#31DaysOfChristmas: Haul Out the Holly

 

Watched On: Netflix

Duration: 1 hour 24 minutes

Originally Aired: November 26, 2022

Directed By: Maclain Nelson

Starring: Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown and Stephen Tobolowsky

Please see IMDb for full cast and crew information. 

Synopsis

Emily's manipulative boyfriend steals her apartment out from under her, only telling her when she breaks up with him & tries to kick him out. She returns home for the holidays intending to relax and get her bearings from this devastating blow, but as she pulls up her parents abandon her to go house hunting in Florida. What's worse, they left her responsible for meeting all the holiday decorating HOA requirements--with no warning! The current HOA president starts harassing her daily about the lack of decorations and manipulates her into taking over a time-consuming parade plan. It's also hinted that her parents had previously decorated but took the decorations down just to screw her over. Instead of abandoning the community of horrible humans, she stays to try and make the best of it. In the end, in true Hallmark movie fashion, she falls for the HOA jerk because she apparently can't help but fall for manipulative jerks that remind her of her parents.

Review

The synopsis I used from IMDb was submitted by a user, and it pretty much covers everything I would typically talk about in my first paragraph for these things, so I'll just let Sheepguy42's words stand, with one small correction. It's not just hinted that the parents had previously decorated for the holidays. They straight up scramble with the neighbors to undecorate before Emily arrives home, in like a backwards Christmas with the Kranks move. It was clearly done to push Emily and HOA jerk together. 

So is this a Christmas movie? Emily finds herself homeless for the holidays, precipitating a visit to her parents. While staying in her childhood home, she decorates the inside and outside of the house with the help of the neighbors, participates in a neighborhood Christmas cookie contest, collects donations for the annual snowman-palooza (which she also participates in) and snowball fight, finds the replacement Santa, and is instrumental in a real Christmas "miracle." So yes, this is a Christmas movie because it includes so many elements that are needed for the real Christmas magic. But that's not surprising because it is originally a Hallmark Channel movie. 

Rating

#31DaysOfChristmas: The Merry Gentlemen

 

Watched On: Netflix

Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes

Originally Aired: November 20, 2024

Directed By: Peter Sullivan

Starring: Britt Robertson, Chad Michael Murray & Marla Sokoloff

Please see IMDb for full cast and crew information. 

Synopsis

To save her parents' small-town performing venue, a former big-city dancer decides to stage an all-male, Christmas-themed revue.

Review

After being fired from The Jingle Belles, a dance group in the big city, Ashley returns home for the holidays, just to find that The Rhythm Room, her parents small town performance venue, is in dire straights. It doesn't have the same draw for up and coming acts that it used to, which means the customers aren't coming in either, and the rent just keeps getting more expensive. And naturally, they have some serious debt to the landlord, and if it's not resolved by Christmas, The Rhythm Room will be no more. What is a big city dancer to do to help that? Obviously convincing a few of the local hunks to dance half naked is the answer. 

Before I get into my assessment of whether or not this is a Christmas movie, I've got to say that this is a movie I'm going to have to watch again because I was watching it while preparing Thanksgiving dinner for my family, and I'm pretty sure I missed some of the plot. 

The Plot

So is this a Christmas movie? Let's look at the facts. Ashley is in a group called The Jingle Belles, they dress like sexy Santas. She's going home to visit her family for the holidays, and there's a Christmas deadline to save the business. There's even a famous Rhythm Room recipe they make every Christmas, at least when business is good. These are all common elements for a holiday movie. But this just doesn't quite pass muster for me. The dance group could just as easily be called The Liberty Belles putting on a patriotic Independence Day show dressed as sexy Uncle Sam, and the arbitrary debt deadline could literally fall at any time of the year. The Christmas cooking scene does push it towards holiday movie status, but it's just not enough to put it over the line. It was a good movie and I enjoyed watching it (and will enjoy watching it again later for the "plot"), but it's just not a Christmas movie. 

Rating

*Review* Papa Can Fix It! by Lee Alfred

Genre: Children's 3-8 years

Published: May 10, 2023

Pages: 32

Liam and Landen are fun-loving, high-energy boys, and when they play, they play hard. Smash! There goes a race car. Crack! A board game got busted. Whenever Nana and Papa come to visit, Papa has the DIY skills to fix the broken toys. Good as new, right? The boys are delighted. "Papa Can Fix It!"

