7 Books I’m NOT Reading!

7 Books I’m NOT Reading!

A nice change from the plethora of audiobook reviews I’ve been posting recently, right?? I recently returned 7 library books before I had a chance to read them (well, I did read a bit of 1 of them…I’ll get to that in a minute).

I think all 7 of these books sound GREAT and I can’t wait to read them eventually!

**Please make sure to take note of the beautiful, artful, and professional photography throughout this blog post. I decided to write this post as I was looking at the pile of these books sitting next to me on the passenger seat of my car as I was filming an Instastory. All of these photos have the lovely background of my dirty car = crumbs and all. And some even include my chipped nail polish. So pretty. Enjoy!**

Book #1 I’m NOT Reading: The Bookshop on the Corner {Jenny Colgan}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Bookshop on the Corner {Jenny Colgan}:

Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.

Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.

From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.

Book #2 I’m NOT Reading: Mika in Real Life {Emiko Jean}

Goodreads Synopsis of Mika in Real Life {Emiko Jean}:

One phone call changes everything.

At thirty-five, Mika Suzuki’s life is a mess. Her last relationship ended in flames. Her roommate-slash-best friend might be a hoarder. She’s a perpetual disappointment to her traditional Japanese parents. And, most recently, she’s been fired from her latest dead-end job.

Mika is at her lowest point when she receives a phone call from Penny—the daughter she placed for adoption sixteen years ago. Penny is determined to forge a relationship with her birth mother, and in turn, Mika longs to be someone Penny is proud of. Faced with her own inadequacies, Mika embellishes a fact about her life. What starts as a tiny white lie slowly snowballs into a fully-fledged fake life, one where Mika is mature, put-together, successful in love and her career.

The details of Mika’s life might be an illusion, but everything she shares with curious, headstrong Penny is real: her hopes, dreams, flaws, and Japanese heritage. The harder-won heart belongs to Thomas Calvin, Penny’s adoptive widower father. What starts as a rocky, contentious relationship slowly blossoms into a friendship and, over time, something more. But can Mika really have it all—love, her daughter, the life she’s always wanted? Or will Mika’s deceptions ultimately catch up to her? In the end, Mika must face the truth—about herself, her family, and her past—and answer the question, just who is Mika in real life?

Book #3 I’m NOT Reading: The Babysitter {Sheryl Browne}

I actually DID start reading this book and read to page 83 before I called it quits. It was ok…and if I hadn’t bought THIS BOOK that I was so excited to start, I probably would have continued reading The Babysitter…

Goodreads Synopsis of The Babysitter {Sheryl Browne}:

You trust her with your family. Would you trust her with your life?

Mark and Melissa Cain are thrilled to have found Jade, a babysitter who is brilliant with their young children. Having seen her own house burn to the ground, Jade needs them as much as they need her. Moving Jade into the family home can only be a good thing, can’t it?

As Mark works long hours as a police officer and Melissa struggles with running a business, the family become ever more reliant on their babysitter, who is only too happy to help. And as Melissa begins to slip into depression, it’s Jade who is left picking up the pieces.

But Mark soon notices things aren’t quite as they seem. Things at home feel wrong, and as Mark begins to investigate their seemingly perfect sitter, what he discovers shocks him to his core. He’s met Jade before. And now he suspects he might know what she wants …

Mark is in a race against time to protect his family. But what will he find as he goes back to his family home?

Book #4 I’m NOT Reading: The Second Wife {Sheryl Browne}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Second Wife {Sheryl Browne}:

She made her bed. You’ll lie in it.

Rebecca and Nicole swore to be best friends forever. But three years after they last met up, Rebecca receives a phone call from Nicole’s devoted husband, Richard. Nicole is dead, a tragic suicide. Drowned in a river close to her family home, Richard was the one who pulled her body from the water. Now he can’t even speak about what happened.

While Rebecca reels from the news, she reads her friend’s last letters to her and begins to wonder if she knew Nicole at all. What secrets was she keeping from all the people who knew and loved her?

