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I’ve always loved independent bookstores (let’s be real, what book lover doesn’t?!), but at the start of 2025, I decided to make this the year I put my money where my mouth is. Back in January, I set a goal of purchasing a book from a different independent bookstore every month of 2025. And yesterday, I checked off that goal! 🎉 12 months later, I can safely say this is my favorite goal ever. I’ve had the best time exploring new bookstores over the last year - and bonding with all of you over our shared love of independent bookstores! Swipe through for a complete breakdown of the 12 independent bookstores I visited for this goal in 2025. I visited a few beyond these, but for this post I wanted to focus on the bookstores I purchased a book from this year. Here are the independent bookstores I visited in 2025: January - @curiousiguana (my local indie!) February - @quailridgebooks March - @backwaterbooks April - @fountainbookstore May - @fourseasonsbooks June - @next.chapter.bookshop July - @midtownscholar August - @thistlebookshopandcafe September - @therippedbodice October - @pagesabookstore November - @thebookloft December - @middleburg.books And now I have a request of all of you - who will join me in making an effort to support independent bookstores in 2026?! I’m planning to set the same goal again in 2026 and I’d love it if you’d join me. Let’s make 2026 a great year for independent bookstores!

The All Too Well Read x @magicalmotherrunner collection is LIVE!!!! Happy National Library Lovers’ Month! 📚We’re excited to launch the All Too Well Read 13-piece collection designed for cozy readers, audiobook fans, and anyone who loves spending time in libraries or supporting independent bookstores. From tees and crewnecks to totes and notepads, each piece celebrates the joy of reading and the communities that come with it. Shop the collection now at magicalmotherrunner.etsy.com!

I read 163 books in 2025 and these were my favorites! I read so many incredible books this year, but this list is the ones that really stood out - those books that I’m still thinking about months later. All books that I’d highly recommend for anyone looking to read more this year! Now I want to hear from all of you - what was your favorite book this year?

☀️2026 Summer Reading Guide☀️ It’s time!!! I’m so excited to share my 2026 Summer Reading Guide! Summer is just around the corner and it’s officially time to start thinking about summer reading. Consider this post your one stop shop for books that will give you all the summer vibes! I’ve gathered a comprehensive list of all my favorite books that feel like summer, broken down by category. Featured categories include: 📚 Contemporary fiction 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Complex family stories 💕 Summer romance 🌄 Atmospheric romance 🥰 Nostalgic romance 🗺️ For a vacation in a book 🔮 For a magical summer 🔪 Warm weather thrillers This post is broken into two categories: my personal favorite summer reads and some upcoming summer releases that I’m particularly excited about! Every book in the first section is a book I’ve personally read and rated 4 stars or higher. I haven’t read most of the upcoming releases yet, but the ones I have read are marked with a starfish so you know which ones already have my stamp of approval! Swipe through for my complete list of books that feel like summer, start compiling your summer reading list, and get those library holds in. Happy reading! And tell me in the comments - what’s one book you’re looking forward to reading this summer?!

The Revisioners by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton 3.75⭐️ (contemporary fiction / historical fiction) 📚This book is for you if: you love multi-generational family sagas This was one of those books that made me feel so many conflicting emotions! I was confused, then frustrated, then nervous, horrified, and devastated. I was bored by some parts and absolutely enthralled by others. I found the overall message very compelling, but I hated the abrupt ending. This is a book with range! The Revisioners is a multi-generational family saga told from the point of view of two members of the same Black southern family - one living in 1855 and one living in 2017. The present day timeline follows single mom Ava, who has just moved in with her white grandmother. In the past timeline, we follow Josephine’s journey from a childhood in slavery to an adulthood realizing that freedom from slavery doesn’t mean freedom from the danger of prejudice. I ultimately enjoyed this book, but I had a few hang-ups about the writing style. In the beginning, I really struggled. I’m not a big historical fiction reader to begin with, and I found the writing style for the past timeline difficult to follow. I had to reread passages often because the cadence just felt off. There were also a lot of characters that appeared without introduction, which only added to my confusion. But once I got used to the writing style, I became much more invested in the story. And the story is where this book really shines. It’s a story of motherhood and race and what it really means to be free. It’s evocative and horrifying and reflective in a way that sadly feels true to reality. It’s definitely a heavy read and I found some parts difficult to stomach. The juxtaposition of the brutality of slavery and the blatant racism of the early 20th century and the more subtle (but let’s be honest, equally appalling) micro aggressions that still happen today was so well done. The Revisioners was one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read. If you’re not a big fan of historical fiction, I don’t know that I’d start with this one - but if you’re a regular historical fiction reader, it’s worth giving it a try!

Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida by Gilbert King 🎧 Rating: 4.5⭐️ (nonfiction)  📚 This book is for you if: you’re addicted to true crime podcasts  I first heard about Bone Valley thanks to @sherry_reads_books and I’m happy I finally got to it because it was such an incredible story of heartbreak, injustice, and ultimately redemption. Bone Valley tells the story of Leo Schofield, a man who spent 36 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. This book will remind you just how unjust our criminal justice system in America is, but you’ll also walk away feeling amazed by Leo’s tenacity and grace. I don’t consume much true crime content because I never want to contribute to the exploitation of someone’s real life trauma - but Bone Valley is the type of true crime I can get behind because of its overwhelmingly positive intent. It was clear from the start that the author was deeply invested in Leo’s case, and I have no doubt that this book is a huge part of the reason Leo Schofield is no longer behind bars. Bone Valley was longer than my typical audiobooks, but it was very well-paced. At times it got a bit in the weeds with the logistics of trials, etc. but overall it kept my attention. I really enjoyed the way the author incorporated interviews to switch up the structure - they added a lot of interest and made me even more invested in this story. I was especially touched by the friendship the author ended up developing with Leo. To be honest, this book often made me furious. Furious that our justice system fails so many people; furious that corrupt individuals are continuously given power in America; furious that it took an entire podcast and a book for Leo Schofield to get just a piece of the justice he deserved. This book is a stark reminder of how flawed and slow-moving the American justice system is. And if things are this bad for Leo, a white man from this country, just imagine how much worse they are for people of color and immigrants. Whether you’re a true crime fan or not, if you have any interest in narrative nonfiction I highly recommend this book - it’s a true testament to the power of storytelling!

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune 5⭐️ (romance) 📚 This book is for you if: you’re looking for a romance that feels like a vacation but also has depth I didn’t think anything could top One Golden Summer, but it’s official: I have a new favorite @carleyfortune book! Our Perfect Storm is an absolutely perfect summer romance, full of yearning, gorgeous scenery, and crackling chemistry. This is the kind of feet-kicking, butterfly-inducing romance that’ll leave you with a big goofy grin on your face - and is there any better feeling than that?! There’s just nothing like reading a book from one of your comfort authors, and that’s exactly what Carley Fortune has become for me. She writes the kinds of books that make me forget I’m reading - it feels like I’ve actually been dropped into the world of her characters. I lose all sense of time and place as I’m completely immersed in the pure magic of her writing. To me, one of the best things about reading is the way it allows us to travel without physically flying across the globe. And I love that each of Carley Fortune’s books feels like a new journey to a beautiful place. The way she sets a scene remains unmatched and she has this incredible ability to transport readers to magical places. She really took her atmospheric writing to new levels in Our Perfect Storm with vivid depictions of stunning scenery and mouthwatering food descriptions! As wonderful as the setting was, picturesque scenery means nothing without a compelling romance. And this romance was everything!!! The banter! The letters! The tension! The YEARNING! It was all so good. And as someone with a rather fiery personality (ask my husband LOL), I loved the way George encouraged Frankie to stop dimming her fire for the sake of others. I was absolutely giddy by the end. This kind of friends to lovers romance isn’t easy to pull off, but Carley executed it flawlessly. There were valid reasons that these two hadn’t gotten together yet, and it made the payoff at the end all that much more rewarding! Carley Fortune continues to prove that she’s the queen of summer romance, and this book solidified that for me. I loved every second and I highly recommend it!

✨Independent Bookstore Feature✨ I’m excited to share another independent bookstore feature today! For my May independent bookstore visit, I decided to spend part of my birthday weekend visiting a new-to-me bookstore in DC! I am lucky to live in an area that has an incredible number of independent bookstores, and in DC alone I was overwhelmed with options. I ended up landing on @solidstatedc , and I’m so happy I visited because it was such an amazing bookstore! Solid State Books is a Black-owned bookstore located conveniently in downtown Washington, DC just a 10 minute walk from Union Station. I was amazed at the size of this city bookstore and the incredible selection of books. The left side of the store features a massive fiction section that I could’ve spent hours browsing. In the back, there’s a charming children’s section, and to the right there’s a large nonfiction selection, too. They even have a cafe that serves caffeinated beverages, wine, and beer in case you need a little pick-me-up while you browse the shelves! As an added bonus, Solid State is just a 15 minute walk from Union Market - so if you’re stopping by near lunchtime, you can easily walk to Union Market to grab a quick bite afterward. Swipe through the slides above to learn more about this bookstore, including how they describe themselves on their website (slide 3). And be sure to stop by Solid State Books the next tome you find yourself in DC! I hope you’ll join me in striving to support more independent bookstores in 2026! We can’t do everything, but we can do something, and giving money to a locally owned business instead of a big box store is an easy way to make a difference.  I’d love to hear in the comments - tell me about the last independent bookstore you visited!

