What Books To Read this Christmas Holiday Season!

What Holiday Book Should I read?

It’s that time of year! Time to curl up in a front of a fire – or go to bed early – with a lovely, cozy holiday book.

But there are so many! How can you choose?

I developed the Lindsay Emory Holiday Book Quiz to help you pick the perfect read this Christmas.

Get a piece of paper and a pen and answer this easy 6 question quiz!

1.       My favorite holiday recipes come from …

a.   Great Grandma Margaret’s time tested recipe books

b.      Pinterest

c.      Hallmark Home & Family

d.      Nigella Lawson

2.       My feelings about Emma Thompson…

a.       She was iconic in Sense & Sensibility

b.      She’s ruined Christmas with Last Christmas

c.       Oh! She married her cute coworker, right? That actor?

d.      I just love her British accent. It sounds so posh.

3.       My perfect holiday season isn’t complete without…

a.       Traditions like Christmas crackers, stockings & caroling

b.      A re-watch of Love, Actually

c.       A marathon of Hallmark movies & baking cookies

d.      A charcuterie board & champagne

4.       My Spotify holiday playlist includes…

a.      Carols and Celtic music

b.      Last Christmas by Wham!

c.       All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey

d.      Classics by Michael Buble and Tony Bennett

5.       My must-have holiday wardrobe accessory…

a.      A hand-knitted Scottish wool scarf

b.      A red Starbucks cup

c.      A fun Christmas sweatshirt & holiday leggings

d.      A French linen apron & Loro Piana sweater

6.       The holiday recipe I most want to try to make:

a.       A traditional figgy pudding

b.      Hot chocolate spiked with Peppermint Schnapps and Godiva liqueur

c.       Stuffed Caramel Pretzel Skillet Cookie (from Hallmark Channel Home & Family)

d.      Martha Stewart’s classic eggnog with fresh grated nutmeg

Now review all your answers… Did you get…

Mostly A’s? You will LOVE a historical romance!

Carriages, long walks in the country and yule logs make you swoon like a debutante at a Christmas ball.

A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong – Cecilia Grant (FREE!)

The Swan – Piper Huguley

How the Dukes Stole Christmas – Tessa Dare, Joanna Shupe, Sophie Jordan and Sarah MacLean

Mostly B’s? You’re a Rom Com Fan (Who’s Probably Pissed about that Last Christmas Plot Twist)

Mix meet cutes with a little banter and add a whole lot of romantic tension and that’s your recipe for a perfect holiday read…

The Island Christmas Spirit – Lindsay Emory

Royal Holiday – Jasmine Guillory

One Day in December – Josie Silver

UPDATED FOR 2020: Try the Christmas Actually anthology! 11 short holiday romantic comedies!

Mostly C’s? You’re a Tried and True Hallmark Addict

You know exactly what you want to read about - a reindeer farm, a baking contest, a small town inn. Lucky for you, I have the best Hallmark movies in book form picked out for you…

The Secret Ingredient – Nancy Naigle

Sleighbell Sweethearts – Teri Wilson

A Gingerbread Romance – Lacey Baker

Mostly D’s? You Will LOVE yourself some Designer Destination Holiday Porn

How does Christmas in Cornwall, Colorado, Nantucket, or Wales sound? You’re sure to love a literary trip to a beautiful spot where breathtaking views, charming villages and decadent dinners await…

Christmas with the Duke – Katrina Cudmore

Named of the Dragon – Susanna Kearsley

A Perfect Cornish Christmas – Phillipa Ashley

A Wedding in December – Sarah Morgan

Let it Snow – Nancy Thayer

Did I get it right? Or just mostly right? I can’t wait to hear what you’re reading and loving this season!

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I could receive a few coins for posting them. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!

Best Books to Read Now - November 2016

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

Can I talk for one sec about that ^^ above? Some observant readers might notice that I didn't post this blog in October. The reason? DNF's - books I did not finish - and books that I couldn't really recommend to a friend.  And I get a physical ache talking about this because... I want every book to be something I can share and be giddy over. But... alas, I have a string of  half-finished novels in my Kindle and a bunch of texts to friends about "this book is so stupid, it makes me want to bang my head against a brick wall."  You know the ones.

