Is it just me or do lip kits feel very 2016?
Call it nostalgia or just curiosity but when I spotted the Lacura Lip Kit at my local Aldi, I decided to test it out. I will confess I have small lips, so I am not usually very into lip products (I tend to focus on my eyes instead). But for $5.99 for the kit, I thought it was worth experimenting.
I’m not scared to say it. Is anyone else thinking about fall?
Yes, I realize it’s still the heart of summer, but I find myself craving fall candles, cooler weather, and scary movies. I fully expect to cave and pull out my fall decor once August rolls around.
In the meantime, I’ll do my best to enjoy the rest of the summer, which includes diving into some good books. My latest reads are a bit all over the place (like usual):
– The Fractured Dark by Megan E. O’Keefe
– Escape! by Stephen Fishbach
– Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa Roehrich
– Storm of Secrets and Sorrow by Melissa Roehrich
– Play by Stuart Brown
– True Crime: A Memoir by Patricia Cornwell
– Murder in the Crooked House by Soji Shimada
– The Triathlete’s Training Bible by Joe Friel
– Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe
– She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva
– You Are an Ironman by Jacques Steinberg
– Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Let’s get into the reviews!
I’m the kind of person that latches on to certain beauty products. I think I’ve been using the L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara for literally a decade now, if not longer.
But when I recently spotted the Lacura They’re Brilliant Mascara on the shelf of my local Aldi, I decided to give it a try. At $4.99 for a tube, it’s a price that’s hard to beat.
And just like that, it’s almost the start of May.
While summer may be around the corner, I find myself wanting to do a deep spring cleaning and a complete reset. It very much feels like a time of renewal and transformation in my life as I think about what I want the rest of this year to look like. Anyone else feeling this way?
Regardless, that hasn’t stopped me from reading! This spring has included a mix of fiction and non-fiction reads. The list includes:
-Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman
-The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O’Keefe
-A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann
-Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede
-Quit Like a Millionaire by Bryce Leung and Kristy Shen
-Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
-Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
Now, for the reviews!
The start to 2026… has been a lot. I think I’ll leave it at that.
But, it’s been a great time to dive into books. I read 13 books over January and February and had a good mix of fiction and non-fiction.
The list includes:
-The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem
-The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem
-Pathfinders by J.L. Collins
-Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
-The Burning God by R.F. Kuang
-Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
-When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur
-The Last Town by Blake Crouch
-Run Like a Pro (Even If You’re Slow) by Ben Rosario and Matt Fitzgerald
-The Intersectional Environmentalist by Leah Thomas
-The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino
-Private Rites by Julia Armfield
-Empire of AI by Karen Hao
Let’s get into the reviews!
I did it! Well, mostly.
As part of my 2025 New Year’s resolutions, I attempted a no-buy year for new clothing. Now, a year later, I can say it was easier than I thought! (Though, I definitely wasn’t perfect.)
Let’s talk about it.
It’s that time of the year again!
I love taking the time to reflect on all of my reads for the year, as there are always some interesting surprises. It turns out, I read 68 books in 2025! While this is down from 2024 and 2023, it aligns with my reading from 2022, 2021, and 2020.
I’m honestly surprised I read so many books in 2025. I’ve been running much less due to that ever persistent ankle injury (thus, listening to fewer audiobooks) and had a stressful/busy year overall, so I had expected the number to be much smaller.
Let’s get into the specifics!
This was the fastest year of my life.
I don’t really know how to explain it, but one moment it was January, then it was October, and now I find myself only days away from 2026. As I think about the new year, I want to set resolutions that allow me to be more present, less distracted, and slow down.
Of course, one of my favorite ways to slow is down is with a good book! December’s reads included quite a few series, along with a few non-fiction picks:
-Brimstone by Callie Hart
-107 Days by Kamala Harris
-The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
-Wayward by Blake Crouch
-Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano
-The Simple Path to Wealth by J.L. Collins
Let’s get into the reviews!
“How do you afford to read so many books?”
It’s a question I stumbled on while scrolling through comments in the “Bookstagram”/”Booktok” community.
I’ll admit the question caught me by surprise. Are people buying every single book they read? Are they relying on paid services like Audible to get access to books?
For me, the answer is simple…
The Christmas decorations are out, the tree is lit, and the air is cold. In my opinion it’s the best time of year to dive into a good book. And that’s just what I’ve been doing lately!
My October and November reads were an interesting mix of fiction. For the first time in a very long time, I didn’t read any non-fiction either month!
The list includes:
-The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
-The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
-Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
-Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
-My Friends by Fredrik Backman
-Pines by Blake Crouch
-Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
-Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
-Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
Let’s get into the reviews!