Blogmas 2022: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022

Blogmas 2022: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022

For the past 2 years on this post I have used a picture of the year’s number all lit up in beautiful lights from an annual drive thru light show. This year they had the lights set up in a weird place and I couldn’t get my annual blog picture! Soooo….random selfie it is, lol.

It’s heeeeeere….the post I wait all year to write! This post is always so much fun for me because it allows me the opportunity to think about and reflect on alllllll of the books I’ve read this year (and I’ve read A LOT of books this year). It’s also always one of my most visited posts due to the fact that I include it in my blog signature at the very bottom of each post that I write.

If you are a regular blog reader, you know that I always include my “bottom line” on the bottom of my reviews which is a quick way for me to recap my feelings. Just like I have done in past years, I thought it would be fun to list these books only by the bottom line that I gave to them in my reviews. Click these bottom lines to take you directly to my review of each book (which also includes the synopsis for each book).

Here are links to my favorite books from past years:

The Best Books I Read in 2019

The Best Books I Read in 2020

The Best Books I Read in 2021

And….drumroll please….I now proudly present to you….in absolutely no particular order…

The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022:

Book #1’s Bottom Line:

If you love libraries, you will LOVE this special book.

Book #2’s Bottom Line:

Read this. Today.

Book #3’s Bottom Line:

Read this. And be ready to develop a sudden fascination with the entire Kennedy Family.

Book #4’s Bottom Line:

Sweet, innocent, cheesy words of a really beautiful story and suddenly…BAM…dirty sex scene. Loved this book so much!

Book #5’s Bottom Line:

This book is FASCINATING.

Book #6’s Bottom Line:

I never wanted this book to end.

Book #7’s Bottom Line:

It’s haunting, it’s disturbing, it’s insane. It’s awesome. I LOVED it.

Book #8’s Bottom Line:

Perfect little holiday read!

Book #9’s Bottom Line:

I can already confidently say that this will be one of my favorite books of the year…and it’s only January 🙂

Book #10’s Bottom Line:

Absolutely loved it.

Book #11’s Bottom Line:

I officially now declare this to be one of my all time favorite books.

Book #12’s Bottom Line:

One of my favorite reads of the year!

Book #13’s Bottom Line:

If you are married, read this book. And then go and hug your spouse.

What are some of the best books that you have read this year? Have you read any of my 2022 favorites? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

12/1 Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

12/2 BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

12/3 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2022: The Bookish Gift I Bought For Myself

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

12/6 Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

12/7 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Kiss Her Once For Me {Alison Cochrun}

12/8 Blogmas 2022: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing Making Me HAPPY!

12/9 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}

12/10 Blogmas 2022: The Christmas Book I Started Reading and Didn’t Finish

12/11 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Christmas in Winter Hill {Melody Carlson}

12/12 Blogmas 2022: 2 Books For Upcoming Blog Giveaways

12/13 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Book Review: Skinny {Donna Cooner}

12/14 Blogmas 2022: INTERNATIONAL BOOK GIVEAWAY (2 Signed Copies): The Mommy Clique {Barbara Altamirano}

12/15 Blogmas 2022: The Holiday Book I’m Most Excited to Read NEXT Holiday Season

12/16 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas {James Patterson, Tad Safran}

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

*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

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Blogmas 2022: INTERNATIONAL BOOK GIVEAWAY (2 Signed Copies): The Mommy Clique {Barbara Altamirano}

Blogmas 2022: INTERNATIONAL BOOK GIVEAWAY (2 Signed Copies): The Mommy Clique {Barbara Altamirano}

I have such an amazing giveaway for you today! I’m so excited to share Barbara Altamirano’s fantastic book, The Mommy Clique. I absolutely loved this book and I found these women FASCINATING…

Goodreads Synopsis of The Mommy Clique {Barbara Altamirano}:

Life in suburbia is typical and ordinary-just the same old same old. Only, not in this neighborhood. Here, the impressively large homes and pure green lawns hide a much darker reality that is far from mundane.