As Rebecca gets closer and closer to Richard, things go too far and she begins to slip into Nicole’s old life – staying in her home, sleeping in her bed… But if she’s going to become the wife Nicole never was, can she keep herself safe?

Book #5 I’m NOT Reading: The Book Haters Book Club {Gretchen Anthony}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Book Haters’ Book Club {Gretchen Anthony}:

All it takes is the right book to turn a Book Hater into a Book Lover…

That was Elliott’s belief and the reason why he started The Book Haters’ Book Club—a newsletter of reading recommendations for the self-proclaimed “nonreader.” As the beloved co-owner of Over the Rainbow Bookstore, Elliott’s passion and gift was recommending books to customers. Now, after his sudden death, his grief-ridden business partner, Irma, has agreed to sell Over the Rainbow to a developer who will turn the cozy bookstore into high-rise condos.

But others won’t give up the bookstore without a fight. When Irma breaks the news to her daughters, Bree and Laney, and Elliott’s romantic partner, Thom, they are aghast. Over the Rainbow has been Bree and Laney’s sanctuary since childhood, and Thom would do anything to preserve Elliott’s legacy. Together, Thom, Bree and Laney conspire to save the bookstore, even if it takes some snooping, gossip and minor sabotage.

Filled with humor, family hijinks and actual reading recommendations, The Book Haters’ Book Club is the ideal feel-good read. It’s a celebration of found family and a love letter to the everyday heroes who run bookstores.

Book #6 I’m NOT Reading: Eden’s Children {V.C. Andrews}

Goodreads Synopsis of Eden’s Children {V.C. Andrews}:

Mother doesn’t always know best in this atmospheric and twisty novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic series and Landry series—now popular Lifetime movies.

When former teacher Paula Eden adopts Faith and Trevor, she is astounded by their natural intelligence and decides to homeschool them to nurture their brilliance. But as the years go on, Faith and Trevor itch for more independence.

When Faith sets her sights on a handsome young man visiting from out of town, Paula grows increasingly desperate to preserve her small family and her plans for the children to carry on her legacy. Luckily, she has a cohort in loyal Trevor, who will do anything to please his mother, even at the risk of hurting his sister and potentially changing their lives forever.

Book #7 I’m NOT Reading: Faking Reality {Sara Fujimura}

Goodreads Synopsis of Faking Reality {Sara Fujimura}:

Dakota McDonald swore after “The Great Homecoming Disaster” that she’d never allow her romantic life to be a plot line in her parents’ HGTV show again. But when the restaurant run by the family of her best friend (and secret crush), Leo, is on the line, Dakota might end up eating her own words.

Leo Matsuda dreams of escaping his small town Arizona life and the suffocating demands of working in his family’s restaurant, but the closer he gets to his goal—thanks to the help of his best friend (and secret crush) Dakota—the more reasons there are for him to stay.

Have you read any of these books? Which look interesting to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

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Which of These 2 Books Should I Read Next?

Which of These 2 Books Should I Read Next?

I’m on page 407 out of 552 of the book I’m currently reading which means it’s time to start thinking ahead to my next read!

Being the planner that I am, I have already planned out all of my books for November/December (HOLIDAY SEASON HERE WE COOOOOME). I’m assuming I will finish reading my current book this weekend which means I will have time to squeeze in 1-2 books before allllll the holiday reading begins (and also before Blogmas begins)!

Here are the 2 books I’m currently deciding between for my next read. I think both sound AMAZING!

Book #1

The Perfect Neighborhood {Liz Alterman}

**If you follow me on Insta you know that I brought this book with me on my vacation in case I finished Things We Never Got Over. Well, I’ve been back home for almost 2 weeks now and I’m STILL not finished with that huge book!**

Goodreads Synopsis of The Perfect Neighborhood {Liz Alterman}:

When actress and model Allison Langley leaves her former rockstar husband, Christopher, in the middle of the night, it’s all her Oak Hill neighbors can talk about. The gossip comes to an abrupt halt when five-year-old Billy Barnes goes missing on his walk home from kindergarten.

