Amy Scott's Thoughts

Bookish Thoughts for January

This time of year is always my favorite when it comes to books! Between Christmas and my birthday, I usually have a few new additions to my home library. This year, I was also gifted some very sweet and thoughtful bookish gifts (along with actual books). I’m a very happy bookworm! I feel so loved! You’ll see my bookish gifts and new additions to my home library in the collage below. My favorite thing just might be my home library embosser! I can’t wait to label ALL my books with my personalized seal!

Highlights for January… Fairy tale retellings! I’ve read so many between December and January. They are hitting a happy spot in my heart. From contemporary rom-coms to Texas westerns, I loved seeing how authors reimagined these classic stories. I particularly enjoyed Jenessa Fayeth’s Date with Danger due to the many Psych references (the show Jeremy and I are currently watching together). Gabrielle Meyer’s retelling of My Fair Lady in To Love a Lady was well done. George Vanderbilt was a side character and I felt a special connection to him this month (more on that in my upcoming post). I had a big travel adventure in January. Valancy (The Blue Castle) and Wanda (The Host) kept me company on the journey. So many good books!

Top Picks for January… I had hoped to read The Familiar Stranger in December, but I got distracted by Christmas novels and fairy tale retellings. I’m glad I waited in hindsight. It was a great book to kick off the new year with. Our church used this book as the springboard for a special series. I was curious about the material and I love keeping tabs on what our church staff is reading and recommending. The Familiar Stranger was a wonderful resource to introduce the Holy Spirit and highlight how the Spirit is alive and active in our lives. I am living more mindful of His presence thanks to this book. For fiction, I got a copy of Denise Hunter’s newest release from the library, The Second Story Bookshop. Her bookish books hit a right note for me. Also, the small cameo of characters from her Riverbend Gap series was appreciated!

Top Picks for January

The Book List for January
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

• The Familiar Stranger: (Re)Introducing the Holy Spirit to Those in Search of an Experiential Spirituality by Tyler Staton – 4 stars

Fiction:

• To Love a Beast by Karen Witemeyer – 3 stars
• Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer – 3 stars
• If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer – 3 stars
• Clocked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer – 4 stars
• The Lucky One by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
• Date with Danger by Jenessa Fayeth – 4 stars
• Taken with Trouble by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
• Engaged in Espionage by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
• Married to Mischief by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
• Not How I Saw that Going by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
• Not on Your Life by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
• To Love a Lady by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
• The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
• The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery – 5 stars
• The Host by Stephanie Meyer – 5 stars
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder – 4 star

Bookish Thoughts for December

It’s the end of the year and the bookish stats are in! The last three years I’ve read over 200 books a year and this year… I fell short by three! Good thing 200 wasn’t actually my goal. 197 is respectable, but as someone who doesn’t like odd numbers, I wish I got one more book read so I could end on a even note. Ha! I’ve set 100 books as my reading goal the last few years on Goodreads. It’s a low bar, but I’m not in competition with myself. The numbers don’t really matter. I’ve been pondering why I didn’t make it to 200 this year and I think the answer is two-fold. I feel like I read less novellas this year. Counting novellas in my book total always feels like padding the stats a bit. I would also say that I was a bit busier than previous years. Obviously, I still had plenty of time to read. I was a happy bookworm in 2025, but I do feel like I had less time to read. It’s all good. Life is full of ebbs and flows. I like to think I find a good balance of being active and restful in my daily life.

Let’s talk about December! Illness derailed a good chunk of my month, so there was extra time to read. More time to read meant extra Christmas novels and novellas. Once I breezed through my usual authors, I went searching for new books in Kindle Unlimited. Christmas is the best time to have KU! The highlight of the month actually came from the library, though – My Beloved by Jan Karon. I read the Mitford series a few years ago and really enjoyed it. There was a gap between when the series ended and this newly released addition came out. I’m not sure it would have been a 5 star read if I had read it back-to-back with the whole series, but the distance from the series made coming back to Mitford feel extra special. Reconnecting with the characters and the town set during the Christmas season – it was the perfect Christmas read for me. It gave me all the cozy, happy Christmas feels!

