Tag: book bloggers

2 Books I’m NOT Reading!

2 Books I’m NOT Reading!

Most beautiful cupcake that I ate on Mother’s Day! Tasted just as amazing as it looked!

I think both of these books sound GREAT but unfortunately I had to return them to my library before I even had the chance to crack either of them open (cue the sad violin music). I’m so hoping to read them both at some point!

**Note: The fancy pictures of these books were taken in my car juuuuuuuuust as I was about to return them to the library book return bin, lol. No beautiful shots here!**

Book #1 I’m NOT Reading:

Goodreads Synopsis of Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop {Hwang Bo-Reum}:

Yeongju is burned out. With her high-flying career, demanding marriage, and busy life in Seoul, she knows she should feel successful, but all she feels is drained. Yet an abandoned dream nags at her, and in a leap of faith, she leaves her old life behind. Quitting her job and divorcing her husband, Yeongju moves to a small residential neighborhood outside the city, where she opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.

For the first few months, all Yeongju does is cry, deterring visitors. But the long hours in the shop give her time to mull over what makes a good bookseller and store, and as she starts to read hungrily, host author events, and develop her own bookselling philosophy, she begins to ease into her new setting. Surrounded by friends, writers, and the books that connect them all, she finds her new story as the Hyunam-dong Bookshop transforms into an inviting space for lost souls to rest, heal, and remember that it’s never too late to scrap the plot and start again.

Book #2 I’m NOT Reading:

I LOVED The One by John Marrs (if you haven’t yet read The One, it’s a must read. HERE is a link to the synopsis and all of my thoughts)!

If this book is half as good as The One, I’m all in…

Goodreads Synopsis of The Vacation {John Marrs}:

How far would you run to escape your past?

For eight strangers in a Los Angeles backpacking hostel, even the other side of the world isn’t far enough.

The craving for a new identity and the chance to start again is something they have in common. But the search for a fresh start isn’t as easy as they’d imagined.

And they soon discover that it doesn’t matter where you are or who you are – if you can’t lay the past to rest, coincidence, fate and deception have a way of catching up with you when you least expect it.

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

**Click HERE to order Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop and click HERE to order The Vacation both 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)

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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2023 can be found HERE

Audiobook Review: The Teacher {Freida McFadden}

Audiobook Review: The Teacher {Freida McFadden}

My son’s baseball season has officially started! Alwaaaaaaaays with the Dunkin’ next to me, lol.

Freida McFadden released a brand new book 3 days before my jury duty summons was to begin??? Fate.

This was actually 1 of the 2 audiobooks I listened to as I drove downtown bright and early each morning during jury duty! And then again as I crawled back home each night because downtown Chicago traffic is insane. Thank goodness for audiobooks (and coffee…so much coffee) to kept me company and entertained on some of those VERY long commutes! Everyone in the cars around me looked so annoyed and I was happy as a clam 🙂

The Teacher is actually the 8th Freida McFadden audiobook I’ve listened to. Here are links to my thoughts on the other 7!

The Surrogate Mother

The Inmate

Do Not Disturb

Want to Know a Secret?

The Locked Door (AKA The Most ANNOYING Audiobook Voice)

The Wife Upstairs

The Coworker

Photo Cred: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of The Teacher {Freida McFadden}:

Lesson #1: Trust no one.

Eve has a good life. She wakes up each day, kisses her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except…

Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal involving a student-teacher affair, with one student, Addie, at its center. But Eve knows there is far more to these ugly rumors than meets the eye.

Addie can’t be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that’s what everyone says.

But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet…

My Review of The Teacher {Freida McFadden}:

I really love Freida McFadden audiobooks. Perfect for background noise as I’m doing other things (such as driving). The stories are always juuuuust simple enough where I don’t have to be 100 percent focused on not doing anything else while listening! I was super excited that my long commute coincided PERFECTLY with a brand new Freida McFadden release. A long commute was the PERFECT time to enjoy this one. And enjoy it I did!

