The weeks surrounding Christmas are notoriously bad reading weeks for me; this year was a little better than in the past, but I still felt like I never had any time (or energy) to read. That being said – I didn’t have much time to blog either. Those kinds of things just fall by the wayside when we are with our families and I’m busy parenting, cleaning, and celebrating 😉 Being home for 10 days straight with my family and visiting all of our families and friends just doesn’t leave much time to poke my nose in a book…but I did finish a few books over the last month and I am feeling back into a big reading groove!!! January-March are usually big reading months for me because it is SO FREEZING OUTSIDE that all I want to do is curl up and read books. Haha. Anyone else?!

Linking up with Jana & Steph today to chat about books for the first Show us Your Books link up of 2018!!!

Heir to Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had asked my husband for Edenbrooke for Christmas, so I wanted to read this one in case I ended up re-reading Edenbrooke sometime over the holidays. This was SO CUTE. Loved it. It was fun to read Philip’s perspective and know just how much that meeting with Marianne changed his life. SO fun, and definitely a quick and enjoyable read if you love Edenbrooke. My only complaint was that it was not long enough!!!!! I wanted more. If you haven’t read Edenbrooke yet, I implore you to do so if Regency romance is your thing. It is SO SO good.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol: A Novel by Samantha Silva
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this SO much more than I did. I am not a huge fan of A Christmas Carol, but I don’t mind Dickens in general. This was interesting at times, but it fell a little flat for me. I will say that if you are ever looking for a good book to read around Christmas time that has minimal romance and is not Hallmarky, this might be up your alley…

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I sat on the couch and read about 90% of this book in one night. I had started it the night before, and was liking it, but I just plowed right through. It was really cute, and also very emotional at times. Can I just say that I love that books about bookshops and book lovers are so popular right now? I love the bookish themes in these books. A few I can think of off the top of my head that I loved: The Bookshop on the Corner, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Words in Deep Blue, Tell me Three Things (in the background), Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, A Murder for the Books. Even books that I didn’t completely love about bookstores were mostly redeemable because a setting of a bookstore is SO GREAT. Anyway, enough of that tangent – How to Find Love in a Bookshop is adorable and sweet. I loved it. It did remind me a bit of Fikry in some ways, especially the father-daughter aspect.

  Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, this was quite the book. It was easy to read, since it is middle grade, but it was quite powerful. It’s about an 11 year old girl in a wheelchair who has SO MANY THOUGHTS and is sooooo smart but unable to speak (and has cerebral palsy). Melody was quite funny at times, and witty, and a normal pre-teen but with so many more challenges in life than many of us have. Parts of this were tough to read but it was so eye-opening. I definitely cried like a baby near the end. (I read this for Erin’s challenge for a character with a debilitating physical illness).

Kulti by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn’t love this QUITE as much as The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, but it was still very good and it made me realize that I kind of like books about sports – in this sense. Haha. Parts of it were quite swoonworthy and I really appreciated Sal’s confidence and strength to stand up for what she believed in. This was a cute, quick, read that left me with a smile on my face and passed a winter’s night quite nicely. I am enjoying Mariana Zapata’s books a lot – they probably aren’t for everyone, but they are quite enjoyable if you like the genre.

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun book to pick up here and there over Christmas. The alternating perspectives and short chapters really lent this book to scattered reading, although I did read the last half of it in one sitting quite quickly. I did not see the end coming and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The family drama and contrast between different careers etc was good and if you like family drama books, this is a good one to consider. It’s not all drama all the time though – I wouldn’t compare it to The Nest, for example.

