Bookshelves
Emerald
Generally at a 2
Posts: 11,534 Likes: 104,222
|
Post by Bookshelves on Dec 9, 2023 20:02:32 GMT -6
|
|
cnf
Ruby
Posts: 20,894 Likes: 100,841
|
Post by cnf on Dec 9, 2023 21:32:55 GMT -6
I blew through Seasons Scheming, which was cute.
More Christmas romcoms!
|
|
wedding
Emerald
Posts: 14,195 Likes: 77,056
|
Post by wedding on Dec 10, 2023 11:18:43 GMT -6
I just got my recommendations and they are pretty spot on since I’ve read all of them. I have not loved Lisa Unger’s books and have had mixed reviews on Lisa Gardener’s .
|
|
overboard
Sapphire
Dull normal
Posts: 3,144 Likes: 15,835
|
Post by overboard on Dec 10, 2023 11:40:51 GMT -6
I got my 2nd penguin recommendations and it is so much better! I got a different person and that made all the difference. I’ve read all the memoirs suggested, but there’s plenty of other recommendations to choose from. Let’s start with contemporary romance, since it’s such a fun genre. My favorite romance this year was Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, a feminist romance set around a show like Saturday Night Live, where late nights and long rehersals give way to a slow burn filled with lots of laughs. A quirky romance I’ve enjoyed is One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston which bends time and space between realms and still makes room for love. For those who love hockey, Pucking Around by Emily Rath, about the Jacksonville Rays is a “why choose” kind of love story that captured my heart. I am all about the power of retellings in unearthing overlooked perspectives. One of my favorites is Unmarriageable a Pakistani Pride & Prejudice by Soniah Kamal which drops the reader into Pakistan culture in all it’s vibrancy and delight. Plus, the healthy dose of romance with echoes of Elizabeth Bennett help sweeten the story! And If you need something festive, Lovelight Farms by B. K. Borison is about finding love on a Christmas tree farm! Sometimes we all need an escape! I’m sure Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is already on the list--we can’t seem to get away from it on BookTok! I could not get enough of The Invisibile Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, and really anything else she’s written. But if you’re interested in blending the two--romantasy style--you’ve got to check out these: Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall, the mythological Lore Olympus series by Rachel Smythe, and The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye which is one of the best retellings of Romeo and Juliet I’ve read! For historical fiction, I would recommend Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. It follows Claire who travels back in time and has to navigate a whole new world. Packed with lush details and a plot that keeps you on your toes, this series has really captured my imagination. Another historical romance I really adored lately Evie Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women series, which is historical with a contemporary cadence. I have two favorite memoirs, both celebrity ones, from this year Elliot Page’s Pageboy (an intimate portrait of a public life and a private life) and Jeannette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died (which is like a car crash you can’t look away from). Another memoir about grieving a mother I’ve enjoyed is Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. I really liked how Zauner considers cultural alongside unversial topics like grief, parent/child relations, and food.
|
|
cnf
Ruby
Posts: 20,894 Likes: 100,841
|
Post by cnf on Dec 10, 2023 14:02:50 GMT -6
I finished A Holly Jilly Christmas. It was cute, but I get frustrated with novellas that are so short. There's just not enough story and character development. They feel so rushed. And so many of Christmas books appear to be novellas. I've spent a fair amount of time going through KU and checking the page count on Christmas books before downloading a couple. So many short stories. Give me a solid book!
|
|
angelashly
Unicorn
Posts: 68,028 Likes: 268,829
Member is Online
|
Post by angelashly on Dec 11, 2023 7:17:14 GMT -6
I finished Hemlock by Kiersten Modglin. I've only read a handful of her books but this was my favorite, I really enjoyed it. I listened to You Make It Feel Like Christmas and it wasn't really for me. I didn't really feel any spark between the characters and I disliked a lot of the side characters. 2.5 stars I also listened to All Thing's Fair in Love and Christmas and this one was pretty good, 4 stars. I thought it was cute and as someone who has social anxiety I could relate to the main character (but I imagine some would be annoyed by her). I'm starting The Quiet Tenant for my next audiobook and I'm reading Holly Ever After. Yes to your review on you make it feel like Christmas
|
|
nelzie
Sapphire
Posts: 3,419 Likes: 9,939
|
Post by nelzie on Dec 11, 2023 8:12:28 GMT -6
I finished Holly Ever After and loved it! Frenemies to lovers, angsty, spicy, small town Christmas rom-com. Loved the main characters (though their stubbornness drove me crazy at times) and the side characters were great as well. 4.5 stars
Next I'm starting Claus and Effect but my expectations are low because I wasn't a fan of her other Christmas book.
|
|
|
Post by bearfootzcontinued on Dec 11, 2023 8:58:38 GMT -6
Loved Holiday Romance (and my apologies if I called it the wrong name earlier). Hoping to start Snowed In later today.
I had checked out The Sun Sets in Singapore from the library and felt guilty that I probably will return it unread. But our local bookstore offers a free copy of one of their Advance Read Copies with $50 purchase and that happened to be on the shelf so I grabbed it, after spending small fortune on books for DD and DH. DH doesn't read often but I did the Penguin House thing and am buying a couple of their recs to see if that might inspire him to read vs. scrolling tik tok.
|
|
|
Post by llamallama on Dec 11, 2023 8:59:07 GMT -6
I will probably finish ACOTAR sometime this week and need to decide where to go from here. Do you recommend Throne of Glass or Crescent City next?
My SIL is pushing CC but everything I see online says TOG.
|
|
emma
Ruby
Posts: 18,815 Likes: 86,464
|
Post by emma on Dec 11, 2023 10:17:23 GMT -6
I will probably finish ACOTAR sometime this week and need to decide where to go from here. Do you recommend Throne of Glass or Crescent City next? My SIL is pushing CC but everything I see online says TOG. CC is my favourite of the 3 series plus book 3 comes out in a month or so. So that would be my vote, ToG is 8 books and I’m finding it a bit of a slog to get through
|
|
abs
Sapphire
Posts: 4,024 Likes: 20,882
|
Post by abs on Dec 11, 2023 10:28:58 GMT -6
I will probably finish ACOTAR sometime this week and need to decide where to go from here. Do you recommend Throne of Glass or Crescent City next? My SIL is pushing CC but everything I see online says TOG. CC is my favourite of the 3 series plus book 3 comes out in a month or so. So that would be my vote, ToG is 8 books and I’m finding it a bit of a slog to get through Agree. By the end of TOG I was heavily skimming. Totally lost interest. CC starts slow but gets really good. Can’t wait for book 3!
|
|
emma
Ruby
Posts: 18,815 Likes: 86,464
|
Post by emma on Dec 11, 2023 12:16:07 GMT -6
CC is my favourite of the 3 series plus book 3 comes out in a month or so. So that would be my vote, ToG is 8 books and I’m finding it a bit of a slog to get through Agree. By the end of TOG I was heavily skimming. Totally lost interest. CC starts slow but gets really good. Can’t wait for book 3! the ending of book 2 was so good, I can not wait for book 3! I’ve already preordered it on kindle.
|
|
DGM
Sapphire
Posts: 2,661 Likes: 5,633
|
Post by DGM on Dec 11, 2023 16:04:45 GMT -6
angelashly recommended last month the Elin Hildebrand Winter Street series, and it's just what I needed. Thank you On a fun coincidence, my kids and I are reading a picture book, Christmas USA, to learn holiday traditions in different regions of the country. Yesterday we read about Portsmouth, NH, and then last night in Winter Storms, one of the Nantucket residents talked about loving Portsmouth! Yay! I’m so glad you liked them I started Book 4, Winter Solstice, last night. So bittersweet 😞 ETA: I will be rotating it with The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs which is cute but predictable.
|
|
|
Post by marygracerich on Dec 11, 2023 20:35:40 GMT -6
I finally finished tower of dawn. I am taking a brief Sarah J Maas break before i start kingdom of Ash.
I started A Witch’s guide to fake dating a demon.
|
|
|
Post by starrynight on Dec 12, 2023 8:24:37 GMT -6
I started reading The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. I can't tell if I've read it before and just not marked it on goodreads or watched way too many Hallmark movie with similar elements. It feels very deja vu.
|
|
angelashly
Unicorn
Posts: 68,028 Likes: 268,829
Member is Online
|
Post by angelashly on Dec 12, 2023 8:55:07 GMT -6
I started reading The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. I can't tell if I've read it before and just not marked it on goodreads or watched way too many Hallmark movie with similar elements. It feels very deja vu. I think I’ve watched to many hallmark movies because the Christmas books just aren’t hitting this year for me
|
|
cnf
Ruby
Posts: 20,894 Likes: 100,841
|
Post by cnf on Dec 12, 2023 9:19:03 GMT -6
I started reading The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. I can't tell if I've read it before and just not marked it on goodreads or watched way too many Hallmark movie with similar elements. It feels very deja vu. I think I’ve watched to many hallmark movies because the Christmas books just aren’t hitting this year for me I read a few so far that I liked. I've downloaded and either not bothered to start or almost immediately DNF three times as many.
|
|
Pizzaslut
Ruby
*it’s a joke. get some hobbies.
Posts: 22,727 Likes: 131,010
|
Post by Pizzaslut on Dec 12, 2023 9:41:39 GMT -6
I’m all in on holiday romances these last couple of weeks. I haven’t had a lot of time to watch a lot of the Hallmark movies so I guess I’m getting my fix this way.
I also need a break from thrillers and/or intense stories.
|
|
|
Post by cdnfroggy on Dec 12, 2023 10:18:05 GMT -6
I had a really good reading few days, which gives me hope for the rest of the month (even with holiday craziness).
-Witch of Wild Things: a really good magical realism/romance/witchy book that I flew through. I really liked how magic worked in it, I liked the characters and the look at grief. Highly recommend! -Lucky Girl, How I became a Horror Write - meh, not super good - it was a novella, but really needed to either be tightened up, or written as more of a book. Good concept, poor execution. -Candy Cain Kills - super fun Christmas slasher, reminiscent of older slasher movies. It was also a novella, but there was still good character development that I still rooted for the characters and felt connected to them. Would recommend for any horror fan. -I am AI - a great short story about AI/technology/what makes us human. Definitely recommend.
I just started Leech by Hiron Ennes - I'm trying to read winter themed/holiday themed books this month.
|
|
angelashly
Unicorn
Posts: 68,028 Likes: 268,829
Member is Online
|
Post by angelashly on Dec 12, 2023 10:48:02 GMT -6
I finished in a dark dark wood. It was pretty good. I figured most of the end out which never happens but I still liked it
|
|
|
Post by icedcoffee on Dec 12, 2023 11:11:10 GMT -6
cdnfroggy let me know how you like Leech! That is on my TBR list but I bumped it down for a few others
|
|
nelzie
Sapphire
Posts: 3,419 Likes: 9,939
|
Post by nelzie on Dec 12, 2023 11:19:49 GMT -6
I was looking around on KU and found A Very Krampus Holiday by Katee Robert and decided to check it out since she's a popular author. It was literally just 15 pages of holiday monster porn, lol. I don't think that even counts as a novella. I'm not putting that on my goodreads 😂
|
|
nelzie
Sapphire
Posts: 3,419 Likes: 9,939
|
Post by nelzie on Dec 12, 2023 11:21:55 GMT -6
Also, I'm DNFing Claus and Effect after the first few chapters. I don't think that author is for me.
I'm starting A Very Merry Mistake which has good reviews so I'm hopeful. I've read so many disappointing holiday books this year.
|
|
cnf
Ruby
Posts: 20,894 Likes: 100,841
|
Post by cnf on Dec 12, 2023 11:40:07 GMT -6
Also, I'm DNFing Claus and Effect after the first few chapters. I don't think that author is for me. I'm starting A Very Merry Mistake which has good reviews so I'm hopeful. I've read so many disappointing holiday books this year. I just downloaded A Very Merry Mistake, so you'll have to let me know how you like it. I'm in the middle of The Mistletoe Problem right now and have two other holiday books queued up before it.
|
|
|
Post by cdnfroggy on Dec 12, 2023 11:40:40 GMT -6
cdnfroggy let me know how you like Leech! That is on my TBR list but I bumped it down for a few others Will do! I got it in a book box quite a while ago and it came with a cool letter from one of the characters, which I forgot about until I grabbed it off my shelf and it definitely intrigued me more.
|
|
melohdy
Platinum
Posts: 2,375 Likes: 13,188
|
Post by melohdy on Dec 12, 2023 12:06:49 GMT -6
I was looking around on KU and found A Very Krampus Holiday by Katee Robert and decided to check it out since she's a popular author. It was literally just 15 pages of holiday monster porn, lol. I don't think that even counts as a novella. I'm not putting that on my goodreads 😂 I read Elf'd on KU and it was basically the same thing. Right now I am reading A Court of Sugar and Spice and there is much more substance to it. It is a spicy Nutcracker story.
|
|
angelashly
Unicorn
Posts: 68,028 Likes: 268,829
Member is Online
|
Post by angelashly on Dec 12, 2023 13:04:55 GMT -6
With all the reviews of wreck the halls should I just return to the library and not bother?
|
|
Pizzaslut
Ruby
*it’s a joke. get some hobbies.
Posts: 22,727 Likes: 131,010
|
Post by Pizzaslut on Dec 12, 2023 13:28:22 GMT -6
With all the reviews of wreck the halls should I just return to the library and not bother? I was not a fan. The dialogue and their interactions did not see genuine. Like, nobody talks/thinks like that. It’s the only Tessa Bailey book I’ve read so that might be her thing.
|
|
angelashly
Unicorn
Posts: 68,028 Likes: 268,829
Member is Online
|
Post by angelashly on Dec 12, 2023 13:29:42 GMT -6
With all the reviews of wreck the halls should I just return to the library and not bother? I was not a fan. The dialogue and their interactions did not see genuine. Like, nobody talks/thinks like that. It’s the only Tessa Bailey book I’ve read so that might be her thing. Thanks. With my romance track record this month I’ll just let someone else who really wants to read it have it
|
|
caer
Sapphire
Posts: 4,574 Likes: 26,490
|
Post by caer on Dec 12, 2023 14:16:15 GMT -6
I finished 3 books recently.
I thought The September House was great. Such a cool take on the haunted house trope.
I read The Sweetest Revenge by Lizzy Dent and it was fine. Cute but forgettable.
I also read The Wake-Up call by Beth O’Leary and I loved it. It might be my favorite romcom I’ve read this year. The reviews were mixed but I thought it was terrific.
I’m going to try Faking Christmas next.
|
|