I love following new book releases. Sometimes, it triggers a twinge of existential dread. Like, oh, my God, how am I ever going to read all these incredible books? But most of the time, it makes me giddy — like, there are SO MANY amazing books coming out! If one of them isn’t for me, I can just set it aside and pick up another one.

I put together this stack of books I hope to read in September (many of which are among my most-anticipated releases). My friend Anna () offered the perfect framing of a TBR stack you know you won’t abide: “My favorite hobby is reading, but my second favorite hobby is making a TBR I will surely never follow.”

Every month, I curate a list of 15 book releases that sound fantastic to me. I read almost exclusively books by and about women, because that’s what draws my interest. I love family dramas, books about friendship, and increasingly, I am finding my way in the world of feminist historical fiction. I am childfree by choice, but I love reading about motherhood through a feminist lens, as I find it often translates to expectations of women in most scenarios (bearing the mental load, for example). I do not love reading child-centric stories or those told from a child’s point of view.

With that in mind, here are the September book releases on my radar

When I learned Gloria Steinem has a new memoir coming out, I nearly lost my mind. I am not sure how I will wait until Sept. 22 to read “An Unexpected Life.” Do I want to listen to it? Do I want a hard copy? It feels like a holiday is approaching!

“True Confessions of First Lady Freeman” by Deesha Philyaw: I got this from Book of the Month (referral link if you’d like to join for $5). The wife of the pastor of a megachurch confronts the secrets of her past as she’s accepted into a beauty pageant for … pastors’ wives (Sept 29)

“The Witches of Cambridge” by Alice Hoffman: Women at Radcliffe College in the 1950s join a secret society of witches that dates back to colonial times (Sept 8)

“Body Language” by Meg Howrey: Three adult sisters must contend with their mother’s dying wish. I loved Howrey’s “They’re Going to Love You” and 80 pages in, this one is scratching my brain the same way (Sept 1)

“Heavy Cream” Sara Blakely-Cartwright: A coming-of-age tale about a woman shaped by three women who take care of her after her mother abandons her (Sept 29)

“Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter” by Katya Suvorova: Can’t really beat this memoir’s tagline, “a memoir from the child of a mail-order bride” (Sept 29)

“The Pirate Queen” by Ariel Lawhon: From the author of The Frozen River (obsessed) comes a historical fiction tale of a female pirate baddie off the coast of Ireland in the 1500s (Sept 8)

“American Hagwon” by Min Jin Lee: An epic family saga “that reckons with ambition and moderation, lust and loyalty, personal dreams and familial duty” (Sept 29)

“See You Next Tuesday” by Kate Stayman-London: I’m not a big romance reader but I will absolutely read this one, an enemies-to-lovers trope set against the backdrop of political campaigns. The title is *chef’s kiss* (Sept 8)

“Hollow Bones” by Jodi Picoult: I have already read this one and OMG, it is hard to discuss without spoilers. It is about a woman who lost her mom on 9/11 who grows up to work in emergency preparedness. (Sept 15)

“Paper Ghosts” by Sarah Addison Allen: “For decades, the women of Wester House have unsettled and fascinated their small, timeless North Carolina town. Their home is full of whispers, old griefs, and uncanny knowing. But when Willamena Wester reaches out to the granddaughter she once pushed away, long-buried truths begin to stir” (Sept 1)

“Fallow” by Sarah Anderson: I’m so excited to read this one that I got a physical copy from BOTM (I have had a galley). It’s about a woman who signs on to be the world’s first corporate surrogate. Sooo dystopian. (Sept 15)

“Under Story” by Chloe Benjamin: Speculative fiction meets love story, set on an isolated research base in Antarctica (Sept 1)

“Exit Party” by Emily St. Johns Mandel: A speculative fiction novel that “that takes us from a future America splintered by civil war to the seaside cliffs of Greece where weapons dealers hide in an elegant resort, and from the domed city of Paris to a colony on the moon.” It is “a novel about the price of safety, the perils of the surveillance state, a requiem for a world not unlike our own, and a breathtaking story of resilience in the face of cataclysmic change.” (Sept 15)

“The Strangers” by Naomi Alderman: Part memoir, part speculative fiction, centered on a writer wrestling with grief as a new species is discovered (Sept 22)

Please tell me …. which of these new books are you grabbing first?!

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When news of Dolly Parton’s death broke this week, I was driving to the dog ophthalmologist (I have a senior Boston terrier and iykyk; her eyeball report was fantastic, thanks for asking). I got to be the person to tell the eye dogtor that Dolly had departed this world, and there are few things I relish as much as breaking news, even on a one-to-one level.

Once the Bostie and I were safely back home, I found myself (and my Instagram algorithm) obsessed with Dolly content. I love Dolly; everyone loves Dolly. I knew the basics, of course: Tennessee girl, progressive queen, peerless philanthropist, literacy advocate. But the more I read, the more I wanted to know.

The rhinestones. The big hair. The lore of the flesh-colored gloves. It had been a long time since I thought much about Dolly Parton’s aesthetic, and I’d never considered what it meant — to me, or the world. In the wake of her death, I could not stop my worst navel-gazing instincts, convincing myself that maybe my own style is more linked to Dolly’s than I ever realized. I started bleaching my hair in college; I’ve worn red lipstick for most of my adult life. I consider Botox one of the greatest inventions of the last 50 years. My nails are long, and I always pick a bold, bright polish. I have never been and will never be one of the Funny Bunny or Bubble Bath girls.

But this isn’t about me, at least not entirely. Dolly and her glam have become a hyperfixation, and I am hungry for as much Dolly information as I can get my hands on.

Here are some of the pieces I’ve read and loved this week:

Dolly Parton Was a Natural Beauty (Allure): “Dolly’s authenticity, her openness about where she came from, who she was then, and how it shaped the decisions about how she wanted to look and why, made her extreme enhancement not only acceptable, but gave us permission to appreciate it.”

Dolly Parton Could Teach Y’all a Thing or Two (What’s Left by ) “There is power to refusing the conventions of “good” taste and embracing tacky. There is power in being too much and never toning it down, even if society wants you to.”

Dolly Parton put a friendly face on feminism (New York Times magazine) “Parton knew that Fonda was being strategic by casting her in “9 to 5,” in the hopes of bringing in a Southern audience. Fonda has been even more explicit that she viewed the movie’s humor as a vehicle for delivering a strong feminist message in a palatable way.”

Dolly was a nail girl (@__luxk on Instagram): “You don’t have to be practical and see beauty as a hassle. It’s a signature.”

Dolly books on my TBR

Dolly wrote a memoir in 1994 (“My Life and Other Unfinished Business”). It seems as though she narrated the original audiobook, but if it’s been digitized, I have yet to find it. I am hoping the publisher re-releases a digital audiobook and a new print edition soon and donates proceeds to the Imagination Library.

I am eager to pick up “Star of the Show,” which is photos and personal stories about many of her iconic moments (it came out last fall and is the final installment of a trilogy of photography books; the others touch on her songwriting and fashion).

“Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton” by Martha Ackwood seems like a pretty comprehensive biography and is high on my list. My first read will likely be “She Come By it Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs” by Sarah Smarsh, a deep dive into working-class feminism.

Dolly also co-wrote a thriller with James Patterson (“Run Rose Run”) about a country singer fleeing her dangerous past. Not my usual read, but if Dolly wrote it, I’m on a mission to read it.

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I read a lot of great books in July — including the longest audiobook I’ve ever listened to (19 hours!) There were memoirs, literary fiction, the new Emily Giffin and even a newly released mystery novel. I don’t read many thrillers or mysteries these days, but there are some plots I can’t resist.

I finished nine books and got pretty far into a tenth (which became my new record for an audiobook at 21 hours when I finished it in August).

Memoirs

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama: Intimidated by its length of 19 hours, I put this off way too long. It wasn’t long before I didn’t want it to end. It was such a warm, personal look at her childhood and courtship and marriage to a future president. I can’t recommend it enough if you want to lose yourself in someone else’s extraordinary life.

