Recent Reads: May + June 2026

May and June were thriller-heavy reading months, with all three books landing in that twisty, unsettling, page-turning corner of my reading life. I read three books total over the two months, and while they were all very different, each one gave me some version of what I wanted: moral dilemmas, unreliable characters, trapped contestants, and secrets refusing to stay buried. One was a five-star standout, one was a really fun ride, and one was entertaining even if it got a little tangled along the way.

📖 Reading Snapshot

📊 By the Numbers

Books Read: 3

Average Rating: 4.0 stars

Rating Distribution:

★★★★★ 1
★★★★☆ 1
★★★☆☆ 1

🎯 Yearly Progress

Yearly Reading Goal: 16 / 100

16%

Reading Pace: 34 books behind schedule
Average Time to Finish: 11.3 days
Average Pace: 0.62 books/week
Projected Year-End Total: 32 books

🏷️ Reading Mix

Fiction (3)
Thriller (3)

📚 Formats & Sources

Formats

eBook (3)

Sources

Kindle Unlimited (2) For Review (1)

📖 Book Reviews

The Privilege

Author: A.R. Hollowell

Genre: Fiction · Thriller

Publication: 2026

Format & Source: eBook · For Review

Time to Read: 6 days

Rating: ★★★★★

A therapist is caught in an impossible moral dilemma when one patient confesses to a fatal hit-and-run, and the victim’s mother becomes her patient just days later. Bound by confidentiality but haunted by what she knows, she has to decide how far duty can stretch before it becomes its own kind of harm.

The premise of this one grabbed me immediately. A therapist knowing the truth about a death but being legally unable to say anything? That is exactly the kind of moral dilemma that makes me want to keep turning pages. And this book delivered on that setup. It was compelling, tense, and genuinely hard to put down. I liked that the suspense came not just from what happened, but from the impossible position the therapist was trapped in. Every option had consequences, and that made the whole story feel even more gripping.

This was a strong psychological thriller with a fascinating premise, and I’m already excited for the upcoming sequel.

⚡ Quick Take: A tense, addictive moral-dilemma thriller that completely delivered on its premise.

Drowning in Paper Flowers

Author: E.L. Westbury

Genre: Fiction · Thriller

Publication: 2024

Format & Source: eBook · Kindle Unlimited

Time to Read: 16 days

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Ruby Powell appears to have the perfect life, but beneath the polished façade lies a troubled marriage, family secrets, and a past that refuses to stay buried. As the line between truth and deception begins to blur, everything around her starts to unravel.

This was a solid thriller with an interesting cast of unreliable characters and a few twists that genuinely caught me off guard.

There was almost too much happening at times, with so many subplots that the story occasionally felt convoluted and a little difficult to follow. Even so, it kept me engaged throughout. It may not be the most memorable thriller I've read, but it was an entertaining one.

⚡ Quick Take: An entertaining thriller with plenty of twists, even if it occasionally gets tangled in its own story.

Stay

Author: Zoe Cross

Genre: Fiction · Thriller

Publication: 2026

Format & Source: eBook · Kindle Unlimited

Time to Read: 12 days

Rating: ★★★★☆

Ten strangers enter an underground bunker to compete in a reality show for a $2 million prize, but when something goes terribly wrong, they're trapped inside with no way out.

This was a genuinely fun thriller. I always enjoy stories with a reality TV angle, and pairing that with a locked-room survival scenario made for a really engaging read.

Watching the contestants slowly unravel as the days passed was one of my favorite parts, and I was desperate to find out what had happened to leave them trapped underground. The story kept me hooked with a few surprising twists, and I'll definitely be reading more from Zoe Cross.

⚡ Quick Take: A tense, entertaining survival thriller that kept me guessing until the end.

🏆 Favorite Book of May & June

The Privilege by A.R. Hollowell

A gripping moral-dilemma thriller that completely delivered on its fascinating premise.

That’s a wrap on these two months of reading. Here’s to finding another story worth staying up too late for. 📚

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We Still Went

On memories, mess, and the traditions we make on purpose

I’ve been thinking a lot about traditions lately.

Not the ones you grow up with. The ones you have to build yourself.

The kind you have to create on purpose. The kind that don’t just happen unless you make them happen. 

And that part is exhausting, if I’m being honest. Most days, I come home from work and want to crawl straight into bed. I don’t have extra energy just sitting around waiting to be turned into meaningful moments.

But we try anyway. 

