Hi, readers!
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you are all doing well. It truly feels like I've hit a wall lately - pandemic/lockdown, winter, lack of sunshine… I am so ready for Spring. I’m the type of person who really is dependent on the weather. So, if you’re feeling burnt out, lonely, tired, fatigued… I'm here for you, and just remember that we are all doing our best during a really difficult time in the world. We will get through this together.
My reading this month has been slower than January, and I am trying to remind myself that, it’s okay!! Really, why the rush??? Reading is meant to be fun. I am such a mood reader that I have picked up numerous amounts of books, read one chapter, and wasn’t feeling it… I guess its just that kind of month. But, I did finish three fun books so far this month, that I’d love to share with you! (I’ll also be sharing something bookishly exciting at the end!)
This was such a cute, and fun rom-com to begin February with! My favourite movie ever is The Holiday, and this book really reminded me of that!
Leena - a twenty-something living in London, and obsessed with work messes up a big presentation at work, and is forced to take a two month sabbatical and take care of herself. Meanwhile, out in the country, Leena’s grandmother, Eileen, is newly single and about turn eighty, and is craving adventure, and love. So.. what do they decide to do? Switch places! Leena heads out into the country to live at her grandmother’s, and Eileen goes to London in hopes of finding the adventure she’s wanted since she was young.
This was such a heartwarming read!! I just love stories that have workaholic type characters, who realize that work is not what all life is about. And Eileen and her adventures were SO fun to read! Who said main characters HAVE to be in their 20s and to find love?!
If you’re looking for an easy, endearing story, pick this one up! I also loved The Flatshare by the same author!
Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
I'm pretty sure this is my first Jenny Colgan book, but believe me, it won’t be my last! I was really craving another cute story, and spent SO long scrolling through 400 books on my kobo…………. and decided to read this Jenny Colgan book that I picked up at Boxing Day sale a few years ago!
This book follows Polly Waterford in England (I LOVE stories set in England..), and her and her boyfriend tried to have a successful graphic design company, but unfortunately.. it failed. They were on the verge of bankruptcy, and the romantic love for each other just wasn’t there anymore. Polly wants to restart her life - away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
She decides to live in a very run down little place on the island across from the city. In order to distract her from her life, she throws herself into her favourite hobby - baking bread! (This book made me SO hungry for bread), and she ends up reviving the island bakery.
Seriously, this book was such a heartwarming story - filled with lovely characters, and it was realistic. I LOVE when a romance is realistic. Not to mention, Polly ends up finding a baby bird and the bird becomes obsessed with Polly.. and… who doesn’t love an animal side character guys!?
Anyways, this was another endearing story, that I didn’t want to end. And turns out, there’s a second book?! I’ll definitely be reading it!
Okay listen… you know I have a love/hate relationship with thrillers lately. They are just so similar in plot, and the “twists” never shock me.. instead, they give me eye rolls.
Now, throw Lisa Jewell books in there..and just nope. I read Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs, and The Girls in the Garden, and I just wasn’t impressed with any of them. Especially The Family Upstairs.
I’ve had this book on my Kobo for a LONG time, and never bothered to pick it up because I decided Lisa Jewell books just aren’t for me. But, one of my best friends decided to read it, and I wanted to join her so we can chat over Zoom and discuss! And readers… I really enjoyed it!!! The plot was definitely refreshing, and while I guess who the mystery man was, the little details within the mystery was a surprise for me.
This book begins with Alice - a mother of three, living near the beach in England. During a rainstorm, she looks out her window and notices a man, with no jacket, sitting near the beach in the pouring rain. Despite her better judgement, she decides to befriend this man, and welcome him into her home. Turns out, he has lost his memory - he doesn’t know how he ended up at the beach, or who he is.
Then there’s Lily, her husband Carl is completely devoted to her. They are recently married, and still in that honeymoon phase. But one day after work, he doesn’t come home. He is missing. And Lily is so desperate to find out where her love is.
Then, back in 1993, we read about Graham and Kirsty - two teenagers who are on holiday with their parents. They end up meeting a 19 year old boy named Mark, who is giving Graham some weird vibes…
This was a great thriller to read in one sitting - totally binge worthy! I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to discuss with my friends over a glass of wine!
So that’s my mid-month reading update for February! My holds for Fable by Adrienne Young and Obama’s A Promised Land came in from the library, so I will likely begin those two! But, I won’t make any promises because.. I am a mood reader after all!
If you guys have been following me on Instagram for a while, you’ll probably remember that I launched a bookclub in the summer. It was so much fun reading inspiring books with so many of you - but I truly dislike the instagram/Facebook format. I feel that it doesn’t really add a fun way to have discussions regarding the books we read. So, I took a break in December to really think about how I want to run this bookclub - and I finally got it!
There is an App that you can now download, called “Bookclubz”. It is FREE! A free app for bookclubs.. how amazing is that?! I have created a group on that app for this bookclub - it allows for polls, discussion questions, book recommendations, scheduling meetings, etc. You can click this link -> https://bookclubz.com/clubs/29287/join/4b54ad/ in order to join!
The bookclub will begin on March 1st, and I will announce the March book pick in a few days on Instagram AND on the Bookclubz app! We will also meet at the end of each month via Zoom, discuss the book, have some snacks, wine, tea, whatever you choose! I REALLY hope you’ll join.. I find that Instagram really doesn’t offer the right platform for book discussions, so I think this will be really fun!
You can also join on Goodreads -> https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1149925-read-with-sam-bookclub
Thank you for all your support, and I am so excited to go along this bookish journey with you. :)
Yours bookishly,
Sam
Lol weird... I literally just bought Little Beach Street Bakery (loved Cafe by the Sea!) and have I Found You going in my "currently sort of reading" mood reader pile 🤣 The Switch sounds lovely! Bookclubz is the best!