Home, Hearth and the Holidays, book #46

So this book I actually read back in November but somehow I missed getting it up here.  I read the first book in the series back in 2014 and never got around the second one.  I picked this one up as a Christmas book and quickly filled in the holes.  I am now excited to move onto the final book, but i just finished this book at the beginning of Christmas book reading season, so I think it may be my first book for 2023!

With holidays approaching in the charming town of Appleton, and Daphne Ballinger's deadline to "get hitched" drawing closer, Daphne finds herself happily distracted with the unexpected tasks of "motherhood." Young Mabel is enjoying the attention, but the clock is ticking and unless love comes her way, Daphne's delightful life will start unraveling by spring. (picture and description at Amazon)

Melissa

A Gift to Remember, book #45

 

We decided to go to New York City for Christmas this year and Rebecca thought it would be a great idea if we all read the same NYC Christmas-y book.  Of course we couldn't all decide on one, but Leah and I did read this one.  Again, not Christian, but a cute story nonetheless.  It read like a Hallmark Movie, and alas, it is!  

Darcy Archer works in a small bookstore in Manhattan. A daydream believer, she refuses to settle for anything less than being swept off her feet by the perfect man... literally.  One day, when cycling to work, Darcy accidentally crashes into a sharply dressed gentleman walking his dog. He is knocked out cold, rushed to hospital and the poor pup gets left behind. Wracked with guilt, Darcy takes the dog and makes plans to reunite him with his owner, Aidan. As she discovers the mysterious stranger's world of books, travel, adventure and all the wonderful things she's ever dreamed about, Darcy builds a picture of this man and wonders if he could be THE ONE...  But does fantasy match reality? What happens when Prince Charming wakes up? Will Aidan be the happy ever after she's always imagined?  (picture and description from Amazon)

Later this week I will also update on all the books of the Bible I have read, and we will see if I got to my 55 books or not ... along with a total page count!

Me outside the NYPL!

Happy Reading!

Melissa

Edited to add:

We all thought this sounded like a Hallmark movie, so I looked it up and indeed it was!  We decided to watch it this week and oh my word but they hacked it up so bad you could hardly even tell it was the same story!!

The Christmas Bookshop, book #44

 

Not a Christian book, sadly, but the story was cute.  (The cover and title was cute not to pass up) I guess reading a non-Christian book every once in a while gets my out of my Christian ghetto, but I'll be ready to get back in it.

Laid off from her department store job, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. The prospect of spending Christmas with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered yuppie life does not appeal.  Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want her prickly sister Carmen there either. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs help revitalizing his shabby old bookshop. So Carmen moves in and takes the job.  Thrown rather suddenly into the inner workings of Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the picturesque streets of historic Edinburgh, Carmen is intrigued despite herself. The store is dusty and disorganized but undeniably charming. Can she breathe some new life into it in time for Christmas shopping? What will happen when a famous and charismatic author takes a sudden interest in the bookshop—and Carmen? And will the Christmas spirit be enough to help heal her fractured family?  (picture and description at Amazon)

So sometimes I get asked, why only Christian fiction?  There are so many authors out there who write good stuff, when the book isn't labeled "Christian" or there are so many "feel good" books out there that may not have God and Jesus in them, but they aren't inherently bad.  And I mean, Melissa, do we need to talk about the TV shows you watch?  Are they "Christian"? (ouch)

Here's my answer:  

Yes, I agree with the above.  Yes, the TV shows I watch are probably no worse than "non-Christian" books.  However, I'm typically not quite as invested in the TV shows as I am books. (Well, let's not talk about Grey's Anatomy, but that's another story!)  Books have so much more in them than a 45 minute show.   With books, you FEEL them, you can SMELL where they are (campfire, bookstore, country, smoke, warm kitchen, etc), you can literally put yourself in the story as a bystander, things you just can't do in a TV show.  

And when I'm reading books, I SEE the words.  I'm not so keen on seeing curse words in black and white.  I don't like getting in the heads of some of the characters in non-Christian books.  I don't like reading about characters having one night hookups, or getting insanely drunk, etc.  

I'm not judging anyone who doesn't read mainly Christian books like me, but for the same reason I chose to listen only to praise & worship music. I follow the GIGO philosophy.  (garbage in garbage out)  

Just don't talk to me about my TV #eyeroll.  

Keep reading!  

O:)

Melissa

Wreathed in Disgrace, book #43

 

An odd one Marsha picked for us for Book Club, but once I was sucked in I loved it!  

A famous actress, a protective bodyguard, a festive Christmas season, and a killer...or two...on the loose.  Everybody believes movie star Denise Masters abandoned her family to pursue her dream, but the truth is much more complex. For years, she's longed to return to Coventry to repair her relationship with her daughter, but contractual obligations--and fear of being rejected--have kept her away. When a serial killer targets Hollywood actors, Denise decides to spend the Christmas holidays in New Hampshire. She will finally face the disgrace of her past.  Private security agent Jon Donley figures the woman he's been hired to guard will turn out to be a paranoid, privileged prima donna. Instead, the more he gets to know Denise, the more he likes her. But he’s not being paid to get involved with her. His job is to keep her safe while he figures out what links her to the other victims.  But the serial killer on the west coast isn't the only danger they face. A second one is closing in fast, threatening not just Denise but the little girl she'll stop at nothing to protect.  (picture and description of Amazon)

Now on to decide my next fun Christmas book!

Happy Reading!

O:)

Melissa

An Ivy Hill Christmas and 1 Corinthians, books #41-42

 

A sweet little book that plays out in England.  I liked it well enough, although I feel like the Epilogue should have been the last chapter, not an Epilogue.

Richard Brockwell, the younger son of Ivy Hill's most prominent family, hasn't been home for Christmas in years. He prefers to live in the London townhouse, far away from Brockwell Court, the old family secret that haunts him, and the shadows of his past mistakes. But then his mother threatens to stop funding his carefree life--unless he comes home for Christmas. Out of options, he sets out for Ivy Hill, planning to be back on a coach bound for London and his unencumbered bachelor life as soon as the festivities are over. But Christmas in the country presents unforeseen surprises, including encounters with an orphaned apprentice, the first love he disappointed years ago, and Arabella Awdry, a young lady who is far more appealing than he recalled . . . and determined to have nothing to do with him. Will Christmastime in Ivy Hill, with its village charm, kissing boughs, joyous songs, and divine hope, work its magic in his heart . . . and hers as well? (picture and book from Amazon)

In my journey through the Bible, I also finished 1 Corinthians. (see this post)

Book Count: 42/55

Happy Christmas Reading!

O:)

Melissa

All I Want for Christmas, book #40

This book started weird, then sort of came together, then finally I was up reading at 4:30 AM trying to see how it would end.  I'm not sure I'd give it 5 stars, though, maybe 3, simply because it seemed like several authors worked on it and no one read the manuscript all the way through before publishing.

James sells toys. He's a workaholic and he's made a very good living, even if his wife and four children don't appreciate it. Truth is, his marriage is falling apart and he barely recognizes his kids.  So when James's youngest daughter, 7-year-old Reba, asks God for a Christmas miracle to "fix" her family, something most unexpected happens—unexpected and horrible. The Christmas tree catches fire and the house burns down, taking with it all of their possessions.  One bad thing leads to another as rock bottom gives way to new lows and the family is sent spiraling down a dark and unfamiliar path. Reba wonders if God decided to give her the very opposite of what she prayed for.  Finally, separated and destitute, James and the family are left with absolutely nothing—nothing but a brand-new understanding of what's actually important in life.  Now James must rekindle his faith, learn what's truly important to him, and find a way to win his family back. If he can pull it off, there may just be that Christmas miracle waiting for him.  (picture and description from Amazon)

Happy Reading!

Melissa

 

Distortion, book #39

 

Robi picked this for us and it was another Terri Blackstock thriller for sure.  This is book 2 in a series, and after our last TB series I wasn't sure if we could just jump into book 2.  There were several things that would have made more sense if I had of read book 1 first, but it wasn't like I was completely lost.

When Juliet Cole’s husband of fifteen years is murdered before her eyes, she thinks it was a random shooting. Devastated and traumatized, she answers hours of questioning, then returns home to break the tragic news to her sons. But a threatening voicemail escalates this from a random shooting to a planned, deliberate attack.  Juliet realizes that she and her children are in danger too—unless she meets the killers’ demands. But as she and her sisters untangle the clues, her husband’s dark secrets come to light. The more she learns, the more her life is dismantled. Was her husband an innocent victim or a hardened criminal?  (picture and description from Amazon)

It's finally time for Christmas books!

Happy Reading!

Melissa