(opens in new tab) title: A Study in Sparkling author: Jodi McAlister publisher: Atria Books publication date: September 15, 2026 pages: 384 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: alcohol adultery – polygamy meanness summary: Fiona is trying to make life work for herself and her three kids after her husband announced that he had another…
“Why”…Wednesdays
NetGalley Review of The Sugar Maple Inn
(opens in new tab) title: The Sugar Maple Inn author: Laura Bloom publisher: Dell publication date: September 15, 2026 pages: 352 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: a billionaire alcohol use summary: Grace has wanted to buy the local island’s inn for the last fourteen years, so she’s completely blindsided by out-of-town billionaire Reese, who…
402. Why Dad Jokes
(opens in new tab) [I wrote the following essay as part of our inaugural Prep English Writing Lab last year. I followed all of the same rules and timelines as my students.] Both of my parents read and wrote broadly; my mother was a literature and women’s studies professor (and is still an avid reader),…
NetGalley Review of The Thoroughbreds
(opens in new tab) title: The Thoroughbreds author: Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham publisher: Little, Brown and Company publication date: September 15, 2026 pages: 464 peppers: 2 (on this scale) warnings: alcohol and drug use, including overdoses cigarette smoking summary: a sequel to The Academy, this book follows the subsequent/ 6th Form year of the students…
NetGalley Review of Hollow Bones
(opens in new tab) title: Hollow Bones author: Jodi Picoult publisher: Ballantine Books publication date: September 15, 2026 pages: 464 peppers: 1 (on this scale) warnings: death post-partum psychosis violence accidents summary: Molly doesn’t serve as an emergency preparedness expert only because her mother died in 9/11, but that’s certainly a big part of her…
401. Why Start Over
I’m lucky to be starting my twenty-eighth year working in the beautiful, selective school behind this gate. Each new year brings new opportunities and challenges, and I’m here for both the highs and the lows of trying to help teenagers grow up to be the best possible versions of themselves. It’s a very cyclical life….
400. Why Conventions of Composition
(opens in new tab) If you’re not a grammar geek (as I am) or a teacher (yep, also true for me), you might be thinking that you want no part of this post, but please read it anyway for the following reasons: You’re already here. It would be a waste of time to read this…
NetGalley Review of The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies
(opens in new tab) title: The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies author: Kate Westbury publisher: Minotaur publication date: September 1, 2026 pages: 352 peppers: 1 (on this scale) warnings: spying gunshots war stampede in which someone gets stepped on alcohol summary: Ginevra father has made it clear that she should have to marry an…
399. Why My Presence Shouldn’t Matter
(opens in new tab) When I arrived at Hotchkiss (almost three decades ago), the school’s rule book was called Blueprints. I loved that name, as it implied we were building something together each year, given a set of plans as a guide. One summer, in consultation with noone, a former head of school changed the…
NetGalley Review of I Kissed Her First
(opens in new tab) title: I Kissed Her First author: Betty Cayouette publisher: Saturday Books publication date: August 25, 2026 pages: 320 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: homophobia death (off page, earlier) drug addiction (off page, earlier) alcohol use summary: Riley is thrilled to get the job as private chef to her favorite singer…