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Friday, January 19, 2018

Stefanie's 2018 Reading Goals



Hi everyone,

Now that it's occurred to me we're in the second week of January I feel like I'm finally back into the swing of things, at work, for reading and generally in life. I've starting watching Sex and the City, became obsessed with two new shows: Married at First Site (which my sister jokes that I should be on), and Undercover High.

Now that I have my TV straight I figured it was now time for my reading challenge update, and other reading goals I have this year.





For the 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge I have challenged myself to 300 books. According to their tracking system I'm already two books behind, but I laughed at that because just wait for the summer when all I do is read.

I'm focusing right now on adult fiction and non-fiction (I can't wait to read Andi Dorfman's Single State of Mind and Jen Glatz's Bridesmaid For Hire), but I will get back into young adult. I find that I go through genre blitzing (I'm just going to call it that), where all I want to read is one specific genre for a couple weeks, then grow tired if it and switch it up.

A couple of my new favorite authors have books coming out this year, ranging from Georgia Clark's new book The Bucket List, to the second book in Crystal Cestari's series, to Meg Cabot never disappointing in the Princess Diaries spin-off series.

 

   

For me the best part is going and finding the 2018 Goodreads list for new YA of the year, going through all nine pages or however long it is and adding all these new books to my tbr list (which was at 390 and is now at 430 or so). Even when I think I can tackle it, it always goes up. I read one reviewer that said there's no way she'd be able to ever tackle her tbr shelf, and I'm honestly with her. If only good books would stop being published, but I mean there's no way that would EVER happen!

I attempted last year to start listening to audio books and read books on my Kindle, but I just can't get past how much I love reading an actual physical book. I will rely on the library for all the audio books I use, especially when it comes to the library getting only the audio (and if it's not one I'm a hundred percent sure I'd read again).

I don't know if I can list anymore books I want to read this year, because every time I list these, I typically never actually read them or enjoy them. I think I almost curse it. The ones I have listed above, I either already have from the library in my possession or I know they won't disappoint (because Meg Cabot has only ever failed me once with her book Insatiable and I own all her books), but I guess every now and then the authors you love can let you down.



I hope 2018 will be a good year for reading and books and I hope you all have a great year as well.

See you next week for my first review of the year.

Stefanie 

Sunday, January 7, 2018

2017 Recap & 2018 Bookish Resolutions






Happy New Year!!

I can hardly believe it's 2018. I know I say that every years, but goodness, time is going by SO quickly! I had a pretty good 2017 -  reading wise - and I am excited to see what 2018 has for me.
Today I bring you my 2018 Bookish Goals. However, first, I would like to do a quick over view of my 2017 goals and how I did.  If you want the full scope of my 2017 goals, check them out here.


2017 at a glance

First off, I wanted to read 100 books, which I accomplished, I believe I read a grand total of 102 books in 2017. I wanted to read more physical books, in 2016 I was SUPER dependent on audio books and I got super lazy with actual reading. I did a bit better in 2017, however of the 102 books I read, I listened to 55 audio books and I physically read 48. I also wanted to listen to more of the audio books I had back stocked in my audible library - my goal was to get my back stock down to five - that did not happen. In actuality, I ended up obtaining more and more audio books, right now I have ten that I have yet to listen to, and a couple that I probably won't. I am not going to beat myself up about it this year. I wanted to read one 2017 new release per month, this is where things get a little tricky, I am not sure I listened to a new release a month exactly, but the total 2017 releases I read in 2017 was 41. Which is pretty solid. And finally, I wanted to read seven particular books that had been sitting on my shelf for some time, those books where, Jane Eyre, The Thief, Percy Jackson books 3-5, Lolita and A Wrinkle in Time. I am happy to tell you I accomplished this goal and read all seven of these books in 2017. I am pretty pumped about this actually.

So, 2017 was pretty good, there are still some things I need to work on, but we'll get there.


2018

2018 Reading Challenge 

Last year I completed 102 books. This is a good amount. I am completely happy with it. However, for 2018 I am aiming for 110. I felt like I had a a lot of dead time in 2017 where  I wasn't reading, I would like to change that, and I think upping my goal will help. If I don't make that goal, I am fine with that. But I would like to try.

