Have you ever met the book

That you wish you’d written, but you’re so grateful someone else did… You’re also so scared the ending won’t live up to it, to the homage? The call back?

I just did.

I make no bones of being inspired by Willie Wonka and his Chocolate Factory. Specifically, Gene Wilder’s version of the candy man. It caught my imagination, burrowed in and still can be found there to this day.

I had no idea what was in store for me when I picked up “The Wishing Game” by Meg Shaffer. Should have maybe inferred it, but there’s nothing blatant about the homage on the OUTSIDE of the book. On that fateful bookstore birthday shopping spree I didn’t check the inside. I never do, unless I’m checking out the writing style. If I had read the praise, or even the dedication, well…

I would have squealed, loudly and proudly.

This book has taken me a few days to read, not because it was slow, or dense or anything else. But because I was scared. Even though I had already flipped to the back of the book. And yes, I’m also the person who cringes hard and looks away (or pauses) when watching TV or a movie when the characters were being cringey, or being embarrassed by others.

I had a lot emotionally invested in this book, even with never having read a lick of it. I hoped for the characters. I wished upon stars with them. And I celebrated with them too.

It does not contain a candy garden, or a chocolate factory. Sorry. No Oompa Loompas, either. But there is a family found and bound with love, and forgiveness and understanding and hope.

It was unexpectedly the book I really needed right at that moment.

Oh! And it contains the poem– the one Gene Wilder says in the boat. Or at least the first stanza. But Shaffer also gives credit (cites the sources as Jack would say): ODE, BY ARTHUR O’SHAUGHNESSY.

How wondrous to buy a book and have it echo so many of your own imagination’s quirkiness.

#Netgalley I have questions…

Such as….

Do I get dinged for DNF’ing a book?

Should I still review said book? On why it was DNFed?

When do I start posting about the books? Because  the second one I grabbed…. O.M.G. I haven’t laughed this hard or enjoyed myself so much in a while. I’m loving this book. But it doesn’t publish until JANUARY 2024!!! (I know I can write the review and just schedule it)

Which leads to…..

Hello my lovelies, I just reinstated my Netgalley account. Yay!! Of course, the first book I chose was… Hmmm…. As writers we can learn a lot from it. Do I still give it my honest review? Do I just shrug it off? Move on? I don’t like giving negative reviews, or at least naming the book I’m talking about. And I especially don’t like reviewing a book I DNFed (Did Not Finish).

Life is so nuts right now– full of grief and stress and fear and excitement. But I’m really enjoying this second book I chose. Whew! I was starting to think my romance with reading was fizzling out.

I do have to say, tho, I really like Netgalley’s App. Makes it so simple and easy to read & get the books! Yay!

It’s almost the happiest time of year!

I am a sucker for all things Christmas. I am the one who wants to put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving… and in my very first apartment I might not have taken down my tree until almost Valentines day… Hehehehe.

I watch Hallmark movies, and the Lifetime Christmas ones, too. (Only the Christmas ones, I don’t like all the dude killed/beat/whatever’d  his wife and she/her sister/ mother got revenge.) Satna Paws, Santa Clause, the movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas… you get the idea.

So it was with great pleasure that I started my holiday reading. Now, the disclaimer– I had ARC’s on What Happens at Christmas by Victoria Alexander and Babycakes by Donna Kauffman from Kensington books.

What Happens at Christmas was written so well, I went and bought His Mistress by Christmas for my nook as soon as I was done. I loved them both. I haven’t laughed like that… well, since last Christmas’ batch of books. Where she really excells, though, with both novels is when the farce that is going on in the characters’ lives brings in the family. It is so hilarious… Hire some orphans for a “real” Dickens christmas? Done! These novels both bring so much laughter, as well as the heartwarming bringing together of the family (whether bought and paid for or via blood), I did find it interesting that while both heroines were widows, they each had very different ideas on remarrying.

Babycakes is not a traditional holiday novel, but I think it does well. Kit has lost everything, her family, her family business, even the family house… And all because she trusted someone who *should* have had her back. Morgan has fled his high flautin family’s influence to try and raise his neice as normally as possible.

The Thanksgiving scene is one I haven’t ever seen before, but fits perfectly and illustrates perfectly that while the people in this little island might not have blood relations around… They definately have family. Because sometimes, just sometimes, the family you need isn’t the one you were born with. But you have them anyways.

Babycakes is one of those novels that sneaks up on you. You pick it up, thinking ok… I’ll give this a try…. and three hours later you’re saying “whaaaa?” I love it when that happens!

 

So yes, I got my geek on in all it’s holiday glory. You’ll be glad to know that I only have 1 holiday sweat shirt (poinsettas on a green sweatshirt with 80’s style preppy collar.. love it).

Next time will be on both editing and ending. For while these novels shine… some…. not so much. And I may break my rule about not saying the name of the novels, because I kind of want to see if it was a different expereince for others (or, to be honest, they left a chapter off the nook).

Ta for now, my loverlies!