Finished 2024 Full of "Christmas Spirit", Starting Off 2025 With "The Colony"

 I finished reading both "Christmas In Bethel" by Richard Paul Evans and "The Christmas Blessing" by Donna VanLiere to close out the year 2024.  Compared to his previous Christmas novels, Evans' 2024 novel was underwhelming; though I did shed a few tears near the end of the book.  Hopefully, next year's Christmas book will be better.  "The Christmas Blessing," the second book in VanLiere's "The Christmas Shoes" series, was similarly emotion-inducing.  I'm already anticipating next year's holiday "journey"!  Shockingly, I read 15 books this year!  Yay, me!  I finished off this year with "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" and "How The Grinch Lost Christmas," both by the late Dr. Seuss (born Theodore Seuss Geisel)

I've already planned out my reading "journey" for 2025.  I'm starting the year off with "Michael Vey: The Colony," the final book in the series by Richard Paul Evans.

After saving Tara and Jack--and losing a few of their own--in a dramatic battle in the Peruvian jungle against the Elgen offshoot the Chasqui, the Electroclan has returned to the US to regroup.  But their downtime is brief, as Abi--who was abducted from her college dorm--is still missing.

Piecing together what few clues they have from video footage of the abduction as well as some additional information from Grace, whose consciousness has broken free from her physical body and connected with worldwide intelligence, they determine that she is being held somewhere in Peru by the leader of a group of other electrics known as the Colony.  And so--once again joining forces with Alpha Team for a dual-pronged attack--they return to South America for a rescue mission.

They've fought--and won--against incredible odds before.  But they've never had to face off against others with powers similar to--and potentially stronger--than their own.  Still, with the life of one of the Electroclan members at stake, failure is simply not an option as they take on their final mission.

Wow!  What an awesome way to start off my reading "journey" in 2025!

"Christmas" Came Early--Twice--When "Michael Vey" Showed Up Late!

 I started reading my favorite author's (Richard Paul Evans) latest holiday novel, "Christmas In Bethel," when his previously (but equally) anticipated book ("Michael Vey: The Colony") was delayed.  Once again, Evans lived up to his title as the "King of Christmas Fiction."  I confess to shedding a few tears, especially towards the end of the book.  At its core, the store is about two broken, imperfect people--one a writer, one a reader--who come together in the spirit of Christmas and love.  I don't know how to explain it without spoiling the story, so I'll just pick up where I left off with Donna VanLiere's "Christmas Hope" series and begin reading "The Christmas Blessing."

Dona VanLiere captured readers' hearts with her beloved Christmas  novel "The Christmas Shoes."  Now the story continues in "The Christmas Blessing," the next book in her inspiring Christmas Hope series....

In "The Christmas Shoes," young Nathan Andrews was a child who lost his mother to cancer.  Now his deepest wish is to become a doctor.  When a stranger named Robert gave him the money to buy a pair of shoes for her last Christmas, both Robert and Nathan learned the deepest lessons of love and giving.  Now a medical student in his third year, Nathan realizes there are still things to be learned about faith, blessings, and sacrifice.  Lessons he will learn from Meghan Sullivan--a young woman born with a hole in her heart that has nevertheless not kept her from becoming a champion runner.  And lessons learned from a young boy named Charlie, who teaches Nathan how to live a life of true courage.  Together, they will help Nathan through the most difficult period in his life.

"The Christmas Blessing" is an inspiring story about hope existing in the darkest places, and how love is always the greatest gift of all.

I can't wait to start on my "journey" through "Blessing," and, if time permits, conclude the year by re-visiting Richard Paul Evans and "Michael Vey," the latter of which I blogged about in a previous post.  

"Calla Lily Ponder" Runs Into "Michael Vey" on the Next Leg of My "Journey!" And Then, Christmas Comes Early!

 I finished reading "The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder" by Rebecca Wells, who also authored the novel "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," yesterday.  I truly enjoyed it but the (spoiler alert) death of one of the central (in my opinion) characters pissed me off until I got to the end of the book and the story was wrapped up nicely.  As the title suggested, hair played a central role in the story.  I truly loved the story of Calla Lily, her family, her friends, and their triumphs, trials, and tribulations!  I can only hope that the book eventually gets made into a movie.  It was that good!  I was supposed to be reading "Michael Vey: The Colony" by Richard Paul Evans, but the book release has been delayed; so I suppose I shall take a reading hiatus until next week.  I'm pretty sure I will be able to finish "The Colony," as well as the two holiday books on my list, by the end of this year. 

