December Info
Hello! In typical me fashion this is late! But I hope you enjoy it anyway! In today's info I will be sharing my December TBR, BOTM selection, some holiday reads, my own December holiday bucket list and a little printable surprise. There is lots of fun, festive content. So, without further ado, let's begin!
Currently Reading
Because this post is so late and because I can never coordinate my reading to finish my reads before the month is over I have started reading something this month. Right now I am currently reading my first Debbie Macomber book. I have never really considered reading her books but when I saw one of her holiday books for only $7 at Barnes and Noble I couldn't resist. The book I am reading is Twelve Days of Christmas. So far I am absolutely loving it! It is about two neighbors who can't stand each other. Julia Padden is a fun, bubbly person. Cain Maddox is the exact opposite. In the story, Julia is currently writing a blog for a competition at a potential job to get the most followers. Her friend thinks to do a challenge to try to "kill Cain with kindness" for a new series on the blog. The story basically follows Julia as she tries to "kill Cain with kindness" and also Cain as he is determined to not give into her game. Overall, this story is so bingeable and easily a one sitting type of read. I have been reading it while listening to Christmas music and that has really been fun.
TBR
As usual, I am terrible at sticking with TBRs but I continue to make them. Last month I read one of the books on my TBR and thats all. For me, I see a TBR more as books I would like to get to than a list of books I have to read. Otherwise reading becomes a chore and I never want it to turn into that since reading should be a fun activity.
One by One by Ruth Ware
Like last month I want to read this one since I think it will be a great winter read. It's somewhat Agatha Christie-esque about a company retreat in the mountains gone wrong. I am a little worried going into this one because I haven't heard the best things about it. However last month I read The Woman in Cabin 10, also by Ruth Ware, and I was reminded that even if I don't love the plot, I just absolutely love Ware's writing. There is just something about it that really stands out to me.
Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane
This was my BOTM pick from last month and no surprises here, but I haven't read it yet! The only thingI know about it is that it has a murdered husband who has gone missing. When I first read that synopsis I was like woah, thats something new. I am very excited but it is a big book, coming in at 416 pages which is pretty big for a thriller.
One Day In December by Josie Silvers
I feel like everyone has read this one but me!!! This is a holiday story about fate bringing two people in love together. The little blurb says "Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story." That's all I really know about the book but I just have a strong feeling that I am going to love it! Also its a holiday read so I definitely want to read it this month.
Jingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber
Since I am absolutely loving her other Christmas book and because my hold from my library came in, I really want to read this holiday romance too. This one is about Everly Lancaster, a top real-estate executive who is tricked into going 2 week guided cruise on the Amazon instead of a luxury beach vacation. Trapped with no wi-fi in the rainforest she starts to gain some appreciation for nature. On the trip she also meets Adam, the ship's charming naturalist. Together they build a relationship but in the end they have to decide if love is worth the risks. It sounds really fun. I like books that have an isolated or trapped setting like on a boat or something.
Book of the Month
Book of the Month is a book subscription where the club picks 5 new release titles and you can pick one to get sent to you. If you aren't into any of the picks, you can skip with no penalty. If you want to try it for yourself you can use my referral code. (This post is not sponsored in any way. The code is just from having a BOTM account.)
This month I chose the two thrillers that were available this month. The first one was The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. This is a southern, gothic, Jane Eyre inspired mystery/thriller. The other book is called People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd. This one is about Emmy Jackson who is really famous on Instagram, but she is starting to get stalked by one of her followers. This book supposedly really digs deep into the realness of social media, but is just a intense thriller story. After watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix, I am now really conscious of everything I do on social media so I feel like this book will be really interesting.
Holiday Reads!
As 2020 is coming to a close (finally), it's now a great time to get in the holiday spirit with some holiday books. I will say that these are all romances since the majority of holiday books are romance. With each book I will add a few buzzwords and/or a short synopsis but just keep in mind that they are all contemporary holiday romances. I haven't read all of these but I will let you know which ones I have read.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
A groundhog day type of plot
Basically a Hallmark movie in book form
I didn't particularly love this book (or really like it at all) but I think it's because I don't really like when the same day is repeated over and over.
The Tourist Attraction & Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler
The Tourist Attraction is a winter romance read that takes place in Alaska
Mistletoe and Mr. Right is about tracking down the Santa Moose, an antlered Grinch, but instead finding true love (or something like that).
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
12 dates, 12 men
Countdown 'till Christmas
Finding love in unexpected places
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
YA book and a new Netflix movie
One notebook full of dares
One love story
“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins, written by a variety of authors
YA short stories
Fun holiday/winter stories
Let It Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson
YA and Netflix adaptation
Three separate stories come together to create one story
Comedy
This one is really fun. I read it a few years ago and I still remember how much I enjoyed it. It also takes place on Christmas which makes it even more perfect to read this time of year.
December Bucket List
I am not one to create an official bucket list, but I do have a few fun things I would like to do this month to really bring out my holiday spirit.
Make a sweet treat! This is obvious. The holiday season is prime time to do some fun baking in the kitchen.
Read a holiday book. I'm already doing that so yay! Check!
Jam out to some Christmas music. This is a no brainer. Christmas music has only one month to shine so it really needs to be in the spotlight.
Read by the fire. I have a nice automatic fireplace where you click a button and it's on. It's convenient and will definitely make this item an easy thing to check off. Although it doesn't give the same smell or even feel of a real fire, it will still be cozy.
Look at some Christmas lights and decorations around the neighborhood. It's always fun to see how other people decorate for the holidays. I love seeing everyone's tree and gawking at the 2 story ones.
Holiday Gift Exchange Printable
Finally, in this monthly info I have a fun printable surprise! This year I am doing a very small gift exchange with a friend where we each get each other a book. For this exchange I created printable form to fill out with questions regarding reading taste and things like that. I am really happy with how it turned out and I figured it could be a nice resource for other to use as well if they want to also partake in some kind of book exchange. Unfortunately I couldn't make the PDF editable however I did leave spaces open for you to write in your own information. I hope you enjoy it and even if it's too late to do it this Christmas it can definitely be used in the future!
Please let me know if this format for sharing this form works!