When Beth moves back to her hometown in Connecticut to care for her ailing mother, she is forced to confront not only the ghosts of her youth but the other mothers on her street. There is Elise, the queen bee, who determines the fate of everyone and is all-controlling. There is Kelly, Elise’s sidekick and most sycophantic supporter, who secretly longs to have a voice and power of her own. There’s Ronnie, the informer, who, with her intelligence and investigative skill, digs up dirt on the others in service to the queen. And then there’s Gail, the wannabe, who is constantly striving to feel as important and valued as the others.

Looking for some mom friends, Beth seeks a place for herself within this mommy clique. Turns out they do have an available role for her: it’s called the target. 

My Thoughts on The Mommy Clique {Barbara Altamirano}:

These women are HORRIBLE. Every single one of them! It was fascinating to see how each of them stayed “friends” with the others despite knowing how completely toxic their relationships were. I couldn’t believe that not one of them had the strength to simply walk away…I would have been out the door so fast that nobody would even have had time to try to stop me, lol 😉

What I found the most interesting about this book is how often I found myself rooting for certain characters just to change my mind a chapter later.

As a mother who has seen many, MANY “Mommy Cliques” and who has been a member of “Mommy Cliques” myself (thankfully NOTHING like the clique in this book, omg), I found everything about this book simply fascinating. Any mother would be able to relate to at least one of these characters at some point while reading this book.

Moms, read this book.

This is one of those books where you read it…and then go and hug your friends tightly. It doesn’t matter what your friends are like because ANY friends in real life have GOT to be better than the “friends” in this book!

The Mommy Clique was such a quick read…you could easily devour this one in 1 or 2 days.

A Conversation With Barbara Altamirano, in Her Own Words:

What would you say are the biggest differences between the “Mommy Clique” in this book and real life “Mommy Cliques?”

Thankfully, I think real life “Mommy Cliques” are nowhere near as intense and conniving as the characters in this book. One of the first editorial reviews I received referred to the book as a suburban satire. This seems a good way to describe it since the vices of the mothers are exaggerated so that they are much worse than in real life.

Which Mommy in this book would you say you most relate to and how?

I would say I relate the most to Beth, since her personality is the closest to mine. However, I would not have continued to try to be a part of this group once I saw what they were like. I’m pretty sure I would have run the other way as fast as I could!

Where can your book be purchased?

The book can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at my website, barbaraaltamiranoauthor.com

***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***

Would you like to win a signed copy of The Mommy Clique? I have 2 signed copies to give away!  If you are a US resident, your signed book will be mailed directly to you. If you are an international follower, an ebook will be emailed to you.

To be entered, just leave a comment below (on this blog post)!  Your comment can be about anything!

**You must comment below to be eligible for the giveaway and you must comment here on this blog post (not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)**

Giveaway will close tomorrow (12/15/22) at 6:00 pm CDT and the 2 winners will be randomly chosen and announced here on my blog on Friday (12/16/22).

I will post a video here on Friday of me choosing the winners!

Good luck!  Can’t wait to read your comments!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

12/1 Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

12/2 BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

12/3 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2022: The Bookish Gift I Bought For Myself

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

12/6 Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

12/7 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Kiss Her Once For Me {Alison Cochrun}

12/8 Blogmas 2022: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing Making Me HAPPY!

12/9 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}

12/10 Blogmas 2022: The Christmas Book I Started Reading and Didn’t Finish

12/11 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Christmas in Winter Hill {Melody Carlson}

12/12 Blogmas 2022: 2 Books For Upcoming Blog Giveaways

12/13 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Book Review: Skinny {Donna Cooner}

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

*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

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Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Book Review: Skinny {Donna Cooner}

Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Book Review: Skinny {Donna Cooner}

Do you remember back in August when I told you that I read this book but was saving my review to publish during Blogmas???