Billy’s mother, Rachel, blames herself for being at work and letting her only child walk alone. Cassidy, Billy’s teenage babysitter, was also late to arrive on the afternoon he disappeared and blames herself for his disappearance.

As the clock ticks down, police are unable to find any trace of Billy, forcing Rachel to ponder the enemies she’s made in their well-off suburb. Could it be one of her neighbors who stole her son? Would they abduct Billy to hurt her? How easy would it be to take a child while the parents or nannies are distracted?

When another child goes missing, the town is put under a microscope as the police try to get to the bottom of the disappearances. Will they be able to find the two children, or will it be too late? What secrets lie at the heart of this tragedy, and how far will one go to keep those dangerous secrets buried?

Book #2

We Do What We Do in The Dark {Michelle Hart}:

Goodreads Synopsis of We Do What We Do In The Dark {Michelle Hart}:

Mallory is a freshman in college, reeling from her mother’s recent death, when she encounters the woman. She sees her for the first time at the university’s gym, immediately entranced. Soon, they meet, drawn by an electric tension and shared past wounds; before long, they begin sleeping together in secret. Self-possessed, successful, brilliant, and aloof–the woman is everything Mallory wants…and wants to be. Desiring not only the woman but also the idea of who she is when they’re together, Mallory retreats from the rest of the world, solidifying a sense of aloneness that has both haunted and soothed her since childhood and will continue to do so for years even after the affair ends. As an adult, Mallory must decide whether to stay safely in isolation or step fully into the world, to confront what the woman meant to her and how their relationship shaped her, for better or worse.

Mallory’s life is transformed by loss and by love and by discovering who she is while enduring both. In this enthralling debut novel, the complexities of influence, obsession, and admiration reveal how desire and its consequences can alter the trajectory of someone’s life.

Which Book Should I Read Next?

Have you read either of these books? Which should I read next? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below BUT NO SPOILERS PLEEEEASE 😉

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

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I Bought This Book and I’ve Heard It’s Awesome.

I Bought This Book and I’ve Heard it’s Awesome.

I was texting with my friend Megan a few weeks ago and she asked me if I’ve yet read this book because she “really enjoyed it” (I hadn’t even heard of it). And then days later, my friend Jeana posted on Insta that it was “hands down one of the best books I’ve read”. Ummm so those are some pretty solid recommendations if you ask me!

Goodreads Synopsis of Things We Never Got Over {Lucy Score}:

Bearded, bad-boy barber Knox prefers to live his life the way he takes his coffee: Alone. Unless you count his basset hound, Waylon.
Knox doesn’t tolerate drama, even when it comes in the form of a stranded runaway bride.

Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way…with fists and beer. Usually in that order.

Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected. The niece Naomi didn’t know she had. Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an 11-year-old going on thirty to take care of.

There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.

At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.

I Bought This Book and I’ve Heard it’s Awesome

I put it on hold at the library but weeks have passed and this book is still not in my hands.

My family is going to a vacation next week and I REALLY want a good book to bring with me…and I think this might just be it.

Sorry, Library, I just can’t wait anymore. We leave on Tuesday! So a quick jaunt to Barnes and Noble yesterday and I am now the proud owner of this lovely book. I hope I love it as much as my friends did!

My first impression: This book is THICK. Very thick. 552 pages thick! And heavy!

While I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday, I sat in their cafe and started working on this blog post!

I finished reading Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (review coming soon! Spoiler: It’s AMAZING) this morning so I plan on starting Things We Never Got Over tonight. At 552 pages, I think it’s safe to assume I won’t be finished by Tuesday so it will be traveling with me! This actually works out perfectly as I like to bring books on vacations having already started reading them. This way, I can just dive right in while traveling and not have to start the book from scratch and learn all about the characters, the settings, etc. Does anyone else try to always this?!

I’ll post my thoughts on this book when I get back into town. In the meantime, follow Book Coffee Happy on Insta...I’ll be posting stories throughout my trip (and I’ll reveal where I’m going…there’s a crazy story behind our destination)!

