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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Books, Christmas ·

November 2022 Book Review


Happy Tuesday, friends!!  You girls, it’s my NOVEMBER BOOK REVIEW!!!!

You know what that means…in just a few weeks, it’s my final book review of the entire year!

Whoa!

That went by quickly.

So…last month, I lamented about how this year has not been super great for me in the reading department.  For whatever reason, I keep reading books I don’t love, and based on your comments last month, so do you too.  I guess that means, we have a lot of really amazing books to look forward to in 2023, right? #fingerscrossed

I say all of that to say, every year in November, I read holiday books so that I can read and review them prior to December just in time for you to enjoy them too.  And so it’s with little fanfare and a lot of irony that I am here today to let you know, this month I read three Christmas books and didn’t really lovvvve any of them, so I quit and read a “normal” book because I was in a bad mood.  Agh!  If a Christmas novel can’t make me happy, we really do have a problem.  Hahahaha!

For the LOVE, let’s just do this and get it over with…

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss

So, this is my third Jenny Bayliss holiday book to read over the last three years.  All of her novels are light, cute and based in Britain.  This novel here was okay.  I didn’t not like it, but I didn’t love it either.  The main reason?  It’s not very Christmasy.

At all.

This is about a London-based second hand bookshop owner who goes out to the country to a big manor house/event venue in her hometown for a wedding week of two high school friends and meets back up with a man who also went to school with her but is now the gardener.  (Are you with me so far?)  It’s cute and light and let’s be real, predictable (which I don’t hate), but since it wasn’t super Christmas-y (at the end, there is like one paragraph that felt festive), it left me wanting more.  It was just okay.  I didn’t love several of the characters (and there are a lot of characters in this novel), but the setting was very cute.  If you haven’t read the other two books I’ve previously read by this author, I suggest starting there first with either The Twelve Dates of Christmas  or A Season for Second Chances .

Speaking of authors whose books I’ve read in the past…

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

Hughes authors so many books based on the holiday season and different destinations.  In the past, I’ve read her novels Christmas in Paris (which I stated in my book review that month that it was one of ‘the best books I’ve read all year’) and Christmas in London (which I also loved!), so needless to say, I was excited about this novel too.

Eh, it was okay.

This one is about a woman who has a hard time committing to men and breaks up with them right at their one year anniversary.  She goes to a pawn shop one holiday season and sees an old watch there that she had given to her college boyfriend, so she swaps something for it and then her best friend tracks this guy down on Facebook and sees that he’s in Vermont on vacation, so the main character goes to stay at his same inn to “bump into” him.  Yeah.  Not creepy at all. Ha!  I mean, listen, out of the three holiday books I read, this one was my favorite, and I read it quickly because it was so light and cute, but it’s predictable and some events were super glossed over…but it was entertaining enough.  If you’re looking for a more solid recommendation from me though, I suggest the other two novels I’ve read from the author.  Those are both solid choices.

My Knight Before Christmas by Amanda P. Jones

I guess this one is my fault. I should have read more details before diving into this novel because it was in fact a novella.  This book was super short, had no real plot and when it was over, I was so annoyed by my decision to read it that I quit Christmas books altogether.

Here’s my review of this one: don’t bother.

Now, I was in a very bad mood at this point and since I was ditching holiday books, I decided to read the #1 recommended book from you ladies last month instead even though one of the main characters is an octopus and well, that sounds dumb, buuuuuut whatever, so I read…

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

…and it was one of the BEST BOOKS I’VE READ ALL YEAR!

Oh my gosh, all of you read this novel.  Now.  It’s sweet. It’s uplifting.  It’s highly original.  It’s the book I will now be recommending to everyone.  This book gets two big thumbs up and five stars.  If you want to read something really GOOD this month, here you go.

This is a story about an aquarium in Washington and follows the lives of two of the employees and yes, an octopus.  It’s almost hard to explain how the octopus plays a staring role but at the same time, this isn’t cheesy/SciFi.  It’s the story of family, and finding your life’s purpose and moving on and opening your heart.  It’s just lovely.

This booked saved my month 🙂 .

Now, if you really want to find that perfect holiday novel, no worries, I have other recs for you since this month’s lineup was weak.  Make sure you check out…

Plus, look at my book reviews for other options from NOVEMBER 2021, NOVEMBER 2020, NOVEMBER 2019, NOVEMBER 2018 , NOVEMBER 2017.and NOVEMBER 2016.  I have so many great options for your season!!

Also, don’t forget…

To see the complete list of books I read in 2015 (all 63 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2016 (all 62 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2017 (all 62 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2018 (all 61 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2019 (all 54 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2020 (all 54 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2021 (all 59 of them), click here.