BUT. I am happy to report that I finally finished four books worthy of the title Best Books to Read Now.  Ready? Here we go.

Hidden by Kendra Elliot

hidden

In July, I had the opportunity to participate in the RWA Literacy Signing and there I had the pleasure of sitting next to the lovely Kendra Elliot.  I got to see her adoring fans and meet her gregarious husband and she was very sweet to me, the newbie.  I finally got to read the first of her Bone Secrets  romantic suspense series, Hidden, and it was quite the page turner.  I can't wait to keep reading the rest of the series!

The Earl - by Katharine Ashe

the-earl

Regular readers of this blog will note that I have become a serious Katharine Ashe fan girl. If you love Scotland, and the beautiful scenery of Outlander, I recommend this historical romance that tells the story of a lady and an earl on a trip through nineteenth century Scotland.   The Earl is part of a continuing series and the start of a new series I believe but I enjoyed it without  reading the rest.

Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley

named-of-the-dragon

I'm not going to lie. I kinda sorta thought there would be a dragon in this book.   I don't know why. It's not like (the always amaze-balls) Susanna Kearsley is known for her dragon shapeshifters but...what can I say, these days dragons are a thing. I'm not saying I was disappointed - of course not! -especially when the book seamlessly weaves together a modern day mystery (y'all know I love a mystery!), Arthurian legend, Tudor history, a Rosamunde Pilcher-esque holiday house party and a sexy rural Welsh playwright.   I highly recommend Named of the Dragon as a perfect cozy comfort read during the holidays.

Six Dirty Secrets - by Alexis Anne

6-dirty-secrets

My friend Alexis Anne has just released her latest, 6 Dirty Secrets and it is so fun, hot, creative and pure escapism.  Yes, it's number 6 in a series, but the series is more like connected characters - you don't have to read the first five to read this one (although you'll want to!)

So... November hit and a big hit of HOLIDAY CHEER smacked me upside the face.

.

christmas-1100723_1280

And I thought, I want to spread more holiday cheer across the land!  I'm doing a RANDOM GRAB BAG GIVEAWAY here.  Three winners will receive a wrapped holiday gift during December. There will be books. There will be treats and swag and surprises!

dick-in-a-box

My newsletter subscribers will also get a separate chance to enter, so make sure you're signed up here.  I've been planning 2017 already and tons of things are percolating and my newsletter subscribers will get all the news and deals and bonuses first.

I'm not sure I'll post a Best Books to Read Now in December... I have a stack of nonfiction and cozy mysteries I've been saving to devour during the holidays. Keep in touch on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Best Books to Read Now - June 2016

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

Um...how did it get to be summer already? The kids are out of school, the weather is  getting  too sticky for my walks and I'm finding myself reaching for a beautiful chilled rose instead of a cup of  tea.

Summer  is such a fabulous reading time, isn't it? You've got trips and vacations and lazy days by a pool or the lake and we all need reads that will  take  us away.

Once again, I've  got an  interesting mix this  month. I  dug up some reads from my TBR pile, took a chance on a new trope and indulged in continuing a  series.

Silent in the Sanctuary / Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

silent on the moor

silent in the sanctuary

First up?  Two more Lady Julia Gray mysteries!  My husband and I were able to escape to  Cabo San Lucas for a quick getaway to celebrate my birthday.  I posted pics on my

instagram

and our trip was as heavenly as it looked. I have this (strange?) affinity for reading about rainy, cold locations while sweltering by a pool so reading about Lady Julia Gray at Belmont Abbey and on the Yorkshire moors  was perfect for me. 

Silent in the Sanctuary

kept me guessing the entire  time  and

Silent on the Moor

was an unusual mystery in that it was piecing together a mystery from the past. Two more winners from Ms. Raybourn.

