Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Candles

 This week's topic is bookish candles.

I'm a sucker for candles - particularly for bookish ones.

I really like From the Page.

I have a few of their candles, but here are a few I would purchase:

Anne of Green Gables

Pride and Prejudice

 

Reading Spaces 

Lord of the Rings

Sarah Beth Durst

Fourth Wing 

Book Witch

Would you grab any of these candles?

Middle Grade Monday: Books I Want to Read

 This week, I'm sharing some middle grade books I have on my TBR.

Upcoming Reads:

April 2026

Thriller - art heist

Book 2 - mystery

November 2025 

October 

Graphic Novel - love this series

September

Book 2 - Thriller

October 

October 

Drama

October

Drama

Currently Available:

Graphic Novel

Book 3

Graphic Novel

Companion Novel

Adventure 

Novel in Verse

Mystery

Mystery

Have you read any of these?

Are any of these on your TBR list too?

Review: I Love You S'mores

 

Ivy's happy to head back to the camp she attended as a child. Right now, her personal life went up in flames. Her girlfriend of four years broke up with her. Ally's now a fan favorite on a TV show. The break-up hit the news, and Ivy just wants to forget everything. 

When she returns to camp, she's stunned to see her ex-best friend. Rynn is also a counselor who also wants the theater directing job. Now they're stuck co-directing. Ivy's bunk is having some friendship drama, and she feels inadequate. She's trying but feels like she's failing on every level. Could Rynn have some advice for her?

My Thoughts: This was a fantastic summer read - perfect for those who are nostalgic for camp. I felt terrible for Ivy for all the drama: the bad break-up, the cheating girlfriend, and the bunk drama. I wanted to give her hug. She's having a rough summer. I loved that she reconnected with Rynn - even though there are hurt feelings on both sides. I really enjoyed this summer reading. I love reading books about camp. 

Cover Thoughts: Adorable

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A fantastic summer romance for your public library.

Review: Every Summer After

 

Percy and Sam have been inseparable since Percy's family moved next door. They haven't talked in years. Charlie, Sam's brother, calls with news of his mother's death. He knows that Sam and Percy haven't talked recently. But Percy loved the boys' mom and they could use her at the funeral. Could this be the right time to heal the rift between Sam and Percy?

My Thoughts: I know I'm late to the party with this book. I've been wanting to read this, but it was nice to finally read it. This was a fun summer read with a dual timeline - as Percy and Sam grew up. I loved that they were best friends from the first moment they met. I wasn't a fan of Percy's best friend from home, but she did grow on me. The twist at the end made me annoyed but I'm curious enough to read Charlie's story. 

Cover Thoughts: Perfect for Summer

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A highly recommended romance book for your public library's collection. 

Picture Book Review: Fall Picture Books

Just a few picture books for fall:

This Little Golden Book celebrates the colors and traditions of fall.

I love this book - the illustrations are great. The color concepts are spot on. I love the way it rhymes and all the animals. It will make for a great read aloud for storytimes. It's just perfect. 

An informative picture book without a lot of text and fantastic illustrations. 

Fall is so much fun for these three friends as they navigate fall and Halloween. From leaves to costumes to favorite candies, this book showcases it all.

* this isn't a picture book, but an adorable easy chapter book with great pictures 

I'm here for all the fall books and the cooler weather. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Villains

 This week's topic is Villains. 

We did this one back in 2016. You can read my thought here. 

I love a good villain - especially one that makes you hate them so much.

I will say that Sarah J Maas writes excellent villains. They are so cruel - Maeve is horrific

But I also think there are men in romance novels who are jerks:

like Dr. Satan in

Or Cole in

Or men who want to mold women into their ideal partner like Allen from 

Then there's the villain to hero move, which is very hard to do. But Sarah MacLean did it with:

Thrillers:
Or the one in this book (no names because of spoilers)

Sports 

the boys in this one made my blood boil

What type of villain sticks with you long after you've finished reading?

Middle Grade Review: Dream On

 

Cassie has a hard time.

1. Her mom's attention is usually on a younger child

2. Cassie has a LOT of siblings

3. Her best friend moved and now they don't see each other as often

4. Another girl in class is trying to come between them

5. She's in between times - learning what is cool and what is babyish

6. She keeps being told that she's so sensitive

7. She wants to win a sweepstakes to make everyone else happy

My Thoughts: Finding your place is hard, especially when you're in that in between stage. My heart went out to poor Cassie. Friendships drama is hard to read, especially with mean girls. But I love how everything turned out. I wonder if this will be turned into a series; I wouldn't mind reading more about Cassie's friendship adventures. 

* Book sent for review

Why I read this graphic novel: I love the Best Friends series

Source: Book sent for Review

Library Recommendation: A must have graphic novel for your school and library's collection

Hand this to: readers struggling with friends or readers who love drama