Everything I've read (or plan to read) in 2024

1. Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

2. The Girl Withe the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn

3. The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

4. First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn

5. Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn

6. The Ghost of Mount Morbin by J.R. Traas

7. The Bachelor by Carly Phillips

8. Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Welch

9. Bookworm by Cookie O'Gorman.

10. Ya-Yas In Bloom by Rebecca Wells

11. The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder (Finished 11/18/2024)

Yet to be released/received/read

12. Michael Vey: The Colony by Richard Paul Evans (Pre-ordered; release date: 11/26/2024)

13. Christmas In Bethel by Richard Paul Evans (Pre-ordered, release date: 11/26/2024)

14. The Christmas Blessing by Donna Van Liere (ordered but not received as of 11/19/2024)

A bookworm is always hungry for a book!  According to Amazon, I've got to starve for another week before embarking on my next "Journey Through A Book!"

Summary of  "Michael Vey: The Colony" by Richard Paul Evans: In this electrifying tenth and final installment of the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling Michael Vey series, the Electroclan go on a high-stakes rescue mission.

After saving Tara and Jack--and losing a few of their own--in a dramatic battle in the Peruvian jungle against the Elgen offshoot the Chasqui, the Electroclan has returned to the US to regroup.  But their downtime is brief, as Abi--who was abducted from her college dorm--is still missing.

Piecing together what few clues they have from video footage of the abduction as well as some additional information from Grace, whose consciousness has broken free from her physical body and connected with worldwide intelligence, they determine that she is being held somewhere in Peru by the leader of a group of other electrics known as the Colony.  And so--once again joining forces with Alpha Team for a dual-pronged attack--they return to South America for a rescue mission.

They've fought--and won--against incredible odds before.  But they've never had to face off against others with powers similar to--and potentially stronger--than their own.  Still, with the life of one of the Electroclan members at stake, failure is simply not an option as they take on their final mission.

Summary of "Christmas In Bethel": From Ricard Paul Evans, the New York Times bestselling author of The Christmas Promise and The Christmas Box--"the most popular holiday tale since Tiny Tim" (Newsweek)--a new novel celebrating the life-changing power of the holiday spirit.

Leigh Beth Stilton has never liked the holidays.  After growing up in an unstable home, escaping an abusive marriage, and witnessing daily tragedies as an EMT, Leigh just can't bring herself to care about Christmas cheer.  In fact, she's so convinced she's not worth loving that one winter's eve, she decides she can't go on--until she comes across a book called Bethel and starts to read.

Leigh is unfamiliar with the author, J.D. Harper, but his words speak directly to her.  She's never felt so seen and understood, and this connection gives her the strength to carry on.  She avidly reads every novel Harper has written, and when he comes to town for a book signing, she jumps at the opportunity to meet the writer who means so much to her.

In a twist of fate, Leigh runs into J.D. in a coffee shop, and the two immediately click..  Before she knows it, she's swept up in a whirlwind of fancy dinners, exciting travel, and the attention of the man whose work has been so meaningful to her.  But she's leery after a lifetime of pain and when she discovers that J.D. hasn't been completely honest, her hopes are dashed.  Can they find their way back to each other and can Leigh learn to trust her heart?

Summary of "The Christmas Blessing":  In The Christmas Shoes, young Nathan Andrews was a child who lost his mother to cancer.  Now his deepest wish is to become a doctor.  When a stranger named Robert gave him money to buy his mother a pair of shoes for her last Christmas, both Robert and Nathan learned the deepest lessons of love and giving.  Now a medical student in his third year, Nathan realizes there are still things to be learned about faith, blessings, and sacrifice.  Lessons he will learn from Meghan Sullivan-a young woman born with a hole in her heart that has not kept her from becoming a champion runner.  And lessons learned from a young boy named Charlie, who teaches how to live a life of true courage.  Together, they will help guide Nathan through the darkest period in his life.  The Christmas Blessing is an inspiring story about hope existing in the darkest places, and love is always the greatest gift of all.

I am determined to finish these 3 books by the end of 2024!  Hopefully, the delays in shipping will not fully stop me on my "Journey Through A Book!"

The Ya-Yas Aren't the Only "Bloom" Rebecca Wells Has Planted! Time to Take a "Journey" With "Calla Lily Ponder!"

 I finished off another book (My 10th "journey" this year!  Yay me!) yesterday afternoon.  "Ya-Yas In Bloom" by Rebecca Wells was actually pretty good and I truly enjoyed it.  However, I'm not holding my breath expecting it to be turned into a movie!  I really want to go back and watch the "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" movie after reading the "Bloom" book, which details the Ya-Yas children, the "Petites Ya-Yas" (children of the original Ya-Ya clan) and the "Tres Petites" (grandchildren of Vivi, Teensy, Necie, and Caro AKA the "Ya-Yas").  Next on my reading list is "The Crowning Glory Of Calla Lily Ponder," also by Rebecca Wells.  

