Recommendations for Book Lovers

Covers from Confessions Of A Christmasholic, Good Things, Window Shopping, Slay Bells Ring, Thursday Murder Club, Cher the Memoir part 1.

If you’re anything like me you have a stack of books that you’ve read and loved and wish everyone else had read as well so you can talk about them!

I’m a bit of an eclectic reader but here are the books on my wish list this Christmas.

First my favorite Christmas romances. 

Confessions Of A Christmasholic by Joss Wood—full disclosure Joss is a good friend of mine—how lucky am I?? this book has everything I love. It’s full of holiday feels, hijinks and deep emotion.  If you are looking for a book to sweep you up in the fun of the holidays don’t miss this one!

Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey.  Okay this book is a few years old but I LOVE it!! I’m rereading it right now because it’s that delicious mix of sexy, funny and so touchingly emotional that I cry every time.  Love it!

Nonfiction:

Cher: The Memoir Part I – I read this last year and it is so good.  Cher is easily one of the most fascinating people in the world and her memoir delivers on that. Sharing stories about a life lived behind the spotlight and giving you a behind-the-scenes look.

Good Things by Samin Nosrat.  Want to read this one. It’s on my wish list as well.  I loved Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat which is really about cooking but also about her and her life. She weaves stories of her own life around these essential elements of cooking.  Also I can’t help but smile every time I see her picture because she has such a lovely, wonderful smile.

Mystery:

Anything Richard Osman.  I’m a late comer to the Thursday Murder Club books and am currently reading book two.  I love the mix of characters and the way that Osman layers the mysteries in his books.  I watched the Netflix adaptation of the Thursday Murder Club and really enjoyed. Hope they make another one.

Slay Bells Ring by Nancy Robards Thompson.  Nancy is one of my OG writing friends.  She’s recently moved into writing cozy mysteries and I love them.  It features mom and daughter sleuths in a small town that I wouldn’t mind visiting.

What books are making your year-end or wish list?

Teaser Time: Relentless Pursuit

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/2e9d62_5768afdb22674fa9a78219a3af037047/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

A sneak peek at Relentless Pursuit!

Five Things Bringing Me Joy This December

Hello, December!

This year I’m trying to be more intentional with how I spend my days, especially when it comes to balancing work and the holidays. I had a big deadline in November and poured all my focus into that book, which meant I missed so many of the autumn and Thanksgiving moments I usually savor. I’m determined not to let that happen with December.

I hope you’re finding your own pockets of joy this month, too.Here are five things I’m really enjoying right now:

1. Christmas ads with all the feels.I’m a total softie for an ad that makes me cry—my son teases me endlessly about it, but I adore them. Here’s one I watched this morning that is simply the sweetest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1bRlnyQeDk&list=RDz1bRlnyQeDk&start_radio=1

2. Christmas cocktails.No surprise to anyone who knows me! So far, I’ve made the Flat White Martini (the signature drink in Once Upon a Texas Christmas), and this weekend I’m planning to try a Snowball. It uses advocaat—something I’d never heard of before—which is sort of like boozy eggnog. I’ll report back!

3. Special breakfasts.This time of year, food seems to take center stage in our house. My husband made me breakfast the other day, and it honestly set the tone for my entire day. It’s amazing how a small gesture can feel so big.

4. Christmas movies! We have a handful of family favorites we watch every year. There’s something so comforting about revisiting them and remembering Christmases past. When we watch Rudolph or Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, it takes me right back. When my son was little, he had the entire Rudolph play set—here’s a picture he took one year.

5. All the lights.I’ve always been obsessed with Christmas lights. I point them out to everyone I’m with, and sometimes I even take pictures and send them to my family. Earlier this week, I snapped a little Boomerang video of the Christmas tree outside the movie theater. It was freezing (winter is definitely on the way!), but I couldn’t resist.

Wishing you all the sparkle and warmth this season has to offer. Let me know what you are enjoying right now.

Happy Holidays!