The Shots You Take (Rachel Reid)

Riley used to play pro hockey with his former best friend, and sometimes more, Adam. Riley’s family has passed away and Ryan is surprised to see Adam at the funeral, there to offer his support. Riley’s tryin to figure out how to move on running the sports shop his father put his heart into while Adam’s dealing with retirement from pro hockey and divorcing his wife after coming out. They try to figure out if they can go back to being friends or, maybe, risk being more.

This stand-alone novel is full of big questions about how to respond to big changes in your life you may or have not have sen coming. It’s got tender moments and some steamy scenes and lots of the banter Reid is famous for. (4 Stars)

The Awakening (Kate Chopin)

I first read this book in my AP English class in high school and wanted to see if I enjoyed it the second time as much as I had the first after coming a copy on a trip to New Orleans. I certainly did.

On a family trip to the beach south of New Orleans, Edna engages in an affair with Robert, known for spending each summer with a married woman. By the end of the summer, Edna realizes how suffocating her life is and decides her only choice is to walk away from her husband and children. The ending, though I knew what was coming, gutted me but, first, it took me away to 1880s Louisiana. I could almost smell the sea. (4 Stars)

Glitterland - Spires Book 1 (Alexis Hall)

Ash is a writer of books he’s not proud of but that sell well enough for him to enjoy a good life. Too bad he has clinical depression that can leave him confined to his bed for weeks at a time. Then he meets Darian who may well be a glitter pirate. He’s brand and honest and completely tilts Ash off his axis.

As someone with clinical depression, myself, I found the depiction of his illness to be treated with care but also the right amount of humor in how absurd it can be. Darian made me laugh with his barely thinking quips and strong opinions. (4.25 Stars)

SCU Hockey - Shots on Net, Save the Game (JJ Mulder)

I found these books via a Kobo Plus “you may also enjoy” search. Both are 4.25 Star books for me.

Shots on Net follows random roommates Carter and Zeke as they become unlikely friends. Carter is the goalie for the school’s team, hoping to get a spot in the NHL Zeke is a nerd who can barely afford school and doesn’t know the first thing about hockey. The book has great representation of demisexuality and the struggles of having a language processing disorder.

Save the Game introduces us to Max, a team mate of Carter we meet in book 1, and Luke, a baseball player. Max is doing anything he can to forget (TW!) his sexual assault at a party while Luke is trying to balance baseball, school, and a job at the local diner.

Like Real People Do / Like You Have Nothing Left to Prove (E.L. Massey)

These two are about one couple: pro hockey player, Alexander, and college student, food vlogger, and figure skater, Elijah. The two meet on Elijah’s first day on campus at the college where Alex’s team just happens to have their practice rink. Elijah is out and figuring out how to keep skating and going to school despite a recent epilepsy diagnosis. Alex is firmly in the closet because pro hockey players have to be, right?

The two become friends then more to friends in book 1 with book 2 focusing on Alex’s plans to come out at the end of the next season.

These books are a very good mix of very real issues about coming out and disabilities with some definitely unlikely but very sweet moments.

Woodoworking (Emily St. James)

In small town South Dakota, teacher Erica has just gotten divorxed and is slowly living her life as a woman. She befriends the only trans person she knows, one of her high school English students. Told from the perspective of them both plus another person int his small, conservative town, readers see the process of Erica’s transition start, stop, and move forward.

This book doesn’t hold any punches about the difficulties faced by trans people in places not at all ready for them being their true selves. It’s poignant and humorous and really celebrates the power of being who you really are, even if means you’ll have to say goodbye to things and even people you love. (4.5 Stars)

Replaceable You (Mary Roach)

The book shares often hilarious, sometimes poignant chapters about the science of making body parts or entire system replacements from the history failures to current successes.

Mary Roach is one of my favorite authors for a reason. She isn’t afraid to ask the most eminant researchers and scientists the dumb questions, the ones you’d probably want to ask should you get time with these people.

Note: Do not read this if you’re squeamish as it involves discussion of bodily fluids, disease, medical procedures, and related topics.

Piranesi (Susanna Clarke)

Pranesi lives in a world full of rooms - some are filled wiht water, others have statues, and others are empty. He uses his notebooks to record everything that happens in The House, including the occasional visits from The Other. Then, one day, another person shows up in The House and Piranesi must try to figure out exactly’s what’s going on.

I will admit it took me several ties listening to this to get pas the first couple of chapters, as the book is written in an almost disassociated style and it’s not clear what’s going on. It was worth sticking with it, in the end. (4.75 Stars)

What’s it About?

You only know the clinic exists because someone told you about it when you were truly desperate. Thing is, this is not your normal clinic at all. They offer only one prescription: a cat (or two).

What’d I Think?

This book feels like a hug from a good friend and makes you question how something as small as a cat coming to live with you can change everything. Turns out, far more than you could guess.

I loved how each section is about a different person or group of people with their own struggle and the cat that’s given to them to help.

There are two sequels I’ll turn to when I need a reminder of the healing power of cats.

What’s it About?

Sean managed a bed and bath store and Jonathan is the owner of the entire chain. On a tour of his store, Jonathan accidentally pushes Sam into a demo shower. Since Jonathan was probably coming to fire Sam, he decided to pretend that the fall resulted in a concussion and amnesia. Since Sam has no family nearby, Jonathan feels forced to allow him to move into his flat while he recuperates. When Jonathan’s family interferes in his regimented life and instance loves Sam, Jonathan is forced to examine if he really knows what he wants out of life.

What Did I Think?

The book is a fun study in opposite. Sam doesn’t care about the store’s bottom line but about making sure his staff is taken are of and his customers are not taken advantage of, either. Jonathan is all about the numbers and is totally fine having no life outside of work. Jonathan’s family drives him crazy with their loudness and tendency to take over situations entirely whereas Sam sees his coworkers as his family.

