2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Tell us what you thought of the book! You can leave your review here. Even if you read the book outside of the group, please feel free to let us know what you thought of it.

Please make sure to mark your spoilers by typing "[spoiler]" at the start and [/spoiler] at the end but replacing the []s with <>s.

I read this book a couple of years ago and just loved it!

I read this book recently and felt it ended a bit abruptly. Still trying to understand the ending...

I read this book back in December!! It's a great read for those snowy days outside. It was a bit of a slow burn and not something I would have picked up had it not been a BOTM for another group I am part of! However, I ended up enjoying the book a lot!

(view spoiler)[ I believed the "Snow Child" was real in the end. There was too much evidence and other coincidences for me to think she was just magic! (hide spoiler)]

I read this book years ago and is still on my favorites list! I always refer to it as an adult fairy tale.

Im om page 79 and its hard to put down. Its lovely.

I mostly read thrillers. I joined GR to step out of my comfort/thriller zone.
So far I love this book.

I found the first part of this book a little hard to read, but it got better as the book went along. It was an interesting read and I liked it. I was a little confused by the ending.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it, but not sure if I would have made it through if reading. I'll put my comments in a spoiler tag.
(view spoiler)[
At the beginning I thought it was going to be a quick abandon. Mable trying to commit suicide by walking on thin ice was just too depressing. But after her failed attempt the mood lightened some.

I think both Jack and Mable grew over the course of the story. Jack not standing up for Mable by not acknowledging he sees Faina early on improved later.
And Mable wanting to move to Alaska to get away from everyone, but then complaining because she was lonely was maddening, but she matured later.

About 15% in I thought, 'Oh, No. This is Frosty the Snowman as a little girl in Alaska' It sort of is, but it is a good story.

Favorite character was Esther, hands down. Highlight of the book.

I would have preferred a different ending. Faina falling in love with Garrett and having a baby was not a satisfying ending.

It is interesting that the question whether she was real or not was not definitely answered. The ending with the empty clothes says no, but how do you explain all the Bennetts seeing her and little Jack? I suppose it is magic realism?

Overall an enjoyable story.
(hide spoiler)]

I read the book while looking for a winter book club selection. This one has a lot of sadness, so we rejected it. One of my favorite bits was when they went to the other homesteader family’s home for thanksgiving . Good comic relief.

I finished the book a couple of days ago. I listened to the audiobook and it was great, this is not my usual genre so it's good for me. The ending was quite sad.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fell in love with this book and the author's writing style from the start. Can tell it will stay with me for years to come. Teaches you about overcoming tragedy, unconditional love, friendship, stepping up when things get hard, and how rewarding life can be.

(view spoiler)[ Watching Jack (especially) & Mable work on their relationship through this entire story was beautiful. Even though they had already been together for so long, they were able to grow so much more together. Also, what a time to read this with a pandemic going on. I feel anyone could relate to being cut off from a world you’ve always known. Really helps you see the importance of community and friendship (love Esther so much lol). As for Faina, I have a lot of questions about the mysteries that seem to surround her. I noticed that there were never “” around passages where she was speaking. Then there is how she seemed to have real parents but was almost fairly like with her connection to the wild and winter. I’m happy that those questions were never truly answered and you get left with a bit of wonder, just like with fairy tales as children. (hide spoiler)]

I enjoyed the book, the descriptions of Alaska are beautiful and it is surprisingly gripping for a story where often not much seems to be happening. Throughout the novel the mystery about the true nature of Faina is well maintained. I agree with one of the comments above that the ending seems rather abrupt and personally I would have liked that part to be better developed but overall the exquisite beauty of the writing is what holds the reader’s attention. The main character of this novel is actually Alaska in all its stark beauty.

I was almost guaranteed to love this book. (Any book with Alaska, the 1920s, homesteading, an established relationship, and magical realism is pretty much a sure bet for me.) It didn't disappoint me.

I loved how Mabel and Jack's relationship changed over the course of the book, and I loved Esther, Garrett, and the rest of that family. And I love Faina's otherworldliness, especially her ambiguous finale. (view spoiler)[I don't want to think that she left her clothes behind in a fever haze and died in the river or the woods. I want to think that, despite her love for her found family, she just wasn't made for that life, and the winter night took her back. I do love my magic, though, so maybe I see something in the ending that isn't really there. (hide spoiler)]

I just finish the book. I love the story and the way the author plays with the fairytale. I also agree with many readers that Alaska is the main character.
That was my first group read and I very much enjoyed reading other people comments.

