JCL Reads - Missouri Book Challenge
Friday, July 17, 2026
Stone Fruit by Lee Lai
Thursday, July 16, 2026
When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer
When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer 373 pages
Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other without any time passing. On her twenty-first birthday, Libby must choose one path and forfeit the other--but how can she possibly decide when she has so much to lose?
I am not a time-travel reader most of the time, but I thought I would try this one since I love Historical Fiction. This book was set in 1774-1776 and then she travels to 1914. I really became invested in this book and couldn't put it down. She even met George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. She is a printer so she helped publish the Federalist Papers. I was so upset about the decision she made but the ending was awesome!! I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Between the Pines by Amber Palmer
Between the Pines by Amber Palmer -- 312 pages
Josie Hayes is always on the run. From bad decisions. From heartbreak. From cowboys. Her latest escape was supposed to be a quiet reset at her family’s cabin in Tennessee—not a reckless detour at a smoky backwoods bar, and definitely not a collision with Lincoln Carter. Rugged and magnetic, he’s temptation in a cowboy hat, and his slow smile makes forgetting her rules far too easy.Their connection is instant, electric, and impossible to ignore. What starts with teasing glances and lingering touches spiral into a series of nights that feel like more—too much more. By the end of the week, Josie does what she does best: she bolts, leaving behind only her name and the memory of a man she can’t shake.
A year later, Josie’s done running. With a steady job, a new boyfriend, and her life finally on track, she’s ready to prove she’s not the same girl she used to be. Except her father’s prestigious summer horse training program just brought a ghost from her past straight to her front door. Lincoln isn’t the forgiving type, and now that he’s on the ranch, he’s determined to show Josie exactly what she left behind—and what they could have had if she’d stayed. As old wounds reopen and sparks reignite, Josie must decide: keep running from her past or take a chance on the cowboy who just might be worth staying for.
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Kingdom of Ash
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas | 980 pages | 2018
Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people ― but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve is unraveling with each passing day…
With Aelin captured, friends and allies are scattered to different fates. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever. As destinies weave together at last, all must fight if Erilea is to have any hope of salvation.
Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an explosive conclusion as Aelin fights to save herself―and the promise of a better world.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)
A stunning conclusion to the series. Maas is so skilled at pulling together all the threads as she wraps up a series, even the ones you forgot about. The book is long, but there wasn't any part of it that felt slow to me. This series is a commitment, but one that I highly recommend!
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
Vera is sure she's found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the "cool girl" drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares!






