My Reading Goals for 2026

Please note that posts may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart, and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Hello friends! Today I'm sharing my reading goals for the year!

I'm a little late getting this post up, but I wanted to share my reading goals for 2026. My goal is to share what I read each month and a few book reviews along the way. I keep track of all my books on GoodReads. 

Here are my reading goals for 2026~

1. Read 125 books. This includes regular books, eBooks, and any new books I've added to my Sunday school lessons. I'm keeping the same goal as last year since I think this year will be a little busy with a new grandbaby!

2. Read 25 faith-based books. This includes my Bible study books, books about the Saints, and any other book about my Catholic faith.

3. Read 25 books from my Want to Read list on GoodReads. It is currently at 634 books. I just keep finding more books to add. It's like the old saying, so little time, so much to read. I think I might have read only 5 off the list last year. I want to make a better effort at this year. 

4. Read 20 books from my own bookshelves. I keep adding books whenever our library has a used book sale. I need to start reading through them. I need room on the shelves, so I have to read a few and make some room. 

5. Read/reread 5 classics. 

Do you have any reading goals? Any good challenges that you're doing? Any book recommendations?

I'd love to hear about them!

Enjoyed this post? 

Never miss out on future posts by following us! 

Till Next Time,

Monique

Book Review Friday~ Christmas at Serendipity Springs

Please note that posts may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart, and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Christmas at Serendipity Springs 

Author: Ella Score

Publisher: True Hearts Publishing

Published Date: October 14, 2025

Print Length: 219 pages

Christmas in Serendipity Springs by Ella Score is the perfect Christmas romance story. What's not to love? A magical Christmas tree that may grant wishes. A rescued fawn. A group of meddling town folks. A cozy winter cabin.

Olivia Flannagan, a travel blogger, needs a fresh start. She's lost her spark when it comes to her travel blog. Olivia heads to Serendipity Springs for one last Christmas feature for her blog. She's hoping she'll rediscover the spark that has been missing from her posts lately. She feels her blog has just become routine and is just clicks and likes. She's hoping to find the passion she once had when writing. After arriving in town, things go a little crazy. Her laptop is damaged when she spills a cup of coffee. Thankfully, a kind, quiet stranger offers her some help. She can use his computer when he's out walking. Traveling to a remote cabin is the perfect way to find herself again.

Sean Niall is a best-selling author hiding away in a remote cabin, trying to overcome a broken heart and finish a novel that he is stuck on. Writer's block is not a good thing for any writer. Sean came to Serendipity Springs to get away and be alone. Sharing his computer and cabin with Olivia starts to change things up a bit. He slowly starts to like her company and craves a little more. Is his heart starting to thaw, just a bit? Is Christmas magic working?

With Christmas approaching and the snow swirling, will Olivia and Sean find what they need? Will they finish their writing projects? Will they find that love is worth all the obstacles and challenges along the way?

Christmas in Serendipity is a sweet, small-town Christmas romance story. It's about finding our second chances and taking the leap again! Love means opening up our hearts and allowing the magic to fill our lives again.

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy for my honest opinion. 

Enjoyed this post? 

Never miss out on future posts by following us! 

Till Next Time,

Monique

Happy Reading~ My November 2025 Reads

Please note that posts may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart, and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Good morning, y'all! I hope you've had a fantastic week and a very Happy Thanksgiving. Are y'all ready for the weekend? I know I am. I do think we're supposed to get a few snow flurries, though. Today, I'm sharing my November reads! 

2025 Reading Goal~ 125 Books

I've currently read 121 books, so I have 4 more to go before the end of the year. I have 5 books started so I'll probably finish the year a little over my goal. 

Here's how my book recap goes. 

~I have included pictures if I have them and have provided links to them on Amazon so you can find out more about the books before you buy or check them out at your local library. 

~ If I left a more detailed review for a book, I'll include the link under the book so you can check it out. I leave reviews for books I really like or have received for reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and this blog. 

~If I receive a preview book, I'll include the release date for you.

~ Each book will have a rating in bold. I rate each book with a numbered star.

The rating system I use is as follows ~

*5 This book was amazing! I couldn't put it down. I loved the book so much that I either bought the book or planned to buy it to add to my ever-growing collection so I could reread it. 

*4 This means the book is definitely worth reading. I really enjoyed the book. I liked it, but not enough to buy it and add it to my collection. 

*3 This book was good. It wasn't the best book I've read, but I did enjoy it. I wouldn't need to read it again. 

*2 This book was okay. I finished it but had to force myself to. I probably didn't like the plot or the characters. The story just didn't work for me. 

*1 This means I didn't like the book at all, and I couldn't finish it.

This month, I read 9 books. 

Christmas Wishes in Wild harbor by Grace Worthington

4****

This is book 3 in the Wild Harbor Beach series. Mila returns home for the holidays and suddenly finds herself being set up by her matchmaking grandma. I love this series. The cute little town is the perfect setting for a small-town romance. 

Rooted and Radiant by Mallory Smith

5*****

This was the book for my weekly Bible study from Walking with Purpose. Each year our women's' church group choses one or two books from Walking with Purpose to study. This book was a journey through Colossians. 

Food Babe Family: More Than 100 Recipes and Foolproof Strategies to Help Your Kids Fall in Love with Real Food by Vani Hari

4****

This book was one I picked up at the library. It was on the new books shelf. I'm always looking for new cookbooks, especially ones with tasty and healthy recipes. I've heard of Food Babe before, so I was already familiar with her ideas and concepts. 

A Scottish Christmas Hideaway by Ellie Henderson

4****

I loved the Scottish village in this book. Reading Christmas themed books during this time of the year is a favorite past time of mine. This is a Christmas romance story. Jessica returns home for the holidays after a crazy year. She loves coming home and seeing the familiar faces, Christmas lights, and her brother's infuriating best friend. It's Christmas time. It's time for some Christmas magic and a sweet romance to bloom. 

The Oak Inside the Acorn by Max Lucado

5*****

This was a read for my 1st grade Sunday school class. It's a great book to help little ones realize that with God we can become so much more. We all start out small, but God has big plans for each and every one of else. 

One Snowy Swedish Christmas: A Spicy Holiday Novella

3***

This was an ARC read. I always have problems with novellas. I always end up needing more of a story line. I personally didn't care for the characters, and the plot was just oaky to me. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't one of my favorites either. You can read my full review over at Goodreads.

The Gingerbread House by R.M. Whitaker 

5*****

I absolutely loved this one! It is the perfect Christmas romance story. Great characters, a wonderful small-town setting, and a fixer upper job restoring the Gingerbread house. What's not to love?

Christmas at Serendipity Springs by Ella Score

5*****

This was another 5-star Christmas romance story. A charming, small-town setting, a winter wonderland, and two reluctant people falling in love. It's the perfect book to curl up with on a cold, snowy day!

Hazelnuts and Homicide: A Bonne Annee Mystery by N.E. Carlisle

4****

Another fantastic ARC read! A quirky little town. Amazing characters. A furry sidekick. A murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and sit back and enjoy.

Enjoyed this post? 

Never miss out on future posts by following us! 

Till Next Time,

Monique

Friday Book Review~ Hazelnuts and Homicide

Please note that posts may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart, and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

 

Hazelnuts and Homicide

Author: N.E. Carlisle

Publisher: Plot Twist LLC

Published Date: October 21, 2025

Print Length: 350 pages

Hazelnuts and Homicide is a classic whodunit! It's a charming, cozy holiday mystery filled with great novels, delicious culinary treats, and some humor. The characters are likable and you immediately feel part of this quirky little town. There are plenty of plot twists to keep readers engaged. The plot is clever and filled with mysteries. It's not too dark or twisted for the holiday season.

In the coastal town of Hazelnut, Oregon, bookstore owner Bonne Annee finds herself in a recipe for murder. Annee's literary dinner clubs combine delicious themed foods and novels to bring the community together. These events are what Annee loves to do. Annee's Poe-inspired dinner party this month ends in disaster. One person is dead, and another has had a severe allergic reaction to nuts. Her best friend and roommate disappears.  Annee's house becomes a crime scene, and Annee sets out to clear her name. 

Amateur sleuth, Annee, jumps into a tangled mess of lies, deceit, and secrets. With her cute Bernadoodle, Oscar, and a few trusted close friends, Annee sets out to solve the mystery. She digs deep into the town's secrets and heads out on her own few adventures. She has to save the town's Christmas market and her reputation. Who can she trust? Who did it? Will she put her own life in danger? 