Xo,

Jenny

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below (ZERO SPOILERS OF ANY KIND PLEEEEEASE)!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

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Latest Library Book Haul

Latest Library Book Haul

Did I have to squat down on the floor to take this selfie? Yes. Were people walking by and staring at me? Also yes.

Hello Hello!

I present you with my latest library book haul and only 1 sentence on why I chose each book 🙂

A Shoe Story {Jane L. Rosen}

My beautiful friend Erica Ferguson is an amazing freelance copy editor and she told me to read it.

Goodreads Synopsis of A Shoe Story {Jane L. Rosen}:

Esme Nash is eager to leave her small town and begin her carefully planned post-grad life: a move to New York City, an apartment with her loving college boyfriend, and a fancy job at an art gallery. But when tragedy strikes, instead of heading to Manhattan, she returns home to care for her ailing father, leaving every bit of her dream behind.

Seven trying years later, Esme is offered a dog-sitting job in Greenwich Village by a mysterious stranger, giving her access to all of her long-buried hopes and dreams—as well as to an epic collection of designer shoes. Esme jumps at a second chance to step into the future she’s sure was meant to be hers.

As she retraces her steps, one pair of borrowed shoes at a time, making new friends and reconnecting with her old love, Esme tries on versions of herself she didn’t know existed. But the hazy August days and warm summer nights pass too quickly, and Esme must decide how much of the life she imagined still fits, and what—and who—is on the road ahead of her.

Bookish People {Susan Coll}

The back cover includes the following sentence and it literally says it all: “…captures the endearing quirks of some of the best kinds of people: the ones who love good books.”

Goodreads Synopsis of Bookish People {Susan Coll}:

Independent bookstore owner Sophie Bernstein is burned out on books. Mourning the death of her husband, the loss of her favorite manager, her only child’s lack of aspiration, and the grim state of the world, she fantasizes about going into hiding in the secret back room of her store.

Meanwhile, renowned poet Raymond Chaucer has published a new collection, and rumors that he’s to blame for his wife’s suicide have led to national cancellations of his publicity tour. He intends to set the record straight—with an ultra-fine-point Sharpie—but only one shop still plans to host him: Sophie’s.

Fearful of potential repercussions from angry customers, Sophie asks Clemi—bookstore events coordinator, aspiring novelist, and daughter of a famed literary agent—to cancel Raymond’s appearance. But Clemi suspects Raymond might be her biological father, and she can’t say no to the chance of finding out for sure.

This big-hearted screwball comedy features an intergenerational cast of oblivious authors and over-qualified booksellers—as well as a Russian tortoise named Kurt Vonnegut Jr.—and captures the endearing quirks of some of the best kinds of people: the ones who love good books.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow {Gabrielle Zevin}

The newest book written by the same author who wrote my favorite book of all time.

Goodreads Synopsis of Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, and Tomorrow {Gabrielle Zevin}:

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

The Messy Lives of Book People {Phaedra Patrick}

Synopsis reminds me of Verity but without the horrifying, disgusting, and revolting parts.

Goodreads Synopsis of The Messy Lives of Book People {Phaedra Patrick}:

Mother of two Liv Green barely scrapes by as a maid to make ends meet, often finding escape in a good book while daydreaming of becoming a writer herself. So she can’t believe her luck when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero, megabestselling author Essie Starling, a mysterious and intimidating recluse. The last thing Liv expected was to be the only person Essie talks to, which leads to a tenuous friendship.

But when Essie dies suddenly, a devastated Liv is astonished to learn of her last wish: for Liv to complete Essie’s final novel. But to do so Liv will have to step into Essie’s shoes, and as Liv begins to write, she uncovers secrets from the past that reveal a surprising connection between the two women–one that will change Liv’s own story forever…

Have you read any of the above 4 library books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below (NO SPOILERS PLEEEEASE)!

Connected: Discovering Your Inner Guides Giveaway Winners:

Here is a video of me choosing the 3 winners 🙂 Thank you to everyone who entered!

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

What I’m Currently Reading (Good), What I Recently Read (Hated), What I Think I’ll Read Next (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)

What I’m Currently Reading (Good), What I Recently Read (Hated), What I Think I’ll Read Next (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)

FALL. IS. COMING. And I’m so here for it.