I also enjoyed Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention by Sarah Clarkson. I realize my introverted personality lends to a quiet life, but I’ve found such value in slower, smaller, quieter days. I love that quiet isn’t inactive. When you are still and quiet, you are aware of details and moments that can be easily rushed past in ordinary days. I appreciated Sarah’s reminder to strive for quiet (even in the midst of a loud house or a busy life) and the purpose quiet gives to our souls and our relationship with our Creator! I also wrapped up my one year devotional by Sarah’s mom, Sally. I loved gleaning wisdom and encouragement from Sally Clarkson in 2025. I look forward to starting a new one year devotional by Bob Goff tomorrow!

Okay, time to finish this up! This post has gotten long, but I’ll give myself some grace. This was a monthly and yearly recap all in one. It’s a bit extra! Usually, I would share my new Christmas books with you in this post, but my book acquisitions were smaller than usual this year. I’m saving for a special trip in January, so I didn’t go wild with a book haul this Christmas. I’ll combine my Christmas books and birthday books to share with you in January! Stay tuned! I hope you all had a lovely bookish 2025 and I wish you many great reads in 2026!

Top Picks for December

The Book List for December
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

• Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention by Sarah Clarkson – 4 stars
• Mom Heart Moments: Daily Devotions for Lifegiving Motherhood by Sally Clarkson – 4 stars

Fiction:

• How to Kiss on Christmas Morning by Jenny Proctor – 4 stars
• Betting on the Best Friend by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
• Hate You, Maybe by Julie Christianson – 4 stars
• Never the Bride by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
• Chess, Not Checkers by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
• Ocean of Ink by A.R. Conwell – 4 stars
• Partnershipped in a Pear Tree by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
• Date Yourself a Grinch by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
• My Beloved by Jan Karon – 5 stars
• Once Upon a Sugar Plum by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
• Meet Me at Midnight by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
• Back to December by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
• Sugar Cookie Christmas by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
• Silent Heist by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
• Just a Date by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
• Just a Bet by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
• Just a Trip by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
• The Christmas Promise by Gabrielle Meyers – 3 stars

Bookish Thoughts for November

I could have named this post New Release November! It’s been such a treat to read so many long awaited new releases from my favorite authors. Only one book on my list is a re-read this month and that was The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. I was waiting for a library hold and the book takes place around Thanksgiving. It felt like a good seasonal read. You’ll notice a seasonal theme to my reading as well. I got a library copy of Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber at the very beginning of the month, so the Halloween timeline felt right. I’ve enjoy Garber’s other books and her main character in Alchemy is reminiscent of her previous heroines. While fantasy isn’t my favorite genre, I’m okay with a little magic now and again. Truthfully, I almost didn’t finish this one because I wasn’t sure about the direction it was going, but about halfway through it changed course. I enjoyed the latter half of the book much more. I didn’t love it, but I’m intrigued enough that I will continue reading when the next installment is released.

The new release I was looking forward to most this month was Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer. Her Timeless series has become one of my absolute favorites. I’m very impressed with the complex timeline Meyer has created. Six books into the series, there is a lot of overlapping of characters and times. It takes some thought to keep them all straight, but each addition adds insight into the whole series while still standing on its own. I love the many different historical eras she’s been able to cover in this series as well. It’s next level historical fiction, in my opinion. I devoured Through Each Tomorrow while we were at the coast at the beginning of the month. It was the perfect vacation read!

On to Kindle Unlimited!!! I have dozens of books on my Kindle Unlimited TBR. I’ve been stockpiling new releases through October and November. When I subscribed to KU, I barely knew where to begin! So many choices! I’ve been prioritizing the new Christmas novels, because seasonal reading makes me happy. Courtney Walsh, Kate Watson, Emma St. Clair, and Brittany Larson all released new books in series I’ve read before. Also, Kasey Stockton’s new release included characters from another one of her Christmas novels. I love reconnecting with friends and places in books. I’m only partially through my KU TBR, so prepare to hear more about my obsession with new releases next month as well!

