It is -checks notes- November 2021? While this fact makes no rational sense, a fresh month means a fresh set of reading plans from which I will inevitably deviate.
I am what Instagram calls a “mood reader” and I’ve got the t-shirt to prove it. This means that while I may have some vague notion of what I want to read next, I tend to float to whichever book I feel like reading at any given point of time.
In spite of knowing this about myself, I love looking at other book bloggers’ ambitions for the month. I’ve also got a moon in Virgo which is astrology speak for “plans are my emotional security blanket.” So, let’s dive in to a list of bookish plans for the month which I shall undoubtedly abandon when a shiny new book calls my name!
(Full disclosure: I use Bookshop affiliate links in this post. They earn me a small commission at no extra cost for you, and support local indie bookstores, too! Book of the Month links are referral codes.)
One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
Did I squeal aloud when I received notice that I was approved for a digital review copy of Josie Silver’s upcoming novel, One Night on the Island? You bet I did.
This novel comes from the author of One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird (which I reviewed for Coffee Time Reviews, here). It tells the story of Cleo and Mack, two people who, through a mistaken double-booked reservation, wind up sharing a small cottage on an island.
Cleo, who writes a dating column, is here upon the insistence of her editor that she approach 30 by self-coupling in a remote locale, a la Emma Watson. Mack comes bearing his own vague baggage which will, I presume, become clear (I’m only 5% into the book myself, and the synopsis doesn’t provide much context on this point).
Only one bed, plus a storm, on an island in Ireland? Yeah, I think it’s safe to say I’m going to enjoy this one. It’s set to release in March 2022.
Romancing the Holidays by Austen Johnson
Romancing the Holidays is a collection of love story novellas centered around, you guessed it, various holidays. This is a review copy I received via BookSirens (many thanks to the publisher and BookSirens).
So far, I’ve read the Halloween story, “All Thanks to You,” and really enjoyed it! The best part of a novella is that the stressful Bad Thing portion tends to go by a bit more quickly, which I enjoyed as a change of pace (I get very stressed out by the Bad Thing, if you didn’t know).
Next up: Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day (also known as, my birthday), and the Fourth of July. You don’t see too many St. Patrick’s Day love stories so I’m excited to see how it goes.
How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days by K.M. Johnson
I’ve got to be honest with you, friends. I am so not here for the “Keanu as most eligible bachelor” internet obsession of it all. I have no personal issue with Keanu Reeves. He seems fine. I just… don’t really get the obsession?
Needless to say, the title How To Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days didn’t win any initial interest from me. As a premise, I had to give it some major side-eye.
Then, I read a review from a book blogger who noted that a) the protagonist is not a teenage fangirl, but an older woman, which isn’t what I expected and b) it’s a friends-to-lovers romance which your girl can never resist.
When it popped up as a Book of the Month pick for November, I knew I’d be reading it to see how this premise pays off (if it does).
The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews
Since it’s sitting on my NetGalley shelf for a few months now, I’m planning to spark off my winter holiday reading extravaganza with Mary Kay Andrews’ The Santa Suit.
In these pages, we follow Ivy, a recently divorced woman who purchases an old farmhouse and discovers a Santa Suit with a letter in the pocket. As she tries to track down the letter writer, she becomes more engaged in her new community and, of course, might well fall in love. A delightfully Hallmark-movie sounding plot to spark off my holiday reads for the season.
Only time will tell whether I end up reading all of these books this month or if I’ll get distracted and wander off to as-yet unknown bookish pastures. At the very least, I know I’ll be finishing One Night on the Island because I’m already nearly halfway in and thoroughly enjoying it. As to what comes next, well, we’ll just have to see.
Do you set a TBR each month, or are you a mood reader like me? Maybe a mix of the two?
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