A Christmas Carol

Thanksgiving // Book Tag

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
It is time for another seasonal book tag! I am going to be doing the ‘Thanksgiving’ Book Tag, created by Madison Goodyear on YouTube. This tag is filled with bookish Thanksgiving related questions, and I hope that you enjoy it.


I really had to think about this question, because it is hard to recommend a book that everyone would probably enjoy. However, I decided that ‘The Seven Year Slip’ by Ashley Poston would probably be liked by many readers. This is an adult romance with a magical realism element, so I believe that even fantasy readers will be fans of this plot.


I will forever say that ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens is a must read for everyone. It is my favorite book, and I have talked about it a lot on my blog. Therefore, I will never stop recommending it to others.


Something that I can’t get enough of when it comes to books would probably have to be a romance. I know that it is so lame and basic, but I love a good romance plot. Whether I am reading a fantasy, contemporary, or thriller, I do not mind there being a little bit of romance added into the story. However, it has to be done correctly and make sense with the plot.


For me, a palate cleanser book is rereading an old favorite book. After months of reading new books, it is always nice to go back to a story you know and love. Therefore, my perfect palate cleanser book would have to be ‘Better Than The Movies’ by Lynn Painter. This book is perfect!
Related Post: Better Than The Movies // Book Review


I am going to say, ‘How to Survive Your Murder’ by Danielle Valentine, although this book does not actually look gross, but more cheesy. Despite being cheesy and unrealistic, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it to be a fun, campy, young adult slasher, perfect for the spooky season.
Related Post: How to Survive Your Murder // Book Review


This is not only a comfort read for me but also a comfort movie, ‘Little Women,’ by Louisa May Alcott. It is such a wholesome read that it is all about family, loss, and love. Honestly, if you have never read the book or see any film adaptions, you are truly missing out.
Related Post: Little Women // Book Review


I am not going to pick one book for this prompt but an author. Katee Roberts writes some shall I say more adult steamy books that I just cannot seem to get enough of. I do not review the more mature books that I read on the blog, but let me just say – if you are looking to get into the erotic genre, then pick up one of her books.


I received ‘Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: A Book-to-Table Classic’ as a gift, and it is a stunning book. The book contains the classic story but with recipes included throughout the book. I tried reading Jane Austen before, and she was not for me. However, this edition is too pretty not to have in my collection, so it is completely there for looks.


This question was difficult to answer because I was not sure there were any books I had read but liked better when rereading. However, I realized that the first time I read ‘The Afterlife of Holly Chase’ by Cynthia Hand, in 2018, I gave it only 3 stars. However, in 2021, I reread this and fell completely in love with the book. It has become a must read for me during every holiday season.
Related Post: The Afterlife of Holly Chase // Book Review


I had two options for this question, but the first one that came to mind was ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ by V.E. Schwab. This book had a great plot, beautiful writing, and interesting characters, but needed to be at least 100 pages shorter.
Related Post: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue // Book Review


I am not going to lie. I instantly knew that ‘Not a Happy Family’ by Shari Lapena would be the perfect answer to this question. It is a mystery thriller; therefore, there are some twists and turns, but it mainly has a ton of family drama. If you are looking for an adult mystery with a complicated family, then this is the book for you.


In 2024, when it comes to reading, I look forward to reading more books off my physical TBR. In addition, I am hoping to read books by some authors I have never read before. I have many reading plans for the new year; therefore, these are only two of my goals.

This tag was so fun that I would love it if you left your answers in the comments below. Do not forget that you can help my blog grow by giving it a follow before you leave.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Haul // Christmas 2022

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I am finally getting around to doing my Christmas book haul! After taking a small break after completing Bookmas 2022. Yes, I successfully did Bookmas. This year, unlike past ones, I didn’t receive that many books. However, as an avid book buyer I’m completely fine with that fact. But, I did end up getting a ton of amazing books to add to my shelf.

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
“A fun, flirty teen debut from Wattpad phenom Alex Light about a fake relationship and real love.”
Related Post: The Upside Of Falling // Book Review

The Stand-In by Lily Chu
“Readers will delight in this glamourous, swoon worthy enemies-to-lovers romance that is as hilarious as it is heart-wrenching.”

She’s Gone by David Bell
“A new page-turning thriller from USA Today bestselling author David Bell. When a girl disappears, who do you suspect?”

Don’t Let In the Cold by Keely Parrack
“A claustrophobic, high-stakes thriller that will have you fearing what waits out in the cold.”

