Even though the weather is unusual for December in Arkansas at the moment, there is still no place like home for Christmas. This has been my first full week resting in the Geriatric Ward for the holiday break and it has been wonderful! The patients worked most of the week, leaving me in a quiet house for much of the day to read and practice. Once Patient 1 came in each afternoon, I would shift to the comfortable recliner in the back (formerly, the home office) and continue reading as well as doing a little writing and crafting. While I wish there was a bit of a chill in the air (a forecasted high of 70 degrees on Christmas Day was not on my Bingo card!), I’m still enjoying the Christmas spirit….and I’ve managed to get some more reading done this week.
What I Finished This Week
The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews. This was such a cute read! Ivy moves to the Carolina mountains after a messy divorce, purchasing an old farmhouse. As she moves into the worn home and its vintage furnishings, she learns of the Christmas traditions of the former owners. Hidden in a drawer is the treasured Santa suit. In its pocket is a letter from a little girl asking Santa to bring her daddy home from the war so her mom can be happy again. What follows is a story filled with humor, friendship, love, discovery, and perseverance with lots of small town charm. 4.25 stars.
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan. First, I must say that I probably would not recommend this as an audiobook. It was challenging to get into from the beginning and was not a great selection for driving. However, I found the book itself to be absolutely charming and a perfect story for the holidays! Carmen has a job in a bookshop in Edinburgh thanks to her sister’s connections. At first, Carmen thinks this is the worst possible scenario. The bookshop is dank and completely unorganized. Carmen’s relationship with her sister Sophia is horrible. Now that she is living in Sophia’s basement, Carmen must interact with three children and their vile, incredibly attractive nanny. On top of all of this, Carmen is alone at Christmas.
Things quickly begin to transform as Carmen meets two men — a bestselling self-help author and a Brazilian scholar interested in trees. The store finds its niche as a Christmas Bookshop and the sales go through the roof. Relationships between Carmen and her nieces and nephew improve, despite the interference of the nanny. Just when everything is beginning to look up, Carmen’s world begins to crash. The Christmas Bookshop is a wonderful story about finding love where you least expect it, the power of community, and family reconciliation. 4.25 stars.
Good Spirits by B.K. Borison. Just when you think you cannot take another spin on A Christmas Carol, along comes Borison with a very inventive and satisfying novel. Nolan is a Ghost of Christmas Past assigned to haunt Harriet’s Christmas this year. Harriet is the owner of a charming antique shop in Annapolis, is full of Christmas spirit, and is generous to a fault. Why is she being haunted? As they journey back to her memories of prior Christmases, Nolan sees that Harriet’s biggest issue is that she does not stand up for herself — especially to her controlling mother. As Nolan finds himself drawn to Harriet in completely non-professional ways, his magic begins to lose focus. Now they are traveling through time into his own memories as well as Harriet’s. As the two fall in love, they know that their time together is limited as Nolan must go away by Christmas Eve. While I enjoyed the romance itself and the fantasy of a mortal falling for a ghost, the commentary about family relations and the need to speak truth even when it is uncomfortable resonated with me. The guilt one feels after speaking up for themselves after a long silence is also very real. I found myself hearing some of Nolan’s advice as though it was written specifically for me. This is a love story for the ages! Insurmountable odds, challenging family dynamics, and undeniable attraction makes Borison’s romance the best read of the Christmas season so far. 5 stars.
What I’m Currently Reading
A Very Merry Mistake by Lyra Parish (1:24 of 10:59). I wanted to include one final Christmas audiobook to my readings for the year since I still have a few errands to run this week. So far, I’m really enjoying Parish’s writing style. It is witty and fast paced without sacrificing story. I’m finding that lighter audiobooks are also great accompaniments to my crafting time. I’m still quite early in the story and I doubt that I finish by Christmas Day, but I won’t object to allowing Christmas to linger a bit longer in my reading life.
The Inferno by Dante (p. 137 of 387). I didn’t make a ton of progress this week as my focus was on my Christmas reading. However, I’m still enjoying making my way through each ring of Hell slowly with Dante and Virgil. (That is just as incredibly awkward to write as it is for you to read, I’m sure.) I anticipate getting to push further into this classic read after the holidays.
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand (p. 38 of 247). The story opens with Kelley, the owner of a Nantucket B&B, finding his second wife kissing the man playing Santa Claus in a closed bedroom. Without any commentary, Margaret announces that she will gather her things and leave. Now Kelley, his ex-wife, and their adult children must navigate the Christmas season and their individual brokenness. Hilderbrand’s writing has consistently been a good option for me and will help me glide into the Christmas celebrations on Thursday.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (p. 25 of 304). This is the last of the physical Christmas books that I brought to the Geriatric Ward to read this season. I’ve seen it appear on several readers’ lists as a book they enjoyed, so I’m hoping to close out my Christmas reading on a high note. So far, the writing is funny and lighthearted. I know I’m in for a good read when the novel opens with this paragraph: “Call me harlot. Call me impulsive. Call me hungover. No one ever has before, but someone absolutely should this morning. Last night was a disaster.”
December 2025 Mini-Challenge Update
Last week, I made my required Bingo for the challenge from The 52 Book Club. As I have continued my reading (and with some reassignment of prompts), I’m very close to a black out card. Here’s hoping that one of my final reads includes a contest…..
Reading for Me 
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