A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev

bollywood affair

Shamefully, this book has been in  my Kindle for YEARS. YEARS. Y'all know how that happens.  You one-click a book because of rave  reviews and a gorgeous cover and then... life. Other  books. Pretty soon, your new pretty book is on page four or  five  in your Paperwhite and  you keep thinking, "why haven't I read

A Bollywood Affair

" when you see the constant recommendations on Twitter.  So  because I'm awesome like that, I finally opened this one... and I couldn't put it down.

It's a contemporary Indian romance, set in the U.S. (... mostly) but the characters are wholly influenced by their culture and history back in India. There's a complicated relationship between the hero and heroine - you know, your typical "my brother's annulled child bride" trope.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the unique cultural and plot points and Ms. Dev truly shines in writing characters jump off the page, fully realized and nuanced and loveable.

Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson

simply irressistible

Speaking of tropes, the secret baby trope is... not my favorite.  Especially in contemporary romance.  A few years ago, I gave one a shot and, um.  Let's just say I was not planning on reading another one.  Until I was listening to the

Avon on the Air podcast

and  Sarah MacLean said this was the secret baby book that would convert people who didn't like secret baby books and while I respect Ms. MacLean's professional expertise, I was dubious.  Because SECRET BABY, y'all. But I bought it because HOCKEY PLAYER HERO.  You see where my priorities lie.

Turns out, Sarah MacLean was right. *sigh*   This book is a joy, the characters totally made me believe in the secret baby and I'm *semi* converted to secret baby books if they're recommended by Ms. MacLean.

*Note* on Avon on the Air.  I'm trying really hard to be respectful here and call Lucia Macro and Sarah MacLean by their proper names. Because when I listen to this podcast, I'm totally calling them "Lu" and "Mac" and discussing books in my head with them (or whoever's on the podcast.) I just love talking books, even if its an imaginary conversation.

See

, also, this blog.  If y'all know of any other awesome book podcasts, let me know because I'll happily talk to other podcasters in my head.

Or if you know other good secret baby books, let me know about those, too.  I will readily admit that I could be, maybe,  a little wrong about secret babies.

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

the winter sea

Here's another from the TBR pile.  This one, unlike A Bollywood Affair was not buried in my kindle. It was on my bookcase. Because it was an actual, physical hardcopy of the book (shocker, right?) that my mom had 'loaned' to me a few years ago. I always knew I'd like Susanna Kearsley's timetravel-esque book about 18th century Scotland because I have a well-documented love for other time-travelly 18th century Scotland books.  *cough* Outlander *cough*

On a side note, this season's

Outlander

is KILLING ME.  Just knowing what is coming at the end of the season is preliminarily devastating me. I'm texting my friends after each episode asking them for comfort because the end is going to be so exquisitely terrible and then we'll have to wait a stupid amount of time before Season 3 starts...

or maybe not

??

So yes, Ms. Kearsley's novel did not disappoint.  It flips back and forth between the past and present and while no actual time-travel  takes place, you, the reader, feels as if it has.  I can't wait to read another Kearsley novel, especially after I heard her  

interview on the SMART BITCHES podcast.

(another podcast where I talk to another Sarah in my head all the time. I swear, I'm completely normal.)

And that's it for this month!  I'm not sure I'll have an official BEST BOOKS TO READ NOW post in July.   I'm doing a lot of non-fiction research for a new book I'm writing and I'll be headed to RWA nationals in San Diego  (where I'll be sure to add to my TBR pile, natch).  I may do a Best of Best Books post instead and then my usual post RWA roundup.

Oh! I'm also busy getting this little baby out the door.

The Last Plus One

The Last Plus One eBook Cover 400x600

Her release date is 6.13.16 and you can read more about it here.  If you're not already, make sure you like

THE LAST PLUS ONE facebook page

and

sign up for my newsletter

. We're doing a few giveaways, posting excerpts and talking about weddings and you don't want to miss any of that.

As always, keep reading and let me know if you read something amazing!