I’ve had such fun doing this (although it was quite the undertaking while trying to research, plan, and pack for a big vacation) but I’m super proud that I did it. I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride!
I’m signing off now until after the new year. I won’t be posting on my blog until then but I WILL be posting over on Instagram! Follow my Instastories as my family heads to DISNEY!
Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, Happy EVERYTHING :)
I hope the end of your 2023 is filled with love and BOOKS!
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
And then remember when I came home from my trip and made a super long video where I declared that reading in Disney is virtually impossible and I never even cracked open ANY of the books that I brought??
Fast forward 4 years later and clearly I have learned absolutely nothing…I’m bringing 4 books to Disney, lol! BUUUUT this trip is different because we are spending a relaxing few days in Daytona after we leave Disney World so maybe I’ll have time to read then? Maybe? If not, the plane rides might be the only time I read over the next week and I’ll be lugging these books to and from Florida just to look pretty in my suitcase. Eh…worth it.
So what am I bringing?
Books I’m Taking to DISNEY WORLD!
Ok obviously the next 2 books in my beloved Winter Novels. I can’t WAIT to read these! Not posting the synopsis for either book since they are books #6 and #7 in the series and you all know how I feel about spoilers 😉
This picture I took bothers me because the books are reversed…Winter House is #6 and Winter Road is #7! My type A self is struggling that they aren’t flipped.
If you follow Book Coffee Happy on Instagram, you might remember when I found this one sitting in a Little Free Library a few weeks ago….the first book in an adorable sounding new to me holiday series? Ummm YES PLEASE.
Goodreads Synopsis of The Clause in Christmas {Rachel Bloome}:
Sometimes home is where you least expect it…
Cassie Hayward hates Christmas. Especially this year.
No job. Flat broke. And an ex most definitely on the naughty list.
But the unexpected inheritance of a Victorian cottage in the idyllic town of Poppy Creek may be the miracle Cassie needs. Except for one problem: a clause in the will. Cassie must complete a series of festive tasks for each day in December leading up to Christmas. Overseen by the disarmingly handsome, Christmas-loving lawyer, Luke Davis.
Luke is as strong and steady as the bespoke furniture he crafts as a hobby. He has to be. Stepping into his late father’s shoes as the town lawyer comes with a sleigh full of responsibilities. Which means the alluring stranger collecting her inheritance is a distraction he can’t afford.
As the unlikely pair works together to complete the daily tasks, fighting their attraction becomes more futile than putting good ol’ St. Nick on a diet. But when Cassie’s ex reappears with the offer of a lifetime, she’ll have to choose between love and the life she always wanted.
Curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and visit a town that feels like home. This endearing, sweet romance will warm your heart and fill you will hope. A “must-read” year after year.
Sounds so good, right? You had me at “town that feels like home”…
Aaaaand then this book which I checked out of the library at the very beginning of this holiday season, have talked about on my blog over and over, and yet STILL haven’t read!
Click HERE for a synopsis of Blame it on the Mistletoe from a previous blog post that I wrote!
***Fun fact: when I was searching “Blame it on the Mistletoe” to add a link to my Amazon Affiliate account, I discovered that “Blame the Mistletoe” is also an OPI nail color:
Love it! So pretty!
Soooo those are the books coming with me to Disney. Will I read them? Maybe. Will I be prepared with reading entertainment in case my family gets stranded and has to extend our vacay like that one time we were stranded on top of a mountain? Absolutely!
Click the links below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
I just couldn’t connect to any of these characters! Like…at all. And if this book is going in the direction that I’m assuming it’s going to go, this is all waaaaay too predictable. The writing was ok, I just couldn’t get into it and never really wanted to pick it up. Eh.
For my birthday, my daughter bought me this STUNNING light up Christmas tree for my nightstand! At night, I’ve been turning it on while reading with my book light and it’s been DREAMY.
