What do you think?
Rate this book
12 Days of Book-Club-Mas
Our Advent Calendar recipients will receive a novella of about 200 pages featuring 12 short stories (each 10-15 pages long) featuring one of the 12 gifts. Each story is written by a different author who wrote these tales specifically to bring our selected gifts to LIFE! As you read each short story, you'll be prompted at key moments within them to open the corresponding gift for the day. These gifts are all incredibly useful, beautiful items, perfect for the bookworm in ALL of us! These gifts are NOT Christmas themed (only the wrapping is wintery to match the season!) and each item can be used and enjoyed year-round.
Each box will include a custom and exclusive book of 12 short stories that can only be found in our box, along with 12 beautiful gifts (one for each story!). This box has a value of over $400!
As usual, this year's box will feature four days where the wrapped gifts will be full-length, published novels, however this year we will be offering an Adult version and a Young Adult version! Each version will include different novels on these four days. The other eight days of gifts will be the same in both boxes, so please bear in mind that ONLY the books are different in each box. We will have extra books from BOTH the Adult and Young Adult boxes available for individual purchase in January for those of you who do not want a duplicate set of the other eight gifts.
Each box will include a custom and exclusive book of 12 short stories that can only be found in our box, along with 12 beautiful gifts (one for each story!). This box has a value of over $400!
As usual, this year's box will feature four days where the wrapped gifts will be full-length, published novels, however this year we will be offering an Adult version and a Young Adult version! Each version will include different novels on these four days. The other eight days of gifts will be the same in both boxes, so please bear in mind that ONLY the books are different in each box. We will have extra books from BOTH the Adult and Young Adult boxes available for individual purchase in January for those of you who do not want a duplicate set of the other eight gifts.
256 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2022
13 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 26, 2023
I am not a huge fan of short stories. I feel like they are typically just so underdeveloped. However, most of the stories in this book were enjoyable enough. It was fun to open a gift with each story and a couple of the gifts were really nice. I look forward to using (or reading) them. My rating is for the book specifically, but you can see the gifts associated with each story in the spoilers. I would probably give this 3.5★.
The stories included in this book are:
Day 1: If the Jootis Fits by Nisha J Tuli (page 2) 2★
Day 2: The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell by A.L. Heard (page 22) 4★
Day 3: A Place to Belong by K.R. Wieland (page 46) 4★
Day 4: Between the Lines by Mackenzie Dollins (page 61) 4★
Day 5: Lost in the Threads by Maseeha Seedat (page 93) 3★
Day 6: Just Add Magic by Ranee Stemann (page 111) 4★
Day 7: The Lessons Carried Forward by Jamie Perrault (page 129) 3.5★
Day 8: A Recipe for Love by Angie Michaelis (page 152) 4★
Day 9: Through Thick and Thin by Jenna Marie Henley (page 169) 3★
Day 10: Bottling Sunshine by Zaynah Qutubuddin (page 194) 3★
Day 11: Sweet Expectations by Annmarie Boyle (page 221) 3★
Day 12: An Old Red Cloak by Taylor Quinn (page 237) 3★
The stories included in this book are:
Day 1: If the Jootis Fits by Nisha J Tuli (page 2) 2★
Day 2: The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell by A.L. Heard (page 22) 4★
Day 3: A Place to Belong by K.R. Wieland (page 46) 4★
Day 4: Between the Lines by Mackenzie Dollins (page 61) 4★
Day 5: Lost in the Threads by Maseeha Seedat (page 93) 3★
Day 6: Just Add Magic by Ranee Stemann (page 111) 4★
Day 7: The Lessons Carried Forward by Jamie Perrault (page 129) 3.5★
Day 8: A Recipe for Love by Angie Michaelis (page 152) 4★
Day 9: Through Thick and Thin by Jenna Marie Henley (page 169) 3★
Day 10: Bottling Sunshine by Zaynah Qutubuddin (page 194) 3★
Day 11: Sweet Expectations by Annmarie Boyle (page 221) 3★
Day 12: An Old Red Cloak by Taylor Quinn (page 237) 3★
December 14, 2022
Loved loved loved stories 3, 4, 6 and 8
Yes, my self-care routine involved reading the whole book and opening all 12 gifts early! I needed it!
Yes, my self-care routine involved reading the whole book and opening all 12 gifts early! I needed it!
December 19, 2022
4 ⭐
The stories were excellent. Many would be great as full length novels. However, I do miss when the 12 stories were 2-4 pages each as this is a very busy time of year spent with family and friends. It can be difficult to find time to read stories of this length each day.
The stories were excellent. Many would be great as full length novels. However, I do miss when the 12 stories were 2-4 pages each as this is a very busy time of year spent with family and friends. It can be difficult to find time to read stories of this length each day.
December 24, 2022
I really love the idea of this collection of short stories as a part of a 12 day advent calendar with fun gifts that go with each story. Even without the gifts, this was a fun set of short stories and I appreciated that they weren't holiday themed. See below for reviews of each story:
Day 1: "If the Jootis Fit" by Nisha J Tuli
Neelam's kingdom is on the verge of collapse. The only way to save them is to identify his rightful queen. How will he know who this person is? She will be able to dislodge the diamond encrusted jootis (shoes) from in front of the queen's throne. This was such a cute take on Cinderella with an Indian influence.
Day 2: "The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell" by A.L. Heard
As a fresh college graduate, Ellie Mitchell is home visiting family and friends. As she reminisces with her Auntie and her childhood crush, the literal boy next door, she starts to panic about her future - which grad school to attend, should she start a new relationship with her crush, can she move far from her family? I absolutely adored the relationship between Ellie and her Auntie. This was a sweet and realistic discussion on making decisions, regrets, and rolling with the punches.
Day 3: "A Place to Belong" by K.R. Wieland
After the death of her grandmother, Nora is reunited with family she hasn't been in contact with in over 12 years. While Nora begins to feel like her family has abandoned her all these years, she discovers the truth behind their silence. Although this was a bit of a sad story, it is my favorite one so far.