That’s why we ran together last year. Partly for the exercise, partly because I had something to prove to myself… but mostly because I wanted something that was ours. Just me and my boys, out in the evenings, moving forward together and getting ready for our yearly Turkey Trot.

That’s why we go to Bingo. We make them go. They complain about it. Some nights, when we aren’t winning fast enough, it ends in frustration or tears. But I still see it. The way they stand up from their seats and spin for luck. The way they immediately try to claim my prizes. My mom’s prizes. By the time we leave, they’re carrying an armful of candy like they earned every piece of it.

That’s why I take them to the movies when something comes out they want to see. We go on Tuesdays because it’s discount night. We sneak in candy and drinks, but we always buy the popcorn. I sit through movies I don’t even like, like the Mario movie, just hoping it becomes something they remember fondly later.

And the funny thing is, the memory they're making and the moment I'm living are seldom the same. 

It's me sitting between them so they don't fight. Maybe what they'll remember is that we always sat together.

It's me whisper-yelling at Holden when he gets too loud. Maybe what he'll remember is laughing through the movie.

It's me getting up halfway through to refill the popcorn. Maybe what they'll remember is that we never ran out.

It's chaos in a dark room with a sticky floor.

And somehow, that's the memory we're making.

There are days when it feels more like effort than memory-making. It isn't always what I pictured for our lives.

But years from now, I don't think they'll remember the chaos, the fighting, or even the sticky floors.

I think they'll just remember that we went.

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Five Ninety-Nine (One Minute Memoir)

A Memoir of Cheap Pizza, Unreasonable Enthusiasm, and the Best Part of Dinner

Setting: April 2026 — Somewhere between “cheap dinner” and “core memory.”

I got home from work one evening and was immediately greeted by Caleb.

“Do you know what I want for dinner?”

I didn’t.

“Little Caesars. Pizza and breadsticks, okay?”

I asked Holden. He agreed instantly.

So I opened the app to see what kind of cheap, greasy situation we were getting into. They had a Mix & Match deal. Two items for $5.99 each.

We went with a large Slices-N-Stix for $5.99. Half pepperoni pizza, half bacon breadsticks. I added garlic parmesan wings, eight for $5.99. Dinner for all of us came in under thirteen dollars... which felt like a red flag.

When I got home from my pizza portal pick-up, they didn’t wait. The box was open immediately, and Caleb did this thing he’s been doing lately, touching the piece he wants so no one else takes it. Claiming it. Holden followed suit, selecting his slice and breadstick the same way.

Ownership was established.

We dug in.

The wings were… fine. A little rubbery. Kind of small. Decent sauce, at least. We live an hour from Buffalo, where wings are taken seriously, so my standards are probably higher than necessary.

Still, Holden took one bite and lit up. “These wings are AWESOME! If this was prison food, I’d try to go to prison!”

They kept going back for more. Slices. Stix. Grease.

At one point, they said it was better than McDonald’s. I disagreed.

“Why?” Holden asked.

“Because I love nuggets.”

They didn’t argue. They just kept eating. I managed half a slice, one bacon stick, and a couple of wings before I was done.

They kept going. From the kitchen, I heard Holden shout, “these chicken wings don’t even stand a chance against me!”

By the time I went back in, most of it was gone. They stood over the empty box like it had been something special.

Maybe it was.

Not because of the pizza. Not even because it was only $5.99.

Because sometimes the best part of dinner is having someone to laugh with across the table.

This post is part of my One-Minute Memoir series — short reflections on small moments that still manage to say something big.

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What I Watched: June 2026

June kept me firmly in documentary mode, with stories that ranged from unsettling neighborhood disputes and true crime to bizarre internet rabbit holes and cases that challenged my assumptions. I also continued with one of my ongoing rewatches, making for a month that was equal parts thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and completely bewildering.

Shows

Grey's Anatomy
Netflix · 2005 · Rewatch · S:2, E:8-9
These two episodes focused heavily on relationships. Addison continues trying to win Derek back, Cristina and Burke go on their first real date, Burke gives her a key to his apartment, Izzie and Alex grow closer, and Meredith has yet another one-night stand. The most memorable patient was a man who woke up after spending 16 years in a vegetative state. His name was Holden, which immediately caught my attention. Aside from the character in The Catcher in the Rye, I'd never heard another fictional character with my son's name.

Documentary Films & Docuseries

Tell Them You Love Me ★★★★★
Netflix · 2024 · Documentary Film 
This documentary explores the controversial relationship between a married professor and a nonverbal man with cerebral palsy, raising difficult questions about communication, consent, disability, and who gets to tell another person's story. The case itself is fascinating, but what makes the documentary so effective is its refusal to provide easy answers. Nearly every assumption I made early on was challenged as more information came to light.

