I am sharing the books I’ve read since my last post! The first two books here can be read any time, but I’d recommend saving the others for next fall and holiday season. Happy reading!
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
If you like Emma Straub’s This Time Tomorrow, or watching It’s a Wonderful Life during the holidays, or philosophical and meaningful books that make you think about life, I bet you will enjoy this one. This book is about Nora Seed, a young woman who is very dissatisfied and unhappy with her life, and finds herself in The Midnight Library, a mysterious place between life and death. In this library, there are an infinite number of books representative of Nora’s infinite other lives — parallel universes in which Nora made different choices. Nora goes on a journey to find her “perfect” life, and in the process discovers just what makes a life worth living. It’s a powerful (and quick, easy) read with a beautiful ending.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Hannah Hall’s husband Owen Michaels disappears, and she tries to figure out what has happened alongside Owen’s teenage daughter, Bailey. They soon discover that Owen isn’t who he said and has been hiding a secret for years, one that ends up bringing Hannah and Bailey closer together. This book was easy to read and decent light entertainment, but it was not a heart-pounding thriller like I was expecting. I also found the plot and reveal kind of odd and nonsensical. So many people seem to really love this one — I liked it okay, but there are better books out there to read.
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
This book is about two witches, Vivienne Jones and Rhys Penhallow, who had a brief romance that ended badly, resulting in Vivi (somewhat accidentally) cursing Rhys before he went home to Wales. Years later, Rhys is back in Graves Glen, Georgia on a family duty, and the two must find a way to stop the curse wreaking havoc on their town, as their feelings for one another simultaneously reemerge. This book is full of spooky fun — a perfect light and easy October read. The story is very silly, and there’s some gratuitous bad language — but otherwise I enjoyed it for the autumnal theme.
A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss
This is such a cozy and charming book! Last holiday season, I read the author’s first book, The Twelve Dates of Christmas, and really enjoyed it, so I knew I needed to read her second as well. I think I loved this one even more. It tells the story of Annie Sharpe, whose twenty-six-year marriage has just ended; she leaves her restaurant behind to venture off alone, and accepts a position in the small town of Willow Bay as winter guardian of a historic seaside home. Annie quickly feels at home and begins to dream of the possibilities there, but finds herself in conflict with the homeowner’s nephew John, who has different plans in mind for the home. As Annie becomes accustomed to Willow Bay’s traditions from Halloween through the holidays, she holds onto hope that things might just work out after all. I loved Annie and John as characters; her ex Max was such a nuisance and the only bit I didn’t like. Overall, I thought this book was a joy to read. If you love Nancy Meyers movies and British rom-coms, this one’s for you.
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
This book is about Molly and Andrew, who have flown home together from Chicago to Ireland for Christmas for the past decade. On this year’s trip, a snowstorm cancels all flights home. Molly would be fine staying put, but Andrew loves Christmas, and being home with his family means everything to him. And so Molly promises to help Andrew get back home, through whatever creative means possible. During their journey, the pair may realize that their solid friendship just could mean a little more. This is a sweet and fun, quick and easy-to-read rom-com, perfect for this holiday season — especially if you’ve ever had travel mishaps at Christmastime. Extra fun to read on an airplane and feel like you’re there with the characters.
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
This is the third charming Christmasy book I’ve read this season! It is about twins Cass and Charlie, who decide to swap places the week before Christmas after Charlie suffers a concussion and needs Cass to take her place as co-host on the baking show Sweet & Salty, filmed in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Charlie takes Cass’s spot back in Starlight Peak, their small and snowy Hallmark-movie hometown north of LA, where Cass works at their family’s bakery Woodburn Breads. Naturally, when the twins switch, things get complicated — with work, their love lives, everything. This was another sweet, easy-to-read book, perfect for lovers of The Great British Baking Show and The Holiday (two of my favorites).
What’s on your reading list for the new year?
