Book Review: In the Orbit of You

In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher ~ 320 pages ~ published on March 19, 2024 by Wednesday Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s been years since Nova Evans last saw Sam. She was too young then to understand why he had to move away―and what it had to do with the cuts and bruises he got from home and never wanted to talk about. All she knew is that they promised to find each other when they were older, something she thought was impossible thanks to her and her mom moving around constantly. Until she bumps into Sam in her new school, and realizes he has clearly forgotten their childhood promise.

Sam Jordan has a plan for his accept his college football scholarship, date his girlfriend Abigail, and―most importantly―hide how much he wants to do something, anything other than The Plan™ his parents and coaches have set before him. It doesn’t matter if sometimes he finds himself thinking about the new girl he met in the cafeteria, a girl who reminds him of a past that hurts to remember.

When a school-wide personality test reveals Nova and Sam to be each others’ top matches―not only that, but a match of 99%, the highest in the school―they begin to remember why they were such close friends, all those years ago. As well as the myriad of reasons this new-yet-familiar, magnetic, sparkling thing between them will never, ever work out.

In the Orbit of You is a story about the enduring and changing nature of friendship, of the strange struggle between who you are and who you want to be, and finding your voice after trauma.


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Book Review: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher ~ 320 pages ~ published on March 14, 2023 by Wednesday Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

Since her mother’s death, Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway has been determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. That’s why she keeps extensive lists in journals, has had only one friend since childhood, and looks forward to the monotony of working the ren faire circuit with her father. Until she arrives at her mother’s favourite end-of-tour stop to find the faire is under new management and completely changed.

Meeting Arthur, the son of the new owners and an actual lute-playing bard, messes up Maddie’s plans even more. For some reason, he wants to be her friend – and ropes her into becoming Princess of the Faire. Now Maddie is overseeing a faire dramatically changed from what her mother loved and going on road trips vastly different from the routine she used to rely on. Worst of all, she’s kind of having fun.

Ashley Schumacher’s The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is filled with a wise old magician who sells potion bottles, gallant knights who are afraid of horses and ride camels instead, kings with a fondness for theatrics, a lazy river castle moat with inflatable crocodile floaties, and a plus-sized heroine with a wide-open heart… if only she just admits it.


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Yearly Wrap-Up: 2022

2022 was a pretty good, and eventful, year for me! I had a hysterectomy for medical reasons. I started a new job that I love. My daughter started kindergarten. My best friend had a baby. I got to go on an amazing trip to New York that my husband surprised me with. And I read, a lot. 🙂


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Book Review: Full Flight

Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher ~ 320 pages ~ to be published 2/22/2022 by Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press

Goodreads Synopsis:

Everyone else in the tiny town of Enfield, Texas calls fall football season, but for the forty-three members of the Fighting Enfield Marching Band, it’s contest season. And for new saxophonist Anna James, it’s her first chance to prove herself as the great musician she’s trying hard to be.

When she’s assigned a duet with mellophone player Weston Ryan, the boy her small-minded town thinks of as nothing but trouble, she’s equal parts thrilled and intimidated. But as he helps her with the duet, and she sees the smile he seems to save just for her, she can’t help but feel like she’s helping him with something too.

After her strict parents find out she’s been secretly seeing him and keep them apart, together they learn what it truly means to fight for something they love. With the marching contest nearing, and the two falling hard for one another, the unthinkable happens, and Anna is left grappling for a way forward without Weston.

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Monthly Wrap-Up: January 2022

Happy New Year everyone! I hope all of you have had a great start to 2022 🙂 This month I read a total of 12 books! I made my yearly goal smaller this year, so I am definitely on track to hit my goal of 100 books for the year. I am, once again, doing a ton of different reading challenges, so I will be including those in my monthly wrap-ups as well.

Let’s get into it!


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New Releases I’m Excited for in 2022

There are so many amazing sounding books coming out this year! I am so excited for them, and I wanted to share with you the ones that I’m looking forward to the most.


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