Welcome to my Friday Musings Post! This is where every week I will scour the Blogosphere and find past meme questions and incorporate them into a current post (linking back to the blog who set the meme).
“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”,”recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “popular books”, “what would get me out of a reading slump”, “what books would you recommend”, “romance”, “christmas”, “chick lit”
Welcome to my Friday Musings Post! This is where every week I will scour the Blogosphere and find past meme questions and incorporate them into a current post (linking back to the blog who set the meme).
On 17 March 2020 the prompt was: Lucky finds: what book(s) do you consider a lucky find?
Here are a couple of books from last year that I consider lucky finds. They are both from the library and I just happened upon them (click title for my review:
I wanted to find a book that began with “y” as I want to be able to spell my name in books. I was struggling for quite a while until this one came up. I am so glad that it did! It was a lovely light chick lit and I quite happily gave it a 5 star rating!
I love reading Christmas themed books in the run up to Christmas and this one came up on a library book search. I have since learned that this author has done a number of different books and I have already read another of her Christmas books because I enjoyed this one so much!
When the department store she works in closes for good, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. She doesn’t want to move in with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered Edinburgh life.
Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want Carmen there either. Her sister has always been sarcastic and difficult. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs a retail assistant for his ailing bookshop, so welcoming Carmen might still have some benefits for everyone.
At Sofia’s behest, Carmen is thrown into the daily workings of old Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the streets of the old dark city. Can she use her design skills to revamp the store and bring it back to popularity in time to benefit from Christmas shopping traffic? Can she choose between bad boy literary rock star Blair and quiet Quaker student Oke? And will she heal the rift with the most important people of all: her family?
💭THOUGHTS💭
I had seen this book around and was desperate to read it! I can honestly say that it didn’t disappoint me! There is a worry that you set too high expectations for a book that you have seen around gathering positive reviews, and then when you read it, it doesn’t live up to those expectations and you are left feeling disappointed, however I needn’t have worried, it was a great first book of the year to read!
The writing was simple, clear and humorous in places. The descriptions of Edinburgh and the bookshop were amazing. I really felt like I was there and now immediately want to visit Scotland (when I say immediately I mean in a few years time when the pandemic might be over?!). My interest was kept from beginning to end and I stayed up late on a couple of occassions because I didn’t want to put it down!
The chapters were fairly long so you got immersed in one part of the story before moving on. I particularly appreciated the little picture above the chapter number.
The characters were great. I loved the mixture of personalities and how they all worked together to create this magical Christmas story. There was the typical romance element, but I also liked the ‘villains’ of the peace to keep you on your toes!
Lastly the settings. They were lovely. I have wanted to read about a bookshop at Christmas for a long time and now here it is! I thought that Edinburgh was an excellent setting and made the bookshop seem even more magical. The fact that the bookshop had hidden rooms made it all the more exciting.
The one criticism that I do have about this book is that I feel that the ending didn’t have enough closure. There were a lot of things that were touched upon throughout the book that I felt weren’t tied up. I was left wanting more answers than I received!
Overall a great Christmas read and one that I highly recommend.
Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded shops, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on the street without a rooftop Frosty the snowman; they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences – and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.
A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that has become part of our holiday tradition.
💭THOUGHTS💭
I had seen this book suggested a few times on Facebook and Instagram, plus I have tried (and failed) to watch the film based on the book and so decided to ask for it for Christmas. I was given it on Christmas Eve in my Elf Box (a family tradition!).
I was surprised at how much happened within a short book. It was well written and had me hooked from the beginning. It was easy to read with humour regarding the festive season throughout. The size meant that I was able to read it over a couple of days without being too anti social!
The story itself was a great Christmas read, highlighting sometimes how materialistic we are at this time of year and yet at heart there is still some true goodness to be found.
The characters were likable and made me smile. Nora and Luther made a great couple, and despite making enemies of their neighbours, they didn’t mean any true harm.
The setting of a house in a ‘snobby’ area was great as it allowed the author to have some fun with the ridiculousness of some of the things that happen over the Christmas period.
Overall I loved this humorous Christmas story and will definitely be recommending it to people myself.
To focus my reading, instead of setting myself ‘number of books to read’ goals, I set myself genre goals. This gives me a certain amount of flexibility, whilst at the same time allowing me to broaden my reading. As a result of this I am gradually accumulating a list of books from different genres and I thought it would be fun to every so often do a “If I had to recommend one book” post. As it is Christmas I thought that I would give it a Christmas focus!
“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “popular”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”,”historical fiction”, “what should I read to get out of my reading slump”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “what book would you recommend I read next”, “what Christmas book should I read”
To focus my reading, instead of setting myself ‘number of books to read’ goals, I set myself genre goals. This gives me a certain amount of flexibility, whilst at the same time allowing me to broaden my reading. As a result of this I am gradually accumulating a list of books from different genres and I thought it would be fun to every so often do a “If I had to recommend one book” post. As it is Christmas I thought that I would give it a Christmas focus!