Goodreads Synopsis of Skinny {Donna Cooner}:

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. 

My Review of Skinny {Donna Cooner}:

I randomly saw this book on a shelf and it’s synopsis immediately drew me in. I thought it sounded so interesting. Having never heard of Skinny or of Donna Cooner, I was excited to buy it!

What a beautiful book in every way. I fell in love with these characters and had a hard time saying good-bye to them once I finished reading. Donna Cooner told this story from the perspective of someone who has had gastric bypass surgery. Having had this surgery herself (she talks about it in her acknowledgements), the depth of knowledge and understanding into the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the main character were so incredibly thought out and well written. It’s a beautiful story, and one that made me smile, cry, and feel all the feelings.

I’m surprised (and sad) that this book isn’t more popular (it was published 10 years ago). It deserves to be.

Another book with a similar topic (although quite different from Skinny) that I also LOVED is Starfish {Lisa Fipps}. You can read my review of Starfish HERE.

Bottom Line:

Absolutely loved it.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

12/1 Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

12/2 BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

12/3 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2022: The Bookish Gift I Bought For Myself

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

12/6 Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

12/7 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Kiss Her Once For Me {Alison Cochrun}

12/8 Blogmas 2022: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing Making Me HAPPY!

12/9 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}

12/10 Blogmas 2022: The Christmas Book I Started Reading and Didn’t Finish

12/11 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Christmas in Winter Hill {Melody Carlson}

12/12 Blogmas 2022: 2 Books For Upcoming Blog Giveaways

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

*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

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Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Christmas in Winter Hill {Melody Carlson}

Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Christmas in Winter Hill {Melody Carlson}

Oh I have such a little GEM of a holiday book for you today!

This book was one of the 8 holiday books that I was excited to read during last holiday season (you can read that post HERE)…and boy did I discover such a lovely little holiday book when I read this one.

Goodreads Synopsis of Christmas in Winter Hill {Melody Carlson}:

Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster homes, the holiday season just brings too many bad memories to the surface. But when she accepts a job as a city manager in the mountain town of Winter Hill, Washington, Christmas is part of the deal. The small town is famous for its Christmasville celebration, something that the city manager . . . well, manages.

As she tries to make her tiny new apartment feel like home for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily, Krista begins to wonder if this move was a mistake. She doesn’t always feel welcomed in the close-knit town, and Emily continually wonders, “Where’s the snow?” Can a friendly stranger and his family help restore Krista’s Christmas spirit before the big day?

Bestselling author Melody Carlson invites you to spend this holiday season in a town you’ll never forget–and never want to leave.

Beautiful cover art

My Review of Christmas in Winter Hill {Melody Carlson}:

This book was exactly what I was hoping it would be…light, easy, and heartwarming. in other words, exactly the type of book I like to read during this time of year!

I read this book during LAST year’s holiday season over 2 days which is NOT something that I do often anymore (#kids). I loved how short this book was, it made me read even quicker knowing I would be able to finish it ASAP.

I’ve already looked up Melody Carlson’s other books and have a bunch on TBR. I love her easy to read writing style!

Looking for a super quick, heartwarming, holiday read? Here you go, it’s such a lovely book 🙂

Bottom Line:

Perfect little holiday read!

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

12/1 Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

12/2 BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

12/3 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2022: The Bookish Gift I Bought For Myself

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

12/6 Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

12/7 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Kiss Her Once For Me {Alison Cochrun}

12/8 Blogmas 2022: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing Making Me HAPPY!

12/9 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}

12/10 Blogmas 2022: The Christmas Book I Started Reading and Didn’t Finish

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

*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

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Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}

Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}

Pretty wall at Nordstrom 💗

I listened to Maybe Someday as an audiobook and here are my thoughts!

Photo credit to Amazon because I listened to this one as an audiobook!