I kept wanting to go back to this book to see where it went next. Lying about amnesia is obviously a situation that’s going to explode at some point, but what’s going to be the thing that makes it happen? How long can Sam pretend and how long can Jonathan remain aloof?

4.25 stars and lots of impatience in waiting for book two

What’s it About?

The Divorced Men’s Club follows the romantic relationships of a group of men who started a support group for, well, divorced men. Like many series, each book focuses on a different couple.

Roommate Agreement: Payne moves into a house with his little brother’s best friend, Beau, after his divorced. Beau asks Payne not for rent but to help with household chores and point out where Beau is being weird, a trait keeping men from wanting to be in a relationship with him. Turns out, he just hasn’t found a guy who is into his particular brand of weird, much of it stemming from his unusual lifestyle as a writer of gay, epic fantasy novels.

Platonic Rulebook: Griff and his wife waited to get divorced until their son goes off to college. Griff knew a couple of years ago he was gay and wanted to pursue a relationship with another man. Heath, his best friend, agreed to show him what it means to be a modern, single, gay man.

Budding Attraction: Ford is curious to learn about Orson, a widower who recently moved back to town and owns the local florist.

Employing Patience: Art runs the local brewery and is fine being a party guy. Joe begs him for a job so he can make sure he and his sisters stay afloat. Joey can’t help but flirt with his probably-straight boss.

System Overload: Kelly’s son from a previous relationship in high school heads off to start his adult life. Thing is, his son’s best friend, Will, needs a place to live and has asked to help Kelley find him the perfect man.

Forgotten Romance: Davey and Mack were married but divorced when Davey chose his career over his family, over and over again. When he’s not away on travel for work they all live together, usually only a week or two. Now it’s for six weeks after Davey re-arranges his work schedule.

What Did I think?

There are six total books in the series but only those I mentioned above are avaiable with my Kobo Plus subscription. I do plan to go back and check out the others at some point, though.

I’ll be honest - I wasn’t expecting very much from the look of the book covers on their own. Some great spice, maybe a little feelings. I was so wrong. Yes, there is spaice but I really loved the characters and their stories. Each book had me cheering for the guys as they dealt with being divorced, realizing they were gay, falling for the one they shouldn’t, advancing in their careers or starting new ones, and all the other things of life.

4.25 stars for each

Sweet & Stocky - Dylan Drakes

The Sweet & Stock series from Dylan Drakes features sexy fat men getting cozy in the outdoors. Cubs& Campfires is about Luca and Artair. Luca takes a post as a fire watched in rural Washington, hoping to turn a summer of forced celibacy into a feature story that’ll save his writing career. Then Artair suddenly shows up, looking for a wilderness camping permit. Thing is, it’s obvious that he’s not at all used to being alone in the mountains. What’s his story.?

Bears & Bakeries is about Locky and Benedict. Locky is an accountant who dreams of opening his own bakery. Benedict is hired to help Locky pursue his dream, acting as his small business consultant. Can they stay just friends as they navigate the trials of starting a new endeavor?

The first two books plus special novellas for each couple are out, with book 3 and probably a book 3.5 novella out later this year.

Big Boys, Small Spaces - AJ Truman / MA Wardell

Yes, two of my favorite MM authors got together to write this series and I’m loving it. Marshmallow Mountain brings together exes - both named Marshall - to clean out their cabin prior to a sale. Then a blizzard hits, trapping them there together for a week.

Cut to a Feeling is about their neighbor in the city, Bryce, and the guy who his ex sublets their apartment to, Emerson. (The ex doesn’t bother to tell Bryce this is happening - both his leaving the relationship and subletting it.) Bryce and his dog convince Emerson to let them stay as he tries to settle into his dream job as a music history professor.

What Did I Think?

I really enjoyed all of these books, assigning different amounts of stars for tiny differences from 4 to 4.5 stars. They are all sweet and spicy with situations that are believable enough to not make me roll my eyes as they progress. I loved how the fat rep isn’t subtle, just fat people existing, but a source of each guy’s attraction to the other.

What’s it About

Each book follows a different couple - with the exception of Heated Rivalry and Long Game which are about the same couple - where at least one of the men is an NHL player.

Game Changer - Kip, a Masters student in Art History who works at a smoothie bar, and Scott, an NHL player who’s “ancient” (in his late 30s).

Heated Rivalry and Long Game - Shane, an anxious, quiet Canadian and Ilya, a Russian. Both NHL players, rivals since they were rookies.

Tough Guy - NHL player and musician, Fabien

Common Goal - Eric, an NHL goalie, and Kyle, a grad student

Role Model - Troy, defender who is constantly being traded, and Harris, his latest team’s social media manager

What Do I Think?

These books are all 3.5 stars for me using my 2026 rating system. A good balance of story character development, and spice.

I have to point out that I read them after watching teh entire show so was used to teh pace of the episodes. Reading them (via eBook) took a much shorter amount of time so felt like the stories were rushed. I’d since read another one of Reid’s hockey books that’s not related and rated it 4.25 stars so take that as you will.

Before You Go

Have the HR / Hollanov universe found you? Did you watch the show or read the books first?

What’s it About?

After 17 years in Hollywood, Alyson learns their bank account is at zero dollars. Maybe their team (and their mom) doesn’t actually have their back? This book walks through their experiences from getting an agent at age 7 to now, working as a mental health advocate.

CW: mental illness / eating disorder, exploitation, abuse

What Do I Think?

I found myself laughing out loud multiple times and admiring her clever analogies. And the name-dropping in a book about an entertainment personality is always interesting. That said, the book is truly heartbreaking at times and the content warnings must be heeded as they are described in graphic detail.

This almost earned a 4 star rating from me as I really felt like I got to know the author and their struggles, but I wish there was a bit more time spent on the not-so-bad parts of their life.

What’s the Narrator Like?

