Book Bingo 2018 X 2

I have long wanted to participate in a Book Bingo challenge and suddenly I came across two year long ones (thanks to Lark for pointing out the second on to me!). Challenges like this particularly appeal to me because they allow me the freedom to read according to my mood, but might help me when I am struggling to decide what to read next (which happens more than I care to admit--too many choices . . .). I couldn't decide between the two, and so I will be joining both. In the interest of fairness, I will not be reading the same book if any of the categories match.

The first Book Bingo challenge I stumbled on is hosted by Suzanne of The Grand World of Books Reviews. The rules are fairly laid back:

It’s up to you as the reader whether you want to try for just one bingo or to black out the board…or something in between. Or…just chose your favorite spaces and read for fun with the board as a guide. This is not meant to be stressful, but to be a fun game to enhance your reading.

Here is the Book Bingo 2018's board: 

The Categories: 

A Library Book

A Graphic Novel

A Book That Is Becoming a Movie in 2018

A Popular Author's First Book

A Brand New Book

Read An Own-Voice Book

A Book Over 500 Pages Long

A Book With a One-Word Title

A Book About Mental Illness

A Book About Another Culture

A Book Set In a Different Country

A Book That Brought You Joy

[Free Space]

A Book Set In a Different World

A Nonfiction book of Your Choice

The Oldest Book on Your TBR List

A Book You Heard About on YouTube

A Book That Was Translated into English

A Used Book

A Book That Made you Cry

A Book That Made You Angry

A Classic

A Book Published in 2018

A Book a Friend Recommends

A Book of Short Stories

While I would like to get a blackout, I will be happy just to get to as many of these categories as I can. They all seem very doable. I think the hardest one for me will be a book I heard about on YouTube, since I rarely watch YouTube. And figuring out which book has been on my TBR pile the longest will probably be impossible. Can we settle for my best guess or at least close to it?

Thanks to Suzanne for hosting the Book Bingo 2018!

*

The second Book Bingo challenge, which is on its fourth year, came recommended by Lark of Lark Writes on Books and Life and is hosted by Stacey of Unruly Reader. The rules for this one are:

• Read a book that fits the category. Each book can qualify for only one category.
• Complete just one row or column, or go for blackout by reading a book in every category.
• All books must be finished in 2018. Books started in 2017 but finished in 2018 count.
• We’ve provided some definitions, but you can free-style it if you like—as long as you can make a case that the book fits the category.
• All categories can be fiction or nonfiction (your choice), unless otherwise specified.

Categories:

About the Categories Reserved – Although you may reserve a book at the library and anticipate its arrival, a book can also be reserved in its tone and theme.

#ownvoices – a book written by a member of a marginalized community that it depicts

Epic – A generational saga or transformational journey

Upgrade Your Life – Take things to the next level — mentally, physically, or spiritually

Been There, Read That – A book set in a place you’ve lived or visited

Psychological – A book that messes with your mind or heals your mind

Fashion(able) – A book about fashion, a book about trends, or a book that is trending

Read the Movie – There’s a movie based on this book

Judge a Book By Its Cover – You love or hate the cover

The Help – A book about those who serve others. Or a self-help book.

Timeless Classic – A book that’s stood the test of time

I Bought It – A book you bought, or a book whose premise you bought into

Rock – Earth, a gemstone, music — however you want to define it

Time Travel – A character travels forward or backward in time

Cocktails – Alcohol is an ingredient in the book

Glamour – A book that portrays a glamorous life

Wealth – A book about finance, money, or life’s riches

Urban – A book set in a city, or a book about a city

Lost Generation – A book by or about the generation that came of age during WWI (born 1883-1900; e.g., Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Babe Ruth, Harry Truman)

My People – You identify with the characters based on your roots or sense of identity

Audie Award – Listen to or read an Audie Award winner or finalist

True Crime – Nonfiction book about a crime

South of the Equator – A book set south of the Equator, or written by an author from a country south of the Equator

Outsider – The protagonist is alienated from her/his surroundings. Or, a stranger comes to town…

No More Waiting – It’s been on your TBR, on your nightstand, on your mind. Read it already.

This one might be a bit more challenging for me based on the definitions of some of the categories. I may have to get creative. Wealth in particular. Would a novel about wealthy people count? Or a crime fiction novel about money laundering?  The challenge sounds like a lot of fune, and I am eager to give it a try. Like with the other Book Bingo challenge, I will aim for a row or a column--or both.

