Episode 33: Cozy Christmas Reads 2024

Hello, hi, and welcome to Medium Lady Reads. This is episode 33, “Cozy Christmas Reads 2024.”

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… time for the fourth annual Cozy Christmas Reads episode! This episode is special because Jillian and Erin are joined by two additional guests, Stephanie Cunningham and Ali Oppenlaender. The four women come together yearly (previous episodes are linked below), to share each year’s picks for a cozy Christmas read. 

If you’re ready for this year’s edition, just hit play wherever you listen to podcasts!

In This Episode:

• As per usual, the ladies begin with a check-in.
• Mentioned in this episode: Cozy Christmas Reads 2023, 2022, 2021
• The ladies rank their reads from scrooge to Christmas on Hallmark Street.
• It's time to share the books! The women go through and each share one book, and then they go around a second time to share their second book.
• You MUST listen in to hear Stef’s second pick. You won’t believe what she chose! 🤪🤪 Be sure to weigh in your thoughts on what Stef chose. 
• It wouldn’t be an episode of Medium Lady Reads without hot takes, tune in to find out what we’re all thinking.
• All four women share what they’re waiting for from the library and what they’re reading next.
• Connect with the podcast on Instagram @mediumladyreads, Jillian or Erin.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

• Father of the Rain by Lily King
• A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
• A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss
• Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah
• When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
• Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
• The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
• The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
• NeverMoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
• Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday
• Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
• A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss
• We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
• Sandwich by Catherine Newman
• Bride by Ali Hazelwood
• One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood
• What We Sacrifice for Magic by Andrea Jo DeWerd
• Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach
• Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
• The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley
• For She is Wrath by Emily Varga 
• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Transcript

Hello, hi and welcome to Medium Lady Reads.

This is episode 33, a very special episode, our fourth annual Cozy Christmas Reads.

Hi everyone, I'm Jillian and Instagram content strategist for "Poockish People," a mom of two based in Buffalo, New York.

And I'm Erin, a mom of three, a hospital administrator in Ontario, Canada, and the host and founder of the Medium Lady Community, a Medium Lady Talks podcast.

Together we're thrilled to bring you another episode of Medium Lady Reads, a podcast about reading a self-care, a passionate love for the public library, and all of our thoughts and opinions on real culture having this moment.

Hi everyone, it's the most wonderful time of the year!

It really is.

This is episode 33 and it's Cozy Christmas Reads 2024.

This is the fourth ever Cozy Christmas Reads episode, which is freaking exciting, really exciting.

It's amazing!

We will link to episodes from 2021, 2022, and 2023 in the show notes.

For those who know the Cozy Christmas episode traditions well, you know that means we're joined by two amazing special guests.

Yes, and I am so excited to have the full Buddy Reads group on Mike.

Today we're joined by Stephanie Cunningham.

Hello, I'm so excited.

And the originator, the person who came up with the idea and said to me, "Aren, you should do a Cozy Christmas Reads episode."

The one and the only, the originator, the OG Allie Openlander.

Hi everyone, I'm happy to be here.

For today's episode, I'll four of us have brought submissions for your consideration for your reading over the holiday season.

Some books will directly reference Christmas or the Winter of Jason's season, and some books will offer a vibe or option if you're looking for something Cozy adjacent.

Yes, and please know that no one at all on this recording was at all stressed by their choices today, right Stephanie?

Listen, the listeners should know that I take this very seriously, and I've been stressing about it for a whole entire year.

I think you text in September, you're like, "Guys, but what am I going to breed for Cozy Christmas?"

It was, it was September.

I'm trying hard, okay.

You've had a lot of emotional support up until this point.

We'll kick off the episode with our check-in where we answer this key question.

Allie, how's your reading going?

What are you reading lately?

It's going well.

I'm reading probably around a book a week and a half.

All things considered with what's going on with my life in the middle of a renovation and just, you know, parenting and work.

Getting a book in every like 10 days is pretty good for my opinion.

What I'm reading right now is our buddy Reid, "Father the Rain" by Lily King.

Also just on my lily lily liby app got Ashley Poston's new book.

I think it's in her new book.

A novel loves novel love story.

Sorry everyone, tongue twister, a novel love story.

So I just got that on my liby app and that's a seven day read.

And I also really want to get to the Jenny Bayless book that Erin read last year and very kindly sent it into the mail to me last year as well.

So tied, kind of tied, which one I should pick up next.

Oh yeah, I forgot I mailed you that one.

You're so good.

You received it and then you're like, "I'm going to save it."

I'm going to save it for next.

Yeah, next Christmas.

It has been in my like drawer just patiently waiting for December to roll around.

And Jenny Bayless is so good.

Oh my goodness.

I think we we recommended her last year.

I think she was on all past cozy Christmas reads episodes.

I was a recommendation.

I think so.

I think she's she's stood the test of time for sure.

Yeah, we love Jenny Bayless here.

All right.

As our other guest, Steph, you get to go next.

How's your reading going and what are you currently reading?

Gosh, November has been such a struggle for me in my reading.

I was doing great in trucking along and then just hit a busy season and I have DNF.

I think four books this month and I was just getting 30 and 40% and just not feeling it and trying Erin's DNF challenge and just ended up DNFing more than I've actually been reading.

But I'm going to get there.

I'm reading our buddy read, Father of the Rain.