Day 4: "Between the Lines" by MacKenzi Dollins
Ivy is a professional ice skater but she is considering a change in careers. She is terrified of disappointing her parents and coach if she reveals that she wants to retire from ice skating and become a writer. One day, she discovers an unfinished manuscript left behind in the locker room and immediately becomes hooked on the story. She begins exchanging notes with the mystery author in hopes of discovering their identity. I really loved the message of not judging a book (or person) by it's cover and following your passions - the surprise little romance intermingled in this story was also a plus.
Day 5: "Lost in the Threads" by Maseeha Seedat
Robin and Mateo are on a high stakes heist to steal a valuable artifact from a well known museum. While they procure the coveted object, Mateo notices this item may be connected to his ancestors. They must make the tough decision - deliver this valuable object or keep it to uncover it's history? I loved the dialogue between these two characters - which mostly consisted of famous book quotes.
Day 6: "Just Add Magic" by Ranee Stemann
Aislinn's family runs a bakery but with an interesting twist - they are witches with the ability to bake spells into their pastries. Unfortunately, Aislinn has not been able to perfect her magic. Since she can not wield her magic, Aislinn is left to run the bakery solo while her family attends a witchcraft conference and she has one rule: do not attempt to fulfill any magical orders. She has to break this rule when a family friend and fellow witch, Martha, arrives with an urgent life or death request. This was a super fun concept and I would be interested in seeing a full story from this.
Day 7: "The Lessons Carried Forward" by Jamie Perrault
Faollan is struggling to accept the death of both their parents. While going through their parents belongings, they discover a note from their mother that threatens to change everything they knew about themselves. In a society where their true nature is not tolerated, the truth behind their identity could threaten the lives of them and their husband and daughter. I struggled keeping up with this story but I did appreciate the supernatural big brother-esque themes.
Day 8: "A Recipe for Love" by Angie Michaelis
It is 1945 and Sophie has received word that her beloved, Will, will be returning home from the war. As she waits for his arrival at the train station, she soon discovers he isn't aboard. She sadly returns home waiting for his arrival. To pass the time, she engages in her favorite passtime, baking. Due to rations, she is short on ingredients and reaches out to her neighbor who invites her to join her book club. This was such a sweet story and left me smiling at the end.
Day 9: "Through Thick and Thin" by Jenna Marie Henley
Audree is dealing with the fallout after her father was accused of stealing - by her best friend's dad. In order to distract herself, she begins volunteering at the local library over winter break. Every day when she arrives for her shift, she discovers notes addressed to her that provide clues to help her clear her father's name. I loved the alternating views between Audree and her best friend, Cora. This was a super cute story, loved the mystery solving aspect.
Day 10: "Bottling Sunshine" by Zaynah Qutubiddin
After the death of her parents and grandfather, Yadira is left to care for her siblings and grandmother. In the early morning and late at night, they continue the family business of collecting sea glass to sell to wealthy manufacturers of bottled essences. This story follows Yadira as she struggles to make ends meet for her family and her confrontation with grief. This story was a bit heartbreaking but still enjoyable.
Day 11: "Sweet Expectations" by Annmarie Boyle
Kayleigh is a workaholic who is preparing for the day she will take over her grandmother's position as CEO of Cara Candy. To get her to slow down and get back to her roots, her grandmother sends her on a two-week work free vacation to Ireland - the inspiration for the candy company. When Kayleigh arrives in Ireland, she meets her cousin's handsome roommate, Liam - who happens to be the chef at a Michelin star restaurant. During her stay, she fills in as a temporary pastry chef at his restaurant. Although she was dreading the trip, she soon realizes her grandmother was right all along. This was probably my favorite story in this whole collection - super cute and gave me "Emily in Paris" vibes.
Day 12: "An Old Red Cloak" by Taylor Quinn
On a dark and stormy night, Roan sees a young, hungry boy on the street and leaves a loaf of bread on the window sill for him. Her grandmother sees this interaction and thinks the young boy has stolen from them so she curses him. This was an interesting story with a sweet ending.
Day 1: "If the Jootis Fit" by Nisha J Tuli
Neelam's kingdom is on the verge of collapse. The only way to save them is to identify his rightful queen. How will he know who this person is? She will be able to dislodge the diamond encrusted jootis (shoes) from in front of the queen's throne. This was such a cute take on Cinderella with an Indian influence.
Day 2: "The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell" by A.L. Heard
As a fresh college graduate, Ellie Mitchell is home visiting family and friends. As she reminisces with her Auntie and her childhood crush, the literal boy next door, she starts to panic about her future - which grad school to attend, should she start a new relationship with her crush, can she move far from her family? I absolutely adored the relationship between Ellie and her Auntie. This was a sweet and realistic discussion on making decisions, regrets, and rolling with the punches.
Day 3: "A Place to Belong" by K.R. Wieland
After the death of her grandmother, Nora is reunited with family she hasn't been in contact with in over 12 years. While Nora begins to feel like her family has abandoned her all these years, she discovers the truth behind their silence. Although this was a bit of a sad story, it is my favorite one so far.
Day 4: "Between the Lines" by MacKenzi Dollins
Ivy is a professional ice skater but she is considering a change in careers. She is terrified of disappointing her parents and coach if she reveals that she wants to retire from ice skating and become a writer. One day, she discovers an unfinished manuscript left behind in the locker room and immediately becomes hooked on the story. She begins exchanging notes with the mystery author in hopes of discovering their identity. I really loved the message of not judging a book (or person) by it's cover and following your passions - the surprise little romance intermingled in this story was also a plus.
Day 5: "Lost in the Threads" by Maseeha Seedat
Robin and Mateo are on a high stakes heist to steal a valuable artifact from a well known museum. While they procure the coveted object, Mateo notices this item may be connected to his ancestors. They must make the tough decision - deliver this valuable object or keep it to uncover it's history? I loved the dialogue between these two characters - which mostly consisted of famous book quotes.
Day 6: "Just Add Magic" by Ranee Stemann
Aislinn's family runs a bakery but with an interesting twist - they are witches with the ability to bake spells into their pastries. Unfortunately, Aislinn has not been able to perfect her magic. Since she can not wield her magic, Aislinn is left to run the bakery solo while her family attends a witchcraft conference and she has one rule: do not attempt to fulfill any magical orders. She has to break this rule when a family friend and fellow witch, Martha, arrives with an urgent life or death request. This was a super fun concept and I would be interested in seeing a full story from this.