Top Picks for November

The Book List for November
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

• You Bet Your Stretch Marks: Finding Beauty and Worth in the Ways Motherhood Marks Our Bodies and Souls by Abbie Halberstadt – 4 stars

Fiction:

• Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
• The Bodyguard by Katherine Center – 4 stars (Thanksgiving)
• My Merry Mistake by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars (Christmas)
• Acting Merry by Martha Keyes – 4 stars (Christmas)
• Highland Holiday by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars (Christmas)
• Planes, Reins, and Automobiles by Kate Watson – 4 stars (Christmas)
• Fa-La-La-La Land by Brittany Larsen – 4 stars (Christmas)
• The Wild Card by Emma St. Clair – 4 stars
• The Dandelion Princess by Keira Dominguez – 4 stars
• Tell Me True by Carina Taylor – 4 stars
• The Friendship Variable by Marie Soleil – 3 stars
• Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham – 3 stars
• Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber – 3 stars (Halloween)

Side Note: I’ve been extra free with the 4 star ratings this month. I guess it’s my seasonal, new release happiness giving me rose-colored reading glasses this month.

Bookish Thoughts for October

The last weekend of October was a stormy one in the PNW! If it wasn’t for the wet and windy weather, my book total would be much lower this month. Some minor sniffles mixed with wild weather gave our family the perfect reason to hunker down at home and chill for a few days. I took full advantage of this down time to catch up on reading! You’ll notice it was a very fictional month for me. I just didn’t have the bandwidth for non-fiction. It was also a very 3 star month for me, but honestly, that was perfect. Nothing too deep, nothing too serious. My schedule didn’t allow for a literary deep dive. I enjoyed my month of fluffy reading. Sometimes a light month is needed and October delivered!

My big accomplishment of the month was reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It took me a while to get through it. The length of the book and the science made it a slightly slower read for me. It was fascinating, though. I found the flashbacks made for a gripping tale as the reader slowly pieces together what is happening. I greatly enjoyed Ryland’s character and the supporting characters. The end-of-the-world dynamic was serious, but it also had many light and comical moments. The ending caught me off-guard! This is a favorite book of a dear friend. She requested I read the book so I could go see the movie with her when it’s released in March 2026. I have now completed my assignment and I am ready for a book/movie comparison!

I re-read the Sweater Weather series this month. It was the perfect light reading with all the seasonal vibes. I read the series when it was first released in 2023. I bought the series when it went on sale in 2024. To validate my purchase, I decided to read them again this year! I enjoyed revisiting Harvest Hollow and the characters that my favorite authors created. The Sweater Weather series transitions into the Appies series. Two of the Appies books are apart of the Sweater Weather series and I own the next two books in the Appies Series. There are 3 more Appies books in Kindle Unlimited that I don’t own. I might read them when I subscribe to KU in November. I do love completing a series… But… KU is about to release a dozen or so new novels by my favorite authors and most of those are Christmas books. The pull to holiday reading might be stronger than the pull to finish a series. We’ll have to wait and see. Maybe I’ll have time for both!

Top Picks for October

The Book List for October
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – 4 stars
• Because of You by Becky Wade – 3 stars
• Gelato at the Villa by Robin Jones Gunn – 3 stars
• Can’t Help Falling by Courtney Walsh – 3 stars
• The Fall Back Plan by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
• Faking the Fall by Julie Christianson – 3 stars
• Easy as Pie by Carina Taylor – 3 stars
• A Not So Fictional Fall by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
• Just Don’t Fall by Emma St. Clair – 3 stars
• Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
• A Groom of One’s Own by Emma St. Clair – 3 stars
• Romancing the Grump by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
• Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson – 3 stars

Bookish Thoughts for August

My total books read in August was quite an increase from previous months! I have summer camp to thank for that. Not only did a have extra free time while my menfolk were away, but they came home with the summer camp sniffles. It was a slow trickle that started with Owen and then spread to Graham and then to Jeremy. Needless to say, we had extra down days at home in recovery mode. Thus, more books read this month. It’s been a enjoyable way to wrap up my summer and fill the days at home. The pace in September will pick up and I’m positive my list will be much smaller next month. There is an ebb and flow even in a reading life. After exhausting my library TBR, I subscribed to Kindle Unlimited and started working on a stockpile of new releases there! I’m so grateful for access to an abundance of reading material. It seems like there is always a new book waiting for me around the corner!

Highlights of the month include At Your Best and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. These have become annual August reads for me. They are perfect reminders before the school year starts that I can chose what pace I live at. Living intentionally slower and giving my best energy to what matters most is important. These books give me the encouragement I need to start our school year off well and keep a sustainable pace year round. Such a good resources! Good reads!

