June Swoon

Content Consumption May 2026

Welcome, dear readers and friends, to my first-of-the-month content consumption post, when I list things I read, things I watched, and things I bought last month.

Do not worry, I doubt I will find a rhyme for next month. Unless one of you knows of one? The weather for the first week of June has been lovely, let’s hope it keeps up.

My rosebush finally bloomed (it only took 9 years)

Read

This month found me reading several sequels, or at least the latest from authors I’ve loved and read before.

The Keeper, Tana French. Yes, she is still the world champion Irish mystery writer. This is the third in a trilogy about an American cop who retires to a small Irish village that only looks pretty.

Transcription, Ben Lehrer. I know not everybody loves Ben Lehrer, but I do. I like his tricksiness, his casual descriptions of people of great intellectual promise being slobs in every other aspect of their lives, and for always choosing the exactly right word. Haven’t read any of his poetry.

On the Calculation of Volume 4, Solvej Balle. Another installment of this series, which I am still loving. Ends on a cliffhanger.

Jitterbug, Gareth Powell. DNF. Drags in just about every cliché in the universe and maybe invents a few. Possibly written with the assistance of AI. The synopsis seemed promising, but don’t be fooled. This insults your intelligence with every page.

Whidbey, T Kira Madden. Three women and the murdered pedophile who connected them. A psychological thriller that doesn’t go where you think it might. She handles the multiple narrators with flair. You can always tell whose head you’re in. Some unfollowed threads but not everything has to wrap up with a bow.

The Iron Garden Sutra, A.D.Sui. They should have given me this to revise. I had to repress the urge to take out my editor’s pencil and fix things in nearly every paragraph. Would’ve been good if not for that. Also takes forever to get to the point because it’s not sure what it is. Monks in space? Enemies to lovers romance? Spunky problem solvers? AI emergence? All of the above? Perhaps. This brief description leaves out the botanical aspects and the parts that could have been a Star Trek plot, though. I didn’t give up because I was hooked on the promise, which is never quite fulfilled. First book of a series.

Radiant Sun, Ann Leckie. It reads like it’s part of a longer narrative, which I guess it is? Would probably help if I had re-read the Ancillary trilogy beforehand, but that seems like going to a lot of trouble for something that doesn’t add much to the saga. Leckie can be subtle, though. Parts are funny but much of her usual sly humor seems to be missing.

Platform Decay, Martha Wells. Another delicious installment of the Murderbot Diaries. Wells is SO good at worldbuilding and character development. Well worth sticking it out even if it starts out very much in medias res.

Watched

Margot’s Got Money Troubles (Apple). Like the book it’s based on, it manages to be very online without dating itself. I found Elle Fanning adorable but not entirely convincing. Well, the plot itself is not entirely convincing. The series suffers from a top heavy, although talented, cast. Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman do a great job playing against type, but Nick Offerman is too clean and fluffy for this role–needs more grunge. They did a good job of adapting the broad outlines of the narrative and left out some of the annoying bits of the book, which is a blessing. There’s plenty of eye candy and all’s well that ends well.

Abbott Elementary, Season 4 (Hulu). The humor is so uneven and the characters so inconsistently written, but when it hits, it hits. May have jumped the shark, though.

YouTube. Tasting History, Have I Got News for You UK, Premier League, Budesliga and La Liga highlights. Paris Saint-Germain came out of the blue for me in the Championship playoffs and I’m mad at my husband. His excuse is that Ligue 1 is boring. We also watched a lot of cycling, which I still find mysterious.

Bought

This month I got my hair cut, bought the Sun Safety SPF sampler from Sephora, and a few things from eBay and Poshmark. The Poshmark item (a pair of J. Jill khakis) did not fit and will need to be reposhed. I do love khaki for summer, I’m disappointed.

Here are my eBay buys:

Nicole Miller Linen T Should’ve sized down, though there’s nothing wrong with oversized linen. I find the “toile” print hilarious. It’s so Seussian!

Coldwater Creek Silk-Linen Drawstring Pant Chartreuse, one of my favorite colors. Need hemming though. Gotta get on that.

Polo Ralph Lauren Tropical-Themed Men’s Pajama Pants Love the bright colors and silly print so much. And they have pockets! I need to stop myself from buying more pairs, three are probably enough. Though I might snag another one with stripes. And some flannel ones for the fall!

Veronica’s corner

She had her annual vet visit and was pronounced both healthy and “very brave.” She’s not the kind of cat who struggles and hisses. She’s more likely to wait it out and flee when she gets the chance. Her play instinct is stronger than her prey instinct—she pounces on things often but never has a limp body to show for it. She’s a sweet squeaky girl.