One of my favorites of hers yet. This one was great and kept me guessing the whole time. The story was interesting (I’m a former teacher so of course I found those parts interesting) and the characters were great. I won’t give anything away but I will say that the ending was AWESOME. That’s all I will say about that!

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

The book itself was really good but that ending was FANTASTIC.

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

Xo,

Jenny

**Click HERE 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)

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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2023 can be found HERE

Book Review: Expiration Dates {Rebecca Serle} and Giveaway Winner

Book Review: Expiration Dates {Rebecca Serle} and Giveaway Winner

Hi Friends!

Thank you for your support as I’m slooooowly getting back into my blogging groove! Feels so nice to be back…I’ve missed you!

This past weekend 16 of my sorority sisters and I took a trip back to our Alma Mater to say good-bye to our beloved sorority house that is now closing. Cue allll the tears. It was both a heartbreaking and heartwarming trip for sure. Love you forever, Sig Delt sisters!

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Rebecca Serle’s newest book, Expiration Dates. I put my name on the library waitlist months ago!

I LOVED every single word of In Five Years. If you haven’t read In Five Years, that book is an absolute MUST READ. The book synopsis and my glowing review can be found HERE.

Note: I haven’t read One Italian Summer but I’ve heard it’s wonderful! To be honest, I think it sounds too depressing. I’ll be skipping that one but I’m sure it’s great…

How beautiful is the cover? LOVEEEEEEE.

Goodreads Synopsis of Expiration Dates {Rebecca Serle}:

Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.

But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.

My Review of Expiration Dates {Rebecca Serle}:

Ahhhh this is a lovely book. The character development was amazing! Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the timeline (jumped around a bit too sporadically for me), I did love the way that the story was told throughout the series of flashbacks (although I wish those flashbacks were told in more of a chronological order).

Rebecca Serle is a BEAUTIFUL writer. When I read In Five Years, I remember being completely captivated by her words. Did I feel the same way with this one? I did not…but…it was still very good. I loved the ending! I just wasn’t as invested as I was with In Five Years as I truly couldn’t put that book down once I started reading. This one was great and if I wasn’t comparing it to In Five Years I think I would have loved it much more. Comparison is truly the thief of joy as the famous quote says!

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

Read this book. Just don’t compare it to In Five Years.

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

What You Do To Me (Signed Copy!) Giveaway Winner:

Thank you to everyone who entered! Here is a video of me randomly choosing the winner:

Xo,

Jenny

**Click HERE to order Expiration Dates 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)*

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

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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2023 can be found HERE

What I’m Currently Reading (Good), What I Recently Finished Reading (Not So Good), What I Think I’ll Read Next (SOUNDS AMAZING and Now I’m Pissed)

What I’m Currently Reading (Good), What I Recently Finished Reading (Not So Good), What I Think I’ll Read Next (SOUNDS AMAZING and Now I’m Pissed)

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!

What Are You Currently Reading?

I received this book recommendation from a friend of mine who KNOWS what I love to read so obviously I had to immediately put it on hold at my library! So far its…good. Not great, but definitely good. I’m not very far in (70ish pages maybe?) so I’m hopeful it will pick up speed soon!

Goodreads Synopsis of Hold My Girl {Charlene Carr}:

Two women. Two eggs. One life-changing switch.

Katherine finally has it all. She’s spent her entire life striving for perfection―obsessing over her spotless home, maintaining her pristine reputation, building her perfect family―and her hard work has finally paid off. After seven difficult years of trying (and failing) to conceive, Katherine gives birth to Rose, her IVF miracle child, and at last has the one thing she’s wanted most of all. But one thing isn’t quite perfect. Rose’s pale skin doesn’t match Katherine’s complexion, and an irritating doubt begins to grow in Katherine’s mind.

Tess never got the happy ending she wanted. She underwent IVF at the same clinic as Katherine, but after finally conceiving, Tess’s daughter was stillborn. Now, nearly two years later, she’s approaching rock bottom. Consumed by her grief and without hope for the future, Tess is divorced, broke, and stuck in a dead-end job beneath her skillset. But shortly before Rose’s first birthday, Katherine and Tess get a call from the fertility clinic. Their eggs were switched.