Goodreads Synopsis of Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}:

Sydney is living in an idyllic bubble—she’s a dedicated student with a steady job on the side. She lives with her best friend, has a great boyfriend, and the music coming from the balcony opposite hers is fast becoming the soundtrack to her life. But when Sydney finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her, the bubble bursts. The mysterious and attractive man behind the music, Ridge, gives Sydney hope that she can move on and they begin to write songs together. But moving on is harder than she expects, Sydney can only hope….

Maybe someday…

My Review of Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}:

Oh my did I HATE this book.

Where to begin? With the main character’s stupid name (Ledger)? With the unrealistic storylines?

This is actually a really hard (impossible) review to write without giving away some pretty major spoilers (which I would NEVER, EVER do). You’re going to just have to trust me on this one.

And along those same lines, there are some pretty big reasons this particular book should NOT be listened to as an audiobook…buuuut…again, I can’t tell you why without ruining pretty much this entire book.

So basically I hate this book. I also hate this half ass review where I can’t even tell you my reasoning behind so many of my thoughts.

Coho, what happened here? HERE and HERE are 2 other Colleen Hoover books that I definitely would recommend reading over this one.

Bottom Line:

SKIP. IT.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

12/1 Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

12/2 BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

12/3 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2022: The Bookish Gift I Bought For Myself

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

12/6 Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

12/7 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Kiss Her Once For Me {Alison Cochrun}

12/8 Blogmas 2022: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing Making Me HAPPY!

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

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

*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

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Blogmas 2022: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing Making Me HAPPY!

Blogmas 2022: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing Making Me HAPPY!

Book I’m Currently Reading:

Goodreads Synopsis of The Twelve Topsy, Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas {James Patterson}:

Every year at Christmastime, Will and Ella Sullivan, and their father, Henry, come to a family agreement: Christmas is a holiday for other people. 

At their brownstone in Harlem, stockings go unstuffed, tinsel unstrewn, gifts unbought, mistletoe unhung, chestnuts unroasted, carols unplayed, cookies uncooked, a tree un-visible, and guests uninvited. 

Until guests start arriving anyway. In pairs and sixes, in sevens and tens—they keep coming. And they stay. For twelve long, hard, topsy-turvy, very messy days. That’s when the Sullivans discover that those moments in life that defy hope, expectation, or even imagination, might be the best gifts of all.

Coffee I’m Currently Drinking:

If you follow me on Instagram (which you should because I post on there so much more often than I post anywhere else), you already saw my birthday present from my daughter. LOVE! It’s amazing and makes my heart happy every single time I use it.

I just love being a mom so much 🙂

Currently Making Me Happy:

I’ll be returning to the wonderful town of Addison, Connecticut SOON!

Do you remember the adorable book series that I discovered during last holiday season (you can read alllllll about it HERE)??? I read the first half of the series during last holiday season and saved the other half to read during this holiday season. A smart choice, indeed…I’ve been looking forward to reading these all year!

I read the top 3 during last holiday season and have saved the bottom 3 to read during this holiday season 🙂

After I finish reading The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas, I’m heading straight back to Addison 🙂 I can’t wait to return!

Next up for me…First Flurries!

What are you currently reading?

What coffee are you currently enjoying?

What is 1 thing currently making you HAPPY?

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

12/1 Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

12/2 BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

12/3 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2022: The Bookish Gift I Bought For Myself

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

12/6 Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

12/7 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Kiss Her Once For Me {Alison Cochrun}

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

*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

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Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

How incredibly STUNNING is this canvas I saw while shopping last week???

There are some AMAZING books being released in 2023! Here are 6 of them that I can’t wait to read…

6 Books I Want To Read in 2023:

The Sweet Spot {Amy Poeppel}:

Expected Publication January 31, 2023

Photo Credit: Simon and Schuster

Goodreads Synopsis of The Sweet Spot {Amy Poeppel}:

In the heart of Greenwich Village, three women form an accidental sorority when a baby—belonging to exactly none of them—lands on their collective doorstep.