This was one of the most thought-provoking documentaries I've watched in a long time. It tackles an incredibly sensitive subject with nuance and restraint, allowing viewers to wrestle with the complexities for themselves. I found it compelling from beginning to end and couldn't stop thinking about it afterward.

The Perfect Neighbor ★★★★☆
Netflix · 2025 · Documentary Film 
This documentary examines a years-long neighborhood dispute in Florida that ultimately ended in tragedy. Told almost entirely through police body camera footage, it offers a front-row seat to the escalating conflict and the repeated attempts to manage it before everything unraveled.

I was a little late to the game with this one, but I can see why it generated so much discussion. I wasn't sure I'd like the body camera format, but it worked remarkably well, revealing the story piece by piece instead of simply recounting events. Sad, infuriating, and often difficult to watch, it's a powerful documentary that stayed with me long after it ended.

77 Minutes ★★★☆☆
Tubi · 2016 · Documentary Film
This documentary examines the 1984 mass shooting at a California McDonald's that unfolded over 77 minutes. Through interviews with survivors, law enforcement, and archival footage, it reconstructs the tragedy and its aftermath. The story itself is heartbreaking and fascinating, and I learned a great deal about a case I knew very little about beforehand. Unfortunately, the documentary felt amateurish at times, and the director's own opinions often overshadowed the storytelling.

Maternal Instinct ★★★★★
Netflix · 2026 · Documentary Film
This documentary generated a lot of buzz when it was released, and I can absolutely see why. It follows a woman who builds her life around increasingly elaborate lies, including repeatedly claiming to be pregnant. When those lies begin to unravel, she takes unimaginable steps to convince others they were true.

The story is both bizarre and horrifying, and it held my attention from beginning to end. Featuring interviews with people close to both the victim and the killer, this was a fascinating and exceptionally well-made documentary.

Tickled ★★★★☆
HBO Max · 2016 · Documentary Film
This one was... quite something. A journalist stumbles across a series of competitive endurance tickling videos and begins investigating the people behind them. What starts as an odd internet curiosity quickly spirals into something much stranger, with threats, intimidation, and increasingly bizarre revelations.

I spent most of the documentary wondering what on earth was going on, and every time I thought I had it figured out, another twist sent the story in a different direction. A genuinely wild watch.

By the Numbers

• Total Watched: 6
• Shows: 1 (rewatch) · 2 episodes
• Documentary Films: 5
• Five-Star Watches: 2
• Average Rating: 4.2★
• Most-Used Streaming Service: Netflix (4 titles)
• Oldest Release: Grey's Anatomy (2005) · Tickled (2016)
• Newest Release: Maternal Instinct (2026)

Superlatives

Favorite Watch: Tell Them You Love Me
Most Fascinating: Maternal Instinct
Biggest Disappointment: 77 Minutes

June continued my streak of documentary-heavy months, but what stood out most was how many of these stories dealt with deception, obsession, and people living in completely different realities than those around them. Whether it was neighborhood conflicts, fabricated pregnancies, unusual internet subcultures, or difficult ethical questions, these documentaries consistently left me with more questions than answers. That's usually the sign of a month well spent in front of the screen.

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Month in Review: June 2026

June 2026 in Review

June felt like three months squeezed into one. Between ceremonies, concerts, appointments, celebrations, work, and one very crowded calendar, it seemed like every week brought another event, another deadline, or another small ending. It was hectic and sometimes stressful, but it was also full of milestones. This was one of those months where life kept moving fast, and all I could do was try to keep up.

Month by the Numbers

Weight: ↓ 1.2 lbs	|	Migraines: 1
Runs / Walks: 0	|	Books: 1
Blog Posts: 12	|	OMMs: 3
Savings: ↑ $540	|	Debt: ↓ $567.81

OMM = One Minute Memoir

Life was busy this month, but the numbers still moved in the right direction. Savings grew, debt dropped, and migraines stayed surprisingly quiet.

June, As It Happened

A month of appointments: June started with a run of appointments. Holden had a doctor appointment, and I had two dental appointments of my own. The first was with a periodontist to finally look into the gum pain, bleeding, and gum recession I’ve dealt with on and off for a long time. It was informative but also discouraging. He suggested three gum grafts for the recession, likely caused by clenching. I felt relieved to have a possible solution… until they told me it would be around $4,000 because my dental insurance wouldn’t cover it. Two weeks later, I went back for the cleaning he recommended. Grafts are on hold indefinitely.

