December Wrap Up

Another year of reading is over. I'm so excited about 2019, and all the possibilities it brings. Here are the books I read this last month of 2018. There are several Christmas titles, as I was really in the holiday spirit. I found myself reaching for cozier books to balance out some of the heavier reading I've been doing lately.

Christmas Bells

I enjoyed this short easy read as a start to the Christmas reading season. I was familiar with the story surrounding Longfellow's poem, but I really appreciated all the detail added by the author. The contemporary story was nice and wrapped up neatly at the end.

The Clockmaker's Daughter

I started out reading the physical copy of this book. I enjoyed it at first but then got bogged down about halfway through. There were a lot of confusing plot lines, and I struggled to keep them all straight. I switched to the Audible version about 2/3 of the way through and had a much better reading experience. It's narrated by Joanne Froggatt of Downton Abbey fame. I highly recommend listening to the audio. I wish I had started out that way. Maybe I'll go back and listen from the beginning.

It's Not Supposed to be This Way

Lysa TerKeurst is one of my favorite Christian Living authors. This book is raw and emotional. She is so transparent and honest. I have struggled with some extended family issues over the past couple of years, and this book was so encouraging. Highly recommended.

Dear Mrs. Bird

This book was a delightful surprise. It's set in London during The Blitz. It's short and reads quickly, but it has some deep themes. It deals with women's friendships, love, grief, and trauma but it maintains a light, easy tone. I loved it. Recommended if you enjoy WW2 fiction.

The Bride of Ivy Green
I'm really not much of a series reader, but I love Julie Klassen's writing style. I have loved every minute I have spent in Ivy Hill. The characters and setting are charming. This series is the ultimate comfort reading for me. This entry wrapped everything up nicely. I would love to spend more time with these characters. I'm really sad to see them go. I would recommend this series to lovers of quiet, cozy novels and Regency era fiction. Make sure you start with the first book, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill.

I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley.

The Bookshop on the Corner
I found this romancy, chick lit book fun and delightful. It was the Modern Mrs. Darcy December book club pick, and it was the perfect cozy holiday read that wasn't about the holidays. Recommended if you are looking for something light and easy.

A Red Bird Christmas
I was a little disappointed in this one. This was my first Fannie Flagg, and I was hoping for more. It was fine, but a little overly sweet. I didn't find the writing all that great, either. I'll probably try another one of her's in the future to see if her writing style is just a bad fit for me. Let me know if you have any recommendations in the comments.

We Hope for Better Things
I had never heard of this author before, and that I'm always a little nervous to review a book by an author I'm not familiar with. The premise of this novel sounded fascinating, though. I'm really glad I gave it a try. The story is told through three points of view by three different generations of women. This book gave me a lot to think about regarding race relations and interracial marriage. I thought it was really well done. Each of the story lines is distinct and easy to follow. They each tackle tough topics. I would recommend this book to readers who prefer edgy fiction. There are some hard themes, and the characters don't always make the right decisions. If you prefer very clean fiction, you might want to read this one with caution.

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year. I'm excited about posting here in 2019. I'll be posting my favorites from 2018 soon as well as books I'm excited to read in the coming year. If you would like to see more of what I'm reading come follow me on Instagram. My handle is @daysathomereading. I have a couple of bookish adventures coming up that I'll be sharing over there. Happy New Year!

A Very Merry Tag

I saw this tag at You, Me and a Cup of Tea and thought it looked fun.

Does it snow where you live around Christmas?

Well, I live in Florida, so, no it does not. We are usually in shorts at Christmas, and it looks like it will be that way again this year. My kids are always disappointed, but as I get older, I appreciate the milder temperatures more and more.

Do you have a real or fake tree?

Fake. I have never, in my life, had a real tree. I'm pretty sure I would spend the whole season sneezing if I did. 

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite, but my husband hates it. I haven't seen it in years. Our family tradition in recent years has been to watch The Lord of the Rings movies the week of Christmas, so those feel like Christmas movies to me.

Where in the world would you like to spend Christmas?

New York City or Paris

What fictional character would you like to spend Christmas with?

Probably the Baxter family from Karen Kingsbury's books. They would be extremely entertaining.

What is your favorite Christmas song?

Do You Hear What I Hear? We did an arrangement of it in high school that gave me chills.

What is your favorite Christmas story besides THE story?

Clown of God by Tomie dePaola. Makes me cry every time.

Multicolored lights or white lights?

I enjoy them both. On our new tree you can switch back and forth. Best of both worlds.