That wraps up Book Day!

Sending you all so much love on this Tuesday!

I’ll see all of you back here tomorrow! xx

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Comments

  1. Julie says

    Shay, have you read The Golden Couple? I just finished it, and it was soooo good. It had me guessing all the way through.

  2. Susan Jeffries says

    I have a hard time with a lot of the Christmas books too. I just listened to the Noel Letters and I did like that one! I enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures too. A few other suggestions … The Orphan Train, Mad Honey, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, and The Sundown Motel. I am getting ready to start The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Six of Motley Crue. My reading list has been all over the place this year so that has been fun(: Thanks for the reviews!

  4. Holly says

    I’m so glad you liked Remarkably Bright Creatures. It will be in my 2022 top 5 for sure! Have you read West with Giraffes? It’s another one that I put off and then ended up really liking!

  5. Jenn Rogers says

    I just finished Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh and it’s super cute, perfect holiday rom-com. I also recently read The Women in Black by Madeleine St John, it’s set in Australia in the 50’s at a dept. store and these women all work together in the dress dept. It was delightful!

  6. Katie Compton says

    Have you read The Holiday Swap, by Maggie Knox? I just finished it and loved it! A perfect Christmas book… sister fun, beautiful setting, baking, love. It was perfect!

    • Sunni says

      This was my first Christmas read this year and it is super cute! I sent it to my best friend and mom to read.

  7. Melissa Terry says

    Bummer! I literally had my phone out ready to jot down your Christmas reading recs…I’m disappointed about Mistletoe since 12 Dates is one of my favorite Christmas books.

    I think I’ll start my holiday reading with Always in December. Have you read it? I’ve heard good things…and Remarkably is likely to be my first book of 2023. I have high hopes!

  8. Erin says

    Sadly, I have not found ANY good Christmas books this year. I’m with you….I hope 2023 is a much better reading year. I am intrigued by Remarkably Bright Creatures though and just ran to put it on my library hold list….so, thanks for that one!

  10. kristin mcgeeney says

    Dang that stinks! Here’s to December reading!
    Best books I’ve read recently:

    These Tangled Vines by Julianne MacLean
    One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
    One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

  11. Kit says

    Oh man, So appreciate the honesty!! Jenny Bayliss is a total go-to for me and I absolutely have loved her past novels! I don’t have nearly as much time to read as you do, so I had planned to read her novel but will now likely skip it for something different!! Thinking Winter Street?! Glad you found at least one winner this month 🙂 You inspire me!! Be well!

    • Leticia says

      I picked up the Winter Street series at my library earlier this month. Just finished #3 and really enjoying them – outside of my typical crime drama genre LOL so it’s been refreshing!

  12. Christina Spinella says

    It’s been an off year for me too book wise, but I just finished maybe my favorite book of the year! In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner is fantastic! If you haven’t read it yet, I would put it on your list!!

    • Tina says

      I second Into the Wild Light. Besides Remarkably Bright Creatures, it was my favorite book this year. So good!

    • jennibell says

      YES!!!! I was scrolling through the comments and then going to suggest this one too. So, so good! And something you can even read with your older two since it’s YA (but truly for everyone). Please pick it up if it’s not one you’ve read in the past. Sorry for your bad luck this year — I’ve had a hard time too, so weird. In the Wild Light was the first book in a long time that I finished in under a week.

  13. Jen says

    Oh goodness! How disappointing for you and all of us! 🙁 I’m currently reading Mad Honey and have Lovelight Farms on deck as my holiday read this year.

  14. Sonya Turner says

    I think you would love The House in the Cerulean Sea. This book is amazing, and I absolutely loved the characters. It is not my normal book genre, but I loved it.

  15. Lisa D says

    I’m so happy that you read the wonderful octopus book! I recommend Remarkably Bright Creatures to everyone and it’s my number one favorite book for 2022!

    • Chris Golembeski says

      Hello, every time I try to find the Octopus book, it says to preorder for May2023. How are all of you getting to read this book? What amI missing?

      • Mix and Match Mama says

        You’re looking at the paperback option. It’s available in hardback and Kindle right now!

  16. Michelle says

    Have you read Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory?! It’s on my list to read because I really like her other books!

    • Laura says

      That’s on my nightstand right now! Haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet, but it looked cute!!

  17. Tiffany says

    In case you feel like trying once more in December, I liked Snowed In for Christmas by Sarah Morgan and Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

    • Allison Stein says

      I loved Snowed in for Christmas! Just finished it a few days ago. A Wedding in December and The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan are some of my very favorite Christmas books! I highly recommend them!

  19. Sarah says

    Have you seen My Octopus Teacher on Netflix? It’s so good! If you liked RBC you’ll love this documentary too!

