title: The Heartbreak Hotel author: Ellen O’Clover publisher: Berkley publication date: September 23, 2025 pages: 384 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: mental illness, alcohol use, family trauma and child neglect, childhood illness and death summary: When Lou’s famous boyfriend leaves her for another woman, her most important ask is that she get to keep…
“Why”…Wednesdays
351. Why I Played Chess
If you know anything about chess, you can see from the photos above that I’m not good. Given my skill level (or lack thereof), you might not guess that I’ve been playing chess daily with my father for years. My father esteemed chess. When he expressed this sentiment to me, more than five years ago,…
NetGalley Review of You Make it Feel Like Christmas
title: You Make it Feel Like Christmas author: Sophie Sullivan publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin publication date: September 23, 2025 pages: 320 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: on-ice injury summary: Maisie and her siblings are finally getting the whole family together for Christmas at a quaint tree farm in a super-cute town. Surprisingly, the owner’s…
350. Why Learn Names
I took the photo above on our family trip to Mexico City last spring. I cannot recommend Mexico City highly enough as a destination. Maybe I’ll write a separate post about all the fun things to do there even if you’re too scared to try to elusive street taco. The image captures a Rodin Gates…
NetGalley Review of We Met Like This
title: We Met Like This author: Kasie West publisher: St. Martin’s Press; Saturday Books publication date: September 16, 2025 pages: 368 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: name-calling, drunkenness summary: Margot Hart has been stuck as an assistant and receptionist for a publishing agent for four years while her boss alternates between sleeping with her…
349. Why Skipping is Arrogant
The Class of 2027’s theme for the year is SHOW UP, STAND UP, STEP UP, and today, I’m going to rant about how important the first one is. Besides, if you don’t do the first, you can’t do the other two. As a class dean, I spend a lot of time sorting out students’ attendance….
NetGalley Review of Game On
title: Game On author: Ki Stephens publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin publication date: September 9, 2025 pages: 336 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: broken arm, house fire (before story), absent and neglecting parents summary: Ella, a student at Oxford, decides to study abroad in Nashville so that she can take advantage of the amazing cheer…
348. Why Un-Fresh Start
For people in the real world, January first is the beginning of the year, but for those of us in academia, the transition from August to September always marks a beginning. This fall, my twenty-seventh at Hotchkiss, I am taking over as the Dean of the Class of 2027. I like the parallel numbers, but…
NetGalley Review of Love Walked In
title: Love Walked In author: Sarah Chamberlain publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin publication date: September 2, 2025 pages: 352 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: parental neglect, meanness, and death (before the story) summary: Mari loves the bookstore where she works in Northern California, but her mentor Suzanne won’t retire and turn it over to her…
347. Why Travel
I don’t make a secret of the fact that I’d probably be happy spending every vacation minute I have at our house in Maine. However, it’s not true that my daughters want to come to Maine (or Lakeville) too often to visit us, so when my boss (Hi, CB!) told me that the way he…