BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}

BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}

Ha in my video where I explained all about what Blogmas is, did I NOT say that there might be a day when I end up posting at 11:00 pm if the day is a crazy busy one? Well my friends, today is that day ;). 11:00 pm is better than no post at all and I’ve done a Blogmas post EVERY SINGLE DAY in December…I refuse to quit now! Here is a review of a book I read a few months ago. The way I feel about this book is the way I feel about posting a blog post at 11:00 pm….not so great 😉

I clearly didn’t even love this book enough to take the 2 seconds to snap a quick photo of it before I returned it to the library! Photo Credit: Amazon, lol

Goodreads Synopsis of The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}:

WHEN PERFECT IMAGES

As a photographer, Delta Dawn observes the seemingly perfect lives of New York City’s elite: snapping photos of their children’s birthday parties, transforming images of stiff hugs and tearstained faces into visions of pure joy, and creating moments these parents long for.

ARE MADE OF BEAUTIFUL LIES

But when Delta is hired for Natalie Straub’s eleventh birthday, she finds herself wishing she wasn’t behind the lens but a part of the scene―in the Straub family’s gorgeous home and elegant life.

THE TRUTH WILL BE EXPOSED

That’s when Delta puts her plan in place, by babysitting for Natalie; befriending her mother, Amelia; finding chances to listen to her father, Fritz. Soon she’s bathing in the master bathtub, drinking their expensive wine, and eyeing the beautifully finished garden apartment in their townhouse. It seems she can never get close enough, until she discovers that photos aren’t all she can manipulate. 

My Review of The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}:

Eh.

It was good, not great. Super predictable. It held my interest but never once felt unputdownable (not a real word
my word).

It just lacked so much of EVERYTHING. Description, character development, story line development, etc. It also had a pretty major and obvious hole in the entire plot.

I think the story could really have been interesting had the author gone more in depth with EVERYTHING. This book felt like a draft to me. I wish someone would have advised her to take the story and just develop everything about it on a deeper scale.

It wasn’t a bad book by any means
a quick, easy read! I wouldn’t NOT recommend it, I just would recommend a bunch of other books before recommending this one. Unfortunately this is the kind of book where I will forget all about it in a few days. Eh.

One pro: I LOVED the main character’s name! Delta Dawn!

Bottom Line:

When the most positive thing I can say about a book is that I liked the main character’s name, that’s not good 😉

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

I hope you are having a good night! I’ll be back tomorrow (hopefully during daylight hours, lol) with another new Blogmas 2021 blog post!

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}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

12/5: BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

12/6: BLOGMAS Book Review: The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}

12/7: BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}

12/8: BLOGMAS: I Bought 5 New Books!

12/9: BLOGMAS: 8 Holiday Books I Want To Read

12/10: BLOGMAS: Must Have Book Accessory #4

12/11: BLOGMAS: The Holiday Drinks Book Tag

12/12: BLOGMAS: Book Review (Non Holiday): The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend {Katrina Bivald}

12/13: BLOGMAS: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, I Thing Currently Making me HAPPY!

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!*

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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

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BLOGMAS: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, I Thing Currently Making me HAPPY!

BLOGMAS: Book Coffee Happy’s newest series where I share the book I’m currently reading, the coffee I’m currently drinking, and 1 thing that is currently making me HAPPY!

The annual drive thru holiday light show! Every single year my kids’ favorite part is seeing “Santa’s Butt”.

Book I’m Currently Reading:

I wrote all about the wonderful book series that I’m currently reading in THIS POST. It’s such a perfect book series to read this time of year! Totally light, easy to read, and filled with the spirit of the season. I’m really loving these books! I’m currently halfway through book #3, Cardinal Cabin. I want to live in this adorable town!

Coffee I’m Currently Drinking:

Look what my husband bought for me! Absolutely LOVE! He ordered it straight from Yeti’s website and it’s so beautiful and amazing.

Hello new bestie!

Currently Making Me Happy:

I recently came across these from when my kids were little babies and my heart melted! Books are clearly important in this house and always have been 🙂 My daughter’s on the left is from one of MY all time favorite books and my son’s on the right is from one of my HUSBAND’S all time favorite books!

Can any of you guess which the 2 books these are from???

What are you currently reading?

What coffee are you currently drinking?

What is 1 thing currently making you HAPPY?

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}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

12/5: BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

12/6: BLOGMAS Book Review: The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}

12/7: BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}

12/8: BLOGMAS: I Bought 5 New Books!

12/9: BLOGMAS: 8 Holiday Books I Want To Read

12/10: BLOGMAS: Must Have Book Accessory #4

12/11: BLOGMAS: The Holiday Drinks Book Tag

12/12: BLOGMAS: Book Review (Non Holiday): The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend {Katrina Bivald}

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.*

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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

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BLOGMAS: Book Review (Non Holiday): The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend {Katrina Bivald}

BLOGMAS: Book Review (Non Holiday): The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend {Katrina Bivald}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend {Katrina Bivald}:

Once you let a book into your life, the most unexpected things can happen…

Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, however, she finds that Amy’s funeral has just ended. Luckily, the townspeople are happy to look after their bewildered tourist—even if they don’t understand her peculiar need for books. Marooned in a farm town that’s almost beyond repair, Sara starts a bookstore in honor of her friend’s memory.

All she wants is to share the books she loves with the citizens of Broken Wheel and to convince them that reading is one of the great joys of life. But she makes some unconventional choices that could force a lot of secrets into the open and change things for everyone in town. Reminiscent of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, this is a warm, witty book about friendship, stories, and love. 

My Review of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend {Katrina Bivald}:

Man this review hurts to write.

It’s a book about having a love for books! And all told through a BEAUTIFUL story! What could be better than that?

This book was just somewhat of a mess. Characters and storylines that ALMOST got fully developed paired with confusing timelines…ugh. Even the book’s TITLE is somewhat of a mess…that title is too long! I couldn’t even remember the name of the book while I was reading!

I do feel like somehow this beautiful book somehow got lost in translation. Originally published in Swedish, it has been translated into English (and also sold in 25 other countries). While this story was absolutely beautiful, it just felt like SOMETHING was missing…and I think that something might be the space between the original language and English. This is the third book I’ve read where I have felt this way (you can read about the other 2 books HERE and HERE).

Bottom Line

I so love the IDEA of this book…but not so much the actual book. UGH.

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

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}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

12/5: BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

12/6: BLOGMAS Book Review: The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}

12/7: BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}

12/8: BLOGMAS: I Bought 5 New Books!

12/9: BLOGMAS: 8 Holiday Books I Want To Read

12/10: BLOGMAS: Must Have Book Accessory #4

12/11: BLOGMAS: The Holiday Drinks Book Tag

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BLOGMAS: 8 Holiday Books I Want To Read

BLOGMAS: 8 Holiday Books I Want To Read

Love my wooden floor snowman! He even has twinkle lights!

Starting around mid November and lasting through mid January, the only books I want to read are holiday books. Everything else on my To Read List gets pushed aside and I welcome alllllll the holiday books!

I’m Jewish but you wouldn’t know it by my love of ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS. Christmas music, Christmas movies, Christmas EVERYTHING! I just love this time of year so, so much. And the books I read reflect that love! Give me a feel good Christmas book and I’m allllll in. Bonus if it includes a small town romance! Interestingly enough, this is the only time of year that I seek out books in the romance genre.

This year is a bit different because rather than reading a bunch of holiday books from different authors, I have found 1 holiday book series that I am LOVING and want to read them all now! So from mid November to mid January, I will be spending all of my time in the beautiful fictional town of Addison, Connecticut reading THESE BOOKS. I’m currently on Book #3 and I’m ABSOLUTELY LOVING THIS BOOK SERIES!

Now that being said, there are a bunch of other holiday books currently out that I would love to read…and I already have them on Holiday 2022 Reading List!

Here are 8 holiday books that I have on my To Read list for next year’s holiday season (but if you want to read them now, they are all currently available). Click the photos below to take you directly to Amazon where you can read the book synopsis and buy your copy through my affiliate link! When you purchase through this link, the cost is the exact same to you but I receive a tiny percentage of the sale. Thank you for your support of Book Coffee Happy!

8 Holiday Books I Want to Read:

Have you read any of these books? Which holiday books are your favorites? Any others that I should add to my list? I know I’ve mentioned it so many times before but I absolutely love THIS SERIES!

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}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

12/5: BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

12/6: BLOGMAS Book Review: The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}

12/7: BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}

12/8: BLOGMAS: I Bought 5 New Books!

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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BLOGMAS: I Bought 5 New Books!

BLOGMAS: I Bought 5 New Books!

#mamabear

Do you remember from THIS POST when I said that I hadn’t bought myself a birthday present yet this year? Well, I now have and I think it’s a lovely present indeed. 5 new books!

I discussed this story before but I’ll quickly summarize the backstory in fragments: Last spring, Little Free Library, found book, took book, researched book, discovered it was #2 in a series, emailed author, was told although it’s a series each book can be read as a standalone novel, waited until holiday season to start reading, read book.

Ok now that you are all caught up, let’s move on.

So I read Snow Deer and Cocoa Cheer, absolutely LOVED it (review coming soon), and immediately decided I needed book #1. My library didn’t have it so I made a quick Amazon order and my new book arrived within 48 hours.

Halfway through reading Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes (book #1), I decided that I definitely wanted to read the rest of this series! I’m just loving it so much! At this point I was also in search of a birthday present for myself and suddenly I knew just what to do.

A few clicks later and the other 5 books had been ordered. I’m loving this adorable town in this series so much and I’m just not ready to leave the wonderful little town of Addison, Connecticut!

If you are looking for a super light, small town, Christmas, feel good, heartwarming, Hallmark movie type book series….this series is GREAT so far. I’m currently reading book #3 (Cardinal Cabin). I am absolutely loving this small town and it’s adorably lovable residents so much. This series is WONDERFUL and makes my heart so happy.

Side Note: These are some of the most beautiful book covers I’ve ever seen. How absolutely gorgeous are these books???

Thank you SO MUCH to whoever put Snow Deer and Cocoa Cheer in that Little Free Library last spring! Because of you, I’ve had the most lovely few weeks getting to know the residents of this adorable little town. Absolutely perfect books to read this time of year to fill my heart with holiday spirit!

It’s definitely taken a few years but I have FINALLY found another worthy holiday series to read during the holiday season after reading THIS SERIES (which I LOVED) years ago.

***NOTE***

While I agree that each of these books can be read as stand alone novels, I do recommend reading them in order. Some characters/storylines make appearances in each book and reading them in the proper order just adds to the overall storyline development.

Here is the order of the books in this series (The title of this series is The Winter Novels):

Book 1: Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes

Book 2: Snow Deer and Cocoa Cheer

Book 3: Cardinal Cabin

Book 4: First Flurries

Book 5: Eighteen Winters

Book 6: Winter House

I can’t wait to share my thoughts on each of these individual books with you soon!

Have any of you read any of these books? I’d love to hear your thoughts! I had never heard of them until I found book #2 in that Little Free Library! Hands down my most favorite Little Free Library find EVER.

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}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

12/5: BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

12/6: BLOGMAS Book Review: The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}

12/7: BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

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

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BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}

Blogmas: (Non Holiday) Book Review: Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}

Today I have a NON holiday book review to share with you! I read Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann} a few months ago…here are my thoughts!

Goodreads Synopsis of Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}:

Gail and Jon Durbin moved to the Chicago suburbs to set up house as soon as Gail got pregnant. But then she miscarried—once, twice, three times. Determined to expand their family, the Durbins turn to adoption. When several adoptions fall through, Gail’s desire for a child overwhelms her.

Carli is a pregnant teenager from a blue-collar town nearby, with dreams of going to college and getting out of her mother’s home. When she makes the gut-wrenching decision to give her baby up for adoption, she chooses the Durbins. But Carli’s mother, Marla, has other plans for her grandbaby.

In Other People’s Children, three mothers make excruciating choices to protect their families and their dreams—choices that put them at decided odds against one another. You will root for each one of them and wonder just how far you’d go in the same situation. This riveting debut is a thoughtful exploration of love and family, and a heart-pounding page-turner you’ll find impossible to put down.

My Review of Other People’s Children {R.J. Hoffmann}:

This wasn’t a lighthearted read by any means. It was dark, heavy, and thought provoking.

As I was reading, I kept wavering on how I wanted it to end and I found myself coming up short as I really didn’t like any of the characters. I think in which some of the storylines were wrapped up was perfect but others I didn’t agree with.

Overall, I just wanted MORE. More feeling, more connection, more everything! More connection was the biggest one. I just felt that all of the characters were so disconnected from each other and even disconnected from their own feelings if that makes sense. Like I said…I REALLY didn’t like ANY of the characters and by the end I found myself thinking that NONE of them should have custody of this child (although the cover promised that I would “root for each one of them”). The disconnection that I found between the pages mimicked my own disconnect from all of the characters and story lines. Ugh.

I DID love that it was set in Illinois and I LOVED all of the local references. My hometown even got a shoutout!

This book was good…and made me think. Did I love it? I did not. Would I recommend it? Eh maybe? It was an easy read and I LOVED the short chapters (just a few pages each…THE BEST).

***Something to note***

On the Amazon link below, the book is by “Jeff Hoffman” yet on the copy that I read, it was authored by “R.J. Hoffman“…???

Bottom Line:

I just really wanted to like at least ONE character in this book…NOPE.

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

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}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

12/5: BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

12/6: BLOGMAS Book Review: The Christmas Wedding {James Patterson}

Xo,

Jenny

This book wasn’t my favorite…but you might 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

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

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BLOGMAS: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

Blogmas: 3 Library Books I Recently Returned Without Reading

I recently saw this bookshelf while shopping at a craft mall. How beautiful is this display??

Is there anything worse than returning a library book without reading it??? Yes…returning THREE of them!

Once mid November hit, I made the switch to reading ONLY holiday books for the remainder of the year. More specifically, feel good, Christmas spirit type holiday books. No genre better this time of year!

Unfortunatly I had a stack of NON holiday library books waiting for me to read. And they were due back to the library. STAT. So…back they went.

It hurts my heart when I have to return library books without reading them first! These 3 books look GREAT and I absolutely plan on reading them…but only during the non holiday season 😉

***All photos taken from the front seat of my car as I was parked in the library parking lot about to slide each into the return slot on the side of the building, lol. All shadows, angles, backgrounds, reflections, etc. are courtesy of my extremely last minute thought to turn this library excursion into a blog post, lol **

Returned Library Book #1: Yes Daddy {Jonathan Parks-Ramage}

This book synopsis somehow gives me the same vibe as THIS BOOK which I loved!

Oh hi iphone reflection, lol 😉

Goodreads Synopsis of Yes Daddy {Jonathan Parks-Ramage}:

A propulsive, scorching modern gothic, Yes, Daddy follows an ambitious young man who is lured by an older, successful playwright into a dizzying world of wealth and an idyllic Hamptons home where things take a nightmarish turn.

Jonah Keller moved to New York City with dreams of becoming a successful playwright, but, for the time being, lives in a rundown sublet in Bushwick, working extra hours at a restaurant only to barely make rent. When he stumbles upon a photo of Richard Shriver—the glamorous Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright and quite possibly the stepping stone to the fame he craves—Jonah orchestrates their meeting. The two begin a hungry, passionate affair.

When summer arrives, Richard invites his young lover for a spell at his sprawling estate in the Hamptons. A tall iron fence surrounds the idyllic compound where Richard and a few of his close artist friends entertain, have lavish dinners, and—Jonah can’t help but notice—employ a waitstaff of young, attractive gay men, many of whom sport ugly bruises. Soon, Jonah is cast out of Richard’s good graces and a sinister underlay begins to emerge. As a series of transgressions lead inexorably to a violent climax, Jonah hurtles toward a decisive revenge that will shape the rest of his life.

Riveting, unpredictable, and compulsively readable, Yes, Daddy is an exploration of class, power dynamics, and the nuances of victimhood and complicity. It burns with weight and clarity—and offers hope that stories may hold the key to our healing.