I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

Thanks so much to Sam from Taking on a World of Words for hosting this fun weekly post (that I am participating in for the first time in months, lol)!

***Well, this post is now outdated and insignificant but since I already wrote it, I wanted to publish it! I ended up writing the majority of this post, taking a break to read chapter 1 of Verity, aaaaaand then I read that entire book in a little over 24 hours. HOLY. HELL.

If you follow me on Instagram, you are already up to speed on all of this! I’ll be back with my review of Verity asap!

So here’s a post all about what I WAS reading, what I recently read, and what I ALREADY managed to read next, lol***

What Are You Currently Reading?

I just finished reading this one this morning and my thoughts on it are ALL over the place. Some good, some…not. I’ll share my full review in a blog post ASAP! Instagram followers, this would be the book that I was reading without revealing it’s title so nobody would spoil any of it for me!

PLEASE follow me on Instagram if you don’t already! I update on there waaaaay more frequently than I do on my blog.

The library attached the cover on this hardcover book so poorly and the fact that it’s not centered makes my type A body TWITCHY.

Goodreads Synopsis of Any Other Family {Eleanor Brown}:

The New York Times bestselling author of The Weird Sisters returns with a striking and intimate new novel about three very different women facing an impossible question: What makes a family?

They look just like any other family. But they aren’t a family like any other – not quite. Instead, they are three sets of parents who adopted four biological siblings, committing to keeping the children connected after the death of their grandmother.

Tabitha, who adopted the twins, is the planner of the group, responsible for coordinating playdates and birthdays and Sunday night dinners, insistent that everything happens just so. Quiet and steady Ginger, single mother to the eldest daughter, resists the forced togetherness, her own unsettled childhood leaving her wary of trusting too much. And Elizabeth is still reeling from going directly from failed fertility treatments into adopting a newborn, terrified that her unhappiness means she was not meant to be a mother at all.

But when the three women receive a surprising call from their children’s birth mother, announcing she is pregnant again and wants them to help her find an adoptive family for this child too, the delicate bonds they are still struggling to form threaten to collapse. As tensions rise, the women reckon with their own feelings about what it means to be a mother and what they owe each other as a family.

Set across the span of a family vacation, one full of boisterous laughter and emotional upheaval, Any Other Family is a thought-provoking and poignant look at how families shift and evolve and a striking portrait of motherhood in all its forms.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Started this book. Didn’t finish this book. Read my thoughts HERE.

Goodreads Synopsis of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}:

But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.

As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

This book has been on my list for MONTHS…I’m finally reading it! I have a love/hate relationship with Colleen Hoover books so I’m excited to see how I feel about this one (if you are looking for a great CoHo book, HERE is a link to one that I loved)!

I’ve heard Varity is INTENSE…but pleeeeease don’t tell me anything more than that! If you follow me on Instagram, you have been listening to me rant about all of the people that have been recently unknowingly spoiling books for me. UGH. A simple “I loved it”, “I hated it’, etc. is perfection! When reading a blog review, you know you are reading a more in depth review of the book (although I NEVER post spoilers in my reviews) but when someone asks not to be told ANYTHING about a book…please, please for the love of GOD respect that 😉

Goodreads Synopsis of Varity {Colleen Hoover}:

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think (no spoilers)? What are you currently reading? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click on the images below to order through my Amazon links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

2 New Books and Which One I’m Currently Reading

2 New Books and Which One I’m Currently Reading

Months ago, my best friend Amy and I visited a Half Price Books Outlet (remember when I first went there and bought what turned out to be the BEST BOOK I’VE EVER READ???)

I look tired but happy in this photo, lol. Here’s hoping that Dunkin helped to wake me up! Also, it’s now August and I was wearing a winter coat in this picture.

I bought 2 books that day. 1 had been on my TBR for quite some time and 1 was a new to me book/author that I had never heard of.

The New Book That Had Been On My TBR For Quite Some Time:

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}

Goodreads Synopsis of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.

But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.

