My 12-year-old daughter has been keeping a verbal Christmas countdown for a few weeks now.  When she said, "It's 20 days away," I couldn't believe it.  Now that it's ten, I'm even more shook.  It's always surreal when the Big Day finally gets here, isn't it?  I'm just glad she still has her little-girl excitement about the holiday.  Thankfully, I'm ready—my shopping is done, Christmas cards have been sent, the halls are decked, and we're getting ready to make our traditional homemade doughnuts to give out to neighbors and friends.  My college freshman comes home in a week, so I get to have all four of my kids under one roof for the first time in months and for the last time (at least for the foreseeable future), since my oldest moved out a couple months ago and is getting married on January 2nd.  Whew.  The next three weeks are going to be a marathon.  When all my company goes home on January 4th, I'm going to sleep for a month!

Despite this whirlwind of activity, I just finished my 183rd book of the year.  Can I finish 17 more before January 1 to reach my goal of reading 200 books this year?  We shall see.  There are a handful I still need to read for challenges and a few others I'm going to try to get to.  I'm not stressing about it (obviously, I'm not obsessed with my reading stats AT ALL), but I'll do my best.  My all-time reading high was 186 books read in a year—at the least, I'll beat that record by a few.  How are you doing on your 2020 reading goals?

Naturally, I've also been thinking about how I want to start off 2021, book-wise.  I've already discussed a lot of the reads I'm really looking forward to in recent lists, so I've tried to fill this one with new titles.  These aren't my most anticipated reads, but they are definitely ones that are on my Winter TBR list.  Without further ado (since there's already been a lot of ado), here we go with:

1.  The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman—I have this one out from the library right now, but I doubt I'll get to it before 2020 fades away.  It's about a group of friends in a retirement home who solve murders. The book sounds super fun and it's gotten great reviews, so I'm excited to read it.

2.  The Survivors by Jane Harper (available February 2, 2021)—I've enjoyed all of Harper's mystery/thrillers, so I've been waiting patiently for this one, her newest.  This one revolves around a man who's visiting his seaside hometown with his young family when a body washes up on shore.  Could it be that of his missing brother?  As authorities investigate, old secrets are churned up.  What really happened to Finn?  I'm always up for a hometown secrets mystery, especially when it's penned by one of my favorite authors.  Can't wait!

3.  Without a Brew by Ellie Alexander—I just started this latest installment in the Sloan Krause cozy mystery series.  The books are set in Leavenworth, Washington, a German-inspired tourist town.  Sloan is a beer brewer and amateur sleuth.  It's a light, fun series that I enjoy.

4.  Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert—This mystery series opener features a former NYPD detective who's taken a job in a sleepy upstate New York town to take a breather.  When a man goes missing on a nearby private island, she's called in to investigate.  Although it looks like murder to our heroine, no one in the victim's family is talking.  With a vicious nor'easter brewing all around, it looks like she's going to be stuck on an isolated island with the killer ...

5.  The Girl Who Wasn't There by Penny Joelson—Billed as Rear Window for the YA set, this mystery is about Kasia, a homebound girl who witnesses a kidnapping on her street.  Another girl was watching from another window, but when Kasia rushes out to find her she gets a shock—there is no girl.  What exactly did Kasia witness?  How can she solve a crime if she's not sure there was one?  Sounds dark, but intriguing!

6.  Alone in the Woods by Rebecca Behrens—This middle-grade survival story concerns two former best friends who become stranded in the woods when their boat springs a leak during a rafting/camping trip.  Despite their issues with each other, they have to work together to find their way out.

7.  The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel—World War II novels always appeal to me and this one sounds excellent.  It's about a woman who uses her skills in forgery to help hundreds of Jewish kids evade the Nazis and make sure their true identities are not lost in the chaos.  I'm in!

8.  The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama—My brother lives in Hilo, Hawaii, which looks like a beautiful and interesting place.  Hilo is the setting of this historical novel that concerns a Japanese-American community living there and dealing with a variety of issues, including the impending eruption of a volcano.  It alternates between 1918 and 1935, time periods I haven't read tons about.  I've enjoyed other books by Tsukiyama, so I'm excited for this one.

9.  An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn (available March 2, 2021)—Although this mystery, the newest in Raybourn's delightful Veronica Speedwell series, doesn't come out until Spring, I have an e-ARC.  I adore these books, so I can't wait to delve into the latest installment.  It concerns the suspicious death of a female mountain climber and a princess who goes missing.  

10.  Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson—I'm always looking for good historical middle-grade novels and this one sounds intriguing.  It's about a young girl whose parents are sharecroppers in Mississippi in 1955.  When Emmett Till is murdered nearby, she looks for ways to help with the Civil Rights movement.

There you have it, ten books I'd like to get to this winter.  Have you read any of these?  What's on your winter TBR list?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.