As Katherine’s carefully planned life begins to crumble around her, Tess finally sees the glimmer of hope she needed to get her life back on track. Motherhood has always been their dream, and neither woman is prepared to share that claim over Rose. It will take a tense custody battle to decide who deserves to be Rose’s mother, but it will also push them to the brink.

With themes of racial identity, loss, and betrayal, Hold My Girl is an emotional novel that will leave you What makes a mother?

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Ok so I really didn’t give this book a fair shot before calling it quits. I think because it starts with a crime and I don’t love reading about crimes? I enjoy reading the buildup but starting with the crime and then leading into a “who did it” mystery…eh. I DO think this book has the possibility of being great (the synopsis sounds great) but I was honestly just too bored to stick around to find out.

This is actually the 2nd Katherine Faulkner book that I’ve returned to the library without reading it! The first one I had checked out was was when I had Covid in 2022. You can read all about that here: 4 Books I’m NOT Reading and a Covid Update!

Goodreads Synopsis of The Other Mothers {Katherine Faulkner}:

When a young nanny is found dead in mysterious circumstances, new mom, Tash, is intrigued. She has been searching for a story to launch her career as a freelance journalist. But she has also been searching for something else—new friends to help her navigate motherhood.

She sees them at her son’s new playgroup. The other mothers. A group of sleek, sophisticated women who live in a neighborhood of tree-lined avenues and stunning houses. The sort of mothers Tash herself would like to be. When the mothers welcome her into their circle, Tash discovers the kind of life she has always dreamt of—their elegant London townhouses a far cry from her cramped basement flat and endless bills. She is quickly swept up into their wealthy world via coffees, cocktails, and playdates.

But when another young woman is found dead, it’s clear there’s much more to the community than meets the eye. The more Tash investigates, the more she’s led uncomfortably close to the other mothers. Are these women really her friends? Or is there another, more dangerous reason why she has been so quickly accepted into their exclusive world? Who, exactly, is investigating who?

Omg.

I’m so pissed. This book has been on TBR for MONTHS and I finally got my hands on a copy. The synopsis sounds great (SPIIIICY) and I’ve so been looking forward to starting it! 

As I sat down to write this blog post and searched Goodreads for a synopsis to include here for you, I am only NOW realizing that this book is actually BOOK 3 IN A SERIES??? Well crap.

So I am NOT in fact going to include this synopsis because I have no clue if it includes spoilers! Maybe this can be read as a stand alone? Have any of you read this series? The synopsis for Book #1 sounds…well…DIRTY. Sooooo maybe I’ll read it afterall, lol 😉

Oh I’m so mad. 

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

Xo,

Jenny

Hold My Girl

The Other Mothers

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)*

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

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*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2023 can be found HERE

Blogmas 2023: Books I’m Taking To DISNEY WORLD!

Blogmas 2023: Books I’m Taking to DISNEY WORLD!

Remember back in 2019 when I wrote this exact post?

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!

Blogmas 2023 Posts:

12/1 Blogmas 2023: Welcome to Blogmas {VIDEO}!

12/2 Blogmas 2023: Happy Birthday to ME {Sephora Gift Card Giveaway}!

12/3 Blogmas 2023: Book Review: All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Christmas Bet {Meg Easton}

12/5 Blogmas 2023: The Winter Series {Joanne Demaio} Check In

12/6 Blogmas 2023: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: The Coworker {Freida McFadden}

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

12/8 Blogmas 2023: The Holiday Sign in the Form of a Post It

12/9 Blogmas 2023: READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK

12/10 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: A Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

12/12 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}

12/13 Blogmas 2023: Book Coffee Happy’s 13 Most Viewed Posts of 2023

12/14 Blogmas 2023: A {Non Holiday} Middle School Book Series That I LOVE

12/15 Blogmas 2023: I LOVED This Gorgeous Holiday Book…About BOOKS!

12/16 The 9 Best Books I Read in 2023

12/17 Blogmas 2023: 2 Non Holiday Audiobooks {Same Author} I Started Listening To and Hated!