Lauren and her family—lucky bastards—have been granted the use of a spectacular brownstone, teeming with history and dizzyingly unattractive 70s wallpaper. Adding to the home’s bohemian, grungy splendor is the bar occupying the basement, a (mostly) beloved dive called The Sweet Spot. Within days of moving in, Lauren discovers that she has already made an enemy in the neighborhood by inadvertently sparking the divorce of a couple she has never actually met.

Melinda’s husband of thirty years has dumped her for a young celebrity entrepreneur named Felicity, and, to Melinda’s horror, the lovebirds are soon to become parents. In her incandescent rage, Melinda wreaks havoc wherever she can, including in Felicity’s Soho boutique, where she has a fit of epic proportions, which happens to be caught on film.​

Olivia—the industrious twenty-something behind the counter, who has big dreams and bigger debt—gets caught in the crossfire. In an effort to diffuse Melinda’s temper, Olivia has a tantrum of her own and gets unceremoniously canned, thanks to TikTok.

When Melinda’s ex follows his lover across the country, leaving their squalling baby behind, the three women rise to the occasion in order to forgive, to forget, to Ferberize, and to track down the wayward parents. But can their little village find a way toward the happily ever afters they all desire? Welcome to The Sweet Spot.

Someone Else’s Shoes {Jojo Moyes}:

**A new book by Jojo Moyes?!? Yes, please! If you haven’t yet read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, STOP EVERYTHING AND READ ME BEFORE YOU BY JOJO MOYES! My glowing review is HERE. And no, I have not read the sequel. No desire, the first one was so beautifully written that some things are better left alone.**

Expected Publication February 7, 2023

Photo Credit: Target

Goodreads Synopsis of Someone Else’s Shoes {Jojo Moyes}:

Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes?

Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope–she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.

That’s because Sam Kemp – in the bleakest point of her life – has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag–she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence that makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.

The Soulmate {Sally Hepworth}:

Expected Publication April 4, 2023

Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of The Soulmate {Sally Hepworth}:

Gabe and Pippa Gerard have just moved into their dream house: a cliffside cottage in a sleepy coastal town outside Melbourne. It’s a fresh start to their marriage, and the perfect place to raise their two young daughters. But the house’s perfect façade hides something more sinister: The Spot, where the tall cliffs have become a popular place for those wishing to end their lives. After talking someone down from the ledge, Gabe becomes a local hero, saving person after person… until one night, he doesn’t. And Pippa sees Gabe the moment after it happened, standing alone at the cliff’s edge, arms outstretched, palms facing out.

The death is ruled a suicide— Gabe said it was a stranger devastated over her husband’s infidelity. But when Pippa discovers that Gabe knew the victim, she has more questions than answers. Plus, the woman’s husband swears she wouldn’t have jumped. Why would Gabe lie about not knowing her? Why would she have been at The Spot, if not to jump? And did she really jump… or was she pushed? As Pippa works to uncover the truth, the foundations of the life they’ve built begin to crack and their deepest secrets start to unravel.

The Soulmate is a twisty domestic suspense novel that proves nothing—and no one— is ever as it seems.

The Half Moon {Mary Beth Keane}:

Expected Publication May 2, 2023

Photo Credit: Simon and Schuster

Goodreads Synopsis of The Half Moon {Mary Beth Keane}:

Malcolm Gephardt, the handsome and gregarious longtime bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar. When his boss is finally ready to retire, Malcolm is inspired to buy the place. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in the Half Moon and hopes to make it a bigger success—but quickly realizes that his customers don’t like change and that making a profit won’t be easy.

Malcolm’s wife Jess is smart, confident, and dedicated to her law career. But after years of trying to have a baby, she’s struggling to accept the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away, and while her hopes and expectations fall short of the current reality, she wonders how to reshape her life.