“Living History” by Hillary Rodham Clinton: This had been on my TBR for over half my life, so it felt good to knock it out. I have not read her sec state memoir or campaign post mortem (still not sure I can emotionally hang with that one, though it’s on my TBR) but I did read her 2024 book of essays. She is so very guarded in this first memoir, and I understand why.

“Accidental First Lady” by : This was a really interesting behind-the-scenes look at local politics, which no one pays enough attention. But city politics get personal very quickly, and Kerry offers a very unique perspective as first lady of the fifth largest city in Florida.

“The Education of An Idealist” by Samantha Power: I did not finish this book in July, but I read a large chunk of it in July, so it is included here. Samantha Power is a masterful storyteller with an incredible story to tell, from immigrating from Dublin to Pittsburgh as a child to becoming a war correspondent to her work as UN Ambassador under Obama. There are so many incredible little snippets in here. I was talking about it pretty much nonstop from the first hour I listened to it. It’s my longest audiobook to date at 21 hours!

Historical fiction

“Daughters of the Sun and Moon” by Lisa See: This is an incredibly important read that’s very heavy. It’s about three Chinese women in 1870s Los Angeles and the Night of Horrors (a mass killing of Chinese people that’s rarely discussed in mainstream history courses). Their friendship endures and the ending is endearing, but be prepared for violence and trafficking. At one point, this book gave me bad dreams. A book that can affect me that profoundly is an automatic five-star read!!

Mystery

“Pretty Dead Things” by Kelsey Cox: I don’t read many mysteries but I found this premise — a mystery set against the backdrop of a Texas beauty pageant — compelling. My favorite part was the small-town flavor of the book and how perfectly it captured the toxic relationships of elder millennial women who never left their hometown.

Contemporary and literary fiction

“A Good Person” by Kirsten King: What a goddamn delight. A Zillennial who seemingly has narcissistic personality disorder begins to unravel after she puts a YouTube hex on her situationship … and he dies. I grabbed this from Book of the Month after hearing so many rave reviews from so many different readers, and I was not disappointed. I can’t wait to see what Kirsten King does next.

“Wasp’s Nest” by Kat Stoddard: A family drama that unfolds over the week leading up to a very WASPy wedding in New England, in which the bride’s ex-husband is a guest. I found the writing really compelling. I wanted more of Tess and much less of her ex husband, though that’s just personal preference. This was a debut and I will absolutely pick up her next book.

“Love You More” by Emily Giffin: This had the same vibes as 00s Emily Giffin, and I was so here for it. It is about an NYC fertility doctor who gets called home to the Midwest and reconnects with her ex. I just loved the story and the twists and found myself devouring it the way I used to read her original books. I can’t recommend enough for when you want to lose yourself in a book that’s neither too light nor too heavy. It’s just right.

Did you have a favorite read in July? I’d love to hear about it!

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I read Maggie O’Farrell’s “Land” this summer, and it left me with a realization bigger than the story itself: I need to start prioritizing physical books over my Kindle.

This is not meant to trash ereaders. I LOVE my Kindle. I have read on a Kindle nearly every day since I bought my first Paperwhite in 2018. I have a Colorsoft now, and if I broke or lost it, I would replace it within hours. Ereaders are a means of accessibility for people who can’t read a physical page as easily. I am a woman who deadlifts over 200 pounds, but I cannot comfortably hold a physical book while lying in bed. It hurts my wrists and my neck, and I will always switch to the ereader when I get in bed. Libby and other apps allow readers to access library books via ereaders — critical access for those who cannot drive or walk to a library.

I read a physical copy of “Land,” which was gifted to me by the publisher. It is not at all my typical read; it was slower and more literary, and it forced me to slow down and really absorb the story. I was glad that I read it and grateful for how I read it. The experience made me realize that in an age of waning attention spans, reading longer, slower novels was something I want to do more often.

How I read 100 books a year

Generally, my routine is to read a physical book an hour before bed, then move to my bed with the Kindle. At some point, I got away from that and started getting directly in bed with the Kindle, leaving my physical TBR to rot. But if I wanted to read “Land,” I had no choice but to remain upright and read the physical book, as that’s all I had.

That tactile reading experience felt different, physically and mentally. I could feel my body unwinding, releasing tension. Mentally, I was processing the story in a way that felt deeper.

Maybe, I thought, I am romanticizing physical books. But a 2024 Psychology Today story confirmed my suspicions:

Physical books provide an immersive experience, resulting in readers who absorb and recall the content more effectively.

Holding the weight of a book in your hand, turning the pages, and even highlighting your favorite passages are all experienced in the body. In fact, according to researchers, turning pages as we read creates an “index” in the brain, mapping what we read visually to a particular page.

Critical thinking and processing information have been top of mind for me this year, as I’ve watched people close to me start to lose those abilities in a way that doesn’t feel like straightforward, age-related cognitive decline. Is it an overreliance on AI? An addiction to the Reels tab? A television that’s never not screaming outrageous headlines in the background? It’s probably a combination of all of those things, and the alarm bells are getting louder.

Look, I love social media. I find it fun and entertaining and even educational. AI can be a powerful tool; this week, it reverse-engineered an air fryer version of chicken shish I had at a local Mediterranean restaurant (the resulting dish was perfect).

But I still feel pulled, in this age of being spoon-fed curated bits of information by an algorithm, to prioritize not just reading, but reading longer, more complex books. That’s not to say I’m turning reading into a chore. I am still very much reading for pleasure; I’m just working in more books I might have shied away from previously, whether it’s due to the length or a more complex plot.

Currently, my physical read is literary fiction, and my Kindle book is thriller/suspense. I was lucky enough to have “Take What You Can” by Naima Coster in both physical and ebook formats, so I read it in both. I do think I enjoyed it more on the page, but having the ebook format to continue reading once I get in bed is one of the most underrated luxuries.

How do you read? Do you use an ereader? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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IT’S LEO SEASON!!!!

My birthday was this past week, and I celebrated as a Leo does: two days off work, two dinner reservations, a crystal shopping expedition and confetti cake. I upgraded my Costco membership to executive level so I could go an hour early and actually enjoy shopping there. (To be frank, Costco’s 9am executive hour is still not early enough for me, but it’s better than nothing. “In and out before the idiots are out and about” is pretty much my life motto.)

This capped off a month of buying myself pretty much whatever I wanted because “it’s my birth month.”

I also compiled some books with Big Leo Energy to celebrate. It is highly unlikely you will ever get Christmas book recs from me; it’s just not my thing. Leo season, however, is very much my jam.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Tayor Jenkins Reid: It is not enough for a Leo to win. A Leo has to destroy her competitor in the process. Tennis pro Carrie Soto is one of modern fiction’s most ruthless competitors, and with that golden cover?! Leo energy drips from this book.

A Good Person by Kirsten King: Is she a Leo or is she a narcissist? Listen, it’s a fine line, and our protagonist Lillian doesn’t walk it well. She spirals after she puts a YouTube hex on her situationship and he literally … dies.

The Jills by Karen Parkman: Leos love glitz and glam, and the main character of The Jills is a NFL cheerleader.

Outofshapeworthlessloser by Gracie Gold: The Olympic figure skater is an actual Leo and you can totally tell from reading her memoir, which is brutally honest about family drama, mental health and the politics of the sport while being extremely entertaining.

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven: Leos are drawn to the entertainment industry, and this book’s main characters are sitcom stars and a newspaper reporter.

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering: What is more Leo-coded than stealing your best friend’s baby because you’re afraid she’s moving on from your friendship?? The ultimate attention-seeking move.

This Is Big: How the Founder of Weight Watchers Changed The World by Marissa Meltzer The founder of Weight Watchers not literally a Leo, but it must be somewhere in her birth chart because the parts of this book about her personalityh just drip with Leo energy.

Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One by Kristen Arnett: Only a Leo would be chasing clown gigs all over Orlando as a means of employment.