Until the day when Papa tells the brothers they're being careless and destructive with their toys. Liam and Landen are heartbroken! They didn't mean to misbehave. Fortunately, Nana has a big heart, and she knows how to make them feel better.

Liam and Landen are the stars of their own series! Papa Can Fix It! is the first book in their ongoing adventures. Next up is Boogie B Gone, where Liam and Landen tackle monsters! And in Book Three, This is My Face, the boys get goofy as they try out all the feelings they can express. Get to know them, their family, their dog, and their friends, and smile at their antics as they grow and learn.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a funny story about two young boys who break and destroy everything they touch. Their grandfather always comes in to save the day and fixes what they've broken, so they don't learn that they need to treat their toys and things with more care. Eventually he gets fed up with always being called on to fix everything because of their careless disregard and tells them that they're too rough with things, which hurts their feelings. Grandma's hugs fix their hurt feelings. 

I definitely think the message that kids need to take better care of their things than they typically do when they are young is a good one, but I feel like this book shows that issue not being addressed enough. Like that should be part of every time Grandpa fixes something. For that reason, I wouldn't really want to read this book very often. The illustrations were very bright and colorful though. 

Overall I give Papa Can Fix It 2.8946 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Lee Alfred II began his creative career at MTV Films. He moved on to work with Tova Laiter at Avida Entertainment where he optioned his first screenplay, Red Hood, to Walt Disney Pictures. Lee continued his creative writing, following up with several more screenplays before writing the spec screenplay titled Pirates of the Caribbean. While at Avida, Lee shifted to producing with the 2003 film Temptation.

He joined Academy Award winner Forrest Whitaker as a creative executive and director of Whitaker's philanthropic division, partnering with UNESCO to establish global peace building programs for underprivileged youth and to inspire global change. Lee co-produced the award-winning documentary Rising from Ashes along with Whitaker, who also narrated the film.

After the birth of his sons, Lee wanted to spend more time with his wife, to watch his sons grow up. He has used his bachelor's and two master's degrees to blend his career in entertainment with a new career in education. That blend was evident when he was the executive producer of The House Next Door 2, which was theatrically released by Lions Gate, while serving as a high school principal. In addition,

Lee is producing and co-hosting the talk show Ed Table. This platform serves as a conversational space for educators to share and collaborate. The show is produced by Leeway Creative Co and Anew Project.

Watching his two sons create havoc around the house during the COVID quarantine, Lee decided to put his talent as a storyteller to work by creating a children's book series chronicling the exploits of Liam and Landen. Papa Can Fix It! is the first book in the series.

*Review* Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara

 Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

Published: June 13, 2023

Pages: 347

Has the god of love finally met his match?

Prepare to fall for this glorious reimagining of Greek mythology about a god struck by his own cursed arrow and the mortal woman who teaches him what love truly means

Psyche, princess of Myce­nae, was born with a prophecy that she will one day conquer a great monster. Rejecting her royal duties, Psyche spends her youth mastering blade and bow, preparing for her destiny. Tales of her beauty and rebellious nature reach even the goddess Aphrodite, who decides to teach Psyche a lesson.

Aphro­dite commands Eros, the god of desire, to deliver a cruel love curse. After eons watching humanity misuse his gifts, the last thing Eros wants is to become involved in the chaos of the mortal world. But when he accidentally pricks himself with the arrow intended for Psyche, Eros finds himself doomed to yearn for a woman who will be torn from him the moment their eyes meet.

Thrown together by fate, headstrong Psyche and world-weary Eros will face challenges greater than they could have ever imagined. As the Trojan War begins and divine powers try to keep them apart, the pair must determine: could this be true love, or is that only a myth?

A joyous and subversive tale of gods, monsters, and the human heart and soul, Psyche and Eros dazzles the senses while exploring notions of trust, sacrifice, and what it truly means to be a hero. With unforgettably vivid characters, spellbinding prose, and delicious tension, Luna McNamara has crafted a shimmering and propulsive debut novel about a love so strong it defies the will of Olympus.

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. This is my honest review. 

