86 A Quilter's Holiday (Elm Creek Quilts #15) by Jennifer Chiaverini 12/1 (print/library)
A reread from my past. Like visiting old friends. This one takes place largely on the day after Thanksgiving when the Elm Creek Quilters get together to work on holiday projects and have a potluck lunch. So it felt very fitting for a post Thanksgiving read.
I initially read this back in like 2010- was that really 15 years ago?! Gasp. This book reminded me of my love for this series and for quilting. Hoping to get back to quilting in 2026. And also catch back up with the Elm Creek Quilters in this series both by rereading and reading some of the newer books.
87 Emma M Lion Vol 3 by Beth Bowser 12/4 (audio/hoopla)
52 Bookclub 32. Includes A Diary Entry
I'm really enjoying this series. I did enjoy listening to the audio on this one but I don't think it will be my preferred format.
“I make a go of it, when I can. It’s not my disposition to…what I mean to say is, I learned a long time ago that my happiness has to be separate from the things beyond my control.
88 From the Start by Melissa Tagg 12/4 (kindle/kindle unlimited)
52 Bookclub 29. Shares A Universe With Prompt 28
Continuing on my journey through Melissa Tagg's book specifically ones set in Maple Valley. This one took a few tries to get through- mainly because I kept getting distracted to new shiny books. :P But this was a lovely little story once I got into it.
“But . . . if it closes, what will you do?”
“I’ll do whatever comes next.”
“You don’t have a plan?”
“Tell me, Katie, when has having a plan ever translated into things going exactly the way you expected?” He leaned forward then, fatherly gaze somehow gentle and firm at the same time. “I’m not saying we should go through life all half-cocked and clueless. But a little flexibility, a little wait-and-see—I’m coming to see that’s healthy.”
“Pastor Nick’s been a mentor of sorts, and he told me a while back that I didn’t have to have a big plan for my life. I just needed to do the next right thing.
89 The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox 12/9 (print/own)
52 Bookclub 24. Title Is A Spoiler
I purchased this one on one of our B&N trips last year or maybe even the one before. It's been on my shelf for a while. So I threw it in for this months Cousin Book Club. It did take me a little bit to get into but once I did I found it a delightful holiday read.
Time heals all things. If time fails, try cake.
90 Christmas at Spruce Hill Farm by Kathryn Springer 12/13 (kindle/kindle unlimited)
This was our church book club pick this month and I loved every second of reading this. All these characters were so delightful and I genuinely loved being a part of their journey. I found myself a little sad when I turned the last page wishing to spend more time with them.
“But there are still things to celebrate,” Esther said softly. “Love. Hope. God’s provision. Gifts in the everyday moments. The best stories remind us of that.”
Caleb shrugged. “I’m not much of a reader. Why don’t you just give me the abridged version, and we’ll go from there?” Not a reader? Lucy tried not to hold that against him. “All right.”
“Jesus was called Emmanuel, which means God with us. His very name means we don’t have to be afraid. If you ever doubt that, if you ever doubt God’s goodness, His love for you, I want you to read this story again. It’s not just for Christmas... It’s for all of us every single day.”
But the gathering room wasn’t nearly as appealing as a cup of French press and a toasty fire blazing in the living room.
91 My Merry Mistake by Courtney Walsh 12/19 (kindle/kindle unlimited)
52 Bookclub 37. Genre Chosen For You By Someone Else
Such a fun Christmas-y read. LOVED it! The third book in the Holidays with Hart series- the third sister and oldest of the Hart sisters finally gets her story.
I have to say I have yet to be disappointed by a Courtney Walsh book.
“Don’t give me that look,” he says. “I know you don’t need a man to open your door, but my momma brought me up to be a gentleman.” He doesn’t budge. “And I believe a gentleman can take care of a woman at the same time that that woman takes care of everything else.”
I nod. “I do. One day I’ll get back home. I just . . . like to seize the day and all that crap.” She laughs. “‘Seize the day and all that crap.’ You should put that on a T-shirt.”
I half-laugh and shake my head. “I don’t understand why he’s so invested in my life.” Her expression shifts. “Because he’s in love with you, sweetheart.”
Every morning, I drink my coffee under the soft glow of the Christmas tree and read. For fun. It’s a quiet hobby, but it suits me, and I’m starting to realize that forcing myself to be productive twenty-four hours a day might not be the best way to “live like it matters.”
