2 Books I’m NOT Reading!

2 Books I’m NOT Reading!

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

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

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

Book #1 I’m NOT Reading:

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

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

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

Book #2 I’m NOT Reading:

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

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

Goodreads Synopsis of The Vacation {John Marrs}:

How far would you run to escape your past?

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

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

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

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VIDEO Book Review: Ready or Not {Cara Bastone}

VIDEO Book Review: Ready or Not {Cara Bastone}

I haven’t done a video in review in a while…so I filmed one for you! Here are my thoughts (spoiler free obvi) on Cara Bastone’s Ready or Not.

VIDEO Book Review: Ready or Not {Cara Bastone}:

 

Let me know if you enjoy these types of videos and if so, I can film these more often! 

 

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

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

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Audiobook Review: The Teacher {Freida McFadden}

Audiobook Review: The Teacher {Freida McFadden}

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

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

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

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

The Surrogate Mother

The Inmate

Do Not Disturb

Want to Know a Secret?

The Locked Door (AKA The Most ANNOYING Audiobook Voice)

The Wife Upstairs

The Coworker

Photo Cred: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of The Teacher {Freida McFadden}:

Lesson #1: Trust no one.

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

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

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

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

My Review of The Teacher {Freida McFadden}:

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

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

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

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

I’m Baaaaaaack and a BOOK GIVEAWAY!

I’m Baaaaaaack and a BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Long time no post! Hiiiiiii!

I must start by saying that although I haven’t been posting on my blog over these past 2 months, I most definately have been posting on Instagram….almost daily! If you don’t already follow Book Coffee Happy on Instagram, please do. I’m significantly more active over there than I am on here (especially in my Instastories…I love making them and talking about my reading life in real time)!

I posted my last blog post on February 2nd. 3 days later I was called downtown for jury duty and ended up spending 2 weeks sitting on a jury for a criminal case in a federal trial. I will not discuss the specifics of the case on here (feels weird to do so) but I will say that it was one of the most fascinating and interesting experiences of my life! I LOVED sitting on a jury. I learned a ridiculous amount of information during those 2 weeks and soaked it all in like a sponge…I took 35 pages of notes during the trial! I found the entire process FASCINATING. It also helped that the people who sat on the jury with me were lovely which was great considering we all spent Valentine’s Day together, lol.

**And yes, I have watched the tv series “Jury Duty” and yes I thought it was amazing. If you have ever sat on a jury, this show is a must see! Hilarious!**

I had to leave my house before sunrise every morning. I drank LOTS of coffee.

Valentine’s Day 2024. In front of the entire courtroom of people, the judge commented that she liked my sweater!
I can’t wait to get summoned again!!

What else have I been up to…

My son got to participate in a basketball clinic held in the Chicago Bulls practice facility and he was coached by Will Perdue. Turns out Will is just a smiiiiidge taller than I am.

I got to be an extra in a Mario Lopez Christmas movie! It will be called “My Grown Up Christmas Wish” and will air throughout this holiday season on the Great American Family channel starting around Thanksgiving!

I LOVE MARIO LOPEZ (always have) and you already know how I much I love all things Christmas so this was literally a dream come true. My entire family got to do it! My son filmed over the course of 2 seperate days, my husband filmed for about 5 hours, and my daughter and I filmed together on set for 12 HOURS STRAIGHT with Mario and his wife, Courtney! So, so, so much fun. We were in so many different scenes!

The props lady handed me this fake cup of apple cider to hold while filming some of the scenes. It matched my lipstick! I wanted it to be filled with real coffee, lol.

Ok what else have I been up for over these past 2 months….

I’ve gone to 8 plays (4 of which my kids were both in!!), 3 school concerts, a road trip with my daughter, worked alongside some amazing moms and planned/ran a successful PTO silent auction/event, spent so much time with my family and friends, and lots more. It’s been a busy and wonderful 2 months 🙂

I may not have been blogging but I most definitely have been READING! 8 books in total since I have last written a blog post. I am working on posting reviews for all of them ASAP! Some have been amazing and some….not so much ;). Stay tuned!

