Month: May 2021

2021 Christmas In July Gift Exchange Information & Sign-Ups

Posted May 31, 2021 by Jana in Blog Event / 2 Comments

Hi everyone! Santa is on the beach sipping fruit punch and working on his tan, so he has enlisted his helpers once again to help spread a little Christmas cheer this summer! And it’s going to work a liiiitle differently than last year, so please read carefully! If you send in your sign-up email from last year without editing it first, I’ll have to delete it and ask you to re-do it.

Below you will find all event info, including the rules for the exchange, sign up directions, and a questionnaire so the person shopping for you can get to know you better.

The Details:

Sign-ups are open until 11:59 PM EDT on June 17th and I will be sending matches out on June 18th.
Due to the nature of this gift exchange, this event is open to residents of the USA ONLY. #TBTBSanta will be back to sign up for this October, and will be open internationally like always.
You must be 18 years old or older to participate.
It is strongly recommended that you have a Twitter account in order to fully participate in this event. Last year most of the people who participated were on Twitter and used the event hashtag to make friends, ask questions, post clues about their identities, share pictures of what they received, ooo and ahh over gifts others received, and thank their Santas. Those who did not have Twitter ended up feeling left out, and their Santas missed out on that interaction and excitement from their recipient. Whenever possible, I will be pairing Twitter people up with other Twitter people to hopefully avoid this. It all depends on the numbers and who signs up for which gift options and monetary tiers, though, so I cannot guarantee that this will work out for everyone.
Please only sign up if you are committed to sending off your gift(s) on time.
What you sign up to send is what you will receive. I will be grouping people up based on gift option and monetary tier so that everything is fair.
Shipping does not count towards the monetary value of the gift.
Please note that this is not a swap. The person who will be sending to you is not the same person you will be sending to.
The event hashtag is #GiftmasInJuly. Please use it lots because the friendships that form around events like these are the best!
If you and I don’t know each other, please reach out to me and introduce yourself. I like to know the people who are participating!

If you have any questions or concerns before or during this process, please reach out! You can simply write to ChristmasInJulyExchange@gmail.com and I’ll get back you as soon as possible.

Gift Options and Monetary Tiers:

The digital-only option from last year has been retired due to lack of interest, but you can still note in your sign-up questionnaire for the “shower” option that you would prefer to receive all digital gifts.

Shower: A showering of gifts randomly throughout the month! This option includes both digital items (ebooks, audiobooks, PDF craft patterns, gift cards, etc.) and physical items shipped directly from retailers. Please ensure you reveal yourself in some way (in a card/note that you send in the mail, email, gift note, etc.) when you’re finished sending gifts so your recipient knows they have gotten everything.

~~Shower 1: $10-$15 (excluding any shipping costs)~~ This option has been removed due to lack of sign-ups.
Shower 2: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
Shower 3: $30+ (excluding any shipping costs)

Downpour: A downpour of gifts arriving all at once! This gift is a traditional, curated box (like TBTBSanta). You put together a physical box of goodies (along with a note to reveal yourself), preferably wrapped, and send it directly to your recipient.

~~Downpour 1: $10-$15 (excluding any shipping costs)~~ This option has been removed due to lack of sign-ups.
Downpour 2: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
Downpour 3: $30+ (excluding any shipping costs)

Both gift options are wonderful and have their own perks, so choose whichever one works best for you!

Signing Up:

Please send the following completed questionnaire to ChristmasInJulyExchange@gmail.com. The more detailed you are, the easier it will be for your Summer Santa to spoil you! (Please do not attach a Word (or other) document to the email. Instead, please paste your answers directly into the body of your sign-up email.)

1. Gift Option and Monetary Tier Selection:

Shower 1 has been removed as an option due to lack of interest.
b. Shower 2: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
c. Shower 3: $30+ (excluding any shipping costs)
d. Downpour 1: $10-$15 (excluding any shipping costs)
e. Downpour 2: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
f. Downpour 3: $30+ (excluding any shipping costs)

2. Do you live in the USA?
Yes
No

3. Are you 18 years old or older?
Yes
No

4. Twitter handle:

5. Name and mailing address:

6. Email address (This is where your digital gifts will be sent. If you have signed up for a curated box or would rather not receive digital items, you may type N/A here.):

7. Where else can you be found online? (Blog, Insta, YouTube, TikTok, etc.):

8. Your wish list(s) (Please provide links to any wish lists you have. If you don’t have an online wishlist, please make one. It’s much easier than listing out what you’d like here. These wish lists must remain exclusive to the Christmas In July Gift Exchange until you’ve received your gifts.)

