The Moonfire Bride 
Syliva Mercedes

I put this book on my TBR board only a few weeks ago. It was not available through an of my local libraries so I went ahead and bought it... and the sequel. I was in such a mood to read this story that I started it the day I arrived. So far, it has lived up to my reading mood. I find myself excited to sneak in a few pages throughout the day and dive in deeply each night.

Oh Crap! Potty Training
Jamie Glowacki

My side read is in preparation for this upcoming parenting milestone. I am terrified. I am reading this book to help me be less terrified. I'm not sure if it's helping. Also, reading about potty training causes me to have to go to the bathroom all the time. Glowacki is sassy which helps but her tips are straightforward. It's a good combination and makes for a surprisingly enjoyable read.

I Came as a Shadow
John Thompson

I started reading this for work about a week ago. It’s the common read title for the upcoming academic year. The library provides a support guide to help faculty with assignments and to direct students to research. So, I read the books to enable me to put that together. I’m learning a lot about basketball - but that’s actually the least interesting stuff in the book. The writing style is more interview transcript than narrative which is not to my taste, but the substance makes up for that. Would recommend.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
Anthony Bourdain

Bourdain was a divisive personality in the culinary world. Many found him brash, pompous, arrogant, and entitled. I don't think they're wrong. He was also, however, a gifted chef and writer. I am not going to forgive his shortcomings but I am still intrigued by his life and work. Many of his books have been on my TBR list for years. I was able to grab this book off our building's community bookcase.

I came to know Bourdain's work through his television show, No Reservations. I was always impressed by his narration and lyrical writing. So far, his seminal work shows that he had those skills from the start. I'm several chapters in and, while I can't say that I like Bourdain as a person, his writing still impresses and his stories are enthralling.

Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life
Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein

This title is my current side read. I was a fan of Kondo's first books so I picked this one up at the start of the pandemic thinking, "Sure, why not?" I expect it to be pretty much a copy of her other titles but focused on work. So far, it's exactly that. I love all things organizing and minimizing which makes this is a straight up comfort read for me.

The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being
Simone Davies

Our kiddo is in full toddlerhood now. That means I need more patience and to understand how her brain works. This book, so far, has done a great job of sharing why toddlers act the way they do and how to capture their innate curiosity and desire to help. It's also just a really pretty book. Lots of white space, beautiful illustrations, and lovely layout. It's designed more like a handbook that you can pick and choose to read as you wish.

Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir

It's been ages since I read a new book within in days of its release. I binge read The Martian, and greatly enjoyed Weir's sophomore effort, Artemis. This book is, so far, in the same vein. It has an all too smart lead character with a sassy attitude. There is a lot more math than this first books and the structure is quite different (current events with flashbacks) which helps this text stand apart from his other novels. I have a feeling this one is going to cause me to read far past my bedtime soon.

Why Have Kids: A New Mom Explores the Truth About Parenting and Happiness
Jessica Valenti

After putting a ton of Jessica Valenti books on my TBR board last week, I decided to grab one that was available at the library. I'm nearly halfway through already (because Valenti's writing is just so readable) and I am here for her throwing American intensive parenting and lack of community/government/social support under the bus. She is doing a great job of laying out what so may moms are just burnt out, unhappy, and lost.

I have a weakness for pictures of royals and pictures of weddings. A few weeks ago, I opted to grab a trio of royal wedding albums from our public library as my secondary reads.

Royal Wedding: Souvenir Album
Alison James

Harry & Meghan: The Royal Wedding Album
​Halima Sadat

William & Catherine: Their Romance and Royal Wedding in Photographs
David Elliot Cohen
Robert Jobson

A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Suzanne Collins

I sped read through The Hunger Games series when it first came out but I have mixed feelings about reading this prequel. This book focuses on Coriolanus Snow who was, without a doubt, a villain in the first books. I'm conflicted about reading a novel that will likely make me empathize with someone who later condoned and even promoted the death of children. But, I'm the type of reader who has to complete a series once I start it. It'll be interesting to see what I think of this book in the end.

Forbidden
Beverly Jenkins

After watching the first six episodes of Bridgerton, I was in the mood to jump into a romance novel. I picked up this title which had been chilling on my bookcase for a few months. I’ve always loved a good Western but this one has something extra. The hero is a multiracial, formerly enslaved man who is successful in business by passing for white. Our heroine is a Black woman who longs to run her own restaurant. So, this has all the regular tropes of a good romance, but a lot more substance than you sometimes see.