Bunk Beds & Bookish Vibes: The Ultimate Summer Camp Reading List

by Donna Huber

When I was a child, my favorite summer activity was summer camp. It was a week away from home where we sang songs, learned new skills, made crafts, and just got to be carefree kids. A few years ago, I found an adult summer camp in the Smoky Mountains, and it recreated all the great things about the summer camp of my youth. It seems to be an idea that is catching on, as I've seen advertisements for Pages & Pines, a summer camp for book nerds. I've heard of a few others. 

Are you nostalgic for your summer camp days, or wished you had gone to camp as a kid? Relive, or experience for the first time, the carefree days of summer camp with this list of books.

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Mini Reviews ~ May Libby Library Borrows

by Donna Huber

I mostly read advance reader copies (ARCs) that I get through Netgalley or directly from the publisher/author, but I also get books from my library. Sometimes that means my brick-and-mortar library, but most of the time it means my digital library through Libby. It is usually my 2 book club reads for the month, but I also listen to a lot of audiobooks - more than I get through Netgalley. It is a way for me to catch up on older titles and sometimes to catch up on the ARCs that I didn't get to before they were published. I don't usually review the older titles or book club reads, but I realized I'm missing out on telling you about the great reads that are probably available at your library with little to no wait. Let me know if you enjoy this feature and I'll keep doing it monthly.

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5 Audiobooks for Summer Road Trips

by Donna Huber

Are you hitting the road this summer? I won't be taking my annual trip to the Smoky Mountains this summer, but I do have a series of day trips planned for that week. So I will need some good reads to listen to and I thought it would be fun to listen to books featuring a road trip or journey of some sort. Here's a list of audiobooks that I have listened to or am considering for my own trip.

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Destination Reading: 7 Books Set in Michigan

by Susan Roberts

I’m headed to Michigan in May for a week at a cottage on Lake Michigan.  I was born in Detroit, and the Lake Michigan shoreline is my happy place.  I spent all of my summers up there growing up, and I try to get back there at least once a year.  Like a lot of other readers, I travel means picking out appropriate books to take along.  Here are some great books that are set in Michigan that I plan to pack.

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The Page Turner by Viola Shipman ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious” authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social-media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Page Turner by Viola Shipman ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

A young romance writer makes a discovery that throws her elitist family into chaos in this sharp, witty and entirely delightful family drama 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Spend Christmas in Michigan with Viola Shipman

by Susan Roberts

Viola Shipman is a fantastic author who writes books that take place in my home state of Michigan. Since he didn't publish a Christmas this year, now is a great time to catch up.  Here are three of his books that celebrate the holidays (and the cold weather and snow). Plus a couple of bonus Christmas stories are featured at the end if you need a short, quick read.

If you need more recommendations check out our other 25 Days of Christmas Reading features.

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2 Christmas Books You Don't Want to Miss

by Donna Huber

On Christmas Day, I posted about the 3 Christmas books in my TBR pile that I hoped to get to before the clock struck midnight on December 31. I've been able to read 2 of them. I still have 3 days, so hopefully I will get the 3rd one read too. If you haven't had your fill of Christmas novels yet, be sure to pick up these two.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

3 Christmas Books I Still Hope to Read this Holiday

by Donna Huber

Merry Christmas! It's Day 25 of our 25 Days of Christmas Reading. I hope you found something good to read. I'm still hoping to squeeze in 3 more holiday reads before the bell strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. I've been busy with holiday prep and reading the last few new releases of 2023. I'm ready to binge read Chrsitmas books. In case, you are in the same boat, here are the 3 Christmas books I'm still hoping to read this holiday.

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5 Holiday Romances to Read Before Christmas

by Donna Huber

I don't know about you, but I sometimes can't remember books I've been wanting to read - particularly if it has been a few months. Christmas books have been coming out since the end of summer. So for Day 7 of the 25 Days of Christmas Reading, I've gathered a few Christmas romances we've reviewed this year that you will want to read this month.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

The Wishing Bridge by Viola Shipman ~ A Review

by Susan Roberts

It seemed a bit strange to me to be reading a Christmas book in the midst of 90-degree weather but it was a Viola Shipman book and I don't pass those up. Plus it takes place in the beautiful state of Michigan, so it is definitely a great read no matter how hot it is outside.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Famous in a Small Town by Viola Shipman ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"What separates a girl from an old woman?  Nothing but a bad back and aching knees, if we can simply continue to believe that life can be anything we desire and if we just give our dreams a chance to soar on the wind." (loc3358) 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

4 Romantic Stories for Your Summer Reading

by Donna Huber

Are you looking for vacation reads or like me just trying to catch up on some of the novels that have come out in the past year that you just didn't get to? If you are looking for a little romance in your summer reading all four of these books have elements of a love story - some more than others. I listened to all of them as audiobooks and all of them would be good for a road trip.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

A Wish for Winter by Viola Shipman ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"Books expand our minds.  They change our perspective on the world.  They allow us to escape, to hope, to dream, to mourn, to walk in someone else's shoes.  They save lives."  (loc 153)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Sonny Dunes, aka Amber Rose Murphy, is a 50-year-old meteorologist at a Palm Springs, California television station. When the demographic ratings come in and they tank in the key demographic of 18 - 49 year olds, Sonny finds herself replaced by a sexy AI meteorologist. After drowning her sorrows in a few too many drinks she goes on a drunken rampage at her station - on air! Nearly unemployable she is offered a job at her hometown TV station by a college "friend". Now trying to redeem her career while living at home with her mother, will Sonny discover you really can go home again?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

5 Summer Books To Read During the Dog Days of Summer

by Donna Huber

Schools in my area are already back in session - some have already finished their first week of classes! Summer went so quickly and I know I didn't read all the summer books I had hoped to get to. What about you? Perhaps you were busy entertaining kids during vacations that you didn't get to pick up one of this summer's blockbuster novels. Now they are back in school and you have the time (or at least can catch a few minutes of reading while waiting in the car pick-up line). Or maybe you are enjoying the last weeks of summer with a trip to the beach or lake. Here are 5 of the best summer books that you want to read during the dog days of summer.

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The Edge of Summer by Viola Shipman ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"You don't know where you're goin, if you don't know from where you came."  (loc 335)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman ~ a Review

by MK French 

Sonny Dunes is replaced by a virtual meteorologist at her Southern California job, and the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old a chance is back in Michigan. Now she's stuck moving back in with her mother, dealing with winter, facing grief over her dead sister, addressing the people she left behind years ago, and the college frenemy who is now her boss. As she tries to throw herself into this new job, she sees hope for her future with an upbeat widower. Someone is trying to undermine this new life, leaving her to face who she used to be and who she wants to be next.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"I believe we're on a journey here, that is filled with beauty and pain, happiness and horror, highs and lows. but it's a journey we must take because we never know the impact our lives and loves will have on others." (loc 1004)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

6 Audiobooks for Your Summer Listening Enjoyment

by Donna Huber

My to-do list doesn't seem to be shrinking. Thankfully, I've had a number of audiobooks to listen to while cooking, cleaning, and doing yard work. These books would also be awesome for road trips or for walks on the beach. While I received early print or digital copies of many of these books, I was able to get the audiobooks from the library. For the last two books reviewed, I received advance copies of the audiobooks from the publishers via Netgalley.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.