Comfy Cozy Christmas: Christmas Celebrations

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized12 Comments

Hello everyone!! It is a super windy day here today as I type this up. It is whipping past the house, causing the windows to rattle, or something to rattle on the house, but we are all cozied up in blankets and warm inside. A big thank you to the workers out there delivering stuff today!

We had a bit of a mixed up Christmas but it it ended up a good one. The Friday before Christmas my niece tested positive for flu b and then my brother and his wife did as well. Thankfully they didn’t have it bad, Mermaid Girl had a cough and was tired, while my brother and SIL had very bad headaches for three days. However, since Christmas day we were going to celebrate with other family members who are more compromised, like my mother and my MIL, and Mermaid Girl was still tired, we at the last minute shifted plans. They were going to stay home, as it was day 7 and the contagious period says 5-7 days, and then we would celebrate with them on the upcoming Saturday at my dad’s. However, we had all planned a dinner together, with everyone supplying something. So, we decided to stick with that plan, and just made enough for each other and my brother came and picked it up and dropped off.

But ack I get ahead of myself!! The week of Christmas I was still recovering from whatever I had, which I wonder now if it was flu b as well. I never felt terrible, just run down and coughing, with laryngitis. By the week of Christmas I was good, just still hoarse and raspy. Wyatt and I spent the week baking together, which was really fun. He was a good little helper! We made four dozen chocolate chip cookies (these are a family favorite!), gingerbread, and my grandma’s coconut tarts. I felt like I never stopped baking.

Christmas Eve we were supposed to go to my BIL’s, Billy’s brother’s house, but there was going to be a lot of kids there, my nieces and some of their friends, and I got nervous about my own lingering illness and so Billy went on his own for a bit, and wore a mask. When he got home, we simply ordered a pizza and watched A Muppet Christmas Carol. It was one of the most relaxed Christmas Eves I have had, and it didn’t feel too much like Christmas Eve until after Wyatt went to bed and Billy and I did our Santa duties. Then I couldn’t wait for Christmas morning to watch Wyatt and Billy open their gifts!

Christmas morning started early, and hallelujah, I woke up finally without laryngitis. We bumbled our way into the living room and Wyatt was beside himself with excitement. But, he didn’t want to open his presents right away – I was stunned. He wanted Billy and I to open a few of ours. So I opened one and we had Billy open one as well, the one I was super excited about, his tiny baby bonsai. I wanted a picture of Billy and his baby bonsai and he turned it into a model photoshoot. Lol. Billy was very happy about his new baby and after opening gifts watched multiple videos on how to care for them.

Then Wyatt ripped into his gifts. We got him the usual type kid things, and then for his big gift this year, we got him a phone. All of his friends got them for their birthdays, and I think he felt left out. It wasn’t very much actually to add him to the plan so .. a phone it was. And he loves it. We also got him an instant camera and he has been taking photos of us all that low key look like they belong in a horror movie.

The guys got me gifts that are all for my little projects – crafting and drawing and sewing things. I am so excited!! And of course, my orange kitten. Only a few more weeks until I can bring her home! Until then she will be with her mama at our friend’s house.

And then we just proceeded to play around with our gifts! We had a pretty lazy day ahead, as our Christmas Day was reduced to hosting three people, Billy’s parents and my mom. They all came over later, and we did the normal things, and it was a great time. My mom, who has been struggling a bit, did fantastic. I was so proud of her and so glad that she came!

Saturday was Christmas at my dad and stepmom’s and it was another fantastic day. Lots of food, kids playing and laughing, presents and Christmas crackers with crowns. We had so much fun, and I think Wyatt fell asleep pretty early that night.

And here are a few random photos from the camera roll..and one of a very fancy baby Wyatt a few Christmas’ ago. Like ten Christmas’ ago.

And that was Christmas!

I hope that you all have had a wonderful holiday season doing what it is you love and being with those you love. I hope as well, that you stay healthy and do something that makes you smile today!

Books, Screens, and In-Betweens

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized31 Comments

I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone!! I hope that the past week has been good to you! It’s been a whirlwind of course around here, but a very fun whirlwind filled with family.

Books:

I found that I couldn’t read before Christmas. I think there was just too much happening, and I couldn’t relax. However, the day after Christmas I picked up a book and immediately just had that comforting feeling that you get when you sink into a good book. I am loving this one so far!

