Book Bracket - Halfway Point

I thought it would be fun to make a book bracket this year, because apparently tracking every book I read isn't enough. I've been picking my favorite book read each month to fill out the first half, and here's how it looks:

Here are reviews for the books featured:

A New Day by Sue Mell

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor

The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Magic Can’t Save Us: 18 Tales of Likely Failure by Josh Denslow

Skellig by David Almond

I have no clue who they'll go up against by the end of the year, but it's fun to see. Any predictions? Are you doing your own book bracket?

A New Day by Sue Mell

 

A New Day by Sue Mell

This has been one of my favorite books read recently, so please check it out!

In A New Day, Sue Mell delivers a collection of short stories that feel honest and familiar. The book follows three women—Rachel, Emma, and Nina—through the highs and lows of relationships, creative pursuits, and life’s everyday disarray.

What stands out most about these stories is how real they feel. Mell doesn’t sugarcoat or neatly resolve everything. Instead, she gives us glimpses of decisions that ripple through later stories, sometimes offering closure but more often reflecting how life works—messy, unpredictable, and full of loose ends. It’s like catching up with old friends through mutual acquaintances, where you slowly piece together what’s been happening in their lives.

Read the full review here!