Weekly Taste of Joy | January 8th

Where will you find joy this week?

The first week of January was a busy reading week for me! I finished 2 books on New Year’s Day and started and finished a new one during the week. This weekend I started a few new ones and I’m officially on a roll. If I keep up this reading speed I may have to readjust my annual reading goal!

ICYMI: New Posts This Week

• Ultimate List of Recommended Reading: books I can’t stop recommending!

• Book Review: If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy 5 /5 Stars

• Book Review: Salt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho 4.5 / 5 Stars

• Book Review: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 3 /5 Stars

Where did you find entertainment and joy this past week?

At no cost to you I receive a commission for items purchased through links.

What I’ve read so far in January:

1. If The Shoe Fits (A Meant to Be Novel #1) by Julie Murphy | Hyperion Avenue Books | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Star Rating - purchased from Once Upon a Book Club’s backlist during their Black Friday sale

   • My Book Review on Substack

2. Salt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho | Ikyard Press | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5 Star Rating - a debut novel, December 2022 Once Upon a Book Club selection

   • My Book Review on Substack

3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Star Rating - read for a book club chat

   • My Book Review on Substack

What I’m currently reading:

1. Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan | Forever Romance - purchased from Book of the Month

2. Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom | Soho Press - purchased from Aardvark

3. Love People, Use Things by the Minimalists | Celadon Books - purchased from Book Outlet

4. Sweet Success by Candace Nelson | Harper Collins Leadership - purchased on pre-order from B&N

5. The Billionaire and the Monk by Vibhor Kumar Singh | GCP Balance - gifted copy from GCP Balance

6. Love That Story by Jonathan Van Ness | HarperOne - audiobook included in Scribd subscription

What I’m looking forward to:

• Season 2 of Wednesday was officially renewed by Netflix!

• Next week’s new book releases! I’m most excited about Exes & O’s by Amy Lea and Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen. I made Lunar Love my January selection from Book of the Month and it just arrived. So excited to start reading!!

Looking for something new to add to your never-ending TBR? Check out all of the new books being released in January 2023!

Where will you find joy this week?

Fun Holidays Coming Up This Week:

I’ve highlighted a few of my favorites!

8. Sunday - World Typing Day | National Bubble Bath Day | National Winter Skin Relief Day | National Argyle Day | National English Toffee Day | National Sunday Supper Day (2nd Sunday)

9. Monday - National Apricot Day | National Static Electricity Day | National Clean Off Your Desk Day (2nd Mon)

10. Tuesday - National Bittersweet Chocolate Day | National Cut Your Energy Costs Day | National Houseplant Appreciation Day

11. Wednesday - National Milk Day | National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

12. Thursday - National Pharmacist Day | National Kiss a Ginger Day | National Marzipan Day

13. Friday - National Sticker Day | National Rubber Ducky Day | National Blame Someone Else Day (1st Friday on the 13th)

14. Saturday - National Hot Pastrami Sandwhich Day | National Dress Up Your Pet Day | National Vision Board Day (2nd Sat)

Check out the full January 2023 holiday list to plan out the whole month!

Favorite Quote of the Week: Minimalism is not the absence of ambition. It is not sainthood. It is a life choice in which you decide to live with minimum possessions but with maximum focus. The idea is that through physical unclutter, you also unclutter your mental cupboards, which remain loaded with unnecessary and meaningless objects and emotions.

- The Billionaire and the Monk by Vibhor Kumar Singh | GCP Balance