Christmas Books & December Reading Shifts

 

Dear Readers,

It’s still December for a few more days. I hope everyone had merry holidays however you celebrated! I often wonder, do your book interests shift for December with all the holiday festivities? For me, I read at least one new Christmas themed book during December. Last year, I read In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren and LOVED it. This year it seemed like there was so many more Christmas and Hanukah themed books out on display shouting “Read me! Read me!”! I ended up reading four Christmas centered books this year. Let me share with you!

My daughter and I read The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling. It was as delightful and masterful as I dreamed it would be. J.K. Rowling is a wordsmith and The Christmas Pig brought the reader not only into the story but we experienced it! You could see it, smell it, touch it, feel the air and temperatures, the emotions just oozed off the page, absorbing into our bodies so we could feel the pain, hope, love, etc. of the characters. I absolutely recommend The Christmas Pig. I know we will reread it for years to come.

Next, I read Christmas at Silver Falls by Jenny Hale. It was a cute contemporary novel that dabbled into romance. It was like reading a Hallmark Christmas movie. For me, while it was cute, the conflict of the book was too real world and caused me to be more stressed as I was reading it vs. watching it, knowing it would be resolved in 2 hours on Hallmark. My mom read it too and thought it was very cute. She enjoyed it and didn’t feel the added stress I did.  

After that, I tried the audio version of Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O’Connor. I was so excited to listen to this book because the audio reader was Irish!!! Talk about setting the tone... However, chapters in, I had to pause indefinitely as the reader had slowed her speech down so much it was tedious and not joyful to listen to. It distracted from the murder mystery being laid out before me.

Lastly, I decided to stay in the murder mystery genre and read Bells, Spells, and Murders by Carol J. Perry. I personally enjoy the Witch City Mystery series. I discovered it after visiting Salem, MA, and find it so delightful I can picture Lee and the cast, running around living life and falling into mysteries and solving them. Bells, Spells, and Murders was a delightful holiday Who-Done-It.

Before I sign off, I have to apologize my book reviews have slowed down so much. As ever, I will endeavor to do better. You are not forgotten, I promise.  My book club has also fizzled out and that didn’t help. It was fun getting other peoples aspects and reactions to books to share with mine.

Currently, I am reading Diana Gabaldon’s, highly anticipated and recently released, novel for our beloved Outlander series, Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone. It’s a giant book and heavy to hold but, as I find ways to prop up the book I sink deeper into the 18^th century with the Fraser’s and their family, friends and potential enemies. If you love Outlander and are caught up, 300 pages in, I would absolutely hope you would read this 9^th installment.

Merry Christmas!

Book Club May 2021 Pick: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

 Hello my dear readers, I am so sorry for the pause. Book Club picked A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik to read for our May 2021 book. 

I love the concept and the world the author has created. She has a great voice welcoming us into the Scholomance with the students. The story itself is fascinating. Novik definitely has a vision of her world, the powers, magic, limitations, creatures, actions and reactions on every level, in mind as she’s writing and developing. I would love to see her notes, dictionary, doodles and idea boards in her writing space. I think the author has created a world that has the feel of Harry Potter fan fiction. I haven’t done any research to verify the validity of this statement, it’s just what I think and what the feeling of the book/potential story line is.

Just to be honest, I will say, I was thrown when I started the book because it felt like I was already in the story and should know the terms specific to their world as well as events, expectations, etc. I had to check to see if I accidently started on a book later in the series. I didn’t, this is the first book in the series. As I have read on,  I am left  wondering if it’s because we are dropped into the characters’ lives when they are in their junior (prospectively) year in school? All things are leading to their murderous senior year and graduation?

The author has a strong grasp on describing things in such a way that you can feel it, see it, smell it, and imagine what it might sound like. She engages all your senses which is a magical author who can do that. I am definitely glad I can’t smell it and my kids will never have to experience it. Some of the images she creates really enhance the magical atmosphere we are in. For example, Galadreil having to read the spines of books so she can get down an aisle of books that doesn’t want her to reach the end. You can feel the almost time warp she is fighting as she simply is trying to get through an aisle of books.