What time period would you like to spend Christmas in?

I'm perfectly happy in this time period.

Which period drama has the best Christmas scene?

I love the Christmas scenes in Meet Me in St. Louis. Those snowmen are so cute.

Let me know in the comments if you do this tag. Merry Christmas!

Cover Love ~ November

There are some beautiful books coming out this month. Here are some of my favorites.

I always love Katherine Reay's covers. They're so cute and whimsical. One Enchanted Eve is pretty too. I have a weakness for blue. I love the dress on Beneath a Golden Veil. The color is gorgeous. Which ones are your favorites?

Looking Forward

Since a new year is almost here, I thought I would share some of the Bible study and devotional resources I will be using next year.

I have used a couple of year-long Bible reading programs in the past that I have liked, but this year I have fallen in love with the One Year Chronological Bible. I use it in conjunction with Wendy Pope's blog. She has a daily lesson to go along with each days reading. This has really helped hold me accountable. You can also have the daily readings delivered to your inbox if you don't want to buy the Bible.

Another resource I have enjoyed using is Proverbs 31's devotions. I get these in my email every weekday. They are very well done and include journaling ideas and reflection questions.

I will also be doing the Siesta Scripture Team on Beth Moore's blog. I did this 2 years ago, and it was so much fun. I'm really glad she decided to do it again this year.

I hope you find some of this helpful. What are you planning on using next year?

Gramma's Fudge

My Gramma Savery made delicious fudge. She usually served it as an appetizer to Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner, so whenever the holidays come around I get a serious craving for it. This is the closest recipe I have found to it. It is super easy and very good.

                                       Peanut Butter and Chocolate Layer Fudge

   

                                          1&1/2 cups chocolate chips

                                          1&1/2 cups peanut butter chips

                                          1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Melt peanut butter chips with half a can of the milk.

Stir til smooth. Spread in 8x8 pan lined with wax paper.

melt chocolate chips with half  can of milk. Stir til smooth.

Spread on top of peanut butter. Cool in the fridge for 3 hour

Remove fudge from pan and cut into squares. Makes 32.

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. We did. I am always relieved when the turkey comes out of the oven, and I realize I haven't ruined it. It tasted very good this year, and to my delight and surprise there was a gravy packet in the turkey! I am now a loyal Jenny-O customer.

We put our tree up on Friday and decorated the house. It looks great. I may try to put a picture up in a few days. Today I wanted to talk music. I am a musician. I love music. And I really love Christmas music. I still have the first Christmas carol book I played out of when I was 7 years old. I have very fond memories of listening to Christmas music growing up. My mom was partial to Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, and Evie. Over the years I have collected my own favorites. Here they are in no particular order:

                                                Christmas - Michael W Smith
                                                Christmastime-Michael W Smith
                                                It's the Thought That Counts - Twila Paris
                                                Peace On Earth - Casting Crowns
                                                One Christmas Eve - Wayne Watson
                                                A Christmas Story - Point of Grace

I must say, Christmas by Michael W Smith is probably my favorite. It came out shortly after Russty and I were married. Listening to it makes me feel like a newly wed again. What are some of your favorites?

Pumpkin Bread

I mentioned yesterday that I might be trying a pumpkin bread recipe. My mom loves pumpkin bread, and she has mentioned several times that she has had trouble finding it in the Walmart bakery this year. Well, the thought of my mother wandering through the Walmart bakery not finding pumpkin bread broke my heart. Of course I pulled every cook book I owned off the shelf, and made finding a good recipe a priority.

As it turned out , I only found one. It is very good. I have set one loaf aside for my mother, and the other we have been nibbling off of all morning. Here it is. It goes really well with coffee.

                                            Pumpkin Bread

                                            1&1/2 cups sugar
                                            1/2cup oil
                                            2 eggs
                                            1/3 cup cold water
                                            1 cup pumpkin
                                            1/2 chopped nuts
                                            1 3/4 all purpose flour
                                            1 teaspoon baking soda
                                            1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
                                            1 teaspoon cinnamon
                                            1/4 teaspoon salt
                                            1/2 cup chopped dates

Cream together sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time, then add water and pumpkin. Sift and add the flour, baking soda , nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Makes 2 loaves. Wrap in foil immediately to retain moisture.

Is everyone ready for Thanksgiving  tomorrow? I think I am. I have reviewed the turkey and gravy tutorials on http://www.kraftrecipes.com/home.aspx, my turkey is thawed, and I am ready to wrestle it into submission tomorrow morning.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!