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
“Veronica Mars meets The Craft when a teen girl investigates the suspicious deaths of three classmates and accidentally ends up bringing them back to life to form a hilariously unlikely – and unwilling – vigilante girl gang.”
Related Post: Undead Girl Gang // Book Review

A Christmas Carol Murder by Heather Redmond
“In this clever reimagining of Charles Dickens’s life, he and fiancée Kate Hogarth must solve the murder of an old miser, just before Christmas.”

Seance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
“A middle-grade graphic novel about growing up that’s perfect for fans of Ghosts and Making Friends.”

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
“A supernatural thriller about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.”
Related Post:Hidden Pictures // Book Review

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
“A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic.”

The Christmas Stories of Charles Dickens by Charles Dickens
“This illustrated edition features the classic Christmas stories of Charles Dickens!”

Baloney and Friends (Baloney & Friends, Bk. 1) by Greg Pizzoli
“Meet Baloney! He’s the star of this book, along with his best buddies: empathetic Peanut the horse, sensible Bizz the bumblebee, and grumpy Krabbit — he’d rather not be here, but what can you do?”

How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. Smith
“This illustrated advent story tells of the adventures of an adorable mouse and how a good deed can lead to a very happy ending.”

There you have my Christmas 2022 book haul! I am so grateful for all the gifts I was given and the love that I have in my life. This holiday season went by so fast and I just cannot wait until next year. In the comments, let me know what books, if any, you were gifted. And, please give my little book blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Mr. Dickens And His Carol // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments


About The Book
Charles Dickens should be looking forward to Christmas. But when his latest book, ‘Martin Chuzzlewit’, is a flop, his publishers give him an ultimatum. Either he writes a Christmas book in a month or they will call in his debts and he could lose everything. Dickens has no choice but to grudgingly accept.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3PUfPXM

My Rating

Going into this book, I thought that it would be similar to the movie ‘The Man Who Invented Christmas’. However, that wasn’t the case. The plot does follow Dickens as he writes the classic Christmas story we have come to love, yet the story isn’t all that enticing.

In the book, we see Charles Dickens being more forced to write a Christmas story. His last books have flopped, causing some financial struggles. We follow a more cold Dickens, who is somewhat of a Scrooge himself. He was judgmental, and his mood changed at the drop of a hat.

I would say that after seeing different portrayals of the author, one might conclude that he is bipolar. Now, I have no proof to this fact, but as someone that is bipolar, I can see a lot of resemblance to how he is described and the disease.

“We are all lost, all broken. Trying desperately to be whole again.”

Unfortunately, I found the story to be very slow, draggy, and boring. This is heartbreaking, because ‘A Christmas Carol’ is my favorite book ever. The story didn’t have the charm of the original “A Christmas Story” that I love, or even the ‘Man Who Invented Christmas’ film (which is coincidentally one of my favorite movies.)

The book isn’t a total loss; it does get pretty interesting at the last 30%. There is a magical realism aspect that I didn’t actually see coming, but my husband did figure out the twist. So, you might be able to predict it. Yet, it was a cool added touch that connected this story back to Dickens’ story.

Overall, the book was decent, if a bit sad. It did send the message that forgiveness will lighten a heavy heart. And as well, that all your problems will seem so small if you focus on the love you have in your life. So it’s still a sweet and Christmasy message. But, it didn’t really make up for the rest of the story as a whole.

In the comments, let me know if you’ve read this book. Did you enjoy it? Wanna make me smile? Give my book blog a follow!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Cozy Christmas Book Tag

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
Happy Bookmas Day 8! For today’s post, I wanted to do a fun holiday book tag. This is the Cozy Christmas Book Tag, which was created by Call Me After Coffee on YouTube. I must say that I love how one of the question is called ‘The Perfect Tree’, because a lot of people forget how great the movie ‘Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree’ is. I mean, we get a young Robert Downey Jr. singing. What could be better than that? Now that I’ve said that, let’s get on to the tag!

Related Post: Five Feet Apart // Book Review

Related Post: The Holiday Swap // Book Review

Related Post: Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel // Book Review

I want to tag all of you to do this tag, because it is a lot of fun. Leave me a comment, letting me know if you did (or have done) this tag, and I will be sure to read it. Feel free to like and share this post with others, and follow my book blog too!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

If You Could Only Read One // Coffee Break

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Which author would you choose if you could only read one for the rest of your days? Which standalone? Book series? I saw Kathryn Books do this post, and it seemed like so much fun. So, I thought that I would do it too! Essentially, I will be sharing with you the author, standalone, and book series I would choose to only read forever.