9. Discuss your digital preferences. (Do you have an e-reader? Which one? Would you enjoy getting an Audible credit? Do you want any online subscriptions or gift memberships? Where do you prefer getting MP3 albums from? If you would rather not receive digital gifts or would prefer to only receive digital gifts, please note that here.)

10. How do you practice self care?

11. What do you collect?

12. What are some of your favorite book genres/authors?

13. What won’t you read?

14. What fandoms do you belong to?

15. What are you always in need of?

16. What are your favorite things? (colors, patterns, fragrances, TV shows, movies, music, hobbies, foods/treats, etc.)

17. Do you have any allergies? What can’t you receive? (If you signed up for a curated box, this would be a great place to mention whether or not you would be ok receiving homemade food items.):

18. Share anything else your Summer Santa needs to know about you that was not covered by the questions above.

19. Please provide the contact information (twitter handle and/or email) of 1-2 buddies that your sender can contact with questions about you or information they need relayed to you. (This person does not need to know you well, they just need to be willing to be the go-between between you and the person sending to you. If you have nobody to ask, post to the event hashtag and ask for a volunteer.)

Things to Do:

Please ensure all gifts arrive to your recipient by July 31st. If you’re doing a curated box, it is recommended that you mail it by July 24th (this is flexible depending on what shipping method you use, so use your own judgement here.).
Once you’ve sent all of your gifts and revealed yourself (either through a gift note or a letter in the curated box you mailed), please fill out this form. If you’re planning to shower your recipient all month, you can totally wait to fill this out on July 31st. Include any info you think would be helpful for me if I need to jump in and help, should any problems arise. I don’t need an itemized list or a bunch of order information unless you want to send it to me. I’m not here to monitor or judge what you send. I’m here to make sure everything runs smoothly and be the go-between if we run into any issues. If you’re sending a curated box, a tracking number is all I need from you.
Once you receive ALL your Christmas in July gifts, please fill out this form!
If you have not received your gifts by August 2nd please email me and I will attempt to contact your Summer Santa. Please understand that I will try my very best to work it out, but there is only so much I can do if someone decided to be a punk.
Be sure to thank your Summer Santa in some way, whether through social media or email. People who do not thank their Santas will be asked to not participate in future Santa events that I host.
Please utilize the event hashtag #GiftmasInJuly to ask questions, post hints, share in your shopping/gifting/receiving/sending process! Show us what you got! This makes the event so much fun!

Please, please reach out to me if you need anything. I am more than happy to help you. If something comes up that causes you to be late, please email me and let me know. I don’t need to know the details if it’s personal, but communication is super important in an exchange like this. I will always be empathetic, understanding, and respectful of your privacy. If I have to chase you down to find out why your recipient did not receive what you agreed to send them, I will most likely ask you to not sign up again (for both Christmas In July and TBTBSanta). Please don’t make me do that, because it probably causes me more pain than it does you. Exceptions will always be made if something catastrophic occurs, so if that happens please just talk to me when you are able so I can ensure that you are ok and your recipient is taken care of.

Gift Giving Guidelines:

Please keep in mind that ARCs, promotional swag, and shipping DO NOT count towards the monetary value of the gift.

Due to everything going on in the world right now, please do not send homemade food items unless your recipient specifically notes in their survey that they would like them. Pre-packaged, store-bought foods are fine (and encouraged!).

Be thoughtful! Don’t just throw something together from the donation pile in your home. Send something you would be happy to receive if you were your recipient. You don’t have to stick to a person’s wish list, but please pay attention to their questionnaire answers and send them things you genuinely think they would like.

Have so much fun shopping and spreading some holiday magic during this crazy time in the world!
Any questions? Ask in a comment below so my answers to you can help others who might be wondering the same thing. :)

The palm trees in the event logo were created by photographeeasia at Freepik.com. The rest of the design was created by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn | Book Review

Posted May 27, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 4 Comments

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Series: Bridgertons #1
Also in this series: The Viscount Who Loved Me
Published by Avon on January 5, 2000
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable… but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule...

Here’s the story of a true bookworm. I bought The Duke and I in 2013 and was so excited to read it. I kept looking at it and adding it to my seasonal TBRs and never getting to it. Apparently it took a Netflix series and all my friends talking about it to actually get me to prioritize it over everything else I’ve been reading lately. Oh well! I finally got to it, and that’s all the counts! For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. Except for one scene. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. I adore the Bridgerton family, and they were my favorite part of this book. I think this is the first book series I’ve read that has such strong family bonds (no, I did not read the Harry Potter books so I don’t know of these Weasleys everyone mentions when book families are discussed). Their sibling relationships are so warm and sweet. Daphne’s brothers are extremely protective, and I found it to be really heartwarming! Growing up, I always wanted an older brother to look out for me. I loved their meddling mother, Violet. She is a queen and runs that family like a well-oiled machine. I’m so, so excited that each sibling (and their names are alphabetical from oldest to youngest! I love it!) gets their own story, because I already feel so attached to some of these characters. And I seriously can’t wait to see what Violet does next.