As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

New To Me Book/Author:

Skinny {Donna Cooner}

Goodreads Synopsis of Skinny {Donna Cooner}:

Find your voice.

Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies’s head. Skinny tells Ever all the dark thoughts her classmates have about her. Ever knows she weighs over three hundred pounds, knows she’ll probably never be loved, and Skinny makes sure she never forgets it.

But there is another voice: Ever’s singing voice, which is beautiful but has been silenced by Skinny. Partly in the hopes of trying out for the school musical—and partly to try and save her own life—Ever decides to undergo a risky surgery that may help her lose weight and start over.

With the support of her best friend, Ever begins the uphill battle toward change. But demons, she finds, are not so easy to shake, not even as she sheds pounds. Because Skinny is still around. And Ever will have to confront that voice before she can truly find her own.

I Read One Book and Am Reading the Other One Now

I was super excited to find these 2 books! I read Skinny first but am actually saving my review to publish during…BLOGMAS! Yes, I am doing Blogmas again this year, I loved doing it last year even though I didn’t quite complete it (HERE is a link to a video I made allllll about what Blogmas is). Stay tuned for my full review but in the meantime here’s a hint as to how I felt about this book: READ. IT. STAT.

And now, I’m 150ish pages into To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Jury is still out on how I feel about it but my friend Jenna absolutely loves it so I feel like I need to continue to give it a fair chance :). So far, I would say that I’m liking…not loving…it??? Fingers crossed I start loving it soon!

Have you read either of these books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

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The Book I Am The Most Excited To Read This Summer

The Book I Am The Most Excited To Read This Summer

Chillin’ at one of my favorite places on the planet…my bestie’s pool! Fun fact: Unbeknownst to me, her landscaper entered the pool area JUST as I was taking this selfie while she was inside of the house. It was awkward for both of us.

Earlier in the week I had quite the adventure literally CHASING a book around town. I wanted to buy a copy of this book so badly and I was on a MISSION. I documented the entire ordeal on Instagram Stories throughout the day but I never revealed the title of the book :).

I had been on the library waitlist for weeks and I had a feeling that my name wasn’t moving up to the top slot anytime soon. And then last Monday, I received the following message from my dear friend and book twin, Jana:

Straw that broke the camel’s back? Check. I LOVED 28 Summers SO MUCH! If you haven’t yet read 28 Summers, you must read it ASAP…it’s so wonderful (except for the tiny fact that the entire beautiful story is centered around horrible infidelity…read my review HERE).

The very next day after receiving this message from my book twin, I set out on a mission. I started at Barnes and Noble where I was told that not only did they not have any copies but NO BARNES AND NOBLE in the AREA had any copies. Everyone is reading this book right now! I left the store feeling a bit discouraged but also even more intrigued to find myself a copy…

Bookstore #2: Barbara’s Bookstore in Hawthorn Mall. They had 3 copies! Barbara’s Bookstore for the WIN!

**So many of you messaged me asking if I tried looking for the book on Amazon or Target. I had not because I really wanted to buy it from a bookstore. I so rarely buy books (I love my library so much) so when I do actually purchase a book, I just love the experience of shopping in bookstores and supporting the book community!**

The Book I Am The Most Excited To Read This Summer:

I’m hoping to start reading either tonight or tomorrow…I’ll share my thoughts as soon as I finish! My expectations are obviously HIGH for this one, fingers crossed I’m not disappointed…

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below but ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

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Happy Summer, What I’m Reading, Delicious Lunch

Happy Summer, What I’m Reading, Delicious Lunch

Happy Summer!

Now that my kids are done with school, it is officially SUMMER over here! Although summer is not my favorite season (I’ll take a freezing cold blizzard over the summer heat any day), I love all of the extra family time summer allows. Bring on pool days, backyard time, picnics, and summer concerts! In fact, I’m enjoying a lovely sunny day in our backyard as I’m typing this blog post. I am sitting at our table typing while my son is next to me drawing a masterpiece 🙂 A lovely summer day, indeed.

What I’m Reading:

Remember when I was debating which book of the 2 that I recently bought to read next (I talked about it in THIS POST)?