And I'm also reading Kristen Hannah has a early Christmas novella that she released like 20 years ago or something like that called comfort and joy.

And I'm in my quest to find a great cozy Christmas read.

I'm trying to read her comfort and joy right now.

So that could be when you bring to the pod next year.

Yeah, we'll see.

We'll see time.

We'll tell we'll have to we'll have to do a big bash for our fifth maybe we'll do like a live stream for our fifth.

Our fifth annual cozy Christmas will get Christmas or in person.

Yeah, that would be I was thinking in person.

Yeah, in person.

All right, in person, even better.

We'll just like rent a hotel room and hunker down and that won't be chaotic at all.

I can imagine only good things.

And I look forward to editing that.

Erin, last episode you shared you were really feeling your anxiety.

How's your reading going the last few weeks?

Yeah, thankfully I feel like I'm on like a very gentle incline out of my mental health low.

And I've been really leaning heavily into connection.

Just like people, people, people, people, and it's really helping a lot.

And with that, you know, the reading I think is going okay.

Definitely slowed down.

I think for November, I'll have single digits for the month, which is the first time in the year that I've had that.

But listen, that's also was like the totally normal reading month any other year before.

And I've just hit really high reading numbers this year.

And I'm very, very happy to just let my reading slow down.

I am also currently reading our buddy read.

I just got to the milestone last night, the second milestone.

And I also recently started when the moon hatched by Sarah A Parker.

This is the latest, Busy Romanticie book.

I feel very stressed about reading this book on Libby because it tells me that 12 people are waiting and I have 18 days to read it.

And in the Libby app, I think it's like 1000.

It's like a house on Libby, 991 on my phone.

I'm not reading it on my phone.

But yeah, that's what I'm currently reading.

And yeah, just like enjoying books for books, doing a little bit more annotating, doing a little bit more of like the fall reading pace and like making sure I have my tea and kind of setting up the vibe more than when I usually read.

I'm like reading a sliver here there and catching whatever I can whenever I can.

So yeah.

All right, Jillian, you're going to wrap up this segment for us.

Tell the people.

How is your reading going and what are you currently reading?

Well, it's going good.

I would say I've been picking up books more than I've been scrolling except for today.

Today, as we are recording this on November, I don't even know what the date is 24th.

I have been picking up my phone quite a bit today, but overall I've been reading a lot more and also trying to set the vibe for myself, you know, getting super cozy and bad and picking up the book and putting the phone, you know, to the side where I can't see it.

I'm not more likely to pick it up.

So it's been going well.

I am reading currently also our buddy read and then I'm reading Love Light Farms by B.K.

Borison, which is very good so far.

I've had somebody new.

So I've shared a couple of times that I this was a recommendation from an Instagram friend who said it was delightful.

Somebody new message me today say that they were surprised by the steamy-ness of it.

And I didn't ask them to elaborate.

So I don't know if that means that there were was more steamy-ness than was expected or less.

So more to come on that.

You'll hear about it in a future episode.

I'm sure.

The steamy Valentine's Day reads.

Yeah.

There's Ali with the ideas.

Ali's like, Ali's like, oh, spicy, spicy February.

Yes, we like it.

Okay, very good.

All right, everyone, thank you.

I love, I just love the check in.

I could let it last the whole episode and be like, oh, yeah, okay.

And tell me more about this and that and the other thing.

But we're going to move into the heart of the episode, which is our cozy Christmas reads.

I'm excited to hear the range of books that you've all brought to the show today on a scale of zero being screwed and Baha'i Bugg to 10 Christmas on Hallmark Street.

What are we in for today?

Steph, what's the what's what do you rank your books at?

Okay, listen, I tried really hard.

I don't want to be a scrooge, but mine definitely don't have the Christmas winter wonderland element to them.

So I would have to put myself like in the three, four scrooge range.

Three, four, I mean, they're good winter recommendations and I will explain them to you.

I think it will be it'll be a hear me outcake if you're up on that trend on social media.

It'll be a hear me out.

This is a good solid winter read.

Okay, Steph, Steph's giving us three to four.

Listen, there are listeners out there that are three, four.

I 100% guarantee you.

There's people who are like, cozy Christmas.

Okay, three, four.

Oh, that's my girl right there.

All right, Ali, what about you on a scale of zero scrooge and Baha'i Bugg to 10 Christmas on Hallmark Street.

What what are we in for today?

What are your recommendations bringing?

So the first one is the ultimate like 10 Christmas on Hallmark Street, the cheese, the snow, the everything you want.

And then my second one is maybe two.

It's full of love.

But it's not like it's all a feelings, but not like Christmasy feelings.

Feelings are good feeling we want feelings.

Like I'll elaborate when I talk about my two.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay.

All right.

Listen, I don't know what that average is out to.

It's like a five point three, four, but you're you you you vaulted over Stephanie scrooge Stephanie.

All right, Jillian, come on.

Let's pull this average up a little bit.

What what have you got today?

I have two tens.

I'm not both of them are Christmas books that I really enjoyed and definitely gave me the cozy feels when I was reading them.

So there's your there's your average bringer upper.

Oh my gosh.

Thank you.

Thank you for your service.

Much appreciated.

I think I'm a solid seven and a half.

I have one book that is holiday winter love romance.

Chris, there's a Christmas tree.