**Within this goal, I would like for 60 of those books to have been physical books.



Read One Non-Fiction a Month 

I don't usually read non fiction. I don't tend to like it, however, there are a number of books out there that I would like to give a go. Trevor Noah's memoir, maybe a self-help book (a la Brene Brown). I feel like one a month is completely doable.

Read One Adult Novel a Month

As many of you know, I read a ton of young adult, and I always will. However, this year, I would like expand my horizons and read more adult fiction, specifically adult literary fiction. I believe I am probably missing out on some really great reads. I need to push out of my comfort zone a little.

Read Two 2018 Releases a Month 

I would like to have a better hand on what's  new this year and I would like to be able to talk about what's new. This is the goal I am going to be paying the MOST attention to I think. Make sure I am reading at least TWO 2018 releases.

Read the Following Books 

I really like lists (can you tell), and I really like scratching things off my list (is there anything more satisfying). SO I have another list of seven books I would like to get read this year.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Queen's Thief Series Books 2-5 by Megan Whalen Turner
The Hate U Give By Angie Thomas

I am confident I can get these books done within the next twelve months. 


Anywho, those are my goals for 2018. Keep a look out for my monthly wrap ups for updates, also I am using my bullet journal to help me keep everything organized, I may do a post on how that's working within the next few months. Do any of you have any goals you are working on this coming year? I'd like to hear about them.

Happy New Year, Friends and good luck this year.

~Happy Reading



Monday, January 1, 2018

Sara's Top Five Best/Most Surprising Reads of 2017






Hi Friends,

Welcome back!! A few days ago I posted my Worst/Most Disappointing Reads of 2017. I had kind of a good time coming up with that list and sharing it with you all. But I had even more fun looking over and all the books I read  this year and trying to come up with my favourites. Much like that last lists, I have five books that took me by surprise, and five books that I loved to share with you.

Most Surprising

When I say most surprising, I mean books that I wasn't expecting to like AS much as  I did. The majority of these are four or five star reads for me and I was not anticipating that. So I was very pleasantly surprised.

1) More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera - I was not expecting to like this book. I honestly thought it wasn't for me. There was even a second when I thought the story was going a particular way that really bugged me, but I was wrong. By the end I loved this book, it really gave me something to think about and I thought it was SO interesting, and the end ruined me. I adored our main character, Aaron. I loved his voice and  I really appreciated his story.

 


2) The Unseen World by Liz Moore - This book blew me away. I decided to read it on a whim and within the first 30 pages I was bawling and there were so many times I just wanted to curl up and bawl. I was completely invested in the story and the characters.

3) Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - Well, this one. This book has been sitting on my shelf for maybe seven years. I am pretty sure I got it before I started blogging- or maybe a little after. It's kind of a messed up story and I feel a little dirty when admitting that I kind of loved it. It's a Russian classic about a middle aged man and his love for a twelve year old girl. It's gross, but the writing in incredible. The way the story is told is amazing. I sound odd, but if you've read this book, I would love to talk to you about it.




4) One Plus One by Jojo Moyes - This is only the second book by Moyes that I have read. The First one being, Me Before You. I kind of expected another really sad, break your heart story. But that's not at all what I got. I got a feel good, fun family story, with a bit of romance thrown it. I absolutely loved it.

5) Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - This was another one that snuck up on me. I didn't think I was going to be as charmed by this story as I was. I adored Simon and I loved his family. Initially, I thought this book was going to be SO hokey- but I gave it a solid try, and it was well worth it.

The Best

1) Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - Yes, I read this Canadian Classic for the very first time in 2017. I fell in love the moment I first met Anne Shirley- she was the sweetest little thing. I listen to this one on audio and Rachel McAdams did the narration and she did such an amazing job at it.

2) A List of Cages by Robin Roe - I have made it no secret that this book blew me away. It was one of the first books I read in 2017 and I still think of it this year. I talked about it a whole lot in my Chapters interview- I am pretty sure my adoration of this book got me my job. It's a book about kindness and friendship and loyalty. It's such an incredible book, please read it. Read more of my thoughts here.



