Month: December 2014

Perry Como’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Posted December 24, 2014 by Jana in Bookish Little Christmas / 2 Comments

I think Perry Como was a pretty charming guy, don’t you? I love his voice, both singing and speaking. So what better way to gear ourselves up for the excitement of Christmas tomorrow, than to listen to him read the classic Christmas tale, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas? I could not resist sharing this magical video, where Perry’s voice is accompanied by cute images from an old version of the book. Curl up in the warm light of your Christmas tree, grab some hot chocolate, and enjoy! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas tomorrow with your loved ones, wherever you are. :) Sleep well!

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings Me Tomorrow Night

Posted December 23, 2014 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 6 Comments

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

I am super excited that Christmas is just a couple days away! At the same time, I’m sad it’s almost over. Does anyone else experience the yearly post-Christmas letdown? BLAH. We’re not even going to get into that today! Santa is coming to town tomorrow night, and I would just LOVE it if he had these books in his bag for me! Some of these are ARCs, but I know Santa can do anything he wants!

 

1. From Scotland with Love by Katie Fforde
This is a super cute-sounding New Year’s romance, and I’d love to read it after Christmas!

2. Impulse by Vanessa Garden
I LOVED the first book in this series, Captivate, and I’m so sad that it is not being released here in the USA. Shipping costs, like, .50 less than the book itself. If Santa could bring it I wouldn’t have to pay shipping! Hehe.

3. First Time in Forever by Sarah Morgan
It’s a new Sarah Morgan series!

4. Mistletoe on Main Street by Olivia Miles
It’s a Christmas book, yes… and I might be tired of them by this point… but I don’t care. This sounds so cute.

 

5. Rebellion by J.A. Souders
I can’t WAIT for the final book in this trilogy!

6. Forget Me K.A. Harrington
I need a good psychological thriller, and this one has some romance in it!

7. The Falconer by Elizabeth May
Fantasy in Scotland! SO wanting this one.

8. My Summer Roommate by Bridie Hall
I need a cute, warm contemporary for these cold months!

 

9. Taste Test by Kelly Fiore
I loved Just Like the Movies, and this sounds so cute!

10. The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
GIVEITTOME!!!! I can’t WAIT!

So, let’s chat! What would you like Santa to bring you tomorrow night?
Have you read any of my wishlist books?

A Merry Christmas Survey

Posted December 12, 2014 by Jana in About Me / 5 Comments

Welcome back to another Bookish Little Christmas feature post! I found this lovely little survey on Book Nut and decided I’d love to post it myself! If you’d like to as well, that would be great! I’ll post a linky at the bottom of this post so we can jump around and see what everyone else has to say about this special holiday!

When do you begin watching Holiday movies?
I usually start watching them right after Thanksgiving dinner, but this year Hallmark had so many cute ones that I did sneak one in a day or two before Thanksgiving. In my defense, it was Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade… so I’m thinking it’s ok that I fudged a bit.

What’s your favorite Holiday movie? Do you have a favorite scene? A favorite line?
I really, really love The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (with Henry Winkler) and The Holiday. There are too many amazing quotes from The Holiday to pick just one!

What’s your favorite TV special?
I love the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting special. I was in NYC during Christmastime a few years ago, and it was so unbelievably magical ad beautiful that I love seeing the decorations every year on TV. I fast forward through the sucky singers!

christmas under the umbrella treeAre there any specials from your childhood days that you wish would make a come back?
I loved Bluetoes the Christmas Elf and Christmas Under the Umbrella Tree. Oh, and I really loved Barney Waiting for Santa and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. And A Merry Mirthworm Christmas. I’ve slowly found used VHS tapes or YouTube videos of these specials, and I love re-visiting my childhood.

When do you start listening to Christmas music?
Pretty much after Halloween. I don’t go full-fledged until the week of Thanksgiving, though. I love Christmas music and sometimes feel like I don’t have enough time to listen to everything I love before the season is over!

What are some of your favorite albums?
Neil Diamond’s Christmas Album and Christmas Album Volume II
Let Us Adore Him by The Gibbons Family
The Classic Christmas Album by Kenny G
White Christmas by Bing Crosby
Let it Snow by Michael Buble

I have a million more, but I think I’ll stop with these ones!

Is there a particular album you couldn’t do without because it “makes” it feel like Christmas?
Honestly, both of Neil Diamond’s Christmas albums are classics every year. We to them while I put up the tree and while we open presents.