There's a make out session in front of a Christmas tree.

I feel like that's like hard 10.

And then my other one is cozy.

It's about hope.

It's about healing.

And so, you know, I don't give it like it's not giving hard Christmas.

But it's going to it's going to treat you right this holiday season.

So all right, all right.

I feel like we really recovered in the end in the relay baton passing.

I'm proud of us.

All right.

I have a feeling after that, you know, run down that listeners are finally ready to hear about the books.

Okay.

And tell us about the books we will.

So without further ado, Jillian, you're going to start and then Ali and then Steph and then me and then back to Jillian.

So we've each brought two books to the show.

So listeners, you will leave with eight amazing choices for your potential holiday TBR no matter where you find yourself on the spectrum between Scrooge and Christmas on Hallmark Street.

All right, Jillian, are you ready?

Because you're first.

I'm ready.

Take it away.

All right.

So the first book that I'm bringing is the most wonderful crime of the year by Ali Carter.

You have heard me talk about this on the pod before, but that's okay because it is that good.

And it is the cozy Christmas vibes that we're looking for.

Here's the premise.

When mystery writers Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt rival with clashing personalities are invited to a Christmas house party hosted by the famous author Eleanor Ashley.

They expect an eccentric evening, not a real life mystery.

The night takes a strange turn when Eleanor disappears from a locked room, leaving the two writers snowbound and suspicious of each other unsure if Eleanor is in danger or testing them.

Maggie and Ethan are forced to work together to find her navigating complex clues and rising tensions as they race to solve the mystery the stakes grow and so does the spark between them.

And you don't necessarily get the cozy vibes from that description, but in the book, there are lots of tea drink.

There is lots of tea drinking.

There's cuttling in front of the fire.

There's Christmas trees and presents and lots of everybody's stuck in this place with because of the snow.

It just, it really gave me the cozy vibes when I was reading it.

And I thought it was the perfect book to bring to this episode.

I really want to read this.

No, it sounds like it hits those cozy Christmas vibes.

I really want you to read this because I feel like I'm always sort of like measuring a book that many people love and then the books that Stephanie loves.

And I feel I feel like there's an exceptionally it's like that one.

It's like that one person you try extra hard for you go like you're like super thirsty for their approval.

Whenever there's books and I'm like, I don't know.

I'm like, Steph, you have like just like such a unique individual fingerprint of what you love to read that I heard about this book and I was like, I want Stephanie cutting him to read this book and I wonder if it will like fit into the tiny piece of the pie of books that win her favor and approval.

Her lasting favor and approval, but that's just me, I don't know.

Your unique way of looking at books is a really kind way to say that I'm picky and I have high standards and I don't rate very high, but I did as Jillian was talking I was literally putting it on hold at my library.

So hopefully it will show up during this Christmas season and I will let you know, so sounds promising.

I'm very excited.

What a what a winner.

I already got one person over to my side to read it.

You've already won.

I appreciate you and your hallmark suggestions.

Go ahead, Ali.

So my my pick for this cozy Christmas read is the holiday swap by Maggie Knox.

Maggie Knox.

They're actually two authors in their local Canadian authors out in Toronto.

So that is there.

They wrote it together and this is their sit in them.

And the nopsis on this fun read is when chef Charlie good when gets hit on the head on the LA set of her reality baking show.

She loses a lot more than her consciousness.

She also loses her ability to taste and smell both critical to her success as show judge.

Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin cast is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex who won't get the memo that they're over with only days until Christmas.

A desperate Charlie asks cast do something they haven't done since they were kids switch places.

Looking for her own escape from reality cast agrees but temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician assistant Mike well Rodriguez are thrown into the mix.

Will the twins identities swap be a recipe for disaster or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track.

So this is the super cute read it's like a set into places in LA where it's like you know warm Palm Beach sunshine all the time and then a small hometown where there's like snow when it's cooler weather and.

There's just cozy scenes of like walking as small town snow is falling and romance and Christmas cookies is just has all those warm cozy vibes of that you're looking for in a holiday read has anyone else read this.

Yeah I read it a few years ago it's really good it's really cute I read it I'm looking back at my good reads and I gave it three stars and I did it but I didn't leave any notes so.

I think it was very like usually when I do a holiday read as like three stars i'm like oh that was a homework movie like it was and which is like you know what you're getting into like but it's cute and it's cozy and like that one does have all the like Christmas snowy.

Bakery vibes to it so yeah yeah it is the typical home art Christmas that you want it has the it's all wrapped up neatly at the end a nice bow and everyone's happy and there's no Christmas.

I will make a pitch as to why reading the home mark book romance is better than watching the home mark romance on TV and my number one pitch for that is you can cast your own characters because who hasn't like stumbled upon a home mark romance on TV and been like oh yeah I could totally spend my time doing this while I also enjoy the glow of the tree or drink a bit of eggnog or eat some treats or cut it up with my husband while he's scrolled.

His phone or whatever and then all of a sudden you're enough the way through that you just realize that like something about the the shape of the eyes of the main male lead character you can't stand anymore and like if you have to look at their faces one time.

Maybe it's just me I don't know but I just sometimes I find like the casting sometimes on how mark movies just feels like just a little bit left of like what you would expect from Hollywood and and I just love to read and cast my own people and then not be distracted by that at any point whatsoever so I don't know maybe that's like a really snobby take on home mark movies which like no shade I love a home mark movie but that's why I think you should pick up a home mark book instead of a home mark movie this holiday season.

