What day is it?

 I've been a bit scattered this week what with planning my mom's funeral and everything else you have to figure out when a loved one dies. Death is exhausting! Needless to say, I haven't done much reading this week. It's been hard to focus on anything. I did manage to finally finish Kristin Beck's Winter Orphans which I started at the very first of this month. 

It's a well-written historical fiction novel based on two real life Swiss Red Cross workers who helped Jewish refugee children escape from Nazi-controlled France during WWII. It was interesting and compelling and a book my mom would have loved. Historical fiction novels were her favorites. And I'm sad that I can't tell her all about it. Winter Orphans is a good read, I just don't have the energy to write a real review of it. 

My hope for next week is to make the rest of the calls I need to make in regards to my mom's death and maybe read a few of the Christmas romances I checked out of the library. Light, frothy escape reads with guaranteed happy endings are what I need right now. And I'd like to try and post my list of favorite 2025 reads next week, too. Until then, take care of yourself, give your loved ones a big hug, and enjoy this holiday season.

Happy Reading!

The Bustle in a House...

 The Bustle in a House 

By Emily Dickinson

The Bustle in a House

The Morning after Death

Is solemnest of industries

Enacted upon Earth –

The Sweeping up the Heart

And putting Love away

We shall not want to use again

Until Eternity –

This was not the post I was expecting to write this week, but then life never goes quite like you plan. My mom passed away last Tuesday. She was in her 90s and getting weaker and more frail these past few months, so we knew she wouldn't be around much longer, but it was still a shock to come home from work on Tuesday and find her gone. Such a wrenching loss. But even in death there are still things to be glad and grateful for. I'm glad her death was peaceful and painless...to die in her sleep was what she wanted. And she's with my dad, who passed away seven years ago, once more. And that also makes me glad.


My mom always viewed death as a kind of graduation...a returning home to our Father in Heaven after finishing this test of life. And I am very grateful for the knowledge and belief I have that there is life after death. That our loved ones are not lost to us forever. That families can be together for all eternity. And that I will see my mom and dad again someday. Though that doesn't keep me from missing them now, or stop the tears from coming. It's hard, but I know it will be okay. And if I'm not around much these next few weeks, you know the reason why. 

 

Haiku Reviews...

 

Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh

A gruesome murder. 

Three possible suspects. Bree

and Matt track a killer.

Mystery .... 3-3 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(This is the tenth Sheriff Bree Taggert mystery, and it's as good as all the previous ones. I especially loved the energetic and enthusiastic dog, Turbo.)

Cold Storage by David Koepp

Aggressive fungus

escapes containment; the race

to stop it is on.

Horror.... 308 pages .... 3/5 stars.

(Good, but not as thrilling as I'd hoped.)

A Family Under the Christmas Tree by Terri Reed

Her matchmaking Gram.

A single guy and his nephew.

A cute puppy. And love.

Contemporary romance .... 336 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Predictable and sweet holiday romance.)

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme:  Books Set in Snowy Places.

But I feel like I've done this one before. Several times in fact. So, I tweaked it a little and decided to go with 10 Sweet Hockey Romances instead. Because ice skating rinks are cold places and a little bit wintery. Aren't they? 

My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh

Desire or Defense by Leah Brunner

Season's Schemings by Katie Bailey

Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor

As You Ice It by Emma St. Clair

The Golden Goal by Annah Conwell

The Kiss Class by Ellie Hall

Ice Melts by Sophia Summers

How to Fake Date a Hockey Star

My favorite hockey romances are the ones written by Jenny Proctor, Courtney Walsh, Leah Brunner and Emma St. Clair. But I enjoyed all of these. Though I haven't read the last two books....yet. 

Happy Reading!

My other winter reading lists:

'Tis the Season (Dec. 2015)

Wintry Reads (Dec. 2021)

Ten Chilling Titles Perfect for Winter (Dec. 2018)

Ten fun holiday, seasonal or snowy reads. (Dec. 2020)

December's Bookish Art....

 

Vittore Carpaccio -- The Virgin Reading

"That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong."

--F. Scott Fitzgerald

What I've been reading....

 

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs is the first book about Charles and Anna Cornick, alpha and omega werewolves. It's also the book that introduces Asil, a very old and sometimes very scary werewolf known as the Moor, who is the focus of Briggs' latest book Blind Date With a Werewolf. 

It'd been so long since I first read Cry Wolf, I wanted to reread it so I could better remember Asil's backstory. And I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed it even more this second time around. Anna and Charles are great together. And there's lots of good action, suspense, and magic in it. 

Blind Date With a Werewolf, on the other hand, was unexpectedly funny! All the things that go wrong on Asil's five blind dates just made me laugh. I loved Asil's humor through it all, even as the body count climbed. Each blind date is like a separate short story, but a connecting thread seamlessly weaves them all together. I wasn't sure I would like this format, but Patricia Brigg's writes so well, her books are the epitome of urban fantasy. And this novel is delightful. I ended up giving it 5 stars because it was just so fun. 

Happy Reading!

Randomness...

 I've been listening to (and loving!) Alex Warren's new album You'll Be Alright, Kid. I started to list my favorite songs, but then realized I was listing them all, so instead I will just say that this entire album is amazing and I love every song on it. 

Went and saw the movie Now You See Me: Now You Don't. It's as entertaining and humorous as the first one. I love a good caper movie, and with all the magic tricks and illusions in this one it's non-stop fun. 

More glad things from last month:

• Had a relaxing and fun Thanksgiving weekend, with three days off from work and lots of game-playing time with my family.  
• Checked lots of good books out of the library that I'm looking forward to reading this month.
• Watched the Olympic Curling trials on TV. (I love curling!)
• Found a few new healthy recipes using red lentils and garbanzo beans that turned out to be really yummy. 
• BYU's football team pulled off an 11-1 season, which made me very happy. And they've still got the Big12 Championship game to play on Saturday. Fingers crossed they play well and go on to the college playoffs. 
• But my best glad thing is the many kind comments all of you leave on my blog each week. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. So thank you! 

Happy Reading!