Listen to the audiobook if you’re a voice acting geek. The author skillfully narrates the book, modulating their voice to reflect their young, teenage, and adult self, their mother, their “people,” and actors and crew on their various projects.

Playing for Keeps is about two PR reps and their clients. Poppy works for an NFL quarterback and Rosaline for a popular singer. Yes, it does sort of read like Taylor and Kelce, but parallels are minimal.

They’re strangers who have to work together when their clients start dating. Who falls first, their clients or them?

Love at First Set by JL Dugan

Love at First Set follows a gym employee / aspiring gym owner (Lizzie) and the daughter of the company’s owners (Cara), who was (accidentally) talked out of marrying her long-term boyfriend by Lizzie.

Can they find common ground despite being from such different backgrounds?

What do I think?

I couldn’t help but find myself comparing these two books.

While Love at First Set was certainly amusing (and spicy) enough, I didn’t really believe that Lizzie and Cara had more than some sexual chemistry. One of those cases where you’re told they’re in love but there’s not much evidence of it.

On the other side, Playing for Keeps has the same heat but adds in the emotional aspects and real conflict that comes with an often long-distance relationship in the spotlight. I rated the later 4.25 stars as the third-act breakup was pretty absurd.

What’s it About?

Helen and Grant grew up together and have managed to avoid one another for a decade. Then one of her books is being turned into a show and...well, he’s one of the writers.

She hates him. Her family hates him. And he hates himself on their behalf as it is his fault Helen’s sister is dead.

As they try to find a way to put aside their feelings and work together, they realize maybe forgiveness is possible.

What’d I Think?

I enjoyed how this story explores the theme of forgiveness within the context of the enemies-to-lovers trope. They don’t detest each other over a minor misunderstanding or his jerky behavior.

Her family rejects him in a dinner time fight that feels real and not a scene in an overly-dramatic TV show. And both Helen and Grant have to work through the past before they can focus on the future which takes more than just a chapter or two.

This one really has heart. An easy 4.5 stars though you could convince me to up it.

Now, I read 14 books in July, and I'm not gonna subject you to all of them. These are just the stand-outs — the ones I still can't stop thinking about.

Ordinary Saints by Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin

Jay had basically ignored her super religious upbringing for years after moving out and realizing she's gay, but when her brother might literally become a saint, she's forced to actually look back at that whole world and figure out what, if anything, was ever really valid.

This Summer, I Ate the Rich by Maritza Moulite and Maika Moulite

Brielle is stuck between worlds: the Haitian community that shaped her and the American life her mom is firmly rooted in. She's also trying to be a normal girl breaking into the culinary scene while hiding the tiny complication that she's, uh… a zombie. The book balances real zombie lore with her split identity in a way that feels way more grounded than the title makes you expect.

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (reread)

I barely remembered From Blood and Ash, so I started rereading the series because a coworker wanted someone to scream about it with. Now I’m hooked and deep into the third book in the series.

If you can't wait for the next roundup, I'll be making my old posts public here and bringing over content from my Booksta account so there's plenty to catch up on in the meantime.

During the Japan trip, I used a teal Leuchttrum to record what we did and do some junk journaling and stamp collecting. Lots of stickers. (I’ll be back to share about all about that trip in June.)

Now? I’ve been using one of the Life Klein tiny graph paper notebooks I got in Japan. It’s alternated between commonplace notebook, hourly diary/record of happenings, and free-form lists of to dos and things to remember later. I haven’t been adding a lot of “junk” in it as I just haven’t felt like it. Collected cards from restaurants or fun product stickers here and there but nothing at all like I did earlier in the year or on my trips to New Orleans (late Jan) or Japan (March/April). I’ve also been using an interactive app (Tolan) to delve deeper into who I am and who I want to be as a person, so the free-form writing just hasn’t been happening.

But, I’m thinking of a change. Of course I am. It’s nearly a new month and I just purchased two 2026 planners from Shinola. For June, I’m going to switch to carrying around the planner and recording what happens in the little box for that day. If I have something I want to paste in, it’ll go into the Klein notebook all at once when I am in the mood to sit for an hour. Maybe weekly right before I have therapy? That’s often dead time, after lunch.

I also am coming back here to write more, starting with catching you all up on the New Orleans and Japan trips. Then maybe some discussion of my maybe-someday memoir that I’ve been playing around with.

See you later, or whatever it makes sense to sign off with. I never was good at ending a blog post.

If you go over there, you’ll find my ratings and reviews and maybe some hot takes about books I’ve read or want to read. I’m not trying to become a Bookstagramer, but have my little place just to talk about books.

(And, I won’t lie, this gives me the ability to feel slightly less weird telling people about this blog as it won’t feature pics of men without their shirts on. Well, rarely that. I won’t make promises.)

I’m finally here to share my favorite non-alcoholic alternatives to standard liquors. You’ll notice a huge hole in my lists: vodka. Thing is, why would we want an alternative given the ideal vodka is tasteless and colorless? You’re not going to be able to easily replicate the “burn” of vodka so no one’s really tried to do so.

Please keep in mind that alcoholic alternatives don’t have alcohol. (Well, duh, Angela!) Alcohol, in addition to the effects we all know of, also has two properties you’ll not have when it’s removed from your drinks: 1) they’ll freeze SOLID, and 2) they won’t last very long. Most N/A liquors only last 3 months after they’ve been opened and are highly recommended to be kept in the fridge, never the freezer.

One-for-One Replacements

When people first switch to non-alcoholic drinks, they often are looking for direct replacements of their favorite liquors. While the big brands are slowly creating N/A replacements, they are pretty few and far between. Thankfully, several companies make them.