Alright Steph I will permit you to go next because it is your turn okay.

It's my turn and hear me out my first book that I'm bringing I think there's a lot of times during the holidays that were traveling or in the car or we're doing activities with our kids maybe we have to wrap up on tickets and you might need a really good audio book for this cozy Christmas time of your life and so.

I'm proposing never more the trials of Morgan Crow.

Nevermore is the first in a series of middle grade fantasy series that is really good and I have to admit I haven't listened to it on audio but I've read the books and I really loved them and Aaron and I think Jillian you too as well listen to them on audio and raved about the audio and so.

Here is the synopsis a cursed girl escapes death and finds herself in a magical world but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination Morgan Crow is cursed having been born on even tide the unlucky stay for any child to be born she's blamed for all the local misfortunes from hailstones to heart attacks and worst of all the curse means that Morgan is doomed to die at midnight on her 11th birthday.

But as Morgan will wait for her fate a stranger remarkable man named Jupiter North appears chased by black smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback he whisks her away into the safety of a secret magical city called nevermore it's then that Morgan discovers that Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization the wondrous society in order to join she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart an extraordinary talent that Morgan insists she does not.

To stay in the safety of nevermore for good Morgan will need to find a way to pass the test or shall have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

Nevermore is the best Stephanie i'm very proud of you that's an amazing Christmas calls Christmas choice why i can't believe you stressed it's such a good book.

It's a it is a really good book and i'm do for reread and i'm really excited.

Great choice what do you mean do for reread i think i read it about four or five years ago probably i'll have to like see if that's actually true based on when it came out but it's been several years since i read it and i like rated it five stars and i remember eagerly awaiting the second one to come out like i could not wait for it to come out.

I don't remember you know i don't remember things in books i remember nothing except for the feeling that it left me with and i'm really eager to give the audio a try and so i might listen to a few chapters of the first.

Audio book and see if my kids might be ready for it they might still be a little young but i want to test it out and i just want to get.

I'm going to get dive back into that world again because i loved being in it the first time around until i love that it's a great book i think your kids are experienced enough with audio book consumption that they will be fine.

Like i think if it's your first audiobook your kids have ever listened to it's new on storytelling plot pacing but i definitely think that like if your kids are really used to audio books or they've.

You know maybe some role doll or some Harry Potter on audio then you're you're going to be fine but this book also has sort of like.

It has a bit of north pole vibes like it how much how do i say that it's like a magical town with magical things in a magical hotel and magical objects and magical animals and so it has this sort of like the same kind of feeling that you get when you watch.

Maybe the movie the Santa Claus or Arthur Christmas or some of those movies that depict the north pole you get that vibe it definitely passes Christmas because the book takes place over about a calendar year and you experience.

Morgan experiences Christmas and never more for the first time so it does it's very cozy it has this like a living a living hotel that kind of guesses what you need and like lots of wonderful warm characters that are sort of like.

There with a cup of hot cocoa or all of these wonderful it's kind of like opening a small like box with many different compartments that's how I would describe that book I think it's perfect for Christmas and.

The fourth one will come out I think in.

Oh shoot is it February or June of next year so in terms of being due for a reread it's great timing because the fourth book is coming out in 25.

Sorry I was looking up the date of the fourth one it might already be out I can't find a definitive answer but that I'm excited it's called silver born.

Oh yeah June 2025 I'm excited now so yeah maybe the kids and I'll dive in over Christmas break and it'll be really fun great pick.

Alright Aaron what you got thank you okay all right I have been waiting to talk about this book for almost a whole year my book is Canadian boyfriend by Jenny holiday.

This unassuming little book is the sweetest most delightful cutest story I've read in a really long time it completely hit the spot in terms of my reading life and I read it over the span of just a few days.

And keep in mind like I said I've read this book in February of this year and I have just been so excited to finally bring it to medium lady reads for cozy Christmas reads here's the summary.

Canadian boyfriend by Jenny holiday is a delightful heartfelt romance that asked the question what happens when a harmless teenage fib comes back to rewrite your love story.

Aurora Evans once crafted the ultimate teenage escape plan a fake Canadian boyfriend he was the perfect excuse to dodge awkward social situations especially since he was inspired by a real boy she met for one magical moment at the model of America.

Years later that little white lie feels like ancient history until Mike Martin a pro hockey player and widower walks into Aurora's life.

Mike is juggling a grieving daughter a challenging return to hockey and his own shattered trust after learning his late wife had secrets of her own.

Aurora steps in as an unexpected ally connecting with his daughter and helping him hold his life together equal parts funny and tender this story explores love trust and second chances.

All wrapped up in a winchery small town romance this is perfect.

I think for readers looking for a cozy feel good read with a really light dash of holiday charm.

For me I really love the character Aurora from the start she's a struggling person she's kind of had this failure to launch as an adult she's doing her best she manages a couple different jobs a couple different gigs.

She's spending for herself after having a childhood that was totally consumed by ballet and the oppression of her mother who was quite abusive and then there's Mike who was actually like still to this day like I have to like swoon and fan over Mike Miller probably the most perfect male main character I've read personally to my taste.