12/18 Blogmas 2023: Screw It…Moving On, My Beautiful Present, and a Holiday Book Review

12/19 Blogmas 2023: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: The Missing Husband {Natasha Boydell}

Xo,

Jenny

Click HERE to order book #1 in the Winter Novels

Click HERE to order The Clause in Christmas

Click HERE to order Blame it on the Mistletoe

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)*

*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*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2022 can be found HERE

Blogmas 2023: Screw It…Moving On, My Beautiful Present, and a Holiday Book Review

Blogmas 2023: Screw It…Moving On, My Beautiful Present, and a Holiday Book Review

Juuuuuuust in case it rains while we are at Disney…we’re prepared! 

Oh man, I was really hoping to love The Twelve Dates of Christmas! I have been waiting for 2 years to read it!

I read 150 pages aaaaaand…I’m out.

K, whoever you are…thank you for the recommendation. I respectfully disagree 🙂

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!

Blogmas 2023 Posts:

12/1 Blogmas 2023: Welcome to Blogmas {VIDEO}!

12/2 Blogmas 2023: Happy Birthday to ME {Sephora Gift Card Giveaway}!

12/3 Blogmas 2023: Book Review: All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Christmas Bet {Meg Easton}

12/5 Blogmas 2023: The Winter Series {Joanne Demaio} Check In

12/6 Blogmas 2023: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: The Coworker {Freida McFadden}

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

12/8 Blogmas 2023: The Holiday Sign in the Form of a Post It

12/9 Blogmas 2023: READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK

12/10 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: A Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

12/12 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}

12/13 Blogmas 2023: Book Coffee Happy’s 13 Most Viewed Posts of 2023

12/14 Blogmas 2023: A {Non Holiday} Middle School Book Series That I LOVE

12/15 Blogmas 2023: I LOVED This Gorgeous Holiday Book…About BOOKS!

12/16 The 9 Best Books I Read in 2023

12/17 Blogmas 2023: 2 Non Holiday Audiobooks {Same Author} I Started Listening To and Hated!

Xo,

Jenny

Click HERE to order The Twelve Dates of Christmas

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)*

*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*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2022 can be found HERE

Blogmas 2023: 2 Non Holiday Audiobooks {Same Author} I Started Listening To and Hated!

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.

Audiobook #1 I Started Listening To and Hated:

Secluded Cabin Sleeps 6 {Lisa Unger}

Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of Secluded Cabin Sleeps 6 {Lisa Unger}:

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!

Blogmas 2023 Posts:

12/1 Blogmas 2023: Welcome to Blogmas {VIDEO}!

12/2 Blogmas 2023: Happy Birthday to ME {Sephora Gift Card Giveaway}!

12/3 Blogmas 2023: Book Review: All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Christmas Bet {Meg Easton}

12/5 Blogmas 2023: The Winter Series {Joanne Demaio} Check In

12/6 Blogmas 2023: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: The Coworker {Freida McFadden}

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

12/8 Blogmas 2023: The Holiday Sign in the Form of a Post It

12/9 Blogmas 2023: READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK

12/10 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: A Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

12/12 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}

12/13 Blogmas 2023: Book Coffee Happy’s 13 Most Viewed Posts of 2023

12/14 Blogmas 2023: A {Non Holiday} Middle School Book Series That I LOVE

12/15 Blogmas 2023: I LOVED This Gorgeous Holiday Book…About BOOKS!

12/16 The 9 Best Books I Read in 2023

Xo,

Jenny

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)*

*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*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2022 can be found HERE

Blogmas 2023: A {Non Holiday} Middle School Book Series That I LOVE

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 of Out 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 of Out 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!

Blogmas 2023 Posts

12/1 Blogmas 2023: Welcome to Blogmas {VIDEO}!

12/2 Blogmas 2023: Happy Birthday to ME {Sephora Gift Card Giveaway}!

