What a wonderful week! My oldest heard about his first college acceptance, it snowed a bit here in New York, leaving things beautiful and white and we are getting our Christmas tree this weekend. I’ve got three books to share, some lists to borrow and a few more finds to bring you a bit of reading and writing joy.

What I'm Reading:

I love early morning reading by the twinkling Christmas tree lights! This week, I read two feel-good holiday books from my cozy December TBR stack and a middle grade novel that I devoured in a single sitting. 

Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah

This book was truly a comfort and joy to read. It starts out with a bang, connecting readers with Joy Candellaro, a newly divorced woman who flees to find a new life, but ends up in a horrific plane crash instead. Miraculously surviving, Joy makes a bold decision to leave her life behind and escape from the crash site to make a new life for herself. She meets Bobby, a six year old boy truly in need of a friend and his father, Daniel, someone who could use a friend himself. As she helps them both heal from their own traumatic events, she begins to find herself again…until her world is tipped upside down once again. This book truly embodies the magic of the season and left me thinking….what if? It’s a cozy read for any time of the season, but fit my cozy holiday mood in December perfectly. 

Ellray Jakes is NOT a Chicken by Sally Warner

This was a darling book. In it, we meet Ellray Jakes, a small third grader dealing with big bullies. It’s packed with personalities and situations that most third graders will find in their own classrooms, making it very relatable to elementary readers…except that in exchange for good classroom behavior, Ellray can earn a family trip to Disneyland for the day, something that could never happen in my own home. But that won’t stop readers from feeling the excitement of that possibility along with the nervousness of making it through a week without a run-in with the class bullies. Ellray is definitely on my list of series to read again. 

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

This was a delightfully cozy book about a whirlwind romance in England. I’ve been obsessed with all things Princess Diana since I was young, so I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. And I loved every page. If I’m being honest, the book was very predictable….but a beautifully cozy, romantic, happy-ending kind of predictable and for me, that’s the best kind. So, if you want a dreamy read about traveling to England, experiencing royal culture and getting the man too, then this book is for you. 

What I'm Writing:

Nothing earth shattering here….I’m writing holiday lists. That’s it. And I’m loving every page. Here are a few I’ve started:

  • Holiday Gift List
  • Holiday Cookie List
  • Christmas Bucket List
  • Winter To Do List (think organizing closets here)
  • Christmas Card List (Will I actually send them this year?!)
  • My December TBR (To Be Read) Stack
  • My December TBW (To Be Written) Stack

That’s about it. As my cozy reading life revs up, my writing life seems to be drifting into list form…something I want to change as I head into 2022!

What I'm Learning:

You know I love all things miniature, so I completely fell in love with this miniature library. I searched for the diorama kit to make it and found it on Etsy. This is what I’ll be doing over Christmas break and then, I’ll dive into the next kit…and the next one….and the next one. 

Do you like miniature things, too? Here are three reasons why you might! 

What I'm Loving:

I so admire people who can create beautiful things and this took my appreciation to a whole new level. Take a look at this amazing artist who paints beautiful scenes on the edge of the book’s pages. BEAUTIFUL.

I found another online store dedicated to book love: Litographs. This company takes your favorite books and literally brings them to life on products. My favorite? The blankets where the entire scene is made out of text from the book! Check out this Wonder blanket!

I’ve never made my own sugared/spiced nuts, until now. I’ve found this recipe and am giving it a try this weekend. 

Oh, my vellum. =) Look at these perfectly sized vellum sheets for your notebook! My mind is spinning with possibilities (and they are so affordable!). I think I need to pull together a page on my website that curates all of these notebooking finds. What do you think? Comment below for a chance to win some notebooking supplies later in the month!

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make space for more reading and writing in your own life. What are the highlights from your literate life this week?