How We Fared With Our Christmas TBRs

Happy holidays! Earlier this month, we set ourselves with the task of reading some jolly good holiday reads to get us in the spirit of the season, and we're here today to determine just how well we did...or didn't do. :P No pressure, just something fun we were doing, but it's always interesting to see just how much real life gets in the way of reading these days, lol.

April's picks:

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by various authors
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (Review)
On Christmas Hill by Nichole Chase
Cross Country Christmas: A Woodfalls Girls Novella by Tiffany King
Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

Well, I did wonderful! lol. I really wanted to read all of these! There just wasn't any time. I really hope that I'll do better next year. My real problem was getting approved for Golden Son by Pierce Brown a couple weeks ago. I haven't read anything else since. What little time I've had this holiday season, I've been reading that.

Jen's picks:

4 / 6

Mistletoe & Mr. Right by Lyla Payne (review)
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (review)
Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle
Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas (review)
My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by various authors, edited by Stephanie Perkins (review)
Hear Me by Viv Daniels

I fully intended to read every single one of these holiday books, but then other books made it into my hands -- I'm looking at you ACOTAR and ADSOM -- and I all but abandoned this endeavor. At least I only had two of the six left, right? But it just seems like I'm never going to get that copy of Let It Snow read...I think I've had it for three or four years now. :(

My favorite of what I did read, though, was the anthology edited by Stephanie Perkins. Obviously, I didn't like every story the same, but there were some really adorable tales in there, especially the ones by Stephanie herself, Rainbow Rowell, and Ally Carter. All of the ones I read or listened to were pretty cute, though. I still fully intend to read Hear Me soon because I have a review copy and I don't think it's specifically holiday-themed...more winterish, maybe? Plus, I love some Viv Daniels, aka Diana Peterfreund.

What books do you enjoy reading around the holidays? Did you pick up any of these, or do your prefer to get comfy with old favorites during this time of year?

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Labels: christmas, holidays, TBR pile

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on Our Christmas Wishlist

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. Apparently, they are overly fond of list-making and love to share their bookish lists with the rest of us book nerds.  =) We're game.

This week's topic is the Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing This Year...

April's Picks:

Well, Isla and Infinite I have already received from Jen.. <3 Thank you. <3 The others.. there are a few oldies on here. They are all books I've been meaning to buy for myself, but just haven't gotten around to it.


Jen's Picks:

Disclaimer: I've read all of these. They're just books that I find it hard to buy for myself since I have already read them in one form or another...sometimes usually audio. And even though I already have a million books on my shelves, I'd love to see these gracing them, too. It drives me nuts not to have complete sets of books or not to have all of the books by my favorite authors, so I usually use presents as a way to make that happen. =)

ETA: Santa didn't bring these to me, but I just opened April's present to me and she got me Amy & Roger's Epic Detour and The Assassin's Blade. Does she know me or what?!? :) Thanks so much, April!


Which books are on your Christmas wishlist? Be sure to share a link to your TTT post so we can visit!

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Labels: bookish wishlist, christmas, holidays, top ten tuesday

{Novella} Mistletoe & Mr. Right by Lyla Payne

Title: Mistletoe and Mr. Right
Author: Lyla Payne
Series: n/a
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: November 20, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…but lust refused to settle in for a long winter's nap.
She might be all nestled, snug in her bed, by why, oh why, do visions of the wrong guy dance in her head?

Jessica, (not Jessie), figures that nothing could be better than a trip to the Emerald Isle for Christmas break. So she takes a flying leap and follows her boyfriend home for the holidays, not only sure that he will finally agree they're destined for each other, but also that Ireland will provide the perfect backdrop to the beginning of their happily-ever-after.

But it turns out his family--and his gorgeous ex-girlfriend--don't feel the same way, and even the family goat seems to be conspiring against her well-laid plans. The only person making the trip worthwhile is the very last one she should be thinking about, but Grady, the local farmhand, has a way of showing up when Jessica needs him most...and least.

USA Today bestselling author Lyla Payne wraps up the perfect holiday novella, ties it with a ribbon of romance, and tops it with a light dusting of snow. Perfect to curl up with under the tree. Just add hot cocoa!

Mistletoe and Mr. Right was just the fun holiday read I needed on a Friday night after a rough week at work.  It had everything I want in a holiday story: romance, family togetherness, and adventures in the snow...not mention private sleigh rides. And for the first time in what feels like forever, I was able to finish the book in one sitting, since it only came in at 150 pages.