  20. Marie C says

    If you can stomach just one more Christmas book, I am reading The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber, and I think it’s one of her best books! It’s unlike anything she’s written before. It seems to have a fresh voice. It’s funny, smart, interesting. I am loving it! Just in case you want to redeem Christmas reading for this year, this might help restore your joy! 🙂 ♥️

  21. DeeAnn M says

    LOVED Remarkably Bright Creatures! It is my favorite book of 2022 so far! Glad you enjoyed it too!!!

  22. Jennifer says

    Ugh, I was in the book funk of ALL book funks the past few weeks and was counting on your November review to be my saving grace! I too was in a bad mood from starting so many books that I just couldn’t get into and just didn’t hold my interest- for now, at least!

    I think I FINALLY got out of this funk (fingers crossed!) last night by starting Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak! Not quite the genre I wanted for this time of year, but here we are…!

  23. Leslie S says

    Oh my goodness! Super bummed that you didn’t have any good holiday books this month, but thanks for linking up past years bc I’ll def be looking for at least 2 to read in Dec. Thank you for the honest reviews Shay! Here’s hoping that 2023 will be a stellar year for good books 😀

  24. Kerrie says

    We are going to need to channel good vibes for a better book year in 2023. I read what you tell me to read, and I have to agree its been a mehhh year. I’m grateful for the backlog of books to try from previous years! I have found some good ones along the way. Remarkably Bright Creatures is on hold from the library. Must be good, I am #8 on the list. In my little town, that never happens. I don’t think I have ever had more than 2 people ahead of me.

  25. Alison says

    Not a Christmas book but I just finished “Wrong Place Wrong Time” and it was my favorite of the year. You should check it out!

  26. Laura says

    I LOL’d when it came to the last book including an octopus!!! Ha! Didn’t see that coming! Boo for the Christmas books being blah, but yay that you found a book you really enjoyed!

  27. Laura says

    I also read Remarkably Bright Creatures this month and loved it too. I got the recommendation from your readers and am so glad I did.

  28. Sara McQueen says

    I think you’d love Sarah Morgan’s Christmas novels. They’re all so good! Very hallmark-esque, with a little more character and plot development. I’m reading Snowed in for Christmas by her right now. It’s set in Scotland – I think you’d like!

  30. Carole says

    I just got the octopus book from the library yesterday, sooooo excited to start it especially after your review! Hate you had such a bad reading month. Those really are the worst!

  31. Ashley R. says

    My favorite day is Book Review day!! I’m sorry your Christmas books fell short, and I have to say that I’m super disappointed because the exact same thing happened to me this year with Christmas books, and I was hoping you’d be sharing some 5 star reviews! I think I may have to do the same and just start reading about sea life, too! Thanks for always taking the time to review what you read! So enjoyable!

  34. Jenny N says

    I just finished reading Water from my Heart by Charles Martin and it was so good. Not my typical book, but it was really good.

  35. Robin says

    Remarkably Great Creatures saved my month and my year ! It was absolutely my favorite book , probably of the year ! Like you , I’m looking forward to hopefully some more great books in ‘23!

  36. Jamie says

    I tend to lean into longer, more solid books during the fall and winter, and I like to save the fluffy reads for the summer. I just finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and it was easily one of my favorite reads from this year. It was really well-written and I loved the main characters. I kept trying to drag out the last few chapters because I did not want it end.

  37. Sheila R. says

    I think you should give Cross Country Christmas a try…. Girl meets her brothers best friend – and the rest is history, as you know 😆😆 It’s sweet, not overly sappy, definitely Christmasy and made me cry a few happy tears ❤️

    • Nicole Karpinski says

      Thank you so much for recommending A Cross-Country Christmas! I just finished it and loved it! Very Hallmark-esque and rated PG! Perfect Christmas book!

  38. Aparna says

    Lot of us seem to be in a book funk this year! I have been reading only 1 or 2 books a month for the past 3 months…nothing interested me and then this month I discovered Elizabeth o roark! Awakening Olivia was a really cute romance….5/5! A romance I thoroughly enjoyed as much as Archer’s voice and the wild series by KA Tucker…so I read her other romances which are all time travel ones and enjoyed them a lot too! Read 5 books this month already!

  39. Deby says

    So happy you loved Remarkably Bright Creatures. I read it for book club. We all loved it. So hard to explain. But you did a really good job. Just left you with all the feels.

  41. KC says

    I wonder if you’ve maxed out on the predictable light/romantic/beachy category? It seems like the ones you’re liking have been more substantive/original. Curious if you’re finding Hallmark movies less appealing these days too?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      No, I actually think I’ve really enjoyed this season. Some of their newer movies (like the Rockette one) are a bit more original that normal.