Thanks to Stacey for hosting the Book Bingo!


Is anyone else planning to play Book Bingo this coming year? What category do you think you would most struggle with? Are there any YouTube book blogs you follow you think I might enjoy--and where I might get some good book recommendations?

---

© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season.

---

© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: Sugar Pine Trail by RaeAnne Thayne & Mrs. Claus: Not the Fairy Tale They Say edited by Rhonda Parrish

Sugar Pine Trail (Haven Point #7) by RaeAnne Thayne 

Harlequin, 2017

Romance (Holiday); 345 pgs

Source: E-copy provided by publisher via Edelweiss for an honest review.

 Opening of Sugar Pine Trail: This was going to be a disaster.

An only child to two older now deceased parents, librarian Julia Winston has always lead a quiet life. For a book club assignment, Julia jots down some ideas of experiences she would like to do--a bucket list of sorts. She doesn't take it very seriously, at least not until her long time crush rents the apartment above her. Jamie Caine is sexy as can be. He's a pilot for his family's company. He doesn't give much thought to his plain librarian landlord at first. But when she takes in two young boys whose mother has disappeared, he begins to see her in a different light. And then he accidentally stumbles on her list. He wants to fill her life with the same awe and joy he's felt since getting to know her. Only Jamie has his own demons from the past to ward off. He doesn't want to get involved in a serious relationship--and he knows Julia is the kind of woman who deserves no less.

I always enjoy my time in Haven Point and getting to know Julia and Jamie was no different. Julia is a bit reserved at first, and I admit it took me a little bit to warm up to her. I think it must be the same way Jamie saw her at first--but once I got a real look into who she was, I was pretty taken with her loving heart and generous spirit too. Jamie was pretty cool as well. He could have turned out to be one of those playboys that make me cringe in romance novels, but his own back story is pretty compelling. And those two boys . . . Talk about heartbreak! Their story is what really made this book for me. I cannot say this is my favorite of RaeAnne Thayne's novels, although I did enjoy it quite a bit. I adore the Caine family and wouldn't mind spending more Christmases with the family.

To learn more about RaeAnne Thayne and her books, please visit the author's website. You can also find the author on Facebook and Twitter.

*

Mrs. Claus: Not the Fairy Tale They Say edited by Rhonda Parrish

World Weaver Press, 2017 

Fantasy/Science Fiction; 215 pgs

Source:  E-copy provided by publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Opening of Mrs. Santa Claus: Not the Fairy Tale They Say: If you look up Santa Claus the top Google result is Wikipedia (because of course it is). 

I could not pass up this anthology of short stories when I first came across it. Santa Claus is canon as is his wife, although she always gets the short straw when it comes to most stories about Christmas. In Mrs. Claus: Not the Fairy Tale They Say, readers are treated to fourteen stories featuring Mrs. Claus as you have never seen her before. As with any collection of short stories, some of the stories are stronger than others, but I enjoyed them all overall.

There were a few stories I wanted to like more--and I might have had there been just a bit more development. The one that immediately pops into my mind is Randi Perrin's "Moves Like Jagger", in which Mrs. Claus is a witch--and you know how I love stories about witches. I liked the world building and the hint of backstory provided, but, as I said, wish there had been more to flesh it all out for me. I had a similar feeling about "Good Morning" by Kristen Lee, which I was pulled into right away, but felt was too short.

"Miss 'Lil Toe Head" by Michael Leonberger was likely the most melancholy of the lot. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, to be honest. Playing Mrs. Claus along with the woman she loves dressed as Santa Claus, the two make money during the holidays by acting like the jolly couple--hired by parents to be "caught" by children in their homes leaving behind presents. It takes a dark turn after that, with a few unexpected twists--medical experiments, a traumatic childhood, and a appearance by the real Miss Claus. Or one of them at least.

Among my favorites was "Wight Christmas" by Laura VanArendonk Baugh, her story featuring Mrs. Claus as a Valkyrie investigating the recent destruction of toys and the murder of elves. A mix of humor, well-imagined characters, and an intriguing premise, I was quite taken with this first story in the collection. It got the book off to a solid start. I also really enjoyed "Unexpected Guests" but Andrew Wilson, about a powerful fae version of Mrs. Claus and her human husband. While her husband is away, Elora discovers some unwelcome guests out to steal from her. I do love stories about the fae, and I liked the world building in this one quite a bit. Another really fun one, and perhaps my favorite of all of the stories was "Shouldering the Burden by M.L.D. Curelas, in which our heroine, Phaedra Claus, a bit of a pirate, returning a statue to her home in Greece.