I also started listening to an audiobook as well. I was scrolling through Libby for a nonfiction book to listen to when I wanted to listen to something quiet, and ran into Dinner for Vampires written and read by Bethany Joy Lenz. I just saw her in A Biltmore Christmas, which is fresh in my mind, so I ended up starting that one last night. It is interesting so far. When we were younger, Billy and I really liked One Tree Hill for a season or two, so I remember this show as well.

Screens:

We spent some time over the past week watching Christmas movies, our old favorites, with the grand finale favorite of A Muppet Christmas Carol. That movie never fails to make me smile. We haven’t watched much post-Christmas Eve, but I am hoping to watch a movie tonight.

Wyatt and I finished up YouTuber Morgan Long’s Vlogmas series, which was a nice little bit of Christmas Cheer as well.

I posted a few times last week too.

Comfy Cozy Christmas: A Christmas Surprise
Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Wishlist
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Thank You!
My Favorite Quotes From Every Book I Read This Year: Part 4

In-Betweens:

The in-betweens today are all holiday related! I will probably do another Christmas post, one last Comfy Cozy Christmas post, but mainly last week I did a lot of baking and wrapping, like a lot of people I am sure. Wyatt and I also spent some time on Friday just sitting at the table, working on our own projects. He was painting and playing with stickers while I worked on my planner. I got a new planner this year, a Hemlock and Oak planner, and I am loving it.

I feel like I have so much to tell you guys, way too much for this post. Plans for next year, projects, everything we have done. I feel like I am bubbling over with stuff to talk about but I try to keep this post less chatty! I will be posting soon, I can tell.

Hosting:

Just a reminder, Lisa at Boondock Ramblings and I co-host a few linkups and a Zoom Crafternoon together!

We have our Comfy Cozy Christmas for all things December and holidays (not just Christmas) that will be closing soon.

We also have A Good Book and a Cup of Tea which is for all things bookish, and is a monthly linkup.

We had paused our Crafternoons for the holiday months, but will be resuming them in January. Be on the lookout for an update post with dates!

Finally, I also have a link up for Soup and Story Saturday. That is also on hiatus until after the New Year but will resume in 2026!

And with that, I hope that you are all find a warm (or cold) drink to enjoy today and do something that makes you smile!

My Favorite Quotes From Every Book I Read This Year: Part 4

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized5 Comments

In case you missed Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3: So, on November 22, 2024 I started a little book book, as I call it, but it is a journal of the books I have read with a few jotted thoughts, quotes I like, and stickers. I am an archivist and chronicler at heart, and I have been having so much fun journaling my reading experience this way. I thought it would be neat to share my favorite quotes from all the books I have read – in different parts of course.

“But mermaids- mermaids relish pain. Mermaids embrace pain. Mermaids accept the pain of discipline if far less than the pain of regret.”

“Pat loved the sound of a day to spend. It sounded so gloriously lavish to “spend” a whole day, letting its moments slip one by one through your fingers liked beads of gold.”

“It was the kind of cafe you went to for lattes on a first date, or to meet up with old friends over a pot of chai, or to read a book by the fire while sipping on a mug of hot chocolate with extra mini marshmallows.”

“Those were the sounds of his favorite people. As long as he could hear them, he was safe.”

“It was like some houses stopped breathing the moment their owners died.”

“The fire danced and twirled and then, unbelievably, it somehow grew two little flame hands , which it planted on its two little flame hips, and it waggled at me.”

“He’d whistled in the dark more than once in his life. And an imminent hurricane seemed very, very dark.”

“The world will drive a woman insane, then point and laugh at them.”

“It felt like they had been tricked into attending some Tupperware-candle-lingerie-medieval warfare – party where you technically didn’t to buy anything, but actually you kind of did.”

“But that’s life. It’s unpredictable and anything can happen at any time. Which is why you should live doing what makes you happy, what lights you up inside, what keeps that flame burning.”

” She was not the girl who admitted defeat, and she certainly never let go. She had never let go of anything.”

“Here’s the thing: Witches might eat you, but other than that, they generally respected your boundaries.”

“When I am perturbed, I like to walk. I feel slow and stupid when I sit, but walking seems to wake something up in my brain.”

And we have now made it to the end of October in my reading journey! The last and final post will be up before the New Year!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Thank You!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized9 Comments

Hello everyone! This morning, as I am sitting here drinking my coffee and neglecting the big to-do list, I am thinking about all the blessings that I have had this year. This year was a rough one for us, but at the same time, I also experienced so much kindness.

