I've finished the Death on the Nile reread, which I loved, as I knew that I would, so all of my holdover reading has been completed.

Unfortunately, I have a very busy couple of weeks ahead, with two significant trials, so I'm spending most of my weekend with my work computer, building my trial books and prepping. I worked for 6 hours yesterday, and probably will work for the same or more today & tomorrow. 

There is a little bit of time available for reading, though, and I've settled on my extra Memorial Day reads:

28: Read a book that is identified as romance or chick-lit, or that has a cover that is more than 50% pink.

I was on the fence about this one, but then I checked out my small collection of Black Dog & Levanthal Agatha Christie hardbacks and realized that The Body in the Library is more than 50% pink. This is one that I haven't reread in a long time, and it's a good one!

6. Read a book set in your home town, state, or country or that you checked out of your local library or that has been on your (physical) bookshelves since last summer.

I dithered on this one quite a bit, but settled on the Barnes and Noble Classics edition of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, which fills one of my few remaining Detection Club bingo spaces. I'd really like to finish up with that project in June.

16. Read a book that is a mystery or suspense, or which has a title that contains all of the letters in the word C-A-B-I-N.

I am planning on reading The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson, which I checked out of the library. Tigus liked it, so I have high hopes! This will leave me with just 3 open squares on my Detection Club bingo card!

This is the perfect holiday novella!

It's short, it's funny, it takes place over a short span of time and there is some character involvement going on that warmed my heart to the core. Because let me tell you: Quinn is a piece of work in the beginning. But my heart still broke a little for him when he got it from all sides, all at once. On the other hand, he really needed a wake-up call! And boy did he wake up and found his heart. I found myself rooting for him so hard in the end.

I really enjoyed this one! Sweet, sexy, filled to the brim with Christmas spirit. It was a perfect holiday read - even a month or so too late!

I enjoyed this one very much. Some of the stories were better, others a little weaker, but really good overall!

Plus, this anthology has a fantastic cause! All proceeds will be donated to Lost-N-Found Youth, a nonprofit corporation that works to "take homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths to age 26 off the street and transition them into more permanent housing."  If that's not a good reason for buying it, I don't know what is. Definitely recommended! 

The Stories

A Very English Christmas by Kiera Andrews 

Isaac and David are tying to build a new life together ouside of their Amish community. But it isn't easy finding their way - and more importantly their own home in a world they don't completely understand yet. 

I liked reading about this two very much. They were just too cute together, their tenderness with each other was heart-warming, and they have one great support system. Plus, their creativity when it came to mistletoes was damn sweet and sexy. 

Mr Perfect's Christmas by Joanna Chambers

Sam's not job wasn't exactly what he was dreaming of. Small town, small law firm, unfamiliar cases and clients. He's feeling more than a little inadequate, and having to attend the firm's Christmas party together with Mr Perfect, the guy he's been trying to replace, doesn't exactly help. Although Nick is really nice to look at, and seems to be trying hard to get on Sam's good side. 

This one was really for me. I loved the enemies-to-lovers with a twist and a little misunderstanding mixed in. It was well written, it was fun, sweet and sexy. I loved it!

A Christmas Ship by Amy Jo Cousins 

Ah, hell yes! This was great! Injured football player Josh has been watching one TV show religiously every Sunday for months, always with his best online friend @princessglitter. On a whim, he decides that enough is enough, and gets on a plane to Miami to finally meet his princess. Well, surprise surprise! Because his princess is Benji, grown up twink  with glitter flip flops and a massage table. 

I love Amy Jo Cousins writing, and this one was no exception. I liked the MCs so much, and the ending made me smile and smile and smile. Even though this one was definitely more dorky and sweet than sexy, I still enjoyed the hell out of it! 

That Thing by Megan Erickson 

When Devin's sister needs his help with a wedding she is planning, he agrees with only a little bit of grumnling. What he didn't expect was to picking up a very grumpy but hot as sin best men from the airport. Sparks fly, trouble is right around the corner and the homophobic wedding guests are already waiting for their chance to attack. 