Day 7: "The Lessons Carried Forward" by Jamie Perrault
Faollan is struggling to accept the death of both their parents. While going through their parents belongings, they discover a note from their mother that threatens to change everything they knew about themselves. In a society where their true nature is not tolerated, the truth behind their identity could threaten the lives of them and their husband and daughter. I struggled keeping up with this story but I did appreciate the supernatural big brother-esque themes.
Day 8: "A Recipe for Love" by Angie Michaelis
It is 1945 and Sophie has received word that her beloved, Will, will be returning home from the war. As she waits for his arrival at the train station, she soon discovers he isn't aboard. She sadly returns home waiting for his arrival. To pass the time, she engages in her favorite passtime, baking. Due to rations, she is short on ingredients and reaches out to her neighbor who invites her to join her book club. This was such a sweet story and left me smiling at the end.
Day 9: "Through Thick and Thin" by Jenna Marie Henley
Audree is dealing with the fallout after her father was accused of stealing - by her best friend's dad. In order to distract herself, she begins volunteering at the local library over winter break. Every day when she arrives for her shift, she discovers notes addressed to her that provide clues to help her clear her father's name. I loved the alternating views between Audree and her best friend, Cora. This was a super cute story, loved the mystery solving aspect.
Day 10: "Bottling Sunshine" by Zaynah Qutubiddin
After the death of her parents and grandfather, Yadira is left to care for her siblings and grandmother. In the early morning and late at night, they continue the family business of collecting sea glass to sell to wealthy manufacturers of bottled essences. This story follows Yadira as she struggles to make ends meet for her family and her confrontation with grief. This story was a bit heartbreaking but still enjoyable.
Day 11: "Sweet Expectations" by Annmarie Boyle
Kayleigh is a workaholic who is preparing for the day she will take over her grandmother's position as CEO of Cara Candy. To get her to slow down and get back to her roots, her grandmother sends her on a two-week work free vacation to Ireland - the inspiration for the candy company. When Kayleigh arrives in Ireland, she meets her cousin's handsome roommate, Liam - who happens to be the chef at a Michelin star restaurant. During her stay, she fills in as a temporary pastry chef at his restaurant. Although she was dreading the trip, she soon realizes her grandmother was right all along. This was probably my favorite story in this whole collection - super cute and gave me "Emily in Paris" vibes.
Day 12: "An Old Red Cloak" by Taylor Quinn
On a dark and stormy night, Roan sees a young, hungry boy on the street and leaves a loaf of bread on the window sill for him. Her grandmother sees this interaction and thinks the young boy has stolen from them so she curses him. This was an interesting story with a sweet ending.
December 25, 2022
I want to start off by saying this is my first year with the Once Upon a Book Club advent box. Most of the time I like the gifts associated with the boxes, but some feel like a waste, so I was a little worried with this expensive box.
Day 1: If the Jootis Fit: loved this short story not only because it was cute, but also because it gave references to many things I didn't know, so I felt as though it gave a bit of culture to look up as well. Gift: The Dutchess by Wendy Holden
Day 2: The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell: I loved the relationship between Eleanor and her "auntie" and wish I had something similar. The other part of the story with the boy was a bit Hallmark Movie for me. Gift: a jute welcome mat that says "come back with books" which I just love!
Day 3: A Place to Belong: a coming home story of sorts where we are hit in the feels about feeling left out and forgotten. I feel this story would hit home with many people, and I enjoyed it. Gift: a ceramic little jar that says "to be read" with little sticky notes. While I love the jar, there's no way it's large enough for all my TBR list, it's more like a mini piggy bank, but it is adorable!
Day 4: Between the Lines: hidden author meets hidden author. Both of our characters are doing things other except of them until they stumble upon each other. While it is a Hallmark type movie story, I thought the way they interacted with the story was adorable. Gift: One by One by Ruth Ware, a book I actually wanted!!
Day 5: Lost in the Threads: we start reading where this duo is breaking into a museum for an old table runner. This has to be my favorite story so far! Mateo realizes while he's taking the runner that it's got his family's insignia on it, so he and his partner keep it. We are left on a cliff hanger and I'm 100% sure this would be a fantastic book, I even reached out to the author to ask what happened next! Gift: a dark green table runner full of bookish quotes.
Day 6: Just Add Magic: a cute witchy coming of age story, where the one daughter is the only one with no powers in her family, gets them when she needs them most to help a witchy family friend. I loved the idea that the family's spells are all woven into delicious baked goods! Gift: book cookie cutters.
Day 7: The Lessons Carried Forward: this one had something to do with this person's family dying and then finding out who they truly are, which I think is a werewolf? I'm not sure because I honestly couldn't finish this one. While I appreciate the pronouns being true to the character it honestly threw me off, since there was a husband, he/him and a child, but the main character was referred to as they/them. Along with the weird let's add tattoos to your tattoo to figure out who you are thing, I couldn't finish. Gift: She Wouldn't Change a Thing by Sarah Adlakha
Day 8: A Recipe for Love: set in the times of WW2, a young woman awaits her love coming back from the war. When her neighbor realizes she enjoys baking, despite the rations, she invites her for a book club/baking club. (oOkay but where can I sign up?!) She is gifted an amazing cookbook with bookish recipes to help her pass the time while she awaits her love. Gift: a beautiful cook book ready to be filled with all your own recipes, and a set of measuring spoons.
Day 9: Through Thick and Thin: a new girl to town makes a rich best friend, while her father works for the best friend's father. He is accused of stealing some diamond necklaces and the new girl is ostracized because of it. She gets a volunteer job at the library and finds notes helping her to figure out who did it. We find out it's NOT her father but aren't told who it is, which bothered me. Gift: a small trinket/makeup bag that looks like an old school library check out card, and a set of "gold" necklaces. Love the bag, don't like the necklaces, most of us are grown adults and don't wear cheap fake jewelry.
