Happy Tuesday! Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m sharing all the books I’ve read in the past four weeks. I don’t think there is anything better to talk about on the day of love! Actually reading books on a warm, sunny beach with my family would be a little better, but I’ll take books.

The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis ☀️☀️☀️☀️

I thought this book just lovely to read in the cold winter. It wasn’t a Christmas book, but it still had that Hallmark feel. Natalie is a young widow who is still struggling with her grief every day. She plays a piano in a busy London train station and someone has been leaving music for her to play. She is a trained professional musician but has lost the motivation to play anywhere but the station. She meets two men, one in grief counseling and one at a bar, and is trying to figure out how these men fit into her new life and if one of them is leaving her the music. It’s perfectly cozy for cold, dark winter evenings. **Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

I thought this book was great!! I picked it for my book club and am so glad I did! I am a big weenie when it comes to scary and suspenseful books. This one did have me holding my breath a few times, but it wasn’t enough to give me nightmares. Finlay Donovan is a recently divorced, struggling author who is in need of some cash quickly! She stumbles her way into becoming a hit woman and the book takes off from there. Together with her children’s babysitter, Finlay gets herself into and out of some serious trouble. I can’t wait to read the second and third in the series.
Also, the author, Elle Cosimano, could not be more lovely! I thought she lived pretty close to me and invited her to our book club meeting through her website. It turns out she doesn’t (oops), but we emailed back and forth a few times and now I am seeking out a chance to meet her at a book tour event. 😊

Atomic Habits by James Clear ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

It took me exactly 2 years to “read” this book. I started in 2021 and read a few chapters, but moved on. I kept intending to go back, but it wasn’t until I set my January goals that I did. I listened to the book and got a lot out of it. The two minute rule has had the most impact on me since I read it. That two minute rule has gotten me out of bed and down to our basement gym more mornings than not. I found it very interesting to learn and think about how tiny changes can have such a huge impact on our behavior, thoughts, and lives. I highly recommend this book!

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

I was pretty certain I had read everything Maeve Binchy had ever written and then I saw this book. I was so excited to find one more book by one of my favorite authors. I love how Maeve Binchy tells you individual stories about multiple characters and weaves them together. This book really was perfect for these dark, January evenings. I tried to slow down my reading to really enjoy this last book by Maeve, but I couldn’t do it. I plowed right through and loved every word! It is absolutely lovely!

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

I absolutely loved this book! It might be one of my favorites for the year! Lolly’s finds her list of life goals that she set in 7th grade and is disheartened to find that she hasn’t achieved a single one of them. Her mother died and she came home to help run the family diner. The diner is their family history and legacy all wrapped up into one failing business. She is given the opportunity to see how her life might have turned out if things were different. It is a very sweet story of fate and taking control of your own destiny. This was such a great book! **Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.**

The 47 People You Meet in Middle School by Kristen Mahoney

I finally finished the book and I loved it! I highly recommend this book for any 5th and 6th grader in your life. 4th graders and 7th graders will probably love it, too! It is written as a letter or message from 6th grader Augusta to her younger, 4th grade sister Lou. It is so well written and I love how it really makes you feel like you’re entering middle school for the first time – the new school, new friends, hallways, lockers, classes, and dances!

Currently Reading: Endless Summer by Elin Hilderbrand

I am loving this book already! I always wonder what happens to character after the book is over and Elin is telling us! Some of the short stories are prequels and some are sequels, and I’m loving them all!

You can always checkout what I’ve been reading on my Books 2023 page. If you scroll to the bottom of that Books 2023 page, I have all of my yearly reading pages linked. What did you read this month that you loved? Have you read any of these books? I can’t wait to hear! Have a great day full of sunshine and books!

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