Friday Fives - Five Books I'm Reading to Distract Me From the Heat

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.   It took awhile for summer to really show up here in Alabama.  We had constant rain through most of May and June and while the humidity was at summer levels the temperature was lagging a bit.  Until the last week or so when it all hit at once!  So, to distract me from the fact it's miserably hot outside I'm picking 5 books to keep me inside and enjoying the air condition.

1.  The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston - I've heard good things about this author and this blurb really caught my eye.  I'm thinking about picking this one up on audio.

2.  An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena - I've read one book by this author and I really enjoyed it.  This looks like a claustrophobic thriller involving a group of people stuck in a resort on a mountain during a storm.  

3.  The Last Lady B by Eloisa James - Kathryn over at Book Date really enjoyed this one and it looks fantastic.  What's more distracting from a hot day than a haunted house in Scotland.

4.  It's Not Here by Mary Kubica - I love a good thriller and I've had good luck with Kubica's books - especially in audio form.  

5.  The Shippers by Katherine Center - We aren't going on a cruise this year which makes me a little sad and this looks like a good way to vicariously travel AND be distracted.

Recipe Thursday - Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

One of my goals for 2026 is to sort through all the recipes I have laying around tucked into folders and notebooks as well as my gigantic Pinterest/food blog collection that hasn't been touched in years.  I've been having quite a good time with it.  I enjoy cooking but it can become a chore pretty easily and this has made it a lot more fun for me as I feel like I'm working on a project.   Around here we've taken to calling it Recipe Thunderdome as all recipes have to be auditioned before earning their place in the final recipe binder. 

*For context I'm a reasonably capable home cook but one who is often trying to multitask and who is pretty much completely self-taught. *

Today I'm Sharing:  Ranch Chicken Enchiladas from Life in the Lofthouse

Changes:  I used fajita seasoning instead of taco seasoning just because I like the flavor a little bit better.

Thoughts on Recipe Difficulty:  This was pretty easy and could be even easier if I prepped the meat ahead of time.

Cook Time: Active cooking maybe 20 minutes or so.  Inactive about 3 1/2 hours or so.

Served With:  Black beans

Results: This was really good!  It comes together pretty quickly and made enough for a good amount of leftovers that reheated very well.  

Verdict: Survived! 

What I'm Reading Right Now - July 8

I always have a few books going.  Here is what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about them.

Ebook:

The Moonsingers by Robyn J. Pritzker - I've been enjoying cozy fantasy so I've been looking forward to this one but so far it's just okay.

Print Book:

The Book Stops Here by Kate Carlise - This is the 8th book in the Bibliophile Mystery series.  So far I'm liking it and I always enjoy reading about all the gorgeous books Brooklyn works on.

Audio Book:

Everyone On This Train is a Suspect by Benjamon Stevenson - I just started this so I don't have an opinion yet but I loved the first book so I'm super excited about this one.

Slow Read: 

The Librarians by Sherry Thomas - I've really enjoyed everything else I've read by Thomas and I love her writing style but this is definitely not a win for me.  I will not be sad when this book is over.

I'm not having the best reading time right now, but I have hopes it will get better soon - especially when I finish up a couple of these.  What are you reading right now?

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles That Include the Word Beach

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Book Titles that Include the Word ...  Since I'm just back from the beach and we are well into summer I chose the world beach.  Here are ten books from my TBR with Beach in the title.

1.  Best Beach Ever by Wendy Wax - This series has been on my TBR for ages and I really need to start it this summer.

2.  A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell - A thriller set on a beach sounds like a lot of fun and a good change up.

3.  Beach House Reunion by Mary Alice Monroe - This is an author I've been wanting to read and her books look really great.

4.  Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan - I loved the first book in this trilogy and really need to read more in this world.

5.  The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams - I've been enjoying Williams' books lately and this looks like a good one.

6.  Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey - I've really enjoyed everything I've read by this author and her books have such a good beachy feel.

7.  Beach Wedding by Michael Ledwidge - I love a good mystery and especially one that takes place on the beach.

8.  Typewriter Beach by Meg Waite Clayton - This is a historical fiction that looks really good.

9.  Beach Read by Emily Henry - I've DNF'd one book by this author and absolutely loved two books so I'm excited to give this one a try.