On May 17, 1954, in the case of Brown v. the Board of Education, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously ruled that "separate but equal" education violated the Fourteenth Amendment.  The segregation of schools was inherently unequal and should, therefore, be abolished.  While many cheered the landmark decision, many others opposed it, including Arkansas governor Orval Faubus.  His vehement opposition to the integration of Little Rock High School turned the city into a hotbed of tension and racist violence, making the news around the world.  In defiance of Faubus' wishes and the opinions of many Little Rock citizens, nine brave Black high school students integrated the institution with armed guards by their sides in 1957.  They became known as the Little Rock Nine.  Their courage in the face of unthinkable prejudice, mockery, and violence made them heroes whose fortitude continues to awe and inspire.

Journalist Melba Patillo Beals was a 15-year-old high school junior when she and eight others became the first Black students to enroll at Little Rock Central High School.  Determined to get the same education as her white peers, she endured name-calling, being spat on, death threats, being burned with acid, and hundreds of other humiliations at LRCHS.  Although she did not graduate from the institution (she completed her schooling in California, where she boarded with white Quakers), she endured a year of hell there.  It was a year that changed her forever.  In Warriors Don't Cry, Beals tells her story of both terror and triumph in an intimate, personal memoir that is memorable and moving.  The book provides a horrifying but fascinating peek into the history of the Civil Rights Movement, giving readers a gut-wrenching look at what one innocent child had to endure simply because of her skin color.  What stands out is Beals' faith, determination, and inner strength.  Her story is an important, empowering one that intrigued and inspired me.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock by David Margolick and The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

Once upon a time, a group of animals lived at a forgotten roadside attraction called the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.  Now that they've all been rescued, Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the baby elephant live at a sanctuary.  Bob, their canine friend, was taken home by Julia, the daughter of the mall's janitor.  He gets to visit his friends frequently, but it's not quite the same.  Still, there's lots to be said for the domesticated life—plenty of food; lots of belly rubs; a safe, warm bed; etc.  For a "mutt of uncertain heritage" (5), it's not a bad life. 

One day as Bob is visiting Ivan and Ruby, an oncoming hurricane starts wreaking havoc on the sanctuary and its animals.  Bob is separated from Julia in the chaos.  As he tries to help the distressed sanctuary residents, the canine makes a startling discovery—someone he thought was gone forever might still be alive.  Bob can't believe it, but he has to find out if the dog in question is really his long-lost sister.  Is it possible?  Can Bob save his litter mate from being caught in the storm?  Or will she rescue him from a life of domesticated boredom?  When push comes to shove, what does family really mean?  Where does Bob truly belong?

If you, like me, loved The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, then you're going to enjoy its sequel as well.  The One and Only Bob is an upbeat, heartwarming story featuring a funny, fast-"talking" hero who will make you smile.  Although the novel isn't as thoughtful and wise as Ivan, it still tells a sweet, uplifting story that teaches some good lessons about family, forgiveness, and friendship.  Through Bob's actions in the tale, it also shows that anyone—no matter how small—can be a hero.

(Readalikes:  The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate)

A student at a special arts high school in San Diego, 18-year-old Mira Hayes is heading home to Pittsburgh to spend the holidays with her mother.  Christmas Day will be the first anniversary of her mom's twin sister's death and Mira knows her mom's anxiety and depression will be through the roof.  Mira needs to be there for her.  As her plane descends into Newark, however, Mira gets some bad news:  worsening winter weather has grounded all flights out.  Phoning home only increases her worry about her mother's mental health, so when Mira's glamorous seatmate from the plane offers her a ride home in the car she and some friends are renting, Mira accepts. 

It doesn't take many hours on the road for Mira to realize that something is not right with the situation.  Not only are her four fellow passengers not friends with each other, but they're actually complete strangers.  As the weather grows increasingly stormy and important items—like cell phones and laptops—go missing from the car, Mira finds herself more and more cut off from the outside world with people she's finding harder and harder to trust.  With no way to contact her mother or anyone else, she's not just nervous, she's terrified.  Discovering alarming secrets about each of her traveling companions only increases her fear.  Although the storm outside is nasty and threatening, it's nothing compared to the danger Mira faces inside the car ...

The premise of Five Total Strangers, the newest YA novel by Natalie D. Richards, is a simple but compelling one.  When I first read the plot summary, I knew I had to read this book.  Unfortunately, the promise of the premise didn't pan out as well as I wanted it to.  The novel is definitely atmospheric, with a tense, unsettling vibe that makes the story deliciously suspenseful.  That's what kept me reading.  It certainly wasn't the characters, who are almost wholly unlikable.  As far as plot goes, the tale is engrossing and compelling, even if a lot of it feels contrived.  Not all of the plot elements make logical sense—some of them go nowhere at all while others never come full circle.  In spite of these irritants, Five Total Strangers sucked me in and kept me turning pages.  I didn't end up loving it like I wanted to, but I liked it well enough to keep reading.  Overall, it was just an okay read for me.     

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a bit of No Exit by Taylor Adams)