Pride & Popularity by Jenni James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a cute YA book – totally predictable, but it was still fun. A bit too YA for me, but that’s my own age showing 😉

Longbourn’s Songbird by Beau North
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5/5. I really, REALLY liked the time period that this re-telling was set in, and I enjoyed the progression of the plot that was somewhat close to the original, although there were some very with obvious changes that didn’t seem TOO ridiculous to me (as in other adaptations). Better yet, if you haven’t read the original P&P, this is still a nice little story to read and it was quite well written. I like Beau North as an author quite a bit and I’m looking forward to reading her other work now that I’ve enjoyed two of her Austen retellings. Kristen, you’ll like this one 😉

TL;DR: I highly recommend Longbourn’s Songbird, How to Find Love in a Bookshop, Out of my Mind, and Heir to Edenbrooke. Seven Days of us might be a good one to keep in mind for next holiday season, too. 🙂 

Currently reading:  The Snow Child (LOVING IT) and Greenglass House (on audio, LOVING IT). I’m carving out more time to read so I can finish these books off and continue on with Erin’s book challenge 8.0. Speaking of which, here are my choices for her challenge, which runs on Facebook and Goodreads from Jan 1-Apr 30, 2018:

• Freebie: As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti via Netgalley
• Book that Starts with ‘L’: Longbourn’s Songbird by Beau North via Netgalley
• Book with a Red Cover: The Alchemist’s Code by Martin Rua via Netgalley <— this was literally one of the first books I was ever approved for on Netgalley and I have yet to read it 😛
• Book with a Character’s Full Name in the Title: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennett by Bernie Su
• Book with a Plot Twist: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz
• Book with the word House or Home in it: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• Book in which the author’s first and last name are alliterative: Renegades by Marissa Meyer (but I might go with that Jenni James book above instead)
• Book that is written in a different language than the one you speak: My Grandmother sends her regards and apologizes by Fredrick Backman
• Book that takes place on a form of transportation: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
• Book that has a character with a debiliating physical illness: Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper

A Murder for the Books by Victoria Gilbert
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was a cute cozy mystery, easy enough to read and the characters were enjoyable. The history of the town was interesting and there was a cute romance. At no point did I feel OMG I have no idea what is going on nor did I feel supremely concerned for the characters because I felt like it would all work out, but hey, that was kind of nice for a change. The romantic aspect was cute too. I will likely read other books in this series! (Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this fun book).

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this beautiful book. It’s a children’s book, but it deals with an interesting topic. The book itself is extremely aesthetically pleasing, but the subject matter and way the story is told really pulled at the heart strings. It’s not quite Ivan, but I happen to really love trees as well as personification so this was up my alley, haha.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was amazing on audio and I couldn’t stop listening to it. It opened my eyes to a very realistic situation and the impact that it could have on so many people. The characters were wonderful in this book and the story was so well told. Everyone needs to read this book.

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a fun book to read! Loved the characters, was quite invested in the story, and enjoyed the way it unfolded. Looking forward to continuing the series. Veronica Speedwell is SUCH a fun character to read about and I loved Stoker too. I don’t really quite know how to classify this series – it’s kind of like a cozy historical mystery?! Pretty fun though.

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Since I often enjoy books that Kristen likes, I had a feeling I would like this one but it still blew me away. IT WAS SO GOOD (if this genre is your thing). It was well written, and swoon-worthy, and I could not put it down and read it in one sitting. I loved it and I want to re-read it soon so I’m happy to have it purchased on my kindle 🙂 If you like contemporary romance, this should absolutely make it on your list.

Wait for It by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved Dianna’s story!!! This one wasn’t quite as good as Wall of Winnipeg and Me, but I liked how their story was included a bit in this one too 🙂 Loved Dianna’s relationship with her nephews and her independence, although her parental role made me feel a bit tired, haha. Zapata writes so well and I know I will enjoy all of her books and characters.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I fully expected this book to be incredible, and sciencey, and intense, and it was all of those things and more. It was also a lot more heartfelt and hopeful than I expected. Some of it definitely went over my head, but I didn’t mind and felt like I “understood” it all enough to enjoy it immensely. The hype is real for this book. I already passed it on to my dad, who I think will enjoy it a lot too.