I wanted to thank all of you guys out there, who read my blog, who take time to comment and drop an encouraging remark, wishing Wyatt or I well when we are going through something, who send messages, cards, packages from overseas even. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Your words of support and well wishes, your reminders to take care of myself, suggestions and ideas to help Wyatt, just all of the love that you guys show me through this blog is so very appreciated. This online community is such a lifeline for me sometimes and all of you make a difference in our lives. I am so grateful for your friendship.

And to the Crafternoon crew, thank you. I really needed the outlet this year, to hang out with others, to chat, to make things, from my home, especially as Wyatt recovered from his surgery.

So thank you my friends, for making my year so much better.

Happy Holidays!

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Wishlist

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized40 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Prompt: Books I hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes

Hello everyone, and happy holidays!

Today’s post is all about posting the books we would most like to add to our collection. My list is usually comprised of books I have already and loved, because I tend to read most books from the library first. Then if I love them, I want to have my own copy. But some books are on my list because I can’t get them from the library.

The other aspect of this prompt is the chance to gift another blogger a book from their list. I do love to pick a blogger or two (by putting all the names of people with posted lists in a hat and having Wyatt pick) to gift a book. As Jana says, “This week’s topic, Bookish Wishes, is a popular one and one I host twice a year (around Christmas and again in June)! List the top 10 books you’d love to own and include a link to your wishlist so that people can grant your wishes. Make sure you link your wishlist to your mailing address or include the email address associated with your e-reader in the list description so people know how to get the book to you. After you post, jump around the Linky and grant a wish or two if you’d like. Please don’t feel obligated to send anything to anyone!”

My list link is here and I am sharing with no expectations at all.

And that is it for me! I am excited to go read everyone’s posts today, and hopefully grant a wish or two!

I wish you all happy holidays and a happy December!

Comfy Cozy Christmas: A Christmas Surprise

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized15 Comments

Hello everyone! I hope that you are all having a wonderful December!

This story was supposed to be part of my soup and story Saturday, but it didn’t work out for me Saturday. So here it is.

A few weeks ago, we were driving down the street when we saw a tiny kitten get tumbled by a car. We saw it scamper off to the side of the road, and Billy immediately pulled over and got out to investigate. The kitten, a sweet little calico, took off running away from him, although he tried to catch it. He wanted to make sure that it was uninjured. He followed it up onto someone’s lawn, and when it darted in back, he stopped his pursuit. We hung around another minute or more to see if it would come back, but we didn’t see it again. Our consensus was that the kitten was okay.

Billy told me later that as he got out of the car he was thinking to himself, “Well, if I catch this kitten, I guess we will have a new family member.” He had been telling me for two years that we don’t need any more furry animals, and he thought, “Well, this might be it. Erin will get her wish.”

So back to the present. A few days ago a friend of ours posted a video of kittens playing, with the caption, “Who wants a kitten?” And among the gray kittens were two little orange ones. I love little orange kittens, but I passed the post by, just dropping a like on it. Billy however, texted our friend, setting up a time to go see the kittens, and one day after work, Billy dropped by. On the way home, he called to let me know that in four weeks time, we are going to have a new little furry friend joining our home!

The story behind the kittens: Around Thanksgiving, a stray cat curled up on the porch of our friend’s house. His partner told him there was no way they could leave her out there, it was so cold, she was underweight, and they could tell she was pregnant. He agreed, she couldn’t stay outside, and so they let her in. They took her to the vet, and the vet told them the kittens would be born very soon – and five days later, she had six little kittens. And my friend had a very full house! His girlfriend is another animal lover, with a whole bunch of animals, including lizards and rabbits and cats. They really didn’t need to add seven more cats to the bunch. (and they didn’t consider it lol) They are keeping the mumma cat, and one of her kittens, and are using a local animal clinic to get them all fixed and vaccinated, and finding them homes. (The PAWS Clinic is amazing – they have a deal for a mom cat and kittens, and all the kittens are only $5 each to get fixed and vaccinated!) And our home will be one of the new homes!

Our kitty Miso is a sweet old girl. She has always been the mild mannered cat, a cat who loves people and she also really loves other cats. Before our previous other cats, Maggie and Marlow, passed away, Miso could always be found following one around, sleeping near them. Now we find her curled up with Wyatt’s stuffed animals. I think she will like having a new little friend as well, and when the new one gets on her nerves, I will let her have her space alone. She is such a gentle cat – and she will always be my baby kitty. She is the cat that of all of our cats was the most mine. She is my shadow.

I can’t wait to properly introduce you to the new baby! She is not old enough to leave her mom yet, so we will get her in about a month, but we are still calling her our Christmas surprise from Billy. Wyatt is also excited – although maybe not as excited as me!

