Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Top Ten Tuesday - Recent Additions to My Bookshelf
Monday, December 29, 2025
Review - Great Big Beautiful Life
AUTHOR: Emily Henry
NARRATOR: Julia Whelan
RATING: ★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.
When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.
One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.
Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication
Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.
But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.
And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.
REVIEW: I don't know why, but Emily Henry's books have always been a hit or miss with me. Great Big Beautiful Life is a good book, but it took me awhile to get through it because it dragged quite a bit. Margaret was my favorite character, and I loved learning about her back story, but the present day romance with the main characters, Alice and Hayden, didn't really pique my interest. They are a cute couple, and I liked their competitiveness with each other, but I wouldn't list them among my favorite of Emily Henry's book couples. The star of the show is the narrator, Julia Whelan, who I love listening to. She did an amazing job giving each character their own unique voice, as always. Diehard fans of Emily's will probably love Great Big Beautiful Life, but I can only give this one three stars. Fingers crossed I'll love her next release.
Sunday, December 28, 2025
Last Sullivan Book Nook Update of 2025
Just a look at what’s available at the Sullivan Book Nook. I’m looking forward to sharing more books with you all in 2026!
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Top Ten Tuesday - Bookish Wishes for Christmas 2025
1. Office Computer Desk (because I need a bigger desk)
2. 2026 Planner (to keep up with writing goals)
3. Blue Light Glasses (to protect against computer eye strain)
4. Retro Typewriter Keyboard (just because I love it)
Friday, December 19, 2025
Recipe - Baked Brie Bites with Crescent Rolls
- 1 (8-oz) tube crescent dough sheet or original crescent roll
- cooking spray for pan
- flour for dusting
- 1 (8-oz) wheel of brie
- 1/4 cup Sugar Plum Jam, raspberry, strawberry, or fig jam
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350F° and grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough, if using the roll dough, pinch the seams together. Cut into 24 squares. Place squares into muffin tin slots. Cut brie into small pieces and place inside the crescent dough. Top with 1/2 teaspoon each of jam, and 1/2 teaspoon chopped pecans. Bake until the crescent pastry is golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.
NUTRITION INFO: Serving: 1 brie bite, Calories: 78 kcal, Carbohydrates: 6 g, Protein: 2.5 g, Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 9.5 mg, Sodium: 133 mg, Sugar: 2 g
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)
Friday, December 12, 2025
Review - The Shippers
TITLE: The ShippersAUTHOR: Katherine Center
RATING: ★★★★★
RELEASE DATE: May 19th, 2026
Summary (from Goodreads): After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.
REVIEW: This book right here is why I’m such a HUGE fan of Katherine Center’s. One minute I’m starting a book at 10:30 PM, and then suddenly it’s 4:30 AM and I’ve finished the entire book in one sitting. I loved loved loved Cooper and JoJo’s love story! Cooper is absolutely swoon-worthy and JoJo has just the right amount of awkward shyness and quirkiness where you think, “Oh yeah, I can definitely relate to her”. I laughed out loud SO many times while reading this book I had to muffle my face with a blanket so I didn’t wake up my family. There were parts I even went back and reread a few times after I finished it because it was just that good. (Like the balcony scene with the blindfold - holy cow!) You get everything with The Shippers - friends-to-lovers angst and romance, a slow burn that leaves you breathless, laughter, tears, lovable secondary characters, etc. It has quickly earned top spot on my list of favorite Katherine Center books. I can’t recommend it enough.
Thursday, December 11, 2025
Review - My Husband's Wife
AUTHOR: Alice Feeney
RATING: ★★★
RELEASE DATE: January 20th, 2026
Summary (from Goodreads): Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn’t fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife.
One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying.
Six months earlier, a reclusive Londoner called Birdy, reeling from a life-changing diagnosis, inherits Spyglass. This unexpected gift from a long-lost grandmother brings her to the pretty seaside village of Hope Falls. But then Birdy stumbles upon a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person's date of death, including her own. Secrets start to unravel, and as the line between truth and lies blurs, Birdy feels compelled to right some old wrongs.
REVIEW: Well well well ... this book actually surprised me. (I'm still trying to process that ending. I honestly didn't see that one coming!) I don't normally read suspense books, but since Alice's last book, Beautiful Ugly, intrigued me so much, I decided to take a chance on this one too. The many twists and turns left my head spinning, and it definitely kept me guessing until the very end. The plot is different from anything I've ever read before, but then again I imagine Alice Feeney hasn't written a book yet that isn't different from the norm - in a good way. She's a very good writer, and there were several lines from this book that stood out to me and made me think, "Dang, that was so good! I wish I'd written it!" LOL. The narration is incredible, and I love that Alice's audiobooks have sound effects, which really bring the story to life. I loved Bel Powley's accent and the way she gave each individual character their own unique voice. I will definitely look for more of her work. I would recommend this book to everyone.
(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own).
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Top Ten Tuesday - Books Set in Snowy Places
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1. A Mountain Home Christmas by Maggie Miller
2. Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by RaeAnne Thayne
3. Unexpectedly in Love by Jean Oram
4. Christmas at the Chalet by Anita Hughes
5. Christmas Under the Stars by Karen Swan
6. The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan
7. An Alaskan Christmas Prayer by Belle Calhoune
8. The Cowboy’s Christmas Compromise by Jill Kemerer
9. The Prodigal’s Christmas Reunion by Kathryn Springer
10. Christmas Blizzard Rescue by Veronica Forand
Sunday, December 7, 2025
Christmas Time at the Sullivan Book Nook
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Recipe - Hot Cocoa Snack Mix
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 cups rice cereal or corn cereal
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 packets hot cocoa mix
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces (such as M&M's)
DIRECTIONS: Pour rice or corn cereal into a large mixing bowl. Combine chocolate chips and oil in a separate microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour melted chocolate over cereal and carefully stir until cereal is completely coated. Add powdered sugar and hot cocoa mix to the cereal mixture and toss gently until evenly coated. Allow the mixture to completely dry before storing. If desired, add in mini marshmallows and M&M’s and mix.
NUTRITION INFO: Calories 247; Total Fat 6g; Saturated Fat 3g; Cholesterol 4mg; Sodium 53mg; Total Carbohydrate 46g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Total Sugars 32g; Protein 2g; Vitamin C 0mg; Calcium 42mg; Iron 2mg; Potassium 113mg
(Recipe and photo courtesy of Allrecipes)
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Christmas Movies
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