I chose to start with Lease on Love by Falon Ballard!

I’m about 200 pages in and I have SO many thoughts (some great, some…not so great). I’ll post my full review when I finish! In the meantime, here’s the synopsis from Goodreads:

After getting passed over for an overdue—and much needed—promotion, Sadie Green is in desperate need of three things: a stiff drink, a new place to live, and a one-night-stand. When one drink turns into one too many, Sadie mixes up a long-ignored dating app for a roommate-finding app and finds herself on the doorstep of Jack Thomas’s gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone. Too bad she’s more attracted to his impressive real estate than she is to the man himself.

Jack, still grieving the unexpected death of his parents, has learned to find comfort in video games and movie marathons instead of friends. So while he doesn’t know just what to make of the vivaciously verbose Sadie, he’s willing to offer her his spare bedroom while she gets back on her feet. And with the rent unbeatably low, Sadie can finally pursue her floristry side hustle full-time. The two are polar opposites, but as Sadie’s presence begins to turn the brownstone into a home, they both start to realize they may have just made the deal of a lifetime.

Delicious Lunch:

And because sometimes I like to post random pictures of my food on my blog, here’s a picture of the GORGEOUS fish poke bowl I ate for lunch a few weeks ago. How absolutely beautiful is this?! Loved it!

I hope you are reading (and eating!) something fabulous today! Happy Summer!

What are you currently reading? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

I Bought 2 New Books Last Night!

I Bought 2 New Books Last Night!

My daughter and I had some very special mommy/daughter time yesterday. We saw an amazing play (The Sound of Music), and when it was over we headed to the mall. We had exactly 1 hour to shop before our dinner reservations at Maggianos…the perfect amount of time for each of us to choose 1 store for a little pre-dinner shopping.

She chose Claire’s (obvi). I chose the bookstore (obvi).

1 set of fake unicorn nails (her), 1 adorable headband (me), and 2 newly released books (also me) later, we called our mini shopping excursion a success. We then went to the restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and I introduced her the complete joy known as olive oil and parmesan cheese for dipping the bread. Aaaaaaand obviously we stopped at Crumbl Cookies on our way back home because I apparently live there now.

According to Crumbl, this cookie that I inhaled in about 3 minutes flat last night was: “A tasty graham cracker cookie decorated with honey butter frosting, a light drizzle of honey, and Teddy Graham Crackers”.

Opening a Crumbl so close to my house continues to be a complete (although delicious) disaster. I really wish they had opened a salad bar instead.

So what 2 books did I buy at the mall?

New Book #1: Book Lovers {Emily Henry}:

Ok so I’ve been wavering for months on if I would be reading this one. I’ve heard such great things but I was NOT a fan of Beach Read (you can read my review of that very boring book HERE). And then last week, my cousin told me that she loved Book Lovers so much that she’s already read it TWICE! That definitely swayed my opinion! I’ll post a full review once I finish reading…

Goodreads Synopsis of Book Lovers {Emily Henry}:

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming….

Nora Stephens’ life is books – she’s read them all – and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away – with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again – in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow – what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

New Book #2: Lease on Love {Falon Ballard}:

So this one is alllllll over Bookstagram and apparently EVERYONE loves it. I really shouldn’t go by what everyone else is loving because quite often I feel the opposite (again, HERE is my review of Beach Read)…Fingers crossed I love this one! I’ll post my review once I finish reading…

Goodreads Synopsis of Lease on Love {Falon Ballard}:

Now for the big question: Which of my 2 new books should I read first???

Have you read either of these books? What did you think (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

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*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

2 Author Events, What I’m Reading, Best Coffee News Ever

2 Author Events, What I’m Reading, Best Coffee News Ever

On Tuesday night, I went to see my girl, Lisa Barr, speak about her AMAZING book, Woman on Fire, at my local Barnes and Noble. She was adorable as usual and it was so wonderful to listen to her talk all about her book, her research, and everything that went into creating her amazing finished product.

Shout out to my dear friend, Megan, for joining with me!

