Adulthood is a Gift

I love Sarah's Scribbles. They are so relatable and I love how simple and funny they are. They are witty, relatable and so freaking unique. I loved this collection of her comics and I also liked that she wrote a little it about herself at the end. Honestly I liked this one so much I might go ou and buy i. Great collection, especially for millennials! 

You Can Only Yell at Me For One Thing At a Time

A quick and funny rulebook for couples told as funny cartoon editorials. I definitely got a few laughs out of it. I am a sucker for a good illustrated book and this is one you can knock out in twenty minutes. 

Iceberg

Eesh - one of the worst Clive Cussler books that I have read thus far. You can absolutely tell this one was written in the seventies it is oozing with homophobia and sexism. For over half the book Dirk Pitt pretends to be gay, and he does so in such an outlandish way, and at the very end of the book... WOW. I won't spoil that surprise if you're going to read it. There were far too many moving parts to this story, yet Dirk was always one step ahead. He is just too smart and the story is too over the top. I'll try out the next one in the series, but if it is as bad as this one, then I am done with Cussler!

Simply Christmas

A charming devotional that is perfect for the holidays. This little guide has 31 devotionals, psalms, and prayers and if you start on the first of December, this devotional will see you through the busiest month of the year. It also has gorgeous holiday photos accompanying each page. It's down to earth, hopeful, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading a little each day. I plan on using this again next December! 

How to Share an Egg

Debut author Bonny Reichert is no stranger to writing, as an award-winning journalist who has long written about food and parenting. How to Share an Egg is a deeply moving memoir about growing up with a father who survived the Holocaust and lost nearly everything (family, heritage, health, belongings) in the process. When he immigrated to Canada after the war, he brought with him food and memories. When your father barely survived on scraps during a mass extermination, you learn to have an appreciation for all food. As Bonny grew into adulthood, her father told her more and more about his experiences in the ghetto and extermination camps; it haunted her and she suffered generational trauma. Until she was in her forties, she avoided anything to do with the horrors of the Holocaust. This memoir is not only her father’s story, but a moving look at her life and the food that helped define her. She grew up on rich Polish food and but branched out as she taught herself to cook food from cookbooks and eventually went to culinary school. Narrated beautifully by the author herself, Bonny’s cadence and rhythm make this a calming and moving story to listen to and engage with. It’s a love story to her family, identity, and food. Verdict – not just foodies will eat up this memoir, this story has something for everyone. Extremely compelling.  – Erin Cataldi

Live on Purpose

I am a sucker for a good devotional and I really enjoyed reading my first Sadie Robertson Huff book as well. It was very inspirational and packed a punch. This is definitely geared towards younger women, but as a woman in her thirties I really enjoyed her messaging and prayers. I started every morning reading a devotion and it was an excellent way to start my day! I was very sad when I finished up my 100th devotional today and the book was over. I am saving this and will read it again in a year or two. Excellent content and a wonderful start to every day! 

Lost and Lassoed

I ate this one UP! Honestly this might be my favorite of the series. I am a sucker for a good enemies to lovers trop and Gus and Teddy have been simmering for a while. I am SO GLAD they finally freaking got together. The slow burn was great and I loved how this also revolved around a child as well. Delicious and sexy. You don't have to read the first two in the series before this one, but I highly, highly recommend it! Cannot wait for the fourth book in this series, I love Rebel Blue Ranch!

The Mistletoe Murder

Four short holiday murder mysteries written by the masterful PD James. I thought the first two mysteries were quite good, but the latter two weren't as strong. All the short stories are set in the UK and involve some sort of murder around the holidays. The audiobook is only three ours long, so the stories are quite compact. Fun, festive, and daring - I enjoyed them. The British narrators really help set the scene for me. I believe I will have to give one of her full length mystery novels a try as I really enjoyed the way James had with words. 

The Christmas Tree Farm

Super quick and fluffy seasonal read. I finished this in one day. A grumpy meet cute about second chances and improving oneself. Kira North buys a Christmas tree farm sight unseen because she was influenced by people homesteading on social media. She finds out it is a lot more work then she anticipated and is loathe to ask for help. She wants to fix everything herself and in waltzes Bennet, an out of towner who loves a damsel in distress. It's hardly love at first sight, but she adores his dogs and he admires his gumption. The two find themselves thrown together time and again. Maybe a Christmas miracle will give them what they both want? Fluffy, steamy, and charming. Give me more! 

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

Cute, a light romance with a little bit of steam. This is the second in the series but could easily be read as a standalone. Set in the charming town of Dream Harbor, this romance features, you guessed it, a bookseller, and a tour guide. Hazel is getting ready to turn 30 and she hasn't done much with her life. She follows the rules to a T and hasn't lived much. When weird clues start showing up at the bookstore she decides to follow them and in the process recruits the sexy boat guy. Maybe this summer will be fun after all? Noah is known as a player and he doesn't date locals, but he really starts to fall for prim and proper Hazel, too bad she thinks what they have is just a summer fling. Full of misunderstandings and second chances. This was a cute follow up and I think I enjoyed it even more than the first one in the series!

The Mediterranean Caper

Wow - you can definitely tell this was written in the seventies. Chock full of adventure, big dick energy, and blatant sexism; the second Dirk Pitt novel was a gollywhopper. The plot of it was quite interesting, but the way Dirk Pitt treats women (he literally slaps one across the face because he is disgusted that she hasn't been with a man in ten years since her lover died) is... not great. The way he refers to Black people also leaves a lot to be desired. I know, I know - it's a product of it's time but man! Dirk Pitt is basically an American James Bond, and I guess I'm into that? I'll keep going with the series, I'm assuming it will get less exist the closer we get to the twenty first century?

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe

Cute and fluffy - although not nearly as steamy as TikTok led me to believe. This is like a PG-13 Hallmark movie (ok maybe rated R in a few parts) about a big city girl who moves to a cute and cozy little town and falls in love with a hunky farmer in flannel.... And that's it. That's the whole story, lol. There is more nuance than that and clearly some of the characters mentioned will be getting their own books. It's fun and a super, easy, and quick read. I'll definitely check out the rest in the series!