2. I have a feeling this series is going to be very character-driven, which we all know is my favorite. I never ever get attached to, much less remember, secondary characters from historical or contemporary romance series. Maybe someone will feel familiar or I’ll recognize the name, but I can’t think of anyone noteworthy enough in one book that I remembered them later on when they became the hero/heroine of their own story.

3. I was not expecting the humor I got with The Duke and I, so that was a very pleasant surprise. It reads like a romantic comedy, with banter and disagreements between the love interests as well as Daphne and her siblings. I have been living for romantic comedies these days (well, this entire past 15 months really), and was delighted to discover I can switch things up from contemporary to historical and still get my fix.

4. Lady Whistledown’s gossip column is amazing. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from the latest issue of this anonymous woman’s musings and information about noteworthy members of society, and I practically giggled with each one. The sarcasm and little jokes and jabs were positively delightful. I’m assuming she remains a staple across the entire series, and I really want more information on who she is. What a fun mystery!

5. Simon and Daphne are very cute together, and I fell in love with them quickly They enter a fake dating agreement, which we all know is my favorite romance trope, but catch real feelings along the way. They have so much chemistry and their banter is wonderful. I loved their flirtations and discussions. However, they both have horrible communication skills. Miscommunication or lack of communication is a very common trope in the romance genre, and I never enjoy it because it requires too much of my own energy to push through it. I feel like if the author had allowed them to communicate properly and build trust and understanding, their relationship would have been much healthier and happier for the both of them. But then…

6. The author chose to write a scene that I really wish she had not chosen to write. What happens in this scene is rape, and it’s wrong no matter how you look at it. When a person rescinds their consent, no matter when it happens, anything further is rape. Daphne takes advantage of Simon during sex while he’s drunk, and does not allow him to stop participating when he clearly and emphatically wants to. His panic is real, and his pain and anguish is heartbreaking. The resolution and recovery seemed way too easy and unrealistic for such a blatant act of betrayal on Daphne’s part. I so wish their story had been written differently.

7. Julia Quinn’s writing is wonderful. I loved the dialogue, so many of the characters, and the humor. The text flows so freely and naturally and it’s honestly a joy to read.

I cannot wait to move on to the second book in the Bridgertons series, The Viscount Who Loved Me, for Anthony’s love story! Anthony is the oldest Bridgerton sibling, and I really love what I’ve seen of him so far (even though he’s got some anger issues and could loosen up a little). I’m excited to get to know him better and see what falling in love does to him.

Top Ten Book Quotes About Hope

Posted May 24, 2021 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 21 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is book quotes that fit a particular theme! I love finding quotes from books that I love, and this week I chose to feature quotes that center around the theme of hope. Things are uncertain and unhappy in the world right now for so many people, and for so many different reasons. Life is really hard, especially now, so I thought it might be nice to look for quotes that encourage hope and looking forward to better things ahead. I had a lot of fun looking for these quotes, and am excited to see what themes and quotes are featured this week by others!

NOTE: Since I moved webhosts in April, my posts are no longer appearing on my blog on time. Ever. I’ve been working meticulously with them, and they cannot figure out why my posts are anywhere from 10 minutes to 6 hours late. I write these posts way ahead of time and schedule them to post at the correct time, so I’m sure you can imagine my frustration. I look undependable and like I’m flaking out on this meme when I’m not. Please hang in there with me and understand that the Linky may not be available at midnight (EDT) for a while as we try to figure this out.

1. “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
― Coraline by Neil Gaiman

2. “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”
― The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

3. “Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.”
― Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

4. “To wish was to hope, and to hope was to expect”
― Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

5. “The most powerful weapon is hope.”
– Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier

6. “You can appreciate the good things all around you, but the best part is imminent, just out of reach. Like… perpetual anticipation.”
― Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

7. “If you knew the kind of little miracles happening every moment you breathe in, you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
― The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

8. “Hope was the wind that came from nowhere to fill your sails and carry you home.”
― King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

9. “I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”
― A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

10. “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
― Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Which quote is your favorite?
Please share other similar quotes in the comments if you know of any!
What theme did you choose to share quotes on this week?

Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone | Audiobook Review

Posted May 24, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 4 Comments

Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone
Series: Love Lines #1
Also in this series: Sweet Talk
Narrator: Luci Christian, Neil Hellegers
on October 20, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Length: 5 hours and 55 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
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Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It’s amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth… when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Kal. He’s surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he’s a little awkward…in an adorable way.