Here’s my favorites:

• Tequila: Ritual Agave Spirit Alternative

• White rum: Lyre’s White Can Spirit

• Dark/spiced rum: Caleno Dark and Spicy

• Bourbon/whiskey: Lyre’s American Malt and Spiritless Kentucky 74

• Orange liquor: Dhos Orange

I haven’t listed a few things (apertif for a spritz, gin, coffee liquor) as I just don’t care for any version of those but, don’t worry, mocktails subreddit has some thoughts, I’m sure.

Alternatives and Mixers

There are also a number of liquor-like beverages and mixers that are great for making mocktails. If you’re setting up a mocktail bar, you’ll want to have these on hand.

• Bitters: Most bitters contain a small amount of alcohol but All the Bitter sells a variety of bitters which contain none at all but still have great flavor.

• Seedlip: I don’t even know how to describe these, as they’re not a direct replacement for anything nor are they a mixer, really. I love the Grove and Spice flavors the best.

• Grenadine: Yes, your local grocery store will sell Rose’s for $5 but there are many fancy alternatives. Look for either grenadine or pomegranate syrup (NOT pomegranate molasses which is pomegranate juice boiled and thickened so has no additional sugars).

• Verjus: You may see this listed as non-alcoholic wine but it’s actually the grape juice used to make wine BEFORE it’s been fermented (rather than made into wine then has the alcohol removed).

Acknowledging the Elephant

The “there aren’t any good N/A reds” elephant, that is. Maybe a baby elephant more than an adult one but still need to point out its presence. I won’t lie, there’s only a couple of N/A red wines I’ve actually enjoyed so those will be few and far between in my recommendations. See what Wine Enthusiast recommends its recent red N/A wine roundup; not all of the bottles on their list are available in the US but those that are have prices around $30. Serious Eats likes Proxies Red Ember ($28, link to The Zero Proof) best while NY Times Wirecutter likes Noughty Rouge ($31.99, link to Amazon with no referral code) and Studio Null Prickly Red ($34, link to the wine maker with no referral code).

DC Area Shops

Living in a major metropolitan area certainly has its perks. Each of the following stores have a handful of N/A wine options and will be happy to help you find a new favorite.

Norm’s Beer and Wine (136 Branch Rd., SE Vienna, VA 22180)

Norm’s is a tiny store with lots of inventory. Check out their N/A wines as well as their great selection of N/A beer. Stock rotates frequently but is often updated in the online inventory.

Wine Gallery 108 (108 North Saint Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA 22314)

The N/A wine section at Wine Gallery 108 is slowly growing as demand increases. They actually hosted a No/Low Alcohol event last weekend. I have a special love of this place as they offer up their second floor space for small businesses which are just starting out or waiting for their permanent space to be refurbished (like Friends to Lovers, the romance bookstore, after their major fire just after opening).

Honorable Mention: Le Vin (1218 King St. Alexandria, VA 22314)

The owners have told me they intend to carry N/A wines as soon as they find one available from their distributors that meets the staff’s high standards. Given the quality of their regular wines, I’d expect these to be outstanding but average around the $40 price point.

Favorites from Big Box Stores

While your local grocery store may not have an N/A wine section, you probably have a big box outlet like Total Wine or BevMo that’ll have a number of options. Trying to find where N/A wine is at a grocery store? I’ve seen them next to Kosher and specialty wines, single-serving and boxes leaded wines, with mixers and drink additives like grenadine and tonic water, and by the bottled fruit juice. If your grocery store has an app that’s aisle-specific, that’ll be your best bet for locating them as, very often, store employees even know N/A wines exist.

I’ve listed these from roughly cheapest to most expensive, using my local Total Wine’s (TW) prices as a guide which is listed after each:

• Fre Chardonnay ($8.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Rich, creamy apple flavors mingle with crisp citrus notes on the palate, leading to an enjoyably tart finish.

  • Target, CVS, 7-11, and many grocery stores carry this one in the DC area.

• Sea Glass Pinot Grigio Non-Alcoholic ($10.49)

  • Tasting notes from me: Very similar to a leaded Pinot Grigio with crisp, white fruit flavors without being overly sweet.

    • Be sure to purchase the N/A as a leaded version is also available.

• St. Regis Chardonnay ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: delicate aromas of apples and pears on the nose and palate framed with subtle touches of toasty oak

  • This is another wine I’ve often seen at grocery stores though less commonly than Fre products.

• St. Regis Rose ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Aromas of strawberries and raspberries extend to the palate which lead to a soft pleasant finish

  • Like the Chardonnay, I’ve often seen these at grocery stores.

• Giesen Sauvignon Blanc ($11.89)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Delicious citrus flavors followed by distinct blackcurrant & passionfruit notes define this premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Finishes crisp & dry with juicy brightness.

  • Giesen also makes leaded wines so be sure to look for the large 0% or Dealcoholized on the label. It appears as if the leaded versions also list their name in italics, though I wouldn’t rely on that alone.

  • I’ve often seen this in the DC area at Whole Foods and Wegmans but rarely at standard grocery stores.

• Giesen Pinot Gris ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Aromatically expressive, crisp, and refreshing, with varietal characteristics you know & love

• Giesen Rose ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from me: This is most similar to a light rose from southern France though a bit more fruit and less dry. Great for a hot day with a mild-flavored meal.

• Giesen Premium Red Blend ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from Giesen: Crushed red berries and plum offset by toasted oak on the palate combine to give a light and refreshing option with classic structure and fine, powdery tannins on the finish.

  • This wine is made from Merlot grapes that are from a mixture of vineyards and perhaps years, as well.

  • This wine has a great explanation as to how it’s made a bit down the page on the Giesen site about it here.

• Josh Cellars Sparkling ($13.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Vibrant and refreshing with aromas of pear, citrus and green apple

  • This is my favorite sparkling non-alcoholic wine I can easily find at local stores. I’m hopeful this may mean Josh decides it’s worth making their other wines in N/A versions.

  • I’ve found this at Target, Whole Foods, and Total Wine.