92 Christmas in the Castle Library by Ann Swindel 12/19 (audio/hoopla)
This was such a delightful story. I loved every second. Ellie goes to Lethersby to research for her dissertation over the Christmas break, trying to unravel a 100 year old mystery. She meets Mark in the library and they begin working together. Romance and friendship bloom. Ellie also has a very relatable and authentic faith journey. All the Hallmark-y, royal romance, Christmas vibes.
93 Kindred Dragons by Sarah Mensinga 12/19 (print/library)
If you recall this was on of the books I came across on our Sisters Berkshire Book Trip. It is billed as a cross between Anne of Green Gables and How to Train Your Dragon. It is middle grade, graphic novel and a fun, light read. The main character Alice certainly gave off Anne Shirley vibes.
94 The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin 12/24 (audio/hoopla)
52 Bookclub 27. Features A Magician
I am not sure how I stumbled across this gem but I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a clean YA fantasy. Emlyn stopped writing stories when she watched her sister unravel and vanish before her very eyes. Ten years later odd things begin happening and she is pulled through a portal to land of her childhood stories. Maybe this is her chance to find out what really happened to her sister.
I am very excited to discover it is the first in a series and can't wait for book 2 in February.
Stories, Miss Emmy, are what bind us. Stories hold us together and help us think through problems, work through emotions. They take us on adventures, allow us to escape, but even more than that, they help us see the universe more clearly. Through stories, fantastical though they be, we see reality in greater detail.
95 Emma M Lion Vol 4 by Beth Bowser 12/25 (kindle/kindle unlimited)
52 Bookclub 25. Breaks The Fourth Wall
I enjoyed this next installment of Emma M Lion. She witty and snarky and a delight to read. I did miss hearing her voice a little so I may do the next one on audio again. Pierce is still my favorite side character.
Is it immoral to marry a man solely to gain a library? And if that man happens to be tremendously good looking, is it more or less of a sin?
It was then I thought that life—my life, in particular—wasn’t wholly worth giving up on yet.
96 To Love a Beast by Karen Witemeyer 12/29 (kindle/kindle unlimited)
52 Bookclub 20. A Fairy Tale Retelling
A fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast and a complete delight. Set in Texas in the 1800s, our beauty, works with her father as a book binder. When her father injuries his hand she must travel alone to the manor of a customer who has commissioned them to rebind his personal library. This was a quick read and I devoured most of it Monday on my day off. And is that cover not a delight itself!
"Hope sees possibilities where fear sees only barriers. Hope trusts that God will rescue and restore, and it enables us to endure the interim. Despite what people say, hope cannot be stolen or destroyed. It will only be lost if you surrender it of your own free will. So hold tight, Callie. Never let it go."
Lightfoot shook his head, unimpressed by Everett's quip. "It's not a man's appearance that forms his identity, it's his character. You are more than your face, Griff. You always have been."
He must have recognized the yearning in her voice when she mentioned that fact, for he made the most astounding offer. To read it aloud to her. As long as his reading wouldn't deter her from her work. *ah, delight!*
97 Me Moth by Amber McBride 12/30 (audio/library)
52 Bookclub 17. Told In Verse
I listened to this to fulfill the prompt of a novel told in verse. I heard about it on a podcast or something as someone saying it was one of their best books of summer. I wasn't really a fan. It is YA which is not a deal breaker but this one just didn't hit for me. The story of two troubled teens and a pretty good representation of why I have started to lean more into Christian fiction. It talked a lot about ancestors and hoodoo, and left me feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
Thankfully it was pretty short, and my last book for the 2025 52 Bookclub challenge.
Total: 12 2025: 97
Kindle/Ebook: 5 Print: 3 Audio: 4
Library: 6 Owned: 1 Kindle Unlimited: 5
Favorite: I really enjoyed all the Christmas books this month- and To Love a Beast also!
Challenges: I was successful in completing the 52 Bookclub Challenge, 1 day early! I'm looking forward to the 2026 challenge. The others I started were abandoned.
My 2025 reflections and goals for 2026 will be coming in the next few days.
I went fabric shopping with my Mom and got fabric to make lil granbaby's quilt. I am beyond excited about this project! This is probably the only peek you will get until after I gift it to my lil mama at her shower this spring.
My husband is also part of the group and I can not even begin to express the delight of seeing him digging in his Bible, and also being a part of a Sunday School class.
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