True Gretch: What I’ve Learned About Life, Leadership and Everything in Between by Gretchen Whitmer TECHNICALLY, the governor was born on the first day of Virgo season. But I’m counting her as a cuspy queen because only a baddie with Leo vibes could rock those bold lips while holding executive office. Her memoir is the perfect blend of her experience as governor and her Midwestern upbringing.

Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier: Leos love drama and as you can glean from the cover, this book absolutely oozes drama. It’s about horse show girlies and their nutty mothers.

These books contain the exact vibes I’m always chasing, so if you have any further recs, PLEASE share below. Stay fabulous, lions!

In June, I finished eight books, which is fewer than my monthly average in 2026. I backed off of audio memoirs after finishing “Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story” by Lis Smith, because I knew nothing else was going to hit like that for a long time. Smith’s memoir is pretty close to my ideal read: a juicy, tea-spilling memoir that pulls back the curtain on the inner world of politics and media.

Three of the books I finished (“Alan Opts Out,” “The Amateur” and “The Shampoo Effect”) were on the most-anticipated 2026 books post I created in the waning days of 2025.

Here are my thoughts on the eight books I read!

“The Amateur” by : I was so lucky to receive an early gifted copy of
”The Amateur,” which comes out Aug. 4. I have been a fan of Bohjalian’s since high school, and receiving an early copy of his new novel felt surreal. It is about an 18-year-old golf prodigy who accidentally kills a golf caddy, upending the trajectory of her life. It is unlike any book I have ever read, and I highly recommend. (Gifted by Doubleday)

“Mercy Hill” by Hannah Thurman: I really enjoyed this family drama, which is about four sisters who grow up on the grounds of a mental hospital. Their mother is the hospital’s medical director. If that premise intrigues you, I really think you will like it. I would love to read a prequel about the mother character.

“View From the East Wing” by Jill Biden: Look, if you’re curious, read it. If not, feel free to skip. I felt obligated as someone who read “107 Days” and “Original Sin.” Nothing in this memoir feels as revealing as those aforementioned books, but it was still interesting.

“Land” by Maggie O’Farrell: This was my first book by Maggie O’Farrell as I have been intimidated by her books. “Land” was different from what I usually read, but I am so glad I read it. It is historical fiction and a family drama, but really, it is about the passage of time. I obsessed over the ending for days. (Gifted by Knopf)

“Whistler” by Ann Patchett: I was initially hesitant to read this, based on the synopsis, and then I felt conflicted. I always want to read a buzzy new family drama. But the premise — a woman in her 50s reunites with the man her mother was briefly married to when she was 9 — gave me pause. Then I saw another creator assure their followers that there isn’t anything creepy about the story (I have to admit, the synopsis had me worried), and I decided to take a chance. I am so glad that I did. Whistler is an incredible story. Stories about father figures aren’t my jam, and that didn’t even matter. This story is so much bigger than that.

“Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story” by Lis Smith: I initially marked this as Want to Read on Goodreads in 2022. I hadn’t thought of it since, but I came upon it when browsing my account and thought, “That sounds like something I’d love.” And it was! This is one big tea spill about the campaigns Smith has worked on as a political adviser. She recounts some big wins and some big losses/bad decisions (like the New Jersey gubernatorial race where she was advising a candidate and the campaign decided to make fun of Chris Christie’s weight. Yikes!)

“Alan Opts Out” by Courtney Maum: This book was such a delight. It totally delivered on the promise of the synopsis — an advertising exec, disgruntled by capitalism after losing a big account, decides to opt of capitalism and consumerism, to the chagrin of his social climber wife.

“The Shampoo Effect” by Jenny Jackson: To say I had high hopes for “The Shampoo Effect” is an understatement. Not only did I love Jackson’s debut, “Pineapple Street,” I got to host her in conversation when she visited Tampa on the book tour for the paperback release. I also read it after “Whistler,” which was such a tough act for any book to follow.

AND YET. I absolutely LOVED “The Shampoo Effect.” It’s a soapy, character-driven story of a friend group in their 30s facing some major drama. Two of the friends, Van and Bailey, hook up from time to time. Then they learn Bailey is pregnant just a few months after Van started dating someone else. It was the kind of book that grabbed from the very first page and never let up. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it.

What’s the best book you read in June?

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I have read more books by this point in the year than I ever have (59). This is largely because I have been finishing a memoir on audio roughly every week. I have also gotten more ruthless with DNFing, starting and stopping books until I find one that I am genuinely excited to read.

Still, the number surprises me, because I thought I’d have less time to read. I decided to put a little more effort into social media in 2026, after a post of mine went mini-viral at the end of 2025.

It’s been a half-year of really good reading and also enjoying myself on Instagram. June is shaping up to be one of my more unique months of reading.

“Land” by Maggie O’Farrell was a departure from what I usually read, and I am so glad I read it. I have been intimidated by her books in the past (and feel like I am the only person who hasn’t read “Hamnet”). I think the synopsis is a little limiting, but I also understand why: It would be impossible to really summarize the novel. To me, it’s about the passage of time, as expansive as that sounds.

It is rare that I feel obligated to read a book, but that is how I approached “View From the East Wing.” In the press leading up to its release, Former First Lady Jill Biden’s memoir felt like a response to both Jake Tapper’s “Unoriginal Sin” and Kamala Harris’ “107 Days.” I read both of those in 2025. When “107 Days” was published in September 2025, I took the day off from work to read it in one sitting. I flew to Chicago a month later for one of the vice president’s book talks and got to go to the meet and greet as a guest of Simon and Schuster.

After the 2024 election, I wanted to understand more than the campaign. I wanted to understand why we’d seen so little of our first female vice president after the 2021 inauguration. “107 Days” explained what should have been obvious to me all along: it was a classic case of a man who couldn’t stand to be outshone by a woman. So I wanted to see what the former first lady would say about that, if anything, and also how her account of events matched the Tapper book.

Jill Biden’s memoir really surprised me, mostly because it wasn’t as enraging as I had imagined it would be. All of the juicy bits had already played out in the press by the time the book was released. She basically admits she didn’t want Harris as VP, and that, as “107 Days” asserted, Jill never did get over the bussing exchange at a debate in 2019. What I didn’t expect in “View From the East Wing” was the slice-of-life and behind-the-scenes anecdotes that make any political memoir interesting. While I can’t say I feel sad for the Bidens, maybe I do feel a tad wistful after reading Jill’s memoir, because it shows what their legacy could have been if they’d gracefully stepped away after one term.

“The Amateur” by Chris Bohjalian was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026, and it did not disappoint. It’s not out until Aug. 4, so get those preorders and library holds in. It is unlike any book I have ever read, and that makes it difficult to summarize because I don’t want to give too much away. The premise is this: An 18-year-old golf prodigy accidentally kills a caddy with a one-in-a-million shot just a month before she is to leave for college. What follows is a story that you need to experience for yourself, truly.

My two books in progress are “Alan Opts Out” by Courtney Maum and “Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story” by Lis Smith. I don’t usually enjoy books about men, but Alan is a hilarious character (and his wife is equally a main character). Alan starts to question his capitalist lifestyle after his advertising firm loses a big account. His wife, however, has no intention of giving up her social-climbing ways.

I pulled “Any Given Tuesday” out of the library (audio) because I was combing through my Goodreads for a post on my “shame shelf” (aka, books I’m embarrassed I haven’t read yet). I didn’t even remember tagging “Any Given Tuesday” as a Want to Read, but I am thankful that past me did. It’s the exact kind of inside dirt on media and politics that I love. Smith was a senior adviser to Pete Buttigieg and also found her relationship with Eliot Spitzer splashed across the tabloids.

I have delusions of making it through several more books before the first half of the year ends, as I shared on Instagram. I’d love to hear what you’re reading and what you plan to finish by the end of June

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Unfortunately, my brain was not on board with the concept. Every time I tried to listen to a book, my mind would wander off like it was in one of those Heart and Brain comics.