There was a definite science fiction  and fantasy slant to several of the stories, from aliens to monster hunters, to stories with a more steampunk feel to them. Or even stories with a more traditional feel  despite Mrs. Claus being as nontraditional as they come. Mrs. Claus: Not the Fairy Tale They Say was the perfect way to finish up my holiday reading for the time being. A bit of romance, crime fighting, horror, comedy, action, and a whole lot of magic mixed in.

---

© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

This story is about one particular Christmas, but it actually starts with a very Bad Thing happening the previous spring. ~Opening of Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery

Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery (Little Beach Street Bakery #3) by Jenny Colgan

William Morrow, 2017

Fiction; 320 pgs

Source: Review copy provided  by publisher for an honest review.

Goodreads Summary: 

New York Times-bestselling author Jenny Colgan dishes up another delightful holiday story about the residents in an idyllic Cornish village who must join forces to save Christmas.

In the Cornish coastal village of Mount Polbearne, the Christmas season has arrived. It’s a joyous time for family, friends, and feasting as decorations sparkle along the town’s winding streets and shop windows feature buoyant, festive displays. And in Polly’s Little Beach Street bakery, the aromas of gingerbread cookies and other treats tempt people in from the cold.

Though Polly is busy keeping up with the demands of the season, she still makes time for her beekeeper boyfriend, Huckle. She’s especially happy to be celebrating the holiday this year with him, and can’t wait to cuddle up in front of the fireplace with a cup of eggnog on Christmas Eve.

But holiday bliss soon gives way to panic when a storm cuts the village off from the mainland. Now it will take all of the villagers to work together in order to ensure everyone has a Merry Christmas.

It's often the blurbs that convince me to read a book, and it was the last paragraph of the above one that especially captured my attention. As a result, I had a built in expectation of what was coming as I read. By the time I reached the end, I wondered if maybe I missed something. There was a big storm. And it did cause a lot of havoc. However, events didn't play out quite the way the blurb suggests . . .

Setting that aside, I was pleasantly surprised by Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery which, while the third book in a trilogy, was my first visit to Mount Polbearne. Jenny Colgan does a wonderful job of putting the reader right into this little Cornish community, a bit cut off from the mainland. When high tide rolls in, it can be dangerous crossing over to the village, water lapping at the tires of the vehicles who dare to cross. Mount Polbearne is a coastal village that prides itself in maintaining a more traditional feel, which means updates and modern additions aren't always welcome.

What I would not give to taste one of Polly Waterford's baked goods! The descriptions of her treats just about had me salivating--and I'm not a a big foodie person. I liked Polly's strong work ethic and her kind heart. It is obvious she bears scars from her past, raised by a single mother who had been wronged by the man she loved, Polly's father, whom Polly has never met. It's tainted Polly's own views of marriage, despite her engagement to Huckle. Can I just say now how much I adore Huckle? He seems like such a great guy, very dedicated to Polly. He is supportive and would clearly do anything for her. He doesn't quite understand Polly's reservations about marriage and starting a family, however, given that she hasn't exactly shared her fears with him.

Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery has quite a bit going on. Polly is burdened with a secret one of her best friend's is wrestling with, and keeping it from Huckle is not only wearing on her, but is taking it's toll on their relationship. Polly's father's wife has reached out to her, hoping Polly will consider meeting with her father--something Polly isn't sure she wants to do. Not only might it be hurtful to her mother, but this is a man who wanted nothing to do with Polly her entire life. Why should she give him the time of day now? Add to that a big party to cater, a pregnant and depressed best friend, a puffin sanctuary that needs saving, and an oncoming storm. I was pulled into the novel right from the start and enjoyed every minute I spent with all the characters. I shivered in that old lighthouse they lived in at night, wished alongside them for a quiet Christmas just the two of them, cried with them when they were at odds and when Polly was struggling with her mixed feelings about meeting her father, and wanted to visit with them a bit longer than I could once I reached that last page.

I especially loved Neil. Who wouldn't love that little puffin who has made his home with Polly and Huckle?