“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “popular”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”,”historical fiction”, “what should I read to get out of my reading slump”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “what book would you recommend I read next”, “what Christmas book should I read”
To focus my reading, instead of setting myself ‘number of books to read’ goals, I set myself genre goals. This gives me a certain amount of flexibility, whilst at the same time allowing me to broaden my reading. As a result of this I am gradually accumulating a list of books from different genres and I thought it would be fun to every so often do a “If I had to recommend one book” post. As it is Christmas I thought that I would give it a Christmas focus!
“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”, “popular”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”,”historical fiction”, “what should I read to get out of my reading slump”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “what book would you recommend I read next”, “what Christmas book should I read”
It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what I am reading now.
This day last year I was reading my last free Kindle Christmas book:
Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguests by Sara M Barton
Book Description From Goodreads:
“The time-honored Red Sox versus Yankees rivalry…bitter, divorced parents who can’t stop bickering…a challenging teenage daughter who questions everything her mother tells her….These are the least of overworked homicide investigator Laurencia Rivera’s troubles when she’s stalked during an important case.
A teenager turns up dead in the woods, brutally murdered, and it looks like it might be politically motivated….the short-handed homicide team can’t seem to get a handle on the case…things just keep going wrong….Is someone trying to intimidate Laurencia Rivera and her investigators, to protect the killer and prevent him from being caught?
Better known as Larry, the gutsy, romance-challenged Connecticut state trooper is desperate to avoid World War III when her parents announce they are both coming for the holidays. She thinks that renting a room for her father at the Four Acorns Inn will solve the problem, but it just makes everything worse. — Larry’s mother is offended that her ex-husband, a Boston Red Sox assistant coach, gets all the pampering; she’s determined to kick up a fuss. When Mama’s unhappy, everyone is going to hear about it!
Sometimes the only thing for a good friend to do at a time like this is to offer respite from a quickly unraveling family life by stepping in and taking charge of the care and feeding of the entire Rivera family. Scarlet Wilson, innkeeper at the Four Acorns Inn and amateur sleuth, is the perfect person for the task. If only she stuck to guest services….
“Miz Scarlet” may not have Larry’s professional cop training, but that doesn’t stop her from going head to head with a killer bent on revenge! Her boyfriend, Kenny Tolliver, happens to be a public safety expert and he’s got some tricks up his sleeve. But it’s Larry’s former partner, Max, who rallies the troops with an amazing effort to rescue the uncooperative damsel in distress….It’s amazing what a guy in love will do to save the woman he adores, but will it be enough? Can love save the day?
Before the Rivera visit to the Four Acorns Inn ends, not only will a killer be sent packing, everyone will learn the shocking reason for the bitter divorce of “The Spitball King” and the “Queen of Clean”, and the mystery will finally be solved as to how the granddaughter of a Red Sox assistant coach came to be named after a famous Yankee center fielder. This humor-laced short novella is rated PG — Mild violence, mild language, mild adult situations.”
My mini review on Goodreads:
An entertaining Christmas mystery story with likable characters and a lovely setting. I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect to it and how everything came together to make a nice ending.
Rated 4/5
Fast Forward to today, 22 December 2021:
Kill Me Goodbye by A K Reynolds
My Blog Tour Book for 10 January 2022
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Jo Finnegan is attacked while leaving work one evening by criminals threatening her more harm if she does not provide them with information she doesn’t have.
When she gets home, Jo finds her sister dead in her front room, and her wife missing. When the police arrive and arrest her, while she is still in shock from the events of the night, Jo realises she’s been framed for her sister’s murder. But that’s only the beginning of her nightmare.”
A Gift From The Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson
“Christmas has never been Katie Seddon’s favourite time of year. Whilst everyone else shares memories of families coming together and festive number ones, the soundtrack to Katie’s childhood wasn’t quite so merry.
But since she moved to the village of Budbury on the gorgeous Dorset coast, Katie and her baby son have found a new family. A family who have been brought together by life’s unexpected roads and the healing magic of a slice of cake and a cupful of kindess at the Comfort Food Café.
This year, Katie’s new friends are determined to give her a Christmas to remember, and with a gorgeous newcomer in town, Katie’s Christmas wish for a happy home for her son might just come true.”
As you can see I was still going strong on the Christmas theme. This year’s Christmas book is from the Library App as opposed to Free Kindle, but the cost is the same! I have just recently finished a Murder Mystery Christmas book (Book Review – Murder For Christmas by Francis Duncan), so I do still read Christmas Murder Mysteries!
What were you reading this time last year or the year before (or the year before!)?
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