March 2026
- Katie Peterson
- Mar 2
- 7 min read
Something old, something new, something steamy, something true-ish
(Hint: If you click on the image of a book below, it will take you directly to the section about that book!)
Something Old: The Measure by Nikki Erlick |
Something New: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab |
Something Steamy: The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center |
Something True-ish: Margot by Jillian Cantor |
Book Club Pick: The Push by Ashley Audrain |
The Ratings:
Like plain, black coffee. Strong dislike.
A little cream, a little sugar. Not bad. Not great.
Add some flavor or syrup, it's getting good.
I liked this a latte!
Love! Refill please!
The Steam:
No peppers: Love/romance not a major part of this story
One pepper: Mild! Some love scenes; nothing risque on the page; fade to black
Two peppers: Moderate! Slightly descriptive romantic scenes may occur on page; some implied innuendos
Three peppers: Hot! Blushing while reading may occur; lots of spice
The Measure
Nikki Erlick
Okay. I will preface this by saying that many people recommended this book as 'life changing' and although I liked this book, a lot, I do not fit into this category. It was such an interesting concept and unlike any other book I've read. But, the whole premise really bothered me...I kept thinking, "I'm so glad this is fiction."
One morning, every person in the world over the age of 22 awakens to a box on their front doorstep with the words "The measure of your life is within". Inside are strings, all of varying lengths. As the days pass (and boxes continue to arrive for any newly turned 22 year olds), it is discovered that the length of your string indicates the length of your life. As more research is done, the data becomes accurate enough to know almost to the day how long each string's owner will live.
The arrival of the boxes throws the universe into pandemonium. Some people choose to open. Some do not. Differing decisions tear relationships and families apart. Those with short strings have to decide how they want to spend their time. Those with long lives ahead may begin to make rash, uniformed decisions, spurred by a feeling of invincibility. Some countries mandate the boxes be opened and the information stored. Discrimination against 'short stringers' runs rampant, blocking them from serving in official capacities at some jobs.
However, there are many that start to push back. Although they cannot change the length of a string, they can ensure that they use their time, and life, to make a difference for good.
My rating:
If a box arrived that would show you the length of your life, would you open?
Yes! I want to know!
No! I would never want to know!
Unsure.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
V.E. Schwab
This was not a 'pull you in from the get go and never let go' type book. It was a slow, steady climb taking place over the course of centuries, torturing the main character so thoroughly that you find yourself just begging for her to find peace.
Adeline is a young woman in the 1700's, promised to a local villager for marriage. Out of time and options, she resorts to praying to the gods of the night, pleading for a way for her to live without belonging to anyone. The god that responds requires only one thing in return for a life of freedom. When Adeline has finished living the life she desires, her soul will belong to him. What she didn't anticipate was her wish would be granted so thoroughly that by 'belonging to no one', no one ever remembers her. Her family, friends, and villagers no longer know her; she is a stranger in their midst. Leaving town, she must forge her way through life as an outsider, someone who is forgotten the second she's out of sight.
Spanning centuries and continents, Addie continues to exist, finding ways to not only survive, but to live. She's enthralled by the changes of the world; new discoveries, inventions, independence. With infrequent check-ins from her captor, Addie is determined to outlast him at their game. Until the stakes change. Because one day, Addie walks into a bookstore and steals a book. And the next day, when she returns, the store owner remembers her. Why, in over 200 years, is this man the first to truly see her? When the truth becomes known, Addie must make a decision. Forever lose her chance at belonging...or make another bargain?
My rating:
Steam rating:
The Rom-Commers
Katherine Center
The rom-commers is probably exactly what you'll expect it to be: a cutsey, predictable rom-com. Emma is a struggling screenwriter who has put her career on hold to care for her ailing father. Logan is Emma's agent/manager/ex-boyfriend who insists on helping her out of her professional slump. Charlie is a famous screenwriter, and Emma's idol. This tangled trio finds themselves in L.A, Logan having finagled a job for Emma to help Charlie rewrite a rom-com he's been hired for.
The problem? Charlie wants nothing to do with this movie; he only agreed because it'll get him one step closer to his dream job: creating a mafia film. Emma insists on doing the movie justice. If they're going to successfully write a rom-com, Charlie needs to believe in romantic gestures. They proceed to partake in all of the romantic tropes in order to grasp the concept of 'falling' in love. They shop, cook, dance, and kiss. But when that kiss feels like more than just 'research', Charlie & Emma have to decide if they're ready to take on an actual romance. Emma feels a pull towards her family and doesn't want to let them down. Charlie has a tumultuous past and an ongoing health scare he doesn't want to bog a partner down with.