He's probably a little too perfect but it was just what I needed to relax into the story I never worried that Mike was going to be like a typical guy quote on quote and I really like that he was able to talk about his grief and his wife and when he was angry and when he was sad about all of the things that he had issues with.

And overall this is also still a pretty cozy book part of the book takes place over Christmas.

A lot of the book takes place in the winter and Minnesota I believe and then at the end it wraps up with this camping trip there's a couple of parts where people would be like oh everything would have been fixed if these characters were in therapy but I really think like the truth of the matter is therapy doesn't fix everything and I will continue to recommend and rave about this book and Stephanie don't tell me if you hated it because it will hurt my feelings.

I haven't read it yet but I like know that hockey romance is like all the rage right now so this might be a good entry for me into hockey romance.

This is the only hockey romance I've ever read and I don't I don't think I could read any other ones.

Allie I think you read this.

Now it was a perfect read yeah I loved it as well it was just it was so it was a cozy read yeah it was so cute alright four books and I think we're doing pretty well I think we're we're averaging very close to Christmas on Hallmark Street.

But here's round two and this is where our curve balls are thrown in round two.

All right Jillian let's keep the streak alive your first your first with our next round of recommendations.

All right so my first one that I'm bring my first in the second round is Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayless so while we mentioned earlier in the episode that Jenny Bayless has made it into almost every years.

Crosie Christmas fourth year she's still holding strong with our Kiss Me at Christmas.

This is a great book it is deals with found family you have the cozy vibe of winter and tea and all the things that I mentioned for my previous book I would mention again for this one minus it being a mystery.

Here's the premise for you Christmas can officially get stuffed because Harriet Smith is not feeling bright and marry this year.

She hasn't for a while so when her college age daughter opts for Manhattan's winter wonderland instead of Christmas at home Harriet finds herself seeking solace and a wine soaked one night stand.

But how Harriet will spend the holidays is swiftly decided for her after she takes the fall for some students who break into the town's old winter theater.

To get the students off the hook the theaters elderly owner requests that Harriet direct the washed out stages final Christmas performance.

And Harriet will do anything to help the kids even work with the owner's lawyer who as it turns out is her lesson impressed one night stand directing the play with him won't exactly change your life but it might just reignite the Christmas spirit and remind her what makes life Mary and bright again.

I really really love this book it's not my favorite Jenny Bayless my favorite is season of second chances which I think I brought the first year that I was on.

But it is it's really good I really enjoyed this quite a lot I know Aaron you read it yeah I really really like this one I say it ranks up there one of my favorite things about Jenny Bayless is when she writes about older female protagonists.

So this one has an older female protagonist last years had the sisters with a slightly older female protagonist I felt like that was really good and season for second chances features main characters that are in their 50s mid 50s and I just feel like that's really where her work really shines and she can really.

She can really do something a little different I cast Kate Winslet and Chris Pine if you care in the characters Harriet and James and I feel like her books always call for like the way she describes things you really want to feel what could this like theater look like and what is the community look like and when she's crossing the street in the village what does that feel like and I just feel like her books are very cinematic I can't believe nobody's made them into me is yet because I think they're perfect for it yeah that's a really good point I'm.

Surprise that they haven't been picked up for hallmark or or you know any number of holiday movies because they are perfect yeah I'm really excited to read this one I think she's my favorite like of the cozy Christmas read genre I actually have season for second chances it's like my next book ready to go so I'm excited for that one and I already have this newer one on hold so I'm looking forward to it love that okay alley you're up next awesome okay so we're going to be ready to go to the next one.

Okay so my my next pick is obviously not a Jenny Bay was Christmas book but it is one that I just finished reading and like such a beautiful book it broke my heart into a million pieces and then just kind of put it back together again and this book is called we all we all want impossible things by Catherine Newman.

This nopsis is edith and Ashley have been best friends for over 42 years they've shared the mundane and the moment you as together trick or treating and binge drinking Gilligan's Island reruns and REM concerts Hickeys and heartbreak surprise Scottish wakes marriages and fertility and children as ash says Eddie's memory is like the backup hard drive for mine but now the unthinkable has happened Eddie is dying of a variant cancer and spending her last days at hospice near ash who stumbles into heartbreak surrounded by her daughters ex-ish has been dear friends of poorly chosen lover or two and a rotating cast of leadingly human hospice cat characters as the filler on the roof soundtrack blast all day long from the room next door Eddie and ash remnants hold on and try to let go meanwhile ash struggles with being an imperfect friend wife and parent with life in other words distilled to his heartbreaking joyful and comedic essence.

For anyone who's ever lost a friend or had one get ready to laugh through your tears.

So this is a book I would recommend reading after Christmas read it read it after Christmas and before nears it's just you can read it in a sitting it's a sort 200 page book and it's just it is so beautiful it's just a beautiful reminder of just a friendship and family and being surrounded by love.

It actually I think it is set in February and March so it does have like there are cozy walking scenes in the book it is just it is such a beautiful beautiful book and Aaron I think you've read it right keep your tissues close by yes keep your tissues close by and wrap yourself in a blanket and make sure you're warming cozy and yeah.

Remind your partner that you're going to be sobbing and it's fine.

Don't be alarmed and also have your phone close by so you can text all your best friends that you love them yeah that you treasure them and yeah it's just Catherine Newman I don't know what she's she's really good at voice like the voice of the character.

