Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel review

Title: Faking Christmas

Author: Cindy Steel

Ch: 27 plus epilogue

Pg: 9:59:00

Genre: Christmas rom com

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Indie

Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel is the Christmas rom com I didn’t know I needed until I started listening to the audiobook. While it is first and foremost a Christmas rom com with two people that are rivals. Though it’s more rival on Olive’s part than Milo. It’s also a Christmas rom com that deals with grief. And more importantly the grief that comes in waves of spending that first Holiday without a loved one.

As someone who has spent that first Christmas without a loved one, I never paid attention to the fact that grief was never addressed in a Christmas rom com before. Till I read and loved Faking Christmas. Heck even the title is perfect and sums up how you spend that first Christmas or holiday. It’s going to be a must reread every year. The right book comes to the reader at the right time.

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson review

 Title:  Run, Rose, Run

Author:  Dolly Parton and James Patterson

Ch: 96

Length:  10:26:15

Genre:  fiction hint of mystery

Rating: 4.5 stars

 

I have to say that I would read anything that Dolly writes. We technically I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Dolly and a full cast. I love full cast audiobooks every main character gets its own narrator which adds to the story. And even though it's also written by James Patterson it doesn't read like a James Patterson it reads like what I think a fiction book written by Dolly would read like.  Annielee was my favorite character though Ruthanna Ryder was a close second as the retired Country queen,  Ruthanna's character reminded me so much of Dolly and I can't help but wonder if Dolly did that for a reason.  And of course any good country story like any good country love song needs a hero, enter Ethan Blake the Army Captain turned songwriter.  The book does start out a little on the slow side but quickly picks up.  

 

Run, Rose, Run has been optioned for a movie and that's something I'm looking forward to, and to me there's only one person who could play Ruthanna Ryder and that's Dolly herself. 

 

 I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner review

 Title:  Crying in H Mart

Author:  Michelle Zauner

Ch: 20

Length:  07:27:0

Genre:  memoir

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Knopf publishing group

 

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner came out in 2021 and I put it on my list to read because of the title, but when it was talked about on the podcast  What should I read next with Anne Bogel I knew that the subject matter wasn't something I was ready for at the time.   I thought I was ready for the subject matter when I started listening to audio earlier this year.  But it was still an emotional read as any book about losing one's mother would be an emotional read.  I listened to the audiobook read by the author herself which adds to the emotion to me the audio book enhanced my experience.    The reason the title drew me in last year was because I could relate to the title not the H mart part but the crying part like the author herself there have been times I found myself crying in a store since losing my mom.  Though it's only happened in the grocery store once.  The time that stands out the most to me was the just before the mother's day the year after we lost her I was standing in the card section of the store in front of the mother's day cards bawling like a baby.  And like Michelle says in Crying in H mart grief comes in waves. 

 

There were two quotes that stood out to me the most from this book because I relate to them both so much, the first being “It felt like the world had divided into two different types of people, those who had felt pain and those who had yet to.” ― Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart.  And “For the rest of my life there would be a splinter in my being, stinging from the moment my mother died until it was buried with me.”― Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart. Because that quote summed up how I also feel about losing my mom.   

 

Crying in H Mart is one of the books that you need to be in the right head space and right emotional space to read, and while I want to recommend the book especially the audio to everyone, I can't. If you've recently last a parent especially a mother I recommend waiting.  Or if a loved one is going through cancer treatment or has lost the battle wait. I thought being almost six years since I lost my mom I could handle reading/listening to this one, and I was still a sobbing mess by the time I finished this one.

The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren Reviews

Title:  Tangles and Treason

Author:  Nancy Warren

Ch: 7

Pg:  1:15:19

Series: Vampire Knitting Club 0.5

Genre:  paranormal cozy mystery

Rating: 3.5 stars

Publisher: Tantor audio

 

 Tangles and Treason by Nancy Warren is technically a prequel book to the Vampire Knitting club series.  It's basically a character in the series back story and you find out why they become what they are. I however suggest you read or listen to this one after reading or listening to the first book in the series. The Vampire Knitting Club. 

Title:  The Vampire Knitting Club

Author:  Nancy Warren

Ch: 19

Pg:  06:06:19

Series: The Vampire Knitting Club book 1

Genre:  Paranormal Cozy

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Tantor Audio

 

The Vampire Knitting Club is the first book in The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren. This is a a series of paranormal cozy mysteries a subgenre cozies that I didn't know existed till I saw the first book free on Kindle.  And once I read it, I was hooked on the series, though I ended up getting the audio from my library and listening to it on audio.   Lucy ends up inheriting her grandma's knitting shop when she passes away but there's more to it than that.  Even though she can't knit to save her life and discovering a vampire knitting club.  I cried with Lucy and laughed with Lucy and discovered that I do love paranormal cozies especially when they are on the funny side.   Not to mention the Oxford England setting because college towns in England are completely different than college towns in the US. And I look forward to reading or listening to the rest of the books in the series. 

Review of Set the Stars Alight

Title:  Set the Stars Alight

Author:  Amanda Dykes

Ch: 47 plus epilogue

Pg:  363

Genre:  Christian fiction dual time

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Bethany House

 

This one was my first Amanda Dykes book but it want be my last. I listened to the audio book and I think it added to the experience. Though it did take a bit for me to get use to the dual time slips but once I did I was hooked on both stories.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

The Rural Diaries: Love , Livestock, and Big life lessons down on Mischief Farm review

 

Title:  The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm

 

Author:  Hilarie Burton Morgan

 

Ch: 17

 

Pg:  272

 

Genre:  Memoir

 

Rating: 4 stars

 

Publisher:  Harper One

 

As a teen I was a fan of the show One Tree Hill and Peyton Sawyer played by Hilarie Burton was my favorite character, so when I was that she has written a book I knew I had to read it. She writes about her life and how she and her now husband Jeffery Dean Morgan bought misfire farm.

 

I listened to audio version which Hilarie narrates the audio and her reading you the book just adds to the experience. And the recipes sprinkled throughout just adds to the experience.

 

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about rural life, farming. And people themselves who just want to enjoy the simple paced life of a small town.

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.