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…
“Why”…Wednesdays
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…
385. Why I Love Instagram
I pasted two screenshots from my Instagram account above. On the left, you’ll see my toolbar/menu, not because it’s that exciting, but because I usually ignore it completely. On the right, you’ll see some of my saved folders. That’s what I love about Instagram. It doesn’t have as much to do with what I can…
NetGalley Review of Good Joy, Bad Joy
title: Good Joy, Bad Joy author: Mikki Brammer publisher: St. Martin’s Press publication date: May 19, 2026 pages: 304 peppers: 1 (on this scale) warnings: death, cancer, dying, theft, law-breaking, adultery summary: When her best friend of almost a century tells Joy that she’s dying, Joy examines her life and decides to make some big…