I WILL say that the fact that I couldn’t get into this book miiiiight have a bit to do with the fact that I am beyond distracted trying to get everything ready for our Disney trip! I also feel pretty strongly that part of this distraction is knowing that I have Joanne Demaio’s 2 most recent additions to the Winter Series just sitting on my shelf and waiting for me to read them! When I first learned of our Disney trip, I shifted my plans of reading the 2 Winter Series throughout the month of December and saving them for the plane. Yeah, I’m done waiting. I don’t want to bring The Twelve Dates of Christmas with me on vacay. Screw the plan…I’M GOING IN. The NEW plan is to start reading book #6 (Winter House) asap and bring it on the plane with me along with book #7 (Winter Road). I’ll throw a few other books in there as well 🙂
Happily moving ON!
Have you read The Twelve Dates of Christmas? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
This book wasn’t for me…but maybe you’ll love it?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
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
Blogmas 2023: 2 Audiobooks (Same Author) I Started Listening To and Hated!
Hanukkah is over but I felt my awesome sweater and headband needed to make 1 final 2023 appearance on the blog.
Ok first of all HOLY CRAP did you guys apparently enjoy yesterday’s post…it had an insane amount of views! If you missed it, here’s the link: The 9 Best Books I Read in 2023
So yesterday’s post was all about books that I LOVED and today’s post…isn’t, lol.
Eh so I really can’t say too much about either of these books other than I just couldn’t get into either one of them. Lisa Unger’s writing style is clearly just not for me. Here are 2 of her books that I tried to listen to…and stopped listening before I ever came close to the endings. Ugh.
Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller.
What could be more restful than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s generous brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It’ll be three couples on this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R.
But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare.
A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep.
How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?
Audiobook #2 I Started Listening To and Hated:
Confessions on the 7:45 {Lisa Unger}
Photo Credit: Amazon
Goodreads Synopsis of Confessions on the 7:45 {Lisa Unger}:
Selena Murphy is commuting home on the train when she strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat. The woman introduces herself as Martha and soon confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.
Then the nanny disappears.
As Selena is pulled into the mystery of what happened, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, she begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover…
Have you read either of these books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
I mean, these books clearly weren’t for me….but you might just love them?? 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
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
I cannot believe that I only have 9 books on this list this year! I usually have more than that amount! I read A LOT of books this year and many were great…just not great ENOUGH to be considered the BEST books I read in 2023. I take this list very seriously and it’s always more important to me to truly include my absolute favorites, even if that number is lower than I would like for it to be. Quality over quantity always!
Here are (significantly longer) lists from previous years:
As always, I’m continuing with the tradition of presenting this year’s selection not by title, but by the Book Coffee Happy epilogue that I always include at the very end of all my book reviews. These epilogues are my “final thoughts”, a quick 1 sentence(ish) recap of my feelings about the book. When you click on each “epilogue” below, it will take you to my original blog post which includes the book’s synopsis and well as my full review!
So without further adu, I present to you the 9 absolute BEST books that I read in 2023 in no particular order:
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
Blogmas 2023: A {Non Holiday} Middle School Book Series That I LOVE
Fun Fact: one of my all time favorite animals are peacocks! So, so fancy and beautiful!
My 6th grade daughter recently had an assignment for her language arts class where she was to choose any book, read it, and complete a project about it.
She chose a book from her middle school library that sounded interesting to her and read it. After she finished reading, she told me that I would love it and asked if I’d like to also read it! The catch was that it was due back to her school library in 1 week and it was nearly 300 pages long…and she was worried that I wouldn’t be able to read it in time.
Oh HONEY. 1 week to read 300 pages??? Hold my coffee.
Aaaaand I read it cover to cover in 1 day 😉
A Middle School Series that I LOVE
Amazon Synopsis ofOut of My Mind {Sharon M. Draper}:
Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.
My Review ofOut of My Mind {Sharon M. Draper}:
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. Omg what a BEAUTIFULLY written book! I’m so incredibly proud that THIS was the book my daughter chose to read.
It reminded me so much of Wonder (which I also loved). So many wonderful lessons on inclusivity, being different, not judging, accepting, etc.
