title: Villa Coco author: Andrew Sean Greer publisher: Doubleday publication date: June 9, 2026 pages: 288 peppers: 2 (on this scale) warnings: frenetic pace summary: the unnamed narrator gets a job at Villa Coco. He’s supposed to be there to catalogue the contents of the house, but the quirky, ninety-two year old owner of the…
“Why”…Wednesdays
388. Why Not “Could Potentially”
The image above will bring you to the Conventions of Composition rule about repetition. It’s about redundancy and how to avoid it. If you read the rule, you’ll learn about why not to repeat yourself. The site provides a lesson in not saying the same thing more than once. I hope you see what I…
NetGalley Review of You Won’t Forget Me
title: You Won’t Forget Me author: Mazey Eddings publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin publication date: June 9, 2026 pages: 336 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: compulsions, social media abuse depression heteronormativity gaslighting summary: Cubby’s cheating, unkind ex Connor has left their band, gotten huge as a solo artist, and debuted both songs that Cubby wrote…
NetGalley Review of The Valencia Expat Club
title: The Valencia Expat Club author: June Patrick publisher: Atria Books publication date: June 2, 2026 pages: 302 peppers: 2 (on this scale) warnings: lots of alcohol and hangovers summary: When her divorce is almost final and she wants out of San Francisco, Dahlia runs to visit long-lost cousins in Valencia, where she runs into…
387. Why Give Speeches
Three-hundred-sixty-three days ago, as Dean of the Class of 2025, I spoke the night before graduation to the students and their families. The photo above shows me, at the beginning of my speech, taking a photo for my Instagram #hotchkiss365 account. If you click the photo, you can watch/listen to the whole ceremony, which (in…
NetGalley Review of Girl’s Girl
title: Girl’s Girl author: Sonia Feldman publisher: The Dial Press publication date: June 2, 2026 pages: 256 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: alcohol and drunkenness vomit summary: Mina, Eleanor, and Margaret have a tight friendship that gets rocked to its core when Eleanor and Mina kiss, and when Mina’s protective mother grounds her for…
NetGalley Review of Evening the Score
title: Evening the Score author: Lexi LaFleur Brown publisher: Mira publication date: May 26, 2026 pages: 320 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: taxidermied animals summary: Olivia wants revenge for the dirty, career-ending hit Erik Parker took on her father, so she decides to get close to Erik’s son Brody, who’s the star player on…
386. Why Shuffle-Ball-Change
In the airport in Miami, I saw a woman in the attire above. I asked to take a photo of her pants and shoes because I needed evidence of my pink and sparkly sole sister. I couldn’t find the shoes online, so I don’t own them…yet, but give me time. If you, dear reader, find…
NetGalley Review of Dolly All
title: Dolly all the Time author: Annabel Monaghan publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons publication date: May 26, 2026 pages: 368 peppers: 2 (on this scale) warnings: parental abandonment car accident with traumatic brain injury (in past) suggestion of abortion cancer (she’s fine now) summary: Along with her son Gus, Dolly heads back to her small town…
NetGalley Review of The Cherry Blossom Boathouse
title: The Cherry Blossom Boathouse author: Laura Bloom publisher: Dell publication date: May 26, 2026 pages: 352 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: alcoholism adoption and child abandonment break-ins summary: In a wine-fueled evening after losing her job and her boyfriend, Sophie decides to crowdfund her dream plan: buying a boathouse to turn into a…