Known for her beloved Ya-Ya books, Rebecca Wells has helped women name, claim and celebrate their shared sisterhood for over a decade.  Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood held the  top of the New York Times bestseller list for sixty-eight weeks, became a knockout feature film, sold more than 5 million copies, and inspired the creation of Ya-Ya clubs worldwide.

Now Wells debuts an entirely new cast of characters in this shining stand-alone novel about the pull of first love, the power of life, and the human heart's vast capacity for healing.

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder  is the sweet, sexy, funny journey of Calla Lily's  life set in Wells' expanding fictional Louisiana landscape.  In the small river town of La Luna, Calla bursts into being, a force of nature as luminous as the flower she is named for.  Under the loving light of the Moon Lady, the feminine force that will guide and protect her throughout her life.  Calla enjoys a blissful childhood--until it is cut short.  Her mother, M'Dear, a woman of rapture and love, teaches Calla compassion, and passes on to her the art of healing through the humble womanly art of "fixing hair."  At her mother's side, Calla further learns that this same touch of hands on the human body can quiet her own soul.  It is also on the banks of the La Luna River that Calla encounters sweet, succulent first love with a boy named Tuck.

But when Tuck leaves Calla with a broken heart, she transforms hurt into inspiration and heads for the wild and colorful city of New Orleans to study at L'Academie De Beaute de Crescent.  In that extravagant big river city, she finds her destiny--and comes to understand fully the power of her "healing hands' to change lives and soothe pain, including her own.  When Tuck reappears years later, he presents her with an offer that is colored by the memories of lost love.  But who knows how Cally Lily, a "daughter of the Moon Lady," will respond? 

A tale of family and friendship, tragedy and triumph, loss and love, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder features the warmth, humor, soul, and wonder that have made Wells one of today's most cherished writers, and gives us an unforgettable new heroine to treasure.   

I'm actually looking forward to taking a "journey" through "The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder," as I consider it an unexpected treat to myself that I surpassed my reading goals for this year, even though I still have 3 more books that I plan to read.  Two of them, "Michael Vey: The Colony" & "Christmas In Bethel" (both books written by Richard Paul Evans), have yet to be released! November 26 needs to hurry up and get here so I can take another "Journey Through A Book" after I finish my '"journey" with "Calla Lily Ponder!"

The "Bookworm" Is About to Put the "Ya-Yas In Bloom"

 I finished off Cookie O'Gorman's "Bookworm" yesterday afternoon.  It was a good, fairly quick read.  However, as seems to be my theme as of late, it was a little juvenile.  Overall, however, it was a good, albeit slightly predictable, story.  I'm hoping that I can say the same about "Ya-Yas In Bloom" by Rebecca Wells.  Though, to be quite honest, I can't recall if I've read it before.  I do remember reading the other 2 books in the series, "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and "Little Altars Everywhere";  I also love the movie that the first book inspired. It starred Ellyn Burstyn and Sandra Bullock.  "Little Altars Everywhere" is an emotionally charged addition to Rebecca Wells' award-winning bestseller and number one New York Times bestseller "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood."  

"Ya-Yas In Bloom" reveals the roots of the Ya-Yas'  friendship in the 1930s and roars with all the raw power of Vivi Abbott Walker's 1962 T-Bird through sixty years of marriage, children, and hair-raising family secrets.

When four-year-old Teensy Whitman prisses one time too many and stuffs a big old pecan up her nose, she sets off the chain of events that leads Vivi, Teensy, Caro, and Necie to become true sister-friends.  Told in the alternating voices of Vivi and the Petites Ya-Yas, Sidalee and Baylor Walker, as well as in the voices of the other denizens of Thornton, Louisiana, "Ya-Yas In Bloom" shows us the Ya-Yas in love and at war with convention.  Through crises of faith and hilarious lapses of parenting skills, brushes with alcoholism and glimpses of the dark reality of racial bigotry, the Ya-Ya values of unconditional loyalty, high style, and Cajun sass shine through.  Necie's wise credo, "Just think pretty pink-and-blue thoughts," helps too...

But in the Ya-Yas' inimitable way, these four remarkable women also teach their children about the Mysteries: the wonder of snow in the Deep South, the possibility that humans are made of stars, and the belief that miracles \do happen.  And they need a miracle when old grudges and wounded psyches lead to a heartbreaking crime...and the dynamic web of sisterhood is the only safety net strong enough to hold families together and endure.

After two bestsellers and a blockbuster movie, the Ya-Yas have become a part of American culture--icons for the power of women's friendship.  "Ya-Yas In Bloom" continues the saga, giving us more Ya-Ya lore, spun out in the rich patois of the Louisiana bayou country and brimful of the Ya-Ya message to embrace life--and one another--with joy.

I was honestly hoping that Richard Paul Evans would have released the latest installment in his "Michael Vey" series, but it has been delayed until November, as has his upcoming holiday novel, "Christmas In Bethel."  However, I am more than content to read (or re-read) "Ya-Yas In Bloom" until the next leg of my "Journey Through A Book!"

After Falling Under Welch's "Spells," I Have Decided to Become a "Bookworm!"

 I finished "Spells for Lost Things" by Jenna Evans Welch yesterday afternoon.  It definitely had more of the teen/young adult vibe that her "Love &" trilogy.  Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it.  I did end up feeling sorry for Mason, but to reveal more would spoil the story.  I enjoyed watching his relationship with Willow unfold, and her determination to get to know her mother's hidden side.  i can't wait to see what Welch puts out next!  In the meantime, I'll embrace my inner bookworm and read "Bookworm" by Cookie O'Gorman!  Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Kent likes happy endings.  Not that she's looking for one herself.  Awkward, never been kissed, and bookish to the core, Lottie would rather read about love than experience it. 

But she enjoys helping others find their HEA (Happily Ever After--I had to think for a minute before I figured it out!  LOL!) in books.  Lottie loves working at the library...even if it means running into Bo Stryker.

Broody, athletic, and unfairly attractive when he frowns, Bo works at the flower shop across the street.  Lottie is about to get rejected...when surprisingly, Bo steps in, pretends to be her boyfriend, and steals her first kiss.

One viral video later, everyone thinks they're together.

Bo wants to keep pretending.  Lottie wants to make amends--long story short: she was on a ladder; he startled her; the book slap was an accident.

A fake relationship may be the solution.  But as they grow closer, Lottie can't help falling for Bo--which is a disaster because grumpy sunshine only works  in fiction...right?

This book features two opposites with undeniable chemistry, one loveable librarian, so many stolen kisses and answers the question: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A NERD FALLS FOR THE GRUMP-NEXT-DOOR?  It's a question I must find the answer to as I embark on another "Journey Through A Book!"

Time for "The Bachelor" to Cast A Few "Spells!"

 I finished reading "The Bachlor" by Carly Phillips this afternoon.  It was pretty good, in spite of the strained relationships between a few characters: father and daughter, as well as a pair of childhood sweethearts.  There were a few characters who were slightly less than likeable, but not enough to ruin the story.  I can't wait to read the other two books in the trilogy, but, alas, I must, as I do not own them as of yet! (Book 2: "The Playboy", Book 3: "The Heartbreaker").   Therefore, I must satisfy my literary appetite with one of the many books in my never-ending To Be Read pile!  "Spells for Lost Things" by Jenna Evans Welch should make for an interesting read, if I am to do the oft discouraged act of judging a book by its cover! Of course, it helps that the book was written by one of my favorite authors!  I believe I've read everything else she's written!  I've previously blogged about her "Love" trilogy: 1. Love & Gelato, 2. Love & Luck, and 3. Love & Olives and confess to enjoying them immensely; I believe the first of her novels was even turned into a Netflix movie!  Anyway, I'm going to take a literary break to prepare for some upcoming events.  When I do decide to resume my literary "journey," my "Journey Through A Book" shall take me through the pages of, as previously stated, "Spells for Lost Things" by Jenna Evans Welch!  

Willow has never felt like she belonged anywhere and is convinced that the only way to find a true home is to travel the world--something she plans to do as soon as possible.  But her plans are pushed aside when her aloof and often absent mother drags her to her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts, to help wrap up the affairs of an aunt who has just died.  An aunt Willow didn't even know she had. 

Mason has also felt like he's never belonged anywhere, but that might be because he's been in and out of foster homes his entire life.  Stuck in Salem for a short time, Mason fully intends to escape from his new foster family and get back to his mom--wherever she may be.  But when he meets Willow, he can't help but be pulled into her infectious desire to uncover the history behind her mother's secretive past in Salem, her mysterious aunt--who may or may not be a witch--and the centuries old curse on her family.

As the two explore the notorious coastal town; make their way from one ancient, ivy-covered house to the next; and visit too many new age shops, they venture unexpectedly into a heart-warming romance.  The universe seems to have brought the two of them together for something special--if only they can summon up the courage to discover what that something is.

Admittedly, this book is intended for a much younger audience than someone of my age (early 40s--Nope! I'm not ashamed to admit it!), but age ain't nothing but a number!  Lif e is too short!  Eat the cake, buy the dress, make that move!  Do you!  And take that "Journey Through A Book!"