I admit, I found myself getting frustrated about ¾ through the book. I am growing to know the characters, especially the main girl, Galadreil. What is frustrating is that it feels like Novik wants the readers to know and understand the mounting anxiety and angst of the characters, to feel and realize their emotions, to reiterate how everything they feel now and how they react now is due entirely to their future senior graduation. It’s getting to be a little…. Redundant and it makes me want to ask the author if she should have done a longer novel, to really enhance the characters and get through their years in school or to say, “HEY, can we focus on the story now? There are adventures to be had, mana to store, mals to kill, lets do this!” I don’t think Novik wants to have a book with romance in it at this point, but I also can’t tell if she knows that. It’s almost like there is so much hate trying to build between Orion and Galadreil that they almost have to have a romance of some kind. I kept falling out of the book and I hate that!

I do appreciate that Galadreil knows she is flawed by her angry attitude. However, like I mentioned previously, it took a while to get there. Once the admittance was out, it allowed me to want to read more about her journey and future knowing she’s aware she has a problem, not more likeable, but maybe redeemable. It allowed me to dive back into the story and continue on.

I will say I was excited to read the novel, then felt a little confused but pushed on. After a bit I got frustrated with the characters but “just knew” the author would shift focus from our meeting of the characters and getting to know them to the story arcs and we would continue to know the characters through the story. It took longer than I wanted for this to happen. Novik has such a strong grasp of the school, magic, creatures, and environment everyone is living in, I wanted the same for the kids running around in it, fighting to build mana and live. I wanted the story to move to the forefront.

The story ended well enough, everyone seemed to make it to their next year of school with alliances and relationships building and solidifying… I will most likely read the next book in the series but I won’t rush out to get it. The author threw in a last minute cliffhanger to try and rope you back in. I don’t know that it is enough, but it did spark some curiosity about how she would get the story to incorporate it, especially with how isolated the students are.

Book Club September Pick: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Dear Readers, 

Our Book Club pick for September is all about kicking off the holiday reading season! While all things pumpkin spice have made their debut, fall and Halloween decorations are slowly replacing school supplies in store displays, and Halloween movies are starting to play at home, it is time to get our witchy on. (I write this while wearing my “It’s all just a bunch of hocus pocus” t-shirt.) The goal, beyond reading what is hopefully a wonderful book, is to add a little magic, love and spookiness in our bookish world by reading Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman.

To further add seasonal magic, especially if you are locked indoors from the west coast fires, I challenge you to not only read the book but then to find and watch the movie Practical Magic. I LOVE the movie! I can’t imagine the book being better or different in the best way but, we will see! It may be the book is the exception to the rule “the book was better”. Let me know what you think!

As I was creating this post, Goodreads showed that there are two other books about the Owen’s women and the curse they deal with in Practical Magic. Wahoo! One comes out in October this year! Let’s get reading!  

Oh! And one last thing before I close. I wanted to share some Practical Magic advice for your everyday:    

 "Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender for luck. Fall in love whenever you can."

Author Shout Out & Recommendation: Sarah J Maas!!!!

I have fallen absolutely in love with Sarah J. Maas. Her latest book release and new series, House of Earth and Blood, Crescent City series, was recommended to me. I started it, I then devoured it and was left immediate wanting more!!!! While waiting for the next in that series to come out, I decided to explore some of Maas’s other series. I started reading her other adult series A Court of Thorns and Roses. Recommendation: Don’t do what I did and buy the books individually for this series. If you like, or think you will like Maas at all, just buy the boxed sets (or all available books). You won’t have to do what I did and wait impatiently for the next book to arrive, or even gamble with your anxiety level it might be delivered late!

Maas creates a magical world (in each of the two series I have read so far) with details, language, history, sounds, smells, sights, characters and descriptions that left me feeling like I fell into the story, almost shadowing the characters, feeling their feelings… all the beautiful lovely things a great book and author are supposed to deliver and evoke. There is love, betrayal, romance, history, language, magic, darkness and light, fae and mortals, war time and peace. Maas has created characters who are strong but she also allows the supporting charact
ers to shine, plot, and weave a more in depth plot than many books I have read in recent history. She made me want to invest in not just the main characters plot twists, but also those around them.