They're these kind of snappy smart women and they're trying their best but they sometimes they do stupid stuff and they're just like very lovable people experiencing incredibly incredibly hard things I felt the same way about sandwich which was released it's this summer sandwich is not a cozy Christmas if anything like I would say you have to read that book in the summer but I'm so glad you brought this alley this is like.

We all want impossible things is that's a really special book like if you're looking for a short book to you know get more reading in before the end of the year this is a really good recommendation alley yeah read it if you have a nine or a billion you mentioned that you have it on your your holds list you put it on your tb as well.

Yeah I literally just requested it from the library I figured what the hell yeah what the hey what the hey.

That's stuff if you read it and don't like it don't let don't tell me three stars.

I will give it a chance I will give it a chance.

It sounds wonderful don't they all yes yes they know all right Steph we have been cruising we have been cruising and I see what you're recommending next and I just really want to hear this pitch so bad.

So take it away buddy hear me hear me out.

It's Christmas it's holidays you're really busy Aaron is crying laughing she I wish you could see that she is like on her head and like shame laughter.

Okay it's Christmas you're really busy you don't have time to like get into a really like deep emotional or deep world building book and so I'm recommending.

Bride by Ali is a little.

Oh my god say more say more.

And Aaron's gone okay listen here it here me out I did read this book over Christmas vacation last year and I was kind of in the middle of like doing.

The two family Christmas is and going here and everywhere and I devoured this book it was so easy to just pick up and put back down it's like twilight for grown ups let me read you the synopsis.

A dangerous alliance between a vampire bride and an alpha we're both becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into this new paranormal romance.

I promise it works.

And sent me a now I can stop.

Okay misery like the only daughter of the most powerful vampire councilman of the southwest is an outcast again her days of living and in a meeting among the humans are over she's been called up upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the vampires and their friends the wears and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange again.

Wears are ruthless and unpredictable and their alpha low more land is no exception he rules his pack with absolute authority but not without justice and unlike the vampire council not without feeling.

It's clear from the way he tracks miseries every movement that he doesn't trust her if only he knew how right he was because misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances and anything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about and she's willing to do whatever it takes to get back what's hers even if it means a life alone and we're territory alone with the wolf.

It's spicy adult twilight it's open door if that matters to you but it just it's not it was a fun world of romance that wasn't a beetroot like I feel like when we want like a light fun.

Romance like we have to get like a summary kind of pity.

Home arki beach read and this is not that it is like a fun world I think it's one of her better like I like this more than her stem novels I think it was a good dip for her into the like fantasy world and it is not cozy or Christmas but is not it is not beachy and it is a quick fun romance and pitch.

Aaron still laughing I see it like where will hold.

I want to know what Jillian thinks about this.

No I mean to each their own I I I would not recommend this for Christmas reads but you know what that's okay because not everybody reads the same books that I read.

Here's what I'm going to say about bride bride is definitely one of the most immersive books that I read it was absolutely like suck me in buckle up.

Couldn't couldn't even fathom what my life was when I was reading this book it will if it's your thing you're going to just want to be reading this book.

That's a great experience to have over the holidays if you are taking vacation or if you're feeling over stimulated by all the things Christmas and you can like pretend you have a headache and go lock your door in your room and just like read bride.

That's you know that's definitely going to be a cozy Christmas experience for somebody.

It does work step I give you that it does thank you all you for your support.

We never defined cozy Christmas like what makes a cozy Christmas read and I think like the more the more episodes we do this is the fourth one we really realize is like we just want you to read over the holidays.

And we want to give you like a buffet of options and sometimes you show up at the buffet and there's like pickled onions and you're like whoa pickled onions okay and then somebody shows up and they're like oh I love when they have these they never have these out there let's just say cunning hands bringing you the pickled onions and the buffet wow.

You want to make sure that you that your money's worth when you ride is pickled onions and you're a turkey dinner and really need the listeners to weigh in and back me up on this.

I okay but but with that the way that analogy I would choose the pickled onions at my turkey dinner because turkey dinners are awful they're boring and yes and you go excuse me the pickled onions so I I support this choice stuff I support that and I think that is good.

If you don't want boring holiday home like I bring you pickle that needs.

Steph brings the pickle whatever bring the pickle yeah yeah if you've heard most wonderful crime of the year and you're like and pass if you heard holiday swap and you're like and pass you heard Canadian boyfriend and you're like goodness gracious guys if you heard kiss me at Christmas and you felt like you were getting cavities from how sweet it is that's why Steph is bringing.

Bride it really is I stand by it it is open door twilight is what it is exactly what it is if people haven't yet read bride they will now it's also beautiful book the feeling of that book how it just like opens nicely remember no.

Yeah the physical book the publisher of that book yes it's true I don't know if it's Berkeley they do a good job of publishing paperbacks they do they do they're they're nice to hold.

I don't know if I'm going to put bride in the script and I didn't know she was even going to commit to bringing bride but she did so if you're saying you know maybe we want to find a detour back to Christmas on Hallmark Street I think I have that book.

Oh my god I'm going to review how to read a book by Monica Wood this book falls into a category that I would call hope and healing and you know the types of books that kind of feel like a warm hug with characters that you feel this like tenderness towards and how to read a book by Monica Wood is exactly that kind of book.