3)  The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - Oh man, this book. I loved this book (obviously). I loved the family dynamics. It's not an overly complicated story, but if you are a lover of books this is a must read.

4) Turtles All the Way Down by John Green - I had absolutely no intention of reading this book. I wasn't sure I was going to like it- John Green's writing and his books are hit and miss with me. This was a huge hit. I even reviewed it, I had to, I needed to share my thoughts. I very much appreciated what was said regarding mental illness, specifically OCD and how disruptive it can be for one's life. It was just good.




5) Far From the Tree by Robin Benway - I finished this book on Christmas Eve, and it ended up being the last things I read. This book is SO worth all the hype it's been getting. It discusses things like what makes a family, it also talks about friendship and fear and love. It's SO good. Beautifully written. This one will stay with me for a long time.


So, there you have it. My most surprising/best reads of 2017. I read a lot of great books last year and I am very much looking forward to 2018 and seeing what it's going to bring me.  I'll have a recap of my 2017 year and my 2018 goals for you in a few days.

~Happy Reading Everyone




Saturday, December 30, 2017

Stefanie's 2017 End of the Year Survey

Hey everyone,

It's 2018 and you know what that means; time for me to participate in one of my favourite blog posts of all time: the Year End Survey, which is hosted by Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner. I did this last year and it took me four hours to pick which book(s) I wanted to feature in each category. I've already challenged myself to not take that long again. 


So here we go! 



Number of Books Read: 248

Number of Re-Reads: 27

Genre You Read the Most From: Contemporary 



Best Book you Read in 2017 (well I always cheat here and pick one book from the major genres I read...because I can't pick just one!)

Best Young Adult: The Best Kind of Magic by Crystal Cestari
Best Adult: Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave
Best Children's: Royal Crush by Meg Cabot



  

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love but Didn't: 

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins





I loved her first couple books, wasn't that much of a fan of Isla's tale, but I was so pumped for this one. It fell flat and I was actually severely disappointed. 








Most Surprising (in a good or bad way) Book You Read: 

Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave






For some reason I had this one originally shelved as DNF, but went back to it when I saw it at my library: and finished it within the day. I am officially in love with Laura Dave's writing and can't wait for her next book. 






Book You Pushed People To Read: 

I can't pick just one, because outside of blogging I work in a junior high library, so on a daily basis I'm getting students to read books outside their comfort zone and pushing books on them..ok well not pushing, but nicely suggesting them to try certain books. I did convince one of my friends to start reading the Harry Potter series, when she really wasn't that fond of reading. 


Best Series You Started? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017:

Best Series I Started: Bad Housekeeping by Maia Chance
Best Sequel: Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Jenn McKinlay
Best Series Ender: Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

  

Favourite Author You Discovered in 2017:

Laura Dave

Best Book from a Genre You Don't Typically Read: 

 


Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

I normally don't read romances, but this one was hilarious! I'm tempted to continue with the rest of the series





Most Action Packed/ Thrilling/ Unputdownable Book: 

My entire re-read of the Harry Potter series, which I think I did in two and a half weeks (I really had no life that entire time)


Book you Read in 2017 That You Are Most Likely to Re-ReadNext Year: 





A New Model
by Ashley Graham and Rebecca Paley 

It's already in my shopping cart to purchase






Favourite Cover of a Book You Read: 


Most Memorable Character of 2017:

Can't really say I have one: I read a ton but one really doesn't stand out.

Most Beautifully Written Book: 

This I can't really answer, I don't know if one book I read would be considered the most beautifully written. 

Most Thought Provoking/ Life Changing Book:

Can't pick one again; I read a lot of books that really spoke to me when I read them and when I really needed them (after the pitfalls of online dating, ghosting, self confidence, all that drama), but to say they were beautifully written might be a stretch for most people, but for me these were what I needed! 