Day 10: Bottling Sunshine: a family who collects sea-glass has fallen on hard times, it focuses on the children in the family and how they are coping with loss and hard times. They trade old shoes to try and get new ones for the younger sister, but are given a book and sandals instead. The eldest child reads the book about "bottling sunshine" and they decide to do that. We are never told what the sunshine is and are left questioning a bit: Gift: Heard it in a Love song by Tracey Garvis Graves
Day 11: Sweet Expectations: Kayleigh is trying to keep her grandmother's candy store alive with new recipes, grandma however doesn't approve and sends her to Ireland to get back in touch with her roots. Upon getting there she meets her cousin's friend, falling for him and Ireland while reacquainting herself with her love of baking. Super adorable story that would work great as a longer modern romance. Gift: yoga mat with females reading, in a carrying bag.
Day 12: An Old Red Cloak: This almost reminded me a bit of Little Red Riding hood. Roan works in her family's bakery, and tries to help a hungry boy her age, until her grandmother sees him and puts a curse on him. 10 years later they're a couple, living together with his curse (werewolf) on the outskirts of two towns. That's honestly about it...there was no real end to me. Just that the towns folk wanted to hunt him. Gift: a turquoise and grey travel hammock that says "go away I'm reading."
Day 1: If the Jootis Fit: loved this short story not only because it was cute, but also because it gave references to many things I didn't know, so I felt as though it gave a bit of culture to look up as well. Gift: The Dutchess by Wendy Holden
Day 2: The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell: I loved the relationship between Eleanor and her "auntie" and wish I had something similar. The other part of the story with the boy was a bit Hallmark Movie for me. Gift: a jute welcome mat that says "come back with books" which I just love!
Day 3: A Place to Belong: a coming home story of sorts where we are hit in the feels about feeling left out and forgotten. I feel this story would hit home with many people, and I enjoyed it. Gift: a ceramic little jar that says "to be read" with little sticky notes. While I love the jar, there's no way it's large enough for all my TBR list, it's more like a mini piggy bank, but it is adorable!
Day 4: Between the Lines: hidden author meets hidden author. Both of our characters are doing things other except of them until they stumble upon each other. While it is a Hallmark type movie story, I thought the way they interacted with the story was adorable. Gift: One by One by Ruth Ware, a book I actually wanted!!
Day 5: Lost in the Threads: we start reading where this duo is breaking into a museum for an old table runner. This has to be my favorite story so far! Mateo realizes while he's taking the runner that it's got his family's insignia on it, so he and his partner keep it. We are left on a cliff hanger and I'm 100% sure this would be a fantastic book, I even reached out to the author to ask what happened next! Gift: a dark green table runner full of bookish quotes.
Day 6: Just Add Magic: a cute witchy coming of age story, where the one daughter is the only one with no powers in her family, gets them when she needs them most to help a witchy family friend. I loved the idea that the family's spells are all woven into delicious baked goods! Gift: book cookie cutters.
Day 7: The Lessons Carried Forward: this one had something to do with this person's family dying and then finding out who they truly are, which I think is a werewolf? I'm not sure because I honestly couldn't finish this one. While I appreciate the pronouns being true to the character it honestly threw me off, since there was a husband, he/him and a child, but the main character was referred to as they/them. Along with the weird let's add tattoos to your tattoo to figure out who you are thing, I couldn't finish. Gift: She Wouldn't Change a Thing by Sarah Adlakha
Day 8: A Recipe for Love: set in the times of WW2, a young woman awaits her love coming back from the war. When her neighbor realizes she enjoys baking, despite the rations, she invites her for a book club/baking club. (oOkay but where can I sign up?!) She is gifted an amazing cookbook with bookish recipes to help her pass the time while she awaits her love. Gift: a beautiful cook book ready to be filled with all your own recipes, and a set of measuring spoons.
Day 9: Through Thick and Thin: a new girl to town makes a rich best friend, while her father works for the best friend's father. He is accused of stealing some diamond necklaces and the new girl is ostracized because of it. She gets a volunteer job at the library and finds notes helping her to figure out who did it. We find out it's NOT her father but aren't told who it is, which bothered me. Gift: a small trinket/makeup bag that looks like an old school library check out card, and a set of "gold" necklaces. Love the bag, don't like the necklaces, most of us are grown adults and don't wear cheap fake jewelry.
Day 10: Bottling Sunshine: a family who collects sea-glass has fallen on hard times, it focuses on the children in the family and how they are coping with loss and hard times. They trade old shoes to try and get new ones for the younger sister, but are given a book and sandals instead. The eldest child reads the book about "bottling sunshine" and they decide to do that. We are never told what the sunshine is and are left questioning a bit: Gift: Heard it in a Love song by Tracey Garvis Graves
Day 11: Sweet Expectations: Kayleigh is trying to keep her grandmother's candy store alive with new recipes, grandma however doesn't approve and sends her to Ireland to get back in touch with her roots. Upon getting there she meets her cousin's friend, falling for him and Ireland while reacquainting herself with her love of baking. Super adorable story that would work great as a longer modern romance. Gift: yoga mat with females reading, in a carrying bag.
Day 12: An Old Red Cloak: This almost reminded me a bit of Little Red Riding hood. Roan works in her family's bakery, and tries to help a hungry boy her age, until her grandmother sees him and puts a curse on him. 10 years later they're a couple, living together with his curse (werewolf) on the outskirts of two towns. That's honestly about it...there was no real end to me. Just that the towns folk wanted to hunt him. Gift: a turquoise and grey travel hammock that says "go away I'm reading."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2022
"If the Jootis Fit" by Nisha J Tuli. Very predictable fairy tale format, but it was charming, with an interesting setting. The gift for this story was nice (the stories come with gifts to be opened). Character development was limited, but one expects that from a fairy tale format. It was interesting that the author gave more than one POV though. That was new.
"The Quarter Life Crisis of Ellie Mitchell," which was a charming tale of a young lady's indecision about her future paths. I liked how it intersected with books (plus at the end she was read The Midnight Library, which I also read). Nicely done character story.
"A Place to Belong" by K. R. Weiland was such a touching tale! I loved it! Dang. Moving.
