What a fun week of reading! I even managed to finish ALL the books I had picked out, so high five to me 🙂 Here is the final wrap-up, including a short review, rating, and page count of my chosen books. Click on the titles to be taken to the Goodreads page for more information.
These are the five books that I selected this year:
Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand:
Page count: 256
Rating: 4/5 stars
The third in the series (Winter Street and Winter Stroll preceded this one). I love this family, and was so excited to step back into their world for another Christmas story! It's a typical Hilderbrand novel, with all the family drama and love. While this can be a stand-alone, if you are thinking about reading the series, you will want to read them in order to avoid spoilers.
The Hundred Gifts by Jennifer Scott:
Page count: 384
Rating: 5/5 stars
My favorite of the books I read! The main character was a woman my age, it was about a cooking class, and the ladies who attend said class. Along with the cooking, they take on a mission to provide holiday cheer to a grumpy old lady who lives upstairs from the class building. There is humor, sadness, great characters, life questions, and more. Truly a treat!
The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere:
Page count: 291
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Sweet story about a down on her luck mother who moves to a new town and makes a fresh start during the holiday season. Lots of lovely characters, maybe just a tad sappy at times, but it is the holiday season 🙂
The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews:
Page count: 417
Rating: 4/5 stars
Great tale about an office Christmas party with all the ensuing drama and cast of characters. When I say characters.....oh my, there are some doozies here! Really funny moments, although a bit far fetched at times, make for a delightful read with a satisfying ending.
I Heart Christmas by Lindsey Kelk:
Page count: 369
Rating: 3/5 stars
This book had great promise, it was so funny at times, but ended up being my least favorite due to the unbelievably immature behavior of the main protagonist. There was only so much of the partying lifestyle I wanted to read about, so I had to knock off a star. Otherwise, the plot and humor made this a winner, but probably would appeal more to a younger adult audience.
And there you have it, another successful HoHoHoRAT! Can't wait to start my holiday season off again next year by participating. Thanks to Kimberly at CaffeinatedReviewer.com for hosting.
Total books read: 5
Total page count: 1717
That's awesome you managed to read all the 5 books you had picked out for the readathon! And sounds like they all where good ones too! The Hundred Gifts sounds really good with the cooking class and fun characters!
This was just what I needed. I love books where the main characters are not always 20 somethings, or the only older women you get in a story are if they are someone's annoying mother 🙂 I recommend this one.