Meet the Newmans is a novel set in 1964 that follows a real-life family playing a TV family. It’s about our authentic selves versus our public selves within the framework of the rise of second wave feminism. It also deals with queer identity. The Newmans, father Del, mother Dinah, and sons Guy and Shep, are a real life family who also play a sanitized version of themselves on TV. They are the perfect White, middle … Continue reading Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven →
My husband’s therapist refers to the holiday as “The Gauntlet.” Even if you have perfect Hallmark family dynamics, it’s a lot. I do not have perfect Hallmark family dynamics. Specifically I’m navigating two parents with dementia, one of whom presents with outbursts and rages. Routine is key when dealing with dementia and so the holidays tend to be hard on everyone because that routine is disrupted, but in my case, the people with dementia are … Continue reading Elyse’s Self Care TBR →
If you were to ask me what day of the year I get most excited for, it isn’t Christmas or my birthday, it’s the New York Sheep and Wool Festival aka Rhinebeck. It’s the largest fiber festival in the world with about 50,000 people attending and it’s held in the Hudson Valley in fall when the foliage is gorgeous. I hadn’t been able to attend since 2021 due to a lot of different things, but … Continue reading 2025 Rhinebeck Recap →
It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year– the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival–but this year it felt a little bit like a letdown. There seemed to be fewer vendors and less stock, meaning that even though I went early on the first day a lot of the specialty colorways I was looking for were already sold out. First of all, I attend the event every year with friends and I wasn’t the only … Continue reading Wisconsin Sheep and Wool 2025 Recap →
Problematic Summer Romance is a friends-to-lovers romance/brother’s best friend romance, but it utilizes those tropes without any masculine over-protectiveness, which I appreciated. It’s also a romance that’s light on external conflict, but heavy on emotional growth, which was perfect for me. Maya Killgore’s parents died when she was barely a teenager, leaving her to be raised by her overwhelmed brother (about fifteen years her senior). Said brother has an extremely lucrative biotech start up with … Continue reading Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood →
I had to step away from Karin Slaughter as an author a few years ago because the discussions around sexual assault in her books were too graphic for me. When I saw she had a brand new series coming out, I decided to risk it and I’m glad I did. We Are All Guilty Here is the first book in a new series set in North Falls, GA so readers can go into this one … Continue reading We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter →
The Less People Know About Us is a really compelling true crime story without any violence or murder. I read it in one sitting and I think people who are potentially interested in true crime but are leery of the violent content will really enjoy this. When the author was a child, her parents’ identities were stolen, resulting in non-stop collections calls and financial despair. This all happened before the internet, so her parents assumed … Continue reading The Less People Know About Us by Axton Betz-Hamilton →
I would like to start by explaining that I am not saying The Gilded Age on HBO (Max? HBO Max? Do they even know anymore?) is a perfect show. It is flawed in many ways. It is however perfectly silly biscuits and every episode finds me laughing with it and at it. Also kudos to every actress on this series who is wearing a serious corset and dresses that I can only imagine pinch in … Continue reading Stuff You Should be Watching: The Gilded Age →
I was really excited going in to see Superman, wanting it to be a technicolor, hopeful answer to superhero movies, one that would be more uplifting than recent fare. While the movie tries to do that, it’s also kind of a mess and unfortunately the best scenes have been shown already as clips in the trailer. I would recommend renting Superman when it comes to streaming services, but save your money when it comes to … Continue reading Movie Review: Superman (2025) →
Back in the early aughts I had a minor obsession with the Tudors. The Other Boleyn Girl was in theatres, The Tudors was on Showtime, and Phillippa Gregory and Alison Weir were having literary moments. Six Wild Crowns pulled me right back into my fascination with that moment in time (in fact, I’m rewatching The Tudors). This is a high magic fantasy based loosely on Henry VIII and his six wives, but with a feminist … Continue reading Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race →
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