Birthday parties: Holden had two birthday parties this month. One was swimming at his best friend’s house, and the other was at a Ninja Warrior gym. The second invitation meant a lot. The girl’s mom told me she had been dealing with bullies at school, and Holden had been kind to her, so she wanted to invite him. Definitely a proud mom moment.

A day at Seabreeze: I chaperoned Caleb’s band field trip to Seabreeze, a local amusement park and water park. His band played in a competition first, then the kids got to enjoy the park for the rest of the day. It was hot, I was out of my element, and I was not exactly excited going into it, but he had a great time. I loved watching him laugh, run around, and just be a kid with his friends. No regrets, though I did come home sunburned.

Another musical: My aunt and I saw Suffs. Sadly, it was not a favorite, but I still love having these musical nights with her.

A family wedding: One of my cousins got married this month. The reception was nice, the food was good, and I sat with some of my cousins from out of town. Social events like this always make me feel a bit out of my element, but it was good to see family.

Another civil service exam: I took a court civil service exam this month. Apparently results can take around six months, but it always feels worth it to get on eligible lists when I can. One more possibility out there.

Holden’s Moving Up Ceremony: I left work early one day for Holden’s Moving Up ceremony. He got a certificate, a small gift, and the chance to show us a little binder filled with highlights from his year. Both of my boys went to this K-2 school, so we’ve been part of it for six years now. It felt strange and bittersweet to say goodbye. Afterward, I kept one of our traditions: whenever I sign one of the kids out of school early for something, we go to McDonald’s. Happy Meals were had.

Summer Jam school event: That same night was Summer Jam at Caleb’s school, a little outdoor end-of-year celebration. Both boys went. They served pizza for dinner, but the kids mostly wanted to play on the playground instead of doing the planned activities. Honestly, the playground usually wins. Sadly, this was also Caleb's last school event at his elementary school! 

Juneteenth and baseball: The boys were off school and I was off work for Juneteenth. That evening, Caleb’s band played the National Anthem at the Red Wings game, our local minor league baseball team. They did it last year too. It is an incredible amount of work for a tiny performance out on the field, but he had fun. We watched a little of the game, but both boys were bored and complaining by about the end of the first inning. Holden was mostly there for the food. Between all of us, we had pulled pork mac and cheese, a soft pretzel, Dippin’ Dots, fried dough, popcorn, and a slushie. Yikes. It was Caleb’s last performance with his elementary band, which made it feel sadder than expected.

Caleb’s Moving Up Ceremony: I took a full Monday off for Caleb’s Moving Up ceremony. Because he is heading to middle school, this ceremony felt much bigger than Holden’s. He won a band award and the highest academic honor they gave out, which was awarded to students eligible for both a leadership award and the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence. It was the final award announced, and as he didn’t get called for the earlier, lower-level awards, we all got increasingly anxious. I suspected what was coming, but still. When they finally called his name, I was so proud. He got a medal and was very excited. Afterward, we went to lunch with my parents. Next up: middle school.

Pizza Bingo: Our monthly Bingo night had another pizza party theme, which the kids love. Holden was told he could not have seconds. He won his big prize pretty quickly, decided he was done playing, and became kind of a stinker about the whole thing. It was a nice night, though, so the boys played on the playground for a bit afterward.

Joe Gatto: My aunt and I went to see Joe Gatto at the local comedy club. We’ve both loved Impractical Jokers for years, and I’ve always wanted to see him live. It was great. We were close to the stage, had some good food, and laughed a lot. Fun fact: I have now seen three of the four Jokers in person. Sal twice, Murr once, and now Joe. Murr was disappointing, but Joe delivered.

A financial milestone: After a couple of years, I started making payments on my retirement loan again. It isn't the flashiest milestone, but seeing the balance finally move down instead of up feels incredibly satisfying. It's one of those little signs that things really are moving in the right direction.

The little moments: Between the bigger events were plenty of smaller things that made June feel like summer had officially arrived. Dairy Queen dinner with Holden one night. A Byrne Dairy ice cream run on a 90+ degree day. A trip to Woodhull Raceway. The boys’ last day of school. A short-lived fire in the fire pit for s’mores. Lots of swimming. Here's to a fun summer before both boys start at new schools next year!

What I Read

June was my slowest reading month of the year so far, but I still managed to finish one solid thriller.

• Stay by Zoe Cross ★★★★☆
  Ten strangers compete in an underground survival game for a $2 million prize, only to discover escaping may be harder than winning.

