Margot: Not my favorite. Tried to cover a lot of (important) topics but seemed all over the place and the characters didn’t grab me. Real Americans: Love it. I really connected with the story, and her writing is beautiful. Bear: Not for me. I couldn’t find myself interested in the plot or characters. Ricki Wilde: A good, saucy, summertime book. Man Who Died Twice: Another delightful novel in this series. Good and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I don’t wear makeup every day, but I have been trying to make a bit more effort, even in this heat. The below are my favorite products that actually stay on my face (most) of the day.

From left: Sania Brow Bar Eyebrow Pencil, Benefit Mascara, Buxom lip tint, Becca under eye corrector, Chantecaille eye shadow, Chanel palette (with bronzer, blush, and highlighter), Saie concealer, and Hermes tinted moisturizer. I know several of these are very expensive, but I expect them to last a long time.

Trespasses – beautiful and sad Irish novel that takes place during The Troubles. The Ministry of Time – good story and writing but not earth shattering. I don’t agree with all the hype. Good Material – good writing but found it pretty hard to care about the main characters. Murder Club – despite the title, it was a good and fun who-dun-it that didn’t take too much energy to get through. The Fraud – this one is tough. I love Zadie Smith, and her writing is excellent. I found the story hard to follow though, particularly the time jumps. It is not my favorite from her.

Drunk Elephant Vitamin C – got this with a Sephora gift card and remembered why I don’t like it. It is so tacky on the skin and doesn’t mix well with makeup and other products. Replenix tinted eye cream – influenced to buy and not for me. The tint settles into my fine lines and wrinkles. Honest Beauty Hydrogel Cream – my favorite cheapish every day moisturizer. It’s light yet moisturizing and doesn’t break me out. I already bought a new one. Glossier deodorant – a pretty good natural deodorant that leaves minimal white marks. Christoph Robin salt hair scrub – used this for years every few shampoos to remove product buildup. I love it but am trying the Goop scrub next to compare. Rahua conditioner – also a long time favorite. My hair texture has changed so though much post-pregnancy that I am now trying new products from my salon. Hourglass concealer – this puppy is thick, and covers acne and marks very well. Not great for undereye if you have fine lines and wrinkles. NARS eye shadow primer – bought pre pandemic and barely used. I rarely wear eye shadow, and even more rarely remember to prime. Glossier fig balm – I had high hopes for this because I love fig, but would not recommend. The formula separated after just a few months and is no longer useable.

After I was heavily influenced on social media to buy a small raffia bag for summer, I found this cutie at a boutique in Michigan called A.K. Rikk’s. It arrived in the most beautiful felt box with a handwritten thank you note. If you are like me and get tired of seeing the same items/brands on social media, it might be worth checking out a smaller boutique. They often have a special, curated selection and include brands that you may never heard of, such as the French company that made this bag. Plus the purchasing experience is much more special.

Flora Lee – engaging story, good writing. Puzzlemakers – it was fine. It was on display at my library so I grabbed it while waiting to get off hold lists for other books. Book of Love – it wasn’t for me. Has a magical element which was interesting, and was well-written. Giraffes – a fun read. Not too sad, strong writing, and based in part on a true story. Cleopatra – this is why you shouldn’t get book recs from Instagram. This book was slog about two people’s doomed relationship, and you could see the issues immediately. Writing was fine, nothing special.

Some products that I recently used up, and my honest (and unsponsored thoughts below).

Elf makeup remover – would not repurchase. The flip top is annoying and the Sephora kind I am currently using is much more effective. Defenage BioSerum – already have a second one that I am using. Feels nice on but not sure if it is doing anything. Bioeffect eye serum – found it in the clearance bin at Anthropologie for $20. The roller is cooling and pleasant to apply, but would not repurchase for the price. Honest Beauty primer and mascara – used for years. Nice to have a primer and mascara in one tube. Am currently trying other brands to see if I like them more. Hotel Lobby Aspen candle – LOVE this candle for winter. Would definitely repurchase next year.

I’m going to start doing short reviews on the books so you can see what I liked and didn’t. This was a good batch.

Alperton Angels – liked it. Not too sad or scary. Would recommend. Trust – really liked it. I know I’m probably the last to read it because there has been so much press. Interesting to think about history and who tells the stories. Starling House – not my type of book (fantasy and a bit of horror) but definitely well written. Could have been about 100 pages shorter because there is a lot of detail that is unnecessary to the story. Lady Tan – liked it. Interesting story that takes place at a time in history I didn’t know much about. Homecoming – also liked it, but could have been shorter. Good twists and turns in the story and well written.