Not a lot of great books in February, so this was my favorite read. A romance set in a creepy/haunted castle.

#12booksof2024

Ahh I‘m so close to finishing #tenbeforetheend!

But both of the books I have left are real chunksters! 835 and 509 pages! I don‘t know if I can finish either in 5 days!

I finally got through the 2nd book in this series! I started it in June and then life got in the way (and other books). So I started it again in November and then finally finished! It‘s a low pick because it took me so long to get into and finish. Idk if it‘s suffering 2nd book syndrome but I also don‘t really care or believe the romance. I am definitely looking forward to book 3 though!

I will admit I knew nothing about Kelly Bishop besides Gilmore girls. I knew she was also in Dirty Dancing, but that was it. So learning about her life and her struggles and just dedication to dancing and her career was amazing. I loved this! And having her read it to me was perfect.

I really like this author‘s books. They‘re emotional and not usually very happy novels about grief or sadness or some emotion but typically has a happy ending. This one has Holly dealing with the aftermath of a car accident. She was driving and her sister was in the car with her. Each December she writes a letter to a lonely hearts group and she gets a letter back. This year she tries to help the person in the letter.

This was definitely my favorite read of January. I had quite a few 5 star reads, but nothing will beat this 2nd book in the duology!

#12Booksof2024

Happy #jolabokaflodswap day! Thank you so much for the book and chocolate Amy!

This is a low pick for me. I didn‘t really like any of the characters. They were either overly dramatic or blah. I liked that Nory owned a secondhand bookshop and loved books, but she had such a hard time actually selling them? This is set around Christmas and very winter estate, but it‘s not a cutesy holiday romance. More a winter romance drama.

#wintergames2024 #xmaschachas

And now I‘m all caught up!

This was a bit change of pace after all the holiday reads. Set in the 1300s in Florence during the plague. Ginerva has magical abilities and just wants to help people. She ends up getting caught and is mutilated and exiled from the city. Then the plague comes and she‘s asked to come back to the city and find the religious relics. I liked it!

#wintergames2024 #xmaschachas

Low pick on this one. Winnie‘s background just stressed me out too much. I know there are people out there like her family and it just honestly blows my mind.

This one is Winnie and Kallum filming a soft core porn Christmas movie. He‘s had a crush on her forever but she thinks he ruined her life. But it is a romance.

#wintergames2024 #xmaschachas

This was a reread for me! I remembered who the killer was but not all of the other drama. It was still a good mystery!

#wintergames2024 #xmaschacha

Sorry to be a day late, but yesterday was crazy!

Here‘s my total points for check in.

2450pts

#wintergames #christmaschapterchasers #xmaschacha

Yay! My swap package was delivered today! I wasn‘t sure if it would be on a Sunday!

This box is amazing! I love everything about it! I can‘t wait to try the tea. I‘m super excited for the books too!

#stuffedstockingswap

This one was okay. It took until 80% of the book for them to admit they have feelings for each other. Cara goes to Eldovia for work to help them with their main company. Matteo instantly hates her. And they are oddly obsessed with each others hands!! It was so weird how obsessed they were. It‘s a quick, holiday romance read. The town seemed super cute and wish I could visit.

#wintergames2024 #xmaschacha

This was the longest audiobook I‘ve picked up in a while, 21hrs!! But I was hooked! 2 kingdoms, a winter and summer kingdom are at war. Winter conquers Summer and his prize is a summerly princess as a bride. There is a lot of tension, her father is awful and it was annoying how much Winter did not trust Kham. Overall, I really liked this one!

#wintergames2024 #xmaschacha #snowedin #bookspinbingo #littenlisten

Received my next set of quarterly #mytbr recs. Has anyone read any of these? I haven‘t heard of any of them, but looking forward to them!

This is going out today!

#js2024

Received my #jolabokaflodswap package today!

Mine is going out tomorrow!

Being sick has been great for my reading! I‘ve finished so many books in the last week. This is a debut light fantasy novel. It‘s a found family, traveling journey story. Tao is a fortune teller, but only small fortunes. She tried to keep her magic use to a minimum. She meets a bunch of characters and they start traveling together, looking for Mash‘s missing daughter.

This book was just lovely but at the same time deals with prejudices.

This one was a bit too similar to my last read, where there is a swap. This one had a bit too much telling than showing for me. It‘s set on specific days and it tells me about what happened yesterday. I would like to actually experience that instead of just the recap. This one has Holly being left the day before her wedding so her and her best friend Ivy switch vacations.

#wintergames2024 #bookspinbingo #xmaschacha

I ended up really liking this one. They both need to get away for personal reasons and switch homes for the holiday season. It was a quick, I don‘t want to say heavy, but it does touch on some sensitive topics.

#wintergames2024 #xmaschacha

I read this book over the weekend. I was sick, so I told my husband to pick me a Christmas book from my shelves and this was the one he brought me.

It was a fun, cozy, quick crime/romance read. #wintergames2024 #xmaschacha

Finished this one on Friday. It was the perfect traveling book for me. I mostly read it on my flight to and from NC. Set over many christmases, Olive and Jack are reconnected while working for the Queen. It was a great historical fiction Christmas novel.

#wintergames2024 #teamchacha

When you‘re sick you just need some tea, lots of supplies and a good book.

Was traveling for work this week and of course picked something up. So trying to be cozy this weekend.

I love your list Rachel! I‘ve read 2 already (Veronica Roth & Emily Wilde). I bailed for now on Running Close to the Wind but maybe I‘ll give it another try.

A lot of great sounding books on your list. The tagged was the only one currently on my TBR, so I‘ll probably start with that one. But I‘m going to give all the ones pictured a try in January!

Also, I‘m super excited to be matched with you again after 4 years! 💚💚

#auldlangspine 2025

Got my December #botm picks today! Looking forward to these books. I think the hat is an ugly color, but I‘ll probably wear it lol.

Book 1 finished for #wintergames #20in4 #snowedin

This is a Hanukkah romance set in VT and NYC. Abby owns a small cafe in VT and as the only Jewish person in town is designated to run a Hanukkah festival. Fake dating ensues in order for Abby to find Hanukkah vendors and goes home with Seth as the perfect Jewish girlfriend for the 8 days of Hanukkah. This is a very clean romance and mostly focuses on Abby getting back into her heritage.

December #bookspin and #doublespin picks! Looking forward to both these books!

Finished this one in November! Ahh this was the end of the Between Earth and Sky trilogy. I‘ve loved these books so much. I think I liked the other 2 more than this one. But overall, it was a good/satisfying ending to the series.

I read like half of it June and finished the rest in 2 days. #20in4

The tagged book made it to the final round. I think I‘m slightly more obsessed with it than Throne of Secrets. I‘m interested to see what it‘s going to go up against from December!

#bookbracket2024

The tagged book was definitely my favorite read in November! Though I did put Mirrored Heavens as my bonus pick.

I‘ll need to read 2 really good books in December to finish out this bracket!

#readingbracket2024

Finished this one in November. I like this author‘s style of storytelling where it‘s a bit magical but still reality. Eileen is on her way to NY from GA and pulls into a small town and gets stuck there. It just so happens it‘s the small town from her favorite series. She gets to hang out with her favorite characters and maybe fall in love. It is a romance.

I‘m surprised with how good I‘m doing on #tenbeforetheend! 5 read and 5 more to go! Of course I have all the chunksters left! 😊

I think this is my most anticipated read of December! I have a lot of Christmas books on my list but I really love when these 2 authors work together.

#wintergames #xmaschachas

Okay, I saw a few #shelfies and I had to see what mine would be on #fable. I did my favorite reads of the year.

I couldn‘t get the whole thing to fit but it said: Vampires, cursed princes, and magic? Subtle is not in your vocabulary. Claim it-your taste is a confident, irresistible dive into fantasy‘s dark allure.

YUP!

Ummm does anyone know why I can‘t add a photo to litsy from my iPad? I can do it on my phone…

I just looked and it says the app is updated.

#litsysupport

This is going out today! Should be delivered early next week I think with the holiday.

#stuffedstockingswap #sss

Here‘s my definitely over ambitious December TBR. This is just the physical pile. I have a bunch of ebooks and audiobooks I want to read as well.

#xmaschacha #wintergames2024

#thisorthat #xmaschacha #wintergames2024

Hot chocolate
Open presents on christmas
Angel tree topper (weeping angel)
Ham
Stay at home

I may have already started my holiday reading! This was a really good second chance Christmas romance. Charlotte was left at the alter and goes to her friend‘s house for Christmas and her ex is also a house guest there. It‘s a very queer romance and a very music based book. Loved it!

I‘ve never read this book before and picked it up because it‘s this month‘s #swordandlaserpodcast pick. I haven‘t been reading a lot of sci-fi lately, but this was like cozy sci-fi and not too hardcore for me to understand. I‘m glad I picked it up!

Heard about this book on a podcast, so decided to pick it up. I think it‘s middle grade, but it‘s VERY silly. Like a little too silly for me. It was really great on audio and it‘s read by Kate McKinnon.

Cozy fantasy with a sentient tree and lots of magic and interesting creatures. Overall I really like this one, thought it dragged a bit in the middle but otherwise an enjoyable read!

Really liked this romance book! Daphne is a write who submits her book under a male name. It gets picked up and now she has to hire someone to be Zane. Mostly set in Canada but they do go on a book tour through the US.

Shocker, behind on book reviews. Read this one earlier this month. My least favorite Nancy Drew book so far, which is saying something because I didn‘t like the last book either.

#nancydrewbr

December #bookspin list! Lots of holiday and winter reads hopefully!

Got to hear Melissa Caruso talk about her new book, out today! It‘s a fantasy, mystery, time loop type of book and I can‘t wait to start it.

I also picked up the 3rd book in her Rooks & Ruin series, as I have the first 2 signed already. (Have only read the first book).

It was a great night! CL Herman was the moderator (I‘ve never heard of her), but she was amazing!

#authorevent #bookevent #anunlikelystory

I tried to stick to the reading schedule but my loan was already expired and I had to put my kindle on airplane mode to finish it. 🤫🤫

It‘s been a while since I‘ve picked up one of these books so I forgot how many different POVs you get. Sorry, I found Phury pretty boring as an MC because it was so internal and he never spent time with Cormia. I did like the way the book ended.

@Pigpen_Reads Here are your #snowedin picks!

Hope these are great books for you! I enjoyed looking at your list!

This is a mystery with magic, mostly set on a boat. Everyone is goddess blessed except D. He lied to everyone, so they think he‘s blessed. Murders start to happen and he‘s the main suspect. Lots of characters and different provinces. I don‘t agree with comparing this to Agatha Christie if she wrote fantasy… can you honestly compare anyone to her? This is a debut novel.