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Book Review

Why The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Belong on Your TBR

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I discovered The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion late last year and was hooked!

If you have never heard of this book series before, you are in for a treat.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion at a Glance

  • Author: Beth Brower
  • Setting: Victorian London beginning in 1883
  • Format: Emma’s personal journal entries
  • Volumes available: 8
  • Next volume: Volume 9, scheduled for February 23, 2027
  • Perfect for readers who enjoy: witty heroines, quirky characters, historical fiction, friendship, slow-building storylines, and cozy reads

What Is The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion About?

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower are the journals of a young woman living in London, England, in 1883. She has just moved back into her family home, Lapis Lazuli House, and has plans for a quiet yet studious life. However, things don’t go as planned due to her eccentric cousin Archibald, money issues, social obligations, and run-ins with the quirky people in her fictional neighborhood of St. Crispian’s.

So far, 8 volumes are out, with the 9th, The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, coming out February 23, 2027! Volumes 1–8 are scheduled to be released as Penguin trade paperbacks on November 24, 2026. And the author has said she wants to write 25 of them!

Emma M. Lion Is Such a Fun Character to Follow

When you hear that this series follows a young woman living in Victorian London, you might assume it will be serious or stuffy. But Emma is quite a woman and is always finding herself in different, interesting situations or predicaments. You fall right in love with her and want to hear more of her story. She is quite an interesting character!

The Journal Format Makes the Series Different

You also need to know that The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion are just that: written in journal form. Each one covers two months, and as the series goes on, they seem to get longer and longer. The first one is only 100 pages. This also means you might get 2-3 pages for one day and 2-3 lines the next. It really feels like you are reading someone’s journal!

Beth Brower has said she approached Emma’s story almost like a television series. Each volume has its own story arc, while larger storylines continue across multiple volumes. Pretty cool!

The Characters and Friendships Are Part of the Charm

There are quite a few recurring characters in these books, and occasionally I need a refresher on who is who. However, the author has put a guide in the front so you can get caught up before you start a new book. But these characters? They are a part of the charm of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion.

Who Should Read The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion?

Okay, I’ll be honest: I love these books, but I also know they won’t be for everyone. What I suggest is reading the first one. It is 100 pages. And if you don’t feel like you need the second one ASAP, it might not be the series for you.

Which Format Is Best: Print, Kindle, or Audiobook

So this is where I will say it depends. I am reading them in paper form, and I prefer that. I did start the audio for book two, but in the end I didn’t want to read them that way. Kindle is always an option too.

Why The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Belong on Your TBR

Whether you are getting ready for cozy season, want a new read from another century, or just curious what the deal is with these books? Add The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to your TBR. You will be glad you did…I hope!

You Might Love Emma M. Lion If…

  • You love character-driven books more than fast-paced plots.
  • You enjoy witty, independent female characters.
  • You like historical fiction without needing a huge historical event driving the story.
  • You love books about friendship, everyday life, and quirky communities.
  • You enjoy journal or epistolary-style novels.
  • You want a series you can settle into for more than one book.

Who Writes The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion?

Beth Brower is the author of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. She has a degree in literary studies and has also written The Q, The Beast of Ten, and the Books of Imirillia trilogy: The Queen’s Gambit, The Ruby Prince, and The Wanderer’s Mark.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion

What are The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion about?

The series follows Emma M. Lion, a young woman living in Victorian London beginning in 1883. Told through Emma’s journal entries, the books follow her friendships, family problems, financial concerns, social obligations, and the quirky residents of St. Crispian’s.

How many Emma M. Lion books are there?

Eight volumes of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion are currently available. Volume 9 is scheduled to be released on February 23, 2027.

Do you need to read the Emma M. Lion books in order?

Yes, I recommend reading the volumes in order. The characters, friendships, mysteries, and larger storylines develop throughout Emma’s journals.

Are The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion cozy books?

I would describe them as cozy, character-driven historical fiction with humor, friendships, quirky characters, and ongoing mysteries and storylines. They aren’t traditional cozy mysteries, but they definitely have that comforting, curl-up-with-a-book feeling.

Who writes The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion?

The series is written by Beth Brower, who is also the author of The Q, The Beast of Ten, and the Books of Imirillia trilogy.