Author
I don’t know if this comes as a surprise, but it would be Kasie West. Her YA contemporaries are adorable, and I typically enjoy all her books. She is a great author, who I don’t think gets enough hype.

Standalone
Yep, I talk about this book way too much. But, I would be lying if I picked any other book. I couldn’t imagine not being able to read ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. As you know by now, it is my favorite book ever.

Series
This one might seem random, but I loved these books when I was younger. It was the book series that got me into reading. So, even though I haven’t read the books in years, I would hate not being able to reread this series.

Interestingly enough, I didn’t have to think too hard about my answers. However, I am glad that I get to read any book I can, and am not limited to only certain books or authors. Leave me a comment with your answers. Don’t forget to like and share this post. And, follow my blog for more bookish and lifestyle content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Afterlife Of Holly Chase // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

Title: The Afterlife Of Holly Chase
Author: Cynthia Hand
Published: 2017
Genre: YA/Contemporary/Holiday
Rating:Full, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on Iconfinder

Synopsis
On Christmas Eve five years ago, seventeen-year-old Holly Chase was visited by three Ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she’d become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn’t. And then she died. Now she’s stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge—as their latest Ghost of Christmas Past. So far, Holly’s afterlife has been miserable. But this year’s Scrooge is different. This year’s Scrooge might change everything.

I was very excited to read a YA version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. This is a story that has been told many different ways before, and for good reason. A Christmas Carol embodies not only the spirit of Christmas, but also teaches us that we should remember the past, live in the present, and hope for a good future. However, the story is always about an older depiction of Scrooge.

A book that follows a teenager, especially a girl, intrigued me. At first, Holly was an unlikable Scrooge who was too self involved to care about the lessons that the ghosts were trying to teach her. She had lost her mother, and grew distant from her father. She was raised by her bitchy stepmother, which turned Holly cold. However, as the story went on, we learned a lot about Holly. She was regretful, and truly lonely. You could see that there was a good person hidden with in her Scrooge-like exterior.

Because Holly ignores the ghost, she is forced to become the new ghost of Christmas past after her death. But when teenager, Ethan, is chosen as the newest Scrooge. Holly is instantly drawn to this younger, teenage version (as was I). The thing that made Ethan different than other Scrooges, even Holly, was that he still wasn’t all that heartless. True, he was stuck-up, self involved, and thought that money was all that mattered. But, he still managed to show kindness at times.

“My fortune read, ‘It’s never too late to become what one could have been’.”

There were moments throughout the story where I felt bad for Holly and Ethan. You want them to get a happy ending with each other. They both had been through things that contributed to their lack of compassion. But, their shared hardship doesn’t excuse their actions. Especially Holly’s, who was being a bit thoughtless in her communications with Ethan. She was being reckless because she found him cute and interesting. His journey wasn’t about her, but she somewhat made it about herself by only thinking about what she wanted and not focusing on thawing his cold heart.

Still, the love-story aspect was very cute. I understand why Holly and Ethan were attracted to one another. They were both unkind people that had a secret desire to change and be better people. But, they didn’t know how after all the mistakes they had made. Although, the love-story was a big part of the plot, it was the fact that isn’t was a real love-story that made this book so special. This was overall a great, heartwarming story.

The ending was incredible, shocking, and inspiring. It gave me all the feels of “A Christmas Carol”, while still managing to separate itself from the original story. However, from the beginning, the story has always begged the question, “Can people truly change?” I, for one, believe that changing yourself is a choice. One must decide if they want to make that choice.

Do you enjoy the story “A Christmas Carol”? What’s your favorite retelling of it? As always, don’t forget to like and share this review, and follow my little book blog for more content!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Bookish Holiday Tag

- Bunny 8 Comments

Hi Friends,
Christmas will be here in just a few weeks, and I thought a holiday tag would be a great way to celebrate the holiday season! This one has some fun, bookish questions, so I knew it would be the perfect tag to do.

• What is your favorite book to gift during the holidays?
Is there any other answer than ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens? I know you are probably sick of hearing me talk about how much I love this book. So all I’ll say is that it is a classic holiday story, that you cannot go wrong with giving.