And that is it from me today, and my post about our sort of Christmas kitten!

Books, Screens, and In-Betweens (and some Soup too)

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized33 Comments

Hello everyone! I am linking up with Deb at Readerbuzz,  Kathryn at Book Date, and  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hi all!! We are all getting over our ick. It is apparently the trendy new virus of 2025! I don’t usually go for trends too often and yeah, this one could have passed us by. Cough, laryngitis, headache, and I took the tests and negative so that is good at least. Just a gross virus. I am feeling better though thank goodness. I have got to get moving on Christmas! Which I dove into yesterday. I did so much! I shopped, I cleaned, I baked cookies, I watched holiday movies. I am a mom with a mission over here!

Books:

As for books, I haven’t been able to read. My mind is just going too hard to be able to focus on reading. I am guessing that I am done with reading for the year at this point, and will probably write my wrap up post soon. However, Billy, Wyatt, and I started listening to Greenglass House on audio together via Spotify last night. I have read it and I love it. I was planning on reading it to Wyatt this break, but my voice is not going to allow that, so I am letting audiobooks do it, and now it is a fun family affair.

Screens:

We have been watching a lot of movies over here. I did a round up of some of the Hallmark Christmas movies we have watched lately, and since that post we have watched two more movies, one Hallmark, one not. We aren’t watching our traditional movies until, well probably starting today! We watched Oh. What. Fun with Michelle Pfeiffer and we really loved it. I asked Billy if he had ever imagined seeing a movie where Michelle Pfeiffer was married to Dennis Leary and he was like absolutely not. I had to laugh, because me either. We also watched A Biltmore Christmas, which we both liked as well. Out of all the Hallmark movies we have watched this month, that one is our favorite so far. I liked the call back to the 40s, the jargon, the transatlantic accents. And it was just so beautiful, shot at the Biltmore, one of the places in the US I would most love to go. Sigh. A room with three fireplaces? What a scene that was!

I have also been watching Morgan Long, a vlogger on YouTube with Wyatt. She is doing a Vlogmas and posting everyday and Wyatt and I watch every night. She is just so pleasant and cheery!

Posted Last Week:

Top Ten Tuesday: My Winter TBR

My Favorite Quotes From Every Book I Read This Year: Part 3

Comfy Cozy Christmas: Make It Hallmark For Me

The In-Betweens:

Wyatt has been kicking butt at therapy. I am so proud of him for enduring all he has been through this year. I hate that he has to be so strong, but he handles it so well, better than most adults would most of the time.

I am almost done with Christmas shopping, and wrapping. While Wyatt paints, I wrap a few gifts. I need to do his gifts still, but everyone else is wrapped. Woohoo! I just ordered a bunch of cookies and treats to make a gift basket up for the staff of the senior living complex where my mom lives. She receives some extra services and I wanted to give them something from her. I need to get something to put it all in still though! At this point, Billy and I need to get the house ready for Christmas dinner, as we are hosting (eek), and get the roast that we are making, and finish up the baking. And stocking stuffers, we need stocking stuffers. I also need a gift idea for my dad. He always is adamant that I not get him anything, but I always get him a little something. I just never know what. He doesn’t really have hobbies – he is a man of his generation, he just sort of likes to do work around the house. And flashlights. I guess I could get him a flashlight? Ugh. I don’t know.

I didn’t get a chance to put up Soup and Story Saturday yesterday, but I do have the linky up for anyone to use whenever you would like to post along! I will not be posting this upcoming Saturday at all, we are doing Christmas at my dad’s that day.

I made a crock pot chicken and dumpling soup the other day, and it was one of those hearty type meals that just warm you up. A comfort food. It was soooo good. And I really really need to remember to buy carrots.

I am going to share my story tomorrow, as part of Comfy Cozy Christmas.

And that is it for me today! I hope to be bopping around visiting all of you soon!

Comfy Cozy Christmas: Make it Hallmark for Me

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized14 Comments

Hello everyone!! I hope that you are all having a great December so far! Ours has been good but has looked a little different than what I had planned, since we all came down with a cold. However, although we haven’t been able to do the big ticket items on our list this year so far, we have been enjoying Christmas at home with movies, shopping, and wrapping. I am hoping to be able to get to the Detroit Zoo for the holiday lights in the next few days though. I am feeling ok, it is just that cough and laryngitis that linger.