I got serious about finding an audiobook that would grip me in 2023, when I was driving from Tampa to Jacksonville for a baby shower. It is 199 miles one way, about half of which is through the back roads of north central Florida. I barely drive 100 miles in a week, so this was a big trip for me. I knew I wouldn’t find it as daunting if I could be entertained by a book during the drive.

Paris Hilton’s memoir had been released a few months before this trip, and I was eager to read it as a millennial who considers Paris 1) the original influencer of our time and 2) hilarious. Maybe, I thought, I could listen to it, especially if she read it.

My hunch was correct, and Paris’ memoir on audio was the absolute perfect road trip companion. I wanted to listen to other memoirs on audio, but I knew Paris had set the bar impossibly high. Hers was the only book I listened to that year.

In 2024, I was able to listen to Ina Garten’s memoir, “Be Ready When The Luck Happens.” Like the Paris memoir, this was a good fit for my brain: someone I knew as a public figure, whose backstory sounded interesting, told in their own voice. I also listened to “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” the memoir wrote in 2019 ahead of her first presidential bid, after she became the nominee in 2024. Hillary Clinton released “Something Lost, Something Gained,” a memoir-ish collection of essays in 2024. Those were easy for an audiobook newbie to listen to since each one was its own story.

It wasn’t until the end of 2025, though, that my brain really began to gel with audiobooks. I attribute this to two memoirs in particular:

• “True Gretch: What I’ve learned about Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between” by Michigan Gov. (this book is so funny and slept on; I can’t recommend it enough!)

• “Rough Draft: A Memoir” by journalist Katy Tur

(By now, you must sense the obvious — I am a fangirl of women in politics.)

I am not someone who can listen to any book and lose herself in the story. I am someone who must be genuinely interested in the person’s story before I ever press play.

This year, I began experimenting with the memoirs of nonfamous people, including Simone Gorrindo’s “The Wives,” which is about life as a nontraditional military wife, and “From the Corner of the Oval” by Beck Dorey-Stein, who was a White House stenographer during the Obama administration. I finally read “The Many Lives of Mama Love,” about a woman who goes to jail for stealing her neighbors’ credit cards to pay for her drug addiction. It’s a viral hit for a reason!

Other memoirs my brain has really vibed with:

“Outofshapeworthlessloser” by Olympic figure skater Gracie Gold

“Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in Fractured America” by Beth Macy

“Labor: One Woman’s Work” by Dr. Mary Fariba Asfari

I’d love to hear your favorite memoirs on audio. If you listen to fiction on audio, was there a learning curve?

This is the first year I have been able to regularly listen to books. I only do memoirs on audio; I am not sure my brain is ready to process fiction on audio. I have gone from reading one or two audiobooks a year to reliably finishing four a month. It’s true what they say — it is reading. My brain settles into the words and it feels like I’m reading, albeit with my ears.

The breakdown

Audiobooks

SLIP: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery by (Mallary gifted me a physical copy, and I also listened on Spotify). A blend of the author’s own lived experience with ED recovery and journalistic reporting on the science of recovery

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo (I own this on Kindle but listened via Spotify) Foo brings her journalist’s lens and reporting chops to her own intimiate memoir of complex PTSD

The Year of the Horses by . I was given a physical copy of this one years ago (an actual gift, not PR lol). I wanted to listen to it, so I opened a trial of Audible that I’ve already canceled. Maum turns to her childhood love of horses to battle midlife depression. My fellow lapsed horse girls will LOVE.

Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly by Hannah Selinger (listened via Libby app). This is somehow both a post-mortem on and a love letter to the author’s toxic relationship with working in New York restaurants. I don’t care about wine at all (except for the cheap prosecco I drink a few times a year, lol) and I was still interested in how they learn to talk about and sell it.

Physical/ebooks

Girls Our Age by (hardcover gifted by the author): This novel of female friendship was so good and so satisfying. I grew up on “The Golden Girls” and “Sex and the City” is basically my whole personality. Books about groups of girlfriends speak to my soul. This one in particular was perfect for me: millennial women and college besties confronting the realities of growing up at a wedding on the Maine coast as they approach 30.

The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva (purchased via Aardvark Book Club): An incredible mix of family drama and speculative fiction, this book spans four generations of an upstate New York family whose fate is forever changed when an extraterrestrial life form makes contact with Earth in the 1980s. I read this in big, 100-page gulps and wish I could have read it one sitting.

Mad Mabel by (gifted galley by the publisher, purchased hardcover): This is ostensibly a domestic suspense novel about an octogenarian woman who’s once again accused of murder, but it’s really about the power of female friendship. I had the pleasure of hosting Sally in conversation at her Tampa book tour stop, and she is an absolute gem.

This line will stick with me for all time

Five by Ilona Bannister (purchased via Aardvark Book Club): I was intrigued by the premise of a page-turning literary thriller, and this more than delivered. It somehow explores the absolute worst of humanity in less than 250 pages. Trigger warning: Explicit animal violence. If you want to skip, stop reading after the scene break on page 63 and pick up after the scene break on 77.

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh (gifted galley from the publisher): I just adore Rosie Walsh’s brand of domestic suspense. This one, about a woman whose husband is arrested on a Thai beach moments after their elopement, was a whirlwind that kept me picking up the book instead of my phone. The highest praise!

One Golden Summer by (library, both hardcover and ebook! The dream!): I have to tell ya, I don’t read Carley Fortune for the romance, though the relationships she writes are fantastic. I read her books for the incredible way she writes a setting. This is technically a sequel but it had been years since I read “Every Summer After.” I think the only rule of thumb is to read ESA first if you’re concerned about spoilers.

Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu (galley gifted by the publisher): A woman who didn’t get into Harvard Law begins stalking the classmate who she’s convinced took her “slot” in the upcoming class. Absolutely loved the unhinged voice and dark humor.

Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen (library): OMG. This is one of those books that will absolutely DESTROY you, but you can’t put it down. A grieving mother gets a job at a funeral home. It’s darkly funny, so sad, and truly a must-read for anyone who will grieve (which is basically everyone).

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (library): Again, the atmospheric writing. Swoon. Fortune’s scene setting stole my heart with the ill-fated wedding that kicks off the book, which is about childhood best friends George and Frankie, who go on a honeymoon after Frankie’s fiancee leaves her at the altar.

By the numbers (where I get my books)

Library: 4

Purchased/subscription: 4

Gifted: 5

What was your favorite book you read in May?

I finished four years of Invisalign on May 22, and I have been wanting to share my thoughts on the process. I turned the internet inside out looking for information before starting treatment in 2022, and I still struggled with unforeseen parts of the experience.

Tl; dr: It was worth it, but Invisalign and its practitioners have a very intentional communication problem.

The basics: I had a comprehensive plan in Tampa, Florida. A comprehensive plan means that you get five years of refinements for the upfront price. This made the most sense as I had a complex case, with crowded teeth and a crossbite. It was around $7,000, and insurance covered somewhere between $2,500 and $3,000. I never had braces as a child; this was my first run of orthodontic care. I didn’t particularly care for my practice, but they got the job done. I do recommend finding an orthodontist who specializes in Invisalign. This one felt a bit like a factory, but they manage so many cases that they see it all. With something like Invisalign, you want a practitioner who handles a high volume of cases.

I was initially told a term of 18 to 24 months, but when we got to 18 months, I was told that was their minimum projection, and treatment would likely be longer.

You’re expected to wear the trays 22 hours a day. There isn’t a world in which I was going to do that, so I just did my best. I probably only spent 12 hours a day in my trays most of the time, but I decided early on I’d rather have it go on longer than stress over it on an hourly basis. Most of the time, the practice didn’t seem aware that I wasn’t wearing my trays for the recommended amount of time and praised my progress. There was only one time I had to be rescanned because my teeth weren’t tracking, which happens to almost everyone pursuing this level of treatment.

