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Books · Nightstand · October 2026

What's on my nightstand this October

Two spines on the October stack — open a cover to see the book page.

Books · Nightstand · September 2026

What's on My Nightstand This September

Spines currently living on the stack — thrillers, hope, and a little satire before lights out.

  • Cover of Dead Awakening by John Luciew01

    Dead Awakening

    John Luciew

  • Cover of Death Card by Jasmine Smith02

    Death Card

    Jasmine Smith

  • Cover of Choosing Hope by Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis03

    Choosing Hope

    Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis

  • Cover of Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke04

    Yesteryear

    Caro Claire Burke

Reader bookshelf

Recommend a book

Pass a book into someone’s hands. Share a title and why it stuck with you — no account needed.

On the community shelf

Sausage, Potato, Onion & Cabbage Casserole
RecipesNov 1, 2026

Sausage, Potato, Onion & Cabbage Casserole

A 9x13-inch casserole of regular and spicy loose sausage, russet potatoes, sweet onion, and green cabbage, seasoned with salt and black pepper and baked until tender.

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Wally Finds His Shapes
Little ReadersNov 1, 2026

Wally Finds His Shapes

A Christmas picture book by JE King where Wally wanders the North Pole and discovers circles, stars, hearts, and diamonds hiding in plain sight. Ages 3–5.

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Preston and the Littlest Boo
Little ReadersNov 2, 2026

Preston and the Littlest Boo

A gentle Halloween picture book by JE King about a little ghost named Preston, his best friend Kali, and the littlest boo on Pumpkin Lane — a read-aloud story about standing up for your friends and the magic of being kind. Ages 3–7.

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Shallow
Adult ReadersOct 26, 2026

Shallow

This is my book and I have read it so many times and still can't believe I wrote it. So much more to come :)

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Bacon-Fredo Pasta
RecipesOct 8, 2026

Bacon-Fredo Pasta

Thin spaghetti tossed with crispy bacon, caramelized red onion, and shredded Brussels sprouts in a creamy Parmesan and egg-yolk sauce finished with garlic, oregano, and black pepper.

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Fall Harvest Pasta Salad
RecipesOct 5, 2026

Fall Harvest Pasta Salad

Protein pasta tossed with Gala apple, dried cranberries, walnuts, feta, kale slaw, sweet onion, and cooked chicken in a honey Dijon dressing.

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Classic Homemade Chili
RecipesOct 3, 2026

Classic Homemade Chili

A hearty homemade chili of browned lean ground beef, sweet onion, bell peppers, kidney beans, and black beans simmered in tomato puree, tomato sauce, and beef broth.

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Burrata-fully Loaded Beef Tortellini Soup
RecipesSep 29, 2026

Burrata-fully Loaded Beef Tortellini Soup

A hearty beef tortellini soup simmered in Bolognese and beef broth, finished in the oven with torn fresh Burrata and served with garlic bread sticks and a garden salad.

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Blinged Out Beans
RecipesSep 28, 2026

Blinged Out Beans

Tender green beans gently simmered with light brown sugar, butter, and your choice of fine sea salt or MSG for a simple, glossy side dish.

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Mmm Mmm Good Slow Cooker Salisbury Steaks
RecipesSep 28, 2026

Mmm Mmm Good Slow Cooker Salisbury Steaks

Store-bought hamburger patties slow-cooked in beef gravy and beefy onion soup mix — tender Salisbury steaks with rich gravy, perfect with mashed potatoes and green beans.

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High-Protein Bagels
RecipesSep 27, 2026

High-Protein Bagels

Golden everything bagels made with flour and blended cottage cheese (or Greek yogurt) — puffy, chewy, and ready for butter or cream cheese.

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Swine & Shine Egg Bites
RecipesSep 26, 2026

Swine & Shine Egg Bites

A savory, high-protein breakfast bite featuring fluffy eggs, cottage cheese, diced ham, sharp cheddar cheese, and everything but the bagel seasoning.

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Classic Chicken Corn Soup
RecipesSep 24, 2026

Classic Chicken Corn Soup

A comforting pot of chicken stock, sweet corn, cream-style corn, and shredded chicken simmered with parsley and lemon.

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JJ's Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce
RecipesSep 21, 2026

JJ's Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce

A smoky-sweet homemade BBQ sauce made with maple syrup, dark brown sugar, and a kick of Cajun seasoning.

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Giddyup Tater Tot Casserole
RecipesSep 17, 2026

Giddyup Tater Tot Casserole

A hearty, bubbling casserole of seasoned ground beef, sweet corn, sharp cheddar, and crispy golden tater tots.

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Uprise A5 Notebook Review
WritingSep 16, 2026

Uprise A5 Notebook Review

Having tested the Uprise A5 Notebook system over the past several months, I can offer a comprehensive assessment of its features, overall performance, and practical utility.

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Grandma’s Onion Dip
RecipesSep 14, 2026

Grandma’s Onion Dip

A creamy, tangy onion dip made with softened cream cheese, minced onions, and a little sweetness — perfect with chips, vegetables, crackers, or spread on a bagel.

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Sweet Potato & Beef Taco Bowl
RecipesSep 13, 2026

Sweet Potato & Beef Taco Bowl

Roasted sweet potatoes, spiced taco beef, and lime-kissed corn layered with black beans, avocado, cheddar, and Greek yogurt.

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Italian Chuck Roast
RecipesSep 8, 2026

Italian Chuck Roast

Slow-roasted chuck roast in tomato puree with Italian seasoning, served with garlic mashed potatoes.

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Mexican Chicken
RecipesSep 7, 2026

Mexican Chicken

Tender chicken baked with green chile enchilada sauce, black beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, and cheddar, served over Spanish-style rice.

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21 Days of Fear
BooksOct 2, 2026

21 Days of Fear

21 Days of Fear by Hervé Commère — one day, one letter. The mystery unfolds one letter at a time. In three weeks she dies.

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The Cloisters
BooksOct 2, 2026

The Cloisters

The Cloisters by Katy Hays — a novel from the October nightstand.

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Death Card
BooksSep 30, 2026

Death Card

Death Card by Jasmine Smith — a current read from JJ’s September nightstand.

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The Cookbooks That Taught Me to Cook
BooksJul 26, 2026

The Cookbooks That Taught Me to Cook

Splattered, annotated, spine-broken cookbooks that taught me more than any class could — shortcut dinners, high-protein plates, wellness bowls, and weeknight wins.

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Picture Books We Read on Repeat
Little ReadersSep 18, 2026

Picture Books We Read on Repeat

The worn-out, dog-eared picture books my kids ask for every single night — and why I do not mind reading them again.

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Building a Bedtime Reading Routine
Little ReadersSep 11, 2026

Building a Bedtime Reading Routine

How we turned the chaos of bedtime into twenty quiet minutes of reading — and the small corner of the room that made it stick.

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Novels for a Slow Weekend
Adult ReadersSep 15, 2026

Novels for a Slow Weekend

Three novels I saved for a weekend with nowhere to be — the kind of book that makes you forget what time it is.

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Nonfiction That Stuck
Adult ReadersSep 9, 2026

Nonfiction That Stuck

The nonfiction books that changed how I think about something small — cooking, attention, and the way a week fits together.

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