Friday Reads 7.31.25
Hullo, and Happy Friday to ye. It’s a big day—release day!
Before we jump in, I wanted to update you all on the mommy cardinal situation.
Apparently, after last week’s solo outing to the feeder, her unwanted fame drew the attention of a boy cardinal. Last night, they had their first date. It was awkward. He’s not a big guy, and he was being shy. She, too, was curious but not flirting. They sat at opposite ends of the pavilion and were kind of doing their own thing. It reminded me a bit of going to dinner and seeing a couple on their respective phones. BUT! They flew off TOGETHER!!!
I don’t know why this made my heart so glad. She’s a loner, and that’s totally cool. But he looked a little bedraggled, too, so I am living in great hope that the two live happily ever after.
So… it’s my favorite Friday Reads of the year because I get to share MY book, at last!
LAST SEEN is out in the world today, in all its glorious formats, and I am so incredibly thrilled! I can’t wait for you to meet Halley James, and Catriona, and the Monster. I want you to get lost in the woods, spend your weekend in my weird little biophilic community, and go to bed with the lights on. This one’s got a creep factor that hearkens back to some of my earlier novels—and definitely has a ripped-from-the-headlines vibe about it. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you read or listen, no spoilers here…😇
Today at noon Central time, I will be live here on Substack with the one and only Jayne Ann Krentz! You should get a reminder when that happens, so forgive me for a double notification day. And tonight I’ll be at Parnassus with BFF extraordinaire Ariel Lawhon, chatting it up about the story. Sunday, the newsletter comes out with a lot of introspection about this book and some cool stuff. So phew! It’s finally here and I am beside myself with joy! I can’t say it enough, I continue to be blown away by your support for LAST SEEN. You guys, over 6,000 reviews before release day?!? Thank you for downloading, purchasing, reviewing, and sharing. It means the world to me!
So what else am I reading? Honestly, I’ve been all PR all the time this week and haven’t read more than a few sentences at a time, and that’s from Fourth Wing because I’m too deep into the next book’s draft to allow in any other voices…
So it’s on you, this week, friends! Bonus points for reading LAST SEEN, of course, but I’d love to hear what’s tickled your fancy this week! What are you reading this weekend? Any recommendations for us?