12/3 Blogmas 2023: Book Review: All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Christmas Bet {Meg Easton}

12/5 Blogmas 2023: The Winter Series {Joanne Demaio} Check In

12/6 Blogmas 2023: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: The Coworker {Freida McFadden}

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

12/8 Blogmas 2023: The Holiday Sign in the Form of a Post It

12/9 Blogmas 2023: READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK

12/10 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: A Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

12/12 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}

12/13 Blogmas 2023: Book Coffee Happy’s 13 Most Viewed Posts of 2023

Xo,

Jenny

Click HERE to order Out of my Mind (book #1)

Chick HERE to order Out of my Heart (book #2)

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)*

*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*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2022 can be found HERE

Blogmas 2023: Book Coffee Happy’s 13 Most Viewed Posts of 2023

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!

Book Coffee Happy’s 13 Most Viewed Posts of 2023

13. Book Review (Unpopular Opinion): In My Dreams I Hold A Knife {Ashley Winstead} Maybe because my opinion on this book was so vastly different from everyone else’s?

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.

10. Book Review: The Loyal Wife {Natalie Barelli} Like…I barely remember this book…WHY is this post so popular? Random.

9. 5 Reasons Why I Hated The Golden Couple {Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen} Again, maybe because my opinion on this book is so different than everyone else’s?

8. Book Review: Before We Were Yours {Lisa Wingate} Another one where I’m not entirely sure why this post is so popular? Random.

7. Book Review (Unpopular Opinion): Then She Was Gone {Lisa Jewell} Oh dear another unpopular opinion. When I disagree with the masses my blog rankings seem to soar, lol.

6. Book Reviews: Winter Series (Winter Street, Winter Stroll, Winter Storms, Winter Solstice) {Elin Hilderbrand} When Elin Hilderbrand posts an Instastory and tags you, it’s not a surprise that people wanted to then visit this post where I wrote about some of her books!

5. Reminders of Him and Ugly Love {Colleen Hoover} Clearly just including the words “Colleen” and “Hoover” in a blog post title will automatically make people want to read it.

4. Book Review: Things We Never Got Over {Lucy Score} This post is a popular one because I talked about this book (and it’s stupid sequel) so many times over the past year!

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.

2. Why I Stopped Reading The House in the Cerulean Sea {TJ Klune}…But You Shouldn’t! Eh people love this book…I did not.

AAAAAND for the 4th year in a row…Book Coffee Happy’s #1 most viewed post:

1. Why I Stopped Reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo {Taylor Jenkins Reid}…But You Shouldn’t! This post has now been viewed over 61,000 times (whaaaat???) and continues to be the highest ranked post I’ve ever written…???

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 🙂

Blogmas 2023 Posts

12/1 Blogmas 2023: Welcome to Blogmas {VIDEO}!

12/2 Blogmas 2023: Happy Birthday to ME {Sephora Gift Card Giveaway}!

12/3 Blogmas 2023: Book Review: All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Christmas Bet {Meg Easton}

12/5 Blogmas 2023: The Winter Series {Joanne Demaio} Check In

12/6 Blogmas 2023: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: The Coworker {Freida McFadden}

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

12/8 Blogmas 2023: The Holiday Sign in the Form of a Post It

12/9 Blogmas 2023: READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK

12/10 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: A Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

12/12 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}

Xo,

Jenny

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)*

*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*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2022 can be found HERE

Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}

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 of The 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 of The 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!

Blogmas 2023 Posts

12/1 Blogmas 2023: Welcome to Blogmas {VIDEO}!

12/2 Blogmas 2023: Happy Birthday to ME {Sephora Gift Card Giveaway}!

12/3 Blogmas 2023: Book Review: All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Christmas Bet {Meg Easton}

12/5 Blogmas 2023: The Winter Series {Joanne Demaio} Check In

12/6 Blogmas 2023: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: The Coworker {Freida McFadden}

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

12/8 Blogmas 2023: The Holiday Sign in the Form of a Post It

12/9 Blogmas 2023: READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK

12/10 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: A Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

Xo,

Jenny

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)*

*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*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

Book Coffee Happy’s most viewed posts of 2022 can be found HERE