the books I read in November

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I went ahead and decided to continue on in sharing the books I read each month. That will make it a full year that I was consistent in that. Woohoo! I don't always follow through well. And there were the two months that I had to combine, since I forgot about this in September. I digress. I've been reading Christmas books since the first of November, and I am not upset about that at all! Along with the books, I've also been watching all the Hallmark Christmas movies, as you know, which is why I was so ready to decorate for Christmas at the first of November. I'll jump right in to my post for today. Click on each picture to be re-directed to Amazon to read about or purchase the book. The excerpts I share about each book are taken from Amazon's website. 

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Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger--a stranger who will change the course of Josie's life.
 
Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special. 
 
Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye. 
 
Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again?
 
A devastating, romantic, life-affirming love story, Always, in December will stay with readers long after they've finished the last page

Personal thoughts: While I loved every page of this book, I was not prepared for the way it ended and bawled like a baby. It didn't give it that magical Christmas joy that I was looking for, but I loved this first book by a new (to me) author and will read some more by her. 

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It’s Christmas week when 26-year-old Sabrina Post knocks on the door of the Vanderbilt suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, ready to accept the ghostwriting position for the memoir of Grayson Westcott—a famous art dealer.

A struggling journalist, Sabrina can't believe her luck: a paycheck and six nights in her own suite at the Plaza. She feels like Eloise, the heroine from her favorite children’s books. To make the job even more exciting, Grayson recounts how he worked as a butler at the Plaza sixty years ago for none other than the author of the Eloise books, Kay Thompson.

What promises to be a perfect week is complicated when Sabrina meets Ian Wentworth, a handsome British visitor, at the hotel bar. When Ian assumes Sabrina is another wealthy guest at the hotel, she doesn’t correct him —a decision she doesn’t regret after learning that Ian is a member of the British aristocracy. But, things are not what they seem. The truth is: Ian is not a wealthy lord; he’s actually the personal secretary of Lord Spencer Braxton.

As the week unfolds, will Sabrina and Ian learn the truth about one another?

Filled with the magic that can only be found at the Plaza Hotel during the holidays, and revealing facts about the author of the Eloise books, Anita Hughes's A Magical New York Christmas is both a holiday treat and a heartwarming story that reminds us that falling in love is the greatest miracle of all.

Personal thoughts: This book had all the Hallmark Christmas movie vibes! I loved it. It was predictable, but interesting and factual about the hotel it took place in and the magical city of NYC at Christmas, which proves even more how much I want to see it in my favorite time of year!

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Holidays on this Massachusetts island are nothing short of magical, and the season’s wonderful traditions are much loved by Nicole Somerset, new to Nantucket and recently married to a handsome former attorney. Their home is already full of enticing scents of pine, baking spices, and homemade pie.
 
But the warm, festive mood is soon tempered by Nicole’s chilly stepdaughter, Kennedy, who arrives without a hint of holiday spirit. Determined to keep her stepmother at arm’s length—or, better yet, out of the picture altogether—Kennedy schemes to sabotage Nicole’s holiday preparations. Nicole, however, is not about to let anyone or anything tarnish her first Christmas with her new husband.
 
Nancy Thayer’s wonderful tale reminds us that this is the season of miracles. Before the gifts are unwrapped, surprise visitors appear, and holiday joy comes to all, both naughty and nice.

Personal thoughts: Run, do not walk, and buy this book. It's less than $3 right now on Amazon! I borrowed it from the library, but I may purchase it so I can read it again. It is my favorite book of the season to date. 

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As Christmas draws near, Felicia returns to her family’s home on the island to marry her adventurous, rugged boyfriend, Archie. Every detail is picture-perfect for a dream wedding: the snow-dusted streets, twinkling lights in the windows, a gorgeous red and white satin dress. Except a lavish ceremony is not Felicia’s dream at all; it’s what her mother, Jilly, wants. Jilly’s also worried that her daughter’s life with daredevil Archie will be all hiking and skydiving. Wondering if their handsome neighbor Steven Hardy might be a more suitable son-in-law, Jilly embarks on a secret matchmaking campaign for Felicia and the dashing stockbroker.
 
As the big day approaches and Jilly’s older daughter, Lauren, appears with rambunctious kids in tow, tensions in the household are high. With the family careening toward a Yuletide wedding disaster, an unexpected twist in Nancy Thayer’s heartwarming tale reminds everyone about the true meaning of the season.

Personal thoughts: I loved this one too, but not quite as much as A Nantucket Christmas, hence the four stars. I still loved the quirky family and antics and this one had several laugh out loud funny scenes. The first one by her I mentioned was more endearing and sentimental.

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An empty nest has Ingrid Christiansen dreading the upcoming holidays, but her husband, John, couldn’t be more excited about this new season of life. He even has a surprise trip abroad planned. He’s sure she’ll love it. What’s more romantic than Christmas in Paris?

Before he can stop her, however, Ingrid agrees to spearhead a major church project. Then their faithful dog, Butterscotch, needs emergency surgery, draining their savings. And then—because disasters strike in threes—an unexpected guest arrives, dredging up old hurts.

As a beautiful blanket of snow transforms the north woods into a winter wonderland, a deep chill settles over John and Ingrid’s marriage. With the holidays fast approaching, their only hope of keeping their love evergreen depends on turning the page on the past and embracing a new chapter of their future.

Personal thoughts: I LOVED THIS BOOK. I cried, I laughed, I immediately began the search for more books by another new-to-me author. 

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Christina Antonioni is preparing for the holidays at her Nantucket toy shop, unpacking last-minute shipments and decorating for her loyal Christmas shoppers. But when her Scrooge of a landlord, Oscar Bittlesman, raises her rent, it seems nearly impossible for Christina to continue business on the wharf.

Even so, Christina hopes there is a warm heart underneath Oscar’s steely exterior. When she bonds with Wink, his sweet, young granddaughter who frequents the shop, it becomes clear that perhaps he isn’t so cold after all. And with the help of Wink’s uncle, who happens to be a charming and very handsome bachelor, this may be the best Christmas any of them could have ever imagined. Nancy Thayer’s enchanting Nantucket setting provides the perfect backdrop for this holiday love story.

Personal thoughts: This one was really good as well, but of the three I read by Nancy Thayer, this was my least favorite. I did realize a little over halfway through that this was made into a Hallmark Christmas movie last year—Nantucket Noel? I saw that movie and didn't really care for it that much and don't remember it being anything like the book. I could be remembering wrong. 

All in all, it was an excellent month of reading! What have you been reading? Anything particularly Christmas-y? I'd love to hear what it is if you have a recommendation! I hesitated to share this post, because I've been sharing my books on other posts I've written here. I try not to be redundant in sharing things, so you'll have to forgive me if this is old information for you. I know some of you are looking for Christmas books, though and shared for you, in case you missed any of my other posts. 

Even though this isn't a traditional "What's Up, Wednesday" post, I'm still linking up with Shay and Sheaffer for this post. All those things I've been doing are things I've already shared here recently...as far as the topics like what we're eating, what I'm wearing (I have an idea for that and will share on Friday), what I'm looking forward to, what I'm listening to and what I'm reading.

Thanks for reading my blog! Love to all. 🎄

P.s. Here are my other months of books from this year. Happy reading!

October/September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January