Holiday Reading Recommendations and a Recipe for Reading

In case you missed it ;)

Hello, lovely readers!

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I never stop being thankful for YOU. I sincerely appreciate your support throughout the year. As a single parent, your support allows me to live my dreams and support my family. Whether you read, share, leave a tip, or buy my books, every way that you support me supports my children and pup. Thank you.

In the last couple of months, I’ve started adding book reviews to my blog in order to share some book recommendations and support other authors. Plus, I love reading and sharing my thoughts on what I’ve read. You can check out past reviews on my website here, but keep reading below for my latest post.

I know I’m behind on sending updates, lovely readers. I try not to inundate you, but I also struggle some days to manage my chronic illness. The fatigue has been notably stronger lately, but the pain—thankfully—has eased a bit. I still have regular posts coming out on Medium and NewsBreak, and you’ll see book reviews periodically appear on my website.

My next fiction release has been a bit delayed, but I do have a few things in progress. Thank you for your ongoing patience and support!

Dear Readers,

Do you love holiday-themed books? I do! While I'll read any book any time of year, I have some that I enjoy reading during the holiday season. Let's take a look at some of my recent holiday rom-com reads.

Some of My Favorite Rom-Com Holiday Reads

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
Santa, Please Bring Me a Boyfriend by Sophie Ranald
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
I'll Be Home for Christmas by Roisin Meaney
One Day in December by Josie Silver
The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

Which of these, if any, have you read?

My favorite holiday reads offer a cozy setting, lovable characters, and fun banter. The best romance novels give us quirky, flawed humans and a truly delicious love story. Some of them tug at our heartstrings, make us cry, and then fill us with delight. That's exactly how it should be.

Real talk: This time of year isn't easy for many of us. There's grief, financial strain, dysfunctional families, loneliness, and any number of other stressors at play. Don't you deserve a little lightness in joy this holiday season?

Future Holiday Reads

I just ordered Jenny Bayliss's Meet Me Under the Mistletoe. That will be next up after I get caught up on my current read and the one waiting after that. I've got a non-fiction read going on now and a CoHo read waiting to go next. I'd love to wrap both up and be ready to begin my holiday reading on December 1st.

A Recipe for Reading

1 good book
1 pair of favorite pajamas (may substitute one cozy outfit)
1 cozy blanket
1 hot beverage of your choice
1 sweet (or salty) treat (reader's choice)
1 favored book nook (AKA favorite reading spot)
A dash of peace and quiet
1 beautiful bookmark (use as needed for refills and restroom breaks)

While reading can be done anywhere or for any length of time, this is my favorite recipe for reading. In true blog fashion, I should likely have saved the list of ingredients for the very end after several long and somewhat unrelated stories, but I decided to be atypical and let you have the full recipe upfront. ;) You're welcome.

If you need something a bit more specific, this is probably my upcoming reading recipe:

1 Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss
1 pair of Hanna Andersson Grinch pajamas
1 plush cozy blanket in blush pink (my favorite!)
1 cup of hot cocoa with a dash of cinnamon over a swirl of whipped cream
1 piece of Trader Joe's peppermint bark
1 grey papasan chair
Peace and quiet necessitates reading after the kids go to sleep
1 Doctor Who bookmark

Why I Sometimes Read Multiple Books at Once

I've been reading The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk. I'll write up a review on it and talk a little about my reasons for reading it when I'm done. In truth, I read non-fiction a lot slower than I read fiction. I'll likely start and finish a fiction book while still reading this one--especially since the content is so heavy. For those of you who don't know, it's about how the body stores and remembers trauma.

As we move into the holiday season, a time that can be both exciting and stressful, I'll be reading a lot more rom-com books. What holiday favorites would you add to this list?

Warmest Regards,

Crystal