I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. I was blessed to visit my parents in eastern Arkansas this week. In addition to lots of food, I also got to enjoy time to sleep, bake, and decorate the house. With flights to and from the Geriatric Ward, I also managed to do quite a bit of reading this week.
What I Finished This Week
Owning Jacob by Simon Beckett. My flight path on Tuesday took me from Amarillo to Houston before ending up in Memphis. I managed to find a relatively quiet corner to myself on these Southwest flights and lost myself in this story that I finished somewhere high above Arkansas. The plot took a turn that I didn’t see coming that also turned the book from a psychological study of a man in a mid-life crisis to a fast-paced thriller. Since I finished this one while in the sky, I had to turn to whatever I had loaded on my Kindle.
Every Secret Thing by Rebecca Hartt. Since I didn’t have a lot of options while in the air, I started the second volume of the Acts of Valor series. Once again, this was a Christian thriller featuring Navy Seals who found themselves battling a secret organization that was trying to sell guns to the enemy. As they get closer to the truth, they find themselves and those they love in greater danger. While this isn’t high literature by any stretch of the imagination, I did find it entertaining and a relaxing read during a busy holiday week.
What I’m Currently Reading
JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography by Liz McNeil and RoseMarie Terenzio (4:52 of 14:54). Little progress was made in my audiobook this week since all of my travel was by air. I anticipate seeing significant improvement here next week as I drive my car back to Arkansas for the Christmas break.
How My Neighbour Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn (p. 190 of 470). Once the decorations began to go up in my parents’ house, I was ready to do a little holiday reading. As I browsed Kindle Unlimited, I found this book and was intrigued. Think of a Hallmark movie. A small community that celebrates Christmas year round hosts an annual competition to see which of its residents has the most Christmas spirit. When an outsider who is caring for her aunt decides to enter, the town grump also must join the contest simply to keep the stranger from winning. Alas, not only is he defending the town’s honor, but he is also slowly admitting that he is attracted to the beautiful red head. Each chapter begins with a short poem written in the style of Dr. Seuss — which gives the book an obvious allusion to How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Is it cheesy? Absolutely. Is it also funny? Definitely! Quinn’s book has proven to be a quick read so far and I anticipate it will continue in that vein through its conclusion.
What’s Ahead?
The 52 Book Club released its mini-challenge for December 2024 earlier today. I have already found myself drawn to the idea of reading around the holidays this month, so the challenge seems like a perfect motivation for me. Here are the challenge’s three prompts and my selections at the moment.
- December captured on the cover: The Christmas Tree Farm (Laurie Gilmore)
- Holiday harmonies:
- Features festive flavors: The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Laurie Gilmore)
While visiting Barnes and Noble this evening, I was surprised that more Christmas books were not featured on tables throughout the store. Truthfully, there was only one small table of romances sitting out. I didn’t realize until I typed the list above that I selected two books by the same author. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I generally prefer to read a little more widely. As you can see, I don’t have a selection for “Holiday Harmonies” at this point, so I am open to suggestions. The prompt can be interpreted in several ways. It can either have a significant scene featuring caroling or choral singing. Or one of the main characters can be a musician or composer. The other option is that the book’s cover feature either a singing character or musical notes. Normally I would head to the local library for some options, but since I’m leaving here next week, I don’t want to take a book and keep someone else from enjoying the read while I’m away. Have a great idea for a December cover or holiday harmonies? I’m all ears!
Hope you all have a very happy week of reading!
~Kennith
Reading for Me 
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