Books

Holiday Reading Guide

Thanksgiving is over. The pumpkins and mums are past their prime. The tree has been trimmed. The Christmas music is playing. It’s officially time to choose a few holiday books to get us in the spirit. I’ve compiled a few lists for you to build your own holiday TBR this year. Read on to see books I’ve read and loved and books that are on my list to read this year.

10 Dysfunctional Family Books to Make You Feel Better About Your Own Crazy Crew This Holiday Season

‘Tis the season for family gatherings. If you’re anything like literally everyone else, you’ve got a few members of the family that know how to push your buttons. Or you may be the button pusher. Whatever your role, we can all agree fictional dysfunctional families are far more entertaining than the real deal. So, if you find yourself dreading Thanksgiving dinner with a particular aunt, uncle, in-law, or sibling, I’ve put together a list of books that will give you a reason to sneak away and escape into another family’s drama so you can avoid your own.

My November TBR

Are you in holiday mode yet? I’m getting there. We’re halfway through the month and my first holiday audiobook came through on the Libby app, so maybe I’ll be enticed to start switching my pumpkins for stockings once it’s over. I do love the magic of the Christmas season. Okay, I guess I am kind of ready!

In the meantime, I’m really hoping to squeeze in another fall book plus I need to finish a fantasy book for book club, and I hope to FINALLY get around to the new Dan Brown. Ahhh, so many books, so little time! Let’s have a look at the five books I’m hoping to read this month.

Fall Reading Essentials

Imagine. Your house is spotlessly clean. The kitchen is immaculate, laundry done and put away, not a speck of dust in sight. You are showered with freshly washed and dried hair; you’ve donned your most cozy loungewear. There’s still-warm cookies on the cooling rack. The kettle whistles so you can pour yourself a cuppa. The day is overcast and chilly, maybe a light drizzle is falling, the kind that pat pat pats against the window. You’ve turned on an ambient video of your choice of background noise such as rainfall, ocean waves, or (my favorite) a crackling fireplace. Next, you light your seasonal candle because you know the scent of your baking endeavors will soon fade. After making a plate of cookies and preparing a cup of chai, you grab your coziest blanket and your current read and settle into the best reading spot in your house (the couch for me) to read away an hour or two.

Top 5 October Purchases

I put myself on spending restriction in September and did a no-buy month. October meant I could spend freely again, but I didn’t do too much damage. There were a few sales this month, a few impulse purchases, and one intentional purchase that I’m so glad I got. Let’s dive in!

Fall Reading Guide 2025

Autumn is here! The leaves are officially turning in Alabama! (This is probably due to the drought we’ve been having, but it still counts in my book.) The weather isn’t really cooler, but today I put on my cowboy boots with a dress anyway. “If you build it, they will come” right? I am really leaning into fall and all the things it brings: the colors, the pumpkins, the flavors, the sports, the holidays, and the books.

I have big goals every year to read all the fall books. It never happens, but it got me thinking about my actual autumn TBR (to be read) list. While it’s not too long…okay, that’s a lie. It’s totally too long, always is, but I can realistically squeeze in a few of these and already have some of them in my possession.

While making my fall TBR list, I was reminded of several books I’ve already read and loved for this time of year. I thought you might want to get into the spooky season, witchy season, vampire season, or cozy season mood with a good book. Below I will share a few books that I’ve read as well as the ones on my TBR list. It’s a little lengthy. (I can’t help myself; I just love books!) Grab yourself a beverage treat or a little snack and pretend you’re strolling the aisles of the book store. Okay, here we go.

Summer Recap Part 1

Summer. My favorite and least favorite time of the year. Favorite because I get a much deserved break from school. Least favorite because I hate the heat. Sweating and being hot in 100% humidity ranks up there as one of my least favorite things of all time, yet I still keep calling south Alabama home. Not for lack of trying to move, though. This time of year, I always ask Paul if we can please have a summer home in Maine. (He always says no.) Here in winter and spring, in Maine in summer and fall… Can you imagine? Those are my lottery winning dreams, though. Teachers don’t make enough for summer houses in Maine.

Book Review: What I Read in June

Summer reading is in full swing. I’m loving most of the books I’ve picked up, and I think I’ve found a top five book of all time! Keep reading to add some pretty stellar books to your TBR.

Book Review: What I Read in April and May

Don’t worry! I’m not doing long form reviews today. There are simply too many books to review. One day I’ll get back around to it. In the meantime, visit my Instagram page for full reviews and thoughts. Now we’ve got a lot to get into. Shall we?

Books I Read in February

I warned you about another monthly book roundup. Fortunately for all of us, it’s a much shorter list. Only two books, actually. Two audiobooks. I was still reading the physical copy of Onyx Storm and finished it a few days ago. (Big thoughts on that. Review coming soon.) But without further ado, let’s recap the reading I did in February. Here’s the format for the reviews- I’ll give you a synopsis, my review, who I think should read this, and a pairing of some sort. Now let’s find out about…