Well hello there, happy Saturday!

Today is a garment sewing class day for me, and we’re working on the Marlo Sweater pattern ~ I’m attempting it with some sweatshirt-y type of material that I got on sale before trying out any of the sweatering fabric I bought on Etsy. We shall see how this goes!

Today I’m sharing SEVEN of the festive reads I have enjoyed recently ~ I am in full-on holiday reading mode right now, and loving every minute of it.

I absolutely loved Sleigh Bells in Park City by Hope Holloway and Cecelia Scott ~ it’s such a delightful mellow Christmas story. The lodge, the skiing, the gentle second chance romance, the large, close family - all of it. I loved this author duo's The Asheville Christmas Cabin series a few years ago as well, and am excited to read this new-to-me series straight through this Christmas season. This is just a super cozy, happy story - no real drama, no bedroom scenes, mature characters … just what I need right now. Note: All of Holloway / Scott’s books are available in Kindle Unlimited ~ this is how I accessed them.

A Little Holiday Fling by Farah Heron is another one I adored this season, with a unique storyline, Canadian & English setting, and a refreshing view of loving the secular parts of the Christmas season and festivities even as a non-Christian. Another large family and sweet romance, with the addition of some fabulous anti-colonialism commentary. This will definitely be one of my top holiday reads of the year! Loved it on audio.

Ten Christmases Without You by Jenny Hale was one of my audio review titles from Libro.fm this month and it was such a treat. Another unique storyline, and yes, there is a completely unrealistic view of sewing and the world of fashion design BUT … a Christmas story with sewing! Love to see it. Another one I really enjoyed on audio.

Merry Little Bookshop by Ali Brady may be classified as a novella, but it satisfied my holiday reading urge just as much as a full length story. Christmas market bookshop + small Texas town + large loving family + Jewish heroine meets a Christmas-loving man who is super excited to embrace her beliefs? Yes please.

I do try to always make sure I throw in a bit of murder in my Christmas reading selections, and A Holiday Yarn by Sally Goldenbaum fit the bill perfectly. I picked this up used at my local indie, and am definitely going to find more in the Seaside Knitters cozy mystery series! East coast seaside town, a knitting shop, no talking animals, and lovely characters … all at Christmas time. Delightful, despite the murders.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss wasn’t my very favorite of the author’s Christmas stories, but I did so very much enjoy the wacky aunts and mother of the main character. Enough so that I didn’t mind the somewhat lackluster romance and overall premise. I honestly chose it mainly for the British narration, and that hit. the. spot. (My favorite of Bayliss’ is this one because the main character designs fabric for LIBERTY LONDON!)

Merrily Ever After by Catherine Walsh is a sweet story collection based on Walsh’s previous Christmas titles that I dipped in and out of as a palate cleanser between other books. Given that it’s been a hot minute since I read her other books, I felt like I was coming into this cold but I still quite enjoyed the stories. British, sweet, and just enough for those of you who don’t want to go all in on Christmas reading like I seem to be doing this year! ebook and audio only, I believe? I got the ebook from Kindle Unlimited.

Yes, I have read seven holiday books already, but I guarantee there are MORE holiday reads to come! They’re really just hitting the spot right now and I’m leaning ALL the way in.

Most of the titles above are newer releases (with the exception of A Holiday Yarn), but on Tuesday I will be sharing a roundup of many of my backlist holiday favorites you can probably get at the library even this far into December ~ I can’t wait to share them with you.

Until then … rest up, settle in, and I hope you get to try to enjoy at least a bit of a slower mode of being this darkest month of the year.

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