So here's a bit of a premise we first meet violet a 22 year old convict finishing her jail sentence of three years convicted of manslaughter after killing a woman while drunk driving the only saving grace of violets weeks are her time with the prisons book club with Harriet the retired English teacher who brings a variety of stories to the club.

Harriet on the outside lives a quietly satisfying life and enjoys frequenting the local bookstore for book club recommendations a chance to pat the cat of the week and hopefully catch a glimpse of Frank the handsome handyman between the shelves Frank is a widower having lost his wife to a horrible accident three years ago.

This book is a great mix of balanced writing compelling characters and enough plot to bring everything together what I love about this book so much is its reference to other books especially those that have been most meaningful to the prison book club books that talk about books hold a special place in most readers shelves and while you might make assumptions about the direction of this book based on the summary I promise it will surprise you in many many ways it often doesn't go as expected but rather towards an even more delightful and satisfying and.

Another thing you'll love about this book are our elder characters Harriet and Frank the story is really about violet but I am a sucker for a sassy elder and while I wouldn't call Harriet or Frank nearly a sassy as someone like owner from one and a million boy which is also by Monica wood and sidebar another great option for a cozy Christmas read the writing that Monica would uses to portray Frank and Harriet as full fledged characters with long lives lived and still a lot of.

And still a lot of curiosity and growth ahead of them is just really satisfying and give me these warm feelings and made me really just want to settle in and spend time with the characters.

I think you can read how to read a book at any time of year and it will definitely meet you where you're at but for the end of the year the holiday season it's a really nice comforting book about the state of the world being one where people can still be found and saved.

And I don't know if I managed to lasso that back on the tracks but maybe we made it there somehow.

Literally while you were describing it it came up on my holds and I'm so excited to get to this book I keep having to delay it when it comes up on my libby holds because I've been like doing other.

Books that have to be read before it and so I'm this will be a true like over the Christmas season read for me and I'm really looking forward to it.

I just finished it and I again loved it so much I was so sad when it was over because I felt like I know I couldn't another book would not compare to this one.

And I think we were it was like the four of us we were chatting we were chatting on WhatsApp about one of our previous buddy reads and someone just mentioned hey did you know that like Monica would wrote a new book and we we all were like no and I think we all like went into our livi app and put it on hold.

And yeah so I was so happy when I finally got it last month and when I read it it was just it's a perfect book.

I will say this about this book is and I almost never say this I usually say the opposite it could have easily been a hundred more pages.

Yeah it is a small book.

Yeah she ends it in a really concise and efficient way she definitely left me wanting more not in a bad way but again I'm just saying like it's not often where you're like oh I wish that book was longer like usually it's like you know I mean truly medley guilty I'll just you know could have been a pamphlet wait.

Oh my gosh okay everybody here's the rundown of our cozy Christmas reads for 2024 Jillian is recommending the most wonderful crime of the year by Ali Carter and kiss me at Christmas by Jenny Bayless Ali is recommending the holiday swap by Maggie Knox and we all want impossible things by Catherine Newman.

Steph is recommending never more the trials of Morgan Crow by Jessica Townsend as well as bride by Ali Hayes a wood I am recommending Canadian boyfriend by Jenny holiday and how to read a book by Monica wood that's a stack that is a good shelf guys yeah I kind of want to see all those books together like I want to like go to my library and just like be that person who gets those books out and then makes a photo and then returns them all.

Maybe I'll run around in to go Ali and just like make a stack do it listeners if you do that if you go to the library and you do request any of these all of them please take a photo and send it to us at we are not we at medium finding oh my god.

I'm I'm tired medium finding happy that's a new one.

I know I love it at medium lady reads send it to us at medium lady reads and we will be happy to post it in our stories and share it because that would be awesome.

All right it is time for hot takes and our current thoughts on book culture hot take is an opinion usually formed off the cuff and with little research sometimes provocative today's hot take is Christmas books genius marketing by publishers or holiday consumerism infecting the book world.

Do readers really need Christmas books so let's start with you step what do you think.

Okay I feel like in I live in Florida and the states and we don't get Christmas weather and so a lot of times we are trying to fabricate Christmas feelings and so I appreciate things that help me fabricate that feeling so I want to like the hallmark movies the you know the cozy Christmas reads.

But then I can't there's very few of them that I really love like I get to them and I'm like this is cheesy somebody just made them write this for the sake of marketing and it wasn't very good so I want to love them I just don't love them and I think it's more like genius marketing but I think we need them and I think people maybe keep writing them and I'm going to keep reading Jenny Bayless.

Yeah I I agree with you Steph we need them but do we need all of them that are out there I haven't gone to a bookstore in a while but I'm sure the table in front of like the book shop will be full of Christmas books and probably half of them I won't even have heard of or like know who the author is.

But yeah no one can replace Jenny Bayless Jenny Bayless is the OG Christmas Queen.

Yeah I don't know if that answers my question to do I mean I love that take like we need them but do we need so many of them and I'm I'm totally with you like I think there have been more and more books that are written to the trends then I ever thought possible and I do think that when I think of somebody who's doing it year after you.

And doing it really really well somebody like Jenny Bayless instead of somebody who's there's a lot of them and there's a lot of authors I've never heard of and it's not that I've have to have heard of all the authors who write cozy Christmas reads it just makes me think that like there is a machine humming in the background there is a machine that cares about being able to capitalize on people's spending habits around the season and these books must sell really really really well but I agree with you.

