I'm Back: Top 5 Reads of 2025!

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I'm so sorry for my extended absence... the past year has been a doozy for sure. But I'm back again with my top 5 reads from 2025. Not easy to narrow down, since I read over 75 books this year!

First, the honorable mentions, in no particular order- Land of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling; An Unexpected Grace by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse; The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green; A Noble Scheme by Roseanna M White; The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron; and Never Fall Again by Lynn H Blackburn!

Now, my top five!

In fifth, A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen.

In fourth, Final Approach by Lynette Eason

In third, Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright- A memorable read because right when the ghost appeared, my book light died, and I was plunged into complete and utter darkness... it took all of my will power not to scream bloody murder in the middle of the night and wake the household!

In second, Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer- I couldn't put it down, and I definitely had to remind myself that the characters in the book weren't going to hurt me for knowing too much... if you know, you know! Possibly the best one in this series so far!

My top book for the year was an easy choice- I genuinely wanted to Google the characters at the end of the book and see how their story ended, before remembering that they were fictional. I absolutely cried, laughed, and thoroughly enjoyed my way through the entirety of the story- 

It's...

A Song in the Dark by Kimberley Woodhouse

My Top 5 Reads of 2023!

 It's that time again. The time when I completely lose my mind in the impossible task of choosing just five favorites out of the over 100 books I've read this year. Thankfully, rereads are disqualified, so that narrows it just a bit, but sheesh, this is going to be a hard one, because I branched out and read a lot of new and different things this year that really stuck with me. This may be the most difficult year so far...

First, the honorable mentions, in absolutely no particular order. By the way, I adore all of these!!! 

The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron,  A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M White, In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer, A Mark of Grace by Kimberley Woodhouse, The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, Crossfire by Lynette Eason, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M White, The Secrets Beneath by Kimberley Woodhouse, The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theatre by Jaime Jo Wright, The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron 

These were all amazing books! I even pre-ordered the sequels to some of them. 

Now... top five begins...

In fifth, this story had me laughing the entire time, while also keeping me invested in the characters. This duo never fails to challenge me spiritually and write a book that God wants me to read in the season of life that I'm in. I'm ever grateful for this book, as well as completely captivated by Marvella. If that didn't give it away, I'll go ahead and let you know... It's

The Heart's Choice by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

Fourth place this year goes to the sequel to last year's winner. When I tell you I read this book twice this year, ordered copies for all my friends, and shared quotes on my Instagram stories for weeks. This book impacted me hard. (Also had me in tears... I'm still not over having my heart yanked out like that!) It's

The Looking Glass Illusion by Sara Ella

Third place, sitting comfy on the podium, is by an author I had never read before. Not just another war story, this book had me reading constantly, even on lunch breaks at work. I love a good "spies whose cover is a married couple even though they don't even like being in the same room as each other" trope, and this book gave by exactly what I wanted! It's 

Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin

Second, a book from another new to me author. That I reread the parts I loved the most. That I bookmarked and highlighted and used quotes from as my phone lockscreen. That helped me understand the prophets just a little better. It's

Isaiah's Daughter by Mesu Andrews

And my favorite book of the year, another new to me author. I didn't think this would be my type of book, but let's be honest, I fell for the cover. This first place book had me literally sobbing my heart out. I tried listening as an audiobook, but got so invested that I had to read with my eyes so I could go faster. I've already pre-ordered the newest book in the series. It's

When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer

Countdown to Christmas Review: The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham

It's time to start a Christmas countdown with reviews of novels and novellas that are sure to put you in the Christmas spirit!

Will the magic of Christmas bring these two newlyweds closer together, or will the ghosts of the past lead them into a destructive discovery from which not even a Dickens’s Christmas can save them?

Mistletoe is beautiful and dangerous, much like the woman from Lord Frederick’s Percy’s past, so when he turns over a new leaf and arranges to marry for his estate, instead of his heart, he never expects the wrong bride to be the right choice. Gracelynn Ferguson never expected to take her elder sister’s place as a Christmas bride, but when she’s thrust into the choice, she will trust in her faithful novels and overactive imagination to help her not only win Frederick’s heart but also to solve the murder mystery of Havensbrook Hall before the ghosts from Frederick’s past ruin her fairytale future. 