Speaking of Lisa Barr, I had mentioned that I went to her release party last month when Woman on Fire was officially released. It was an AWESOME party. Thank you so much for including me, Lisa! I had the best time and I felt so honored to be included. I adore you and I love being able to celebrate your amazing success!

So nice to see Francie Dickman! Francie was one of the very first authors to send me her book back when I had JUST started writing my blog. You can read my review of her lovely book HERE.

Goodreads Synopsis of Woman on Fire {Lisa Barr}:

From the author of the award-winning Fugitive Colors and The Unbreakables, a gripping tale of a young, ambitious journalist embroiled in an international art art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece–forcing the ultimate showdown between passion and possession, lovers and liars, history and truth. NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Actress Sharon Stone set to produce and star in the film adaptation of WOMAN ON FIRE.

After talking her way into a job with Dan Mansfield, the leading investigative reporter in Chicago, rising young journalist Jules Roth is given an unusual–and very secret–assignment. Dan needs her to locate a painting stolen by the Nazis more than 75 years earlier: legendary Expressionist artist Ernst Engel’s most famous work, Woman on Fire. World-renowned shoe designer Ellis Baum wants this portrait of a beautiful, mysterious woman for deeply personal reasons, and has enlisted Dan’s help to find it. But Jules doesn’t have much time; the famous designer is dying.

Meanwhile, in Europe, provocative and powerful Margaux de Laurent also searches for the painting. Heir to her art collector family’s millions, Margaux is a cunning gallerist who gets everything she wants. The only thing standing in her way is Jules. Yet the passionate and determined Jules has unexpected resources of her own, including Adam Baum, Ellis’s grandson. A recovering addict and brilliant artist in his own right, Adam was once in Margaux’s clutches. He knows how ruthless she is, and he’ll do anything to help Jules locate the painting before Margaux gets to it first.

A thrilling tale of secrets, love, and sacrifice that illuminates the destructive cruelty of war and greed and the triumphant power of beauty and love, Woman on Fire tells the story of a remarkable woman and an exquisite work of art that burns bright, moving through hands, hearts, and history.

You can read my full review of Woman on Fire HERE.

You can read my full review of another of Lisa’s amazing books, The Unbreakables, HERE.

What I’m Currently Reading:

He Gets That From Me {Jacqueline Friedland}

I quite literally cannot put this book down. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that it has made me THINK…and I find myself thinking about it so often throughout the day when I’m not reading. The ethical and moral dilemmas that this book questions are FASCINATING and as of this point (I have exactly 99 pages left) I’m not sure how it will end and I’m also not sure how I WANT it to end. It’s amazing, I HIGHLY recommend this book. I’ll post a full review once I finish reading but in the meantime…READ IT. It’s awesome.

Goodreads Synopsis of He Gets That From Me:

As a young mother with a toddler and a live-in boyfriend, Maggie Fisher’s job at a checkout counter in downtown Phoenix doesn’t afford her much financial flexibility. She dreams of going to college and becoming a teacher, options she squandered when she fled her family home as a teenager. When Maggie stumbles onto an ad offering thousands of dollars to women who are willing to gestate other people’s babies, she at first finds the concept laughable. Before long, however, she’s been seduced by all the ways the extra money could improve her life. Once she decides to go for it, it’s only a matter of months before she’s chosen as a gestational carrier by Chip and Donovan Rigsdale, a married couple from New York.

After delivering twin babies and proudly handing them off to the Rigsdales, Maggie finally gets her life on a positive trajectory: she earns her degree, lands a great job, and builds a family of her own. She can’t fathom why, ten years after the fact, the fertility clinic is calling to ask for a follow-up DNA test.

Best Coffee News Ever:

As for the best coffee news ever (for me at least)…a brand new and sparkling Dunkin’ WITH A DRIVE THRU has opened within a walkable distance from my house. It’s clean, it’s beautiful, it smells amazing (new construction), the employees are so nice, and the owner told me…and I quote…”Make yourself comfortable. This is your home now.”

Dreams really do come true.

My current view as I’m typing this blog post:

Happy Saturday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE