Welcome 2022! I finished 2021 reading 80 books, five more than my goodreads goal of 75. This year, I set a goal of 52 books. It’s much less than my usual 75 or 100 books. However, it’s an attainable goal since I know that I can read one book a week. This year, I plan to work on some other projects and don’t want the pressure of feeling like I have to read to meet some unattainable number that I’ve set for myself. December was good reading month with a mix of okay and great reads. Check out my December reads that I’m sharing with Steph and Jana’s monthly link up.
3 stars
Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis – (Holiday/Romance, September 2021) A girl and guy meets during a blizzard, spending “eight perfect hours” together. But they keep running into each other and discover that perhaps fate has brought them together. This was a sweet, feel-good read.
Love From Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill – (YA/Romance, c/o Netgalley, April 2022) Reese and Benny are two high school students interning at an online culinary network. They end up doing a video together that goes viral, leading to a regular segment that they star in. But they are both competing for a job with the company in the fall, so despite the chemistry heating up between them, Reese wants to keep it platonic. As a food lover, I enjoyed the cooking and behind the scenes aspects of a culinary network. Overall, this was a cute read.
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary – (Romance, June 2021) Two exes share a car ride with some friends on their way to a mutual friend’s wedding. I really liked O’Leary’s The Flatshare but this book just didn’t do it for me. If Goodreads allowed half stars I’d probably give this 2.5 stars. It was a slow read for me and I just wasn’t interested in the characters.
Such a Good Wife by Seraphina Nova Glass – (thriller, August 2021) Wife and mom of two ends up having an affair with a local author. But when he ends up dead, she has to cover her tracks and attempts to figure out who killed him. I thought this had a pretty unbelievable plot and I found Melanie, the main character so unlikeable.
4 stars
Cuba In My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas – (Middle Grade/Historical Fiction, September 2021) A 12 year-old boy has to leave his family in Cuba behind and move to Florida to avoid being recruited into the Young Rebels. There he is confronted with the challenges of adapting to a new culture while worrying about his family back in Cuba. I didn’t know much about this time period and it was interesting to see it from a child’s perspective.
One More For Christmas by Sarah Morgan – (holiday/fiction, October 2020) An estranged mother and her daughters reconnect after she has an accident. They all end up spending Christmas together in Scotland. This was the fourth book by Morgan that I’ve read, and the third holiday themed book, and I have enjoyed every one of them.
The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman – (Holiday/Romance, October 2021) A middle-aged meteorologist is replaced by an AI robot at the news station she works at in California. She ends up returning to her home in Michigan, in the midst of winter, to figure out what’s next. She gets a job at the local news station and reconnects with her home town and the winter season, which she has tried to avoid for a very long time. Viola Shipman is the pen name of Wade Rouse. I have read several of her books and have enjoyed all of them. This is her first holiday themed read and is based on real people and events in the author’s life.
You may enjoy reading:
Congrats on meeting/exceeding your reading goals. I started 8 Perfect Hours on audio but didn’t finish it.
Thanks! I have to try audio books again. It’s been awhile!
Good luck with your reading goal this year! I set mine knowing I’m taking another certificate course and moving, so trying to keep my reading goal reasonable as well.
Yes, I’m trying to keep my goal realistic without stressing me out!
I wish no one felt pressure to read any amount but I think a lot of people do.
I hate when I find a main character totally unlikable.
Oh I’m one of those people who feel pressured to meet my book goal! LOL!
One More For Christmas sounds good; I enjoy Sarah Morgan’s books and read one of hers this December too!
Yes, I really enjoy this author! Can’t wait to read more of her books!
I didn’t like The Road Trip much. I also DNF’d The Secret of Snow. I just wasn’t into it!
Aww, too bad. I really like Viola Shipman’s books.
I love that you lowered your goal for something you know is realistic for you. I don’t even have a goal this year. I want to read without focusing on a number.