I went through a mythology retelling obsession phase about a year ago, so I was so excited when I won this book. By the time it arrived, I was on the tail-end of that phase however, so I didn't read it right away. That's probably for the best because it meant I wasn't burnt out on retellings when I did pick it up. 

The story was told in alternating POVs between Psyche and Eros and the differences in their personalities really shone through. We also got to see both characters through an extended period of their respective lives, and that was really cool because I felt like I really knew both of them. Since I knew where the story was ultimately heading, diving deeply into the characters' origins was great. 

This book renewed my interest in mythology retellings after the burn out, but also reminded me to space them out some. Overall I give Psyche and Eros 4.1783 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Luna McNamara is a social worker by day, and by night she writes about historical women and forgotten gods.

Luna holds a master’s degree from Harvard University in the study of women and gender in world religions; she has also studied ancient Greek language and philosophy. She lives in Boston with her faithful lop rabbit, Leo.

Her first novel, Psyche & Eros, will be released May 25th 2023 by Orion Books in the UK and June 13th by HarperCollins in the US.

*Review* Zips and Eeloo Make Hummus by Leila Boukarim

 

Genre: Children's 5-8 years

Published: February 6, 2024

Pages: 80

Zips and Eeloo are two aliens who think they are experts in all things human, like making hummus! But they aren’t exactly the experts they claim to be. Will Zips and Eeloo have hummus after all, or just one big, mushy mess? This graphic novel is great for readers who are just beginning their graphic novel journey!

In this hilarious and colorful graphic novel, readers will learn how to make hummus alongside the two alien friends. They'll clap and cheer as Zips and Eeloo look for a bowl (but get it confused with a bowling ball!), need to go to the grocery store for lemons, and eventually, make some super yummy hummus. This full-color graphic novel also includes a recipe for hummus in the back!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a graphic novel about two aliens that are making hummus. Zips takes charge of things but it's really clear that Eeloo is the real brains of that operation. Because Zips has taken charge but Eeloo is the one who actually knows what's going on and what they should be doing, several accidents happen in the process of making the hummus, to hilarious effect. But eventually they get it. 

While I typically don't like graphic novels, this one worked for me. Probably because it's targeted toward a younger crowd, so it's more in line with the comics that I grew up reading and loving in the newspaper. The illustrations were bold, bright, colorful, and so fun. They showed the issues with making hummus that Zips and Eeloo encountered to great effect. I would be okay reading this book more than once. Overall I give Zips and Eeloo Make Hummus 4.2975 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Leila Boukarim writes books for kids because they are the best kinds of books, and kids are the best kinds of people. She enjoys reading multiple books at once, daydreaming, spending time with friends, and sharing stories and food, preferably at the same time. When she's invited to a party, she always brings hummus and is now known as "the hummus lady," a title she wears with pride. Leila lives in Berlin, Germany with her husband, two kids, and cat/office mate, Dill. You can visit her at www.leilaboukarim.com

Alex Lopez was born in Sabadell, Spain. He started drawing when he was a kid, which inspired a love of creating comics and cartoons. With over fifteen years of working as an illustrator, he is often asked, “What is your secret?” His answer is simple—listening to music and eating chocolate!

*Review* The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

 

Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller

Published: March 9, 2021

Pages: 656

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer...

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. This is my honest review. 

I've read a lot of WWII fiction, but most of it has a very big German focus, not necessarily in Germany, but the Germans are a major part of the story. So this was a pretty big change from that and I really enjoyed seeing into this side of the war. And seeing all the different cogs in the codebreaking machine was enlightening. The way they kept everything segmented felt a little frustrating, but I also understood it for security reasons (and I know it still happens today for anyone in our government with a security clearance.)

I was most intrigued in the way the relationship between the three women grew and then devolved. The latter was sad but understandable, especially considering the extra stress from war. I really loved how Mab and Osla helped Beth gain her independence from her horrid mother. 

This story was told from multiple POVs, so we had a more well-rounded view of the events than any of the characters. It also switched between present (1947) and past (1942-1944). And while those changes were clearly indicated, and the women had very distinctive personalities, it was a bit of a struggle keeping things straight. I probably would have been better served reading this with my eyes for that reason. 