Next up is the Throne of Glass series. The question is: do I wait until February 2021 to start it or jump in now. January 2021 is the release of the next in series book for A Court of Thorns and Roses. Currently, I know these characters and their world, I just caught up with them, reading about them in over 1900 beautifully written pages. Do I mix the characters and worlds? Reread the series prior to reading the newest when it is published so it won’t matter? Wait? I just can’t decide right now while still digesting all that I have learned of Feyre’s world and wanting more of the Crescent City series to hurry up.

Luckily Sarah J. Maas, like J.K. Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, Diana Gabaldon, J.R.R. Martin, and Jane Austen, to name a few, has entered a master class of fandom that helps fill in the times of reading droughts with websites, artwork, and all kinds of lovely things dedicated to their worlds.

Book Club August Pick: Helena Hunting's Pucked!

In 2015 I read and reviewed the novel Pucked by Helena Hunting. Since that time I have re-read Pucked, as well as read a few more in the series. For me, I like Pucked as a stand-alone.
At this point I want to pause and say this for people whose sensibilities may be rubbed the wrong way by dirty, explicit or crass language. If you are one of those people, don’t even read the rest of my book promotion. Try a different type of romance. For others who may try to compare this to Fifty Shades of Grey. I would say you can and cannot, they are at their core romances with complications that need resolution, explicit language and sex scenes but are widely different from there. Pucked is everyday life and a comedy. It’s an imaginary yet potentially attainable world (minus the mom’s hair in the book J) that probably won’t require safety words, crazy storage space or therapy. (Side note, I do like the Fifty Shades series!) The author of Pucked toed the line of language but even the characters don’t take themselves seriously so it works. It’s the exception to the rule.

Okay- back to the topic at hand. Thanks for listening and sticking with me. With Pucked, the author, Helena Hunting, is able to create a book that is a romance at its core. Sure it is colored with a foul mouthed leading lady (think of classic lines in movies like: “Yippy Ki Yay MotherF@cker!” or “Abso-F@cking-lutely”), strong caring men, and overall is excellent girl porn, but the formula for romance that we all love to read is there and you can sink into it… and other things, *ahem*. There are scenes Ms. Hunting created in the book that had me laughing at the absurdity of them or laughing because I can't imagine how she came up with them but I was so thankful she didn't take the scenes out. How many authors would do the cape scene for one!? That’s right; you have to read the book to find out what the Super MC cape is in reference to but OH, it is SOOOOO worth it! 5 years later and I still giggle.

At our last book club meet up, we were trying to decide what to read next. With all the stress and less than normal lives we are living during the COVID19 pandemic, I wanted to read something happy, funny, not heavy, and sexy. So, I nominated Pucked. I don’t know if any of my fellow book club ladies have read a novel quite like it so I am excited to introduce this new (to them) author and brand of romance to those who have not. That said: August 2020 book club pick- hang on to your masks- is Pucked! Wahoo! You’re in for a sexy and fun reading adventure ladies! Everyone deserves humor, happiness and a little erotic treat. I’m anxiously awaiting their (and yours if you want to share) reviews….     

                                                                                                                

Book Club July Pick (Sorry it's Late!): The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Okay- I may be a month late sharing but, our book club read for July 2020 was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. It is a great addition to historical fiction, regarding the Nazi occupations. The novel takes place in France from when the Nazi’s move in, during and when they leave. It is a long book and covers a lot of ground. We follow the interweaving stories of two sisters living very different and dangerous lives during this time.

From the opening, the reader is hearing the history of this time from one of the sisters. It is not until later that we can figure out which sister is narrating. For me, this was the mysterious angle to keep me drawn to the story to figure out who was telling the tale and kept me reading. By the time I figured it out, I wanted to keep reading to see how it all ends up and how the author will close the story. Kinda like the movie Titanic did for people, having the older lady telling her tale but you don’t know how she’s a part of the story and want to know more.

There are history and heroics shared throughout the story that I have never learned about. Kristin Hannah has a gorgeous style of writing that gives you everything you could want to sink into the world she is creating, yet it’s not overwhelming and so depressing you want to stop reading. As we know, during this time in history, there was not a lot of goodness. For me, my biggest takeaway from this book was that the true essence of the story is the power of love. The love of mothers, fathers, lovers, children, friends, family, of county and religion. It’s heartbreaking, brutal, leaves you vulnerable, but also beautiful and the greatest gift and blessing of all. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Stay tuned for our August 2020 book club pick!

