It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I know that phrase is cliched, but seriously, I love December. The anticipation of the impending holidays, the extra downtime as school and work (at least in my job) slow down for a few weeks, and the cold weather that keeps me inside with a book all make for a great month for me.
On the other hand, why am I always so cooooold? Ah, right, because it’s December. There are some downsides to the most wonderful time of the year, but not many.
Do you find that your reading tastes vary by season? I think that’s true to some extent for most people, especially around holidays. I do have a few Christmas stories in my list this month, though the rest of my choices are fairly varied.
The only thing you won’t see a lot of is nonfiction. For some reason, nonfiction largely hasn’t appealed to me lately. If you have any fantastic nonfiction recommendations to throw my way then I’m open! I usually like the genre, so I want to dive back in with a really compelling read if I can.
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Just Finished:
Now I understand why there was so much fuss over this debut novel! This is such a beautiful dual-timeline story with elements of romance, lots of emotion, and a very strong sense of place. I could almost taste the salt in the air and feel the heartache of these characters in a small lobster town in Maine. Can’t wait to pick up the rest of her books now!
I had this one on hold for a while and it’s too bad it didn’t come up in time for me to include it on my holiday book guide this year, because it was a good one. It’s a Regency novella that accompanies the Ivy Hill book series, and I liked the witty dialogue and that fact the scrooge of a main character had what felt like a very genuine change of heart at the end. It didn’t feel cliched like you might expect from that storyline.
Julie Klassen is one of my favorite authors. Anything she writes goes straight to the top of my TBR pile, and this one was no exception. I thought this was an unusual love story in that there were several suitors who I could have seen being a good option for Laura, but the ending ties her choice up neatly with some other matches. This one also had a strong sense of place, with the community it’s mostly set in playing a big role in the story.
You guys!!! This book is the third in a series that will absolutely make it on my best of 2020 list. Kaely Quinn is an FBI profiler with some very controversial techniques born from her experience being the daughter of a famous serial killer. The series starts with Mind Games, and all three books are full of action, mind-bending mysteries, and characters searching for faith and relationship. I listened to them on audio and finished all three in the span of about two weeks (and that was because I had to wait on hold for the last one). I couldn’t put them down!
In Progress:
This is the story of Bea, a plus-sized fashion blogger who is chosen to star on the most recent season of Main Squeeze (the book’s version of The Bachelor franchise). I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it is very engaging and I keep picking it up to see what happens next. On the other hand, there is a little more bad language than I typically like, and I’m not sure that I completely agree with some of the messaging. But I’m only about a third of the way in so I’m going to finish it out and reserve judgement until I’m done.
Historical romance is my sweet spot, and Regina Jennings has a track record of writing books with all the right elements for me. This one follows Calista, a young, adventurous, perhaps overly confident female Pinkerton agent who is trying to infiltrate the prostitution scene in Joplin, MO in order to bring a young woman home to her family. Standing in her way is the well-meaning, but hopelessly naive preacher Matthew Cook. He finds himself attracted to Calista despite suspecting her of nefarious activities, and he takes it upon himself to save her and the rest of Joplin from iniquity, not realizing that they are on the same side. What could go wrong, right?
I started listening to the Ballantyne Legacy series earlier this year and finally picked up the last one so that I could finish it before the year ends. The first one starts with Silas Ballantyne, and this last one follows his granddaughter Rowena as she struggles to find her place in the world. She is thrust into an unexpected situation with family she barely knows, but she does have a few allies that help her on her journey. I love listening to these on audio because a few of the characters have Scottish accents and I love to be able to hear them out loud.
Ruth: God’s Amazing Love For You
My sweet mother-in-law gifted me this devotional about Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. I’ve been enjoying digging a little deeper into one of the most well-known stories in the Old Testament. The lessons are pretty short, so they are easy to fit into your day.
Up Next:
Marriage of convenience stories are my jam! I love Jody Hedlund and can’t wait to pick up the next book in her Bride Ships book series and watch two strangers get married so they can take care of an abandoned baby.
My kids are getting old enough at 5 and 7 that we need to be having more conversations about money. We’ve talked a little about saving, spending, and giving, but I think we are ready for the next step so I’m seeking wisdom from Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze. If you have any recommendations for helpful books on teaching kids about money, spam me with them! I really want to teach them while they are young.
‘Tis the Season: Sweet Romance Novelettes
Christmas isn’t over yet, and I’m planning to sneak in one more holiday read. This collection of stories is free for Kindle and has good reviews, so I’m going to give it a try!