What’s your favorite Christmas song? Traditional? Nontraditional?
My favorite hymns are The First Noel and Angels We Have Heard on High. My favorite Christmas song is Andy Williams’s It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

If you were to make your own holiday mix what would it have on it?
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow by Dean Martin
White Christmas by Bing Crosby
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra
It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas by Bing Crosby
White Christmas by The Drifters (this is the one from The Santa Claus movie)
Here Come Santa Claus by Gene Autry
Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays by Perry Como
Mary Christmas, Darling by Karen Carpenter
We Need a Little Christmas by Percy Faith & His Orchestra
O Come, O Come, Emanuel by Neil Diamond
Little St. Nick by The Beach Boys
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives
The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson
Joy to the World by Neil Diamond
Mele Kalikimaka by Big Crosby and the Andrews Sisters

See how I’m basically pretty traditional? There’s a million more songs I’d add, but you get the idea!

Do you have any favorite holiday-themed books?
My favorites are Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle and Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan.

Is there a book (or two) that you make a point of reading each year?
I have a whole stack of children’s Christmas books that I love looking at each year. I really love Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedilia by Peggy Parish.

What about recipes? Do you have a special food (or drink) that you make or bake only during the holidays?
Spritz cookies are my specialty! I also make Russian Teacakes, frosted sugar cookies, and my mom makes yummy fudge. I found a few new recipes I’m excited to try as well!

Want to share a favorite recipe or cooking tradition?
I might as well share the Spritz Cookie recipe! This is a really popular recipe. You can find it pretty much anywhere.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon no-color almond extract
Red and green food coloring
Sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat until combined. Do not chill. Stir in food coloring. Fill cookie press with dough and with desired disks, press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle on sprinkles.
3. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet on cooling rack. Remove from sheet; cool completely.

What’s your favorite memory of Christmas as a child?
I’m not sure how old I was, but a neighbor was walking around outside jingling sleigh bells, and I about lost it! I bolted up the stairs and flew into bed, worried Santa would leave since I was still awake. There’s also the year I got a red kitchen with a ton of food. I played for hours, and was so excited.

What’s your favorite memory of Christmas as an adult?
Wow, this one is hard. I’m going to count a time from high school since I was really close to being 18, which is technically an adult. lol. Three of my guy friends decided to do 12 days of Christmas for me. But they wrote the weirdest, most random things for each day (seriously, they did not make sense and I had to use a magnifying glass a lot of the time just to read them) and gave me the silliest things. I had no idea who they were, so I would sit by the door and then as soon as they rang the bell I’d jump up and bolt outside. They were too fast, or else they had the best hiding spot ever. It became a game. One night I sent up a hidden camera. It was too dark to tell who it was, but the next night one of them dressed up as Bigfoot (where did they find that costume?) and did a dance for the camera. I figured that deserved treats at that point, so I started leaving them things. They finally revealed themselves on the 12th night, and we had so many laughs! I have never felt so special during Christmastime.

Let’s talk gifts. What’s on your wish list this year?
I really don’t want a lot of things in particular. I asked for the complete series of Everybody Loves Raymond, this cute little black kitten hot chocolate mug, some jewelry, and a couple books. OH. There’s a super soft charcoal cardigan sweater with patch pockets that I adore.

When do you begin shopping? Is it something you love or hate?
Believe it or not, I started in June this year! I LOVE Christmas shopping.

When do you do gifts–Christmas Eve or Christmas?
We do gifts on Christmas morning, and we go around the family from oldest to youngest. Each person opens one present at a time while everyone else watches. Its a rule to guess. We love taking our time and making it last as long as possible. We started at 9:00 AM one day and were still going on strong by 9:30 that night, only breaking for food.

Is Christmas Eve family time? Or rushing around crazy time? Or a bit of both?
We take my dad’s dad out to dinner and then drive around to look at Christmas lights. Then we stuff the stockings and go to sleep. During the day we’re usually wrapping last-minute gifts or watching a Christmas movie.

List your favorite things about Christmas.
Listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, reading Christmas romances, spending time with family, driving through light displays (we have two amazing ones here), going to Temple Square to see the lights, baking Christmas cookies, singing carols, decorating (inside and out), going to Riverwoods to see the lights, Christmas shopping, going to Christmas parties, wearing Christmas clothes and jewelry (I have a lot. I should be an elementary school teacher!), going to church the Sunday before Christmas (it’s always such a powerful experience), and giving gifts to people. I love the meaning of the season. I love how happy I am and how much time I have to spend time with my family.