 I was looking for a book to put me in the Christmas spirit and spotted this one at the bookstore. I HAD to have it, and it was the perfect purchase! I was chuckling out loud before I even finished the first chapter. Grace's character absolutely waltzed right off of the page and into my heart. I felt that she was a kindred spirit of equal caliber to Anne Shirley. She's certainly one of the most dynamic leading ladies you'll ever see! Frederick was the perfect amount of smoldering hero, too. Usually, I don't care for the male POV that much, but I actually loved his as well. The mysterious air of the whole story was spell-binding and I read late into the night just to see what happened next. Aunt Lavenia is also one of the funniest ladies ever. I want to read more about her! My one complaint, if you want to call it that, is that the romance had a lot more... steam... than the typical books I read. Not in any way a dealbreaker. In fact, I always love a Pepper book, but this was definitely high up there on my list! (in my top 2 Pepper books) What a perfect way to start off the Christmas book season. 

Christmas Eve Eve 2018

Hey guys,
I know I've been way behind in my blogging, and my plans for another grand Blogmas didn't quite go off as expected. So instead, I'm going to throw out some titles that I think your family will love to read this Christmas season, because mine sure has! Half today, and the others tomorrow.

First... In honor of it being Christmas Eve Eve is Eloise at Christmastime, one of the mostest magicallest stories of all time, in my humble opinion. A long time favorite of mine, this story is sure to have gales of laughter flowing from your house.

Second, we have Corduroy's Christmas. Not very long, and definitely suited for younger kids, the flaps in this story make it interactive and fun. Plus, it's super cute.

Third, The Velveteen Rabbit, which isn't actually a super Christmas-y story. Still, it's quite the tale, and while sad, it has a heartfelt message that anyone can enjoy. Plus, the illustrations are awesome.

More tomorrow! I can't wait to share.
I hope you can forgive me for my delinquency this semester. I'll try to do better next. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a million and a half reviews to write!


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas to the best of followers! I love all of you, and today I'd like to share some verses that show the really truly best meaning of the holiday...

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world by Him might be saved.

Merry Christmas Again!!!

12 Days of Blogmas Day 12: Review: Solve By Christmas by Amber Schamel

Here's a CelebrateLit tour for you guys! (Including giveaway at the bottom... After you read all my nonsense first ;) )


Jasper is PI for Rudin's Sugar Factory in Denver. He's been waiting and waiting for his big break, and now... now he has two cases on his hands. And one of them has the potential for a life-changing disaster. Mr. Rudin has given Jasper an ultimatum... prove by Christmas that life is worth living, or he'll commit suicide. Jasper is frantically trying to figure out how to help the man who's been like a father to him for more than twenty years, when someone decides to start sabotaging the factory. With more and more at stake every hour, Jasper has his plate full. With so much at risk, can he solve both cases by Christmas?


I'm giving this sweet and surprising book 4 stars. It was not at all what I was expecting. Don't ask me what I was expecting, because I can't for the life of me remember, but this... this was not it. This was much better. Usually I don't go for the historical mysteries as much, it's not my cup of.... eggnog???.... (lame Christmas joke alert!) but this one was nice. It was funny, and serious. Sweet and cynical. A balanced book. I loved how each character was his own person, (or her own person...) and the dynamics were great. The cover is pretty snazzy, and you guys know that (much to my detriment, I suppose) I am all about those covers! I was shocked by all the twists, and while I suspected the culprit a little bit, I still kept getting sucked in by the rabbit trails. All in all, a delightful little read, with a sweet non-romance romance, and an ending that leaves me satisfied, but also leaves the door open for sequels. It's not something I think I would buy, but I enjoyed reading it. (Stick with it through those first few chapters...) It's also not super-Christmasy... it talks about Christmas but if you're looking for a book about mistletoe and holly and presents under the tree or any of that jazz... well for goodness sake! There are lives at stake here! (And wow, reading back through this I can see that today is one of my more ADD days. Sorry bout that!)

 I received this book through CelebrateLit blogging program.

About the Author

Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call “historical fiction at its finest”. A homeschool graduate from a family of 12 children, Amber found her calling early in life. First published at age 21, she has continued to hone her craft and has been awarded the 2017 CSPA Book of the Year Award in Historical Fiction. Between ministry, family and working in their family-owned businesses, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples. Find her on the Stitches Thru Time blog, or on any of the major social media sites. Amber is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Pick up your copy here.

Guest Post from Amber Schamel

Thank you so much for joining us on the Celebrate Lit blog tour for Solve by Christmas!! I am so excited you’re here. For this special event, I wanted to share the inside scoop behind the story.