Taking place over the course of one tumultuous week, The Half Moon shows off Mary Beth Keane’s skilled storytelling and generous spirit as she carefully explores a marriage in crisis, what it takes to make a life with another person, and the true meaning of family.

Always the Almost {Edward Underhill}:

Expected Publication February 14, 2023

Photo Credit: Macmillian

Goodreads Synopsis of Always the Almost {Edward Underhill}:

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson has two New Year’s resolutions: 1) win back his ex-boyfriend (and star of the football team) Shane McIntyre, and 2) finally beat his slimy arch-nemesis at the Midwest’s biggest classical piano competition. But that’s not going to be so easy. For one thing, Shane broke up with Miles two weeks after Miles came out as trans, and now Shane’s stubbornly ignoring him, even when they literally bump into each other. Plus, Miles’ new, slightly terrifying piano teacher keeps telling him that he’s playing like he “doesn’t know who he is”—whatever that means.

Then Miles meets the new boy in town, Eric Mendez, a proudly queer cartoonist from Seattle who asks his pronouns, cares about art as much as he does—and makes his stomach flutter. Not what he needs to be focusing on right now. But after Eric and Miles pretend to date so they can score an invite to a couples-only Valentine’s party, the ruse turns real with a kiss, which is also definitely not in the plan. If only Miles could figure out why Eric likes him so much. After all, it’s not like he’s cool or confident or comfortable in his own skin. He’s not even good enough at piano to get his fellow competitors to respect him, especially now, as Miles. Nothing’s ever been as easy for him as for other people—other boys. He’s only ever been almost enough.

So why, when he’s with Eric, does it feel like the only person he’s ever really not been enough for…is himself? 

We’ll Never Tell {Wendy Heard}:

Expected Publication May 16, 2023

Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of We’ll Never Tell {Wendy Heard}:

No one at Hollywood High knows who’s behind We’ll Never Tell—a viral YouTube channel where the anonymous creators trespass behind the scenes of LA’s most intriguing locales. The team includes CASEY, quiet researcher and trivia champ; JACOB, voice narrator and video editor, who is secretly dating EDDIE, aspiring filmmaker; and ZOE, coder and breaking-and-entering extraordinaire.

Now senior year is winding down, and with their lives heading in different directions, the YouTubers vow to go out with a bang. Their last episode will be filmed at the infamous Valentini “murder house,” which has been left abandoned, bloodstained, and untouched since a shocking murder/suicide in 1972. When the teens break in, they capture epic footage. But someone trips an alarm, and it’s a mad dash to get out before the police arrive—at which point they realize only three of them escaped instead of four. Jacob is still inside, slain and bleeding out. Is his attack connected to the historic murder, or is one of their crew responsible?

A week of suspicions and cover-ups unfolds as Casey and her remaining friends try to stay alive long enough to solve murder mysteries past and present. If they do, their friendship may not survive. If they don’t, the house will claim more victims.

What books are you most excited to read in 2023?

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

12/1 Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

12/2 BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

12/3 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2022: The Bookish Gift I Bought For Myself

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

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

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

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Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

So this was the book that I wanted to read LAST holiday season but ran out of time (and I am waaaaaay too Type A to read a holiday book at any other time of the year). Everyone was reading this book last December and I found myself experiencing some pretty big FOMO! So, obviously this was the first book I picked up to read during this holiday season and I couldn’t wait to start reading 🙂

Goodreads Synopsis of The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}:

All they want for Christmas is a different life.

When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell–both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie’s identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family’s bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won’t get the memo that they’re over.


With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven’t done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician’s assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins’ identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?

My Review of The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}:

**Note that the book I own is an Advanced Reader Copy. Thank you to my sweet friend (you know who you are!) for sharing it with me!**

Ok so obviously it’s an adorable premise…set in a adorable small town.

This book was just WAY too unrealistic and way too predictable for me. I literally predicted almost every single thing that happened which made for a rather annoying reading experience.