Jessica is a planner. In fact, she's got a ten year plan that starts as soon as she graduates college. And her plan includes marrying Brennan, her boyfriend of four months, who Jessica believes would be the perfect man to spend the rest of her life with. He just doesn't know it yet. Which is why she takes it upon herself to jet across the sea to visit him and his family in Ireland over Christmas break. Obviously this was a bad idea, but it becomes even more apparent once Jessica arrives.

Brennan is rather distant and short with Jessica during her entire trip. It doesn't help matters that his beautiful ex-girlfriend is spending Christmas with the family. Or that Jessica can't get the handsome farmhand out of her head. I think it's glaringly obvious from nearly the beginning of the story -- and even before that, if you read the summary -- that a love triangle (square?) is at the heart of this story but it becomes about so much more than that.

Jessica has some deep-seated issues that even Brennan doesn't know about. In fact, those issues are pretty much the catalyst for her ten year plan and everything that led up to it. The handsome farmhand Grady has just as many issues, and they have this immediate connection, one that leads them to disclose their histories to each other without reservations. Well, after they got past their initial loathing. :) Even Brennan's former flame has a tragedy in her past that gave me pause. I found it impressive that the author could flesh out her characters in only 150 pages and provide them with enough backstory so as not to feel like throwaway characters, despite the shortness of the novel.

I loved reading about Jessica's blundering experiences as she tried to fit in and garner favor with Brennan's family. Some moments were cringe-inducing in their awkwardness, but it felt genuine. (I should know...I had a somewhat similar experience the first time I met my husband's family.) Still, Lyla Payne brought the swoons in the end, and she made herself a new fan in the process. I will definitely be checking out more of her work now.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Lyla Payne has been publishing New Adult romance novels for a little over a year, starting with Broken at Love and continuing with the rest of the Whitman University series. She loves telling stories, discovering the little reasons people fall in love, and uncovering hidden truths in the world around us – past and present. In her spare time she cuddles her two dogs, pretends to enjoy exercising so that she can eat as much Chipotle as she wants, and harbors a deep and abiding hope that Zac Efron likes older women. She loves reading, of course, along with movies, traveling, and Irish whiskey. Lyla’s hard at work, ALWAYS, and hopes to bring you more Whitman University antics and at least one more Lowcountry ghost tale before the end of the year.

Lyla Payne is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Find Lyla:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr | Facebook

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Labels: bloomsbury, christmas, contemporary, funfunfun, holidays, lyla payne, mistletoe & mr. right, new adult, novellas, reviews

Review: Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas

Title: Top Ten Clues You're Clueless
Author: Liz Czukas
Series: n/a
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: December 9, 2014 -- today!!!
Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Top Five Things That Are Ruining Chloe’s Day

5) Working the 6:30 a.m. shift at GoodFoods Market

4) Crashing a cart into a customer’s car right in front of her snarky coworker Sammi

3) Trying to rock the “drowned rat” look after being caught in a snowstorm

2) Making zero progress with her crush, Tyson (see #3)

1) Being accused—along with her fellow teenage employees—of stealing upwards of $10,000

Chloe would rather be anywhere than locked in work jail (aka the break room) with five of her coworkers . . . even if one of them is Tyson. But if they can band together to clear their names, what looks like a total disaster might just make Chloe’s list of Top Ten Best Moments.

This book was super adorable and features a main character who makes a lot of lists, so I thought I'd make a list of my own.

Top Ten Clues You'll Enjoy This Book:

1. You have great affection for The Breakfast Club. The cast of characters in this story definitely gave off a Breakfast Club vibe, though maybe for a slightly younger audience. (Think Disney Channel.) Unlikely friendships, FTW!

2. You enjoy holiday-themed stories. Set on Christmas Eve in a grocery store, this story had me giddy from page one. If you've ever worked retail during the holiday season, you can probably relate to a lot of the odd things Chloe and her new friends see over the course of story. And even if you haven't, I'm sure you can imagine.

3. You find yourself constantly making lists. Chloe is a list-maker, which endeared her to me immediately, being a list-maker myself. But Chloe's lists aren't just to-do lists...she makes lists for some of the most random things, a lot of which are included in this novel. The inclusion of those lists made this book even cuter, if that's even possible.