Favorite Read: Stay
Yearly Progress: 16 / 100

What I Watched

June was another documentary-heavy month. Most of what I watched explored ethics, crime, and the complicated gray areas of human behavior, with a couple of standout films that stayed with me long after they ended.

TV Shows

Grey's Anatomy
Netflix · 2005 · Rewatch · s:2 e:8-9

Documentaries & Docuseries

Tell Them You Love Me ★★★★★
Netflix · 2024 · Documentary film
Examines the controversial relationship between a nonverbal man with cerebral palsy and the professor accused of abusing him.

The Perfect Neighbor ★★★★☆
Netflix · 2025 · Documentary film
A years-long neighborhood dispute unfolds through police body camera footage before ending in tragedy.

77 Minutes ★★★☆☆
Tubi · 2016 · Documentary film
Revisits the 1984 San Ysidro McDonald's massacre through survivor interviews and original recordings.

Maternal Instinct ★★★★★
Netflix · 2026 · Documentary film
Explores the shocking murder of an expectant Texas mother whose unborn child was stolen after an elaborate pregnancy deception.

Tickled ★★★★☆
HBO Max · 2016 · Documentary film
A journalist investigating competitive endurance tickling uncovers a bizarre world of secrecy, intimidation, and obsession.

Favorite Watch: Tell Them You Love Me

What I Wrote

Despite how busy June was, I still managed to publish twelve posts, including three One Minute Memoirs. Looking back, these are the two pieces that stayed with me the most.

Favorite Essay: Inside Out, Again
Sometimes the stories I write end up being just as much about me as they are about the boys. This one started with them watching their favorite movies on repeat, but became a reflection on the comfort of repetition. They revisit Secret Life of Pets and Inside Out. I revisit Grey's Anatomy. Maybe we're not all that different.

Favorite One Minute Memoir: The Ten Day Plan
Holden confidently announced that he was giving up Crumbl brownie dippers because he wanted to lose ten pounds in ten days. About twenty minutes later, he came back for brownies. It perfectly captured the wonderfully short attention span of seven-year-old determination.

Coming Up in July

Looking at my calendar right now feels oddly peaceful. After June, that's a welcome change. Nothing is officially on the schedule yet, and I'm hoping that means July can be a month to breathe a little.

I'm hoping for:

• More time for reading.
• Catching up on a few shows and documentaries.
• Finally recommitting to family runs... maybe.
• More progress on my financial goals.
• Plenty of swimming, ice cream, and little summer adventures with the boys.
• A slower pace after one of the busiest months of the year.

June wasn't just busy because of the calendar. It was also the busiest stretch of the year at work, and I'm dealing with some insurance headaches. I'm hoping July brings a little more breathing room in every sense of the word.

♥

See you next month.

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The Great Breakfast Draft (One Minute Memoir)

 A Memoir of Steak Claims, Pancake Rights, and One Very Necessary Side of Eggs

Setting: June 2026 

The kids and I were off for Juneteenth, but my day still had one important errand: I needed my daily McDonald’s Diet Coke.

Since I was already going, I opened the app and noticed they were running a buy one, get one free deal on breakfast sandwiches. I asked the boys if they wanted some.

“No.”

Caleb wanted a Big Breakfast. With steak  

Before I could point out that he’d somehow turned my free breakfast sandwich coupon into one of the most expensive breakfasts on the menu, Holden chimed in. “I want a Big Breakfast too. Sausage.”

I explained there would be exactly one Big Breakfast coming into this house that morning, and they could split it. To my surprise, they agreed.

Then came the drafting process: Holden claimed all three pancakes. Caleb took the steak and the biscuit. Holden called the hash brown.

Everything was settled until we reached the eggs.

Neither child was willing to surrender them. They negotiated. They argued. They presented evidence. They proposed compromises that somehow still resulted in each of them getting all the eggs.

Finally, I offered to order an extra side of eggs.

From the kitchen, my mom, who had heard the entire debacle, chimed in. “I can just make an extra side of eggs. One of them can eat those when you get back.”

It was a perfectly logical solution. Free eggs. Homemade eggs. Mimi’s fresh-from-the-pan eggs.

The boys looked at her as though she’d suggested we harvest our own wheat and churn our own butter. They weren’t interested. They wanted McDonald’s eggs. Specifically.

I ordered the extra side.

Peace was restored.

It cost one side of eggs. 

This post is part of my One-Minute Memoir series — short reflections on small moments that still manage to say something big.

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