However, I wanted to tell you about all the Hallmark Christmas movies we have been watching! We spent all last weekend watching them, bless my husband’s heart. We watched three: Christmas at the Catnip Cafe, Tis the Season to be Irish, and The Christmas Cottage.

We started with Christmas at the Catnip Cafe, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Olivia has a career as a marketer in California, and thinks she has finally found her dream home, a slick and shiny condo. Unfortunately, the down payment is more than she can afford. She thinks her dreams are answered when she learns that she has inherited her aunt’s cat cafe. Olivia heads across the country, planning on a quick sale and then getting back to California and her new condo. However, Ben , her aunt’s partner at the cafe and a local overworked overwhelmed vet who often does vet work for cookies rather than money, does not want to sell. So they make a deal: Olivia does all the planning and helps during the three week Christmas season at the Catnip Cafe which has multitudes of activities, and Ben will sell. And of course, as this is a Hallmark movie, we do get our HEA. I loved this one because of all the cats, of course. And because of Ben’s villainous eyebrows.

You all know I am such an interiors and set person, and this one did not disappoint. It was full of warmth and texture and color, a mix of old and new. And Olivia’s aunt’s house had the most beautiful stained glass window. Sigh.

The movie did have some parts that just didn’t make sense and gave Billy and I a little laugh , but Billy and I rarely watch a movie with a critical eye. The very reason some people don’t like these movies is exactly why I like them! And I am of an age now where I am not ashamed to admit I like things, even if they are unpopular. I like what I like and I am good with that.

You can see some of the cats here, on the Hallmark website. There was even one that reminded me of my own Miso!

You can watch this one on Hallmark via a free trial through Amazon Prime, Roku, and YouTube.

Next, we headed overseas to Ireland, with Tis the Season to be Irish.

Rose is a free spirited wanderer, who loves being on the move, being in new cities and countries and towns, and not being tied down to one spot too long. She is a house flipper and has set her sights on a cottage in Ireland, that looks absolutely adorable online. Bonus, it is located in a town that her mother (now deceased) had once visited and loved. However, when she arrives it is in complete shambles and the realtor, Sean, is also anti-house flipper and a historic preservationist. The two have a bumpy road as Rose must work with Sean in her plans to flip the cottage, keeping it in standards he approves of as the cottage is historic. Sean is also the most homebody homebody too. When the two start to have feelings for each other, they question just how such a relationship will work out. One thing I liked about this one is that both Rose and Sean are older, in their forties, and I thought that was a cool change.

I enjoyed this one, but more than the romance aspect, I loved the friendships that Rose there. She made friends with another woman who was renovating a cottage, except she wanted hers to live in, not flip, and a woman who had lost her husband and was visiting the town because it was where he was from. I loved the interactions of these women as they began their friendships together.

And there was a cute animal in this one too! Lambchop, the sheep who was devoted to Rose. When Billy and I were guessing at the reason that would suddenly shine the light on Rose that she needed to stay, I suggested that she would discover that the sheep was an ancestor of a sheep that her mother knew during her stay. Lol. I was pretty bummed too, that despite being in Ireland the interiors of these houses and buildings were a bummer. The views of the landscape however, were gorgeous.

You can watch this one on Hallmark via a free trial through Amazon Prime, Roku, and YouTube.

Ok, moving on. The Christmas Cottage.

This is the tale of Lacey and Ean. I mean, we all know they are together in the end, it’s a Hallmark movie so no spoiler there. Lacey is an interior designer, who is at the top of her game. She doesn’t design lovely living spaces though, full of warmth and whimsy, she designs work-home spaces, that are all white and designed to be perfect for, I guess, never leaving work behind? Which makes sense because Lacey is in a relationship with her design firm partner Roger, and their relationship definitely seems more business than pleasure. They have a genuine friendship I believe, and the same goals for their business, but as for a romantic relationship? That doesn’t look like something they have (and is confirmed by the end of the movie).

Lacey is the maid of honor in her best friend Ava’s wedding, which sounds magical. A Christmas wedding, followed by a night in Ava’s family cottage, which has a charming legend surrounding it. Legend says that whoever stays a Christmas night in the cottage will have a happy and lasting marriage. Ava’s brother, and Lacey’s ex, Ean, is the best man, so the two are thrown together quite a bit with their duties, and these duties include decorating the cottage for Christmas. They are there reminiscing about their past together, when they are snowed in for the night. And maybe there just is some truth to that legend, as Lacey’s outlook on what she wants begins to change. Or maybe it wasn’t the cottage that changed her mind, maybe it was just Ean.