4. You don't mind when the romance isn't center stage. Even so, it was totally sweet. There aren't many swoons to be had, but what was there left my shipping heart awwwing in contentment.

5. You love a diverse cast of characters. I loved how everyone's background was taken into consideration in this story and yet it proved not to matter in the end. I mean, yes, at first they felt stereotypical and some of the characters felt like tokens, but the author does take the time to develop each of them while they're stuck in that grocery store break room.

6. You like a side of mystery with your story of friendship. The mystery of the missing charity money is the glue that binds these kids together, turning them into friends instead of mere casual acquaintances. And Chloe needs some friends. She was also desperate to solve the mystery herself, and though it was pretty easy to figure out myself, I liked that even when everyone else had give up, she was still trying to work it out for herself.

7. You enjoy light-hearted, fluffy, and totally frivolous reads. I never thought I'd say this, but I totally fall into this category now. I will definitely (finally) be checking out my copy of Ask Again Later and the soon-to-be-published NA When Joss Met Matt, written under the author's pseudonym.

8. You like a story that portrays illness realistically but isn't heavy-handed with it. Chloe has diabetes, a fact she's withheld from her coworkers. And with the stress of Christmas Eve shoppers and the theft of the charity money, she's not been taking the best care of herself. It was nice to see her new friends rallying to help her out.

9. You gravitate toward stories featuring normal kids with normal problems and normal jobs. I tend to favor characters that remind me of myself...or my younger self, anyway. I had a clunker of a car in high school. I worked at the local video rental store, back when those were still a thing. I had to worry about paying for college and why I needed to know what I was going to major in. The struggle was real, but it was also normal.

10. You've gotten up to some grocery store shenanigans of your own. Oh, the things these kids do to entertain themselves while they await judgment. Raise your hand if you've ever wanted to be pushed around in the shopping cart like a kid or race around the entirety of the grocery store. *raises hand* Raise your hand if you've done either of those things, even though you didn't work at the store AND it was still open when you did it. *raises hand*

As you can see, this book was pretty fun and so, so cute. And it's a perfect read for this time of year, considering it takes place over the course of one day...and on Christmas Eve, no less!

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Liz Czukas is the author of fun YA romances like ASK AGAIN LATER (HarperTeen '14) and TOP TEN CLUES YOU'RE CLUELESS (HarperTeen '14). She also writes fun New Adult romances like WHEN JOSS MET MATT under the name Ellie Cahill.

Find Liz:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr | Instagram

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Labels: all in one day/night, christmas, contemporary, funfunfun, harper-collins, holidays, liz czukas, reviews

Christmas Crafts with my Girl

Last year I finally opened up Pinterest to see what all the hype was about. I've always been very crafty so I viewed it as a site I should probably stay away from if I ever wanted to leave my computer. lol.

I never got obsessed to the point of spending hours pinning stuff everyday, but occasionally I get on there and look for some fun craft ideas. Aubrey and I love to make ornaments for the family every year and last year, tried a few out. :)

Tee Light Snowmen! We made a few of these and I have a great idea for making a new variation of one this year. They are super easy. Really all you need is the battery tee light, some ribbon and an imagination. Paint I guess, though we spruced ours up a bit.

We also saw all these old light bulb ornament crafts. If there is anything we always have laying around our house, it's old light bulbs. So we tried out some crafting with those.

 Check out our penguin. I wrapped the light bulb with black yard, What a freaking pain in the butt that was. There was much finger burning going on from the glue gun.

Over all I think he turned out pretty cute. There are a ton of other ornaments we made, but one that we are most proud of is our olaf light bulb.

This year we searched high and low, and then hit up Michael's craft store on Black Friday. We are ready to go. Our Sunday afternoon was spent trying out three new ornaments. 

Melted Crayon Ornament

It was just as easy as promise. I used old potato peeler to shred up some crayon, Aubrey helped me put it into the empty ornament, and then she held the hair dryer while I burned the heck out of my hands melting the crayon to the inside of the balls. Worked out perfect though, and they turned out super cute! 

Cinnamon Stick Christmas Trees

These were a little harder. Mainly because those fake tree branches fall apart. We decorated ours will little jingle bells! :) 

Melted Snowmen

by far the easiest.. A large shot of Glue stick, some peppercorns and an something orange for the carrot nose. Put the tinfoil in the freezer to set and the snowman usually comes right off. Usually. The first time it did. lol. This one may or may not end up in Katie bugs gift box.. ( I'll never tell!) 