This book should be required reading for all middle schoolers. Apparently it’s wildly popular among the middle schoolers…my daughter said that many of her friends have already read it. This makes me so happy!
**Side Note: Sharing this reading experience with my daughter has been amazing. We’ve had some really deep discussions around the story and the characters. I love that we were able to share this together. I’m proud of her for choosing such a special book and I love that she wanted to share this special book with ME.**
There’s a sequel to this book and before I even finished reading this one, I put a copy on hold for the sequel at our library! I tried to place 2 copies on hold but the system wouldn’t allow it.
The sequel is called Out of My Heart. I won’t post it’s synopsis or anything about it because you know how I feel about spoilers :). These books absolutely have to be read in order so start with book #1 (Out of my Mind) and then read book #2 (Out of My Heart). I absolutely loved both books and have thought of them so many times since I finished reading.
The picture that I had texted to my daughter to show that while she was at school, I had gone to the library to pick up the sequel and started reading immediately!
Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:
Read these books. If you have middle schoolers, encourage them to read these books. Better yet, read them at the same time and have meaningful and important life discussions 🙂
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Click the links 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
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
Blogmas 2023: Book Coffee Happy’s 13 Most Viewed Posts of 2023
Happy Hanukkah from my husband and I!
I LOVE looking back at my blog’s analytics at the end of each year to see what posts were read the most. As usual, some of these are expected and some are…NOT??
*An interesting thing to note is that the post I wrote back in 2021 that went viral very quickly was NOT one of Book Coffee Happy’s top viewed posts in 2023! You can read about that post and it’s fun viral journey HERE :)*
I know there are still over 2 weeks left of 2023 but I’m calling it…close enough to 12/31. As of today, here are Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2023 (in order starting with the 13th most viewed post down to the #1 most viewed post!
12. Blogmas 2022: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022 Obviously this was a super popular post! I’m currently in the process of working on my 2023 post with the best books I’ve read THIS year! Stay tuned…
11. One of the Best Books I’ve Ever Read With a title like that, I’m not surprised that this post continues to be a popular one. READ THIS BOOK.
3. **DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK** Book Review: Tampa {Alissa Nutting} Oh lord this post. People continue to be so NASTY and MEAN in the comments. Just last night someone posted 3 mean comments on this 4 year old post. For the record, I absolutely stand by every word that I wrote.
I hope you have loved reading these posts! I have loved writing them and I can’t wait to write so many more! As always, thank you so much for your support of Book Coffee Happy 🙂
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}
Annual trip through the drive thru holiday light show AKA one of my most FAVORITE holiday traditions!
My first official holiday book of the season! I may or may not have listened to this one back in…October, lol…
Photo Credit: Amazon
Goodreads Synopsis ofThe Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}:
With its historic charm and picture-perfect library, the Maple Sugar Inn is considered the winter destination. As the holidays approach, the inn is fully booked with guests looking for their dream vacation. But widowed far too young, and exhausted from juggling the hotel with being a dedicated single mom, Hattie Coleman dreams only of making it through the festive season.
But when Erica, Claudia and Anna—lifelong friends who seem to have it all—check in for a girlfriends’ book club holiday, it changes everything. Their close friendship and shared love of books have carried them through life’s ups and downs. But Hattie can see they’re also packing some major emotional baggage, and nothing prepares her for how deeply her own story is about to become entwined in theirs. In the span of a week over the most enchanting time of the year, can these four women come together to improve each other’s lives and make this the start of a whole new chapter?
My Review ofThe Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}:
The definition of an easy, breezy holiday book. Except…there’s really not much holiday. I wanted there to be more Christmasy elements in this book! There were some, I just wanted MORE.
Also, I wanted more talk of BOOKS! The name of this book is the “Book Club Hotel“…I wanted more BOOKS! And I especially wanted more of the amazing bookstore in the town…it sounded so dreamy yet hardly any of this book took place there.
I’ve said this many times but I don’t enjoy character driven books nearly as much as I enjoy plot driven ones (hence why I’m not a fan of memoirs)! This book was SO heavily character driven…if that’s your thing, you’ll enjoy this one.
