Tuesday, November 12, 2019

#StepUpYourReading Cozy Christmas Reads with Phoebe of Read & Wright

On the forecast for today was mixed precipitation making it feel like we are jumping right past fall straight into winter. The trees are finally colorful and given these colder temperatures I have a feeling the leaves will be falling off of them soon. I don't mind winter until February rolls around and then I am usually over it. But, winter is especially great toward the end of November and well into December given that I have Christmas to decorate for and look forward to. I’m not sure when we will put our tree up but my mind has already started to shift from Thanksgiving to Christmas when it comes to gifts to buy and what I need to do for the blog to help y’all prepare alongside me. Whatever your take on the holiday season, being forced inside means that having a good book on hand is a must. Phoebe of Read & Wright is back today sharing her festive book picks to help you get into the holiday spirit!
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If you’re a firm believer in that anything Christmas has to wait until after Thanksgiving, you have my permission to bookmark this post and come back to it on Black Friday! Or, as Lilly Pulitzer calls it, Colorful Friday! Or go out and get these from your local bookstore or library and save them for your post-Thanksgiving food coma! 


In the blogging world, we tend to start thinking about the holidays way earlier, like retail. And in my personal world, I start thinking about Christmas in August because it’s my favorite time of year. I’m a December baby, so I can’t help it! 

One of my favorite ways to get into the Christmas spirit is by reading a cozy Christmas book, of course! I’m rounding up some of my favorites and rating them on the Hallmark Scale of Cheesiness for you. 
Hallmark Rating: 1
This is probably my favorite book by Elin Hilderbrand, and I love all her stuff. I love the structure of it, and the characters are just so.good. As a bonus, its a series! The order of the series is Winter Street, Winter Stroll, Winter Storms, Winter Solstice. The Quinn Family is just my fav! 

Synopsis: The island of Nantucket is preparing for the annual Christmas Eve party at the Winter Street Inn until owner Kelley Quinn cancels. He caught his wife quite literally kissing Santa Claus, his youngest son has been deployed into Afganistan, and his three older children aren’t making life any easier. A heartwarming family drama set against the days leading up to Christmas, it will quickly get you into the festive mood! 

Hallmark Rating: 4
This is a great YA option! And it just came out as a movie on Netflix with an all-star cast. It’s made up of three novellas, so they’re fun to read all at once or on their own! 

Synopsis: One snowstorm in one small town weaves the lives of three different teenagers (and one teacup pig) together on Christmas Eve. Festive drama and romance abound! 

Hallmark Rating: 1
This was one of Reese’ Bookclub picks last year! It’s not so much Christmassy as it’s a winter romance that begins and ends at Christmas. So if you’re not too into Christmas, this is a great option! 

Synopsis: A charming and immensely moving story about fate as we follow the lives of two characters who have a chance meeting on a cold night in December. It is romantic, lightly Christmasy (you can really read it all year long), and thoughtful. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes! 

Hallmark Rating: 8
If I’m being honest, I didn’t love this one, but it could be the right book for you! It’s light, sweet, and highly predictable. But the characters are still fun, and it’s a story a lot of people can relate to it, I think! I’d classify it as “missed opportunity romance at Christmas time.” 

Synopsis: When a group of twenty-somethings move into a house in London together, they’re given strict orders not to engage in any inter-house relationships. This is a book about chemistry, friendship, and festive cheer.  

Hallmark Rating: 4
Synopsis: A couple has been waiting to celebrate the milestone of their daughter’s December wedding while harboring a secret: their own divorce. Can they get through the events after living apart for six months, in a romantic winter wonderland? 

Hallmark Rating: 9
Like Elin Hilderbrand, Nancy Thayer writes about life on Nantucket! This is another wedding centered book (did you know I’m engaged, it’s a theme). 

Synopsis: A Christmas wedding, an overbearing mother, and an ex-boyfriend from the past come together in a holiday drama about trusting your gut and believing in love. 

Hallmark Rating: 10
Oh gosh, this one is SO cheesy but so cute too! You may love it, and the cover art is to die for. So festive! 

Synopsis: A toy store on the island of Nantucket is in t
rouble financially, and it hasn’t snowed all year. Enter an adorable little girl full of hope, a classic Scrooge, and a love story to make your heartache, all while the temperatures drop, and the holiday lights begin to glow. 

Hallmark Rating: 7
Synopsis: A single mom inherits a toy shop in Love, Alaska, and sets out to have it ready to open by Christmas. Her son is ready for a new daddy, but she doesn’t have time for new love until a childhood friend returns to help her get the business ready. 

Hallmark Rating: 3
I’ve had this one for years and love to read a few of the small stories every day in December. It has a nice range of stories, from funny and light to religious to sadly beautiful. 

Synopsis: If you’ve read any of the Chicken Soup books before, you’ll know the structure! Regular, every day, people submit their stories to be included in the anthologies. I love this one because you can pick it up and read a few every day! 

Hallmark Rating: 4
Can you even with this cover?! I think it’s so beautiful. It’s the first thing that caught my eye about the book! 

Synopsis: Love, fate, and holiday cheer abound all while set in a charming inn in the idyllic mountains of Vermont the week after Christmas. 

25 Days til Christmas by Poppy Alexander 
Hallmark Rating: 3
Synopsis: After Kate’s husband left with the Army and didn’t come home, she can’t stand the month of December. But this year, she is determined to make it a holiday to remember for her son, Jack, so she creates her own Christmas countdown. An emotional and heartwarming story of the loneliest woman in town crossing paths with the most isolated man, leaving us to believe in the power of the unexpected. 


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