My summer of Denise Hunter continues. I’ve now read enough of her works to know I prefer her books about books. Her others are good, but I love books about authors or bookshop owners. They make my heart extra happy! I re-read some of my favorites by Jenny B. Jones. They feel like visiting old friends. I re-read I Heard the Owl Call My Name. It was a high school summer reading book from obviously a long time again. I remembered liking it and I wanted to see Adult Me liked it as much as Teen Me. I am happy to report I liked even more as an adult. It’s a short book that takes place in the Canadian wilderness. I read it on a dark, wet day that fit the mood of the book perfectly. I finished the book with tears in my eyes and I’ve thought back on it often this month.

With Kindle Unlimited, I was able to read new releases from some of my favorite indie authors. My favorites were the ones by Emma St. Clair, Annah Conwell, Kate Watson, and Kasey Stockton. I enjoy a good series and all of these reconnected me characters I’ve read before. Again, like visiting friends! Don’t worry, I do have “in real life” friends, not just book friends. I was just keeping our germs away from them this month! I have a few more KU books on my TBR and I feel the strong pull to revisit the Anne of Green Gables books after watching the mini-series this month. The world is full of some many wonderful books to read! Happy Reading!

Top Picks for August

The Book List for August
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer – 5 stars
• At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor by Carey Nieuwhof – 5 stars
• The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkle – 3 stars

Fiction:

• Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
• The Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
• Sweetwater Gap by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
• Lake Season by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
• Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
• Autumn Skies by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
• Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
• There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones – 5 stars
• His Mistletoe Miracle by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
• I’ll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
• An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon – 4 stars
• If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair – 4 stars
• I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven – 4 stars
• The Lady of the Red River Valley by Gabrielle Meyer – 3 stars
• The Confidentiality Clause by Annah Conwell – 4 stars
• A Secret Correspondence by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
• Terms of Un-Endearment by Brittany Larsen – 3 stars
• Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend by Kate Watson – 4 stars
• Rookie Season by Leah Brunner & Katie Bailey – 3 stars

Bookish Thoughts for July

I’ve let myself have a fictional July (aka a month of fiction-only reading)! Summer feels like the perfect time to dive into fiction and to leave the non-fiction on the shelf for a while. I promise I will return to non-fiction reading in August, but July was the mental break I needed. I had so much fun this month discovering new authors. Angela Bell, Becky Wade, and Denise Hunter were all new authors for me. Pepper Basham was also a new author from last month that I read more of in July. Essentially, my July reading was mostly Hallmark movies, but in book form. It was perfect!

Highlights of the month were A Novel Proposal, The Island Bookshop, and The Collector of Burned Books. I love books about books and the first two I mentioned also had summer, beachy vibes. The Island Bookshop was the first time I’d read contemporary fiction from Roseanna M. White. The Collector of Burned Book was WWII historical fiction, which isn’t her usual time period. Roseanna M. White also released a fantasy novel recently and I read it last month. I’ve been impressed with her ability to write across genres and challenge herself with new things.

Another fun treat this month was listening to the audiobook version of The Host by Stephanie Meyer. I’ve read the book twice and watched the movie. I was told the audiobook was well done and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see (well, listen) for myself. The Host is a thick book – over 600 pages. It made the audiobook 23 hours along. It was a commitment! It was neat to hear the story in a new way and it’s a book that I will definitely re-read again (but maybe not listen to… that might have been a one and done experience due to the length). I read much faster than I listen!

I have a stack of library books to work through in August as well was some annual re-reads I want to revisit. I’m watching new releases by some of my favorite Indie authors stack up in Kindle Unlimited. I’ll have a long TBR when I subscribe again (probably this fall). Thankfully, my local library, the Libby app, and my home library have kept me plenty busy this summer and they will continue to do so. I’m a happy bookworm!

Top Picks for July

The Book List for July
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

• Memory Lane by Becky Wade – 4 stars
• Rocky Road by Becky Wade – 4 stars
• Uneasy Street by Becky Wade – 4 stars
• Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham – 3 stars
• Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham – 3 stars
• Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham – 4 stars
• A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell – 3 stars
• Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
• A Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
• Riverbend Gap by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
• Mulberry Hollow by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
• Harvest Moon by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
• Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
• The Island Bookshop by Roseanna M. White – 4 stars
• The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White – 4 stars
• The Host by Stephanie Meyers – 5 stars