Desiré wrote: "⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fell in love with this book and the author's writing style from the start. Can tell it will stay with me for years to come. Teaches you about overcoming tragedy, unconditional love, frie..."

You've summed up my feelings about this book really well. I loved it! Loved her writing style! Definitely noticed the lack of quotations around some characters dialog, etc.

This is my favorite book this year (so far!).

Valerie wrote: "I enjoyed the book, the descriptions of Alaska are beautiful and it is surprisingly gripping for a story where often not much seems to be happening. Throughout the novel the mystery about the true ..."

I LOVED her descriptions of Alaska - the beauty, the wildlife, the sights, sounds, smells. Captivating. :-)

Lorraine wrote: "I just finish the book. I love the story and the way the author plays with the fairytale. I also agree with many readers that Alaska is the main character.
That was my first group read and I very ..."

I would never have thought to choose a book around a fairytale, but I agree that the author plays with it really well. It definitely kept me coming back for more.

This book!! I wouldn’t have even considered it if it hadn’t been picked for February’s group read and now I will keep thinking about it for a while to come! I was taken in by the author’s writing (I do love fairytale retellings) and the setting in Alaska (beautiful but harsh and unforgiving although the characters endure hardships and thrive there). The overall sense of sadness throughout the book will stay with me, however. I would recommend this book and am glad I read it! 😊

I really enjoyed this book, though I was nervous I wouldn't like it. Then again, I felt that way about January's read and it ended up being amazing! I love the character development and the blurred lines between magic and reality.

(view spoiler)[ I am still not sure what I think about the ending. A part of me knew that it was likely going to have a sad ending, what with all the quotes from the original fairytale. But I had this hope that it would be different. Faina would have struggled in the longterm though, it never was going to be a totally happy ending. She is someone who was never meant to have anything less than total freedom. She fulfilled her purpose in giving Mabel and Jack the love of parenthood they were so longing for. But my heart still hurts that this was the end for her. I'm not sure if she melted away or just ran off. Part of me would prefer her having melted because otherwise I don't understand why she wouldn't come back occasionally and visit. Anyway, I've just started rambling now, this book has made me feel all the feels! (hide spoiler)]

This was a lovely book and I truly enjoyed reading it!

Just finished the book. This is a beautifully written book. The setting comes to life. The characters are well-crafted and perfect in their imperfections. “We are allowed to do that, are we not Mabel? To invent our own endings and choose joy over sorrow?” I just felt a bit disconnected towards the end. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars

I gave this 5 stars. Just finished it, and read it over two days. I was already crying at the end of chapter 1 at the pain and sorrow in the relationship between Mabel and Jack. I loved the magical realism, the tenderness in love shown by so many in the book, and the descriptions of Alaskan wilderness.
It reminded me a bit of Where the Forest Meets the Stars, and would recommend that book as well to anyone who liked this one.

5 stars! Beautifully written, beautiful story, beautiful setting!

(view spoiler)[I loved Jack and Mabel's relationship and even though we meet them long after the honeymoon phase and after a certain amount of trauma, they still have a lot of growth as individuals and as a couple in this book.

I liked how Esther just sort of inserted herself in their lives without even waiting to see if "no" was answer. She was so good for Mabel. I can understand Mabel being hesitant to spend a lot of time with a happy family full of kids after their loss and lack of children, but I love how they started to think of Faina AND Garrett as surrogate children (magical or not).

I suppose the ending is slightly ambiguous and you never get a definitive answer on Faina and whether she is just a strange, yet regular girl, living in the woods, or if she is some sort of snow spirit. However it seemed rather obvious to me and my whimsical edging on the fantastical ideas, that she in fact, was both! I did like that the sections with her in it, the dialogue didn't have quotations, adding to the sense of unsureness and strangeness around her. (hide spoiler)]

Jennifer wrote: "I gave this 5 stars. Just finished it, and read it over two days. I was already crying at the end of chapter 1 at the pain and sorrow in the relationship between Mabel and Jack. I loved the magical..."

Thanks for the suggestion, just added it to my TBR!