Jane Austen in Scarsdale: Or Love, Death, and the SATs by Paula Marantz Cohen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Parts of this book were absolutely hilarious to me. The guidance counselor/student/parent relationships were quite humorous and I liked that setting for the book. The Persuasion elements in it were nice, but of course it was nowhere near as swoonworthy as the original or as enjoyable as A Thousand Letters. I still really liked all of the characters and the book was a fun one overall! 3.5/5 stars 🙂

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So many good and thought-provoking ideas about changing your perspective and giving yourself grace. I can absolutely see why Brene Brown’s work is so popular. I especially enjoyed this on audio but I might pick up a paper copy too so I can refer back to some of her ideas a bit easier. Loved the HP references 😉

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great middle-grade novel reminiscent a bit of Number the Stars. I loved Ada’s determination and how she grew throughout the book. I’ve heard the sequel is quite good too, and I will be picking that one up soon.

Wasted Words by Staci Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This couple was adorable and I loved that it was an Emma re-telling because they are a bit less common. Wasted Words seems like such a fun place – a bar/comic shop/bookstore all in one…so FUN! Staci Hart’s writing is fun and easy to read. I read this in one sitting and enjoyed it very much.

Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a joy to be back with the Quinn family after thinking their story was finished with book 3! I loved that this book had more Bart in it and all of the other characters too. I really liked Jennifer’s storyline and struggles in this book as well as everything Ava and Margaret were feeling. I knew the end was going to be heartbreaking, and it was, but it was also quite hopeful.
Thankful to have received an advanced copy of this wonderful conclusion to the series from Netgalley.

We’ll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was one of those adorable Christmas stories that you know isn’t necessarily high literature but gives you some cozy Christmas cheer. It was nice, it was a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind. I can see why her work is made into Hallmark Christmas movies, because that is exactly how it reads, but I didn’t mind at all. The little boy in this book was adorable if not a touch unrealistic. 😉 (Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this Christmas book).

The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5/5 stars. I read this in less than an hour and was sad when it was over. It was excellent and thought-provoking though and I can’t get enough of Backman’s writing. Also, isn’t the cover just SO CHRISTMASSY?!?!!? I love it.

 MEH books:

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star by Heather Lynn Rigaud
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book more. The premise was fun, and when I started it, it reminded me a bit of Eligible in the sense that it was ultra modern but had a bunch of P&P characters in their rightful places. The premise of the two bands touring together was fun and an easy way for everyone to get to know each other. I did really like parts of this book but it was just wayyyy too long and drawn out, parts of it were totally unrealistic for a modern setting, and there was way too much predictable coupling going on. I skimmed entire pages just so I could see where the plot was heading. Unfortunately I think it was the writing that really bothered me on top of the way too detailed love scenes which I will admit I skipped over for the most part.

Kissing Tolstoy by Penny Reid
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Not a big fan of this – it was my first by this author and I bought it on Kindle for a fundraiser but I’m sensing it is not her best. Fortunately, it was a short read.

TL;DR: I loved Wasted Words, Wall of Winnipeg and Me, Wait for It, Deal of a Lifetime, Dark Matter, The Hate U Give, and Daring Greatly as well as A Curious Beginning. Oh, and Wishtree and The War that Saved My Life. So basically, read all of those books depending on what you like. The Winter series by Elin Hildebrand is also very well written if you like something Christmassy and with some family drama, but start with the first one. 🙂 

Yay!! Another month of reading gone by and some more great books to chat about. Linking up as always with the wonderful Steph and Jana 🙂 Unfortunately I had a few sort of “meh” books this month, but also a few amazing books to redeem those ones. I made my way through a bunch of Netgalley books but then I accidentally (oops) requested a few more, so I’m no further ahead really. Haha. This post is going to be a long one, but my main recommendations are in this first part! 🙂 I think it had been awhile since the last link up.