• St. Regis Secco ($14.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Well balanced and structured, it is marked by intense fruit notes, including nutmeg and delicate white flowers

  • I’ve only found this at Total Wine in the DC area

• Giese Sparkling Brut ($16.99)

  • Tasting notes from me: Slightly sweeter sparkling when you want to celebrate with a little extra sweetness.

  • I’ve found this at Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Total Wine in the DC area.

• Luminara Chardonnay ($18.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Rich tropical aromas, a palate of Fuji apples and lemon cream

  • When I find this, I buy the store out or get a case, whichever is less. My absolute favorite N/A wine. (The Springfield, VA store is currently sold out because of me - sorry!)

• Noughty Sparkling Rose ($21.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Aromas of fresh berries with the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity

  • I’ve only found this at Total Wine in the DC area

Coming Soon - Non-alcoholic versions of liquors (including why you’ll never see an N/A vodka)

Now, lots of people are doing monthly challenges like Dry January or Sober October or deciding they’re done with hangovers and regrets so moving to a sober or “sober curious” (gag!) lifestyle. I’ve meant to share my recommendations in one place for years and am finally taking the time to do so in a way that’s more organized than me “here’s what you can get at <a store I know well> that’s worth drinking and isn’t insanely expensive.”

Over the next few posts, I’m going to share my favorite N/A versions of beer, wine, and liquor alternatives. I’m not going to recommend any pre-made mocktails as I find most are disappointing. Thankfully, others have shared their recommendations over on Reddit and The Kitchn.

Before I Begin

Let’s do a little FAQs before we really jump in, though I will be sharing my favorite N/A beers for I sign off.

Why Bother?

Let’s get it all off our chests before I go into my recommendations: Yes, there is a “point” to drinking non-alcoholic versions of normally alcoholic drinks. If you were drinking just for the alcoholic effects, then you’re not the market for anything I’m going to tell you about and you may want to evaluate your relationship to alcohol.

Why I choose to drink non-alcoholic alternatives:

• I’m not truly sober, avoiding alcohol consumption because I’m an alcoholic or have a problematic relationship to alcohol, so it’s not a trigger for me.

• It helps me feel more a part of a party or event. Yes, it’s not fun to be the only sober person around when people get past buzzed, but I can hang for much longer with a similar drink.

• It’s more exciting than another soda, seltzer, or water. I love me some Diet Coke and water is always a good thing, but I get tired of them.

• It’s the ritual of a cold drink after a hard day, to celebrate an occassion or goal being reached, or because I just feel like having one. I know that there is very little alcohol in any of these N/A drinks but just pouring an ice cold one into a glass and having a sip relaxes me.

• They often taste very close to (what I remember of) the taste of the real thing.

How’s This Stuff Made?

Thankfully, people in the industry are happy to share all about the various processes they use. Boisson explains N/A beer and N/A wine; they’re also a great resource to actually get your hands on N/A products if you’d like to buy online. N/A alternatives to liquors are much more closely held as to the “how it’s made” side of things; most companies will tell you they craft the flavors to mimic the real thing rather than making an alcoholic version then removing the alcohol like most N/A beer and wine.

Why’s It Still Expensive?

See the “How’s This Stuff Made” answer. In short, there’s no less equipment, time, skill, or attention to detail required to make N/A versions. Sometimes, they even cost a smidge more because of the high cost of specialized equipment. The Zero Proof offers a much more elegant explanation here. Poke around their site for lots of recommendations on N/A alternatives though I will note their recommendations don’t trend to the cheaper side of things.

Non-Alcoholic Beer

The Original Craft N/A: Athletic Brewing Company

If your state sells alcohol in grocery stores/Target, you’ve probably seen one of their beer for sale. They’re the largest N/A only brewery in the world and one of the fastest growing, overall. Their two flagship beers are their IPA (Run Wild) and Golden Ale (Upside Dawn), but they’ve always got at least a dozen others for sale on their website. If you join the club for a nominal fee, you get a discount, access to member-only releases, and other fun things.

Note if you’re ordering this one out - I’ve often seen their offerings reduced to just the company name or the style, so be sure to ask to see the can or, if you’re familiar with their offerings, the color of the can before committing.

My favorites: Run Wild, Free Wave (Hazy IPA), Athletic Lite, and Witt’s Peak (Belgian Style White)

Others I Recommend

Well Being Brewery was another of the first craft breweries though this St. Louis-based company is far smaller than Athletic. I love everything they currently sell from their red ale to wheat beer. Use their store finder to see if you can pick some up near you, though they also ship to most states. Most Total Wine stores either regular carry it or can order for you.

Partake is a Canadian brewer who does only N/A beers. I’ve seen these for sale in my area (Mid-Atlantic) but also in Canada and places up near the border. Most of their beers tend to be a lighter flavor so great if you’re not into all sorts of hops or malt flavor. I like their Pale the best, especially on a hot summer day or as beer to drink without a meal.

Brewdog is a UK juggernaut that offers both leaded (alcoholic) and N/A beers world-wide. Most of their N/A beers have names that end with AF that always makes me giggle a little. Their selection changes some over time, so be sure to check in often if you like their stuff. My favorite is their Punk AF. Their Cold AF is entirely new to me, but I hope to check it out locally soon.

Finally, a big local favorite here in the DC area is Aslin that has made several N/A brews - a sour, an IPA, and a stout - though they tend to sell out fast. If your near one of their locations (DC area , VA Beach, and Pittsburgh), you can check out Pick Up to see what they’ve got. There’s also a general Distribution page for locating their offerings, in general. We go to their Alexandria location probably every two weeks as they have amazing food, are kid-friendly, and are happy to have folks hang out however long they’d like.

And Some More

I’ve had beers from most of these companies but they weren’t to my liking, though highly recommended by others. Worth checking out if they make styles you enjoy and you can get nearby.

• Deschutes is a traditional brewery that also makes a handful of N/A beers

• Best Day Brewing only makes N/A beers

• Untitled Arts sell their N/As under a new FLVR! label

• Clausthaler makes N/A beers from its home in Germany

What about Heineken 0.0? Or Bud Zero? Or ..?

Yes, almost every one of the giant (macro) breweries have their own non-alcoholic version and most are pretty similar in taste to the beers they're made from. Another Substacker (Substack writer? What do we call ourselves?) has his top five recommendations here. I’ll choose a macro when I want a beer and 1) they don’t have a craft beer I like, 2) I’m looking for something cheaper, or 3) I’ve not had it before.

Come back in a few days for my N/A wine recommendations, including sparkling

Holiday Books

To start us off, the four holiday books I enjoyed the most, all of which I rated at 4.25 stars. I’ve shared before that Chloe Liese is a favorite author so I had to check out her holiday novella (a Kobo original). Both The Matzah Ball and Catered All the Way were random finds I found on Kobo while A Holly Jolly Diwali was a recommendation from a friend at work.

The Mistletoe Motive follows a pair that are co-managers at a small town bookstore, trying to save it from closing by challenging each other to a sales contest in December. Yes, they have corny names that describe their personalities but I promise it’s worth getting past that. This has heart mixed with spice, just as you’d expect from Chloe.

The Matzah Ball is a bit corny but in a good way. The FMC, a Jewish woman who writes Christmas romance novels, is trying to avoid her parents setting her up with the MMC who has been been a family friend (and former crush) for years. When her publisher tells her they want her to write a Hanukkah romance, she decides this means she MUST attend the very fancy Matzah Ball being thrown in the city..which, of course, has the MMC as its organizer. Great introduction to the traditions associated with the holiday plus some random hijinks (like when she winds up rolling down a ramp in a matzah ball costume).

Catered All the Way has two long-time best friends working together over the holiday rush at the first MMC’s family catering business. Through those six weeks away from his job in the Navy, the second MMC finds himself considering actually settling down in one place. Sassy grandmother types, quirky small town inhabitants, and more fill the pages that certainly have some spice thrown in.

A Holly Jolly Diwali has our two main characters - an Indian-American woman and a Indian-British man - become friends right as the FMC has lost her very stable data scientist manager job and the MMC’s band has broken up, neither of which are known to their parents and only some of their friends. When she attends a friend’s wedding in Mumbi, she finally meets the cousin her friend is super close to.

Next, the four star reads. Lovelight Farms was a recommendation for both the specific book but also the author, an absolute favorite of a mostly-romance-reader friend form dance class. Grump Hard was another of my random Kobo finds.

Lovelight Farms follows the FMC character, the owner of a small Christmas tree farm that’s struggling, and her best friend ever (MMC) who doesn’t realize she’s had a crush on him since they first met. She lied to a big influencer that she runs the farm with her boyfriend and convinces him to step into the role for the two weeks the influencer is visiting. Yes, all is eventually revelaed from the hidden feelings to her lie about who runs the place. Loved the found famliy in this with her small work crew and those in the town and how everything resolves. I would have given this more stars but it dragged in a few places; maybe I wouldn’t have been so bothered by the pace except the rush-rush-rush of the holidays.

Grump Hard is your classic grump/sunshine, a Very Serious executive is forced to spend time helping a small town girl with all of the holiday festivities across the town. I don’t think actually ever says “Bah, Humbug!” but he definitely thinks it a few times. This gave me Billionaire visits Stars Hollow vibes though the guy is a bit more likable than most found Logan in Gilmore Girls. Great for the cliches of small town life they barely don’t take too far with a little spice thrown in.

Finally, my 3.75 star reads. You’re a Mean One Matthew Prince was recommended by lots of folks and Mall I Want - more novella than novel - was a Kobo find.

You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince sees one MMC being sent to live with his grandparents in their small Upstate NY town to outweigh a scandal - he bough an island on a whim. Turns out, his grandparents are hosting one of his grandfather’s literary Masters students who may be a slob who can’t dress himself, even if he is an amazing student. Lots of “you’re so NYC” and “you’re so small town” moments for me to give it more stars, though there’s certainly some wonderfully sweet moments in there, showing love is all it takes to be a family.

Mall I Want for Christmas features the Hot Mall Santa and the Lady from The Pretzel Stand - who also has a little boy - flirting and falling in love. Most stars lost here because their romance is rather improbable but still gets the nearly four-star rating because I love me a single parent romance.

Non-Holiday Reads

The first four books were ones I’d found before December and decided to read between the various holiday books when I needed a palate cleanser.

Wolf Gone Wild and Don’t Hex and Drive take place in the same town where there’s magic and all types of magical beings - vampires, grims, werewolves, magicians, and more. Wolf Gone Wild find a female magician trying hard not to fall for the werewolf that shows up in town one day for her and her sisters to break the curse that’s kept him from transforming into his wolf form for months. Don’t Hex and Drive has another of the sisters, also a witch, fall for the guy who literally hits her with his car on his first day in town to visit a friend (she’s fine but her bicycle isn’t). These novels were very cute and spicy but I found them to be repetitive 2.5 books in so gave up on the series at that point. That said, I’d certainly consider getting back to them later. Both were 4.25 stars.

I finally managed to get Scythe & Sparrow, the last book in the Ruinous Love Triology, from Last.FM using my monthly credit, way too impatient to wait for the library to have a copy. (Of course, I forgot that I had put the physical book on hold and it came in literally the day I finished reading it.) Like the other books, this was 4.5 stars for excitement and spice and so many laugh out loud moments. I’m hoping to read the author’s other books soon.

Marshmallow Mountain by AJ Truman and MA Wardell, the second author entirely new to me, features two fat MMC who have to go to their remote mountain cabin to clean it out for sale, having broken up years before. Then the snow starts and doesn’t stop, stranding them there. They’re forced to talk through why they broke up and try to figure out if the one - a stand-up comedian - can stay serious long enough to repair things. 4.25 stars.