The first surprise: I had attachments on nearly every tooth (necessary to apply more pressure on the trays to move my jaw). This meant my trays were not invisible at all when I was wearing them. The sight of it was shocking when they handed me the mirror.

Sensory nightmare: I knew I would be getting elastics, but my orthodontist’s practice led me to believe the elastics were not a huge deal. This was not true. They were a huge deal, difficult to put on and frequently snapping off. I was so overwhelmed by the sensation of plastic in my mouth that they told me to forget about the elastics until my second round of trays, when I would hopefully have adjusted to the sensory nightmare of the trays. I never fully got over the sensory issues and was gagging on my trays until the very end.

Pain: I did not find Invisalign very painful at all. I fully understood that moving teeth and bones around would be uncomfortable. I have run a half marathon; I lift heavy weights, and I got Brazilian waxes for over a decade before I did laser hair removal. All of which is to say — I understand the difference between pain and discomfort, and Invisalign for me was more uncomfortable than it was painful. Most of the time, I would take a preemptive Tylenol the first night of a new tray. It was rare that I needed Tylenol more than that first night of a new tray.

My treatment became painful in the last year, when I doubled up on elastics to try to close my bite (to fix a cross bite, you first open the bite). In December, I had TMJ-type pain in my jaw and inner ear from the pressure of the elastics. I went in for an appointment and was told it was normal for the type of treatment we were pursuing. This was far worse than any of the sensations from the actual moving of teeth.

You need a pull tool, or a little piece of plastic that unwedges the trays from your teeth. When I got my trays in July 2022, I was about a year into my relationship with my nail tech, who has taught me “Nails are jewels, not tools.” I used to rip into packages like a wild animal, and her mantra has saved both of us from an untold number of gnarly nail repairs (we’ve been through a few that were freak accidents, though).

The tech who installed my attachments watched me put my trays in and then instructed me to take them out. I stared at her blankly. “With what?” I asked. She told me to use my thumbnails. I almost gagged. Even if you’re not a nail girly, the idea of using fingernails to do that sends me into outer space. Ick. They did have little pull tools at my practice, though I had to ask multiple ways at my appointments over the years. Inevitably, the tech would act as if they’d never heard of such a thing, and they always seemed incredibly inconvenienced by the request (most of the time, I just brought my own). The best ones have a finger hole for leverage. Just search invisalign remover tool on Amazon.

In conclusion: I am glad I did it, but I am even more glad that it is over. Getting the attachments off was also a sensory nightmare, but one that I anticipated. They were drilled off, though the practice informed me that they call it “polishing.” A tech does the initial drilling and then the doctor comes along and “polishes” off any remaining residue.

The best surprise was that there was no staining or any other issue from the attachments. I am now doing a round of Crest whitestrips, but my teeth looked pretty good when I left the practice.

I will have plastic retainers to wear overnight forever. I went to the last appointment thinking I would be getting permanent wire retainers, but my practice no longer recommends them. A lot of folks on Reddit and Invisalign Facebook groups say the same.

Etc.

Chomps has chicken sticks!!! I am weird about beef in general. The chicken ones are a DELIGHT.

I got a new little purse pouch I just love (mine is bright red). I’ve had another Truffle pouch for years and it’s held up well, but I only buy them on sale.

Book of the Month picks are likely to drop Monday! I always share my thoughts on Instagram stories (@ashleykritzer) when the books drop. If you’re not a member, use my referral link to get your first book for $5.

Reading

I am finishing up three books before month’s end.

📚 Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen: This is so sad and so darkly funny. A grieving mother starts working at a funeral home to cope with her loss.

📱Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune: I love the way Carley Fortune writes atmosphere. Her settings are always a main character.

🎧 Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly by Hannah Selinger: A memoir of restaurant work

These are the most underhyped books I read this spring (according to my perception, which is based on what the algorithm lets me see, and the number of Goodreads ratings).

Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz: I genuinely do not understand why I’ve not seen this book pop up in more places. It’s historical fiction, set in 1968 San Francisco, and loosely based on the author’s mother’s own experience. It’s about a woman on the verge of going off to college who accidentally gets pregnant and finds herself in a home for unwed teen moms until she gives birth.

This takes a look at an era I’d never thought much about before, the window between the Sexual Revolution and Roe. It’s equal parts character and plot driven, and I read it in big chunks (100 pages at a time) and wish I could’ve just sat down and read it in one big gulp.

Little Movements by Lauren Morrow: This was about a Black choreographer who accepts a residency in rural Vermont and finds herself in a political firestorm as her marriage begins to unravel. I rarely feel books are too short; if anything, most are too long. This was so good, and I would have easily read another 50 to 100 pages.

Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin: I rarely enjoy books about men, but Celestial Lights was a gem. It is about a boy born the same day as The Challenger tragedy who goes onto become a famous astronaut, leading a billionaire’s 10-year exploration of space. It was so beautifully written and very efficient, packing a great story into just 256 pages.

The End of Romance by Lily Meyer: An early review of this one promised Judy Blume vibes, and the book delivered. It is about a woman who flees an abusive marriage and pursues a PhD in philosophy, exploring whether women can truly abandon romance. Of course, she ends up having to choose between two men.

If you enjoyed this post, I’d love it if you tapped the heart button! I’m also curious what you’d like to see more of from me on Substack as I plan for the second half of 2026 — feel free to reply or comment below and let me know!

And! The fun is not over. I will be hosting THE in conversation at Oxford Exchange on Thursday, April 30, to celebrate the release of “Mad Mabel.” If you’re in the Tampa Bay area, I’d love to see you. You can get tickets here.

My little Instagram account, where I basically talked to myself about books for five years, continued to grow beyond my wildest dreams in Q1. I was dumb and just started talking about books on my personal account during the pandemic. It took a long time for audiences and the algorithm to realize that I was a book account. But we’re all in sync now.

In the second quarter, I’d like to figure out how to better and more consistently show up here on Substack. Any feedback you have is welcome — I’d love to hear what you’d love to see more of from me on this platform.

Speaking of books, I read SO MANY GOOD ONES in the first quarter. In fact, every one of the 34 books I read in Q1 was fantastic because I do not finish books I am not enjoying. That made narrowing down my top 10 even harder. I have been really surprised by my own reading preferences this year. I am more into audiobooks than I ever have been, and I am on a huge memoir kick.

I am pretty sure this is going to be too long for inboxes so if you click through, thank youuuu! Would also love it if you’d tap the heart while you’re there.

My favorite books of Q1

You can shop all of these books here. I am trying to do better about keeping my Bookshop.org storefront active this year. I am also working to set up a storefront on the Big A because I understand everyone’s budgets are different. As always, please, please, please use your local library!!!

Note: All memoirs were read via audio

Kin: This book blew me away. I liked the premise — two motherless girls in the Jim Crow South become best friends — but the execution just blew me away and the emotional havoc it wreaked was truly <chef’s kiss>. I read my galley on a work trip and woke up early to finish it.

Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in Fractured America: My go-to fun fact when explaining where I’m from is a spiel that goes like this: “So you know when there’s a presidential election and the national networks go to those burnt out coal towns in the Rust Belt and ask people who voted for Obama why they flipped to Trump?” and this memoir perfectly captures the hopelessness of those little towns. It’s the best combination of journalistic and personal, by the author of Dopesick.

Is This A Cry for Help? This story of a librarian dealing with book bands and community outrage in the aftermath of her own mental breakdown is the perfect blend of character- and plot-driven. Like Paper Girl it also feels very of-the-moment.

The End of Normal: This is a 2011 memoir by the widow of one of Bernie Madoff’s sons. An incredible family drama told firsthand. It is absolutely impossible to put aside.

My Husband’s Wife: I don’t read as many thrillers as I used to but I will always make time for Alice Feeney. I read this book when I needed something fast and insane, it sucked me in immediately. Also, if you don’t know Alice Feeney’s work, she always includes a dog character and the dog is never in danger. That means a lot to me.

Meet the Newmans: I did not succeed in reading as much historical fiction as I set out to, but I really loved this one. I picked it up from Aardvark Book Club because of the early hype but I was hesitant. Leave it to Beaver makes my skin crawl. Luckily, this book flips the narrative of those old sitcoms on their head.

Outofshapeworthlessloser: Olympic figure skater Gracie Gold’s memoir was such a win for me because I grabbed it on a whim and became obsessed. It is one of those most raw, vulnerable, open memoirs I’ve read. My God. It’s family drama, sports, ambition, rage, mental health … it is everything.

The Burning Side: Feels unfair to include this one because it’s not out until May 19. It is the sophomore novel by Bright Years author Sarah Damoff and it’s incredible. A multigenerational family drama that will rip your heart out. A young couple on the brink of divorce loses their home in a fire. They move in with the wife’s parents, who are dealing with an early onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Once and Again: You gotta trust me on this and go in blind. Magical realism that transports readers to the California coast. Check triggers if you have them, but otherwise, get set for a book you will devour in one sitting.

The Many Lives of Mama Love: The memoir of Lara Love Hardin, who served time in jail for credit card theft to fund her addiction. She is a brilliant storyteller, and I’m upset I waited this long to read this book.

I often lament Tampa’s lack of bookish events and independent bookstores; per capita, we don’t have nearly as many indie stores as many other cities, and as a result, we don’t see as many author events. But the vibes at Wade’s event were fantastic. A small but highly engaged crowd gathered at Oxford Exchange to listen to our conversation about the book, which is far more political than its bright, beach-read cover lets on.

Wade was the perfect subject for an interview, and we had a fantastic conversation about the book and why it’s so relevant right now. It’s a late-blooming, queer coming-of-age story that plays perfectly off “The Golden Girls.” I told him at the event: I am so impressed that you pulled this off without being cringe. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t aware of “The Golden Girls”; it’s been a comfort show my entire life. “That’s What Friends Are For” really leans into the show and is an incredible tribute to it.

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I am not someone who enjoys events in general, especially those in the evening. I would much rather be at home, particularly after talking to people all day long. Plus, I go to bed early and wake up early.

This event was a rarity for me in that it didn’t drain me. I was actually really fulfilled by seeing readers turn out on a weeknight in the rain to interact with a beloved novelist (Wade has written several books as Viola Shipman, a pen name he uses as an homage to his grandmother).

I am looking forward to hosting another conversation this month with Elle Cosimano, whose Finlay Donovan series has a cult following. If you’re in the Tampa area, you can get tickets here.

Thanks for reading! If you’ve made it this far, I’d love it if you could tap the heart icon.

I have to disagree; as a Valentine’s Day enthusiast, I have always looked forward to February, though that’s much easier now that I don’t reside in gloomy, gray western Pennsylvania. It’s March that’s always felt like a slump-fest for me.

But not this month! On Thursday (March 5), I’ll be in conversation with Wade Rouse, author of “That’s What Friends Are For,” at Oxford Exchange in Tampa. I finished the book Sunday; not only did I really enjoy it, it was so much deeper and far more political than I anticipated. Tampa friends, you can get tickets here.

On March 17, I plan to attend ’s book event at Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg (if you’re local, you can RSVP here). Ayana and I have been mutuals for years, and she sent me an early copy of her memoir of post-partum psychosis. I’m very excited to read it and attend her party.

February in review

I shared my February reading wrap-up on Instagram: 10 books, three of which were audiobooks. I am so pleased with this! February was a really busy month for me; I had a major cover story deadline and a big work event. (You can read the cover story here). I then hosted the cover story subjects in an onstage conversation before flying to Penn State University on a recruiting trip.

This was my third year visiting Penn State’s journalism school and helping to scout for new talent, and this year’s crop seems particularly eager and interested in the future of reporting.

I’ve read 22 books so far this year, which is a lot for me. Normally, I’d be at 14 or 15 books; the difference is audiobooks. Memoirs on audio really hold my attention, and I’ve gotten over my intimidation with books over six to eight hours. I listen to them primarily while driving and also while cleaning, cooking and getting steps in. I just started “The Many Lives of Mama Love,” and I’m somehow nearly 40% in already.

What memoirs do you recommend on audio? My wins in February were “The Wives” by Simone Gorrindo, “UnSweetined” by Jodie Sweetin of “Full House” fame, and “The End of Normal,” by Stephanie Madoff Mack, the widow of notorious fraudster Bernie Madoff’s son who killed himself after his father’s arrest.

March nails 💅

I’m nearly at the halfway point for my current set of nails and just so obsessed. If you are in Tampa, I cannot recommend Heights Beauty Lounge enough.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. I’d love it if you’d tap the heart icon and share this newsletter with your friends!

Speaking of thrilling: There are now over 100 of you who’ve willingly signed up to receive my newsletter in your inbox. For most of this newsletter’s existence, it has been read by about 25 friends. I am so happy you’re here.

Over on Instagram, I shared a weekly diary of my reading habits that 1) was a bit nerve-wracking to post and 2) has performed well, to my surprise. I found it unnerving to share how frequently I switch between books (though I don’t think this is all that uncommon) and how often I set books aside to find something that better vibes with my mood.

I don’t know why I feared judgment (or worse, authors or publishers taking offense) at the idea of juggling multiple books and setting them aside. (The lesson: get over yourself, lol). But I find that this is how I read best and maximize the time I can spend reading. If I feel myself slowing down, I set the book aside. It’s not a DNF, but rather a rotation.

February reads so far

UnSweetined: A memoir by “Full House” star Jodie Sweetin (aka Stephanie Tanner): I listened to this because it was under six hours and also because I was a huge fan of “Full House.” It is a fantastic story of childhood fame and a very raw and vulnerable memoir of addiction.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez: Historical fiction set in 1973, post-Roe Alabama. I had heard of “Mississippi appendectomies” but had never really considered exactly what that era must have been like for the Black women who were sterilized against their will. This book brings the horrors and humanity of those procedures to life. It also expanded my definition of bodily autonomy.

The End of Romance by Lily Meyer (gifted by Viking Books): A professional review compared the vibes in this book to Judy Blume, and I am so pleased to report I see the resemblance. Main character Sylvie Broder’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors, and they raised her to focus on joy. After Sylvie flees an abusive marriage, she pursues a Ph.D. in philosophy and theorizes that women will only truly be free when romance is no longer on the table. Much of the book unfolds in Sylvie’s head, and I just genuinely liked hanging out with her.

Half His Age by Jeannette McCurdy: I did not read her memoir, but she knocked it out of the park with this novel. It’s the Gen Z version of My Dark Vanessa, which I read several years ago and was equally horrified by. Half His Age is a master class in voice and making readers sit with their discomfort. This is a gutsy book; it’s not written to be enjoyable. It’s written to disgust you.

The Jills by Karen Parkman (gifted by Ballantine Books): I requested a galley of this one and then missed the email from the publisher notifying me of my approval. I discovered it on Tuesday, the day the book came out, when I went to see if the book were available on NetGalley (a platform publishers use to distribute galleys electronically). Not only was it available, I found my copy waiting!

All you need to know about this book is that it is about a Buffalo Bills cheerleader (their dancers are known as The Jills) who is trying to find her missing best friend and fellow cheerleader. It’s way deeper and way darker, but don’t read the synopsis. This book is the ultimate girl’s girl.

Big book day for millennials

Two really big coming-of-age millennial books are coming out today: So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder and Bad Asians by Lillian Li (both were gifted to me by their publishers). I am about 50% through So Old, So Young and just loving the voice and characters. And so many little nods to our generation without feeling overdone or over the top.

Bad Asians unfolds as a group of friends, devastated by the GFC, agree to be featured in a documentary on a little up-and-coming platform known as YouTube. The early days of viral internetdom … I can’t wait to revisit it.

Tampa Bay book events

Tampa Bay friends, I’ll be hosting a conversation with Wade Rouse on March 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Oxford Exchange. His new book, That’s What Friends Are For, is inspired by “The Golden Girls” and I can’t wait to read it. Get a ticket here. I may be hosting another author conversation in the coming months, so stay tuned.

I had such a hard time picking my Valentine’s Day nails, because I love pretty much every inspo pic I see. I also had a bit of a hangover from my January nails, which were truly one of my favorite sets of all time. (A pic below because I cannot resist).

I met up with two friends I don’t see often last week and they both commented on how long my nails are. 2025 was the year I got my training nails off. The day before my nail appointment, I got a little bold and shoved my fingers under a 45-pound plate at the gym, trying to lift it off the turf. I didn’t break a nail, but my nail bed was sore for a day or two. My nail tech is truly a magician.

What I read in January

I did not expect 2026 reading to start with such a bang, but January was an incredible month for books. I continue to lean into reading what I love and ditching anything I’m not excited to pick up.

I finished four audiobooks in January, one of which I’d started in December. That is more than I finished in all of 2025.

Memoirs

Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in Fractured America by Beth Macy

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden

Boat Baby: A Memoir by Vicki Nguyen

This Is Big: How The Founder of Weight Watchers Changed the World (And Me) by Marissa Meltzer

Thrillers

All the Little Houses by May Cobb

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara

Historical fiction

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

Literary and contemporary fiction

Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey

Is This A Cry For Help? by Emily Austin

Paper Cut by Rachel Taff

I really loved everything I read in January. “Is This Cry A For Help?” was a really unexpected delight. It’s a love letter to libraries while also being the perfect book for our current era of book banning. It was my last book of the month, and one I didn’t expect to find so heartwarming, so I’ve been gushing about it nonstop.

February books

I put together a round-up of the books I’m most looking forward to over on Instagram. You can view it here. There are so many books that sound like my taste coming out this month that it’s almost overwhelming, like I can’t read fast enough to get to them all.

My month is off to a strong start! I am finishing up “Take My Hand” and started “The End of Romance,” both of which are fantastic. “The End of Romance” wasn’t on my radar at all until Viking Books (the publisher) hit me with an email blast and a link to download a galley. It’s so good! I saw someone compare the writing and story to Judy Blume, which is a high bar in my world. And I’m so pleased to report that I see the comparison.

Etc

I’ve now made this copycat Chipotle chicken twice and I’m obsessed. I use breasts, not thighs, and pound them flat before marinating.

“Good People” was my Book of the Month pick for February. Get your first BOTM for $5 with my link.

“Superfan” was my Aardvark Book Club pick. No referral link (at least not yet! Aardvark, if you’re reading this, hmu).

The best books about friendship

Speaking of friendship, Emily Jane Johnston wrote a really touching essay on the topic

Also on friendship: I went to the cutest baby brunch this weekend for a friend who’s due in the next few weeks. It was just the five of us, and we watched the mother to be open gifts, ate brunch and did a craft. It was so lovely; no silly shower games or weird mixing of different friend groups. I am in awe of my friend Noelle’s hosting and decorating skills; all I did was show up with fruit and snacks.

Have a great week!

I am heartbroken and shaken to my core by the murder of Alex Pretti. Every time I open Instagram, it feels like whiplash, flipping from scenes in Minneapolis to normal slice-of-life photos and other sundry content. But what choice do we have? This is our new normal. I started sharing book recs on the Internet to escape the horrors of the pandemic, so I understand what it means to turn off the news and pick up a book. But reading is inherently political, especially for women. It would be even more dystopian of me to drop a chatty newsletter in your inbox, yapping about what I’m reading without addressing our reality.

On Sunday, perhaps looking for an escape, I committed the ultimate weekend sin: I took a fat nap that kept me awake for hours that night. (My Oura ring tells me I fell asleep around 10:30, which is late for me.) But that meant I got a good bit of reading done: I’m about 25% into “Is This a Cry for Help?” by Emily Austin. I’m obsessed with the main character and her razor-sharp inner monologue. It’s about a librarian who comes back to work after a mental health breakdown and has to navigate community backlash over library policies.

I am about 50% into “Take My Hand” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, a historical fiction novel about a young nurse working at a family clinic in post-Roe Alabama. I knew of about Mississippi appendectomies, and this book humanizes the horror. I have had this on my Kindle for ages and was in the mood for historical fiction, and I’m so glad I picked it up.

I am 50% through “Paper Cut” by Rachel Taff (it’s out today, 1/27!) and extremely satisfied by how the story unfolds. As a writer myself, I am taking notes. It’s about a true crime icon who escaped a cult 20 years ago and sold a massively successful memoir about her experience. It’s one of those books where you are aware of how much you don’t know and it’s addictive to read.

I am also finishing up, if you can believe it!!, my FOURTH audiobook of 2026 (the first was started in December to be fair). That is the total number of audiobooks I read for the entirety of 2025.

After all the buzz around “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage” by Belle Burden, I absolutely had to read it for myself. I was worried it wouldn’t be for me; I usually read memoirs of people who are famous or in the media. But her story of her husband abruptly leaving her during the early days of the pandemic is compelling and brilliantly told.

Only one of those books (“Is This A Cry for Help?”) was on my January reading menu, a selection of books I gave myself to pick from this month. I think I may need to abandon the idea of the menu because I just read what I want, when I want. Even a “menu” turned out to be too limiting!

Take care of yourselves.

TikTok’s ever-changing, ever-knowing algorithm is what makes it so compelling (and scarily accurate). The ones who can stop my scroll immediately are Callahan Rahm (@callahanrahm) and The Plus Size Parkhoppers (@plussizeparkhoppers).

Callahan’s videos of manicure inspo are always a favorite, and I got addicted to her jewelry stack videos during December. My interest in Plus Size Parkhoppers makes less sense, as I do not like theme parks and have no intention of ever visiting one again. (For the uninitiated, the Plus Size Parkhoppers spend a lot of time at Disney and other big parks and let their followers know which rides and restaurant seats can fit sizes 2X to 5X). But there is something about the narration and the way they shoot their videos that hooks me every single time. Who are your comfort creators?

I have no delusions of being anyone’s comfort creator. Instead, I imagine my harsh tone and Pittsburghese lilt will send viewers swiping away. But that hasn’t stopped me from making good on a goal I set for 2026: Three weeks into the year, I finally posted a TikTok that wasn’t a photo carousel.

I have always wondered why creators shoot content in their cars, and now I get it! I got an $8 visor tripod, and it was the ideal scenario: The lighting is excellent, the angle is perfect, and it’s quiet. I embedded the video below, if you’re so inclined. (If you don’t have the app, I was able to see it in the browser of my Chromebook.)

@ashleykritzerReplying to @bethralph3 my favorite topic!! Books about women in media and politics Books mentioned Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win Like Mother Like Mother The Summer We Ran Unbelievable Rough Draft Boat Baby 107 Days #bookrecommendations #feminist #booktok #booktokfyp

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Reading update

This past week was a great one for reading. I finished “Meet the Newmans” by Jennifer Niven and “Boat Baby: A Memoir” by Vicki Nguyen and “All the Little Houses” by May Cobb (out Tuesday 1/20, gifted by Source Books). I started several books, but I have learned I need to figure out what I plan to finish before sharing. Sometimes I set a book aside for no reason other than I wanted to read something else, and I don’t want that to reflect poorly on anyone’s work when it’s really just a function of my own brain and mood.

I have been a huge fan of May Cobb’s since I read “The Hunting Wives” in 2021. (I didn’t watch the Netflix series because I loved the book too much and didn’t want to ruin my own images of the book.) “All The Little Houses” is similarly soapy and salicious. I was honestly stunned by some of the turns of this one, and if you like soapy domestic suspense, it’s right up your alley.

“Meet the Newmans” was such an unexpected delight for me. I genuinely HATE “Leave it to Beaver” so the idea of a book about a 60s sitcom wasn’t appealing to me at first. But then I learned the book turns the female tropes in those shows on their head, AND that the book was recommended for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I grabbed it from Aardvark Book Club (a monthly book subscription, similar to Book of the Month). I absolutely loved the story of a 60s sitcom housewife taking over the writing and production of her show when her husband is in a coma.