The narration was well done, although I had to slow down the speed to 1.5 because of the appropriate British accents. Overall I give The Rose Code 4.2649 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of Southern California, she attended Boston University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga and two books set in the Italian Renaissance before turning to the 20th century with The Alice Network, The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Diamond Eye. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in California with three black rescue dogs.

*Book Blogger Hop* Reading Slumps (Nov. 29)

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

How do you deal with reading slumps or moments when you can't get into a book? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

Typically I just start reading another book if the book I'm currently trying to read isn't doing it for me. That's part of why I have like 25 books started right now (although some of them are older book club reads that I didn't finish before their meetings, and now they're just no longer a priority so I'll get back to them when I get to them). Switching between books helps me to stay interested in what I'm reading, because I can read to whatever mood I'm in at any given time, and that typically heads off reading slumps. 

If I'm having a real slump like I did a couple years ago when I was in the middle of a long depressive episode, I just let it happen. Sometimes there's really nothing to be done about it, and just trust that eventually I'll come out of it and want to read again. 

What about you? What do you do when you find yourself in a reading slump? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can be sure to return the visit. And check out my 12 Books of Christmas Reading Challenge. Now that Thanksgiving is over, the review linkup is live. Even if you haven't officially signed up for the challenge, I'd love to see reviews for any winter holiday themed reads you post between now and Christmas! - Katie 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

*Top Ten Tuesday* Thanksgiving Freebie

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is Thanksgiving Freebie. And if you know anything about me when it comes to Top Ten Tuesday freebie posts, then you know I'm off to Netgalley for another round of Netgalley Request Roulette, right? WRONG! I've gotten myself in enough hot water playing that little game, and I'm taking a break from Netgalley (right up until the next email with really good looking read now books at least). But that doesn't mean I've got nothing for Top Ten Tuesday this week. It just took a little more thought on my part, and a quick peek at my bookshelves. 

See, when I think about Thanksgiving, I think about eating, so I figured why not feature some books with titles that also make me think about eating. Here we go. 

Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss

A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

The Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee

The New Hunger by Isaac Marion

Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh

Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros

The Cider House Rules by John Irving

Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti by Bill and Pam Farrel

Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold by Katie Finn

And there you have it, the first ten books I found on my bookshelves with titles that make me think about eating. I didn't even get close to my Joanna Fluke section! I could have built this whole post with her books alone (except I try real hard to not feature the same author twice in a single Top Ten Tuesday list). 

What books make you think about eating? Or what's your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? Not that I need any more ideas for sides because I'm already making six sides for my meal to include three different kinds of potatoes (and there are only going to be four of us eating it!)

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can be sure to stop by and pay you a visit when I can find the time (probably Friday because I am going to be busy with Thanksgiving prep right up until we're stuffing our faces on Thursday). - Katie 

*Stacking the Shelves* November 23, 2024

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme run by Reading Reality in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon, winning through Goodreads, and the rare books that I buy at the store. 

Since I've been one-clicking a lot of freebies, I'm only going to be featuring a few of those and will continue separating these books based on how I got them. Let's go. 

Purchased

Christmas at a Highland Castle by Rachel Barnett - I snagged this holiday novel for just $0.99. 

Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives it Changed by Dashka Slater - I got this on sale for just $2.99. 

Unredacted: Russia, Trump, and the Fight for Democracy by Christopher Steele - I grabbed this on sale for just $2.99.

Europe Against the Jews, 1880-1945 by Gotz Aly - I grabbed this for just $2.99 (maybe still on sale). 

The Anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton - I grabbed this on sale for just $1.99.

Slavery by Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon - Got this on sale for just $1.99.

One Nation Under Guns by Dominic Erdozain - I grabbed this on sale for just $2.99.

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman by Alan Rickman - I grabbed this on sale for just $3.99.

End of a Berlin Diary by William L. Shirer - I grabbed this on sale for just $2.99 (maybe still on sale).

Can it Happen Here? Authoritarianism in America by Cass R. Sunstein - I got this one on sale for just $2.99.

Vlad III Dracula: The Life and Times of the Historical Dracula by Kurt Treptow - I got this for just $3.99.

The Festival by H.P. Lovecraft - I grabbed this audiobook for just $1.00. I figured it would be a great holiday read when I get tired of Hallmark style cheese. 