I feel like there is like a real like proliferation of them but it's the same with home I mean I guess maybe we do we do need them because you look at home mark homework makes what like 52 movies a season and it's like we don't we probably don't need them any movies but we have that many so I don't know it kind of leaves me baffled I do think it is genius marketing but there is sometimes this moment where I feel like genius marketing kind of like hurts my heart a little bit when it comes but is that just me being snobby.

Am I just being snobby about that no I don't think so I don't know I kind of like struggle with it.

I agree with the three of you I think that there are there's a need for some but not all there's one I was just looking it up that I read last year at the end of 2023 that was just not good and I'll refrain from naming it but it was just not good and it was really boring and I'm not going to be able to do it.

I was reading and it was like I was reading a home watching a home mark movie in a book but not one of the good ones.

So I think that there's a need for some because I you know I enjoy reading Jenny Bayless I enjoy reading the better ones but I don't think that we need all of them.

Alright well that's our hot take now we're going to wrap up with the holds list Jillian and I are very passionate about the library and because we're both avid users we both have very active holds list and we feel like that's something we don't hear a lot about on book podcast or book talk or Instagram.

We know it's something that we love offering our own bookish community and we know that staff and Ali are both very active library users as well.

So we're going to share what's on our holds list and what we're reading next to let you all know what we'll be reaching for on our TBRs.

Alright Jillian you are first what is on your holds list.

Alright I only have one thing sitting and waiting for me and it's what we sacrifice for magic by Andrea Joe to word.

I don't know whether I'm going to read this one right now or if I'm going to put it aside and just requested again come October well September October next year.

But I'm going to pick it up I'm going to read the description of it and we'll see where we get from there.

Up next for me is how to read a book by Monica Wood which has been listed and talked about a couple of times already.

It is already due with the library so I have to read this but I got to finish lovely farms first and then I'll get to how to read a book.

Alright Ali you're up next.

Okay so my holds list I have a few coming up in in December and one next week the one next week is Margot's got money troubles and I know both Jillian and Aaron you two have chatted about this one.

And then the wedding people by Allison as patch that one is coming up in December as well and then rainbow powell slow dance and that was an Aaron recommendation.

So those are the ones that are coming up soon and as I just mentioned at the beginning of this episode I just got Ashley Ashley post ins and novel love story on my liby.

So that is what I'll be reading next.

What about you I love how you mentioned it earlier in the episode that like are like lists of like what we've just read and what we're about to read is just like one revolving door of all of us reading or mentioning and reading and mentioning this.

I feel like I don't have anything to mention at all I have a next is a season for second chances and then the roughest draft by Austin Sigmund Broko.

I think that was an Aaron recommendation I think I can remember.

And then I also have a really I swear I read it.

Okay there we go.

This is a Jillian recommendation and then on my liby holds I have coming up soon how to read a book like we already talked about and I'm excited about that one and then a novel love story which alley had coming up soon to Aaron what do you have.

So I have not too much going on on my holds right now and I've been dabbling with returning everything and actually reading the books that I own really radical activity is to actually read the books that you own.

I feel like I've kind of reached a tipping point and if anyone heard episode 120 with Nick on medium lady talks where I talked about buying used books and not feeling guilty about them he was sort of gently teasing me that I should maybe read them also by them and read them.

That being said what I have on my TBR is a book called for she is wrath this book is circling book talk it's young adult fantasy it's by Emily Varga and the synopsis says 364 days frame for crime she didn't commit danya accounts down her days in prison until she can exact revenge on Mazin the boy responsible for downfall the boy she once loved and still can't forget.

And it goes on from there so there's been a couple of book talk accounts that I follow that have been really raving about this book and giving it five stars so I'll be excited to dive into that one.

When it comes available and then what I have up next is I think I'm going to be reading the gentleman in Moscow which is a book that my friend Emily is let me so I have a hard copy from her and I've borrowed that probably since August but I felt like I was kind of waiting for the winter it feels like Moscow kind of wintery.

So I'm going to be reading that so yeah I think I think that's what I'm going to pick up next but I'm not really sure and I also that will probably take me a long time because I am reading when the moon hatched which is one million pages long.

Okay.

I think that's it.

I think we did wraps up episode 33 of the medium lady reads podcast.

Medium lady reads is a spinoff of the medium lady talks podcast and Instagram community.

If you enjoyed this episode I would love it if you took a moment and texted it to a friend or loved one.

If you're looking to connect with us you can find me on Instagram.

I'm Jillian finding happy.

You can find Aaron at medium dot lady.

You can also find Stephanie at Steph's key and Ali at Ali dot open lander both of them will be linked in the show notes.

And of course you can follow the podcast itself on Instagram at medium lady reads.

If you like this episode please share it with another bookish friend or post on IG and be sure to tag us.

We would be tickled pink to hear from you.

Thank you for listening.

I'm your host Jillian.

And I'm your other host Aaron.

A huge thank you to our co-host for this episode Ali and Steph.

We can't wait to have you back next year and we'll give you the honor of our signature sign-on.

Until next time we hope that you're full to arrive quickly and your next book finds you right where you need it most.

We'll talk to you soon.

Bye.

Bye.

Hot takes or hot cakes.

That's staying in speaking of bride.

Oh God.

God. [laughs]