"Between the Lines," by MacKenzi Dollins, which was a charming love story developed by the anonymous sharing of writing & editing between two characters. The characters were named in ways that were reminiscent of other literary characters, and one character was even reading "Frankenstein"!
"Lost in the Threads" by Maseeha Seedat. This was a pretty "meh" story. It kind of starts in the middle and ends without really concluding or wrapping anything up. It wasn't charming like the other stories so far in the volume. Basically, two crooks steal something, but then decide not to give it to the person who hired them. The end. The gift the story was written around was really cool though.
"Just Add Magic," about a witch who couldn't quite do it, but learns to in an emergency. No real twists, of course, but charmingly written. It was fun and I enjoyed reading it.
"Lessons Carried Forward," by Jamie Perrault. This was a pretty good story. I like stories of magic tattoos. I liked the overall theme and the moral of the story.
"A Recipe for Love" by Angie Michaelis. This was another charming tale. Set at the end of WWII, it involves a book club/baking circle that occupies a young lady while she waits for her sweetie to come home from the war. Not much really happens, but it was charming nonetheless.
"Through Thick and Thin," by Jenna Marie Henley. It was a mystery but the story didn't resolve that mystery, only proved who didn't do it, and reestablished a friendship. Charmingly written though.
"Bottling Sunshine," by Zaynah Qutubuddin. This was, like the others in this collection, a charming tale charmingly told. It didn't quite conclude, which was well-foreshadowed, but ended on a note of hope, which I liked.
"Sweet Expectations," by Annmarie Boyle. Again, a charming tale. I rather enjoyed this one, and felt it concluded nicely. The characters were enjoyable to meet and read about. Nothing unexpected, but that's not really what this collection is about. I think it is just meant to be charming, and it's succeeding there.
"An Old Red Cloak" by Taylor Quinn. Another charming tale of a woman living with/married to a cursed werewolf. She has an old red cloak. It was kind of an unexpected tale in some ways, a rather unique take.
Of course, part of the fun of reading this set was the gifts, one per story.
"The Quarter Life Crisis of Ellie Mitchell," which was a charming tale of a young lady's indecision about her future paths. I liked how it intersected with books (plus at the end she was read The Midnight Library, which I also read). Nicely done character story.
"A Place to Belong" by K. R. Weiland was such a touching tale! I loved it! Dang. Moving.
"Between the Lines," by MacKenzi Dollins, which was a charming love story developed by the anonymous sharing of writing & editing between two characters. The characters were named in ways that were reminiscent of other literary characters, and one character was even reading "Frankenstein"!
"Lost in the Threads" by Maseeha Seedat. This was a pretty "meh" story. It kind of starts in the middle and ends without really concluding or wrapping anything up. It wasn't charming like the other stories so far in the volume. Basically, two crooks steal something, but then decide not to give it to the person who hired them. The end. The gift the story was written around was really cool though.
"Just Add Magic," about a witch who couldn't quite do it, but learns to in an emergency. No real twists, of course, but charmingly written. It was fun and I enjoyed reading it.
"Lessons Carried Forward," by Jamie Perrault. This was a pretty good story. I like stories of magic tattoos. I liked the overall theme and the moral of the story.
"A Recipe for Love" by Angie Michaelis. This was another charming tale. Set at the end of WWII, it involves a book club/baking circle that occupies a young lady while she waits for her sweetie to come home from the war. Not much really happens, but it was charming nonetheless.
"Through Thick and Thin," by Jenna Marie Henley. It was a mystery but the story didn't resolve that mystery, only proved who didn't do it, and reestablished a friendship. Charmingly written though.
"Bottling Sunshine," by Zaynah Qutubuddin. This was, like the others in this collection, a charming tale charmingly told. It didn't quite conclude, which was well-foreshadowed, but ended on a note of hope, which I liked.
"Sweet Expectations," by Annmarie Boyle. Again, a charming tale. I rather enjoyed this one, and felt it concluded nicely. The characters were enjoyable to meet and read about. Nothing unexpected, but that's not really what this collection is about. I think it is just meant to be charming, and it's succeeding there.
"An Old Red Cloak" by Taylor Quinn. Another charming tale of a woman living with/married to a cursed werewolf. She has an old red cloak. It was kind of an unexpected tale in some ways, a rather unique take.
Of course, part of the fun of reading this set was the gifts, one per story.
December 28, 2022
Ok, so this is my 1st year reading and using this Advent box.
Day 1's story was filled with cultural terminology and foods that I needed to look up, as I lacked experience. I enjoyed doing this, though. The story was predictable. Gift was a book - The Duchess by Wendy Holden
Day 2's story was a boring one for me. It's about a girl graduating from college and not quite sure what she wants to do next. She has a young man she has been interested in since she was a kid and wants to follow him halfway across the world so she doesn't miss out. The 2nd day's gift has not arrived yet, but based on the passage, I'm getting a door mat that says "come back with books," as that's what the passage read.
Day 3's story has been my favorite thus far. A young lady, Nora, returning to her grandmother's home after her grandmother's death. She felt abandoned by her family, and she learned that wasn't the truth. Day 3's gift is a Gray ceramic jar with a cover that has a slit in it. The jar reads "to be read." The grandmother would add little notes to Nora and add them to the jar. The actual gift is way too tiny to continuously add notes to. It's more like a mini piggy bank, and I'm not sure it's a gift I'd use. I was thinking of adding push pins or something tiny to it so it doesn't go to waste.
Day 4's short story is about Ivy, a young, professional skater. She is an aspiring writer. She stumbles upon a story written by someone that she believed must frequent the rink. She is in search of the author. She and the author go back and forth writing each other notes before finally meeting up with them. The story got better after the 1st few pages, which made me happy because it really feels a lot like story 2 upon initial read. The gift for this story was the book One By One by Ruth Ware.
Day 5's short story happens to be my favorite thus far. You have a major thief, Robyn and her partner Mateo. Mateo used to just hang in the getaway can, but now he has gone with her for his 1st major task. I can see this story being developed into much more. The gift for this story was a table runner with quotes from various books running down the middle. It is just green with white letters. Nothing very fancy, but it's definitely functional!