The best books I read this month:

Beach Music by Pat Conroy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was sweeping, intense, beautiful, sad, emotional, interesting, and unlike anything I have ever read. I had no idea what to expect out of it but it really covers a range of genres and is quite well written. I did not read it quickly, and I often didn’t seek it out at the end of a long day, but when I got closer to the end, I absolutely could not put it down. This is a book that is meant to be savoured and thought about, in my opinion, There was a lot going on with a lot of different characters but I didn’t have any problem keeping it all straight. It was wonderful if you are in the mood for a book of its length and depth.

Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew I would like this book, but I didn’t realize how much MORE I would want to read about personality after finishing it. I find this kind of thing endlessly fascinating, although I know it’s not for everyone. I think it is the psychology major in me, maybe? I also kind of secretly want to get certified in MBTI administration, which is pretty close to my career field anyway…so I might jump on that chance someday 🙂

I both read and listened to this. Listening to it was wonderful because I am used to Anne Bogel’s voice from her podcast and I like it. It was also great to have it in print to refer to the types she was talking about and make notes. There’s so much more that I am dying to learn about my family and my children and my husband after reading this book, and I can’t wait to dive in. I really think that learning about personality is beneficial to all relationships including those at work as well – so that was a good reminder.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was incredible. Eleanor’s character is so fun to read, and her observations on the world around her are fascinating. What happened to her was endlessly tragic and when it was all revealed, I found myself quite emotional and also quit impressed with her coping strategies. Such a good book.

Artemis by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book’s publication date is today so you’ll be hearing a lot about it in the coming weeks if you’re into book buzz at all! It took me awhile to get into this book, but once the action picked up, I was quite interested in what would happen to Jazz and the city of Artemis. There were a few twists that I definitely didn’t see coming and I finished the last half of the book in one night. Mark Watney in The Martian is still one of my favourite characters of all time, but Jazz was pretty good too and it was fun to read a book like this one with a female protagonist who loves science. This was a fun and unique book and I think fans of the Martian will also enjoy this one. I bet the audiobook will be great too – Weir’s writing really does lend itself well to audio.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the advanced copy of this book. Thank you also to Goodreads and Crown Publishing for the paperback copy of this which I won through Goodreads!! 🙂

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my first novel by Agatha Christie and it will absolutely not be my last. Humorous, interesting, and surprising. The cast of characters was fun to read about, it was the perfect length, and the mystery was not what I expected at all. The basic storyline is about a group of people on a train including the world renowned detective Hercule Poirot. A man is murdered while the train gets stuck in the snow so the murderer is undoubtedly still on board. Hercule Poirot is fascinating to read about and reminds me a bit of Sherlock Holmes, naturally.  Brian and I also had the chance to see the movie on Sunday night and I really liked it too – I had previously not considered myself much of a Kenneth Branagh fan but he sold me on Poirot’s character. The mystery aspect of this book pertains to quite a sad event and if you’ve read it you know what I mean…the movie made that even a bit harder to digest. So well done though. This book is a quick read so if you haven’t gotten to it yet, I’d recommend it – and then message me so we can talk about it because I can’t say much about the plot without spoiling it!

Origin by Dan Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been a fan of Dan Brown’s books for their fast-paced, action-packed, historically interesting plotlines, and this one was quite good. I don’t think it was quite up to the par of the Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons or even Inferno, but I still liked it. I didn’t read it as quickly as usual for some reason, so it wasn’t quite as intense but it was fascinating overall. If you’ve liked other books in the Robert Langdon series, this one is a good addition that raises some interesting questions.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had no idea what to expect out of this book but it was getting positive reviews from everyone I’d heard of so I jumped right in. I get the buzz around it now. This book pulled me out of a bit of a reading slump and I loved it for that. I think I read the second half of the book in one sitting. It was quite the page-turner and aspects of it reminded me of The Mothers although the writing is quite different. It was a very captivating book that raised some interesting questions, and I have found myself thinking about it often since finishing it. Now I am dying to read her first book, which I had been putting off for quite awhile. The characters and pace of this book really made it unputdownable for me, and I’m sure most of you already have this on your TBR because it has been everywhere lately.