Chapter 33! 🎉 Spending my birthday perusing bookstores and eating my favorite foods and that’s all I could really ever ask for. My 30s have been my favorite decade yet and each year keeps getting better. Aging is such a gift!!! It was actually a lot harder than I thought it would be to find a books my shelves with a chapter 33. Honestly rude. Here’s to another year full of lots of great reads 📚

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman 4.75⭐️ (contemporary fiction) 📚 This book is for you if: you’ve ever had a friend who felt like family I fell in love with Catherine Newman’s writing after reading Sandwich and Wreck last year, so I was excited to finally read her first novel, We All Want Impossible Things. And she has truly done the impossible with this book - she managed to write a book about dying that’s laugh out loud funny. Like, I actually laughed out loud, and often. But of course this heartfelt story of friendship and loss and love isn’t all laughs - it’s also devastating and emotional. It’s a book that contains multitudes. And aren’t those always the best kinds? Catherine Newman has a way with words unlike any other. Her writing is smart and biting and full of emotion and I just love it so much. I often found myself rereading paragraphs just to luxiuriate in her poetic yet personable writing. I think the thing I love most about her writing is how deeply relatable it feels, like some of the scenes could’ve been plucked from my own life. We all know that I love books about grief, and this one is now among my favorites. It felt exquisitely and heartbreakingly real, surely in part because it was inspired by Newman’s own experience losing her best friend. Truthfully, this book feels like a lot like life itself - made up of little moments that come together to create something devastating and beautiful. I was delighted that this book had so many of the hallmarks I’ve come to love in Catherine Newman’s books. It was full of her signature heart and humor. And the food descriptions! Take my advice: don’t read a Catherine Newman book while hungry. Her food descriptions are out of this world, luscious and mouth-watering. If you’re new to this author’s writing, you should also note that this book has her signature realness, which means you might struggle with certain parts if you’re squeamish. Unfortunately death is not pretty! This is the kind of book that’ll give you big feelings. It’ll make you reflect on the people you’re lucky enough to have in your life and what they mean to you. I absolutely adored it and I highly recommend it!

In honor of Mother’s Day tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to share some book recs from my mom! My love of reading was definitely influenced by growing up with a librarian mom - she might be the only person I know who loves books more than I do! Before she retired, she spent more than 30 years as a librarian, so you could say she’s an expert on all things books. My mom and I are both avid readers but as you’ll see from this post, we have *very* different taste in books. While I tend to gravitate toward romance and thrillers, she’s a big fan of historical fiction. We both love literary and contemporary fiction, though, so we do have some overlap. Part of what I love about my mom as a reader is that although she genuinely enjoys reading literary masterpieces, she believes all reading is good reading and would never judge another reader for preferring a light and fluffy read over a tome about important moments in history. She embodies my belief that reading should be fun! Swipe through to learn more about my mom as a reader and to see some of her top book recs, including: 📚 Her all-time favorite book 🚫 A banned book everyone should read 💭 A book that will make you think 🍸 A book to read with your book club 🌃 A book you’ll stay up late to finish 🎁 A book to gift to your mom Have you read any of these books?! If so, let me know what you thought of them in the comments!

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser 5⭐️ (historical fiction) 📚This book is for you if: you loved the show Once Upon a Time Like any 90s kid who grew up watching Disney movies on the regular, I love a good fairytale retelling. So when I heard about Lady Tremaine, a feminist retelling of Cinderella from the perspective of the wicked stepmother, I was IN. And whatever expectations I had, this book surpassed them. I absolutely adored this thoughtful and empowering story of motherhood, found family, and resilience! At this point I should also confess something. I was bound to have an interest in this book because I have, in fact, seen the movie Cinderella more than 300 times thanks to my 3-year-old self who watched it every single day for an entire year in childhood. Still, as excited as I was to read this book, I was skeptical about how the author would manage to make such a reviled character relatable and sympathetic. I needn’t have worried, because Etheldreda was one of my female characters ever.  I was completely blown away by the creativity, the character development, and the sheer genius of this book! The writing was utterly magnetic. This is a book you can truly get lost in! It was a bit darker than expected, but I absolutely loved the way the author managed to turn a classic tale on its head and create a story that felt entirely unique while still paying homage to the original. The true highlight of this book is the way it digs deeper and adds new layers to a beloved story. This isn’t just a fairytale - there’s a greater message between the pages of this book. It’s about womanhood and motherhood and the lengths mothers will go to for their children. I am childfree by choice, but even I was moved by the way this book portrayed motherhood, particularly Etheldreda’s relationship with her stepdaughter and the way one moment of reckoning changed everything. And of course as an animal lover, the storyline with Etheldreda’s falcon Lucy was a highlight for me! Whether you’re a fan of fairy tales or not, this book is an absolute must read. It’s an enthralling and compelling tale of tenacity, feminine power, and impossible choices. I highly recommend it!!!