Where Can You Buy the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion?

I like to buy mine on Amazon, but you can also find them at places like Books-A-Million and Barnes and Noble. I haven’t yet seen one at an actual bookstore myself, but it never hurts to ask when you visit your local independent bookstores. You can also buy them at Bookshop.org.

If looking for the audio, check Libby through your library or use your Spotify or Audible subscription.

They are also available through Kindle Unlimited at the moment. However, since Viking Penguin just acquired the rights, that could change.

Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger Review

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Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger Review

This article contains affiliate links!

I recently read the sequel to one of my favorite books, The Time Traveler’s Wife, called Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger.

Here is what Amazon has to say:

Alba DeTamble has never lived a life in order. Born with the same rare Chrono-Displacement Disorder as her father Henry, she slips unpredictably through decades, haunted by the secrets of a future she can witness but cannot change. As Alba strives to maintain a normal life with Zach, her safe, supportive anchor, she forms a tight-knit community of artists and activists who fight to take care of each other in an increasingly unstable world. 

At once intimate and expansive, Life Out of Order plunges readers into a world of Niffenegger’s dazzling imagination: from the riot-torn streets of a dystopian Chicago, to a digital museum for forgotten memories and lost artifacts. Curating this ever-expanding museum is Isadora, Alba’s mysterious stepsister and an unsettling presence in their family – whose fate may be intertwined with Alba’s in more dangerous ways than she knows.

Told through a kaleidoscope of perspectives, the story moves through a boundless, unfolding universe of virtual reality, skimming the wildest reaches of technology and our natural world. The result is a testament to the power of art and community to sustain us in these fractured times—and an epic tale that’s set to define an entirely new genre in a way only Niffenegger can.

Why I Was Excited for Life Out of Order

I loved The Time Traveler’s Wife the first time I read it, and I reread it a few years ago. I also loved the 2009 movie with Eric Bana as Henry and Rachel McAdams as Clare, and the HBO TV show that came out a few years ago with Theo James and Rose Leslie.

I have been waiting for the sequel for years! It’s finally coming out on Oct 6th, 2026.

I got an ARC from NetGalley, and I have to say, I am struggling a bit with what I thought of it.

It was very entertaining and kept my interest, but it was quite weird. At times it felt like it was outside the universe of The Time Traveler’s Wife. Other times, we got to see how Clare and Alba, Henry’s daughter, were doing.

A Quick Refresher on The Time Traveler’s Wife

The following paragraph includes light spoilers for The Time Traveler’s Wife!

In The Time Traveler’s Wife, we see the relationship between Henry, the time traveler, and Clare, his wife. Their daughter, Alba, also inherited the time-traveler gene. It gets a bit weird because Henry and Clare’s relationship is pretty out of order, at least from Clare’s point of view. She meets him for the first time when she is 6; he meets her for the first time when she is 20. And Henry is constantly time traveling.

What Life Out of Order Is About

In the sequel, we start the book with Alba being about 21 years old, in 2022. As the book moves on, each chapter starts with how old Alba, or any other character we are hearing from, is, and the date. This is super helpful because it can get confusing really fast.

What I Loved About Life Out of Order and What I Didn’t

I do love that we get to see a lot of Clare post-Henry; for the most part, he is a time traveler. So much of her life in the first book had been planned out to a certain extent. In this book, she really gets to live like the rest of us, and I love that for her.

I also enjoyed seeing Alba grow and hearing about her journey. The story goes pretty far into the future. Climate change and digital technologies play a pretty big part in the storylines.

The story also has many diverse characters. A few are from the first book, and some are new. What I didn’t like is that sometimes we moved on from characters and didn’t return to them until much later. I wish we had more time with some of them.

It also got too weird and sci-fi at times. I felt like the original book didn’t have quite that element. Then again, it didn’t take place in the future, really. Not like this one.

Is Life Out of Order Worth Reading?

It’s interesting that this book is coming out 23 years after the original. I wonder if it would have felt different if it came out just a few years after? It would have been a different story then, I suppose.

I’m not going to say Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger is for everyone. I LOVE time travel books and that element of it. I love books that go into the future. But there were some parts of this book I really didn’t like. It won’t be a favorite, but I might think about it for a while.

3.5 stars!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC for review!

Frequently Asked Questions About Life Out of Order

Is Life Out of Order a sequel to The Time Traveler’s Wife?

Yes, Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger is the long-awaited follow-up to The Time Traveler’s Wife and follows Alba, Henry and Clare’s daughter.

Do you need to read The Time Traveler’s Wife before Life Out of Order?

The publisher says Life Out of Order can be read on its own or as a companion to The Time Traveler’s Wife. However, readers who already know Henry, Clare, and Alba may get more out of the emotional connections in the story.

When does Life Out of Order come out?

Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger is scheduled to be published on October 6, 2026.

What is Life Out of Order about?

Life Out of Order follows Alba as a young adult and moves through different timelines, including parts of the future. The book also gives readers a look at Clare’s life after Henry.

Parable of the Sower and Reading Dystopian Books in a Time of Crisis

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Parable of the Sower and Reading Dystopian Books in a Time of Crisis

I read my first Octavia Butler book, Kindred, a few years ago and loved it. I figured it was time to read Parable of the Sower. Originally written in 1993, this dystopian story is set in California in 2024. Although Octavia Butler passed away in 2006, she seemed to have predicted some of what we are going through currently.

Now, our world isn’t exactly like the world in the Parable of the Sower, but some of it rings true. California is undergoing a crisis, and getting water regularly is a problem. The young protagonist, Lauren, is 15 years old and lives with her family behind a makeshift wall of their neighborhood. If you leave the neighborhood, you are putting yourself at enormous risk. They try not to go out unless necessary. When they do, they take a lot of precautions.

Everyone is trying to survive, and Lauren is trying to figure out what she believes about God and the universe. She can also feel other people’s pain, which can be challenging at times.

The Parable of the Sower was one of those books where you go on a journey with the main character. She experiences a lot of tricky situations you have probably never experienced. It makes you think about what you would do and what decisions you might make.

In addition to this book, I am drawn to different dystopian novels. There is just something about them that pulls me in. I don’t see them as guidebooks for the future, well maybe a little bit sometimes. I do want to see how people handle these environments. I like how they strive for freedom and battle the ones in charge.

What can the “little guy” do when faced with such a change from the norm? What do relationships look like in this environment? How do they grow as a person through what they are going through?

Not everyone likes to read these types of books during our current unprecedented times. However, I find them comforting for some reason. I plan to read or re-read several other books this year. These include The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984, The Hunger Games, and The Parable of the Talents. It is the sequel to Parable of the Sower.

What’s on your reading list?

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Parable of the Sower and Reading Dystopian Books in a Time of Crisis

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

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Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Last summer I took debut author Carley Fortune’s first book, Every Summer After, on our beach trip. And I fell in love with the story. Every Summer After is the story of two childhood sweethearts, coming together again as adults, on a lake, with cottages and family.

I am such a sucker for any book that takes place at a lake or a beach house, plus, childhood friends or sweethearts coming back together as adults. And Every Summer After, and Meet Me at the Lake had both!

This post does contain affiliate links!

When I heard that Carley Fortune was releasing her 2nd book, Meet Me at the Lake, I was super excited. This book also took place at a lake, at a resort owned by the main character’s family. Fern Brookbanks is the new owner of the resort after the unexpected passing of her mother. She is trying to figure out what is next in her life and what path she should take.

As Fern questions if she should stay at the resort and for how long, a man named Will Baxter checks into the resort. Fern’s past comes right back to her as she realizes this was the Will she met 10 years before, at a coffee shop in Toronto. Back then they ended up spending 24 hours together, with a promise to meet back at her family’s resort one year later. Only, she was the only one that showed.

I think when an author has a very successful book come out, they always have a bit of a challenge with the next one. They need the book to be similar enough to the previous one but not so similar it’s a copy with just different character names. I believe that Carley Fortune nailed it, and wrote another amazing and creative book.

Meet Me at the Lake was a different story from Every Summer After, even though the book also had some of the same elements. They both had some type of event that happened that we don’t get to hear about until later on in the book, and they both went back and forth between now and years before.

Overall I gave Meet Me at the Lake four stars and Every Summer After 5 stars. I loved Carley Fortune’s debut book just a little bit more. But, Meet Me at the Lake was such a fun summer read. I totally recommend this book.

You can purchase the book here. Or check to see if your local library has a copy.