What I Read: December

December is always a fun month for Christmas-themed books! That typically means mostly Hallmark-style Christmas romances, but I like to pepper in other Christmas books as well. There were some mysteries in there this year. I got a free 2 month subscription to Kindle Unlimited so I could read the Under the Mistletoe series and they did not disappoint! I really enjoyed them and was able to read and listen to lots of Christmas stories through it. I like that if you are reading a book as an eBook, you can switch back and forth between the eBook and audiobook and it will save your spot! I kept getting offers to join Kindle Unlimited for free and waited until December because it's so hard to get Christmas ebooks and downloadable audiobooks from the library because there are so many holds on them! I ended up reading way more eBooks than normal because I wanted to get the most out of my Kindle Unlimited membership, even though I wasn't paying for it! I've enjoyed it but will cancel it before I start paying. That's what I do with Audible and after a while, they always send me a new deal to get a membership for free or super cheap for months. I guess they count on people not canceling their membership after the free term is up, but I always do it!

Books:

• The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett- The Christmas vibes on this one were minimal, but there were parts that had me laughing out loud. While in the library. And people were looking at me. Oops!

I finished this one while Elise made crafts at the library.

• Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey- Enemies to lovers is not my favorite, but it was so sweet in this book. It probably helped that it was also a fake dating situation which I typically enjoy. I liked all the silliness and shenanigans as well as the romantic moments.

• Skipping Christmas by John Grisham- This book was awful. I kept thinking, it's John Grisham, it will get better and powered through 170 pages of garbage. The way women were portrayed in this book was infuriating. Then at the end, he tried to pull an ending like It's a Wonderful Life, but at that point you hated all the characters so much, who cares! The book left me with a slimy feeling like I'd been stuck in conversation with a racist, sexist white guy who thinks everything is about him.

• Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey- I read this book last Christmas, but hadn't watched Ted Lasso yet. When I found out that Aiden's character was inspired by Ted Lasso, I had to read the book again after watching the show. I loved it even more the 2nd time around. It just may be my favorite Christmas book!

• Lore Olympus: Volume Seven by Rachel Smythe- I was at the book store getting books for the kids for Christmas when I came across this book, not realizing it was out already! I bought it for Ty to give me for Christmas and devoured it the day after I opened it. It was my favorite volume in quite a while. It was so action packed and ended on a note where I can't wait to read the next volume!

• Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi- This book was absolutely beautiful. It was the perfect book to end the year (I finished in on December 30th). It was a reminder that what lies in our hearts and our attitudes toward life and its challenges are the biggest factors in our own happiness. "No matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart. And if the chair can change someone's heart, it clearly has its purpose." While sitting in a chair in a special cafe, it is possible to travel either to the past or the future, but once you arrive you cannot leave the chair, you can only visit people who are in the cafe, you cannot change the present, and you must return before the coffee gets cold.

eBooks:

• The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave- This was an odd and compelling story. A brother and sister (same dad, different moms) are investigating the unusual circumstances under which their father died. The mystery was interesting and the side stories definitely added to the book. There was an odd twist with different names for characters that left me confused and without explanation. The truth of the mystery didn't sit right with me and the book left me feeling a bit let down. I didn't enjoy it as much as her other books I've read.

I started this book as a regular book and it didn't capture my attention so I switched over to eBook and took my time getting through it.

• Her Night with Santa by Adriana Herrera- I loved that Santa was a woman! The storyline was fun and I liked all the Santa references. I may have had too high expectations because I liked Toy Runner (the 2nd book in the series) so much, this one left me wanting more. It was very spicy.

• Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood- This was a short story in a special series called "Under the Mistletoe Collection" Amazon put out. I wanted to read the stories so much, I got a free trial subscription to Kindle Unlimited so I could get them for free. This story was so sweet. I just wished it was longer! I definitely need to read more Ali Hazelwood books!

Such a fun series!

• All by My Elf by Olivia Dade- I liked this at the start, but it ended up being a bit lame. I was glad it was just a short story. This was my least favorite story in the Under the Mistletoe Collection.

• Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria- This was cute! It was the story you wanted for the co-workers who were secretly in love with each other in Love Actually, but with neighbors in an apartment complex.

• Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur- This was such a cute story and I loved how the first couple chapters started with transcripts from 911 calls. Even though it was a short story, it didn't feel rushed or forced.

• A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone- This was the last book in the Christmas Notch trilogy. It started a little slow for me, but really picked up speed about a quarter of the way through and may have been my favorite of the series. So many cameos from the characters from the first 2 books, a devil cat named Mr. Tumnus, a Christmas Angel mystery, a group of elderly lady online sleuths, and lots of spice in this one!

• How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn- This was our book club pick for December. I was able to read it, thanks to my free subscription to Kindle Unlimited, because the library didn't have it in any form. It was so cute. I loved the narrator and the little snippets of the Grinch sprinkled throughout the book. The Kringle competition was a fun twist and I really enjoyed each challenge. Suddenly halfway through the book we went from Hallmark movie to spicy which was a surprise. I felt like the transition was missing and it was a bit of an abrupt turnaround. There were so many goofy, funny parts that had me laughing as I was reading. Max was the best wingman/side kick. I would love to see him get his own Christmas book next! The epilogue mentioning the next year's Kringle competition gives me hope.

• Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey- This started out really cute and my expectation based on the cover was not what they book was at all. I was expecting a New Year's Eve theme and it was there a little bit. I may have just read too many romances in December so I didn't enjoy this one as much as I would have otherwise.

Audiobooks:

• The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich- This was an interesting story with compelling characters. I would have liked more of Thomas' story.

• Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake- This was such a fun and sweet holiday romance! It had so many things I love in a romance: past lovers forced back together, having to share a bed, and a series of dating events. Why do I love those things? I don't know, but they were all executed beautifully in this story that will leave you with those feel good tingles in the end.

• The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg- I grabbed this off the Christmas shelf at a library book sale because I've liked Berg's other books. I didn't realize until I started it that it was the story of Mary and Joseph. I should have read the book jacket. It was okay, I just didn't feel like she had anything substantial to add to the traditional story and I gained nothing from her interpretation of Jesus' birth. I switched over to an audiobook to finish it because I wasn't into it.

• The Christmas Party by Kathryn Croft- This book had a compelling storyline and I liked how it gave little glimpses into the past as the main character learned things that had happened. The ending was sloppy and then ended very abruptly which ruined the book for me. I was enjoying it until then.

• One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw- This was like a modern day version of A Christmas Carol and Groundhog Day meshed together. There were times when it was a bit hard to live through the main character's experience because she was so self-centered and selfish, but I loved her coming back on Christmas Day repeatedly through other people's experiences. It had a happy ending, but not over the top happy, more realistic and I liked that.

• Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey- This was another book in the Under the Mistletoe Collection. Tessa Bailey is normally pretty on point for me, but this one was not as good as her others. It felt rushed. I would have liked it to be even a smidge longer to stretch out the relationship more.

• The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan- I liked the little cameo of characters from The Christmas Bookshop which I read during Christmas season one year. Overall this book did not capture my attention and I thought it was just okay.

• The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter- This was a mystery and romance rolled into one with lovable characters, a storyline that kept you guessing, and lots of twists along the way. I adored this book and am excited to read more of her books now.