All Annee knows is that she has to find the real killer!

I loved the small-town feel. The literary themes and the delicious foods are a treat. Hazelnuts and Homicide is the perfect cozy mystery for literary lovers. A bonus note~ the author has included some of the recipes in the back of the book. I personally loved how the recipes reflected food allergies. There are a few gluten-free recipes that I plan to give a try.

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy for my honest opinion. 

Enjoyed this post? 

Never miss out on future posts by following us! 

Till Next Time,

Monique

Friday Book Review~ The Gingerbread House

Please note that posts may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart, and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

A Gingerbread House

Author: R.M. Whitaker

Publisher: Paper Elephant Publishing

Published Date: November 1, 2025

Print Length: 378 pages

The Gingerbread House by R. M. Whitaker is a wonderful Christmas romance story. It has all the perfect ingredients for a Christmas romance… a charming small town, a sweet romance, characters that you fall in love with and root for.

A.J. Banner left home and headed for the big city. She never thought she would head back home broken and defeated, but life had different plans. She returns to her small town home for the holidays, excited to spend the holidays with her friends and family. While celebrating the holiday season with her family, she runs into her childhood crush, Bensen Miller. Together, they spend a whirlwind of days enjoying the Christmas season. They work hard on preserving and saving a childhood landmark from destruction.

A.J. works hard to overcome her fears and doubts. Can she find what she's looking for? With her career and heart on the line, she must figure out what she wants out of life, what she feels is important now.

This is a sweet, charming story. It's a clean romance story, so there's no need to worry about graphic scenes. It's refreshing to read a clean romance story. There seems to be a trend now to go all out. The characters are enjoyable and very relatable. I enjoyed the storyline. It was a charming tale of preserving what's important and realizing that our life is made up of so many memories that shape us. You can always go home again.

This is a beautiful story about second chances, small-town communities, and the importance of love.

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy for my honest opinion. 

Enjoyed this post? 

Never miss out on future posts by following us! 

Till Next Time,

Monique

Friday Book Review~ One Snowy Swedish Christmas: A Spicey Holiday Novella

Please note that posts may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart, and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

One Snowy Swedish Christmas: A Spicey Holiday Novella

Author: Elina Scott

Publication Date: November 17, 2025

Print Length: 131 pages

Since this is a novella, it's a quick, easy Christmas read. Overall, One Snowy Swedish Christmas is fairly good. I always have problems with novellas. I want a more developed storyline, but that's pretty challenging to achieve in such a quick read.

I  have to be honest. I was not a fan of the FMC, Casey. She was way too old to be acting like a spoiled brat. She came across as selfish and a little unhinged. I don't know too many grown adult children who would actively fly across the world to break up their mother's marriage at Christmastime.

The romance part of the story is not bad. It's a little taboo. Casey and her stepbrother, Erik,  start to have feelings for each other. Casey does try to avoid them because of the fact that their parents are married. It is a little awkward, but they're not related, so it is plausible. Casey doesn't want to get involved with her stepbrother at first. She doesn't want to destroy the happiness her mother has found, which Casey has finally admitted to. We see Casey mature somewhat during the Christmas visit to Sweden.

Since this is a novella, everything is fast-paced. The storyline moves quickly. I do feel like the relationship between Casey and her stepbrother moved a little too fast. They've met once before and suddenly fall madly in love in a few days. Her actions go against everything she believed with her mom and her new husband. She was so upset that her mom married a man after knowing him for a few months. Now, she's falling in love with a man in a few days. The plots contradict themselves. Yes, people can change, but not that quickly.

The story itself is not bad. It has some great potential. I would have loved to see more growth and understanding between Casey and her mom. The quick turnaround didn't flow that well for me. The love story between Casey and her stepbrother felt rushed and not authentic. If the story could have been longer and developed more, I feel it would have been better. I would have loved more details and descriptions of Sweden, so that as the reader, I could have felt like I was there.

Overall, the story was fairly good. It just wasn't for me. If you're younger and looking for a quick Christmas read, I'm sure you'd enjoy it.

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy for my honest opinion.

                                                             

                                                           Enjoyed this post? 

Never miss out on future posts by following us! 

Till Next Time,

Monique