I spoke too soon about finishing up all of Reese’s Book Club 2022 book recommendations. Her December pick is The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell and I couldn’t do it. Historical fiction in December did not call to me. I read the sample pages of the book to get interested and that didn’t work either. So rather than beat myself up, I read something else. A few something elses as it turns out.
Book #1: In a Holidaze, by Christina Lauren
Description from Kobo.com
One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.
But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.
The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.
Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
My take:
One tagline read “Love Actually meets Groundhog’s Day”. This reminded me I needed to rewatch Love Actually because it is the holiday season, but I didn’t see the similarity between the movie and this book. Love Actually follows the story arcs of many characters. In a Holidaze focuses on one character, Mae, and her interactions with the other characters. Don’t get me wrong. It was a nice holiday story. But it isn’t Love Actually.
The book is set in Park City, UT which is where our family has skied for the past decade. The author gets the feel of the town correct and I was a little jealous I couldn’t be reading the book while snuggled in a warm cabin surrounded with snow. The basic premise of the story works too, so this book would be a good Christmas read if you have some time to spare. I’d recommend reading it by the Christmas tree with hot chocolate.
Book # 2: Menace on the Christmas Market, by Sara Rosett
Description from Kobo.com
A Christmas Novella…
With the holidays nearing, Kate has time off, a rare occurrence for a location scout. The Jane Austen documentary series is in a production lull, and she plans to spend her time searching for the perfect Christmas gift for Alex, which has turned out to be a task as difficult as finding an unspoiled location for a medieval-inspired fantasy series. Kate goes to the local Regency-themed Christmas Market in search of a gift, but a new acquaintance is poisoned. Kate is drawn into the investigation and soon realizes she must discover who wants to make sure she doesn’t ring in the New Year.
My take:
I originally picked Rosett’s full length novel Murder on a Midnight Clear to read, but I downloaded the wrong book. I guess that happens when authors have more than one holiday book and I’m not paying attention. It worked out though as this is a novella and it felt great to start and finish a book in one sitting. It is book five in the Murder on Location series. I hadn’t read the previous four books but the story flowed well. It is a cozy mystery set in England. There didn’t appear to be any spoilers and I really like the main character, Kate.
Rereads:
Again this year, I am re-reading The Bride Quartet series by Nora Roberts. This is the eleventh time I’ve read the four books and I get something new everytime. I also get the expected comfort of hanging out with old friends. I suspect you will hear about me reading these books for years to come.
That’s all for December and What to Read in 2022. I’ll continue reading and sharing my thoughts on various books in 2023, although I’m changing things up a bit.
I’ve decided to read a Maeve Binchy novel each month of 2023. In case you are not familiar with Binchy, she was an Irish novelist whose work addressed women’s and social issues set in both urban and rural parts of Ireland. January’s book will be Tara Road, published in 1998. I’m reading Binchy’s books in popularity order rather than chronologically. It’s subjective, but I decided to give it a try.
I’m also following along with my local library’s book club. If you have a library close by, see if they have a monthly book club. It is a great way to meet people and check out good reads. The January section is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, which is something I read in March 2022 and talked about here. I’m looking forward to hearing what others think of the book.
If you want to join me in reading either the Binchy books or share your library’s book club, drop me an email at carole@carolewolfe.com.
Until next time…