As happened last year, I jumped right into the new year without finishing off last year's reading. Whoops! Here's the latest 2024 reading update.
December Favorites
- The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan
I had never read this author before, and this was a very sweet holiday story. - Five Stolen Rings by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
I love the way this author combines romance with mystery. The Home Alone references were really cute. - The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
This was so well-written and so entertaining. Also a combination mystery/romance.
- The Diddakoi by Rumer Godden
I picked this at random from our shelves to read with my husband and our friend, and we all really enjoyed it. I kept saying it was like Blubber, but with travelers. - The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
I hadn't read any Backman in a while, and I could not get over how good this was. It's a funny commentary on our current cultural climate.
Series and Sequels
- Cotswolds Holiday (Christmas Escape Book 7) by Kasey Stockson (3 stars)
- Christmas After All (Happily Ever After All Book 1) by Cece Louise (3 stars)
- Christmas Tree Connection (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 1) by Elle Rush (4 stars)
- First Term at Malory Towers (Malory Towers Book 1) by Enid Blyton (3 stars)
- Katie and the Cupcake Cure (Cupcake Diaries Book 1) by Coco Simon (4 stars)
- Mia in the Mix (Cupcake Diaries Book 2) by Coco Simon (3 stars)
- A Merry Little Murder Plot (Library Lover's Mystery Book 15) by Jenn McKinlay
- Booked for Murder (Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries Book 1) by P.J. Nelson (4 stars)
- Holiday Lights and Cocoa Cookie Nights (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 2) by Meg Easton (4 stars)
- Jingle Bell Jilt (Gift-Wrapped Romance Book 5) by Mindy Burbidge Strunk (3 stars)
- Cocoa Kisses (Creekville Kisses Book 5) by Melanie Jacobson (4 stars)
- The Christmas Pact (Mountain Springs Christmas Book 1) by Meg Easton (4 stars)
- The Christmas Bet (Mountain Springs Christmas Book 2) by Meg Easton (4 stars)
- St. Nick and Me are Mint To Be (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 3) by Tamie Dearen (3 stars)
- The Christmas Clause (Mountain Springs Christmas Book 3) by Meg Easton (4 stars)
- Molasses and Mr. Christmas (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 6) by Lindsey Jesionowski (3 stars)
- Tying the Knot with her Sweet Scrooge (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 5) by Ginny Sterling (2 stars)
- Madeleine's Mistletoe Meet Cute (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 4) by Ellie Hall (2 stars)
- His Stand-in Holiday Girlfriend (Christmas in the City Book 1) by Kasey Stockton (4 stars)
- Season's Schemings (Cyclones Christmas Book 1) by Katie Bailey (4 stars)
- Trapped Under the Christmas Tree (Christmas Tree, PA Sweet Romcom Book 1) by Jessie Gussman (3 stars)
Stand-Alone Books
- A Christmas Journey by Anne Perry (4 stars)
- Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews (4 stars)
- So Into You by Kathleen Fuller (3 stars)
- Judith Lankester by Marjorie Hill Allee (2 stars)
- A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush (4 stars)
- Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (4 stars)
- Strange New World by Carl Trueman (4 stars)
- A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas (5 stars)
- Cookies, Lies, & Homicide by Angela Henry (3 stars)
- The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander (5 stars)
- Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald (5 stars)
Family Reading Lists
M. (girl, 11 years, 1 month)
- The Trumpeter of Krakow by Erik P. Kelly
C. (girl, 9 years, 3 months)
- The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy
- Katie and the Cupcake Cure by Coco Simon
- Katie's War by Aubrey Flegg
- Mia in the Mix by Coco Simon
E. (girl, 7 years, 2 months)
- The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
R. (boy, 4 years, 9 months)
- Penny and Peter by Carolyn Haywood
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake by Cynthia Rylant
- Poppleton in Winter by Cynthia Rylant
- The Cozy Home by Ame Dyckman
- Construction Site: Taking Flight! by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Construction Site Mission: Demolition! by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Three Cheers for Kid McGear! by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Construction Site: Garbage Crew to the Rescue! by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Construction Site: Farming Strong, All Year Long by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Mighty, Mighty Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Construction Site: Road Crew, Coming Through! by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Construction Site on Christmas Night by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Dan Frontier, Trapper by William Hurley
- Dan Frontier with the Indians by William Hurley
- Robert the Rose Horse by Joan Heilbroner
- Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
- The Diggingest Dog by Al Perkins
- I Am Not Going to Get Up Today by Dr. Seuss
- Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
- The Mysteries of the Universe by Will Gater
A. (girl, 4 years, 9 months)
- More Ant and Bee (a few pages) by Angela Banner
- Pig Wig Can Hit
- Tag
- The Cat Family Christmas by Lucy Brownridge
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar's 5-Minute Stories
- Tom and Pippo and the Bicycle by Helen Oxenbury
