I am feeling festive this year and was excited to see this tag over at That Artsy Reader Girl. The prompts are popular holiday songs, and I must admit, I am somewhat of a holiday song purest. I tend to enjoy the classic versions of the songs since I grew up listening to my family Christmas records by Andy Williams, Perry Cuomo, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole among them. My favorite holiday song is Rocking Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee. There is just something so fun and charming about that song.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You”: Favorite bookish couple
I always tend to fall for the couples in the books I read. That's the author's job, isn't it? To make me buy into these people and their lives. Obviously, this is a very difficult decision, so I am going with a recent couple that won my heart. That would be Farrah Remington and Bruce McBride from Secret or Shutout. Bruce was an early favorite of mine in this series because of his Labrador Retriever energy, but he was also a person who appreciated how wonderful Farrah was. She had recently ended a marriage with a man who made her feel broken and less-than. Bruce never did that, and he also supported her and her dreams. He showed up. And Farrah was able to see past Bruce's goofy exterior to his beautiful, big heart. She took him seriously when most others didn't, and she helped he feel that sense of belonging he needed.
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”: Name a book where a character is away from home (school, vacation, etc.)
In Where It All Began, Phoebe travels from her home to complete the thesis for her masters degree. This required her to work on a farm with John in the hippie town of Blue Moon. It ended up being a life changing summer for Phoebe as the people of Blue Moon claimed her as their own, and she and John began their love story. And let me tell you, it was a beautiful story that was fun and touching and so lovely.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”: Name your favorite “little” book (children’s book, short story, novella, etc.)
One of the shortest books I read that left a HUGE impression was Small Things Like These. I read it last year after seeing it EVERYWHERE during Novella November. I think it got a lot of traction as an Oprah book club pick and had an adaptation as well. I was amazed by how much Keegan packed into so few pages. The depth of the story and emotion was incredible, and I was wowed by how impactful this rather quiet book was.
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town“: What book(s) do you hope Santa brings you this year
Those who know me, know I don't actually buy a lot of books. I borrow most of the books I read, but sometimes, I KNOW that my library will never get a particular book, and I have to break down and buy it. This only happens for a book I really want to read, and this year, that book is Seven Brides for Beau McBride. I adored the first two books in this series, but the latest book was put out by S&S Australia, so I am not sure my library will pick that up. I MUST continue this story. There is one brother left after Beau, and then maybe Amy Barry will treat us with Junebug's story.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: Which book turned your nose red (made you cry)
I am a notorious crier. A book that recently left me in a puddle of my tears was Before I Forget. One of the things that scares me most is losing my cognitive abilities. In this book, a young woman returns to her childhood home to care for her father who has Alzheimer's. That part was sad, but this was also a personal journey for the woman who got to comes to terms with things from her past as she expanded her life. I feel like anyone who has or had a parent with any sort of illness may find some comfort here. But, yeah, I still cried because parts were sad.
“The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”: Your favorite book/kind of book to read during the holidays
I am the queen of up-lit. I love reading feel-good books with happy endings. Since it IS the holiday season, I get that fix from holiday romances. These books tend to be fun and festive and always leave in a good mood. One of most recent holiday delights was Cocoa Kisses. I had never read this author before, but I fell in love with this book. It had a great second chance romance, a wonderful town holiday festival, and a most precious storyline involving the female main character's nephew and his faith in Santa. Sweet and fun!
“We Three Kings”: Your favorite trilogy/book from a trilogy (or feel free to fudge it and pick a book from a series)
It's been a long time since I read a real series, not a companion. I decided to look at my five-star books from this year and see which came up as part of a series. I decided to feature For the Love of Austen series by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. I have loved every book in this series regardless of the fact that I have never read Jane Austen's version of these stories.
“Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”: A character you would love to be snowed in with
Another tough but interesting prompt. I think I am at that age where I want someone around who I know could take care of stuff and make sure we survive being snowed in. So, I would pick Josh Anderson from Gracie Harris is Under Construction. He could build things and fix things, and he even cooked. I know he would have a good handle on the situation if the power went out or something.
“Last Christmas”: A book that seriously let you down
I had quite a few DNFs this year of books written by authors who had produced hit after hit for me. I don't know if my tolerance of certain things has been reduced due to constantly being bombarded with certain issues on social media and in the new cycle, or if I am just in a phase, but I was sad to find their newest books didn't work for me. One book that stands out is People Watching by Hannah Bonam-Young. I have adored all her books, but I found myself annoyed by the characters and just could not find the motivation to read their story.
“White Christmas”: An upcoming release you’re dreaming about
So many of my favorite authors have new books coming out in the next year, but I am going to go with one that will be out this month - In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams. I did request an ARC, but I have abandoned all hope of getting it. Nonetheless, I am excited to return to Rome and the Walkers. The town and the family captured my heart. This will be bittersweet as it is the final book, but I am sure Adams will produce something wonderful to follow this up.
Let us know in the comments!
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