After spectacularly failing my Goodreads number of books to read goal in 2024 I took stock of why my book reading habits had fallen to the wayside. Namely it’s me. I’m the problem, it’s me. In reality its my reading snobbery. So I vowed this year to make a change and I have created a list of lessons that I have learned to help get out of my funk and back into my bibliophile dreams. First off:
- Give up on a book if your struggling to get into it. There are hundreds of reads out there waiting to capture your attention so don’t waste a minute more on a boring one.
This first lesson is the reason I am already off to a roaring start in 2025 and can share my highlights of January with you. Whatever you are up to this cold February these 4 books will warm your heart.
The Guncle Abroad (The Guncle #2) by Steven Rowley
GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) is back. Five years has passed and there is a big family wedding fast approaching. Patrick is single again and his brother is getting remarried in Italy. Obviously his niece and nephew are not happy and want GUP to stop it. In any event, can Patrick teach them about love while travelling across Europe on their way to the wedding? This is a heartwarming comedy about love, loss, aging and family.
Under the Whispering Tree by TJ Klune
Wallace was not a nice man in life. When he dies and ends up at Charon’s Crossing, a peculiar tea shop inside and out, he soon discovers that even in death you can become a better man. A reaper, a ferryman of Death, a ghost grandpa and a ghost dog are there to help him find the family he never had and a place in the world; even if it’s the afterworld. Truly we all need a Hugo and Apollo in our lives.
What Does It Feel Like by Sophie Kinsella
Firstly, if you are expecting something along the lines of her Shopaholics series this book will surprise you. Born from her own diagnosis, Sophie’s character Eve wakes up from surgery to learn she has a cancerous brain tumour and everything she thought she knew has shifted. Above all it’s with the help from her loving family and friends that Eve slowly regains her short term memory and herself while learning to live with this new reality.
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens
In order to keep her job, single mom and journalist Anna Appleby has to team up with an office rival on a new column. The catch? The column will follow her as she goes on 7 different dates; all picked by her two kids. Think mailman, waiters, school friends single dad’s; consequently no one is off limit. This adorable rom com takes a new twist on dating and hilarious spins it on its head.
December Honorable Mention Books
Although I am cheating a little here let’s throw in a couple favorite reads from December. As a matter of fact I listened to both via audiobook and I will say it is the perfect format for these stories.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Everyone at the Cornwall Inn is there for the same reason. To attend the wedding of Lila and Gary. Well everyone except one: Phoebe Stone. Phoebe is there for one single focused reason which may inadvertently derail the whole happy nuptials. Ultimately this novel is about unexpected friendships, with a dark humour and a heartfelt look into the good and bad that can come from life and death.
Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven
Think Lord of the Flies, a little Zombieland and maybe an episode or two of Survivor? When a hurricane causes the closure of a massive amusement park a group of staff (mostly teenagers) are outfitted to stay behind and protect the grounds from the elements. But what happens when the rest of the world thinks they don’t need help and more and more time passes before rescue? As a result alliances are formed and the unspeakable begins to occur.
Do you have any reading goals this year? What books have been a highlight these past two months for you? Share in the comments below.