10.  Forever Beach by Shelley Noble - I've had good luck with this author and this one sounds really good.

What word would you have chosen?  Do you have any books with Beach in the title on your TBR?

A Neighbor's Guide to Murder - Mystery Review

Goodreads: A Neighbor's Guide to Murder by Louise Candlish

Rating: Not For Me (2 Stars)
Source: Publisher

Description:  In Columbia Mansions, secrets don’t stay behind closed doors for long…

It's rare for a room to open up in London’s storied Columbia Mansions, and lonely Gwen is thrilled when an unexpected new subletter, Pixie, turns out to be a friendly breath of fresh air to its stuffy halls. Their unlikely cross-generational bond soon becomes the bright spot in Gwen’s quiet life.

But Gwen can’t help noticing cracks beneath Pixie's cheerful surface—especially when it comes to her questionable financial arrangement with her live-in landlord, Alec. As suspicions mount, Gwen’s protective instincts go into overdrive, triggering a dangerous chain of events no one is prepared for.

The last thing Columbia Mansions wants is a scandal on its hands...

Let alone a murder.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book: I love a good nosy neighbor mystery and I haven't read anything by this author before.

My Impression: I really wanted to love this one.  I love an older main character/amateur sleuth and loved the Only Murders in the Building vibe to the premise.  Unfortunately, in execution it just didn't work for me.  The book is told through Gwen's perspective and as the book went along the less I liked her.  It's not so much that she's a bad person but more that she has absolutely no sense.  She never met a secret she wouldn't tell the absolute wrong person or a wrong place she couldn't show up in.  The rest of the characters weren't much better.

In a thriller I don't mind not liking the characters if the story is fast paced and engaging enough.  Unfortunately, again this was not the case.  Things are slowly revealed past the point where I cared.  The book starts off with a bang but then fizzles out completely.  By the time the murder actually happens I was really struggling to keep reading.  

Despite the fact that I didn't really enjoy the story I was intrigued by the author's writing style.  I enjoyed her ability to create a fleshed out and claustrophobic setting.  I'm curious to see try another book by this author.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would read another book by this author because I did like the writing style. 

Would I Recommend this Book? Probably not.  I didn't really enjoy the story or the characters.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

This Month In Reading - June 2026

Monthly Reading Total: 18.  After a couple of slow months it was good to get back in a good place with my reading!

Type:

Print - 7

Ebook - 6 

Audio - 5

Genre:

Mystery - 6 

Fiction - 7

Nonfiction - 2

Romance - 3 

Favorite Books of the Month:

Favorite Audio Book - Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan - This was just a delight.  I loved the story and I loved the characters.  I'm very much looking forward to reading more by this author.

Favorite Other Books: The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson - I loved this one and it was exactly the fantasy story to get the month of June started off right.

Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen - This is the first book in the mystery series loosely based on Frances Gessner Lee who created a series of "Nutshells" or miniature crime scenes to be used as an investigative tool.  It takes place in post-World War II Vermont and I enjoyed it so much I immediately picked up the 2nd book.  I'm hoping the series is continuing.  

Rereads:  I am not doing well on my goal to do more rereads this year.  This month my only reread was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Monthly Armchair Travel

Domestic Travel:  I visited Ohio, Vermont (twice), Texas, and Rhode Island for the first time.  I revisited Kentucky, North Carolina (twice), Connecticut, and California.

International Travel:  I visited New Zealand and then visited England twice

Friday Fives - July TBR

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. Since this is the first Friday in July, I'm planning my July TBR.  Here are 5 books I plan on reading in July. 

1.  Meet Me in Paris by Kristin Harmel - I really enjoyed a previous book by this author and am really looking forward to this one.

2.  Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett - This has been on my TBR for ages and summer seems like the perfect time for some 1920s ghost.

3.  Murder in Paperback Parlor by Ellery Adams - I like this author but I was a bit surprised by the direction the first book in this series went so I'm curious to see what I think of this one.

4.  Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Steveson - I absolutely loved the first book in this series and this was the one that caught my attention in the first place.  I'm excited to get started on this one.

5.  What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand - I read my first Hilderbrand book last year which was the first in this series and really enjoyed it.  I'm excited to get the continuation of the story.

What are you hoping to read in July?