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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

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BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

I had a few hours smack in the middle of the day on my birthday all to myself. I debated what to do with my time. Manicure? Maybe. Pedicure? Perhaps. Bookstore? Ummmm YES PLEASE. What a glorious way to spend my special afternoon! Barnes and Noble, here I come!

I drove straight to Barnes and Noble and found…drumroll please…IT. WAS. GONE. Ummm whaaaaat? Has it been THAT long since I last visited??? It’s not a secret that I would rather check out a library book than buy a book aaaaaaany day but still…how did this massive store just GO AWAY and I had no idea???

I found myself doing a Google search for “bookstores near me” (NERD ALERT) and found the closest Barnes and Noble was only 15 minutes away. Phew. I drove straight there, singing Christmas songs aloud in my car the entire time. Glorious.

Gorgeous holiday display as soon as I walked in. I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR SO MUCH!

So the entire reason (ok obvi not the ENTIRE reason) that I went to Barnes and Noble was to buy myself a birthday present. Do any of you do that? I do it every single year, lol.

This was last year’s birthday present to myself:

So this year I decided that I wanted to buy myself a book and not just any book…but this beautiful Christmas Book:

Considering I had to credit the above photo to Amazon should be a spoiler on what I did NOT buy myself for my birthday, lol. Ugh I cannot find this book! Amazon is sold out, Barnes and Noble is sold out, and my name on the library waitlist seems to be quite far from the top. Grrrr.

They had plenty of Jenny Colgan’s other books in stock! Have you read any? I have not but they all look wonderful!

I DID come across these 2 books which I considered buying but ultimately did not. They both look so good!

Random bookish finds as I wandered aimlessly and happily around the store:

I almost bought this until I decided that it resembled a Christmas tree just a bit too much for this Jew, lol 🙂 However, just looking at this picture makes me think that I made a mistake. It’s so cute! I may need to go back!

Birthday Girl by the pretty wall in the bathroom, lol 😉

Thank you, Barnes and Noble, for an absolutely lovely afternoon. Although I didn’t buy a thing, I so appreciated just being there surrounded by my favorite objects: BOOKS!

What did I end up buying myself for my birthday? Random holiday jammies from Old Navy! I was excited about them until I took them home to try on. They are cut SO WEIRD!!! I l just loved that holiday sweater mug so much that I never even took the time to unfold them in the store. Oops. Lesson learned! Old Navy is so hit or miss and these are most definitely a MISS (although I still do love that holiday sweater mug). Back to the store they will go. I clearly still owe myself a birthday present! Maybe that adorable mug from Barnes and Noble…

If you can’t tell from the above photos, I am 100 percent obsessed with this time of year! Holiday scented candles, Christmas station on Pandora, holiday books, sweaters, scarves. NOW IT JUST NEEDS TO SNOOOOOOOW! MY FAVORITE!!!!

Birthday Giveaway Winner Video:

**Video has been deleted**

Blogmas 2021 Posts:

12/1: Welcome to Blogmas 2021 {Video}!

12:2: BLOGMAS: Birthday Giveaway {Amazon Gift Card}!

12/3: BLOGMAS Book Review: One Day in December {Josie Silver}

Have you been to Barnes and Noble recently?

Xo,

Jenny

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A Lovely Independent Bookstore

A Lovely Independent Bookstore

As you know, I’m a HUGE advocate of utilizing my local library. I absolutely LOVE the library and that is exactly where 90 percent of the books that I read come from. I love borrowing books so, so much.

I use my library for a number of reasons, mostly that I am a minimalist. I don’t WANT a stuffed, crammed bookshelf full of books that I most likely won’t reread in the future.

However, I DO love to support small businesses and I absolutely adore discovering wonderful independent bookstores. There is quite literally nothing better than a tiny, adorable bookstore and a friendly person behind the counter ready to discuss books. THE BEST.

Every time I go on a vacation, I seem to find the CUTEST bookshops and I absolutely love supporting them.

A Lovely Independent Bookstore

Last week, my family and I spent 4 days in Door County, WI. While walking through the town of Sturgeon Bay, I stumbled upon the most adorable independent bookstore!

Novel Bay Booksellers, I adore you.

This was the first thing to greet me on the sidewalk before I even walked into the store. Perfect.

I walked around for a few minutes breathing in the scent of new books and I was so happy. As soon as I saw this book on a shelf, I knew it was the one I was going to purchase! My friend and fellow book blogger Jenna had just posted the day prior about how much she LOVED this book so I took it as a sign.

I also saw the most beautiful coffee mug just sitting on a shelf and instantly knew I had to have it.

While speaking with the LOVELY lady behind the counter, I asked if I could take a copy of the Midwest Indie Bookstore Roadmap. Not only did she say yes but she told me to also take one for a friend 🙂 Megan, I’ve got yours here for you! XO!

