I’ll admit it: I spent a lot of time checking out new Christmas movies on Netflix and rewatching Downton Abbey this month. But I still managed to sneak in a little holiday reading.
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox • ★★★☆☆
I saw this book sitting on a table at a bookstore months back and instantly filed it away in my brain as a must-read holiday rom-com. And I’m glad I remembered to pick it up later.
This book is a bit implausible, but so was The Parent Trap and it was still a masterpiece (I am, of course, talking about the perfect 1998 version).
Anyways, two twenty-something twins swap places after one twin loses her sense of taste, an obvious prerequisite for her job as a baking show judge. So her small town twin leaves the family bakery behind and steps into the spotlight, leaving the first sister to get used to being home again.
It’s a sweet book that turns out just right and gives great holiday vibes.
The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake • ★★★☆☆
This month, I needed a lot of comfort, so I reached for another holiday rom-com straight away.
Here, stranger Clara stops in a small English village as she travels the country. Because it’s a feel-good book, she immediately befriends an eccentric who needs a housesitter while on vacation. During that vacation, Clara reinvigorates the woman’s toy shop and starts giving the whole town a new life thanks to her hygge touches from her native Denmark.
Grab some cocoa for this one, folks.
Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney • ★★★☆☆
I wouldn’t say it’s a pet peeve, but I don’t love when the main character in a novel is a writer. I know: Write what you know, but it sometimes feels a little lazy (says someone that doesn’t write fiction and knows nothing about it!).
In this book, almost every character is a writer which is a bit maddening and meta. It actually made me like this twisty novel a touch less.
But I will say that a couple celebrating their anniversary in a remote Scottish chapel-turned-inn is a nice setup (but what thriller set in a remote part of Scotland isn’t? Looking at you, The Hunting Party). And there was a twist that came at just the right time.
A Year in Books
With these three under my belt, I managed to read a total of 55 books in 2021. In 2020, I read 51 and in 2019 I read 20 (which is nothing to sneeze at).
For 2022, I hope to hit the 50-mark again. Historical fiction set during the Russian Revolution, British thrillers and holiday rom-coms will certainly be on that list.
If you have any recommendations, feel free to drop ’em in the comments! I love a good book recommendation. Some of my favorites reads this year were tips from friends, including The Sun Down Motel, Red, White & Royal Blue and Beach Read.
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