(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…
“Why”…Wednesdays
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…
398. Why Write Your Own
Above is a gelato/ice cream/frozen custard maker that I got for my birthday. If you’re in the neighborhood and want a frozen treat, hit me up. I think today’s delight will be tres leches gelato. If you’re reading this the day it goes live, it’s my fifty-seventh birthday. I’m writing way in advance of that,…
NetGalley Review of The Best I Never Had
(opens in new tab) title: The Best I Never Had author: Amy Buchanan publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin publication date: August 18, 2026 pages: 336 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: pregnancy and vomit maternal meanness summary: When Thea’s sister Addy says she’s marrying Harrison, Thea is completely surprised to discover that Harrison’s brother is Owen,…
397. Why Self-Sing
(opens in new tab) There’s so much evidence out there about the benefits of positive self-talk. If you click on the link above, you’ll get to my initial Google search on the topic, but you know how to poke around online for yourself, so even without that link, I’m sure you can find tons of…
NetGalley Review of My Best French Wedding
(opens in new tab) title: My Best French Wedding author: Amanda Sellet publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin publication date: August 11, 2026 pages: 320 peppers: 2 (on this scale) warnings: parental abandonment (past) smoking alcohol use summary: Hildy and Walter have been competitor journalists on the wedding beat for the last ten years, since they met…
396. Why Dr. Patel
(opens in new tab) If you haven’t read Wally Lamb’s book, The River is Waiting, you can buy it by clicking on the photo above. The post below has some spoilers, but not any major ones. In fact, I’m writing the post before I’ve read the last quarter of the novel, so I couldn’t ruin the…
NetGalley Review of Lost and Found
(opens in new tab) title: Lost and Found author: Tarah DeWitt publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin publication date: January 27, 2026 pages: 352 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: cancer death of a loved one by cancer grief bodily injury negative self-talk IVF summary: While Bea is getting over the death of her forever best friend…