The “swap” was also annoying…I kept confusing the characters throughout the entire book!

But most of all it made me angry how this book was about 2 adult women who spent the majority of their time switching places and repeatedly LYING to EVERYONE.

And one of THE most annoying parts of this book? It’s freaking not even a holiday book. Yes it takes place right before Christmas but there really isn’t anything “Christmasy” about it until the verrrrrry end.

I didn’t hate this book, I just didn’t love it. It was cute, it was sweet, it was….eh. So many other adorable holiday books out there!

Bottom Line:

Everyone LOVES this book…and I’m honestly not sure how.

Target Gift Card Giveaway

I’m LOVING all of the kind comments on yesterday’s post! Leave a comment HERE to enter for your chance to win a $20.00 Target gift card! Giveaway closes at 6:00 (central time) tonight and I’ll announce the winners in tomorrow’s Blogmas post here on my blog :). Good luck, Xo!

Have you read The Holiday Swap? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

*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

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Book Review: Bookish People {Susan Coll}

Book Review: Bookish People {Susan Coll}

I’m such a sucker for books about people who read books. If you recall what FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME is, than this statement should come to you as no surprise.

Knowing this, you can understand why the synopsis of Bookish People grabbed me….especially the last sentence!

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.

My Review of Bookish People {Susan Coll}:

Ok so my feelings on this one are a bit all over the place. I definitely liked it and dare I even say there were parts that I LOVED but…there were MOST definitely parts that were pretty boring. It was just so wordy. SO. MANY. WORDS. And so much backstory, so many feelings…I just kept waiting for something (anything) to happen.

I didn’t feel like the character development was complete, the various viewpoints from which the story was told were confusing, and it all just felt a bit jumbled together.

HOWEVER…and here is where I’m so conflicted in my thoughts on this one…there were parts of this book that were absolutely ADORABLE. I found myself smiling on more than one occasion while reading! The backbone of this story is that books is what binds all of these people together and I absolutely loved that aspect of the book. A book describing the inner workings of a bookstore and it’s staff? Yes please!

Waiting for my Covid Booster!

But….just as often as I found myself smiling, I also found myself contemplating not even finishing because I just really didn’t care what happened to any of the characters (except for Sophie and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.).

I will say that I enjoyed this book SIGNIFICANTLY more as I kept reading and by the end, I actually ended up loving it. I just wish I had those feelings the whole time!

Bottom Line:

I pretty much equally loved and disliked this book.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

*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

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Book Review: The Perfect Neighborhood {Liz Alterman}

Book Review: The Perfect Neighborhood {Liz Alterman}

If you follow Book Coffee Happy on Instagram, you already know how much I LOVED reading this book! This is a perfect example of spotting a book with a new-to-me title and author sitting on the library shelf and discovering an absolute GEM.

After reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and then Things We Never Got Over, I was in the mood for my next read to be a completely different genre…and I was craving a twisty psychological thriller.

I am currently on such a streak of reading amazing books! The past 3 books I have read have all been WONDERFUL. Oh please let this streak continue…

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?

My Review of The Perfect Neighborhood {Liz Alterman}:

I absolutely LOVED this book!

The entire book revolves around the mystery of the missing children and my theories of who took them changed literally by the sentence. Just when I was completely sure of who took them, my theory would instantly change to me thinking it was someone else. I LOVE WHEN BOOKS ARE UNPREDICTABLE. I had NO CLUE how this book was going to end…right up until the very last sentence!

Liz Alterman’s writing style is easy to read, easy to understand, and GREAT. There were a lot of characters in this book but they weren’t difficult to keep track of and remember (which was so appreciated because this is always such a pet peeve of mine)…and each character brought such a unique perspective to this story.

I read this book over the course of a few days, I couldn’t put it down.

Bottom Line:

One of my favorite reads of the year!

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

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!*

*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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*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.*

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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

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