Release Day! Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey ~ My Thoughts #SummerStateOfMind

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Kristy

on the release today of

Summer State of Mind!

Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Romance, Summer Reads, 384 pages

Published May5, 2026 by Gallery Books

“Queen of the beach read,” (Cosmopolitan) New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a heartfelt escape to coastal Carolina.

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.

    

My thoughts about Summer State of Mind ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First lines—"I will never be the woman who runs away, I reminded myself as I took my third sip of rosé and set the glass back down on the granite countertop at the breakfast bar in my small kitchen."

I love Kristy's stories and know that I'm in for a real treat when I start one of her books. I look forward to them so much. Summer State of Mind was just the read that I needed and did not disappoint. 

I was immediately drawn to Daisy, a kind, caring, NICU nurse, looking to make a change in her life. Her plans for moving to Cape Carolina for a slower paced life are turned upside down when a good looking man brings an abandoned baby into the ER. Intriguing!

And then there's Aunt Tilley. She is probably my favorite character of the whole bunch. And boy does she stir things up. As secrets are revealed and stories come out, lives are rocked to their core. And I loved every bit of the drama!

Summer State of Mind is another example of Kristy's wonderful storytelling. I loved everything about it and highly recommend it. It's going to be your best summer read of the year!

I received an ARC of Summer State of Mind and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of eleven novels including A Happier Life, The Summer of Songbirds, and The Peachtree Bluff Series. Many of her books have been optioned or are in development for television and film and have received numerous accolades, including Good Morning America’s Buzz Pick, Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Reads, Katie Couric’s Featured Books, and Joanna Garcia Swisher’s The Happy Place Read. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize.

A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, and many more. She also holds a master’s in English, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature.

Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction with fellow New York Times Bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry. She is also the co-founder of the interiors site Design Chic, with her mom, Beth Woodson.

She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband, son, and dog, Salt, where she is (always!) working on her next novel. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Kristy

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Release Day! Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer ~ My Thoughts #GoodJoyBadJoy

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Mikki

on the release today of

Good Joy, Bad Joy!

Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer

Women's Fiction, 294 pages

May 5, 2026 by St. Martin's Press

From the bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover comes a whimsical, heartfelt novel about friendship over the decades, self-discovery, and what it means to have a life well-lived.

As her ninetieth year draws near, Joy Bridport can't help question how she’s ended up outliving her husband and almost all of her contemporaries except for one—Hazel, her best friend since she was eight years old. Joy has led a quiet life compared to Hazel, living in the same small town on the Hudson River for the past seventy years, spending her days gardening, teaching piano, and raising her daughter and grandson.

Joy thought she was content with her life, until Hazel tells her the very thing Joy has been dreading: her best friend only has a few months to live. Hazel says she’s at peace with her diagnosis, knowing she’s squeezed everything out of her exciting, adventurous existence. But as a lifelong people-pleaser and staunch rule-follower, Joy realizes she can’t say the same. As she throws herself into ensuring Hazel's final months are as comfortable and happy as possible, Joy starts to question whether it was worth always putting others first and being confined by society’s rules. What does she have to show for it all? When her efforts to assist Hazel in her time of need leads her to commit a petty crime, she gets a tantalizing taste of what it’s like to live outside of the “Good Joy” persona she’s always worked so hard to embody—and to live more like Hazel.

But as her foray into rule-breaking escalates, Joy must consider what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind, and whether there's a way for her to embrace the liberation that "Bad Joy" offers without losing all that "Good Joy" holds dear.

My thoughts about Good Joy, Bad Joy ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"It starts with the gentle tittering of birds outside my window. The warm filtered sunlight nudging my cheeks. Then a smile spreads across my face. I am awake. I am alive."

I read this author's debut novel and fell in love with her characters, and her writing. I was excited when I saw that she had another book coming out. And I immediately fell in love with this story as well. 

Joy is an elderly woman who, along with her best friend Hazel, rejoice in the fact that they wake up to see another day. The check-in calls first thing each day are so endearing. Oh, to have a best friend like that. 

Hazel is the wild and carefree one while Joy is the stable, 'do the right thing, all the time' kind of person. How two such different people could be just the best of friends is beautiful. When Joy steps outside of her comfort zone for her bestie, she discovers a taste of the exciting life that Hazel has lived. I have to admit that this title and the story took me in two different directions. I was not expecting for the story, and Joy, to take the turn that they did.  

I absolutely loved Good Joy, Bad Joy and with Ms. Brammer hitting two for two in my book, she has now become one of my must-read authors. Her books are such a delight to get lost in. I highly recommend this one!

I received a copy of Good Joy, Bad Joy via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Mikki Brammer is an Australian journalist and author who hails from Tasmania. She is now based in Brooklyn, New York (by way of France and Spain) where she writes about design, architecture and art for publications such as Architectural Digest, Dwell and ELLE Decor. The Collected Regrets of Clover, her bestselling debut novel, was named a Best Book of Summer 2023 by the New York Times Book Review and a Best Book of 2023 by NPR, and is being published in 27 languages. Her second novel, Good Joy, Bad Joy, will be published in May 2026. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Mikki

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? May 4, 2026 #IMWAYR

    

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

I Know You Killed Your Husband

by Steena Holmes

eARC for review

Pub date ~ May 21

Mother May I

by Joshilyn Jackson

paperback from my TBR for a challenge

Published April  2021

No Place I'd Rather Be
by Cathy Lamb
audio-book from my TBR
Published August 2017

What I recently finished

Good Joy, Bad Joy: A Novel
by Mikki Brammer
eARC for review
Pub date ~ May 5

Summer State of Mind
by Kristy Woodson Harvey
print ARC for review
Pub date ~ May 5

What I am going to read next

Beach Thriller: A Novel

by Jamie Day

eARC for review

Pub date ~ June 9

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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New Release! The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson ~ My Thoughts #TheMountainsWeCallHome

Congratulations Kim Michele

on the recent release of

The Mountains We Call Home!

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman's Legacy by Kim Michele Richardson

(The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek #3)

Historical Fiction, 384 pages

Published April 21, 2026 by Sourcebooks Landmark

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek comes a triumphant tale of a librarian's fight to bring literacy to the prisons of Kentucky and the underserved neighborhoods of downtown Louisville, revealing a story of fierce love, quiet strength, and the healing power of books.

When Cussy Lovett, a Packhorse Librarian famed for bringing books to the people of Appalachia, is unjustly incarcerated, she finds a new calling as a prison librarian, bringing hope to downtrodden women and voiceless city residents alike, finding a home even while separated from those she loves. A vivid portrait of mid-century Kentucky, from the hills and hollers of Appalachia to a vibrant city neighborhood on the cusp of urban renewal, The Mountains We Call Home explores the effects of criminalization and incarceration on the poor and powerless, while tracing the societal consequences of fractured family bonds.

Gritty, heartbreaking, yet infused with hope, The Mountains We Call Home is an authentic American tale and a powerful testament of strength, survival, and the magic of the written word.

My thoughts about The Mountains We Call Home ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Somewhere among the nestled fissures and cradling dark-blue bluffs, between towns such as Hazard, Hell-fer-Sartain, Kingdom Come, and Troublesome, comes the Book Woman."

This whole series is such an amazing set of stories. And now in The Mountains We Call Home, the reader is taken back to the strong and wonderful women that we met in the previous books. Book one is all about Cussy Lovett and her struggles to bring books to the people of Appalachia. Book two continues with her daughter, Honey, taking over the mission when her parents are thrown in jail. 

The Mountains We Call Home takes us back into Cussy's storyline, as she endures prison life and all that that has thrown at her. I didn't realize how much I missed being a part of her life until I started reading this book and it all came back to me. Cussy once again shows her resilience and strength as she endures the unthinkable, and just keeps going, never losing her beliefs and goals. 

The Mountains We Call Home is a beautifully written, heartwarming story about strong women and the lengths they will go to to overcome adversity. This is a must-read for all lovers of books and reading. I highly recommend it, as well as this whole series.

I received an ARC of The Mountains We Call Home from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

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About the author

The NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Kim Michele Richardson is a multiple-award winning author and has written five works of historical fiction, and a bestselling memoir.

Her critically acclaimed novel, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a DOLLY PARTON RECOMMENDED READ, a Goodreads Choice award nominee, and has earned the 2020 PBS Readers Choice, 2019 LibraryReads Best Book, Indie Next, SIBA, Forbes Best Historical Novel, Book-A-Million Best Fiction, and is an Oprah's Buzziest Books pick and a Women’s National Book Association Great Group Reads selection. It was inspired by the remarkable "blue people" of Kentucky, and the fierce, brave Packhorse Librarians who used the power of literacy to overcome bigotry, hate and fear during the Great Depression. The novel is taught widely in high schools and college classrooms.

Her fifth novel, The Book Woman’s Daughter, an instant NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and INDIE NATIONAL bestseller, is both a stand-alone and sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

Kentucky-born native, Kim Michele Richardson, lives with her family in the Bluegrass State and is the founder of Shy Rabbit, a writer's residency scholarship. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Kim Michele

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Shibby Magee by Carrie Kabak ~ My Thoughts #ShibbyMagee

Shibby Magee by Carrie Kabak

Sibling Relationships, 326 pages

Published February 20, 2026 by CORBYN

☘️ A character-driven Irish tragicomedy threaded with wit, heartbreak, and bittersweet redemption.

Echoing the tones of the TV series Fleabag, Shibby Magee is wry and wickedly irreverent, while reflecting the sharp, dark dynamics of The Banshees of Inisherin. For readers of Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, and Donal Ryan’s The Queen of Dirt Island, Shibby Magee offers a warmer—but no less incisive—portrait of a woman shaped by childhood abandonment and social prejudice, following her across two defining life stages as she struggles toward dignity, love, and self-possession.

When their mother, Vera Coffey, disappears after announcing she's a Traveller/Mincéir, Shibby and her twin sister, Dorah, are abandoned to a settled family already cracking at the seams. Under the iron rule of their viciously prejudiced grandmother, the two girls grow up on opposite tracks: Dorah, arrogant and bold; Shibby, bruised and quietly resilient.

As Shibby stumbles into adulthood, she's drawn to men who either abuse or dump her. She finds fleeting stability in the fast-paced chaos of a restaurant kitchen—but a question gnaws at her: is her future in the rooted life of the settled or on the open road to God only knows where? With the fierce support of a chosen few—Alice Duffy, housekeeper turned surrogate mother; Moochie de Barra, an affectionate stand-in for an emotionally absent father; and Kitty Dooley, a Traveller whose loyalty never wavers—Shibby begins to uncover hard truths about identity, family, and what she desperately needs to find where she truly belongs.

    

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My thoughts about Shibby Magee~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"While it's freezing outside, the Gubbeen's kitchen is like a little corner of hell. A pit of ceaseless clamor and blistering heat."

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Shibby Magee. The cover definitely intrigued me. And then I was drawn into the life of Shibby and her twin sister, Dorah. What a tragic life they lived, with their mother leaving them at such an early age and being left with an abusive grandmother and a questionable, loving father. 

The story of Shibby is told in two timelines—one when she and her sister are young and just trying to survive life, and then later in their lives when they are supposed to have it all figured out. I felt very connected to Shibby, not that I lived the same kind of life, but rather because I felt all that she was going through and empathized with her and her rough life. This was a story that opened my eyes to the life of the underprivileged and how the struggle to find happiness and peace is real for everyone. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Shibby Magee and look forward to reading more by this author. 

I received a copy of Shibby Magee from the author and this is my honest opinion.

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Praise for Shibby Magee

“Carrie Kabak follows the indelible, indefatigable Shibby Magee during two crucial years in her life, one in girlhood and then another at midlife womanhood, as she struggles against prejudice, cruelty, and abandonment in her search to find her true place in an increasingly confounding world, be it in a bustling restaurant or on the road as an Irish Traveller—an extraordinary, wily community I’d never heard of before and was delighted to encounter. Warm, wise, with dashes of wit, Kabak’s novel is just magnificent.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You, With or Without You, and Days of Wonder

“In this captivating and insightful novel, Carrie Kabak introduces the unforgettable Shibby Magee, who navigates adulthood in search of love and stability while grappling with the enduring shadows of childhood abandonment. Filled with multi-dimensional characters and evocative imagery, this is a heartfelt and poignant story that lingers long after the final page.”—Holly Kennedy, Edgar Award Nominee and Giller Prize Longlisted author of The Sideways Life of D

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About the author

Published by Penguin Random House, Carrie Kabak's novel, Cover the Butter, was an Independent Booksellers' Pick, won an Audiofile Magazine award, and was nominated for a Quills Award. Her essays appear in For Keeps and He Said What? (Seal Press), Exit Laughing (North Atlantic Books), Faith (Simon and Schuster), and Dumped (She Writes). Carrie's latest novels, Shibby Magee and Every Mole and Freckle, will be released in spring and fall 2026, and Mali Morgan's Summer in spring 2027.

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Alongside her writing, Carrie works as a book cover artist for major publishers after working for many years as a production designer at Hallmark Cards. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Carrie

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

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