 


Brittany at The Book Addict’s Guide Presents “The 12 Recs of Christmas”

Posted December 11, 2014 by Jana in Guest Post / 5 Comments

My favorite part of my A Bookish Little Christmas event is that I get to invite my friends to join in on the celebration and contribute Christmassy guest posts! I’m so glad Brittany of The Book Addict’s Guide was so willing to write such a fun post! And I had SO much fun designing and setting up the imagery for it. :)

The holiday season is upon us again — one of my favorite times of the year — and since I don’t usually get too Christmas-y on my own blog, I am THRILLED that Jana asked me to guest post for her wonderful Christmas feature on hers!

One of my favorite parts about being an avid reader and blogger is helping people find new books (especially ones that I’ve fallen in love with myself) and I tend to go a little crazy buying books for people at Christmastime. This year I came up with the idea for “The 12 Recs of Christmas”, sharing some of my favorite books and gift suggestions in the style of “The 12 Days of Christmas” (but don’t worry. No singing involved)!

12RecsofChristmas

 

12. My True Love Gave To Me: 12 Holiday Stories by Various Authors

I actually haven’t read My True Love Gave to Me yet but it’s the perfect selection to kick off this holiday list (and fits the theme too perfectly!) — I was going to buy it for myself but I haven’t yet JUST in case it’s coming as a gift! This book is a collection of short stories by some of my favorite contemporary authors, all with a holiday theme! Perfect for Christmas or any time you want to get back in the holiday mood!

11. Eleven Kids, One Summer by Ann M. Martin

The follow up to Ten Kids, No Pets, this book was one of my all-time favorites growing up. It even ranked higher than The Babysitter’s Club! Both books are about the Russo family which consists of (surprise) ten kids (in the second book, eleven with the latest edition) and the antics of a big family. Personally I think this is a great children’s book, spanning upwards to the younger side of middle grade readers. It was one of my favorites! (And still is!)

10. Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless by Liz Czukas

This is Liz’s sophomore YA novel and I LOVED it. It takes place on Christmas Eve so it’s perfect for the holidays and it’s just such a fun read. It also has a sort of Breakfast Club-feel and really solidified my love for Liz Czukas (and I loved her debut, Ask Again Later)!

9. To the Nines (Stephanie Plum #9) by Janet Evanovich

The Stephanie Plum books are my fall-back fun reads. I started them a few years ago during a blizzard so they always remind me snowy days a little bit! They’re really fun and both quick and easy to read. The movie didn’t really do the series justice (I think) and I think I’m about 14 in now… Even though they get a bit silly sometimes, definitely a series I plan to keep reading as long as Janet Evanovich keeps writing them!

8. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

I used to love the Ramona books when I was young! I actually don’t remember much about them as an adult and I think a re-read would be really fun! I do know that this was a favorite of mine as a kid and I know it’s favorite of many other people as well! I have to re-read it but I think it’s still a pretty solid recommendation for the younger crowd and a classic!

7. The Sevenwaters Series by Juliet Marillier

My bestie Alyssa bought this for me last year and it’s one of her all-time favorite series ever. She has confidence that I’ll love it and it’s one that I’m resolving to read in 2015! She bought it for me last year and I failed to read it in 2014 but I’m clearing my schedule a bit in 2015 and this one is a priority!!  

6. Six of Crows (The Dregs #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows doesn’t officially come out until October of 2015 (tentatively) but I’m already recommending it. In 2014, I fell in love with Leigh Bardugo’s debut Shadow and Bone and of course the other two books in the trilogy too. Six of Crows takes place in the same universe (the “Grishaverse”) but with other characters (though the original characters may be alluded to)! I already know it’s going to be fantastic because her writing really grows with each book!

5. The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey

I almost didn’t pick this one up last year because I don’t do “alien stories” but thank goodness for the hype to make its presence known because I picked it up on blogger recommendations and LOVED it. It was so much more than just aliens. I loved the characters, the setting, the world, and there was so much action and adventure. Perfect for male or female readers, young adult or adult!

4. The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

The first review I ever posted on my blog was for the first Sherlock Holmes mystery, A Study in Scarlet. (And also, HarperTeen is coming out with a really neat reprint of ASiS this winter with some great illustrations too!) I really want to keep on reading the Sherlock Holmes mysteries soon because I really enjoyed A Study in Scarlet and I’ve been meaning to read more for years now!

3. Trilogies

Okay, this one is cheating a little bit, but I really enjoy trilogies. I know some people were getting frustrated with how many series were turning out to be trilogies but I really do think it’s a nice way to form a series plot and it’s not too short, not too long. I also can’t help but recommend some of my favorites!