I listened to it as an audiobook and it was the perfect thing to have on in the background while I went on walks, straightened up around my house, etc. Was I DYING to listen to it? I was not. Did I enjoy it? I did! I actually enjoyed the first half of the book significantly more than the 2nd half which is rare.
Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:
Light, easy, cheesy, predictable, unrealistic.
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
In what will forever go down as my very best birthday present of all time, my husband surprised me and our kids with a trip to DISNEY WORLD over Christmas! The kids and I have been DYING to get back to Disney World since the day we left back in 2019 and this could not be more exciting for us (to say Jon isn’t a Disney fan is putting it lightly…which makes this gift even more special). We will be spending a few days in Disney and then a few days in Daytona Beach to relax after the hustle and bustle of Disney during the holidays!
New Blogmas Plans
We are leaving bright and early on 12/22 which means Blogmas will now officially end on 12/21! Only a few days short of when it was supposed to end.
Easiest decision: Disney World trumps Blogmas all day every day.
While I won’t be blogging while we are on our trip, I WILL be posting Instastories so make sure you are following Book Coffee Happy on Insta!
Dole Whip!!
New Reading Plans
Other than Blogmas ending a few days early, this trip has also made me switch around my reading plans for December! I finished reading Christmas by the Book a few days ago (review coming asap) and was all set to go straight back to Addison (aka one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE winter/holiday book series)…but once I learned that I’d be on an airplane in just a few short weeks, I could not think of a more perfect way to spend a flight! So I started reading The Twelve Dates of Christmas (you can read how I made that decision to read that particular book HERE) and I’ll be saving my 2 special winter novels to bring with me to Disney. I highly doubt that I will have the time to finish The Twelve Dates of Christmas before we leave (researching and planning a Disney trip is legit a full time job even WITH the amazing help from a Disney travel agent). I’m assuming that book will also be thrown in my carry on bag 🙂 I’ll also pack a few other books as well…titles to be determined!
The last time I went to Disney I brought SO MANY BOOKS with me and literally never opened any of them except for the flights so we shall see how this goes, lol. However, we ARE going to Daytona Beach after Disney this time so I’m thinking I will definitely have some reading time there (especially on the day when my husband takes the kids on a fishing excursion and I want nothing to do with that).
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: A Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}
Goodreads Synopsis ofA Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}:
Jolene Carter lives in Merrylark Lake, a quaint town where neighbors are like family and vacationers become fast friends. With her dream of opening a downtown storefront on hold, Jolene volunteers wherever she can, whether it be at Cat’s Coffee Cart or the town’s annual tree lighting. It is while she’s tending to her neighbor’s vacation rental that Jolene meets Luke, a cowboy with a mustang rescue and a past he’s hoping to leave back at the ranch.
Luke Handley isn’t one to believe in holiday magic. That disappeared when his winter wedding was called off and his honeymoon was canceled. But the more time he spends in Merrylark, the more he’s convinced this magic exists. When Luke’s ex unexpectedly shows up as the other half to the lake house reservation, things get complicated. Luke knows all the magic in the world won’t clear up this misunderstanding. If he’s learned anything from Jolene, though, it’s that helping others is the most effective way to show love. With a surprise up his sleeve and a little help from his new Merrylark friends, Luke hopes he’s able to do just that.
My Review ofA Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}:
This just might be the most unrealistic love story I’ve read, lol. I can’t really say too much without giving away the entire book but truly…what a ridiculous love story this is.
And…the narrator’s voice as a woman (which she is) is lovely but her voice as a man is…NOT. Luke’s “voice” was creepy and weird. I didn’t enjoy any of the voices she did for any of the characters except for Jolene where she used her own voice…but Luke’s voice was on another level AWFUL.
This audiobook was so short (just a little over 7 hours) which led to completely undeveloped characters and storylines.
So what DID I like about this book? Not much, lol…
Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:
Nope.
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Obviously this book wasn’t for me but you might love it!Click the text 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
Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…
*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)
*Please share this site 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)*
*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.*
Book Coffee Happy 