Solve by Christmas is a historical Mystery set in Denver during the great blizzard of 1913. It has a unique storyline, so people often wonder where the idea came from. Honestly, it was one of those ideas that just popped into my head, then took on a life of its own and evolved over several weeks.

I wanted to give my readers a new story before the year was out, but I didn’t have a specific plot in mind. I did know I wanted to write a Christmas story. So, I had that much. Then I decided I wanted something with a firm deadline.” If this doesn’t happen by this date, everyone dies” sort of thing. Then “By Christmas” popped into my head and flicked on a light. What if Christmas was the deadline?

I’ve always loved detectives and mystery stories, and they go perfectly with deadlines. So, then I thought, what if a detective must solve the case by Christmas or death wins?

Sometimes, as an author, there are ideas and thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere. Almost like God dropping a card into your mental mailbox. The next point of Solve by Christmas was that way. What if a detective was assigned a case that he had to solve by Christmas, but it wasn’t a real case –at least not the type of case he wanted—but something completely different? From there, the story began to really take shape.

The next step, of course, is to come up with a character to be the detective. I wanted the story to have a Sherlock Holmes feel, so I started by studying his character a bit. But my story also has a less serious side since it isn’t a murder mystery and takes place at a sugar factory. I wondered…what would happen if you took Sherlock Holmes and meshed him with Barney Fife?

Now THAT would be hard to pull off. But I was determined to try. So, I made a list of Sherlock Holmes traits, and one of Barney Fife’s traits. I began to see that they actually DO have several similarities. They’re both a bit socially awkward. They both have a very similar flavor of pride. And they both have this air of authority…although Sherlock can back his up while Barney struggles in that area. Then I began to pick and choose between the traits that were left, this Barney trait, this Sherlock trait, and pretty soon I had Detective Jasper Hollock forming on the page. Whether you will get a Barney Fife and Sherlock feel when you read Solve by Christmas, I can’t say. But I do believe I was successful in creating a unique, quirky character that will bring this Christmas mystery to life.

There you have it. The scoop behind Solve by Christmas. I hope you enjoy the story, and best wishes in the giveaway! I will be stopping by along with Jasper and Denny (the two main characters) to answer any questions you may have about the story or the characters, so please do leave us a comment.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Amber is giving away a grand prize of a Christmas themed basket which will include a paperback copy of Solve by Christmas and The Swaddling Clothes (my two Christmas books) as well as a Christmas terrarium jar, and a Solve by Christmas notepad!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c5bb

See what others are saying here ↓↓↓↓

Blog Stops

A Baker’s Perspective, December 12

A Simply Enchanted Life, December 12

Connie’s History Classroom, December 13

Bigreadersite, December 13

The Fizzy Pop Collecton, December 14

Genesis5020, December 14

Baker Kella, December 15

Daysong Reflections, December 15

History, Mystery & Faith, December 16

Karen Sue Hadley, December 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 17

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, December 17

Aryn The Libraryan, December 18

A Reader’s Brain, December 18

Bibliophile Reviews, December 19

Mary Hake, December 19

Texas Book-aholic, December 20

Simple Harvest Reads, December 20

Babs Book Bistro, December 21

Reading Is My SuperPower, December 21 (Interview)

Seasons of Opportunities, December 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 22

Just the Write Escape, December 23

The Power of Words, December 23

(you are here!)  Live.Love.Read., December 24

Carpe Diem, December 24

Blogging With Carol, December 25

The Important Things in Life: God, Books, & Chocolate, December 25

12 Days of Blogmas Day 11: Interview with Julianna Deering!

Today we have another special guest who agreed to answer the Christmas questions! Julianna Deering writes those beautiful mysteries we all love... the ones about Drew Farthering! But today, she's just sharing about her Christmas favorites! Enjoy! (I considered making the whole thing green and red, but I decided to give your poor eyes a break!)

1: Favorite Christmas tradition

I love Christmas communion. It makes me feel ready to start the new year.

 2: Favorite Christmas memory

When I was about six, we were going to have to be away on Christmas morning, and I was just sure Santa wouldn’t know what to do. That Christmas Eve, Dad drove us kids somewhere (can’t remember exactly where, probably to look at the toy store) and Mom went to visit the lady across the street. When we came back, Dad pulled the car into the driveway, and Mom came running across the street saying she was sure she had seen Santa flying overhead. She pointed up, and somehow I was sure I saw him, too. When we went into the house, there were all the presents waiting for us. We always had the greatest Christmases.