Day 6's short story was another good (what a relief because there have been some really boring reads). Aislinn and her family are a group of witches that bake spells into their goods. Aislinn hasn't come into her powers, and this is a short, well developed story on her journey. The gift for this story is a cookie cutter set with one open book shaped cookie cutter and a closed book imprint.
Day 7's short story was a drag for me. I found it difficult to read the they/them pronouns for a singular person. I also didn't find the story very interesting. It was about a creature that found out more about her past after both her parents died. The gift was a book.
Day 8's short story was about a woman who was awaiting the return from her love after a war. She made friends with a circle of women, also awaiting their loved ones, and they shared recipes. The gift was a beautiful recipe book with measuring spoons. This gift was exceptionally crafted!
Day 9's short story was about 2 friends. Their friendship suffered as the result of one father accusing the other father of theft. Despite them not speaking, the friend received help to clear her father's name from her friend. The gift was a pouch with gold colored thick and thin necklaces. The story was lacking. It wasn't fleshed out well and had quite a bit of irrelevant details. The costume jewelry necklaces were that you'd give to a child and maybe my least favorite gift from the entire bo .
Day 10's short story was about 3 siblings who lost their mother, father, and grandfather. The story discusses their journey of finding new shoes for the youngest sister. It was a cute read. The gift was a book. It was just a book. I feel like this was a missed opportunity for OUABC because the book was beautifully described as tatted leather, and a tatted leather jacket would've paired really nicely with the story.
Day 11's short story was about a pastry chef who worked for her grandmother's business. Her grandmother felt she needed to remember her Irish toots that the business was based on and sent her to Ireland. She learned a lot about herself while there. I enjoyed the story and can see it turning into a full romance novel. The gift was a traveling yoga mat in a carrying case.
Day 12's short story was about a girl who helped a starving boy. The boy was cursed by the girl's grandmother and turned into a beast during full moons. The girl was a traveling hammock that you could tie onto 2 trees.
Day 1's story was filled with cultural terminology and foods that I needed to look up, as I lacked experience. I enjoyed doing this, though. The story was predictable. Gift was a book - The Duchess by Wendy Holden
Day 2's story was a boring one for me. It's about a girl graduating from college and not quite sure what she wants to do next. She has a young man she has been interested in since she was a kid and wants to follow him halfway across the world so she doesn't miss out. The 2nd day's gift has not arrived yet, but based on the passage, I'm getting a door mat that says "come back with books," as that's what the passage read.
Day 3's story has been my favorite thus far. A young lady, Nora, returning to her grandmother's home after her grandmother's death. She felt abandoned by her family, and she learned that wasn't the truth. Day 3's gift is a Gray ceramic jar with a cover that has a slit in it. The jar reads "to be read." The grandmother would add little notes to Nora and add them to the jar. The actual gift is way too tiny to continuously add notes to. It's more like a mini piggy bank, and I'm not sure it's a gift I'd use. I was thinking of adding push pins or something tiny to it so it doesn't go to waste.
Day 4's short story is about Ivy, a young, professional skater. She is an aspiring writer. She stumbles upon a story written by someone that she believed must frequent the rink. She is in search of the author. She and the author go back and forth writing each other notes before finally meeting up with them. The story got better after the 1st few pages, which made me happy because it really feels a lot like story 2 upon initial read. The gift for this story was the book One By One by Ruth Ware.
Day 5's short story happens to be my favorite thus far. You have a major thief, Robyn and her partner Mateo. Mateo used to just hang in the getaway can, but now he has gone with her for his 1st major task. I can see this story being developed into much more. The gift for this story was a table runner with quotes from various books running down the middle. It is just green with white letters. Nothing very fancy, but it's definitely functional!
Day 6's short story was another good (what a relief because there have been some really boring reads). Aislinn and her family are a group of witches that bake spells into their goods. Aislinn hasn't come into her powers, and this is a short, well developed story on her journey. The gift for this story is a cookie cutter set with one open book shaped cookie cutter and a closed book imprint.
Day 7's short story was a drag for me. I found it difficult to read the they/them pronouns for a singular person. I also didn't find the story very interesting. It was about a creature that found out more about her past after both her parents died. The gift was a book.
Day 8's short story was about a woman who was awaiting the return from her love after a war. She made friends with a circle of women, also awaiting their loved ones, and they shared recipes. The gift was a beautiful recipe book with measuring spoons. This gift was exceptionally crafted!
Day 9's short story was about 2 friends. Their friendship suffered as the result of one father accusing the other father of theft. Despite them not speaking, the friend received help to clear her father's name from her friend. The gift was a pouch with gold colored thick and thin necklaces. The story was lacking. It wasn't fleshed out well and had quite a bit of irrelevant details. The costume jewelry necklaces were that you'd give to a child and maybe my least favorite gift from the entire bo .
Day 10's short story was about 3 siblings who lost their mother, father, and grandfather. The story discusses their journey of finding new shoes for the youngest sister. It was a cute read. The gift was a book. It was just a book. I feel like this was a missed opportunity for OUABC because the book was beautifully described as tatted leather, and a tatted leather jacket would've paired really nicely with the story.
Day 11's short story was about a pastry chef who worked for her grandmother's business. Her grandmother felt she needed to remember her Irish toots that the business was based on and sent her to Ireland. She learned a lot about herself while there. I enjoyed the story and can see it turning into a full romance novel. The gift was a traveling yoga mat in a carrying case.
Day 12's short story was about a girl who helped a starving boy. The boy was cursed by the girl's grandmother and turned into a beast during full moons. The girl was a traveling hammock that you could tie onto 2 trees.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2023
This book was from the special 2022 Once Upon a Book Club box intended to be read as an advent and came with 12 gifts ..one for each story. The book itself was okay....better than last year's version for sure! But there were still more stories I DIDN'T like than ones that I did. The associated gifts were all really great, as usual! And I highly recommend Once Upon a Book Club experiences. I just don't recommend this book in particular. Maybe I'm just not a fan of short stories.
December 26, 2022
Some of the short stories were better than others, but the idea of a book gift advent calendar is amazing! I can’t wait to do it again next year.
December 24, 2022
3.5 stars A cute collection of short stories that cover a mix of genres about the love of reading and books.
