Jersey Girl Book Reviews

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Thursday TBR

Welcome to Thursday TBR!

Every Thursday I will be sharing my current top TBR books that I want to read. Of course, the TBR list will change from week to week as I read the books, or if new books pique my interest more! My ever-increasing TBR list is just another way of sharing my passion for reading books.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder (Book Review)

Book Review

So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder

Publisher: Gallery / Scout Press

Publication Date: February 17, 2026

Format: Hardcover - 384 pages

Paperback - 384 pages

Kindle - 384 pages / 2.5 MB

Audiobook - 11 Hours 21 Minutes

Nook - 384 pages / 5 MB

ISBN (Hardcover): 978-1668051771

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1668227114

ASIN (Kindle): B0FCG5Y8KY

ASIN (Audiobook): B0FCZG422R

BNID (Nook): 978-1668051795

Genre: Literary Fiction / Friendship

Buy The Book:

Amazon - Hardcover

Amazon - Paperback

Amazon - Kindle

Amazon - Audiobook

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I also purchased a hardcover from my monthly BOTM subscription.

Book Description:

Six Friends.

Five Parties.

Twenty Years…

How did we get So Old, So Young?

From Grant Ginder, the bestselling author of The People We Hate at the Wedding, comes a novel of impending millennial middle age that is part love story, part tragic comedy. Five parties over the course of two decades bring six college friends together, exploring the ways we can run from and cling to our friends in love, life, and death.

For Marco and Mia, Sasha and Theo, Richie and Adam, the one constant in life after college together has been change. New jobs. New cities. New spouses. New children. Through it all, one thing they thought would always stay the same is their friendship. But time has a way of breaking even the strongest bonds and testing what we thought we knew. From East Village apartment parties and disastrous destination weddings to fortieth birthdays and suburban backyard barbecues, Grant Ginder’s resonant, funny, and deeply moving novel is a story about the growing pains of the millennial generation, and a celebration of how love can shift, stumble, and grow into something bigger than we ever could have imagined.

My Book Review:

So Old, So Young by author Grant Ginder is a story of lifelong friendships, from college days to middle age (Millennials), as six friends' lives and lifelong friendships change over a twenty-year span.

Marco, Mia, Sasha, Theo, Richie and Adam met in college at the University of Pennsylvania. After they graduate, the ebb and flow of life bring changes to their friendships as the years go by. With life comes careers, marriage, children, lifestyle changes, and less time spent together. Follow along as the six lifelong friends find just how hard it is to maintain their friendships as their individual lives change over the years.

So Old, So Young is a beautifully written story about a group of six lifelong friends, and how the ebb and flow of life over a span of twenty years change their friendships. This is a realistic story that takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride where they feel the gamut of emotions as the six friends' lives and friendships change as they grow into adulthood and middle age.

This is such a realistic and relatable story. Told in alternating third person narratives, the reader follows along with the six lifelong friends' lives as they change over the span of twenty years. As I read their story, it got me thinking about my own friendships that I had over the years. It is so true that as years go by, a lot of lifelong friendships change as everybody's lives change after high school and college. With adulthood comes changes as everyone follows their own life's journey, and not every friendship lasts for a variety of reasons, but it's always one event in life that ultimately draws them back together ... sigh.

So Old, So Young is one of the best books that I have read so far in 2026. If you love reading stories that celebrate friendships and the reality of life, you will definitely love this book!

Rating: 5 Stars

About The Author

Grant Ginder is the author of the novels Let’s Not Do That Again, Honestly, We Meant Well, The People We Hate at the Wedding, Driver’s Education, and This is How It Starts. Originally from Southern California, he studied at the University of Pennsylvania and received his MFA from NYU, where he currently teaches writing. He lives in Brooklyn with his husband, Mac, and their disastrous dog, Frankie.

Wednesday Wisdom

Welcome to Wednesday Wisdom!

Every Wednesday I will be sharing a book related wisdom quote in the hope of sharing my passion for reading books. I hope that the wisdom quotes spark an interest in reading in your life.

Today's Book Wisdom Quote

Today's Wisdom Quote has a simple message: Just Read!

Reading a book shouldn't come with any lists of what you need to do, just open a book and escape into the pages, and simply enjoy the story that unfolds.

Too many "have too" goals take away from the enjoyment of reading a book. It shouldn't matter how fast you read, how many pages you read in a sitting, how many books you read in a week, month, year. Just pick a book whose story calls to you and Just Read!

My Book Nook She Shed

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Book Spotlight: The Comeback by Ella Berman

The Comeback by Ella Berman

Publisher: Berkley Publishing

Publication Date: August 3, 2020

Format: Hardcover - 384 pages

Paperback - 400 pages

Kindle - 394 pages / 4.3 MB

Audiobook - 10 Hours 21 Minutes

Nook - 384 pages / 1 MB

ISBN (Hardcover): 978-0593099513

ISBN (Paperback): 978-0593099520

ASIN (Kindle): B081M7Q9B8

ASIN (Audiobook): B082QSML61

BNID (Nook): 978-0593099537

Genre: Literary Fiction

Buy The Book:

Amazon - Hardcover

Amazon - Paperback

Amazon - Kindle

Amazon - Audiobook

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Book Description:

Grace Turner was one movie away from Hollywood’s A-List. So no one understood why, at the height of her career and on the eve of her first Golden Globe nomination, she disappeared.

Now, one year later, Grace is back in Los Angeles and determined to reclaim her life on her own terms.

So when Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke—the man who controlled her every move for eight years—she knows there’s only one way she’ll be free of the secret that’s already taken so much from her.

The Comeback is a powerful and provocative story of justice in the #MeToo era—a true page-turner about a young woman finding the strength and power of her voice.

About The Author

Ella Berman grew up in both Los Angeles and London, where she studied psychology before working at Sony Music. Her debut novel, The Comeback, was selected as a Read with Jenna book club pick, and her follow-up, Before We Were Innocent, was a Reese’s Book Club pick. Raised by two former hippies on the music and art of the 1960s and 70s, she lives in London with her husband, their senior dog, and their daughter. Her third novel, L.A Women was published in August 2025.