From Book Coffee Happy’s Insta:

On Wednesday night, I went to a delightful book event at The Book Stall in Wilmette, IL. My girl Rochelle Weinstein was there discussing her AMAZING book, What You Do To Me. I absolutely loved, loved, LOVED that book! You can read the book synopsis and my (glowing obvi) review of it HERE.

Love you 🙂

Book Giveaway

To celebrate my return to blogging after what might be the longest I have gone in 5.5 years without writing a blog post, I thought it would be fun to host a giveaway! Rochelle Weinstein signed this copy especially for a blog reader…I can’t wait to see who will get it (details below on how to enter)!

I’ve missed you all! Feels so nice to be back.

Happy Passover to all who celebrate! Keeping Israel in my thoughts always…

***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***

If you are local, we can arrange pickup for you to get your book directly from me. If you aren’t local, I will mail it all to you! Open to US residents only for this giveaway, please.

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 on Sunday (4/28/24) at 6:00 pm CDT and the winner will be randomly chosen and announced here on my blog on Monday (4/29/24).

I will post a video here on Monday of me choosing the winner!

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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

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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

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

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

I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

Thanks so much to Sam from Taking on a World of Words for hosting this fun weekly post!

What Are You Currently Reading?

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

Goodreads Synopsis of Hold My Girl {Charlene Carr}:

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

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

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

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

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

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

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

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

Goodreads Synopsis of The Other Mothers {Katherine Faulkner}:

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

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

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

Omg.

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

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

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

Oh I’m so mad. 

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

Xo,

Jenny

Hold My Girl

The Other Mothers

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

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

Book Review: None of This Is True {Lisa Jewell}

Book Review: None of This is True {Lisa Jewell}

GORGEOUS book cover!

Goodreads Synopsis of None of This is True {Lisa Jewell}:

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

My Review of None of This is True {Lisa Jewell}:

LOVED IT.

It’s very, very dark but so incredibly well written. I read it over the course of 1 week but this is one of those books that could easily be devoured in a single day.

Let’s start with Lucy Foley’s blurb on the cover. That alone made me super excited to read this one! I LOVED The Guest List (you can read my review including the book synopsis of The Guest List HERE).

As for None of This is True, I had about 100 predictions as I was reading and EVERY SINGLE ONE of them was wrong! Love, love, love when that happens.

The actual format of this book was the most fascinating part of this book. The story toggles between a narrative, podcast episodes, a television show, and interviews. All from different different characters with their own perspectives. When these elements are all put together, it tells an incredible story.

Did I find the main character naive and stupid as hell? I did. Did I enjoy the insane amount of run on sentences throughout the book? I did not. However, just the absolute ART of this book, the incredible way the story was told though so many different points of view and though so many different channels…amazing. Loved it.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

One of the most creative ways to tell a story of any book I’ve read.

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

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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

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

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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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Click HERE for the 9 best books I read in 2023

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

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

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

Remember back in 2019 when I wrote this exact post?

And then remember when I came home from my trip and made a super long video where I declared that reading in Disney is virtually impossible and I never even cracked open ANY of the books that I brought??

Fast forward 4 years later and clearly I have learned absolutely nothing…I’m bringing 4 books to Disney, lol! BUUUUT this trip is different because we are spending a relaxing few days in Daytona after we leave Disney World so maybe I’ll have time to read then? Maybe? If not, the plane rides might be the only time I read over the next week and I’ll be lugging these books to and from Florida just to look pretty in my suitcase. Eh…worth it.

So what am I bringing?

Books I’m Taking to DISNEY WORLD!

Ok obviously the next 2 books in my beloved Winter Novels. I can’t WAIT to read these! Not posting the synopsis for either book since they are books #6 and #7 in the series and you all know how I feel about spoilers 😉

This picture I took bothers me because the books are reversed…Winter House is #6 and Winter Road is #7! My type A self is struggling that they aren’t flipped.

If you follow Book Coffee Happy on Instagram, you might remember when I found this one sitting in a Little Free Library a few weeks ago….the first book in an adorable sounding new to me holiday series? Ummm YES PLEASE.

Goodreads Synopsis of The Clause in Christmas {Rachel Bloome}:

Sometimes home is where you least expect it…

Cassie Hayward hates Christmas. Especially this year.

No job. Flat broke. And an ex most definitely on the naughty list.

But the unexpected inheritance of a Victorian cottage in the idyllic town of Poppy Creek may be the miracle Cassie needs. Except for one problem: a clause in the will. Cassie must complete a series of festive tasks for each day in December leading up to Christmas. Overseen by the disarmingly handsome, Christmas-loving lawyer, Luke Davis.

Luke is as strong and steady as the bespoke furniture he crafts as a hobby. He has to be. Stepping into his late father’s shoes as the town lawyer comes with a sleigh full of responsibilities. Which means the alluring stranger collecting her inheritance is a distraction he can’t afford.

As the unlikely pair works together to complete the daily tasks, fighting their attraction becomes more futile than putting good ol’ St. Nick on a diet. But when Cassie’s ex reappears with the offer of a lifetime, she’ll have to choose between love and the life she always wanted.

Curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and visit a town that feels like home. This endearing, sweet romance will warm your heart and fill you will hope. A “must-read” year after year.

Sounds so good, right? You had me at “town that feels like home”…

Aaaaand then this book which I checked out of the library at the very beginning of this holiday season, have talked about on my blog over and over, and yet STILL haven’t read!

Click HERE for a synopsis of Blame it on the Mistletoe from a previous blog post that I wrote! 

***Fun fact: when I was searching “Blame it on the Mistletoe” to add a link to my Amazon Affiliate account, I discovered that “Blame the Mistletoe” is also an OPI nail color:

Love it! So pretty!

Soooo those are the books coming with me to Disney. Will I read them? Maybe. Will I be prepared with reading entertainment in case my family gets stranded and has to extend our vacay like that one time we were stranded on top of a mountain? Absolutely!

Blogmas 2023 Posts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

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

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

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

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

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

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

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

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

12/16 The 9 Best Books I Read in 2023

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

Click HERE to order book #1 in the Winter Novels

Click HERE to order The Clause in Christmas

Click HERE to order Blame it on the Mistletoe

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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

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

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

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

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

I read 150 pages aaaaaand…I’m out.

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

I just couldn’t connect to any of these characters! Like…at all. And if this book is going in the direction that I’m assuming it’s going to go, this is all waaaaay too predictable. The writing was ok, I just couldn’t get into it and never really wanted to pick it up. Eh.

For my birthday, my daughter bought me this STUNNING light up Christmas tree for my nightstand! At night, I’ve been turning it on while reading with my book light and it’s been DREAMY.

I WILL say that the fact that I couldn’t get into this book miiiiight have a bit to do with the fact that I am beyond distracted trying to get everything ready for our Disney trip! I also feel pretty strongly that part of this distraction is knowing that I have Joanne Demaio’s 2 most recent additions to the Winter Series just sitting on my shelf and waiting for me to read them! When I first learned of our Disney trip, I shifted my plans of reading the 2 Winter Series throughout the month of December and saving them for the plane. Yeah, I’m done waiting. I don’t want to bring The Twelve Dates of Christmas with me on vacay. Screw the plan…I’M GOING IN. The NEW plan is to start reading book #6 (Winter House) asap and bring it on the plane with me along with book #7 (Winter Road). I’ll throw a few other books in there as well 🙂

Happily moving ON!

Have you read The Twelve Dates of Christmas? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2023 Posts:

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

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

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

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

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

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

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

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

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

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

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

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

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

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

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

12/16 The 9 Best Books I Read in 2023

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

Xo,

Jenny

Click HERE to order The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Twitter*

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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*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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

The 9 Best Books I Read in 2023

The 9 Best Books I Read in 2023

My perfect birthday present from my son!

I cannot believe that I only have 9 books on this list this year! I usually have more than that amount! I read A LOT of books this year and many were great…just not great ENOUGH to be considered the BEST books I read in 2023. I take this list very seriously and it’s always more important to me to truly include my absolute favorites, even if that number is lower than I would like for it to be. Quality over quantity always!

Here are (significantly longer) lists from previous years:

The 12 Best Books I Read in 2019

The 12 Best Books I Read in 2020

BLOGMAS: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2021

Blogmas 2022: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022

The 9 Best Books I Read in 2023

As always, I’m continuing with the tradition of presenting this year’s selection not by title, but by the Book Coffee Happy epilogue that I always include at the very end of all my book reviews. These epilogues are my “final thoughts”, a quick 1 sentence(ish) recap of my feelings about the book. When you click on each “epilogue” below, it will take you to my original blog post which includes the book’s synopsis and well as my full review!

So without further adu, I present to you the 9 absolute BEST books that I read in 2023 in no particular order:

Book #1’s Epilogue:

Let go of how weird this book sounds and just READ IT. It’s perfection.

Book #2’s Epilogue:

Read this series. Start with this book. Order a “Vagode” cake.

Book #3’s Epilogue:

Loved every single word…and song lyric.

Book #4’s Epilogue:

Read these books. If you have middle schoolers, encourage them to read these books. Better yet, read them at the same time and have meaningful and important life discussions 🙂

Book #5’s Epilogue:

This book is pure holiday magic and joy.

Book #6’s Epilogue:

It was great!

Book #7’s Epilogue:

A perfect holiday book for a book lover.

Book #8’s Epilogue:

Every teenager (and adult!) should read this book. I truly can’t recommend it enough. You will smile, you will cry, you will LEARN. This is such an important book and absolutely one of the very best I’ve read in a very long time.

Book #9’s Epilogue:

READ. THIS. BOOK. Just not while you are on an airplane or have plans to be on one anytime soon 😉

What are the best books YOU have read in 2023?? Have you read any of these? Plan to? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2023 Posts

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

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

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

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

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

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

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

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

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

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

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

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

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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

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

Blogmas 2023: I Loved This Gorgeous Holiday Book…About BOOKS!

Hi!

FINALLY I read Christmas by the Book! This book has been on my TBR since 2021. You can read the post where I first discussed that HERE (along with 7 other holiday book titles that I was dying to read at the time…and I eventually did read 5 of them)!

Goodreads Synopsis of Christmas by the Book {Anne Marie Ryan} AKA A Holiday Book About BOOKS:

Nora and her husband, Simon, have run the beautiful oak-beamed book shop in their small British village for thirty years. But times are tough and the shop is under threat of closure–this Christmas season will really decide their fate. When an elderly man visits the store and buys the one book they’ve never been able to sell, saying it’s the perfect gift for his sick grandson, it gives Nora an idea. She and Simon will send out books to those feeling down this Christmas. Maybe they can’t save their bookstore, but at least they’ll have one final chance to lift people’s spirits through the power of reading.

After gathering nominations online, Nora and Simon quietly deliver books to six residents of the village in need of some festive cheer, including a single dad of twins who is working hard to make ends meet, a teenage boy grieving for his big sister, a local Member of Parliament who is battling depression, and a teacher who’s newly retired and living on her own. As the town prepares for a white Christmas, the books begin to give the recipients hope, one by one. But with the future of the bookshop still up in the air, Nora and Simon will need a Christmas miracle–or perhaps a little help from the people whose lives they’ve touched–to find a happy ending of their own….

My Review of Christmas by the Book {Anne Marie Ryan} AKA A Holiday Book About BOOKS:

Omg SO. MUCH. YES.

Oh I loved this book so, so much. It’s a beautifully written book with such beautiful messages throughout. And if you love books (which I’m assuming you do if you read Book Coffee Happy), you will LOVE this story. Books are at the heart of this one!

Lovely, well developed characters and a lovely, well developed story. I smiled, I cried, I truly loved it. An absolutely beautiful book…a perfect holiday read.

The one and ONLY thing I didn’t absolutely love about this book were the very large amount of characters. There were A LOT of characters. If you read this one, I suggest a paper next to you (or your phone…I’m so old) for you to jot down quick notes on each character to help keep them straight. I wish I had done this!

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

A perfect holiday book for a book lover.

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

Blogmas 2023 Posts

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

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

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

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

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

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

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

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

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

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

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

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

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

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

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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

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

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

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

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

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

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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