   

Book You Can't Believe You Waited Until 2017 to Read: 

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West


Favourite Passage/ Quote from a Book You Read: 

"You don't need anyone's permission or acceptance to go out there and do you. All you have to do is begin. The most beautiful thing in the world is someone living to their fullest potential." 

from Radical Self-Love by Gala Darling


Shortest and Longest Book You Read: 

Shortest: Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling (64 pages)
Longest: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (800 pages)


Book That Shocked You the Most: 


I Had a Nice Time and Other Lies by The Betches

This surprised me by being so honest, raw and downright funny, because every word in this book was right in your face brutally real. It made me laugh throughout as well, because it really was an eye-opener at times.





OTP Of the Year:

I really don't ship anyone, call me old, but I just don't get attached to characters like I used to.


Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship: 




from Hello, Sunshine by Leila Howland 

Becca and Marisol's friendship; it was adorable! 








Favourite Book You've Read from an Author You've Read Previously: 

In This Moment by Karma Brown



Best Book You Read Based Solely on a Recommendation:  

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson


Newest Fictional Crush from a book you Read in 2017: 

from Wesley James Ruined My Life by Jennifer Honeybourne

Believe it or not I can answer this one! I actually fell for Wesley; his actions were just the best throughout the book and it was one of those moments that I was like why can't this be me.


Best 2017 Debut You Read:

Caraval by Stephanie Garber


Best Worldbuilding/ Most Vivid Setting: 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling


Book that Put a Smile on Your Face/ Most Fun to Read: 

The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay by Kelly Harms


The short review I wrote on this on Goodreads even reads: Ended this book by having a smile on my face, that's how good it was. 

Book That Made You Cry: 

The Choices We Make by Karma Brown 


I BAWLED reading this. It was so emotional that I honestly couldn't keep it together, but I loved every page. It was a wonderful trip through my emotions. 

Hidden Gem of the Year:

Myths and Mistletoe by Tera Lynn Childs



Book That Crushed Your Soul:

Same as Book that Made me Cry


Most Unique Book You Read in 2017: 

Doing It by Hannah Witton 


Book That Made You the Most Mad: 

Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino 



New Favourite Book Blog You Discovered:

Broke and the Bookish for Top Ten Tuesday

Favourite Review You Wrote in 2017:

The Myths and Mistletoe one, since Tera Lynn Childs is one of my all-time favourite authors

Best Discussion/ non-review post you had?

Probably the one where I talked about how much I loved Oliver Wood....

Best Event You Participated In: 

The campaign to review Maggie Hall's third book, and after reviewing it you got a signed bookplate (which happily sits in my copy of Ends of the World) and bookmark. 

Best Moment of Blogging:

Unofficially celebrating my first year of blogging on here!

Most Challenging Thing About Blogging:

Attempting to learn HTML coding and stuff like that. Turns out: I suck at it, as I expected; good thing I never went into computer science. Then again I could use it. 

Most Popular Post This Year: 

My review of Girl Online. 

Post You Wish Got a Little More Love: 

I don't have one; honestly I'm happy if only one person were to look up one of of posts!

Best Bookish Discovery:

Finding out I had enough Harry Potter books and collectibles to have a fully dedicated Harry Potter bookshelf in my apartment. 

Did You Complete Your Reading Challenges/ Goals you Set for Yourself:

Yes to the reading challenge. My goal to re-read one book a week full short, by about half but I at least got to push myself to re-read more and realize that I really do need to pick up the slack when it comes to re-reads. 


One Book You Didn't Get To in 2017, but will be a Priority in 2018: 

The Regulars by Georgia Clarke


Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2018 (Non Debut): 

The Sweetest Kind of Fate by Crystal Cestari


2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating 

American Panda by Gloria Chao


Series Ending/ Sequel You Are Most Anticipating

Royal Crown by Meg Cabot


One Thing You Hope to Accomplish Or Do in Your Reading/ Blogging Life

Knock off more from my TBR list, instead of what I usually do and add way too many instead of getting that backlist tackled. 

AND THAT'S IT

Honestly it always feels good to do these! Gets me excited about the New Year and all the time for books I have. I hope everyone had a great New Years and I hope you all have a great 2018!! 

Stefanie











Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Sara's Top Five Worst/Most Disappointing Reads of 2017




Hi Friends, it's been a minute since I've had time to sit down and blog. As you may know from my October wrap up- I got a second job with Chapters for the Christmas season and I have been working non-stop, sometimes only getting an evening or two off a week. I am exhausted, but completely love it. I love working at a bookstore and Chapters was such a fun space to be in during the holiday season.