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
His Fair Assassin Trilogy by Robin LaFevers
Under the Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Anna and the French Kiss companion trilogy by Stephanie Perkins
The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (though there are more “spin-off” books that go with this trilogy)

2. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

This was an all-time favorite book as a kid and I re-read it as an adult, totally terrified that it still wouldn’t hold that same weight. HOLY COW. I’m still in love with it and the book sort of ruined me all over again. It’s great for middle grade readers and I will still recommend it to young adult and adult readers as well!


1. Just One Day/Just One Year/Just One Night by Gayle Forman

Gayle Forman is definitely a forever-favorite of mine. I fell in love with If I Stay and Where She Went and it was SO exciting being a Gayle Forman fan when the Just One Day duology came out as a new release. I connected SO much with Just One Day and just really loved everything about it. I know readers were a bit frustrated with the slightly open ending of Just One Year so that’s where Just One Night (a novella) comes in (and ahhhh sigh of relief and utter satisfaction). I just love these books and I love Gayle Forman and I will forever recommend her work! 

 

Thanks so much, Brittany! I’ve got some new books to add to my TBR!

So, let’s chat. What books are you giving for Christmas?

Maybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan | Book Review

Posted December 10, 2014 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Maybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan | Book ReviewMaybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan
Series: O'Neil Brothers #3
Also in this series: Suddenly Last Summer, Sleigh Bells in the Snow
Published by Harlequin on October 28, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Holiday - Christmas, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

This winter, ex-skiing champion, reformed heartbreaker and single dad Tyler O'Neil has only one mission—making sure his daughter, Jess, has the best Christmas ever. The fact that his best friend, Brenna, is also temporarily moving into his chalet at the overbooked Snow Crystal resort is a delicious distraction he's simply going to have to ignore. Theirs is the one relationship he's never ruined, and he's not about to start now.

Ski pro Brenna Daniels knows all about the perils of unrequited love—she's been in love with Tyler for years. But living with him is absolute torture…how can she concentrate on being his friend when he's sleeping in the room next door? Then when Tyler kisses Brenna, suddenly the relationship she's always dreamed of feels so close she could almost touch it. Could this be the Christmas her dreams of a happy-ever-after finally come true?

I have really enjoyed the O’Neil Brothers trilogy, so I was excited to read the final installment about the final brother. I love the Snow Crystal resort in Vermont, especially during Christmastime! It was so nice to go back and visit. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Things started out a little slowly for me. I felt like everyone kept saying the same things over and over again. Brenna kept talking about how she and Tyler could never be because he treats her like one of the guys and thinks of her only as a friend. Tyler kept talking to himself and his brothers about how he and Brenna are such good friends and he does not want to ruin it. Everyone else kept discussing Tyler and Brenna with one another. Even Jess, Tyler’s daughter, can’t stop talking about those two. The main idea for a huge portion of the book was: Brenna and Tyler are friends but wish it were more. I actually skimmed a few passages because I felt like I’d already read it before.

2. Things definitely picked up about halfway through. Brenna goes on a date with the local police chief, and it was hilarious to read about Tyler’s jealousy (apparently his jealousy surprised him!) and his efforts to get Brenna to wear more clothes and snow boots instead of stilettos. I also enjoyed Tyler’s banter with Jess. They have a sweet father/daughter relationship, yet Jess seems to be raising him instead of the other way around. The fact that I love these characters so much helped me swim through the more redundant parts of the book.

3. Like I said, I love Snow Crystal. I love Sarah Morgan’s descriptions of the resort, the snow, the scenery. Everything felt so magical to me!

4. I have always loved reading about friends who fall in love with one another. I just wish the romance took up more of the book. We spend so much time reading about their friendship and how it can be nothing more, that by the time the romance blooms everything escalates too quickly and is resolved too quickly. While I usually believe stories like this, I had a hard time believing it this time. It almost felt like insta-love, even though they have known each other for 20+ years.

5. When the romance did happen, it was super swoony and sweet.

6. I loved catching up with old friends. Kayla, Jackson, Sean, Elise, Elizabeth, Jess, etc. are there and we get to see how their lives have progressed (although we never really saw any interaction between Sean and Elise.).

All in all, I did really enjoy this story despite my few complaints. Christmas books make me so happy, and I love them. Sarah writes very pretty descriptions, and she writes characters you love. I will miss the O’Neil family and the Snow Crystal. I’d love it if Sarah wrote a follow-up in a few years so we can visit again and see what everyone’s up to! Babies? Jess’s wedding? There’s so many possibilities. Definitely read this if you love the O’Neil family. Kayla and Jackson’s story is still my favorite, but I’m glad Tyler and Brenna finally got their happily ever after.