What I Read: September and October 2026

What I Read: September and October 2026

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And just like that, we’re already thinking about Christmas. (Or is that just me?)

I feel like I blinked and suddenly Halloween was behind us. I’m not sure how it happened. I swear time is getting faster and faster. But I did get to slow down and read quite the mix of books this fall, including some horror in honor of spooky season.

The list includes:
– All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert
– Stoner by John Williams
– Piglet by Lottie Hazell
– Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
– Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang
– Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine
– The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
– She Didn’t Seeing It Coming by Shari Lapena
– Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
– Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
– Strangers by Belle Burden
– Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
– Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting by Richard Chizmar and W.H. Chizmar
– A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

Let’s get into the reviews!

Have You Conducted A Life Audit Lately?

Have You Conducted A Life Audit Lately?

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Asking for a friend: What does it mean when the algorithm starts showing you book recommendation videos featuring books to read if you’re feeling a bit lost about your next steps?

In completely unrelated news… I was recently reading Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laura Le Cunff and she suggested conducting a life audit where you spend a day – or maybe a few days – recording what you do and how those activities make you feel.

What I Read: July & August 2026

What I Read: July & August 2026

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I was apparently reading everything this summer!

I had no idea I read so many books until I went to write this post. I think it’s a combo of having more free time and getting excited about audiobooks again. I definitely was leaning in to fiction, but I did have a few non-fiction picks as well.
The list includes:
-The Favorites by Layne Fargo
-The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
-Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin
-Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
-The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
-Future Rich Person by Haley Sacks
-The Latte Factor by David Bach
-Sleeping Dogs Lie by Samantha Downing
-Be Iron Fit by Don Fink and Melanie Fink
-Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
-Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
-Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
-Behind the Mirror: Inside the World of Big Brother by Taran Armstrong
-Safari Murder Party by Rachel Anne Moore
-The Butcher Legacy by Alaina Urquhart
-The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
-Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
-Tell Your Friends by Lauren Wilson
-The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Let’s get into the reviews!

Lacura Lip Kit in berry
BEAUTY REVIEW: Lacura Lip Kit

BEAUTY REVIEW: Lacura Lip Kit

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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.

What I Read: May & June 2026

What I Read: May & June 2026

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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!

Lacura They're Brilliant Mascara box and closed tube of mascara on white blanket
BEAUTY REVIEW: Lacura They’re Brilliant Mascara Sold at Aldi

BEAUTY REVIEW: Lacura They’re Brilliant Mascara Sold at Aldi

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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.

A book on a white background with a flower laying on top.
What I Read: March & April 2026

What I Read: March & April 2026

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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!

What I Read: January & February 2026

What I Read: January & February 2026

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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!

YEAR IN REVIEW: A Breakdown of My 2025 Reads

YEAR IN REVIEW: A Breakdown of My 2025 Reads

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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!