Anyways,  I am coming at you today with a short list of my worst and most disappointing reads of 2017. I have five books of each category to share with you today. So I hope you enjoy.


A small disclaimer- These are books that I just did not connect with. There were things in them that I did not enjoy. If you enjoyed them- that's great. Please do not think I am personally attacking you, I am not. I just get a bit nit picky at times. 

The Most Disappointing

 The next five books are not books I necessarily disliked, but I was just expecting to or thought I would love. Some of the novels listed are ones I still rated 4+ stars.

1) The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner - I enjoyed this book. But I didn't LOVE it. A very good friend of mine loves it, and gifted the first four books to me for my birthday. I enjoyed the story and I really liked Gen, but it was a bit slow and took me longer than I expected to finish. However, I fully plan on continuing with the series. I am curious about why so many people are loving it.

2) We Are Okay by Nina LaCour- Based on the synopsis given to use, I fully expected this one to be a five start read for me, but no. I thought the whole thing was a bit slow, and uneventful. There were things I enjoyed but they weren't really flushed out, and I think that's largely due to the length of the story- it's short book at 256 pages.




3) Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo- I read both Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom this past year. I really enjoyed Six of Crows and was super eager to get to Crooked Kingdom, I was expecting big things- but, it all fell a bit short. The end was a bit dull, and the overall story was so unmemorable. I was hugely disappointed. I think I still rated it 4 stars, but I couldn't tell you what actually happened in this story, other than, the ending was weak. 

4) Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauran - This one is SO sad for me. I generally love all things Christina Lauren, however this one was SO boring, and kind of ridiculous. The characters were flat and uninteresting and the conflict was kind of stupid. This actually might be my biggest disappointment of the year.



5) A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab - This book/series is SUPER hyped, and I was sure I was going to love it. But again, it was a bit slow in the beginning, it took me a few tries to finally get into it. I am not sure if Schwab is for me, I seem to regularly struggle with her stuff- but I keep trying.

The Worst 

Again, just because I didn't like these books doesn't meant you were wrong to, or that I was wrong not to. There was just something that I didn't click with.

1) The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson - I could have really liked this one. But, one of the characters does something which kind of bugged me and kind of ruined the whole story. I was super irritated after that. I can't say much more beyond that, as this is a pretty twisted read and I don't want to spoil it for you. I am pretty sure I pushed this one of two or three of my co-workers who enjoyed it, and didn't have the same hangups as I did. 

2) A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro - This was just not for me. I hated Charlotte, I just could not handle her. I thought her drug use was ridiculous and just stupid. I found the mystery incredibly immature. I hated this, I am surprised I even got through it.



3) An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson - Blah, this book was terrible. There was not plot, there was insta-love that didn't make sense. One minute he hated her and then the next he was risking his life and his legacy for her. Give me a break.  This book had such potential- the premise was great, and there were a couple of fun quirky bits. But, oh well- this was just not good for me.

4) Confess by Colleen Hoover - So, I waffle with all of CoHo's books. Some I really enjoy and others I can't stand. This was a can't stand. I didn't like the insta-love or how easily things wrapped in the end. According to what I wrote on Goodreads upon my completion of this book, I found it boring and angsty.



5) All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood- This book. The overall rating of this book on Goodreads is 4.1 stars. How? Why? I get controversial topics. I even enjoy reading them, but they have to have a point. I felt like this book had no point- it was edgy and odd, but had no point to make. I have a pretty lengthy review here on the blog for you- if you're interested.

Well, there you have it. My not so great reads of the year. Do you agree or disagree with my choices, tell me about it. 

Stay tuned, because up next will be my best and most surprising reads of the year. 

~Happy Reading Everyone



Monday, December 18, 2017

Stefanie's Thoughts: Myths and Mistletoe by Tera Lynn Childs





The Best Things Come in Fours
Four holidays to celebrate the season. Four worlds to explore. Four lives about to change. Four stories that prove magic is real.