Book Club June Pick: Delia Owens's Where the Crawdads Sing

Hello Dear Readers! 

June's book club pick is Where the Crawdads Sing. I am only halfway through the book so far so not much to report other than the language is beautiful. I had trouble getting into the novel initially but it's picking up steam now. Next week is book club so I better get to reading so I'm done on time! Have a safe and sparkling day! 

!

Suzanne Collins' The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Hello Dear Readers! 

I just finished reading the new Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! I was so nervous when I started it that I would start understanding Coriolanus Snow and it might lead me to like or love him. After reading the original Hunger Games trilogy, it felt like, should that happen, it would be a betrayal! Rest assured though, I am beyond satisfied 
with this entire book but no therapy will be needed.

Suzanne Collins did an AMAZING job walking the tightrope of feelings with the reader and characters in the book. I stayed up late last night finishing the book and wow. I was surprised, I was taken on storylines I never expected, I was educated with the Hunger Games history and how it morphed into the complex games we were introduced to with Katniss and Peta. I can also say, I did not have to have any talks with myself about my feelings towards Snow. I am happy to have learned his history and what quarks and personal things we were introduced to in the Hunger Games, where they came from and why somethings were so important to him. An example- his love of roses and what they represent both in their physical sense and sense of smell. The novel was also beautifully balanced with Snow and Lucy Gray’s (check spelling) relationship and how that transcended time to Snow’s odd, almost affectionate relationship, with Katniss. I can see now how Snow struggled with what to do with Katniss and why. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I can’t say much more, but read the book- it’s SO interesting watching Snow and Lucy Gray’s relationship!

Overall, it was a fantastic addition to the Hunger Games series and something I didn’t even know I wanted until I was reading it and devouring the story. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sheds a whole new level of feeling and meaning to the Hunger Games trilogy with the story I just read of Snow’s origin. Thank you Ms. Collins! Snow lands on top.

The Book Club March Pick: Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us!

Yesterday the sun was shining, the temperature was in the 70’s, the breeze was nonexistent and the Book Club was able to get creative so we could meet in person and be kid free. As everyone is aware, most of us are on “Stay Home Save Lives” status during this COVID19 period of time. With some ingenuity, one of our lovely ladies found a safe space for us to meet outdoors, away from people, sit socially distanced and be able to connect in person. It’s a rare thing these days and sooooooo necessary for our mental health. With a cozy camp chair and yummy drink in hand we discussed all topics of our lives, listened to music, and talked books.

The book we just finished was Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us. Everyone in the Book Club seemed to have not only read the book but also devoured the words within days. I was so happy! (It was my pick…) A few of the ladies have gone on to read more of Hoover’s other novels. (*happy dance* I have a list of recommends if anyone wants!) There were a few gals in book club that read different genres than your everyday romance or romantic thrillers. One in particular, I was eagerly waiting to hear how she liked it (because it’s so different than her usual taste in characters and story), grudgingly she admitted she was sucked into the story and was happy for the new author.

Hoover’s books, and It Ends with Us is no exception, are something unique, deep, marvelously described, plots with the best and unexpected twists and turns, wild reading ride that takes you to the end reveal of what is really happening in her novels, that sucks you in. She always has romance but braids it with bigger, sometimes heavier, wholly different and creative topics the characters have or are facing, like grief, D.V., characters rebuilding themselves, etc., to reach a climax that has the reader opening their eyes going, “wow! I was not expecting that but okay, here we go, NOW WHAT!” Hoover’s stories have it all and she presents it with a view that is encouraging and honest.  Hoover is also incredibly talented at creating characters that suck you into their lives and you want to know them and find out their story. You become invested. I highly recommend Colleen Hoover to anyone!

April’s book club pick is going to be Tami Hoag’s Cry Wolf. It was written in the 1990’s so it will be fun to remember what cassette tapes were, when smoking was allowed indoors, no one had cell phones to use if you needed help or a quick photo… Happy Reading dear readers!