Read from: 07.26-2026-08.15.2026

What stayed with me

Demon Copperhead didn’t give me a quote I could tuck into the Quotes Written in Stardust section, because if it could’ve, I would’ve just posted the entire book there. Demon Copperhead is about the hard things in life we typically turn away from-substance misuse, neglect, poverty, the failures of our country’s foster care system, and young lives lost while fighting to survive. It’s a profound reminder that so much of life comes down to circumstance, nothing more, nothing less, and there is a humanity in that we should all strive to remember- never judge someone for circumstances you’ve never had to live through. It could’ve been me. It could’ve been you. It could be someone sitting in a public library right now, who stumbled across this blog, desperately trying to see themselves somewhere. More than anything though, Demon Copperhead is a novel about resilience- and should be required reading for anyone who wants to look outside of themselves.

And the ending…after spending the book trying to see the ocean, by the time we leave Demon and his trusted campion, (read the book to find out who), we get the sense that he’s finally on his way, to the ocean, and to so much more.

“The trip itself, just getting there, possibly the best part of my life so far. Headed for the one big thing I know is not going to swallow me alive.”

— Barbra Kingsolver, Demon Copperhead

Read from: 05.03.2026–06.07.2026

What stayed with me

As a lifelong cat mom, I didn’t expect the thing that would completely win me over in Cherry Baby to be an unforgettable dog named Stevie Nicks, but here we are. Any animal will always have my whole heart, and Stevie’s chaotic, tender energy adds so much warmth to a story that’s already brimming with it.

This book is, at its core, about body positivity and making peace with the parts of ourselves the world has taught us to pick apart. As someone who struggles with food and body issues, I felt so seen in Cherry’s journey; it made me feel a little less alone in my own. I especially loved that Cherry finds love again at 38, a gentle reminder that there’s no deadline on joy, healing, or romance—we all move at our own pace, and that’s more than okay.

A Read Until Soft repeat, because some lines deserve more than one home.

“She thought about texting someone, but there came a point when you’d been so sad for so long, and so repeatedly, that you couldn’t actually bear telling people anymore. When it felt like you were retelling the same story.

Rainbow Rowell, Cherry Baby

Read from: 07.01.2025–07.23.2025

What stayed with me

Fredrik Backman has been one of my favorite authors for years, as evidenced by the references to his work sprinkled throughout this tiny safe space on the internet, and My Friends might be the one that quietly settled into my bones the deepest. It’s the story of a small, mismatched group of kids with heavy pasts who somehow find each other right when they need it most—and then keep carrying one another, bruises and all, as they grow up.

Listening to the audiobook, I kept catching myself smiling through tears. There’s a bittersweet ache running through these pages—the kind that hurts in that good, necessary way. Backman gives these characters so much tenderness that I felt protective of them, like old friends I’d known for years.

As soon as I finished, I ordered a physical copy just to have it close by on my shelf. If you love stories about friendships that stretch across years and all the quiet, ordinary ways we keep each other afloat, this one is worth making space for in your heart and your home.

A Read Until Soft repeat, because some lines deserve more than one home.

“Because the most dangerous place on earth is inside us. Fragile hearts break in palaces and in dark alleys alike.”

Fredrik Backman, My Friends