Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon shows you can love again with the right person at the right time.
Both Grace and Henry lost their spouses right after Christmas. One to a plane crash and one to cancer. Their moms decide to throw them together to see if they can help each other move forward in life. They find their love of holiday movies helps progress a friendship that works its way through their grief.
A lighthearted read even with the heavy theme of grief.
It’s not very often that a book will leave me speechless but Winter Sisters did just that.
I am not sure how this ended up on my bookshelf but last week in anticipation of snowpocalypse 2026 I looked for a wintry book cover. Set in the late 1870s New York during an unexpected blizzard a family is torn apart and those who loved them set out to find out what happened.
I am hesitant to give too much into the story because the “aha” moments are best discovered yourself. I will say I am appalled to learn that the age of consent was 10 years old! WTH???
There are a lot of triggers in this book but it is very eye opening. At times I wanted to throw the book out in the snow I was so disgusted and other times I couldn’t turn the page quick enough.
Definitely a 5 star read and the best read in January.
It is amazing how Miss Marple watches the small nuances of people and it able to suss out the murderer.
The Body in the Library is book two in the Miss Marple series. I enjoyed it more than book one. A couple wake up one morning to find a dead girl in their library. Having no clue how she got there the police are called. While the police are investigating another body is found in a burned car. Are the two related? When the police are at a stalemate Miss Marple is called to help.
A quick mystery on the shorter side of a little over 200 pages. My word of caution is write characters down with a small note. There are always a bunch to keep straight.
Have you ever loved and hated a character at the same time? Anthony Bridgerton was such a character for me.
He kind of reminded me of the Grinch. He had a big heart full of love but decided to close it off to others that was until the right woman came along.
Anthony has decided at 29 years of age that he must marry but only if married without love. He sets off to court Edwina Sheffield but it’s her older sister, Kate, that sets his heart a thumpin’. An unfortunate incident sets his and Kate’s future. Sometimes the those incidents lead us to the best thing ever.
I’ve been told this is season two of the Bridgerton tv series.
Oh Lana! Dead bodies find her everywhere. Now bookstores aren’t even safe.
Lana agrees to help bookstore owner, Cindy, with an author visit after Cindy’s employee quits without notice. Everything is running smoothly until the author starts roaming the store talking with fans. Suddenly, without witnesses, she is murdered in the mystery aisle. What makes it even more eerie is she is found exactly like the victim in her newest book. Lana vows to investigate and gets the surprise of her life when Detective “Hottie”, her boyfriend, asks for her help.
I devoured this newest entry in the Noodle Shop series almost as fast as I devour crab rangoons. I don’t care that they aren’t authentic I still love them. This long running series gets better and better. I’m interested in seeing how a certain side character’s story develops in future books.
If you like books with a food theme, a take no cr*p from anyone female amateur sleuth, and fun side characters then this series is for you. Book 13 is scheduled to release later this year.
A poignant short story that reminds us we are all stronger than we think when we have to face problems we don’t like.
Paul goes to Venice, Italy by himself when his husband asks for a divorce. What was to be a romantic Christmas trip is now a trip for one. He struggles with the language, with his new singleness, and what his future will hold. Paul spits a dog outside his window and in at time following the dog and at other times searching for the dog he experiences Venice.
Even though I had a physical copy of the book I ended up listening to the audiobook and loved the narration. Listening felt like a fairy tale.
Lori always dreamed of being a star. She moves away, takes acting classes,and finds herself casted as Romeo’s Juliet. Her star climbs higher and higher but the shine quickly fades as the ugly side of fame overshadows. Lori realizes it is time to share her complete story with her niece. A story her niece is not expecting.
Was Lori’s story tragic? Yes, but she turned it into a beautiful story while helping others. She easily could have continued self-medicating and slipped into a dark place. She listened to the right voice at the right time.
The author’s letter at the end was perfect. She lets us know the story is based on three real actresses but never names them. Hollywood, even this many years later, chews up young actors and actresses and spits them up without a care. We all love the movies and shows but I’d rather we didn’t ruin lives for our entertainment whether in front of the big screen or behind.
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Last year someone in my #cozymysterybookbingo group mentioned a FB challenge they were doing.
Challenge Mount TBR
I thought what a perfect way to read the books I own both physical and digital. The timing was perfect as my library branch closed for renovation and expansion the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. (We will ignore the fact that I’m at the main branch at a minimum once every week 😆.)
I completed the first mountain today. I made it a little harder by making myself go up AND down the mountain.
Hope you will enjoy this new fun little chakras you follow along.
I had never read The Secret Garden as a child or young adult. It never held much appeal to me. My book club picked it as this year’s classic novel.
My initial thoughts as I slowly read it was of anger and dislike. Mary, the little orphaned girl, was horrendously bad. I wanted to give her a strong talking to. Definitely no gentle parenting discussion. As I discussed the book with a fellow book club member she reminded me how Mary had never been nurtured and had everything done for her. She truly knew no better. Colin was worse than her and again he had never been nurtured. Once I looked at them from that perspective I started enjoying the book.
While saying that I have no desire to ever re-read the book. I may venture to watch a movie version to see a garden come alive. I did thoroughly enjoy reading the garden scenes.
We never really know who our parents were before we came along. We see them in one light forgetting they were young once.
The Diary is based on the true story of the author’s parents. A tale told at the beginning of the Korean War.
Elizabeth’s daughters find their mom’s diary from when she was coming of age. They are shocked to learn her mom had a love that wasn’t their dad. As they read through they question what they know and even some aspects of their own life.
I will always have a soft spot for books set around the Korean War, a war my dad fought in and would rarely talk about. He said he saw things that were better left in the past.
When the shocking revelation came I almost forgot to keep walking on the treadmill. That tells me that is a good book when you forgot what you were doing.
Kentucky Book Lover 