I happily paid for my book and mug. Then the lovely lady (I so wish I could remember her name, ugh) gave me a book mark and a beautiful sticker which I came home and immediately affixed to my beloved planner.

Thank you for a wonderful visit, Novel Bay Booksellers!

If you are ever in the Door County area of Wisconsin, I highly suggest paying a visit to this charming little slice of Heaven. I can’t wait to return!

Other independent bookshops I’ve discovered while on vacations and links to my blog posts about them:

Booked for the Season (Grand Haven MI)

Moon Pie General Store and Original Book Warehouse in Pigeon Forge, TN (AKA the most amazing bookstore I’ve ever visited)

River Lights Bookstore (Dubuque, IA), Peace of the Past (Galena, IL), and Half Price Books Outlet in Rockford, IL (not necessarily an independent bookshop but since I bought my all time favorite book here on the way home from a vacation to Galena, IL, I’m including it here)

Tell me about an independent bookstore that you love to support!

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

The Best Book I Have Ever Read.

A few days ago, I decided to read this book…and 24 hours later I finished it. I very literally DEVOURED IT and savored each and every word. I couldn’t put it down, couldn’t stop thinking about it, and couldn’t do ANYTHING other than read it. I absolutely loved every second of this beautiful book.

The Best Book I Have Ever Read:

Synopsis of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry {Gabrielle Zevin}:

**I usually provide the Goodreads synopsis of the books I review. HOWEVER, I think the Goodreads synopsis actually is a bit TOO detailed and reveals a bit TOO much about this particular book that the reader shouldn’t know before reading! Here is the short synopsis from the back of the book which is perfect and gives absolutely nothing away**

My Review of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry {Gabrielle Zevin}:

This was one of the 4 books I recently purchased and I must say…I’m so glad I did. This is not the kind of book I could return to the library! I’m so happy to own my own copy.

This. Book. Is. MAGICAL.

I read it cover to cover in just over 24 hours and I think it’s the most beautifully written book I’ve ever read.

This is a VERY bold statement but I honestly think it’s the truth!

I loved every single word, every single message, every single literary reference, every single EVERYTHING.

I stopped giving books “stars” a long time ago but if I could give this book alllllll the stars, I would.

The words in these pages will stay in my heart forever. These characters, these stories lines, these MESSAGES…oh how I loved this beautiful book.

Do yourself a favor. Read this book, devour this book, cherish this book.

Thank you to my friend Jenna, Stop Reading! for introducing me to what has now EASILY slid into my #1 favorite book. I’ve been hearing her sing it’s praises for years and I’m absolutely kicking myself for not reading this beautiful book long ago.

This book is a GIFT for booklovers to enjoy. The descriptions of the bookstore and the special books it houses are perfection. If you have a special place in your heart for books, you will absolutely ADORE this special book. If you are looking for a gift to give a book lover, here it is.

This is NOT a new release…it was published in 2014. This is EXCELLENT news for you library patrons…the chances of you quickly receiving a copy are most likely quite high! However, I would recommend just buying it. You won’t want to give it back.

Gabrielle Zevin’s Young Jane Young was one of the very first books I ever reviewed on my blog. It will always be a special post to me because she was the very first author to “like” my review of her book. It ignited such a fire in me to know that she read my words about her writing. Since then, I have met and interacted with SO MANY AUTHORS and I must say that it’s one of my favorite parts about blogging.

Gabrielle, if you read this post…thank you. I absolutely love this book and I love being able to share it with others. What a special book you have written!

Here are links to 2 other books which are absolutely 2 of my other VERY FAVORITES! You can read about those books HERE and HERE.

Bottom Line

This is the best book I have ever read. And I have read A LOT of books.

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

Scenes From Our Gorgeous Getaway to Galena, IL {Pictures}

Scenes From Our Gorgeous Getaway to Galena, IL {Pictures}

My family and I went on a 4 day getaway to beautiful Galena, IL. Who knew Illinois could be so pretty?! We rented the most GORGEOUS lake house (think Chip and Joanna Gaines style). It was STUNNING, massive, and right on the water. PERFECT. We shopped at gorgeous boutiques, ate delicious food, played many rounds of Uno, went on a 3 mile hike (where a snake slithered right up to my foot!), roasted S’mores, and enjoyed this special time with just the 4 of us. Here are some snapshots that I took of our lovely trip 🙂

Thank you for allowing me to share a bit of my personal life with you today. I’ll be back on Wednesday with a post all about the books that I purchased while on my trip (I bought 4)!

Have you been to Galena, IL? Highly recommend. This was our 2nd trip there and I cant wait to return for a 3rd!

Until next time…

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!*

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

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

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

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

The Most Amazing Bookstore I’ve Ever Visited (Pictures and VIDEO)!

As a book lover, a book blogger, a book reviewer, and an overall book ADDICT, I’ve been to my fair share of bookstores. I love everything about bookstores….the peaceful tranquility I feel the moment I step in the door, the delicious smell of the books, the beautiful covers of pieces of literature lining the shelves. I have been to some AMAZING bookstores but I think this gem of a bookstore might just be my most favorite.

On our recent trip to Tennessee (that would be the trip where we were trapped on top of a mountain with no power and little food…you can read that full crazy story HERE), I came across the most amazing bookstore I have ever visited in a totally random way!

My husband has a MoonPie obsession. Yes you read that correctly…MoonPies. What is a MoonPie you ask? From Wikipedia:

A moon pie, stylized as MoonPie,^[1] is an American confection, popular across much of the United States, which consists of two round graham cookies, with marshmallow filling in the center, dipped in a flavored coating. The traditional pie is approximately 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. A smaller version, called a mini moon pie, is approximately half the size, and a double-decker moon pie of the traditional diameter features a third cookie and attendant layer of marshmallow. The five main flavors are chocolate, vanilla, banana, strawberry, and salted caramel. Orange and coconut make seasonal appearances during the Mardi Gras parading season.

Jon absolutely LOVES them.

So picture it: The 4 of us were driving along through Pigeon Forge, TN on our way back to our cabin in Gatlinburg when suddenly Jon literally yelled “MOONPIES!!!! AND A BOOK WAREHOUSE FOR MOM!!!!” and made a sharp turn into a parking lot. I looked up at the sign that caught his attention and sure enough…we were at a building which apparently housed not only MoonPies but…BOOKS?!?

I’ll admit, I didn’t have very high hopes when getting out of the car. I mean, how random! MoonPies and…books? Like, how do those 2 things even go together???

The Most Amazing Bookstore I’ve Ever Visited

Once I walked in the door of the MoonPie General Store and Book Warehouse, I was pleasantly surprised to find a LOVELY bookstore to my right! My husband found a LOVELY selection of Moon Pies to his left! A building truly made just for us 🙂 Naturally we each took a kid, said good bye to each other, and set off to explore in opposite directions 🙂

My first impression was that I was greeted with a very nice and lovely bookstore. I was happy to explore! Little did I know what I would eventually discover!

Dolly Parton is everywhere in this town!

My daughter and I walked around and happily poured through the stacks. Everything was GOOD when suddenly…

The true most hidden gem of the entire experience…

THE BASEMENT.

When I walked down those stairs, I was expecting a few shelves of clearance books. I was most definitely NOT expecting…THIS.

True or false…I gasped when I got to the bottom of the staircase. True. 100 percent true.

Oh. My.

I’m still not entirely sure how MoonPies and books go together but I’m so here for it…???

I could have spent HOURS in that basement! My true version of heaven! Some of the books organized, some of the books unorganized, some books are brand new, some books are used, all of the books AMAZING. Literally THOUSANDS of treasures down in that basement. A book lover’s DREAM.

I told my daughter that she could pick any book from the store and she chose this one (from the upstairs bookstore):

I chose this one! I’ve been hunting for Diksha Basu’s Destination Wedding for over a year and can’t seem to get my hands on a copy. I finally was able to find another one of her titles so I grabbed it (from the basement)! Can’t wait to read it!

And I should probably mention the other half of the massive upstairs building dedicated to…MoonPies?!?

My husband was in absolute HEAVEN and bought lots of MoonPies as souvenirs.

2 days after our initial visit, it was a very rainy day (which later turned into snow which would be how we got stuck on that mountain). What is better to do on a rainy day…than to go BACK to the hidden gem of a bookstore! You KNOW I did! However this time, I went STRAIGHT to that basement. Perfection.

I didn’t end of buying anything on that second trip but I absolutely LOVED walking around. Jon bought more MoonPies 🙂 Chocolate, chocolate mint, strawberry, and vanilla. Some full sized, some mini sized!

3 weeks later and our pantry still contains LOTS of MoonPies. He stocked up!

If you are ever in the area, this place is a MUST visit! HERE is their website where you can learn more including the many other products they carry and it’s exact Pigeon Forge address. When we go back to Tennessee (which we absolutely will one day…maaaaabye just not during the winter), I will be sure to set aside an entire afternoon to walk through this store alllllll by myself. Scratch that…I will be sure to set aside an entire afternoon to walk through THAT BASEMENT alllllll by myself!

If my husband and I ever decide to renew our wedding vows, I kind of feel like this would be the perfect venue for us amongst the Moon Pies and books, lol! It’s like this random pairing of goods was created and housed together in a building especially for the 2 of us! Perfect 🙂

Do you like MoonPies? Have any of you been to the MoonPie General Store and Book Warehouse? What is the best bookstore you have ever visited?

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!*

*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 ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE