Blogmas 2022: Smash or Pass Book Tag

Blogmas 2022: Smash or Pass Book Tag

Happy Hanukkah!

I originally saw this book tag on One Book More and knew that I wanted to participate! Let’s GO!

Smash or Pass Book Tag:

Bookish Tropes

Eh not a huge fan of the overdone ones so overall PASS. Enemies to lovers, love triangles, etc.

Alternating POV

Smash but only if it’s done in a way that isn’t annoying or confusing. This one is a hard one to get right but when an author does, it’s a wonderful way to read a book!

Ambiguous Endings

PASS. Authors, please wrap up every single storyline and tie everything together with a beautiful bow. This also applies to series finales of television shows. Please and thank you.

Non/Fiction

Smash! I love non fiction and have turned to books throughout my life. HERE is my list of non fiction recommendations for pregnancy, new parents, baby showers, etc.!

Historical Setting

Smash. 5 that instantly come to mind are THIS BOOK, THIS BOOK, THIS BOOK, THIS BOOK, and THIS BOOK (click each link to read the book synopsis and my full review). Absolutely loved them all!

Morally Grey Characters

Smash. Love them, especially when they switch back and forth and ESPECIALLY in thrillers! The best!

First Person POV

Smash. When done well, I love reading books with a first person POV.

Audiobooks

Overall smash BUT there are aspects of it that are most definitely pass! I explain allll my feelings about audiobooks (good and bad) in THIS POST.

Re-Reading

Pass. I mean, I’ve done it but overall I would rather enjoy a new-to-me book than go back and reread one.

Classic Novels

SMASH when I was younger but PASS now that I’m older, lol. I used to LOVE to read classic novels (I once filled an entire binder with my thoughts and feelings on The Catcher In The Rye‘s characters, plot, settings, etc. when I was in high school just for fun)…

Annotating

Pass. Haven’t actually done this since college.

Cracking Book Spines

SMAAAAAAASH! I crack pretty much every book that I read. Always. Love it. And I dog ear, too…

Smut

SMASH. ALL. DAY. I looooooooove hot smutty sex scenes (add THAT to things I wasn’t planning on saying on the Internet today). Some of the hottest sex scenes I’ve read are in THIS BOOK and I loved every second (and aside from the hot sex scenes that book is just awesome in every way….a definite must read).

Character Driven Books

HARD. PASS. I typically enjoy plot driven books a million times more than character driven books…

Past/Present Split Timeline

Again, when done correctly this is a wonderful way to tell a story. However, I’ve found that there is a fine line between doing this correctly vs confusing the reader…

Heavy World Building

HARD. PASS. Not much more for me to say about this other than just…NOT. FOR. ME.

If you just read this book tag, consider yourself tagged! Please link back to me if you post on your blog. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to answer any of these in the comments…I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

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

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

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

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

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12/17 Blogmas 2022: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022

12/18 Blogmas 2022: Review of the Christmas Book With One of the Prettiest Book Covers I Have Ever Seen

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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Blogmas 2022: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022

Blogmas 2022: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022

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

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

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

Here are links to my favorite books from past years:

The Best Books I Read in 2019

The Best Books I Read in 2020

The Best Books I Read in 2021

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

The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022:

Book #1’s Bottom Line:

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

Book #2’s Bottom Line:

Read this. Today.

Book #3’s Bottom Line:

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

Book #4’s Bottom Line:

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

Book #5’s Bottom Line:

This book is FASCINATING.

Book #6’s Bottom Line:

I never wanted this book to end.

Book #7’s Bottom Line:

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

Book #8’s Bottom Line:

Perfect little holiday read!

Book #9’s Bottom Line:

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

Book #10’s Bottom Line:

Absolutely loved it.

Book #11’s Bottom Line:

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

Book #12’s Bottom Line:

One of my favorite reads of the year!

Book #13’s Bottom Line:

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

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

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

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

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

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

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

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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

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

Loving this scent! Obvi not nearly as much as my beloved Winter Candy Apple but it’s a good one…

Here are 2 screenshots of the exchange I had with a blog reader last week:

I mean, that’s QUITE the positive book recommendation! I don’t know this blog reader in real life but I DO know that she has been reading my blog for quite some time and she knows my taste in books. This message exchange made me want to read this holiday book NOW! I put it on hold at my library but sadly, it’s still not in…and I’ve got other holiday books that I’m not so patiently waiting to read (I’m looking at you, Winter Novels)! Considering that I’m always DONE and so over reading holiday books by January, I will need to put this one to the side for now.

So Blogmas 2023….the first official holiday book that I will be reading will be…Once Upon a December!

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis of Once Upon a December {Amy E. Reichert}:

With a name like Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit isn’t just a seasonal specialty–it’s a way of life. But after a stinging divorce, Astra’s yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market takes on a whole new meaning. She’s ready to eat, drink, and be merry, especially with the handsome stranger who saves the best kringle for her at his family bakery.

For Jack Clausen, the Julemarked with its snowy lights and charming shops stays the same, while the world outside the joyful street changes, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s never minded living this charmed existence until Astra shows him the life he’s been missing outside of the festive red brick alley.

After a swoon-worthy series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa. 

Sounds so cute, right?? Have any of you read it?? I’d love to hear your thoughts…BUT ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

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

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

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

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

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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

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

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

Goodreads Synopsis of The Mommy Clique {Barbara Altamirano}:

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

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

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

My Thoughts on The Mommy Clique {Barbara Altamirano}:

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

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

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

Moms, read this book.

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

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

A Conversation With Barbara Altamirano, in Her Own Words:

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

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

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

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

Where can your book be purchased?

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

***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

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

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

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

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

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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

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

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

Goodreads Synopsis of Skinny {Donna Cooner}:

Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies’s head. Skinny tells Ever all the dark thoughts her classmates have about her. Ever knows she weighs over three hundred pounds, knows she’ll probably never be loved, and Skinny makes sure she never forgets it.

But there is another voice: Ever’s singing voice, which is beautiful but has been silenced by Skinny. Partly in the hopes of trying out for the school musical—and partly to try and save her own life—Ever decides to undergo a risky surgery that may help her lose weight and start over.

With the support of her best friend, Ever begins the uphill battle toward change. But demons, she finds, are not so easy to shake, not even as she sheds pounds. Because Skinny is still around. And Ever will have to confront that voice before she can truly find her own. 

My Review of Skinny {Donna Cooner}:

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

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

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

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

Bottom Line:

Absolutely loved it.

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

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

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

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

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

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

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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Blogmas 2022: 2 Books For Upcoming Blog Giveaways

Blogmas 2022: 2 Books For Upcoming Blog Giveaways

Being a book blogger, I’m extraordinarily fortunate that authors and publishers graciously offer to send me books every single day. Although I would say I turn down probably 85% of them at this point, I’m always thankful for the offer. I pride myself on only accepting books that are books I am genuinely excited to read and books that I would have chosen on my own had they not been offered to me to read.

I have recently received 2 books in the mail and I think both sound GREAT. I will be reading these in the new year and will post my full review once I finish. I’ll also be hosting giveaways for both of these in the new year so be on the lookout!

Book #1

Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life… and a Man {Reenita M. Hora}

Book #2

Ugly {Kelly Vincent}

Don’t both of these sound wonderful??

Which of these 2 books would you be the most interested in reading?

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

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

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

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

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

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

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

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

6 Books I Want To Read in 2023:

The Sweet Spot {Amy Poeppel}:

Expected Publication January 31, 2023

Photo Credit: Simon and Schuster

Goodreads Synopsis of The Sweet Spot {Amy Poeppel}:

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

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

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

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

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

Someone Else’s Shoes {Jojo Moyes}:

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

Expected Publication February 7, 2023

Photo Credit: Target

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

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

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

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

The Soulmate {Sally Hepworth}:

Expected Publication April 4, 2023

Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of The Soulmate {Sally Hepworth}:

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

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

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

The Half Moon {Mary Beth Keane}:

Expected Publication May 2, 2023

Photo Credit: Simon and Schuster

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

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

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

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

Always the Almost {Edward Underhill}:

Expected Publication February 14, 2023

Photo Credit: Macmillian

Goodreads Synopsis of Always the Almost {Edward Underhill}:

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

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

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

We’ll Never Tell {Wendy Heard}:

Expected Publication May 16, 2023

Photo Credit: Amazon

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

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

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

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

What books are you most excited to read in 2023?

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

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

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

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

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

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

Obsessed with this mug.

Ooooh I love a good book tag and I haven’t completed one in a while! I originally saw this one on Gem’s Book Nook and knew I wanted to participate!

WHAT BOOK IS SO HAPPY AND SWEET THAT IT WARMS YOUR HEART?

THIS BOOK. It’s perfection.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK WITH A WHITE COVER?

Room by Emma Donoghue. One of the most powerful books I’ve ever read. You can read my review HERE (one of the very first blog posts I ever wrote)

YOU’RE SITTING IN A NICE COMFY CHAIR, WEARING A ONESIE, WITH A LOVELY WARM HOT CHOCOLATE BUT WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?

Chocolate gives me migraines so I haven’t had chocolate in YEARS. Replace hot chocolate with coffee and this scene sounds just lovely :). And I would be reading the perfect wintery book series…either The Winter Street series by Elin Hilderbrand (read my thoughts HERE) or the Winter series by Joanne Demaio (read my thoughts HERE).

Fun Fact: Elin Hilderbrand’s name is pronounced “Ellen”. I had mentioned on Instagram a few weeks ago that I wasn’t sure how to pronounce it and she responded that it’s pronounced “Ellen”…aaaaand that she blames her mother, lol 😉

IT STARTED SNOWING SO YOU DECIDED TO HAVE A SNOWBALL FIGHT! WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER WOULD YOU LOVE TO HAVE THE SNOWBALL FIGHT WITH?

Becky Bloomwood! Definitely Becky Bloomwood. I’ve never wanted to become best friends with a book character like I’ve wanted to become best friends with her. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, you can read my review of her adorable book series HERE!

SADLY, YOUR FIRE IS BEGINNING TO GO OUT. SO WHAT BOOK WOULD YOU TEAR THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS OUT TO THROW INTO THE FIRE?

Landline. I’d toss the whole book in there, not just the last few chapters. You can read my (non glowing, lol) review of that book HERE. Side Note: longtime blog readers will remember that this was the post that caused alllllll the drama on Instagram a few years ago because I titled my post “One of The Worst Books I Have Ever Read” (I stand by my choice of words).

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! I’d love for you to tag me in your post so I can read your answers!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

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

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {video}!

It’s BLOGMAS time!!!

This is officially year 2 of Book Coffee Happy participating in this annual tradition alongside so many other wonderful bloggers/vloggers.

Blogmas 2022 Video:

What is Blogmas you ask? Here is a video of me explaining everything:

Here are links to all of Book Coffee Happy’s Blogmas posts from last year:

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!

12/14: BLOGMAS: (Non Holiday) Book Review: The Photographer {Mary Dixie Carter}

12/15: BLOGMAS: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2022

12/16: BLOGMAS: GIVEAWAY {Amazon Gift Card}! Book Coffee Happy Readers Are The KINDEST!

12/17: BLOGMAS: A Change In My December Reading Plans!

12/18: BLOGMAS: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2021

12/19: BLOGMAS: Books To Give As Gifts

12/20: BLOGMAS Book Series Review: The Winter Novels 1-3 {Joanne Demaio}

12/21: BLOGMAS: {Video} Favorite Reading Accessories #5 and #6

Aaaaaaand then I stopped on 12/22, lol. This year I am determined to make it until 12/23!

Happy Blogmas 2022! Let’s goooooo!

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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Book Review: Bookish People {Susan Coll}

Book Review: Bookish People {Susan Coll}

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

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

Goodreads Synopsis of Bookish People {Susan Coll}:

Independent bookstore owner Sophie Bernstein is burned out on books. Mourning the death of her husband, the loss of her favorite manager, her only child’s lack of aspiration, and the grim state of the world, she fantasizes about going into hiding in the secret back room of her store.

Meanwhile, renowned poet Raymond Chaucer has published a new collection, and rumors that he’s to blame for his wife’s suicide have led to national cancellations of his publicity tour. He intends to set the record straight—with an ultra-fine-point Sharpie—but only one shop still plans to host him: Sophie’s.

Fearful of potential repercussions from angry customers, Sophie asks Clemi—bookstore events coordinator, aspiring novelist, and daughter of a famed literary agent—to cancel Raymond’s appearance. But Clemi suspects Raymond might be her biological father, and she can’t say no to the chance of finding out for sure.

This big-hearted screwball comedy features an intergenerational cast of oblivious authors and over-qualified booksellers—as well as a Russian tortoise named Kurt Vonnegut Jr.—and captures the endearing quirks of some of the best kinds of people: the ones who love good books.

My Review of Bookish People {Susan Coll}:

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

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

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

Waiting for my Covid Booster!

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

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

Bottom Line:

I pretty much equally loved and disliked this book.

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

Xo,

Jenny

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

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

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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