 3: Favorite Christmas book

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Even though I know the story backwards and forwards, it always touches my heart and makes me consider how I’m living my life.

 4: Favorite Christmas food/recipe

I love the fudge you make with marshmallow cream and chocolate chips (recipe on the back of the marshmallow cream jar!). So easy, even I can’t mess it up, and SO delicious.

 5: Favorite Christmas movie

There are several I love, including many versions of the Christmas Carol story, and especially including How the Grinch Stole Christmas for its simple and striking truths about the season. My favorite, though, if I must choose just one, is It’s a Wonderful Life. I love old movies anyway, and this one is just perfection. Once again, it makes me consider how I’m living my life and what impact I’m really having on the people around me.

 6: Favorite Christmas decoration

I have a little porcelain Christmas tree about a foot high. With it are tiny porcelain ornaments you hang on it. So beautiful.

 7: Favorite Christmas activity

The best is putting together one of those mystery jigsaw puzzles where there’s a story that goes along with it and you have to put the puzzle together to get the clues to solve the mystery. Fun!

 8: Favorite Christmas drink (eggnog, hot chocolate, apple cider, punch)

Hot chocolate, hands down!

 9: Favorite Christmas blog post idea

I always enjoy the ones where people share pictures of Christmases from when they were children.

10: Favorite Christmas story (shorter than a book, more like Night Before Christmas, or Eloise at Christmastime)

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. What can I say about this gorgeously tragic and yet love-affirming story? So perfectly written

Thanks so much for reading! Merry Christmas Eve Eve! I hope you all are enjoying your time with family! I'd love to hear from you! Make sure to leave a comment below! 

12 Days of Blogmas Day 10: Review: Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey

So, yes. I know.... not exactly Christmas but I think I'll do a combo post.

Here are a few Christmas movies I've been loving this year: White Christmas (Hello Bing and Rosemary!!!), Holiday Inn (Yeah, I know... And yes.. Bing is a favorite of mine!), all three of the Santa Claus movies, Switched for Christmas, and can I just say that I am sooo looking forward to the When Calls the Heart Christmas special! I need to watch Miracle on 34th Street (with Maureen O'Hara!) and It's a Wonderful Life and probably a few others too! What movies are you enjoying this year?


Alright, now for the book. And yes, this is long overdue. But to be fair, the book shipped to my home address and not to my university PO box. It was, of course, worth the wait. Worth its weight, in fact. In gold.

Declan is on the case. And surprise, surprise, Tanner is his new work buddy. Facing growing attraction for each other, they must focus on the looming terrorist attack. It's coming, and soon. But where, and how soon??? Meanwhile, Avery, Parker, Finley, and Griffin are busy trying to solve a case involving Haywood. And what about Luke and Kate? What's going on there, huh? Well, I can't tell you because that's too big of spoiler for this girl to approve. You'll just have to read the book, ya know!

I'd have to be insane not to give this book 5 stars! Number one, it's ridiculously close to home. I mean, it was almost too realistic. I have a vivid imagination, and unfortunately for me, it has very little problem conjuring this up as a reality. Freaky! Also, these characters.... sucker punch right to the feels. I'm telling you what's the truth! Declan and Tanner are seriously perfect for each other, and it's obvious that this is because their relationship is built on an even stronger Relationship. Yep... this couple's a keeper! Another part of this book that made it so great is the fact that I can point to at least 4 different mysteries happening.... some of them more obviously in the forefront, a few in the background, but the point is that while reading this you will get NO breathing space before the next sentence has you grasping for the next. In fact, I refused for several days to read this book in bed because I knew that if I picked it up, I was no way going to put it down. Beware! Dani will always, always, ALWAYS!! keep you up past bedtime! So... if you couldn't tell from all that...jazz... I highly recommend this book and this author and if I don't get ahold of book 4 pretty soon I'm going to have another conniption fit. (Mom will tell you I was pretty uncontrollable when I finished this one.) That's another thing I love about Dani's writing. Her series' are longer than a simple trilogy which allows for more character development and more time for the story to develop and did i mention more time for me to fall in love with everyone falling in love?

Thank you so much to Dani Pettrey for letting me be on her Street Team. I'm so sorry that this wasn't up long ago as it should have been.