• What is the best book you have ever received as a gift?
Last year, I received a steam punk edition of ‘A Christmas Carol’, and the year before I got ‘A Christmas Carol: Book-to-Table Edition.’ However, I think the most meaningful book I have been gifted is ‘A Muppet’s Christmas Carol‘. The book is based off the movie by the same name. The film is very special to my family, so I was happy, shocked and blessed to receive the book adaptation.

• What book do you hope to get this year?
Honestly, I don’t really have a Christmas list. I am grateful to have people that love me enough to give me a gift, but I never really ask for anything. Still, if I am asked what I want I always say books. Also, I would like a brush hairdryer, which might seems a little random.

• What is your favorite holiday movie?
Don’t yell at me, but I have to mention it again. My all time favorite Christmas movie is ‘A Muppet’s Christmas Carol’. However, I will tell you the other two holiday movies that I adore. The first is the Grinch – mainly the 1966 ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’ cartoon. Yet, I also really enjoyed the 2018, The Grinch, animated version as well. Secondly, I am a huge fan of the ‘Princess Switch’ movies on Netflix. I like them all, but my favorite will probably always be the first one.

• What holiday song is always on repeat?
Can anyone just pick one holiday song? If I have to choose, then I’m going with my girl Taylor Swift. She released a small holiday album years ago. It was a Target exclusive album that I don’t think many people remember. On the album, she has a track called ‘Christmas Must Be Something More,’ which has such a powerful message. The song reminds us that Christmas isn’t about presents, decorations, or snow. It’s about so much more. As the Grinch said, “Maybe Christmas (he thought) doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”

• What is your favorite holiday food to either make or eat?
It would be a tie between corn pudding and potatoes of any kind. We only have corn pudding on Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it is a rare treat. As for potatoes, I simply love them! I am fan of all potato dishes, from mashed to scalloped. Also, I do usually make the potatoes every year, so I maybe biased.

If you want to do this tag too, then go right ahead! Let me know in the comments if you do, so I can go check out your posts. If you don’t want to miss out on any posts, then give me a follow!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Books I’m Thankful For // Thankful Thursday

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
As a reader, I have read some amazing books – ones that have changed my life. I think that every book lover can relate to this. At least, I hope you have experienced this during your reading. I wanted to share these books I am thankful for, with you, in this post.

‘It’s Kind Of A Funny Story’ by Ned Vizzini: This was one of the first mental-health related books I had ever read. I was going through a rough time in my life, and reading this helped me get through it. It wasn’t until a few years later that I was diagnosed with bipolar, depression, OCD, and anxiety. It took me a long time to realize, and accept, that even when I think I am fine, I still need to take my medicine and continue with my coping techniques. I will never be perfect (or normal) because those people don’t exist. We are all flawed, and fighting our own battles. One of my favorite lines in the book is “Life can’t be cured, but it can be managed”. This line stuck with me, and is forever tattooed on my heart.

 
‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ by Ann Brashares: I mentioned in a tag that this was the book series that got me into reading. Although that’s probably the main reason I am thankful for this book, it also taught me something big. This book showed me how impactful a written story can be. When we watch a movie or TV show, we get to see the actors’ emotions and reactions. But books are different. We have to imagine how the character looks, and the emotions in their eyes. This story was happy, and sad at times. I think that helped my imagination open up and feel for people I couldn’t even see.

 
‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens: If you saw my ‘Coffee Meets Books’ post, then you know that this is my favorite book. I am so very thankful for this story because it tells us that people can change. This isn’t to say that all people are good – not in the slightest. But by showing someone all the things and people that they had overlooked, they could have a change of heart. Scrooge didn’t have to change. His life was in his own hands, but he chose to live each day with a grateful heart. For the first time, he saw all that he was missing, and vowed to be different because he wanted to. To me, the story proves that everyone has the opportunity to change and open their hearts to love if they want to. I will forever be grateful for the powerful story that Charles Dickens created.

 
‘Between Shades of Gray’ by Ruta Sepetys: This book is very hard hitting, and also sad. So if you aren’t a fan of sad historical fictions, I wouldn’t recommend this one. I hadn’t read many historical fictions before picking this book up. So it shocked me as to how much of an impact the story left on me. It made me incredibly thankful for my life. The characters in the books went through so many tragic events that many real people had to deal with during that time. It made me reevaluated all my problems and struggles, and realized how small they were in comparison. It helped me remember how blessed I truly am.

There you have a few of the books I am thankful for. I have read some amazing books in my life, but only a handful have touched my heart in a special way. Let me know the books you are thankful for in the comments.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny