Category: Reader’s Choice

A Happy New Year for me means happily perusing websites for the first new releases coming out this winter. There’s nothing like wiling away a cold winter’s day in the company of a good book and a cuppa hot cocoa. And it’s that time again — when we get to look ahead and plot out our reading futures…and that’s where this Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in January, February or March 2025 (up to 3 suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it’s a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S GENERAL CHRISTIAN FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the General Christian Fiction genre you would like to win.

General Christian Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas. Any genre and can include previous selections you have made on previous Reader’s Choice Winter Edition days as well as specific genres not covered yet like Speculative, Middle Grade, Sci Fi etc.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be January, February or March 2025

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 11 2025

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon on January 11. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

I’m adding in some of the books I found in my convoluted internet search for new releases that I don’t think have been mentioned yet…just because we can never have too many book titles on our wish lists, right?!

A Happy New Year for me means happily perusing websites for the first new releases coming out this winter. There’s nothing like wiling away a cold winter’s day in the company of a good book and a cuppa hot cocoa. And it’s that time again — when we get to look ahead and plot out our reading futures…and that’s where this Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in January, February or March 2025 (up to 3 suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it’s a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S AMISH FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the Amish Fiction genre you would like to win.

Amish Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas where the hero or heroine (or both) are Amish OR the story has significant Amish content through secondary characters and an Amish community. Can be set in any time period and may cross genres such as Suspense, YA etc. and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be January, February or March 2025

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 11 2025

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon on January 11. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

A Happy New Year for me means happily perusing websites for the first new releases coming out this winter. There’s nothing like wiling away a cold winter’s day in the company of a good book and a cuppa hot cocoa. And it’s that time again — when we get to look ahead and plot out our reading futures…and that’s where this Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in January, February or March 2025 (up to 3 suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it’s a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S MYSTERY/SUSPENSE FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the Mystery/Suspense Fiction genre you would like to win.

Mystery/Suspense Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas where mystery is an important part of the plot. The hero or heroine (or both) are often in peril (more so in suspense). Can be set in any time period and may cross genres such as YA, , Amish etc. and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be January, February or March 2025

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 11 2025

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon on January 11. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

A Happy New Year for me means happily perusing websites for the first new releases coming out this winter. There’s nothing like wiling away a cold winter’s day in the company of a good book and a cuppa hot cocoa. And it’s that time again — when we get to look ahead and plot out our reading futures…and that’s where this Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in January, February or March 2025 (up to 3 suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it’s a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the Contemporary Fiction genre you would like to win.

Contemporary Romance/Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas set in any time period after 1980. May cross genres such as YA, Suspense, Amish etc. and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be January, February or March 2025

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 11 2025

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon on January 11. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

A Happy New Year for me means happily perusing websites for the first new releases coming out this winter. There’s nothing like wiling away a cold winter’s day in the company of a good book and a cuppa hot cocoa. And it’s that time again — when we get to look ahead and plot out our reading futures…and that’s where this Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in January, February or March 2025 (up to 3 suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it’s a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S HISTORICAL ROMANCE/FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the Historical Fiction genre you would like to win.

Historical Romance/Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas set in any time period before 1980. May cross genres such as YA, Suspense, Amish etc. and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be January, February or March 2025

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 11 2025

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon on January 11. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

Happy New Year, reading friends!

So nice to be back after the holiday break and eager to get started with the first 2025 Reader’s Choice week(s). Woohoo. We’ll be starting off by reflecting back on our 2024 reading history. If you are a goal setter, it’s also time for our Annual Reading Goal Review.

I’ll share how I did, and, if you are so inclined, feel free to share some of your 2024 reading successes…or failures. Hmm…let’s not call them failures. More like….kafuffles. That sounds friendlier. Nothing wrong with a few goal kafuffles in the grand scheme of things, right? 🙂

The Giveaway

To enter this giveaway you can, a) reflect on a 2024 reading goal OR b) if you’re not a goal oriented person, share a book that made an impact from your 2024 reading list. Share in a comment or send me an email at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. and I will enter you in a draw to win a $10 Baker Book House Gift Card.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday January 11 2025. (You will have until noon on the 11th to enter this giveaway.)

A LOOK AT MY 2024 READING GOALS AND PROGRESS.

Goal #1 : Read more Indie books. I’m calling this one a fail…er…kafuffle. I actually read 18 fewer indie books than last year. I did do better in the last quarter – actually doubled my Indie number from October through December and that’s largely thanks to all of your excellent recommendations. So thank you!

GOAL #2: Read more debut books. Counting this one as a win since I doubled the number I read last year. I’m still finding it hard to source debut books so I’m not reading as many as I anticipated I could.

GOAL #3: Read more new-to-me authors. A resounding success!!!! I made the acquaintance of 100 new-to-me authors in 2024!!!! Woohoo!!!!!

GOAL #4: More diversity in the authors I read. I’m calling this one a win too, though there’s always room for improvement.

GOAL #5: Targeted author catch-up. Mega fail…miserably kafuffled. 🙂 Revamping this goal for 2025 for sure.

GOAL # 6: Enjoy some rereads. Had fun with this goal and reread way more than I thought I would. Enjoyed every minute too!

GOAL #7: Social Media Influenced Reads. 100% Success!! I only had to pick one book from instagram/blog recommendations per month and that was easily achievable. Book recommendations from like-minded readers is the bestest!

GOAL #8: Read outside my comfort zone. Success! I only had to read 5 books but I read 11 so I’m pretty proud of that accomplishment because it’s so hard for me to do. And even though this goal was achievable, I still approach out of comfort zone reads with way too much wariness. Definitely not a reading initiative I’ll embrace but I’ll continue to occasionally stretch my reading wings because I found some great books this way!

GOAL #9: Serious about series – start 24 new-to-me series, catch up on 24 series I’ve already started and keep up with 24 series I’m up to date with. Phew! Too bad I’m not counting all the series I started and even finished that weren’t on my list but we’ll stick to the specific series I targeted.

Goal #10: Keep reading stats. SUCCESS!!! And here are some more nerdy graphs to prove it!

Phew! I’m nerded out! Now it’s your turn. How was your 2024 reading year?

It’s a new Best Reads blog tradition! Celebrating the month’s new releases the first week of each month.

Because I recently discovered that a book’s success or failure is often determined by first month sales! (Though I bet preorders play into that as well.) Publishing houses look at those stats to determine whether they’ll add on to a series or accept the author’s next manuscript! All that literary goodness hanging in the balance but for a month’s worth of sales! (This was a cozy mystery author, but I imagine all traditional publishers use the same ‘system’.) So, I thought I should do my wee little bit to promote Christian Fiction.

By hosting a special “Hello — insert month” giveaway. It’s easy to play along. You just have to choose one of the December 2024 new releases on your TBR wishlist (must be Christian Fiction) and mention the title in a comment below (or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca.) If your name is drawn, that December release is the book you will win and we’re one book count closer to keeping our fave authors in business.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE TO:

ebook for anyone anywhere who has an Amazon.com kindle account

US – paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice

Canada -paperback or ebook (in form of an Amazon gift card) or audible.ca audio book (if available) – winner’s choice

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday December 14 2024.

‘Tis the season to start thinking about Christmas reading! Well, I’ve been at it for awhile now but I’m still looking for more books to read. So, this week’s conversation comes with two parts. First, let’s talk about Christmas books we’ve read and loved…maybe enough to read more than once…and would recommend to others. Second, let’s talk about our anticipated Christmas reads for this year and this includes a giveaway. More about that later.

Some of My Favourite Christmas Reads:

There is something so cozy and comforting about revisiting special Christmas books. I spend a good part of the holiday becoming reacquainted with beloved fictional friends. Too many for me to name them all but here’s a glimpse at my reread list. I’ve read some multiple times already, some have actually become an annual tradition while others have only been read once so far but will definitely be read again.

All the Meg Langslow Christmas books! This a cozy mystery series full of quirk and heart and the Christmas books are exceptional in the way the zany mayhem is balanced by the most heartwarming, community gathering together in the true spirit of Christmas kind of vibe. Caerphilly Virginia is where I want to be at Christmastime (if only it wasn’t a fictional town!) This is a long running series, over 30 books by now, but I first met Meg and company through my library’s collection of Christmas audio books. Since then, I’ve read all the Christmas books each year, and for that matter, revisit each one of the books annually.

I’m not a huge novella reader, but I actually adore Christmas novellas. There’s something so cozy about curling up under a comfy quilt with a tantalizing story that I know I can finish in one sitting.

I love Historical Fiction any time of year but Christmas Historicals are extra special, especially Christmas Romances! There’s something about the simplicity of this sacred holiday in earlier eras that touches my heart and soothes my angsty yuletide nerves.

It seems that I’m not only attracted to rom/coms in the summertime! 🙂 I’ve read and re-read a number of wonderful holiday Contemporary Romances. So many favourites!

So, how about you? Are you a Christmas re-reader too? Have any favourite Christmas novels you’d like to share with the rest of us? You know, in case our bookish wish lists are festively depleted? 🙂

Anticipated Christmas Reads (and the giveaway!)

Do you have your eye on a certain Christmas title on your wishlist? Too impatient to wait and see if Santa has a copy for your stocking? Then this giveaway is for you:

Add the title of a Christmas book you’d like to win in a comment (or email to kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca) and I’ll put your name in the draw. Please include the book title and the author(s). Must be Christian Fiction and can be published any time up until the end of this year.

US and Canada winners — your choice of paperback or ebook (or audible for Canadians where available)

International – ebook if you have a US Amazon account.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 9.

It’s a Best Reads blog tradition! Celebrating the month’s new releases the first week of each month.

Because I recently discovered that a book’s success or failure is often determined by first month sales! (Though I bet preorders play into that as well.) Publishing houses look at those stats to determine whether they’ll add on to a series or accept the author’s next manuscript! All that literary goodness hanging in the balance but for a month’s worth of sales! (This was a cozy mystery author, but I imagine all traditional publishers use the same ‘system’.) So I thought I should do my wee little bit to promote Christian Fiction.

By hosting a special ‘Hello – insert month’ giveaway. It’s easy to play along. You just have to choose ONE of the October 2024 new releases on your TBR wishlist (must be Christian Fiction) and mention the title in a comment below (or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca) If your name is drawn, that October release is the book you will win and we’re one book closer to keeping our fave authors in business.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook for anyone anywhere who has an Amazon.com kindle account

US – paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice

Canada -paperback or ebook (in form of an Amazon gift card) or audible.ca audio book (if available) – winner’s choice

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 5 2024.