In the end, they'll have to decide if romance is worth jumping in feet first, or if it's better to play it safe on the sidelines.
This was cute, but I thought it included a bit too much angst, seemingly just for angst' sake. Like, just when something's going well, one of the characters experiences a crisis. Then things are okay, and the other character is thrown into a tailspin. It never felt like the romance had time to just simmer.
My rating:
Steam rating:
*I honestly read this book at the very beginning of the month and couldn't remember if it included any 'steam' or not. If it did, it wasn't memorable, so probably very little to none. I left it at one pepper just in case.
Margot
Jillian Cantor
To the people just desperate to imagine a different ending for Anne Frank, this one's for you. Well, not a different ending for Anne exactly, but her sister, Margot. Although history tells us they both tragically perished in a concentration camp, mere weeks before liberation, this author is giving us a new, hopeful outlook for the elder Frank sibling.
As the Allied forces drew nearer to the camp, the prisoners were loaded into train cars, to be moved to hide the truth about what had happened to them during the war. Edith Frank, mother to Anne and Margot, makes her eldest daughter promise to take her sister and escape if given the chance. Although Margot is successful, she is unable to save her sister, and lives with constant guilt. She relocates to America and gets a position as a secretary at a law office in Philadelphia. Hiding everything about her past, she pretends everything is fine, while fire and fear rage inside of her.
A new movie, The Diary of Anne Frank, has just been released and instantly becomes popular. Margot doesn't want to see it; she lived it. And they got it all wrong. The actors-too old. The story line-too romanticized. The Annex-too cozy. She knows it was two years of hell; the claustrophobia, the fear, the unfairness. And she wonders, why was Anne's diary the only one that was published? What happened to all of the words she put to paper? Did their father choose his favorite daughter to immortalize through fame? Margot knows she'll never get the answers to these questions, as she can never face her father again...not when she knows how Anne truly died, and her role in her sister's death.
Ultimately, the chance to help her Jewish neighbors forces Margot to reconcile with her past, regardless of what that means for her future.
My rating:
A historical fiction fantasy, giving us a glimpse into a 'what if' history had been different. I liked this book, but the story was sometimes too slow and redundant. I definitely recommend reading if you've read 'The Diary' and want a fresh glimpse into the Frank Family.
Something I had never thought about until reading this book was that Margot was also a writer, but her diary was never found, probably destroyed during the initial ransacking. What would her story have told? Anne Frank is a well-known historical figure, thanks to her father publishing her words, yet the only things we know about Margot are told through the eyes of her teenage sister. The loss of their lives in such a senseless, hate filled way is a tragedy too large to comprehend...but the loss of even remembrance...of being known as anything other than 'the elder sister of...'...that is true heartbreak.
The Push
Ashley Audrain
Three generations of bad moms. Three generations of trauma pushed onto their offspring. Blythe is determined to break the cycle of unstable motherhood that runs in her family. However, when Violet is born, Blythe struggles to bond with her. As she grows, Blythe worries that Violet is unstable and intentionally destructive, even harmful. An accident at the playground didn't look so accidental...but the only witness was Blythe herself. Does she truly think her daughter would purposefully hurt another human being? Her husband, Fox, thinks she's overreacting and when they have a son, Sam, they both rejoice when Blythe forms a healthy attachment.
But while Sam brings her complete joy and fulfillment, Violet continues to bring anxiety and worry. Things go missing, favorite items are destroyed...and finally, a fatal tragedy occurs, changing the family dynamic forever. From the outside, Blythe watches as a new family is formed...and tries to warn them of Violet's troubled past. She is dismissed as being mentally unstable and is resigned to living a separate life...until a fateful phone call makes everyone realize that she might just have been right all along.
My rating:
I was not okay after reading this book. I ran to my bookshelf and grabbed the most lighthearted book I could get my hands on just to cleanse the pallet. The descriptive genre is 'psychological drama', so read any trigger warnings before embarking (particularly if you're in a 'postpartum' place in life...this might not be the best choice.) It was good but it was tough.
Read along with me in April
Something old | American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins |
Something new | Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser |
Something steamy | An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister |
Something true-ish | Shanghai Girls by Lisa See |
Book club pick | Theo of Golden by Allen Levi |
As always, send me book recs to sosnssst@gmail.com or tag me on IG @ktpete23.
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