A late night of watching Storrie Night Live with delightful cameo appearances by U.S. Olympic gold medalist hockey stars Hilary Knight and Megan Keller, Hudson Williams, and musical guests Mumford & Sons with Hozier, Aaron Dessner, and Sierra Ferrell, then scrolling through online reactions that included super satisfying boos for the unapologetic misogynists in videos of watch parties are reasons why the following reviews are compressed.
Read
NYPC 17: New Year's Poetry Challenge Anthology 2025-2026 from MoSt POETRY, Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center is a collection of assorted responses from poets to a variety or prompts. The Write Women Book Fest's Poet Laureate Aressa V. Williams contributed "Consider the Source" with riffs on rage bait and authority, which echo with particular relevance.
Gabby Greene Knows Whodunit by Sam Tschida and Definitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah Fox are both fun contemporary romances about women who are doing their best in situations that take them way out their comfort zones with super hottie men who think they're in their element but are really just along for the bumpy ride with the women they respect, then love.
Free Falling by Jill Shalvis offers a poignant second installment of the Colburn Family's challenges and triumphs in running the family business while caregiving for their formerly abusive father who's suffered a stroke that's improved his personality. Processing those changes while juggling the demands of being responsible adults, then finding love in the midst of chaos delivers a satisfying read.
Fated Skates by Victoria Schade is a nuanced tale of two competitive athletes who each struggling in different ways to regain their equilibrium after spectacular falls from grace in the sports world. The external versus internal pressures of expectations, mental health, media exploitation, and the desire for a balanced life that includes rest and love make this love story feel intimate and relatable, especially in the aftermath of U.S. Olympic gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu's journey to her historic performance this year.
The Wild Card by Stephanie Archer continues the Vancouver Storm saga with dramatic charm and emotional complexity.
Reading
Winning the Earthquake: How Jeannette Rankin Defied All Odds to Become the First Woman in Congress by Lorissa Rinehart is equal parts enlightening and horrifying because too many regressive anti-democratic elements are nearly identical to the backward attitudes and strategies of today regarding the SAVE Act, etc. It's a reminder that we've figured out how to overcome seemingly insurmountable resistance to women's autonomy and equality many times in the past and can do it again now.
[The Wild Card: A Vancouver Storm Novel by Stephanie Archer - a woman holding a pair of ice skates while embracing and being embraced by a man who's gazing into her eyes - on the left; Baking Ice Cubes: A Legal Thriller by Alexi Venice - an adult running from a structure with columns and engulfed in flames in the backround - on the right]
TBR #BACissues (Book Acquisition Compulsion)
Many thanks to Alexi Venice for the gift of a Baking Ice Cubes ebook edition. My enjoyment of previous novels by this author make me excited to read this one.
With all that's happening in the U.S. and around the world it's so tempting to fall into helpless despair, but we've been in similar dire circumstances before (and for many constituencies, perennially). Together, those of us who choose ethical behavior and love over hate have the capacity to redirect our trajectory.
Always wishing you good health, peace of mind, safety, joy & some pleasure each day
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