A Thousand Letters by Staci Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this in one sitting and loved it. I enjoyed the Persuasion aspects of it, and I will absolutely be seeking out more books in her Austen adaptations series. I think this was the first adaptation of Persuasion that I’ve read and I wish there were more!! The story really lends itself well to retellings, in my opinion. Parts of this were absolutely heartbreaking and made me teary. Beautiful writing. Thanks Kristen for the recommendation!!!

A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this book while I was running and working on Halloween costumes, and it passed my time quite happily. The audiobook was very well done and Lady Hardcastle was an enchanting character. I don’t think the mystery aspect was quite up to par with other mysteries I’ve listened to, but like I said, it was still a pleasurable listening experience and I might seek out the other books in the series when I am in the mood for a cozy mystery.

Other decent books: 

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I couldn’t wait to read this book since it combines two of my favourite things, Christmas and Pride and Prejudice, and the book itself delivered on those two premises even though I didn’t find it OVERLY Christmassy. It was a bit confusing that Darcy was a girl and “Lizzie” was a man, but it worked on some levels. There were a few very funny parts and a few cute parts in this book. Overall, not a bad festive retelling of one of my favourite pieces of literature but I still prefer Eligible over most other adaptations:)

The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the first Katherine Reay novel I’ve read and I truly didn’t mind it. It’s maybe a 3.5 stars for me. I think really the writing was just kind of weird. I don’t know how to describe it but it wasn’t altogether favourable because of that. Parts of it were really fun. Parts of it felt completely disjointed though and I don’t think I really got invested until about halfway through the book. That being said, it was fun, and I enjoyed the ending too even if parts of it felt a bit rushed to the resolution. Although like I said, not altogether weird, just kind of up and down.

If you like reading about Austen characters (this is a tiny bit like Austenland in its storyline), this one is worth the read but it’s not at the top of the list for Austen fans either.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced copy of this book.

It Started With Goodbye by Christina June
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It had been a bit since I’d read a YA book and I had completely forgotten that this was a slight Cinderella retelling, so that was kind of fun to figure out as I was reading. Parts of this felt a bit contrived to me (would the stepmother actually get away with that, really?), but I liked the SK parts and the friendships and the stepsister development. This book was fun and cute and reminded me of Tell me Three Things, which I adored.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blink for the review copy of this fun YA book.

The Royal Wedding by Melanie Summers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another fun addition to this series about modern royals. Highly readable and cute and just what I wanted for a little escape.
Thank you Netgalley and Buoni Amici Press for the advanced copy of this book.

One Step Away by Sydney Bristow
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

This book had a few cute moments (I enjoyed the librarian career part!), but it was overly predictable and a bit too much for me. I think Damon and Kelsey’s story might be a bit more interesting, and that’s the next in the series but I’m not in any rush to pick it up. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Dark Horse by B.J. Daniels
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was a bit disappointed to learn partway through this book that it was actually a trilogy! I was quite interested in the mystery of the kidnapped twins. I found the romance to be totally unbelievable but cute nonetheless…just extremely unrealistic. The writing was fast-paced and kept me interested. I even went so far as to pick up the next in the series at the library, read about 40 pages of it and said, nope…I just don’t care anymore. haha.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Intrigue for the advanced review copy of this e-book.

TL;DR: I recommend Little Fires Everywhere, Beach Music, Origin (if it’s your thing), A Thousand Letters, Artemis, and Murder on the Orient Express (the book AND the movie, but the book first! :)) If you like anything to do with personality typing, I highly recommend Reading People too.

What have you been reading lately? I’m hoping to read a few holiday books this month and get through a few more Netgalley books too. I’m currently reading The Hate U Give and Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (almost done that one). Hoping to start on A Curious Beginning sometime this week.