My absolute favorite book was Day 11: Sweet Expectations by Ann Marie Boyle. This would make an excellent full novel!
My absolute favorite book was Day 11: Sweet Expectations by Ann Marie Boyle. This would make an excellent full novel!
February 5, 2023
Loved the story for day 11!
February 25, 2023
I couldn’t get interested in most of these short stories. Opening the gifts each day was a blast though. I will include some reviews to some of the stories below, but I didn’t finish doing them for the rest of the book. 😂 And am not interested enough to do so. 7 out of 12 is not bad.
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: If the Jootis Fit by Nisha J Tuli:
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: This Fairytale Cinderella meets The Sword in the Stone was cute.
𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵: House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland Hardcover Book
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell by A.L. Heard
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: A contemporary story about a girl’s self discovery and choosing the path her life will take. I liked the characters in this story but nothing happened. At all.
𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵: Welcome mat “Come Back With Books”, I LOVE this gift. So freakin’ cute!
⠀
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: A Place to Belong by K.R. Wieland
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: This was a contemporary story. The MC had been forcibly relocated away from the rest of her family by her dad. And with no contact from them in 12 years, she felt quite isolated. The ending was heartwarming and there were quite a few moments along the way.
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟰
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺:
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: I liked this story a lot except I also like it the first time I read it in Meet Me in the margins by Melissa Ferguson. It’s the exact same events happening except instead of being at a publishing house they are at an ice skating rink. There’s also less magic, no hidden library, and way more obvious.
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺:
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: After the first 4 stories being very relaxed and lacking action, I liked how this story started out with a museum heist. I also enjoyed that the MCs talk to each other in literary quotes.
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟲
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺:
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: I really enjoyed this one. Just the right mix of baking, Magic, danger, and self discovery. Short stories are hard because usually the reader either like the story and feels like there should be more to it, or dislikes it because there should be more to it. But this one was the perfect length.
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟳
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: The Lessons Carried Forward by Jamie Perrault
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: There was just too much going on and too many elements in this story for a short story. I didn’t enjoy it.
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: If the Jootis Fit by Nisha J Tuli:
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: This Fairytale Cinderella meets The Sword in the Stone was cute.
𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵: House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland Hardcover Book
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell by A.L. Heard
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: A contemporary story about a girl’s self discovery and choosing the path her life will take. I liked the characters in this story but nothing happened. At all.
𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵: Welcome mat “Come Back With Books”, I LOVE this gift. So freakin’ cute!
⠀
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: A Place to Belong by K.R. Wieland
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: This was a contemporary story. The MC had been forcibly relocated away from the rest of her family by her dad. And with no contact from them in 12 years, she felt quite isolated. The ending was heartwarming and there were quite a few moments along the way.
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟰
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺:
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: I liked this story a lot except I also like it the first time I read it in Meet Me in the margins by Melissa Ferguson. It’s the exact same events happening except instead of being at a publishing house they are at an ice skating rink. There’s also less magic, no hidden library, and way more obvious.
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺:
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: After the first 4 stories being very relaxed and lacking action, I liked how this story started out with a museum heist. I also enjoyed that the MCs talk to each other in literary quotes.
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟲
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺:
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: I really enjoyed this one. Just the right mix of baking, Magic, danger, and self discovery. Short stories are hard because usually the reader either like the story and feels like there should be more to it, or dislikes it because there should be more to it. But this one was the perfect length.
⠀
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟳
𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺: The Lessons Carried Forward by Jamie Perrault
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: There was just too much going on and too many elements in this story for a short story. I didn’t enjoy it.
January 17, 2023
This is a self-published special-edition book for Advent from Once Upon a Book Club. This is the fifth year of this special-edition box. For each day of the advent, you read that day's short story and then open the associated gift at the marked spot in the story. For this year's edition, they again held a writing contest and selected the authors of each story from that contest. Each author is given the gift that OUABC has curated for the Advent to weave into their story. There are two versions of this Advent box, one with an adult book focus and one with a young adult book focus (adult books just meaning regular mainstream books, while the YA books are specifically targeted to a YA audience). My review is of the adult Advent box.
***Don't read this review if you are waiting to read the stories and open the gifts at a different pace than me and the OUABC postings on social media. Gift and mild story spoilers are included in my reviews of each story, which I post as I read so my reviews reflect the freshness of the story in my mind.***
Day One: If The Jootis Fit by Nisha J. Tuli: An Indian twist on the classic Cinderella story. There's a lot of Indian terminology (foods, clothing) that I am not familiar with used throughout the story. It's cute and very predictable. It definitely could have been longer with more development to expand on details of the story, but it was cute and fun as this short. (The gift associated with this story is a paperback copy of the book The Duchess by Wendy Holden, corresponding to her "book of fables" that Saidara loses and comes across the princess, Neelam, reading.)
Day Two: The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell by A.L. Heard: I can see the basis for a more developed story with this short story. There needed to be some transitions between sections because it felt a little choppy when scenes changed. Predictable. I enjoyed Ellie's relationship with Auntie, which seemed to be the primary focus of this short story, with just a basis for a romance. (The gift associated with this story is a woven doormat that says "come back with books," corresponding to Auntie's.)
Day Three: A Place to Belong by K.R. Wieland: This one is more sad and sentimental, with the main character trying to heal from past hurts from her childhood. It needed a lot more development, background, details filled in, and clarification. The whole solution to the sticky tabs wasn't strong enough, in my opinion. I really don't know anyone who would know the dates mentioned by memory, so I found that connection a huge stretch, while the sentiment was beautiful. I personally needed more development and refinement to this story, but it's a good basis. (The gift associated with this story is a gray "to be read" ceramic jar with a wooden lid with a slit in it (I'm assuming to slide in slips of paper with the TBR titles on it) with a reproduction note (a wasted gift, sorry, my opinion, I hate these) from the story that Nora finds while reading the notes her grandma left (great for the story, but I just throw this away, so why even produce them in the first place??), along with a plastic tabbed bookmark (to add to a planner?) with sticky tabs on it, representing the TBR jar with the notes Nora finds from her grandma and sticky tabs her grandma left in books)
Day Four: Between the Lines by MacKenzi Dollins: Quite long with the back-and-forth and trying to figure out who the mystery writer is, which I figured out right away so this one dragged for me, but the writing itself is good. The build-up just took too long. I personally just didn't really connect with the story or the characters very well, but it was very descriptive and well done in other ways. (The gift associated with this story is the book One by One by Ruth Ware, tying in with the book that Ivy and Adler co-author during their mysterious back-and-forth that Adler gifts to Ivy. It is very cool that it is such a well-known book from an extremely popular author included.)
