Mini Book Reviews: March 2026

Disclaimer: I received copies of 200 Monas, Once and Again, Whidbey, All the World Can Hold, and North of Ordinary from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

I did my best, but was unable to make my way through all 9 NetGalley prereleases this month. Lake Effect and Theo of Golden were library holds, and I didn't want to let them go, only to get back in the queue. I'll continue to work through the remaining 4 NetGalley books as time allows. April looks to be a busy month of reading as well, with 8 NetGalley prereleases. Sigh. An embarrassment of riches.

My favorite book of the month, hands down, was Lake Effect. Perfectly executed, this will be one of my favorite books of the year. My other favorite, a non-fiction banger, was North of Ordinary. I do love a good adventure memoir, and this one checks all the boxes.

The Worst Day So Far....

There were some workouts and runs this week. But most of my workouts were mental, as I navigated post-hospital care and rehab for my mom. The plan to take her home with 24 hour care was postponed, as we realized that it was unrealistic due to my mom's condition, as well as my father's behavior while at the rehab facility. 

It's been...a week.

From the Frying Pan Into the Fire

I couldn't think of a better metaphor to describe the past week. The temperatures in California were HOT. Like 100F+ hot with a blazing sun. As the saying goes, it's 'not the heat, it's the humidity,' and I found that to be true. But no matter how you look at it, 100F+ is hot, and on Wednesday, it hit 107F, a temperature I had never experienced before. The hot temperatures didn't stop us, as you'll read below, and the mornings were pleasant enough that as long as I got out before the sun was overhead, I had some really decent runs.

But...on Tuesday, we learned that my mom fell on the ice and fractured her pelvis. No head injury, thank goodness. She was hospitalized, and her dementia and my dad's anxiety proved to be a huge challenge to my sisters and me. The recommendation for post-hospital care was subacute rehab; my dad was determined to take her home. No one thought this was a good idea; getting him to understand this was a challenge I hadn't even considered, and it was formidable. It took a compromise--home health staff will be in place on Tuesday, and Mom will go to rehab in the interim. 

I took a couple of additional days off work to help my parents with the transition. I can't express how difficult this has been. I am thankful for the support of my sisters, who have agreed with my decisions for my parents. As I always do, I am leaning into fitness as much as I can. It's how I manage my stress.

A Change Did Me Good

What a whirlwind of a week! Dealing with an RA flare, starting steroids, I prepared for my trip to California to spend a week with my sister and her hubs. I was stressed, but not because of that. The day before I left, I had to give a presentation for Grand Rounds, which is a weekly virtual education session for the physicians. I usually attend these sessions--they are always excellent, and I receive continuing education credits, which I need to maintain licensure. The Zero Suicide Team, of which I am a member, was presenting on Talking to Your Patient About Suicide, and I was tasked with the final portion of the presentation. The entire presentation was well received, and I was pleased with how it went. Let me tell you, though, I was glad to be done with that!

I landed in California early Thursday afternoon to 93 degrees and bright sunshine. After a good night's sleep, when I woke up on Friday, I felt like myself again. No anxiety, no pain. This was a much needed getaway!

Springing Forward

For once, the calendar and the weather matched up--it feels like spring! At least what spring feels like in Chicago. Coolish with a tease of a warm day here and there, gusty winds, mud, and rain. But the birds are singing and dive bombing, the squirrels are squirreling, and the deer are out.

The portapotties are not yet out. Sadly.

My favorite part of this time of year is shedding all the layers when I run outside. That also means less laundry! IYKYK. Springtime here can be frustrating--it takes so long to finally come, and then when it does, it's summer... not that I'm complaining...

Mini Book Reviews--February 2026

 Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Family Drama, Little One, Kin, Saoirse, and A Good Animal from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest reviews. This post contains affiliate links.

February is a short month; it was also a busy month for me, and finding time to read was a challenge. I like to read before I go to bed, but I often drift off so quickly that I don't always remember what I've read. That meant that I had to re-read those passages the next day. I'm not complaining; it just made it a little tougher to get all my NetGalley books read for February. But I did, and 4 out of the 5 of those were just great. The other one was a rare DNF, a mess of a book.

I also had 2 library holds to read, one which was a disappointment and the other, a fun trip back to the 60s and 70s. 

Coming up for March? I have a boatload of NetGalley reads--it will be tough to get them done, but I also have a trip to California to see my sister, so I will have lots of downtime. Hopefully, they are all engaging, and I can fly through them! I do love to read...

Bye February!!

I am so happy to see February go. It was a busy and overwhelming month for me. Between several projects at work and managing my parents' health, the month flew by. I accomplished a lot this month, but my biggest accomplishment? Completing the 1000 push-up challenge, though! When I first signed up for it, I truly didn't think I'd get it done. Even though I didn't always want to do my 36 daily push-ups, I didn't want to skip a day, because that meant double the push-ups the next day. Interestingly, as the days went by and I did my pushups, I felt myself becoming stronger, and the pushups felt less difficult. I was also able to increase the weight on my bench presses every week, which was really exciting.

Will I continue to do the push-ups? Yes, but not the volume we did this month. I have to admit that the DOMS never went away. My plan is to do 25 pushups 3x/week after I run. Hopefully, that will be enough to maintain the strength I built this month. We'll see!