  42. Kate says

    So if you’re looking for some light Hallmark-like reading Nora Goes Off Script was really cute. It’s totally Hallmark in a book ❤️

  45. Ashley P says

    I LOVED REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES! Okay sorry, lower case and exclamation wasn’t enough for my love for this book. I went in with very low expectations, and came out with probably my favorite read of the year. I can’t explain how much I loved this book!

  46. Courtney ventresco. says

    I hear you my expectation of a good book I feel like has changed. I just had a good experience with lessons in chemistry and next year in Havana.

  47. Cassie says

    I LOVED Remarkably Bright Creatures and am so glad you did too! I read it and then listened to the audiobook and it was an awesome listen! I loved Marcellus’svoice, haha!

  48. Leah Claire Hall says

    I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one in a book slump this year. I am currently reading Remarkably Bright Creatures and loving it. I felt the same way about hoping it would redeem my book reading this year, and it totally has. Also, I am glad you shared those holiday book reviews because I had a few on my list, but will take them off now. Thanks for always sharing!

  49. Meghan says

    I also recently read Remarkably Bright Creatures and loved it! I also read Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, and it was another really good one, I’d highly recommend. Like a non-Christmas and friendship-focused Love Actually.

  50. Alexis says

    Okay so I’ve had the same struggles as you this year with reading but I think I finally (in the last two months) have read my top 3 books of the year! Took long enough.
    Wrong Place Wrong Time – one of the most original “thrillers” I’ve read in a long time. LOVED it!
    The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches – I cannot even explain how heartwarming, precious, and magical this book was. I need you to read it!! It’s not like my usual reads and I loved every single thing about it.
    One Last Gift – it’s the new one by the author of Always in December. SO good!!!! Just came out last month.
    Honorable mention goes to Drive by Kate Stewart. Be warned it’s rated R but goodness gracious, it’s the most obsessed I was with a book all year. I could not put it down.
    Also loved Reminders of Him and Every Summer After (I know you enjoyed those, too).

    Other good Christmas ones I’ve read were Lovelight Farms and The Plight Before Christmas. I’m picky with Christmas reads bc some are wayyyy too corny/sappy but these two were winners!

  51. Callie says

    Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh and Merry Ex-Mas by Courtney Walsh (confusing I know) have been good Christmas reads. Other books I’ve loved recently – Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, The Magic of Lemondrop Pie, The Lost Ticket, The Second Life of Mirielle West (so interesting), and The Bodyguard by Katherine Center (just light and fun).

  54. Kelley says

    Have you read The Measure yet? If not, check it out. It’s one of my favorites of the year and one those books that stays with you after you finish it.

  57. Marti says

    A couple of books I’ve read lately that I HIGHLY recommend:
    These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
    Fairy Tale by Stephen King (NOT scary and gory like a lot of his earlier books–just a great book about good vs evil–I loved it)

  58. Kay says

    Maybe try Elizabeth Berg’s ‘The Handmaid and the Carpenter!’ I think you’d love all her books, but this is her Christmas book and a very sweet and meaningful read.

  59. Lea Ansamaa says

    Since we don´t have Remarkably Bright Creatures translated in Finnish, I will listen it in English! It will be a good chance to learn more English and I can make long walks listening to it. 🙂

  60. Taylor says

    I’m super late to the comment game here… but sometimes when I’m in a long rut, like this year seems to be for you, I have to read something similar to what I normally read, but really actually very different. Of course… 😂 A few recs for “light & fun” or “simply lovely”, and two that are just hilarious, if you want to (sort of) mix it up:

    -My Man Jeeves
    -84 Charring Cross Rd.
    -I’m a Stranger Here Myself OR In a Sunburned Country

  62. Melyssa says

    If you need a great read, not holiday themed – A Flicker in the Dark! So easy and sooo good!

  63. Amy says

    Just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures and loved it! Not Christmas related, but one book that I recommend year after year is A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner. Also, a light-hearted romance series I really enjoyed was the Blue Heron series by Kristan Higgins.

  64. Beth Knecht says

    Shay!! If you haven’t read A Surprise Christmas Wedding by Phillipa Ashley you must! Such a cozy, Christmas read set in England! A quick and great read!

  65. Kelly says

    How do you read your books? Do you use a kindle? Are you am member of amazon unlimited? If so have you found they have most of the books you’ve wanted? Thinking of making the switch and wondering if you had any insight:)

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I always read my books on my Kindle (with very few exceptions). I’m not a part of Kindle unlimited as I read a wider variety of books for this blog here (based on reader suggestions), so I just purchase them as I go.

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