Of Solstice Dreaming

A Mythmas Carol

Snow Falling on Serfopoula

New Year, New Mermaid

Slip into a world of myths, mermaids, and magic for a collection of holiday stories sure to warm the coldest heart!

A copy was provided by the author for an honest review

Hi everyone,

I can't believe it's almost December; as I type this I can happily say I've bought all my Christmas presents (except one) and am getting ready to shop for my Secret Santa at work; the best part is shopping for my Secret Santa is like shopping for myself so that'll be a lot of fun. 

I'm fully in gear reading my favorite holiday/ winter themed reads and I even found a couple new ones I hadn't heard of, plus a couple of the cozy mysteries I read have holiday ones, excited to dive in! My favorite of all though was when I heard one of my all-time favorite authors Tera Lynn Childs announced a new short story collection, all featuring holiday stories!! Forgive My Fins is in my top ten favorite books of all time and having the chance to go back into the world was the best part! 

The best part was this collection had each story in chronological order, starting from Christmas Eve to ending off the fourth story on New Years. This collection also had the main characters in these stories be the supporting characters from their main series which they are from (if that makes any sense). It was nice to see their worlds from their perspectives, when you normally saw them from another's first person perspective. 

The collection starts off with Of Solstice Dreaming:

Winnie Price has spent years dreaming of the magical Winter Solstice celebration in the fae realm. This is the year she will finally get to attend. But when things don’t go according to plan, will her dream still come true?

This was probably my least favorite of them, as the Darkly Fae series wasn't my favorite TLC series, but it still felt great in this collection. Winnie was a fun character and while her story might not have been my favorite, I enjoyed being back in the world. 

Next we get A Mythmas Carol: 

Christmas has never brought anything but trouble for Gretchen Sharpe. She’d rather spend the holidays hunting down mythological monsters than fighting over mashed potatoes. Can three sentimental hunts change her mind?

This was my third favorite of the four; I loved Gretchen in this one. She still had the kick butt attitude and softness for monsters she had in the Medusa Girls series. Her interaction with Sillus melted my little Grinch heart; there was something between the two of them that was so cute and heartwarming I loved it. This one also had A Christmas Carol feel to it and the ending was so cute. 

This was followed up with Snow Falling on Serfopoula: 

The Haloa festival is supposed to be a time of hope, but Adara Spencer hasn’t been feeling particularly hopeful. Until a surprise island snowfall brings three surprise visitors to her door with a surprise invitation.

How long has it been since I've been to The Academy in the Greece islands since Goddess Boot Camp got released; this was the first TLC series I read and the one that made me fall in love with her writing. I still remember being on holiday and going into a Barnes and Noble in San Diego and randomly seeing the cover and thinking this was going to be a great book, boy was I ever correct! 

This story is from Adara's perspective and I can't say I really liked her in the series, in this book I really felt for her; her mother is gone and spending the holidays without her has been tough. I liked how the special surprise made her realize just how lucky she is to be who she is and connect with the people in her life. I also got the feels reading this one and I can't complain, the snow part got to me too living in a Winter Wonderland six months of the year. 

We end the collection with New Year, New Mermaid

Marina Borealis knows having a crush on your best friend is the worst. Especially when he doesn’t feel the same way. Especially on New Year’s Eve. Will she spend another year unrequited, or will everything change before the shell drops?

I wish I could be a mermaid! I loved this one and this was my favorite of the collection. While I miss Lily and Quince, this one was fun having Marina as our main character. I felt so much for Marina and having an unrequited crush (those are the worst!), while I haven't had a crush on a friend, there's nothing to make you feel really single as seeing all those happy couples on New Years Eve (am I right!?). 

If anything I almost wish this one was longer! I would have been perfectly alright with this one being a full length novel! More romance, more underwater adventure! 


I can see myself reading this collection yearly and it'll have a nice place with my other yearly reads for the holidays! I'm actually hoping it gets published in paperback/ hardcover, so I can add it to my other TLC books. This has just reestablished TLC as an auto-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what she releases next!! 

5 out of 5 stars! 

Until my next review,

Stefanie

"So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookcase on the wall."
— Roald Dahl