She loves her crafts. <3

So that's it's for this weekends crafts, we have a few more that we will be making. Do you craft? Do you make your own ornaments? Do you have Pinterest? Share your profile with me! :) You can find a link to mine on the side bar.

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Labels: christmas, crafts, DiY, ornaments

Judging a Book By Its Cover: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

We so borrowed this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About. Basically, it's about getting a child's perspective on the story inside the book based on just the cover art. It can be hilarious, but it can also be enlightening.

Okay, I totally missed doing these posts with Katie, and it looks like it's been right at a year since our last one. While cleaning recently, I found the folder that I kept her previous iterations in -- all 33 of them! -- so I begged April to see if Aubrey would be up to contributing, too. Lucky for me, she was! =)






This week, the girls are working on the following book:

Title: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories
Author: various
Series: anthology
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 14, 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you're going to fall in love with My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by 12 best-selling young adult writers (Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt de La Peña, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, Stephanie Perkins, Laini Tayler and Kiersten White) and edited by the international bestselling Stephanie Perkins. Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or Kwanzaa, there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have 12 reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love.

Behold, the girls' attempts at recreating My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, edited by Stephanie Perkins...

Aubrey's masterpiece & guess:

Aubrey says:

"I think it's about people who love ice skating at Christmas time. And they live in the snowy mountains."

Aubrey is quite familiar with living in the snowy mountains. I have to say though, the orange skater looks like he broke his leg, but  I didn't tell her that. lol. I'm reading this book slowly right now. A story here, a story there. It's pretty cute so far. Love this time of year!




Katie's artwork & thoughts:

Katie says:

"I think it's a Christmas story and it takes place at night. And I think it's about them having fun and them all skating together."

Hehe...I love this just as much as I loved the book! I think it's adorable that Katie picked her two favorite couples to depict, rather than doing all twelve couples. Actually, what she said was, "I don't have to do all of those people, do I?" It's her vision so I just let her roll with it any old way, and I like the direction she took.

This book is seriously such a cute holiday read. You can read my review here. There's something for everyone...really! Some stories from favorite authors and some from authors I'd only ever heard of, but all of them were worth a read. This anthology definitely got me in the mood for some holiday cheer!


Have you read this book or do you plan to? What do you think of the girls' artwork and their thoughts on the story's premise?

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Labels: anthology, aubrey, beautiful covers, christmas, contemporary, cover art, favorites, happy new year, holidays, judging a book by its cover, katiebug, st. martin's press

{Audiobook} Review: Dash & Lily's Book Of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Author: Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
Series: n/a
Narrator: Ryan Gesell, Tara Sands
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: November 16th, 2010
Source: Purchased Audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

I love this time of year! And what better way to start out the Holiday than a story set during Christmas time! For years I've seen bloggers rave about Dash and Lily's Book of Dares. Saying what a fun holiday read it is, and you know what! They were right. I'm so glad I grabbed the audio.

First of all, the female narrator is a little annoying. But honestly, I think that's more because Lily is a little annoying. She's kind of immature.. well, kind of isn't the best way to describe her. She's full blown immature, but I think that really worked for her. I started out rolling my eyes at her, but she's endearing, really and by the end I loved her.

My favorite was Dash. His narrator was great, and some of the stuff he says and thinks, had me laughing out loud and making sure I didn't have it on while Aubrey was in the car. He was definitely intelectual. Maybe a bit too much for Lily, but they balance each other.

I love love loved!!!! the dares they gave each other in the book. They were witty and hysterical. It was so fun watching their relationship blossomOverall, this is such a feel good story. . Christmas falls from the pages. I just adored it. I can see why Jen listens to this one every year at this time.

If you are looking for a holiday themed book to get you in the mood, look no further. Give this one a try! It's quick, fun and jolly!

About the author:

David Levithan (born 1972) is an American children's book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.

Find David:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About the author:

Rachel grew up in the D.C. area and graduated from Barnard College with a B.A. in Political Science. She has written many YA novels, including three that she cowrote with her friend and colleague David Levithan. She lives and writes (when she's not reading other people's books, organizing her music library or looking for the best cappuccino) in New York City.

Find Rachel:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: Audiobook, christmas, dash and lily's book of dares, david levithan, fun, rachel cohn, reviews