“Meet the Newmans” is historical fiction, but it’s also a family drama. And there was a ton of interest in my favorite family dramas over on Instagram; the post has been saved by nearly 2,000 people and racked up just under 50,000 views as of this writing (it went live Saturday evening).

I see Substack is still being dramatic with how it embeds Instagram posts, so tap through and check it out if you’re so inclined.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! I’d love it if you’d tap the heart and leave a comment.

I have been pleasantly surprised by what I’ve read so far this year (all of two weeks in, heh). I didn’t feel like I had a great plan going into the year; my reading menu was still a concept, and I didn’t organize my January priority reads until about 10 days into the month. I am a mood reader, but my chaotic approach ultimately hampered my reading in 2025, and I needed some structure.

By the time I shared my January menu on Instagram, I’d already read four books and was about to wrap up my fifth one. My first five-star read of 2026 was “Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in Fractured America.” President Obama included this memoir on his favorite books of 2025; the title caught my eye, but I had no idea how close to home it would hit.

Journalist Beth Macy, who also wrote Dopesick, brings a reporter’s eye to her hometown to examine why the U.S. is so divided. Urbana, Ohio, is very similar to my Pennsylvania hometown: a former industrial hub left to rot. Macy hits us with all sorts of alarming facts and figures about addiction and the decline and distrust of education, but she uses real people to make her point. The book includes poignant interviews with her own family (stories such as her niece’s, a woman who was sexually abused by her stepfather when she was 11). She has hard conversations with people who don’t agree with her. If you are from a town like mine, you won’t be at all surprised by “Paper Girl.” For me, it articulated many of the dynamics I’ve watched unfold over the last decade-plus.

The narration of “Paper Girl” was perfect, and as depressing as the book was, I didn’t want it to end. In the seven minutes it took me to drive from Trader Joe’s to Target on Saturday, I tried two other audiobooks and landed on a third: “Boat Baby” by Vicky Nguyen. I’m 20% in and really enjoying it.

Audiobooks are finally gelling for me after years of wanting to be A Person Who Listens to Audiobooks. I’m thinking of starting a TikTok series on my audiobook journey, where I can share reviews and observations as I go.

As soon as my Book of the Month box arrived, I dove into Alice Feeney’s new crime thriller “My Husband’s Wife.” I am a Feeney super fan; I love that she has a background in journalism and that she always includes a dog in her books (the dogs are never in danger, which is important to me). I blew through this book in less than three hours (and reading it before bed, with my phone tucked in the next room, sent my Oura ring scores through the roof).

The ending of “My Husband’s Wife” was quite wild, but that’s never bothered me. Besides, if you follow local news, you must know that insane crime stories aren’t all that unusual. I felt this book had more dry British humor in it than some of Feeney’s others, and I really enjoyed those little quips. Here’s my Book of the Month referral link if you don’t already have a membership (be aware that My Husband’s Wife is an add-on so you’d have to pick a main selection before you can get it). Feeney’s books are almost always a five-star read for me, and “My Husband’s Wife” was no exception.

If you are on a crime thriller bender this January, I recommend both “My Husband’s Wife” (officially out 1/20) and Ashley Elston’s “Anatomy of Alibi,” which comes out today (1/13).

Etc.

• This Korean barbecue chicken salad from Shred Happens is so good I’ve already made it twice

• I am really enjoying my Kindle Colorsoft; see my first impressions here

• I am already obsessing over Valentine manicure inspo on every platform imaginable, but may end up just going with a neon pink (my next nail appointment is more than two weeks away, lol)

• I made a goal of sending more snail mail in 2026 and so far I am failing miserably

• I am powerless to resist The Foggy Dog Valentine collection and snagged Take a Bow for my little girl

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. I’d love it if you’d tap the heart icon before you go!

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While I very much agree with Larry David that you shouldn’t wish anyone a Happy New Year after Jan. 3, I do love the energy of January — all of the fresh starts, goal-setting and new notebook vibes. It feels a bit like back to school for adults, without the anxiety of returning to the hell of high school hallways. (I participated in The Great American Teach-In in November and found it incredibly overstimulating. Educators have my utmost respect because I could never.)

Before we get to the new, though, I forced myself to narrow down my favorite reads of the year to just 10 books. I struggle with this every year; in 2025, it was particularly daunting because I read so many good books, so many solid five star reads. Narrowing it down to fiction helped, and after that, I had to go on vibes.

You can see my full reading wrap-up for 2025 on Instagram. I knew that “The Favorites” would be my favorite book of 2025 when I read an advance copy in December 2024. It has so many of my favorite themes: rage, sports, media and ambition. Part of it is told through the making of a documentary about the main characters (who are champion ice skaters) and it’s so well done. The documentary makes the side characters come to life.

"The Favorite Daughter” is easily the most slept-on book on my list. It’s about half sisters who do not meet until after their father’s death. “The Summer We Ran” got me as close to the experience of reading “Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win” as I’ve come, and Charlotte is one of my favorite books of all time. If you like books about politics and ambitious women, I highly recommend both of them.

Catching up

I returned to my homeland of Western Pennsylvania for a few days in late December and was shocked at how cold and gray it was. This was a stupid revelation; I spent 20-plus years there and I know what it’s like, but how soon we forget. I was also tricked by my last few winter trips up north, as it was cold but also sunny. That is bearable. Cold, drizzly and gray is pretty goddamn depressing.

My bestie Jenni is always willing to entertain my desire to visit White Whale Books, which is in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood. It’s one of the best indie bookshops I’ve ever visited. With the weather plotting against us, we decided to turn the day into a mini book crawl, which you can see here (Substack embeds are cropping my posts weirdly, so I’m linking to them instead).

Looking ahead

I shared my most-anticipated 2026 books on Instagram and am pleased to see people saving it for reference (nearly 300 as of this writing). Of course, I forgot one: “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke, in which a tradwife influencer wakes up in the reality of 1805. Check them all out here:

(You see what I mean about these crops?!)

I set my Goodreads challenge at 100 books. I read 93 in 2025 and I’m pleased with that. I know it could be more, but I also know sometimes my brain needs its jellyfish time scrolling TikTok. I don’t watch TV, but I do watch The Plus-Size Parkhoppers (iykyk).

I’m planning to share a “reading menu” each month. I am too finicky and too much of a mood reader to have a monthly checklist, but I think having an assortment of books I can choose from would be helpful. Too often in 2025, I’d finish a book and be paralyzed by indecision about what to start next.

I also want to continue to explore audiobooks with a loose goal of finishing one to two a month. The first book I finished in 2026 was an audiobook (“This Is Big,” by Marissa Meltzer) though I started it in December. I will next try “Paper Girl” by Beth Macy. It was on President Obama’s list, and it’s about a journalist whose hometown sounds a lot like my hometown.

What to expect

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want to show up as a creator in 2026. I have loosely set some guidelines for myself that I hope will help me consistently serve my audience (and please the algorithm gods). I have found a vibe with carousel posts on Instagram and TikTok. Not only do I find them fun to create, they are my preferred way to consume content. But I would also like to occasionally get in front of the camera. It’s embarrassingly millennial of me, but the equipment aspect of videos intimidates me (the audio, the tripod, the lighting).

So here’s how I’d like to show up in 2026:

• One weekly newsletter on Substack

• Two in-feed Instagram posts, likely on Sundays and Thursdays

• Most book reviews will be posted to stories and saved to a highlight because they do not perform in-feed

• One on-camera TikTok video per week, filmed whenever I feel like it

• Off the cuff TikToks, like my “2025 iced coffee wrapped” and a short video of my new nails (it just feels like you can be a little freer, a little less curated on TikTok)

If you’ve made it this far, thank you! I’d love it if you tapped the heart and left a comment about what you’d like to see more of in 2026.