Oh, hockey MM romances. I’ve tried a couple before but I blame the Heated Rivalry show entirely for my jump back into them. While Trade Deadline was a rather “meh” at 3.5 stars, I really enjoyed the first three books in Rachel Reid’s Game Changer Series. Game Changer, Heated Rivalry, and Tough Guy each feature a different couple falling in love. Game Changer involves a closeted professional hockey player and a historian-turned-food service employee, Heated Rivalry two professional ice hockey players from Canada and Russian, and Tough Guy a professional hockey player known for being an enforcer and a violin player who makes what sounds like really fun, modern music with his violin and lots of specialized equipment. The Reid series gets a 4.25 star rating from me, though I’ve yet to get back to it to read books 4 through 6.

What did you all read in December? Any holiday/Christmas/winter reads I should have on my list for next year? Has MM hockey romance gotten you, too?

Let me start by acknowledging that I’m aware things have a bit all over the place - book reviews and recommendations, stories about my past, writing about journaling, travel recaps, and discussion of mental health.

How do I continue here? Do I want to leave this a place to talk about Serious Topics (stories about my past, mental health)? Do I want to shift to sharing about exploration, adventures, travels? Stick to words, books, writing? [This leads to a harder question: Where, if anywhere, do I share about those things I don’t share here? ‘Cause I am, by nature, an over-sharer, so it’s gotta come out somewhere that other people are. Probably Instagram.]

Does it matter that this space has a “theme” of whatever pops into my head and seems to have enough substance to write about? I’m not on here to become famous or make money, so no need to be search-optimized or easily categorized. I’m here to share, to amuse, to talk through, to record so I won’t forget.

And, you know what, I think that’s just it. I may pretend like my life is carefully containerized into little boxes, but it isn’t. Work, yes, stays in its box because I work very hard to keep it in one; one of the benefits of a 95% work from the office job is strict lines between work and home. Rest of my life? It’s barely organized chaos.

So, sorry if you were hoping maybe I’d suddenly focus. That you wouldn’t have to roll your eyes when I post about another round of romance books I read to escape stress or when I include way too many pictures from a trip or offer advice you’d never ask for. New year, new me (trying not to think so hard about non-problem problems.)

The three notebooks for 2026 are:

• Hobonichi A6 English with Monday Start (Notebook only - currently sold out; Notebook with cover, one of the options with a cover that’s currently in stock)

• Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted A5 (Available from my favorite local stationery shop, Penny Post)

• Alchemy Journal (Available from Bookshop.org « Affiliate link!; waxed poetic about it in this post)

Why three notebooks? Well, three different purposes entirely. And I love all three and couldn’t ever limit myself to just one.

Hobonichi aka The Planner

Just as it sounds like, this will serve as my planner and daily log of what’s going on in my life. While I live and die by my shared Google calendars with my family and the Girl Scout troop and equivalent ones for work, I still like to be able to see what’s going on and what’s going to happen on paper. I didn’t use a paper calendar for the majority of 2025 and really missed it. I plan to record events including birthdays, to do lists, when I got to and left work on a given day / which office I was in (helps with my daily timecard), logs for meals and movement before they put into the Nourish app, and a short headline for each day.

Alchemy Journal aka The Journal

Any sort of long-form writing I do on paper will be in this notebook. Think responses to journal prompts (still only like 40% of my way through The Book of Alchemy), morning pages, letters to people I’ll never send. My goal will be to try and fill up an entire one of these notebooks every quarter so three months. I purchased three after getting a 20% off everything coupon from Bookshop.org for…some reason. Black Friday thank you? Not entirely sure, TBH.

Leuchtturm aka The Dumping Ground

This notebook is for anything else I want to write, draw, doodle, scrapbook, etc. Junk journaling. Logging my creative projects (even those that never get done). Collecting stamps and stickers. Recording song lyrics and quotes I like. Brain dumps. Brainstorming / mind mapping. Tracking goals. Reviewing life at the end of the month will probably go in here, too. The goal here is to fill up one of these every two months. I’ve got 3 orange-red and 3 dark teal ones I purchased on sale after Christmas.

What’s your journal ecosystem look like for this year?

[I really have five notebooks going right now but two are for work, one for notes that can’t leave work (sensitive data) and one that I carry back and forth between the various buildings I work in and home. Can’t leave is just a bunch of dot-grid paper pages stapled together at the top and numbered so I know I haven’t lost a page. Boring cover-sheet added. The other one is a Rollbahn Spiral Notebook (like this one at JetPens) in a lovely pale orange.]

Then, though, we had to try to figure out the why of it all when it all came flooding back the next day. There were lots of theories, but eventually realized it’s all about how my life right now is so different than it was last year.

I left a job where I felt like I was working with my extended family. We knew each other well enough to be able to push each other’s buttons and express our opinions at volume while also being able to have great, deep conversations. I got to see many of them at a party a few weeks ago and it was like a family reunion. I truly miss them.

In leaving that job, I also left behind a role where a lot was on my shoulders, the pace was quick, our work very visible, and the expectations impossibly high. My current role is far more relaxed in terms of everything - dress code, no core hours, not sitting on site with the government, deadlines that are reasonable, and even an easier commute. I haven’t felt like I needed to wait until 2 pm to have lunch a single day nor had to take a long walk up and down the side of the building for 30 minutes while venting to a coworker.

Matt also switched jobs to one that’s less stressful and has allowed him to travel both to New York and Paris, the later of which he extended to include mini solo vacations. In the two years prior, he’d only traveled three times without me for more than a weekend so I was very out of practice handling everything around here.

My MIL moved in with us. We went through a good five months of regular hospital visits and changing medications and her health going up and down like a sine wave. We also have had to dose and give medications twice a day, take her to appointments and tests and scans, and what seems like a never-ending list of administrative tasks to have her become a Virginia resident and have us in control of her finances (versus a weird split between her and my FIL). And, of course, get used to having another person in our house.

Tied closely to the holidays, Lizzy is now twelve so how she views Christmas has changed. Santa isn’t a thing. She doesn’t have a big list of stuff she wants, relying on us to get things we think she’s like. She had to be made to come downstairs around 8 am versus being up at the crack of dawn. She seems to really enjoy gifting things like charcuterie earrings for my MIL, an “I’m surrounded by idiots” t-shirt with Scar from Lion King on it, and some subtly scented candles and earrings for me.

I am in a weird place spiritually and have moved entirely away from any sort of religious community. I only went to church a handful of times at the start of year and stepped away entire from attending services and participating in church leadership in mid-April. I’ve thought about trying out another church but am not sure if it’s out of a real longing for the spiritual aspects (which doesn’t require church attendance) or being part of a community (which I can get elsewhere) or out of obligation/guilt as I was raised in the church. Probably all of the above.

Similarly, I usually really enjoy the Advent season and everything that comes with it but the closest I got to participating was reading a handful of posts from in her Advent series. I didn’t have that usual hopeful anticipation for Christmas that was tied to something deeper, just excited to have a chance to give gifts and enjoy holiday-themed books, music, movies.

There’s also been changes in family dynamics with putting in place new boundaries with Matt’s dad and my mom.

And did I mention that I’ve stepped back some with Lizzy’s Girl Scout troop? The girls now (mostly) run their meetings and other adults have really stepped up to take on tasks from camping to cookies to special events over the last two years. The last few meetings I did nothing more than provide a place to meet and help out when things turned to chaos.

So, yeah, it’s a lot. And I guess the holiday and all of the end-of-year lists and reflection journaling prompts out there got it all swirling around in my brain. Thankfully, I was able to knock myself out of the funk and am feeling tons better. I’d say 80% of it was identifying why I was feeling so blah with the remaining bits of allowing myself to ugly cry and otherwise wallow, spending more time with Matt, distracting myself, and getting more Lizzy hugs.

Do the holidays ever get you down? What do you do to get yourself back to your normal baseline?

[Yes, I did watch the last episode of Heated Rivalry which was an emotional gut-punch, as were all of the previous episodes. The series includes but really isn’t about attractive young men getting naked with each other. It’s about the yearning and strife and pure joy of love and the complications of being queer when you’re in a profession where that’s not “acceptable.” I cannot recommend it enough, even if you’re not a reader of romance. And you can amuse yourself with the knowledge that the creator also worked on Letterkenny and Shorsey.]

Listened to Romance Bookstagram

I gave in and decided to try out a few series that were recommended across Bookstagram which hasn’t often lead me to books I actually enjoyed (looking at you, ACOTAR!). This time, though, they weren’t wrong.

First, I read book 1 and listened to book 2 of the Ruinous Love trilogy from Brynne Weaver. Yes, these books earn all of their trigger/content warnings as they both involve people who are killers and feature steamy scenes. While they certainly have lots of dark scenes, there is humor and banter mixed in, too. I’m waiting not so patiently for the third book in audio from the library though I may give in and use my December Libro.FM credit to get it or, you know, read the actual book that’s available right now at my local branch. Butcher & Blackbird was a 4.5 for me and Leather & Lark a 4.25.

My second recommendation I took was the Blood and Ash series from Jennifer L. Armentrout. I really enjoyed the first book but am taking a break before I delve into the second one as I need to be in the head space to try to keep track of all of the characters that come with a high fantasy novel. The book is well-paced with action and some heart in there, too. 4.5 stars

Finally, I decided to try out the first book of small town, cozy romances from Laurie Gilmore. The first book was, indeed, cozy but the small town feels full of tropes of small town life which I found to be annoying. No one with much depth at all. Great for fans of Hallmark movies and certainly amusing enough to finish. 3.75 stars

Visiting with the Wrights Again

I’ve listened to a handful of books about this family and they’re not amazing but amusing enough. I love a series where the characters know one another, at least loosely. 4 stars for each

Some Sin

I think I found these by looking at the books that were recently added on Kobo Plus. Billionaire types who used to be tied to the Mafia but have gone legit. These are certainly in the not much depth but lots of spice category. I enjoyed the first one enough to listen to the second but I doubt I’ll seek out any future ones. 4 stars

The Others

Fall Guy was another of those random Kobo Plus finds. M/M romance where a guy just out of prison - for something, it turns out, he didn’t do - falls for the bodyguard he hires. 3.75 stars

Prince Material I rated as 4 stars immediately after reading but I’m going to up that to 4.5 stars as I keep thinking about it. A Prince from The Netherlands is sent to a small school in New England to finish up his Civil Engineering degree as a random guy from Europe and not his scandal-prone self. He’s assigned a sweet guy as his roomate who, you guessed it, he eventually falls for. There’s dorkiness and sweetness between the guys. I probably am giving it a partial star more because I liked the ties to The Netherlands, having just visited there. 4. 5 stars

Next To You is in the same universe as Next of Kin which I read in October. It’s got the usual emotional depth and warmth of books from the author. She randomly decides to buy a school bus to turn into her home and he, an auto mechanic and best friend with her best friend’s husband, decides to help her out. She’s a free spirit and he’s a quiet giant. 4.25 stars

Lastly, a book recommended to me by someone from work. This book features a magical community tasked with keeping control of the wider magical world, all why 1980s London is completely unaware. Our main female character is trying to find out more about the dad who disappeared when she was tiny and she comes across this quirky Booksellers. I can’t wait to delve into the second book for real once I’ve finished my holiday book spree. (I’m actually about 30% of the way through the second audiobook but have formally put it on pause now.) 4.25 stars

What did you all read this month? Any books I should check out in romance, fantasy, or magical realism?