Joosje’s Comments (group member since Jan 07, 2020)

Joosje’s comments from the Chapter Adventure Reading Challenges (Formerly GXO) group.

I read Excuse me while I ugly cry for this month, it's a YA novel about so much more than a teenage romance. It deals with prejudice, racism and the impact of the colour of your skin. I learned a lot while reading it, and yeah, the romance bit is fun.

I chose The gift of reading, essays on the joys of reading, giving and receiving books for the key word book. I like reading non-fiction every now and then and this book fit the challenge. I liked some essays better than others, overall it was a good read that gave me lots of ideas for further reading

I read On dancing hill, a book about a family farm, and a wife who goes on vacation for a week. It was a bit slow and not as much feel good as I'd hoped, but it got better towards the end.

I chose South of the Buttonwood tree. It was a wonderful read, full of Southern magic, and the importance of family and community, despite the family secrets that come out.

I read Blackout, a collection of love stories by YA authors about black teens, straight and queer, during a blackout in the summer New York. I loved it, it made me want to keep reading.

I chose A child's Christmas in Wales, it's a short and delightful book about Christmases past, through the eyes of a child. I enjoyed the style of writing, with so many wonderful adjectives, it was really poetic. Challenge complete.

I chose A life in stitches, the memoirs of a knitter. She tells stories of her life and how her knitting helped her. Some of the stories are funny, others made me cry. It helps if you know knitting but even if you don't, this is a book about life itself. I'd recommend it. Challenge complete.

I read Starry skies over the chocolate pot café and I loved it. It's the story of a lonely young woman who's been hurt by people close to her and bravely decides to finally let people in again. Some of the most wonderful scenes take place at Christmas, and the pain is offset by so much love and friendship. I'll be rereading this book.

I read Midwinter murder. It's been a long time since I read Agatha Christie and I was pleasantly surprised. The stories reminded me of the adventures Sherlock Holmes. Mainly mystery, not much blood, I liked it. Challenge complete.

I read The night the angels came. I like reading Cathy Glass's books about fostering. This was a particularly sad book, but I still enjoyed it. Challenge complete

I don't read scary books, so I chose a book with the shadow of a cat on the cover, All the lonely people. It was okay, there was a lot of sadness and racism, and some unexpected plottwists that I didn't really care for. I'm not sure if I'd recommend this to anyone. Challenge complete.

I read The summer house, it was a fun read with a summer vibe and some serious themes. I liked it, but I like her Christmas books even better. Challenge complete

I read Take me home tonight, about two high school students who visit New York for the night and encounter lots of adventures. The story partly takes place at their high school. I liked it, though some of the adventures were a bit far-fetched. The girls learn a lot during that night. Challenge complete.

I read I wish it could be Christmas every day, and there was definitely Christmas magic at work in this story. I loved it. Challenge complete.

I read Snowflakes at the little Christmas tree farm for this month. It's a romantic and Christmassy story, though it had a little too much dramatic events for me. I enjoyed it, but I liked other books by this author better. Challenge complete

I read A run in the park and I loved it. It's a novella about a group of people who take up running, told from different perspectives, and gives an insight into their lives. It may be short, but it had lots of impact and was well-rounded. Challenge complete

I read Sunshine at the Comfort Food Café and I loved it. It's part four of a six part series, which can also be read as standalone books. I love reading about this group of friends who support each other when life is tough and enjoy good times together when they can. The books are comforting. Challenge complete.

I read The garden of small beginnings about a young widow who takes a gardening course with her daughters and her sister. I liked the little facts about gardening and the story about grief, friendship and nature. There's a sense of humour to the story that I really enjoyed. Challenge complete.

It only happens in the movies. This was an interesting book. It deals with the unrealistic events in romantic movies and also the burden of a messy divorce on the kids. It was different than I expected and it made me think. Challenge complete

I read The little bookshop of love stories and I loved it. Most of the story takes place in a bookshop, which is a great setting and there are lots of references to books and reading that made me want to read even more. Challenge complete