Review: Night, Neon: Tales of Mystery and Suspense

Night, Neon: Tales of Mystery and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 5:59 p.m.

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🌃 Night, Neon: Tales of Mystery and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates

I first saw this book when I visited the Burton Barr library in downtown Phoenix. I was really attracted to the book cover. I took a picture of it to put it on my Goodreads bookshelf. Then I got a free three month subscription from T-Mobile Tuesdays for this book service called Everand. I wanted to do a personal reading challenge since I am in the off season of reading challenges. I get one free audiobook every month and I cannot keep it once the free trial runs out like I can with Audible. So I decided to do the reading challenge. I saw the audiobook was on Hoopla. I should have looked there too before unlocking the audiobook on Everand, but it’s already unlocked, so I am sticking with this book! I borrowed a physical copy from the Phoenix Public Library and picked it up from the Palo Verde outdoor locker. I think that this book will be a great read! Here I go! 😃

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“One of them was a massive mahogany bureau, atop of which a row of framed photographs had been placed with loving attention.

For you are securely in the world only if there are such photographs of loved ones to testify to your existence, and your worth” (14).

“But time is required for such an effort, as time is required for any growing thing to take root, send up shoots, falter into life, ‘flourish’” (34).

* In chapter 2 (Curious) it made me laugh when the narrator said it was none of your business what he bought from the grocery store.

“Though the library is one of my places of refuge, in recent months I have been avoiding it. I am not sure why. Sometimes such impulses grip me—instincts for which there are no name, though possibly they are, like most instincts, related to self-preservation” (37).

I love the library!

“Isn’t the point of literature to inspire readers to imagine?” (155).

* I liked the book cover and many of the stories were quite mysterious indeed. I finished reading this book 3 whole days ahead of my reading schedule! 😃

I liked how the bookshop owner said that mysteries are like fairy tales for adults!

🍂 Peoria's Fall Into Reading Program! 🍂

I am so excited! 😃

• Reading Program Goal: 15 hours = 3 prizes!
• Link: https://peoria.polarislibrary.com/polaris/custom/fall_reading.aspx

Review: Part of Your World

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 8:06 p.m.

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🌎 Part of Your World (Part of Your World, #1) by Abby Jimenez

I think I first got this book when we went to pick up our Summer Reading Prizes and they had a cart of books that we could choose from. This book was in that cart and I think I chose it. I liked the cover and obviously the book title reminded me of Disney’s, “Aladdin.” This has been in my physical bookshelf for a while now.

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“‘I’ve never done an audiobook,’ she admitted.

‘Oh, you should. It’s like a movie for your ears” (117).

It really is like a movie for your ears. Lolz! I also thought it was funny how the audiobook narrator said the last line of this quote.

“I sat up and gawked at her.

‘What? Seriously. If you left, would you feel worse than you do right now?’ she asked. ‘If you just said “Fuck it” and dipped, would you be as unhappy as you are today?’

I blinked at her. Because the answer was remarkably simple. ‘No.’

‘You don’t have to feel like this. You literally don’t. Quit. Leave. Pick him. Pick yourself.’

I stared at her a long moment. Then I started to breathe hard.

I wasn’t allowed to think about leaving. I couldn’t be the one to make this suggestion, because it was too selfish and too self-serving. It was a forbidden fantasy, too traitorous for me to even entertain. But the second Bri spoke it into the universe, my heart grabbed onto it and ran.

Because what if I did?

What if I quit?

What if just for once I did what I wanted? Instead of thinking about my parents or the legacy or the plethora of people I’d never met who would benefit one day from me staying where I was.

My mind immediately went there and played out quitting in my head, like a movie on fast forward.

I was mentally in my car, driving to Wakan, diving into Daniel’s arms, sobbing into his neck, begging for his forgiveness.

The relief at just thinking this was palpable.

The thought that I could end my misery, stop my suffering, was such an enormous weight off my shoulders, I felt like I wanted to jump off the bed and bolt from the room. I could feel the idea getting so big and alive in just the few moments it was out, it no longer fit into the tiny box of impossible things that I had kept it in.

What if I did…

But I couldn’t. Could I?

How could I live with the guilt? With the shame?” (343-344).

• I liked this quote. The thought process was nice to see. I wanted to save this quote.

This was an 🧴 Audiobook That I Listen To While Doing Skincare. It was a nice story. I might want to read the next in the series.

Cute Halloween Book Pic!

And because you all clearly know how to PARTY... we're doing it again. 

We're already planning a Halloween Party, and we'd LOVE to have you join us! We're still putting together all the spooky, bookish details, but as soon as everything is finalized, we'll email you everything you need to join us.

What we can tell you is the date: October 27th at 7 PM CST.

Calm and Quiet Night

I love the calm and quiet night where I can let my imagination thrive!

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month!

From the Peoria website

Also from the Peoria library. Only kids and teen receive a free library bag :'(

Cute MCLD Email Newsletter!

Unlock Over $1,500 in Savings with Your Library Card – Here’s How

Reading Log Wish List

I loved these reading logs I found online!

Cute Hoopla Library Sign Up Pic

Library Master List

1. [☀️PHOENIX LIBRARY☀️]:

2. [🌞GLENDALE LIBRARY🌞]:

3. [🌵Maricopa County Library District (MCLD)🌵]:

4. [🐦PEORIA LIBRARY🐦]:

5. ⬅️MAX Lending, the Countywide Book-Sharing Service!➡️

My August 2026 Reads

🧴 Audiobook That I Listen To While Doing Skincare:

✅ 1. 🪖 Accidental SEAL (SEAL Brotherhood #1) by Sharon Hamilton

✅ 2. ☕️ Just One Day (Just One Day, #1) by Gayle Forman

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☀️ Let’s Read Together: Summer Reading Challenge 💛 Hosted by Cozy Books Corner & Romance Books Corner:

✅ 3. [🌞GLENDALE LIBRARY🌞]: 💜 Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

✅ 4. 🕷 Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962) 1st Appearance of Spider-Man by Steve Ditko

✅ 5. 🕸 The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963) by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby (Cover Art), Steve Ditko (Artist)

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🗽 NYC Book Club:

✅ 6. [🌵Maricopa County Library District (MCLD)🌵]: 🚕 Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson

Review: Take Me Home Tonight

Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book on Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 5:56 p.m.

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🚕 Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson

So I suggested a NYC Book Club to Ale and Emma so we can meet up and discuss the NYC itinerary. We will read books that are set in New York like we’re doing for the Sister Summer Book Club. We all suggested three books and one of my suggestions won! I had this book on my TBR for a while and I thought that the story was perfect for us! I am excited for this book! So I borrowed a copy from the Phoenix public library with my library card and let Ale read from that one and I will read from one that I borrowed from the Maricopa County Library District. Emma borrowed one from the Phoenix library too. I love that there’s a little dog on the back cover. We can pretend that’s our Twentybean! 😃

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“‘Great,’ I said, even as I felt a stab of disappointment. Suddenly, our time together—which had felt so expansive—was counting down. It was like I could practically feel the clock ticking” (218).

I feel like this too. Sadly, too often.

* Overall, I am glad that I finally got to read this book that’s been in my TBR since 2021. It took me five years to finally read this book. I remember adding this because it took place in New York. I really liked that the dog came on the journey for a bit. Mr. Twenty could role play as Brad during these parts. It made the adventure more fun. This story got me more excited to visit New York for the first time.

2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge So Far

https://imgur.com/a/s8xGf2h

I have read at least 26 books in the year of our lord 2026!

2026 Summer Reading Prizes!

This is the book Ale has been wanting to read and it was in the book prize catalog!

I saw this same book in the Main Library book sale and I got it for free!!!!!

Ale's book choice

Ale and I went to a Little Free Library near the Heroes library and I saw someone left their bluetooth speaker prize.

And, yes. This is the year that I spelled our last name wrong. 😞

My July 2026 Reads

🧴 Audiobook That I Listen To While Doing Skincare:

✅ 1. 🟨 All Adults Here by Emma Straub

✅ 2. 👻 No Ghouls Allowed (Ghost Hunter Mystery, #9) by Victoria Laurie

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☀️ Let’s Read Together: Summer Reading Challenge 💛 Hosted by Cozy Books Corner & Romance Books Corner:

✅ 3. 🪁 A Windy Day (Weather Watch) by Spencer Brinker

Book Thoughts

I really do think books cure the loneliness in my life.

Yay! Our 2026 Total Minutes!

Unearth a Story Before July 20!

There’s still plenty left to unearth—so grab your reading tools, dig into one more story, brush off hidden codes, and make sure every minute is logged before the clock strikes midnight.

Let’s finish strong and Unearth a Story together!

Hurry before this year's summer reading goes the way of the dinosaurs . . . 

MAX Lending, the Countywide Book-Sharing Service

MAX Lending: A Countywide Collection-Sharing Service

I just loved these images!

Events at Glendale Public Library in July!

This year, your roar-some summer reading adventure runs from June 1st to July 20th. Round up your friends and family and start exploring!