All I can think about now after this story is the lyrics to Celine Dion's song written by musical genius Alan Menken for the live action Beauty and the Beast


[Verse 1]
How does a moment last forever?
How can a story never die?
It is love we must hold onto
Never easy, but we try
Sometimes our happiness is captured
Somehow, our time and place stand still
Love lives on inside our hearts and always will

[Chorus]
Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone
But when all else has been forgotten
Still our song lives on

[Verse 2]
Maybe some moments weren’t so perfect
Maybe some memories not so sweet
But we have to know some bad times
Or our lives are incomplete
Then when the shadows overtake us
Just when we feel all hope is gone
We’ll hear our song and know once more
Our love lives on

[Verse 3]
How does a moment last forever?
How does our happiness endure?
Through the darkest of our troubles
Love is beauty, love is pure
Love pays no mind to desolation
It flows like a river through the soul
Protects, proceeds, and perseveres
And makes us whole

[Chorus]
Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone
But when all else has been forgotten
Still our song lives on

[Outro]
How does a moment last forever
When our song lives on



I don't know much of what to say about this book except it was more than what I expected and it turned into the kind of story that you couldn't help but fall in love with and same with the characters. the twist at the end and even though it's sad, in a way, really thinking about it, it can be in some way a happy ending. Words can't express how much I ended up enjoying this story, the characters, the lives of Jack and Mabel who I loved and also where my heart just ached and then soared for them. And yet, I try to stay away from spoilers and I don't know how to explain how much I loved this story except those lyrics that sums up this story in some symbolic way for Jack and Mabel's story and yet I now can't stop thinking about this book and how I now don't want it to end. Truly a memorable book for me and one I'll highly recommend to just about anyone who's looking for a good book to read. This book as some I saw said it was magical and magical it was. So glad I read this one and it was worth paying for the audiobook on Google Play Books. And again, I would HIGHLY recommend this hands down to anyone who want a cozy winter read or just a good book in general.

Jessica wrote: "I read this book back in December!! It's a great read for those snowy days outside. It was a bit of a slow burn and not something I would have picked up had it not been a BOTM for another group I am part of! However, I ended up enjoying the book a lot!

(view spoiler)"
I totally agree with your spoiler!

Desiré wrote: "⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fell in love with this book and the author's writing style from the start. Can tell it will stay with me for years to come. Teaches you about overcoming tragedy, unconditional love, frie..."

I agree with you. I will definitely read whatever Ivey writes!

Also, like you, I was glad we were not (view spoiler)[given any definitive answers with regard to Faina. As you noted, just as a child reading a fairy tale. (hide spoiler)] I love that!

Allie wrote: "I was almost guaranteed to love this book. (Any book with Alaska, the 1920s, homesteading, an established relationship, and magical realism is pretty much a sure bet for me.) It didn't disappoint m..."

I would love to think the same as in your spoiler!

Jennifer wrote: "I gave this 5 stars. Just finished it, and read it over two days. I was already crying at the end of chapter 1 at the pain and sorrow in the relationship between Mabel and Jack. I loved the magical..."

I agree with your review and thank you for the recommendation!

I can only concur with all the sentiments expressed above. I so enjoyed Jack and Mabel's relationship and how it kept developing and was so thrilled when (view spoiler)[Jack did the exact opposite by comforting Mabel when Faina disappeared, since he hadn't done that when they lost their own infant. And I loved the fact that Garrett found his own home and acceptance with Jack and Mabel. And the fact that they all have a young child to dote upon just couldn't leave it in a better place as far as I'm concerned!

I agree that I believe Faina was part human and part magical/magical. I prefer to think that she just had to return to her "roots" of the magical/spiritual realm... I also loved how her voice would seem to be speaking to someone yet she was not within view, etc. That made her seem more ethereal, too. (hide spoiler)]

I doubt I would have read this if not for this monthly group read so I am eternally grateful for this reading event so I could experience such an absolutely beautiful book!

I enjoyed the descriptions of Alaska and the characters in the book. It had been on my To Read List since it came out (I think in 2016) when we were taking a trip to Alaska. I do not usually pick this type of genre (magical) but like the last months read it opened my eyes to something different and that can be a very good thing.

I'm another who read it a couple of years ago and it's on my favourites shelf. Just loved it! I know there's a bit of magic, but who cares? I did review it (no spoilers).
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook. I felt a connection in the couple’s loss and was deeply invested in finding out more about the mysterious snow child.