Returned Library Book #2: The Sanatorium {Sarah Pearse}

I have had this book on my to read list for months. I just wish it didn’t have a Reese’s Book Club sticker on it! As you are well aware, I love Reese…but I do NOT always love her book selections. UGH.

This book already makes me think of THIS BOOK which I loved!

Goodreads Synopsis of The Sanatorium {Sarah Pearse}:

Ummm
????

Ummm…that’s not a language that I speak. Huh. Hey Goodreads? Might want to fix that…

Let’s try this again.

Here is the Amazon.com Synopsis instead, lol:

Half-hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumors, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel.

An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But Elin’s taken time off from her job as a detective, so when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancĂ©e, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel, Elin really has no reason not to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge–there’s something about the hotel that makes her nervous. And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing, Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

Elin is under pressure to find Laure, but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she’s the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in. . .

Returned Library Book #3: Survive the Night {Riley Sager}

The only book I have ever read by Riley Sager was THIS ONE and it was great! Makes me excited to read Survive the Night!

Oh good, the iphone reflection is back!

Goodreads Synopsis of Survive the Night {Riley Sager}:

Charlie Jordan is being driven across the country by a serial killer. Maybe.

Behind the wheel is Josh Baxter, a stranger Charlie met by the college ride share board, who also has a good reason for leaving university in the middle of term. On the road they share their stories, carefully avoiding the subject dominating the news – the Campus Killer, who’s tied up and stabbed three students in the span of a year, has just struck again.

Travelling the lengthy journey between university and their final destination, Charlie begins to notice discrepancies in Josh’s story.

As she begins to plan her escape from the man she is becoming certain is the killer, she starts to suspect that Josh knows exactly what she’s thinking.

Meaning that she could very well end up as his next victim.

Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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}

12/4: BLOGMAS: My Birthday Visit to Barnes and Noble!

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ok first of all, OMG you guys left the kindest and most lovely comments on my LAST POST! I was overwhelmed by all of your sweet words, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love writing this little blog and I love that so many of you shared how much you love reading it! I promise to respond to all of your comments ASAP but in the meantime, please know how much they mean to me and how each one made me smile.

There is still time to enter the Amazon gift card giveaway! All entries must be made by 6:00 CDT tonight in order to qualify. All of the giveaway details can be found on yesterday’s post! Good luck!

Today I have a review for you of a book that I read LAST December:

Goodreads Synopsis of One Day in December {Josie Silver}:

Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic… and then her bus drives away.

Certain they’re fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn’t find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they “reunite” at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It’s Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness. 

My Review of One Day in December {Josie Silver}:

I love Reese Witherspoon but MAN do I disagree with SO MANY of her book club picks!

Unfortunately this book was just not for me. I REALLY wanted to love it but sadly…I really didn’t.

This book felt looooooong. I won’t sugar coat it…I was so bored. The entire time. Even the “big” events somehow lacked the ability to feel big and the whole book just dragged for me.

A big part of the reason that I didn’t like this book was the fact that I didn’t like ANY of the characters. Each was so unlikable and so completely unrelatable in their own way!

The relationships between the characters in this book were so BEYOND flawed and many of the situations were so unrealistic. Ugh.

I LOVE romance. I LOVE fate and destiny and I LOVE Serendipity! This book was absolutely none of those.

The most annoying part? I waited for SUCH A LONG TIME to read this book because people say it’s a “holiday book” so obviously I had to read it in December. It’s NOT! Yes, the holidays are mentioned but overall I would NOT say this is a holiday book by any means. If you still want to read this book despite my scathing review, feel free to read it at any time throughout the year 🙂 If you are looking for an amazing holiday read, I highly recommend THESE BOOKS.

I was nervous to post the best books that I read in 2020 a few weeks before the year’s end in fear that I would read another book that should have been included in my list! Thankfully after reading this book, my list still stands firm, lol. I read this book at the very end of 2020! I have waited an entire year to post my review because…who wants to read a book called One Day in December during any other month? Not I!

Bottom Line:

392 pages….of nothing happening.

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

Blogmas 2021 Posts:

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

Clearly this book was not for me…but you might 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The 12 Best Books I Read in 2020 can be found HERE

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

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I’m Back and I’ve Been Reading!

Well. That was QUITE unintentional blogging break! I’m so sorry! Things in my life have been crazy and busy and unfortunately my favorite hobby has clearly suffered a bit as a result. However, as busy as I’ve been, I most definitely have still been reading!

Before I get into exactly WHAT I’ve been reading, I should probably do a bit of catching up. The last post that I published included a picture of a Halloween skeleton. As I’m typing this, my favorite holiday scented candle is next to me and Pandora is playing my favorite holiday station. Clearly time has passed!

Bath and Body Works Winter Candy Apple is one of my absolute favorite scents on Earth.

In my last post, I mentioned that I was reading The Reading List and was looking forward to reading In My Dreams I Hold a Knife. I never finished The Reading List although I honestly was LOVING it. I was just…not captivated enough. Do you remember all of the reasons I stopped reading The Guncle? Replace that book title with The Reading List and those are literally the EXACT same reasons that I stopped reading this one (you can see the post with those reasons HERE).

Ugh.

Aaaaaand while we are talking about books that I indeed did NOT finish because I wasn’t captivated enough…let’s just go ahead and add The Paper Palace to that list as well.

I wish WordPress would let me insert the face palm emoji here…

As for In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, I DID in fact read (and finish!!!) that book! I’m working on my review and will have it posted here later this week!

I’m currently celebrating my favorite time of year by reading this book with the most GORGEOUS cover:

I randomly found this little gem in a Little Free Library last spring and have been saving it to read during this holiday season (I could never read a book like this at any other time of year…anyone else feel this way?) When I went on Goodreads to check it out after I got it last spring, I noticed that it’s technically the 2nd in a series. I immediately messaged the author about this and here is what she said:

Perfect! I’ll post my review here as soon as I finish reading 🙂

Do any of you have suggestions of other holiday books? I already have a few lined up but I cannot get enough of them during this time of year! If you are looking for some GREAT holiday reads, HERE is a link to my absolute favorites! I’d love to hear about yours…please post 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!*

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

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

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What I’m Reading (It’s WONDERFUL), What I Recently Read (It Was Good), What I Think I’ll Read Next (Looks Amazing)

I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! And this week I’m doing it actually ON a WEDNESDAY, lol! Amazing! 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!

Absolutely. Love. Her.

Before I dive into the wonderful book that I’m currently reading, I would like to thank you all for you kind words and condolences on my last post. She sure was a beauty. I’m currently working through my grief and trying to figure out how to move on 😉

What Are You Currently Reading?

I’ll post my full review once I finish reading but so far it’s wonderful and BEAUTIFULLY written.

Goodreads Synopsis of The Reading List {Sara Nisha Adams}:

Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.

When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list
hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again. 
 

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Goodreads Synopsis of Firsts {Laurie Elizabeth Flynn}:

Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.

Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy- so far. Her absentee mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn- or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.

When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. 

Read my review of this one HERE.

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

It seems EVERYONE is reading this book right now and I’ve heard it’s AWESOME. I can’t wait to get started! If you are someone looking to read the latest book that EVERYONE will be reading and talking about…here you go 🙂

Goodreads Synopsis of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife {Ashley Winstead}:

Ten years after graduation, Jessica Miller has planned her triumphant return to southern, elite Duquette University, down to the envious whispers that are sure to follow in her wake. Everyone is going to see the girl she wants them to see—confident, beautiful, indifferent—not the girl she was when she left campus, back when Heather’s murder fractured everything, including the tight bond linking the six friends she’d been closest to since freshman year. Ten years ago, everything fell apart, including the dreams she worked for her whole life—and her relationship with the one person she wasn’t supposed to love.

But not everyone is ready to move on. Not everyone left Duquette ten years ago, and not everyone can let Heather’s murder go unsolved. Someone is determined to trap the real killer, to make the guilty pay. When the six friends are reunited, they will be forced to confront what happened that night—and the years’ worth of secrets each of them would do anything to keep hidden.

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

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

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