I thought some of you might be shopped out by now? I did so much shopping over the holiday weekend and now I think I am very close to be finished. Our dang kids keep growing so quickly I really needed a lot of clothes and shoes for winter for them as much as holiday gifts.
So not to worry if you still have some shopping to do- I will continue to post a lot of deals through December. For today though, I thought it might be nice to take a break and talk about some winter book recommendations. I love curling up with tea or cider on cold nights with my dog, a great book… it is one thing I really look forward too in winter.
So here are a few recommendations of things I am reading or have on my to read list in case you need to update your library list.
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
This is basically the equivalent of a Hallmark holiday movie. I love Sophie Kinsella books- these are just light and charming and fun to read. This one follows our favorite heroine, Becky Bloomwood as she attempts to host her first family Christmas.
Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout
I haven’t picked this one up yet but if it is good enough for Oprah, it is good enough for me. I keep seeing this book on so many best seller and recommended reading lists, it is a follow up to Olive Kitteridge, which was the journey of a no nonsense woman attempting to make sense of her life and those around her in a small New England town.
Olive Again picks up with Olive, a retired schoolteacher and widow, as she navigates her own shortcomings and the lives of those around her.
The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey
This novel spans over a 20 year period from the 1920’s to the 1940’s in England, focusing on a young society girl attempting to find her way through family pressure, secrets, expectations and into the life that she wants. In the novel, we meet Alice, a shy young girl living in the English countryside that finds letters from her mother detailing her youth and heartbreak. As Alice goes on her hunt to discover more about her Mother’s mysterious past and learns a lot about herself in the process. The reviews on this one rave about this book and I checked three different sources for reviews.
Please tell me some of you love the Crime Junkie podcast as much as I do? Actually I love so many true crime podcasts like Dirty John, Something About Pam and Dr Death. In fact, I have started going through the Dateline podcast lately to get an extra fix. This story is about a woman that is obsessed with true crime podcasts, until one day she recognizes her own life in the middle of one of her podcasts. We go on an adventure with Anna, convinced she knows the victim and knows what happened, through a past she has tried hard to hide.
With the new Little Women movie coming out in theaters, I thought this would be a fun one to read. It is a modern day take on Little Women, featuring the seemingly perfect lives of Meg and Jo in New York City.
When their mother becomes ill and they head back home for the holidays, secrets are revealed and we learn the truth behind their lives. This one seems light and fun and ultimately is a powerful story about the bonds of sisters.
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
Alright, raise your hand if you think this whole college admissions scandal is just fascinating. Me too! I am just waiting and waiting to see what happens to Aunt Becky. In the meantime, you can pick up this book which is the story of happy friends in a wealthy, privileged community and the lengths they will go to once an exclusive school opens up for gifted children. The story focuses on the competitiveness to get into the school and the aftermath the children, families and community faces.
That sounds like big drama that you might not be in the mood for during the holiday season, but the reviews say this is written in a fun and entertaining way. I can’t wait to pick this one up.
Here are a few other book recommendations you might have missed:
Leave a Reply