I enjoyed the humor and romance Jenny Colgan brings out in the novel, and I also appreciated the varying voices of her characters as they struggled with some rather complicated moral and just plain emotional issues. People make some pretty stupid choices--or even choices we don't agree with. When it's a friend or someone you love, how do you react? Do you stand by them? Take a superior moral stand? Straddle both? Especially when so much is at stake.

I liked that each of the characters, even the minor ones, are fully developed, and flawed. I don't necessarily see a happy ending for all of them, despite this being the kind of book that definitely ends on a high note. That could just me my more realistic nature, however. I hope at least Polly, Huckle and Neil--and the rest of the puffins, at least--have their happily ever after ending the book suggests.

As much as Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery can be read as a stand alone, I do think it might be preferable to start with the first book in the trilogy. I had no problem following along and getting to know the characters. The author does a decent job of making sure their back stories are more or less filled in. I think though I missed out on some of that by starting with the final book in the trilogy. I definitely want to  go back and start from the beginning.

To learn more about Jenny Colgan and her work, please visit the author on the author's website. 

---

© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: The Christmas Room by Catherine Anderson

Warm August sunlight slanted across the dusty windshield of Cameron McLendon's blue Ford pickup as he drove south on Highway 93. ~ Opening of The Christmas Room

The Christmas Room by Catherine Anderson

Berkley, 2017

Romance (Holiday); 428 pgs

Source: E-copy provided by publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was my first time reading something by Catherine Anderson and The Christmas Room did not disappoint. I am used to Christmas-themed romances starting up closer to Christmas than this one did, and so the August start threw me for a minute. I didn’t mind though.

The Christmas Room was a double romance, really. Catherine adeptly showed the nuances of love earlier in adulthood and in later adulthood through both of those relationships. I enjoyed following both Kirstin and Cam’s story as well as Maddie and Sam’s.

Sam Conacher is a wealthy widowed rancher who has no patience for anyone and not only runs off his twenty-six year old daughter’s beaus, but also makes sure to ruin their reputations as well. Kirstin wants a life of her own and to get out from under her father’s thumb. She loves him though and loves the ranch she grew up on.

Cameron (also known as Cam for short) and his son, along with Cam’s mother, Maddie McLendon, have moved to Montana to start a new life. Cam has long wanted to settle in the state, having been stuck in California for years due to custody issues. Now in Montana, the McLendon's haven’t been able to break ground on their house, and have set up camp on their land.

When Cam and Kirstin meet at a local bar, there is an instant connection. Cam is reluctant to pursue a relationship at first, given who Kirstin’s father is. Both, however, decide it is worth the risk. Sam Conacher is not at all happy when he finds out they’ve been sneaking around behind his back and threatens to ruin Cam. Only, every time he tries to confront Cam, he instead ends up in a face down with the formidable Maddie McLendon, a popular mystery author.

Caleb isn’t without his own troubles as he tries to adjust to being in a completely new environment, struggling to fit in. Cam was young when he became a father, and Caleb was raised by his grandparents for a good part of his childhood. At sixteen, he is proves to be a loving son and good all-around person. It is obvious Cam and Maddie love Caleb and he them.

I enjoyed The Christmas Room more than I thought I would. I had gone in expecting a straight forward romance, but what I got was so much more than that. I adored Maddie and not just because she is a mystery author. I loved her spirit and how she protected her family. She is such a strong woman, and I enjoyed watching her confrontations with the curmudgeonly Sam. When she finally was able to break through his protective shell of grief over the loss of his wife, she did not hold his past actions and words against him, but encouraged him to step up and be a better person.

I have found that many romance novels touch on the subject of grief in one form or another. This one deals with the grief from the loss of a parent and a spouse. Grief is such an individual process—how we cope, the guilt and anger we may carry, and the pain and sadness that can linger. It has been six years since Sam’s wife died, and yet it is like yesterday for him. Kirstin misses her mother, but also her father—the man he used to be before grief took over his life. When Cam’s dad died of cancer two years before, Cam stepped up to take care of his mother the way she had taken care of him and his son. Maddie is afraid to burden her son any further than he already must feel—keeping her health issues to herself, not wanting to have to worry him and her grandson.

I really came to care for all the characters in The Christmas Room. This was a heartwarming book and made for a wonderful holiday read.

To learn more about Catherine Anderson and her work, please visit the author on the author's website. You can also find the author on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

---

© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.