After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones - I grabbed this book for just $1.49 (may still be on sale). 

It All Makes Sense Now: Embrace Your ADHD Brain to Live a Creative and Colorful Life by Meredith Carder - Grabbed this book on sale for just $2.99.

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix - Grabbed this on sale for just $2.99.

Sistersong by Lucy Holland - Got this beauty for sale for just $2.99.

The November Girl by Lydia Kang - I got this for just $0.99.

The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith - I paid full price for this one $4.99 because it's the book for one of my book clubs next month. 

A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth - I grabbed this on sale for just $2.99 (may still be on sale). 

Destined to Witness: Growing up Black in Nazi Germany by Hans Massaquoi - Got this one for just $3.99.

The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook by Bridget Thoreson - I grabbed this on sale for just $2.99 (may still be on sale).

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers - I grabbed this beauty on sale for just $2.99.

Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams by Philip K. Dick - I grabbed this on sale for just $2.99.

Feliz Navidead by Ann Myers - Got this one on sale for just $1.99.

Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson - I got this audiobook during a 2 for 1 credit sale. 

ADHD Is Awesome by Penn and Kim Holderness - I got this as my second book during the 2 for 1 credit sale. 

Goodreads Wins

Thickafog by Caleb Mason

Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala

Like Mother, Like Son by Stephen Bryant Biles

The Death at the Vineyard by Emylia Hall

The Intra-Earth Chronicles: The Aswan Device by Kara Jacobson

The Fear of Fire by S.C. Sterling (StoryGraph win)

52 Weeks a Party of One by Bianca Pensy Aba (StoryGraph win)

Under a Poacher's Moon by W. Aaron Vandiver

Blooming Through the Cracks by Jagbir Kaur Kang

Freebies

Kissing Kristmas by Megyn Ward

North's Pole by Leta Blake

Of Curses and Beauty by Elle Backenstoe

Chestnuts Roasting Over Dragon Fire by Julie Mills

Spark: A Short Chanukah Romance by Allie Lasky

A Forbidden Christmas Kiss by Ebony Snow

Frosty Cheer by Kristen Fray - May still be free.

Every Day is Christmas by Karen Schaler

A Green Valley Christmoose Disaster! by Elva Birch and Zoe Chant

A Lot Like Christmas by Kait Nolan

A Holly Jolly Grumpy Christmas by Addison Moore

Grumpy Little Christmas by Marika Ray

A Special Kind of Advent by SJ Crabb - May still be free.

The Christmas Contest by Theresa Sederholt

Snowed in With the Billionaire by Lila Monroe - May still be free. 

Miss Kane's Christmas by Caroline Mickelson - May still be free.

Lumberjack Under the Tree by Keira Andrews - May still be free. 

A Christmas Gift for Kate by Tess Brennan - May still be free. 

A Bent Creek Christmas by Catie Cahill - May still be free. 

One Elfed Up Christmas by Claire Raye - May still be free. 

Doctor for Christmas by Patricia W. Fischer

I got an awful lot of free ebooks that would be fabulous reads for my 12 Books of Christmas reading challenge this year, and I may just read some of them even though I already have loads of holiday reads on my shelves, both physical and virtual. It's just that time of year when I get obsessed with Christmas things. 

Have you read any of the books on my list? Any you'd recommend I read sooner rather than later? What new books have you added to your shelves lately?

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can be sure to stop by and see all your new pretties. - Katie 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

*Book Blogger Hop* Thanksgiving Books (November 22, 2024)

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

Are there any novels set on or near Thanksgiving that you love rereading or recommend as a heartwarming November read? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

There are not any books I can think of off the top of my head that are set around Thanksgiving, and honestly, I've never sought them out as I don't find myself seeking out holiday themed books until just after Thanksgiving when I want all of the Christmas cheesy romances I can get. This doesn't mean I've never read a book set around Thanksgiving, and if I could remember it, I would likely recommend it as a nice heart-warming read for November, but sadly, my memory has failed me. 

What about you? Have you read any heartwarming Thanksgiving tales that I should check out? Or are you like me and all about the Christmas cheese? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can make sure I pay you a visit to see your answer. - Katie 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here