And suddenly I’m flirting with him? And I think he’s flirting back.
And suddenly it’s been hours, and we’re still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he troubleshoots my website.
And suddenly we’re exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!).
And suddenly I’m wondering if it’s possible for two people to fall in love at first talk.

Because I’m falling… hard.

I have really, really fallen in love with audiobooks over the last few years, and have been having so much fun growing my list of ones I love (and narrators I love). Call Me Maybe is probably the most fun I’ve had listening to an audiobook ever. Luci Christian and Neil Hellegers did such an amazing job narrating this book! It’s optimized and written to be an audiobook, and there’s sound effects (cars, meowing cats, etc.) and great acting. It felt like I was listening to a romcom! It was so much fun, that I know I will be listening to it again soon.

I loved the customer service aspect of this. I used to work in a call center answering phones, just like Cal (although, my time was hellish and it goes really well for these two). He answers Vera’s panicked tech support call and spends literal hours (and then days) working with her to figure out why her website is totally broken. She runs a business called Date-In-A-Box and will be presenting the service to vendors at an expo soon, but she can’t do that if the site is broken. Cal is the most dedicated customer service rep I’ve ever heard of. The two of them stay on the phone for an entire day because she’s too scared to lose him (and end up talking to someone not as great when she calls back), so he’s on the line working and she’s driving around, getting stranded in a not-so-great part of town, reading, lounging at home, etc. Every once in a while, someone will say something and the conversation flows for a while. They get to know one another, share stories, and really bond over this stubborn website. The story is a mix of their phone conversations, texts, and then their individual inner thoughts and lives as things progress. I loved everything about the story, the characters, their flirtations back and forth, and even the misunderstandings (I usually hate those). I listened to this with great anticipation and a smile on my face. The romance is so swoony, and I was sad to reach the end.

Pick this one up if you’re looking for a fun romcom with great acting and a sweet love story! I can’t wait to read (or listen to) more from Cara Bastone!

Date Me Like You Mean It by R.S. Grey | Mini Audiobook Review

Posted May 20, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

Date Me Like You Mean It by R.S. Grey
Published by Self on November 5, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 305
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
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I’m good at hiding my feelings.
Having to pretend I’m not in love with my best friend?
Pfft. That’s child’s play.

Here’s how I do it: I avert my eyes when he walks out of his room, shirtless in all his toned glory. I squash the butterflies that fill my stomach every time he slowly unfurls a dimpled smile. And, most importantly, I keep an arsenal of “personal massagers” in my bedside drawer. Wink.

Not to brag, but Aiden Smith isn’t hard to resist if you’ve been doing it for as long as I have. In fact, we might have continued as best friends forever if not for the fact that I needed him to play the part of my fake boyfriend.

Date me like you mean it, I told him. Nudge nudge. C’mon, just go along with a little lie, help a girl out, and then we can all return to life as we know it.

Except he veered from the plan.

He crossed the line.

Flirting with me when no one else was around? Pinning me down and kissing me like that? Okay, how exactly is taking off my bra part of the ruse, Aiden?!
I’d ask him about it if I could, but well…things got ugly and we’re not best friends anymore.

In fact, we’re the exact opposite.

Now, I have to play nice even though I want to crush his heart in the palm of my hand.

Pretending not to love Aiden was the easy part.
Pretending not to hate him?
Well…I might need a little more practice.

I love a good friends-to-lovers, fake dating romance! And I loved the last book I read by R.S. Grey, Hotshot Doc, so I was eager to get to Date Me Like You Mean It once I learned that it includes some of my favorite tropes in the romance world! I wasn’t disappointed at all!

Aiden and Maddie met at a wedding when their siblings married each other, and formed an instant friendship. They ended up becoming roommates, and Maddie had to suffer silently as she fell in love with him while an endless stream of women poured in and out of their apartment over the years. A situation arises where Maddie accidentally says Aiden is her boyfriend, and he’s a good sport and plays along until… is anyone even playing anymore?

This was a really, really sweet story. I loved Aiden and I really liked Maddie. Their friendship is special, and I love their banter. The romance is a very slow burn, and there’s so much miscommunication that I almost lost my mind. How can two best friends who know each other inside and out suck so much at communicating? There’s drama and unhappiness, but the swoon factor is off the charts and the ending is wonderful. I ended the book sad to say goodbye and completely satisfied with this adorable love story. I listened to Date Me Like You Mean It on audio, and it was a joy. I could not stop listening, and flew through the story. These narrators are fabulous, and I’m going to look out for other books they read (especially together).

All in all, Date Me Like You Mean It is another win for R.S. Grey! I’m quickly becoming a major fan of hers, and can’t wait to read more of her books!