This one was hot and sexy, but also heartwarming and so enjoyable. I really, really liked it! 

Just Like Heaven by Suki Fleet 

This was sweet, but different. David, unbearably shy and one of the good ones, helps out Jess when a kid is trying to steal the money he made with his guitar on the streets. One boy, painfully shy and introverted, tries his best to bring a smile to the face of another boy with a lot of baggage from too many relationships with bad boys. 

Some of it was a little bit too much for me, and some of it just was too fast, even for a short story. I liked it, but didn't love it.

Not Your Grandfather's Magic by Kaje Harper

Now, for this one you need to keep an open mind. Zeb has been waiting for as long time for his 21st birthday, because that's when he'll come into his own Talent. His father said so. What he didn't see coming was Matt. Socially akward, a little on the clumsy side, and a real ginger. 

All I can say is: Don't overthink the premises too much, because in the end the real magic happens in a way you won't expect going in. I love Kaje Harper's writing, I like the way she spins her stories and lets her characters grow in a natural and fascinating way. This short story was no exception, and while it was heartbreaking in a way, it was also a little magical and full of hope and love. My favorite in this anthology. 

Bottle Boys by Anyta Sunday

I was a little sceptical going into this story. It felt weird to read about a student in Berlin, Germany chilling out in the summer, going on festivals, catching glimpses of a boy he really likes and struggling with his father at the same time. It was just so... close to home and I really wasn't sure about it in the beginning. 

But in the end, it surprised me how much I enjoed it the farther the story progressed. Ben and Sebastian are wonderful team, the side characters were sweet and the more I read about these two boys, the more they grew on me. 

So freakin' ADORABLE!

Maaaaan, I loved this! Ryan had to figure out three personal presents as secret santa for non other than Jamie Peterson. The same Jamie he secretly watched, but openly didn't stand up for when fellow students or his own best friend make fun of him. Quite the opposite, since they usually pick on him because Jamie's gay and out, while Ryan is... not. 

This was unbelievably sweet, darned cute and sooo adorable. I loved Ryan. He was the epitome of a young guy, not yet a man, but not a boy anymore - who was trying so very hard to find himself, deal with his hormones and not hurt anyone in the process. He wasn't perfect. He made mistakes and had regrets. But deep down he's such a good guy and it showed again and again. Plus, I freakin' loved his sparkly rainbow spider! Dang, the cuteness was killing me. 

This book is only a short read, but it's full of promise, feelings and tenderness. I absolutely loved it, and that's saying something since I'm not the biggest fan of CoA & YA stories. Seriously, if you're in the mood for a little holiday spirit, but mostly sweetness and great MCs, pick this one up!

You had me at: Holiday Road Trip!

Aaaaaw, this melted my grinch-y heart and just in time for the holidays.

Charlie has to get home for Christmas. He HAS to. Because as surreal as it sounds, if he doesn't, he just knows something awful will happen to his little sister again. He dreamt about it. And his little girl sure as hell had enough bad things happen to her for a lifetime or three. But things don't go as planned, and before he knows it, he's in a car with Gavin freaking Bloomberg. The guy who broke his heart and never even apologized for it. But the years of resentment weren't onesided, and for good reasons. Naturally, the journey promises to be straining and tense for both guys. Long suppressed feelings surfacing don't exactly make things easier.

This was one hell of a wonderful ride! I loved both MCs, their interactions and their inner struggles. It was beautiful to watch how they worked through their issues, cleared up past misunderstandings and soothed hurts they didn't even know they still had. Keira Andrews did a wonderful job with this holiday story. It has just the right amount of sweetness, bitterness and hurt to make it a great comfort read for lonely days. Sure, it was coated in an adequate amount of sugar, but it wasn't too sweet for my taste. Especially because things weren't automatically awesome just because the two fell into bed together. Family, friends, past, present, future - nothing was too easy, but also not too angsty.

Like I said, the right amount of everything to make it one of my favorite holiday reads 2015.