This was a cute one! The set was so rustic lodge at Christmas and I was so there for that. I loved Ava and her bubbly personality and her love of everything, and I loved the nostalgia of this movie. After the Catnip Cafe, this was my favorite. Sorry, Tis the Season to be Irish. I enjoyed you but of the three you came in third. Still good though.

You can watch this one on Hallmark via a free trial through Amazon Prime, Roku, and YouTube.

And now I am off to find more to have Billy watch with me this weekend!

My Favorite Quotes From Every Book I Read This Year: Part 3

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized8 Comments

In case you missed Part 1 and Part 2: So, on November 22, 2024 I started a little book book, as I call it, but it is a journal of the books I have read with a few jotted thoughts, quotes I like, and stickers. I am an archivist and chronicler at heart, and I have been having so much fun journaling my reading experience this way. I thought it would be neat to share my favorite quotes from all the books I have read – in different parts of course.

We have made it into May!

“Life, I know is written on our faces. I lifted my right hand and involuntarily stroked my own cheek, wondering what stories life would have written there when I reached the end of my days.”

“One belief does not negate the other. They can exist at the same time.”

‘Every time someone wants to throw away a book, a little bit of my soul dies.’

“The girl knows, though, that remembering can be difficult. She always has so much inside her head: songs, stories, things she has to learn, things she wants to forget but that keep coming back. When she needs to remember something, she often forgets it, but she always remembers whatever she wants to forget.”

“…’ the guy wears a tweed coat, Edwards! Willingly! That’s super shady in my book. And he says he’s an archaeologist but I don’t think that’s even a real job. It’s a job that people have in movies, like pumpkin farmer or professional Christmas tree stylist.”

“How many times in her life has she said yes to a boy or a man just because it was the easiest thing to do? How many times has she let a man take what he wanted, instead of taking something for herself?”

“I’m not good at staying mad at people.”

I read this right after Wyatt’s surgery and I wasn’t working on my book book. I will tell you that I wrote down in my two lines of notes that my favorite part was Fifi.

Same as above. I wrote that my favorite part was the descriptions of fall in the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Same. Lol. My favorite parts were the reunion she had with someone special and the cozy snowy vibes.

Same, and last of the survival reading mode. I also decided after this one I wasn’t reading anymore in this series. I didn’t really enjoy it.

“Outside it was the coldest of winters. Cold stars shone over the icy bay and the cold hit you as you turned the corners. Then it was delicious to settle down in a warm kitchen. Pelle beamed and filled the stove with wood; this was all just as it should be, with everyone sitting together, warm and cosy, singing and talking.”

And that is it for today! Have you read any of these?

Top Ten Tuesday: My Winter TBR

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized37 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Today’s Prompt is all about that Winter TBR. I have not quite finalized mine yet, but these are the titles that are in contention. I am feeling like I need a bit of middle grade, a little historical fictions, some nonfiction, some peaceful reads this winter. And maybe one horror. Also, one of these is a book I told my husband I would read. I bet you can guess which one!

On the list for potential nonfiction reads, I have The Indifferent Stars Above, about the Donner party. In contrast, I have While The Earth Holds Its Breath on my list as well, which is a much more peaceful look at winter. I also stumbled upon the Tip of the Iceberg, which sounds fantastic too!

I also think I want to reread Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink. I simply loved this heartwarming book. I am also hoping to read Ghosts of Greenglass House, as I really loved Greenglass House when I read it. And then for of course for some more lightheartedness, Secret Nights and Northern Lights. I am obsessed with the aurora borealis and traveling to Iceland (a top five on my bucket list!) so I am looking forward to this one.

I keep running across this series, the Highland Bookshop Mystery series, and I feel like I need to try it. Plus this cover is beautiful.

And you may have guessed it. Dungeon Crawler Carl is the book I am reading for my husband. Who knows, I may love it!

And I have heard the best things about The Frozen River. I don’t read too much historical fiction anymore, but this one sounds like I need to at least try it!

Moon of the Crusted Snow is one I have had on my TBR for YEARS. Maybe this will be the year I actually read the whole thing.

I want to say, I know next week is wish list week, and I know a lot people feel weird about posting their lists. I am not here to change anyone’s mind, but I am really excited about buying a gift for a blogger or two that posts. I am just going to throw everyone in a hat and have Wyatt pick two. I feel like this is such a great community, the TTT crew, and I want to just spread some Christmas cheer.

And, I can’t wait to see what you all are planning! Who knows, my list might change after I see what is on your plate!