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CARITA GARDINER

What to Read When You're Avoiding School Work

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“Why”…Wednesdays

373. Why CTV

Posted on February 18, 2026February 16, 2026 by caritagardiner

Have you ever streamed a show created by Canadian Television? After watching Heartland and Sullivan’s Crossing, I wanted to write about the joys of watching shows made in Canada. I find myself getting completely sucked into them for so many reasons. I’ll share a few (in no particular order): Everyone hides from their feelings for…

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NetGalley Review of Last Bite

Posted on February 17, 2026November 27, 2025 by caritagardiner

title: Last Bite author: Amy S. Peele publisher: She Write Press publication date: February 24, 2026 pages: 256 peppers: 2 (on this scale) warnings: death, food-poisining, mentions of vomit, violence, gun shots, hospital, surgery, mention of cancer, pot-smoking summary: At her husband’s funeral, Angie discovers two things: that people are getting lucky in the bathroom,…

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372. Why Add Sauce

Posted on February 11, 2026February 10, 2026 by caritagardiner

If the cookbook above looks good to you, click on the link for a place to purchase it. Since I haven’t seen more than the cover, I can’t recommend or warn. When I was young and my family dinner had more than one layer, the pre-plating question was always, “On top of or next to?”…

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NetGalley Review of Still Into You

Posted on February 5, 2026February 11, 2026 by caritagardiner

title: Still Into You author: Erin Connor publisher: Forever publication date: February 10, 2026 pages: 352 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: drug use (past) alcohol hangovers pot smoking summary: Sloane, who’s working as a freelance music critic/writer, gets the chance of a lifetime: to write the first interview with a band that hasn’t given…

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371. Why Sign Up

Posted on February 4, 2026February 3, 2026 by caritagardiner

Though I don’t spend nearly as much time as I’d like at our house in Maine, I do subscribe to several regular email newsletters about what’s going on in our town. I know when the Windham Town Council meets, what’s going on at the Windham Town Hall, and all of the many events sponsored by…

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NetGalley Review of Maybe This Once

Posted on February 3, 2026August 20, 2025 by caritagardiner

title: Maybe This Once author: Sophie Sullivan publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin publication date: February 10, 2026 pages: 336 peppers: 2 (on this scale) warnings: none summary: After her potential, future step sisters post a horrible (and doctored) video of her that goes viral, Charlie needs to escape California, where her drama-queen mother plans to remarry…

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NetGalley Review of Racing Hearts

Posted on February 2, 2026September 8, 2025 by caritagardiner

title: Racing Hearts author: Ann Adams publisher: Dell publication date: February 10, 2026 pages: 352 peppers: 3 (on this scale) warnings: mean people summary: When her perfect-on-paper boyfriend says something rough in the minutes before the most important race of her life, Kath, who knows that routine and superstition is what keeps her rowing at…

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370. Why Not HFN

Posted on January 28, 2026January 27, 2026 by caritagardiner

You don’t have to have been reading my blog all seven years to know that I love romance novels. If you’ve been here at all before today, first, thanks for sticking with me. Second, you’ve probably already learned a thing or two about romance. (If today’s your first day reading my blog, thanks for being…

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369. Why Heated Rivalry (Guest Post)

Posted on January 21, 2026January 19, 2026 by caritagardiner

Clicking on the image above will take you to the IMDB page for Heated Rivalry; I wish I could zap you to a free place to watch the show, but it’s on HBO, so you’ll have to subscribe to see it. That said, you’re going to want to pay the fee (for at least a…

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NetGalley Review of Last First Kiss

Posted on January 20, 2026August 6, 2025 by caritagardiner

title: Last First Kiss author: Julian Winters publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin publication date: January 27, 2026 pages: 352 peppers:  (on this scale) warnings: drug and alcohol use, mean parents summary: Jordan’s mother sets him up on a lot of blind dates with women, none of whom cause him to feel sparks. Meanwhile, he has to…

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WHAT I DO

I serve as a class dean and teach English to high schoolers at a boarding school in Connecticut. I’ve earned a Bachelor of Arts (Amherst College), an Education Master in Learning and Teaching (Harvard University Graduate School of Education), a Master of Arts in English (Bread Loaf School of English), and most recently a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a certificate in the online teaching of writing (Southern New Hampshire University).

As a writer, I hope to capture the complexity and joy of life in the New England boarding school world. On this site, I share what I know about trying to write fiction while deaning, teaching English, coaching, and doing the other tasks associated with helping to raise over six hundred other people’s children.

WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU

Teach                    Tutor

Revise                   Edit

Entertain             Enlighten

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Contact Me

  • cgardine@hotchkiss.org

Read my recent “Why” Wednesday Blog Posts

  • NetGalley Review of While You Were Seething
  • 380. Why Jumbled (GUEST POST)
  • NetGalley Review of Don’t Tell Me How This Ends
  • NetGalley Review of Stranger Things Have Happened
  • 379. Why Prank
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