And to all my lovely readers out there, thanks for dropping by. I hope you'll read this book. Go buy it or go make your library get it, I actually don't care how you get it. Well, also read the rest of the series. And then go get this one. And be on the lookout for book 4 too. (In July ;) I already asked...)

12 Days of Blogmas Day 9: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

I'm going on the assumption that since the story opens up with the Rabbit being in the Boy's stocking, that this is a Christmas story. If you don't agree, well.... whatever. The Velveteen Rabbit is the story of one little toy bunny's journey to becoming Real. It's a short story, with adorable pictures, and I really think your kids would love it. It's the type of story that needs to be read by the light of the Christmas tree, with kids in warm pajamas snuggle up close to you, studying the sweet pictures. It's a surprisingly gripping story for being a picture book. No wonder it's loved so much, and has lasted so long! I'm giving this touching story 5 stars.

Happy Blogmas! I hope you and your kids love this story. Comment below! I'll be checking to see what you have to say!

12 Days of Blogmas Day 8: Interivew with Laura A. Grace

I am so excited to share with you today our Christmas interview with Laura! I hope you guys enjoy it!

Bio:

Laura has a thrilling obsession with supporting her favorite authors. From hosting blog tours to throwing virtual parties, she's always seeking new ways to spread the book love.

More than once her handsome ninja husband has heard the squeals of a late night fangirl as she reads a new plot twist or hears from her author friends. She and her family live in North Carolina, where they wield plastic lightsabers and keep an eye out for wandering unicorns.

Links:

Website – Newsletter – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube

In case you forgot the questions, here's the list again!

: Favorite Christmas tradition
 2: Favorite Christmas memory
 3: Favorite Christmas book
 4: Favorite Christmas food/recipe
 5: Favorite Christmas movie
 6: Favorite Christmas decoration
 7: Favorite Christmas activity
 8: Favorite Christmas drink (eggnog, hot chocolate, apple cider, punch)
 9: Favorite Christmas blog post idea
10: Favorite Christmas story (shorter than a book, more like Night Before Christmas, or Eloise at Christmastime)

And here are Laura's answers! Enjoy!

Hi, Erica! I am SO excited to be here! :D

1. One of my favorite Christmas traditions is our family either baking cut-out sugar cookies and decorating them or buying a new family ornament (which tends to lead to three new ones LOL).

2. Ooo tough one! I think one of my favorite Christmas memories is when my Mom made a homemade cookbook with some of my family’s favorite recipes when my husband and I thought we might be moving to Cambodia.

However, I will say one of the strongest Christmas memories I have is when I was in 4^th or 5^th grade. My Grandma said I could choose one gift under the Christmas tree to open early. I, of course, gladly went to choose one, but when I got on all fours to grab one near the middle, I happened to put one of my hands in cat throw up. LOL! I can say that after that incident, I always turned the light on and checked before putting my hand anywhere on the floor. LOL!

3. I sadly don’t have a favorite Christmas book. :/ It’s been a few years since I have read any, but I have strongly enjoyed many of Melody Carlson’s Christmas books, with maybe The Christmas Bus being the one I enjoyed the most.

4. Our family doesn’t have one set Christmas food since my husband is lactose intolerant and I’m allergic to wheat. (Yeah, doesn’t mix the best with my extended family’s love for lasagna on Christmas day. Haha!) We’ve make a “cookout” kind of dinner with hotdogs and hamburgers as well as a dairy free and wheat free lasagna in the past. This year my kids mentioned they would like another cookout style meal while my husband and I are going for an Asian one. J

5. If I didn’t consistently miss them (LOL), it would most likely be A Christmas Story. It used to be an annual tradition growing up to watch that while wrapping last minute Christmas presents.

6. Another tough one because I love so many of the Christmas decorations! I really thought about buying some outside décor, but refrained since I wanted to get a bunch of stuff. Haha! Otherwise, I think it’s ornaments of all kinds. J

7. My favorite Christmas activity is making cookies with my family. I love that we can all come together and share good laughter while eating excellent cookies. ;)

8. I have to confess that I’m pretty boring and don’t drink any special Christmas drinks except water and juice. *hides*

9. A good old 12 Days of Christmas blog post always gets me. ;) Seriously, I love it and host an annual FB party along this theme because it’s so fun to do something for twelve days with others online. J

10. Hands down, my favorite Christmas story is the birth of Christ, but especially the shepherds. I’m always touched by them telling the entire town of what they saw.

I hope you all enjoyed this. Sound off in the comments because we'd both love to hear from you!