nc)

Spring is official now! I still haven’t put my winter clothes away though. We’ve been touring colleges and getting ready for a French student to come stay with us. There’s so much going on! My audiobook consumption is still outpacing my physical book consumption by a lot.

Quote of the week

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope”

— The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

PJs and book all laid out on a busy day

On My Nightstand This Week

Kindle - I have the ARC of The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung.

Audiobook - I’m in the middle of the very long Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose.

Paper Book - I’m still reading Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I picked so many long books this month!

morning skies

Hang in there everyone, and happy reading.

Note: links to bookshop.org are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

On My Nightstand June 22, 2024

We were away last week touring colleges and hiking in the smokies. I did a lot of reading but barely finished anything. Just one of those weeks where I couldn’t decide what to read so I read a bit of everything.

I’m itching to start a new cookbook project so I’ll be researching for that this week.

Have a great week all!

Quote of the week

“Language is a maze, and the mind can get lost.”

— The Postcard by Anne Berest

Reading This Week:

Kindle - Long Island by Colm Toibin - I loved Brooklyn and am really looking forward to the sequel.

Audio - Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby - I love his books and this audio has been perfect summer listening so far.

Paper - Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes - Still working on this! Not sure why it’s been such a struggle for me, but now I’m 100 pages in so I might as well finish.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

On My Nightstand June 9, 2024

This is it on the 2023-2024 school year. Son is done with school, and daughter has one soccer game plus 3 half days of school. We have almost survived. I am looking forward to a little breathing room where every second of every day doesn’t have to be scheduled. I’m behind on visiting blogs. I’m hoping to spend an afternoon this week catching up. After all, my TBR isn’t going to add to itself!

Have a great week all!

Quote of the week

“Nope. Uh-uh. We don’t stick around for that applesauce.”

— The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green

Reading This Week:

Kindle - The Postcard by Anne Berest - This book in translation was all over summer reading lists last year, but I’m just getting to it this summer.

Audio - A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman - For a book club. Sounds fin!

Paper - Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes - A lot of people love this one, but I’m still waiting to get into it. I paid cash money for it, so I want to like it, but I won’t give it too much longer.

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

On My Nightstand June 1, 2024

I’m back from my nephew’s graduation and a visit to my favorite book store in the world- Book Barn in Niantic, Connecticut. If you ever have a chance to go, do it! I could spend hours there wandering between the various buildings searching for treasures. I ended up with some summer reading for my kids, one for me, and a mini-stack of vintage Nancy Drews.

Now that we’re home I’m putting in the hours cleaning up my garden and getting back to my walking routine. I have an audiobook going at all times of course!

Have a great week all!

Quote of the week

“This is what you must remember: the ending of one story is just the beginning of another.”

— The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Reading This Week:

Kindle - The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green - I have an ARC of this book. It comes out in three days so I need to get it done. I’m enjoying it so far so that shouldn’t be a problem!

Audio - The Silence of the Library by Miranda James - I’ve been listening to this series in between other heavier books.

Paper - Songs In Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris - I got this at a friends of the library sale last year and I keep forgetting to read it. This is the week!

This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!