It’s getting 🎄festive 🎄 around here! December has arrived and I’m looking forward to making cookies and fudge and sending Christmas cards and driving to see the lights!

What are some of YOUR favorite family traditions for this time of year?

Last Week

I read 3️⃣ books, wrote 9️⃣ posts, including 2️⃣ reviews. I watched 1️⃣ movie and did a lot of organizing of my virtual and physical shelves.

I’m super EXCITED to join the 2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge! I’ve pulled some possibilities from my shelves and FILLED my TBR Cart! Are you going to join in? Any advice for a newbie?

For December I’ll be reading all Holiday books for #ALiteralChristmas with Tarissa at In The Bookcase 

Have you read any pictured in the photo? What’s your favorite holiday read?

And look for our weekly #AMonthofFaves posts where we celebrate our favorites from the last year with hosts  Girlxoxo, Traveling with T andEstella’sRevenge .

Have you seen this extensive calendar of 2019 Debut Releases?! So much hard work was put into this spreadsheet! Click here to see the post from Tale Out Loud.

Finally, check back tomorrow for a chance to win ONCE UPON A RIVER, the latest by Diane Setterfeld!

Current Read

I’ve just started this lovely book by local author Anita Hughes. The main character is a pastry chef and it’s already got my mouth watering! If you like Elin Hilderbrand and Wendy Wax, you’re sure to love this author!

Author Spotlight

Anita Hughes was born in Sydney, Australia and had a charmed childhood that included petting koala bears, riding the waves on Bondi Beach, and putting an occasional shrimp on the barbie.

Her writing career began at the age of eight, when she won a national writing contest in THE AUSTRALIAN newspaper, and was named “One of Australia’s Next Best Writers.” (She still has the newspaper clipping.)

Her debut novel MONARCH BEACH was released in June 2012, followed by MARKET STREET and LAKE COMO in 2013. FRENCH COAST and ROME IN LOVE were released in 2015.

ISLAND IN THE SEA: A MAJORCA LOVE STORY and SANTORINI SUNSETS and her first holiday novel, CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, were released in 2016.

WHITE SAND, BLUE SEA: A ST BARTS LOVE STORY, EMERALD COAST and CHRISTMAS IN LONDON were released in 2017.

CALIFORNIA SUMMER is coming in June, 2018 and CHRISTMAS AT THE CHALET will be released in October 2018.

She lives in Dana Point, CA with her family, where she interrupts her writing to watch the glorious sunsets.
http://anitahughesbooks.com