Day Five: Lost in the Threads by Maseeha Seedat: Super fun thief concept and I loved the quoting of books back-and-forth between Robin and Mateo, although not all of them were referenced from where they came from, so if you don't know, you have to look them up (I had to a few). It is a bit far-fetched, but really fun and I could see this being developed into a longer novella or a full book concept. Great potential for this writer!! A favorite of this anthology for sure!! (The gift associated with this story is a dark green, heavy table runner with all the book quotes Robin and Mateo quote, tying in with the magical object they steal from the museum. OK, that concept pushed the boundaries for me, but still very clever. I'm not sure if this is an item I will actually use, but I do love all the quotes used on it and that they were tied into this story.)
Day Six: Just Add Magic by Ranee Stemann: I really liked this one!! The reason for the rushed magic needing to be put into the cookies, but I'll come back in 3 days for it, was pushing believability for me, but the premise of the rest of the story and the setting and the bakery were excellent!! Great potential for a magical world and for more from this author! Definitely one of my favorites in this anthology! (The gift associated with this story is a set of two pink plastic book-shaped cookies cutters, representing the cookie cutters Martha asks Aislinn to use for the magic cookies. One is a hollow traditional cookie cutter; the other is a closed-in, impression-style cookie cutter, to add detail. Cute, but something I will most likely never use. Also, a reproduction of the letter from the story. Another wasted reproduction, in my opinion.)
Day Seven: The Lessons Carried Forward by Jamie Perrault: No, just NO! I did not like this one, at all, not one single thing about it. It was confusing, on multiple, multiple levels. I'm leaving it at that. (The gift associated with this story is the book She Wouldn't Change a Thing by Sarah Adlakha, representing all the books Faollan finds in "their" parents' things.)
Day Eight: A Recipe for Love by Angie Michaelis: Cute historical short story! I loved the setting. I loved the story development. I loved the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society vibes. I loved the recipe tie-in. I definitely could see this one with further development into a longer story. (The gift associated with this story is a spiral bound, hardcover recipe book titled "The Book Recipe Book" with blank pages to add your own recipes. The front page inside does tie in directly with the note from the story, so I was expecting a few recipes related to books/authors to start it off, so that was a slight disappointment, but it's a pretty book, well bound, good quality, and looks like fun to create yourself!! It just doesn't really justify the title of being a book recipe book or as tying in with favorite authors/books in my opinion.)
Day Nine: Through Thick and Thinby Jenna Marie Henley: Cute story, one of the longer ones. The plot isn't really realistic, in my opinion, a stretch. It's a YA story. It is fun and cute. I liked the library as a place of escape, but really her dad could have solved the problem about the theft he was accused of by himself and Cora wouldn't have known anything about the library tie-in in my opinion, so the little details needed refinement, but still a fun story. (The gift associated with this story is a canvas zippered bag/make-up bag designed to look like a library check-out/check-in card with two bar necklaces inside, one thick and one thin, as tied into the story and the story title.)
Day Ten: Bottling Sunshine by Zaynah Qutubuddin: Another YA story, with a story within the story with three siblings and their healing from the loss of their parents living with the grandmother in (it sounds like??) India. Lots of Indian cultural references. The bottling concept is interesting. I'm not sure if that is something in the culture or made up for this story. The tie-in between the book Yadira reads with her healing and their life is interesting and left extremely open-ended. Cute story. Another one I could see being developed even further. (The gift associated with this story is a copy of Heard It in a Love Song to tie in with the book Yadira is reading.)
Day Eleven: Sweet Expectations by Annmarie Boyle: Super cute story!! It moved too quickly for me, though. I definitely think this one could have been developed into a much longer at least novella, but it definitely could be a full-length contemporary rom-com. Loved the set-up to the story, Ireland (wanted so much more of that!!), the candy and food descriptions (recipes included in the book, anyone? Yes, please!!), and how it flowed. (The gift associated with this story is a folded pink yoga mat decorated with people in yoga poses, in a pink carrying bag decorated with the definition of self-care)
Day Twelve: An Old Red Cloak by Taylor Quinn: Interesting story. Another one I wanted more development from. When it turned into the fantasy, I was unprepared, because it didn't give those vibes right off the bat. The werewolf/curse thing also seemed to come from nowhere and needed more groundwork laid for me. Still, it was good, but I definitely could see this one being longer with a more developed story line. (The gift associated with this story is a hammock, representing where Roan finds Faelan when she goes home. Unfortunately, it seemed out of place with the story, which was a fantasy, but still a fun gift!! Can't wait to use this one!!)
Overall, this was a fun anthology (with the one completely awful exception). The editing for grammar was MUCH better than any of the previous four editions OUABC has put out, so thank you for that!! I enjoyed the stories and could definitely see great potential in the majority of the writers for longer stories or their future works. Some of them appear to already be published authors and some were actually young adults, so that was a fun addition too! The gifts overall are very very usable, although sometimes I struggle with very book-centered gifts, meaning the "come back with books" or "leave me alone, I'm reading" things printed all over a large portion of gifts that OUABC produces. I love books, but that doesn't mean I want everything in my home (where I live with kids and my not-book-reader husband) to reflect that. Just me personally, but it's a struggle I'm personally having with a lot of the gifts. :) I also do wish they wouldn't print page numbers/days on their packaging that is reusable. I love the decorations, but not the page numbers. If they would add a nifty little tag (yep, more work for them, but makes even the packaging worth my money instead of me just ending up chucking it in the trash/recycle). Sometimes I can reuse them for gifts, but mostly I can't.
Overall, with that being said, I still enjoy the 12 days box. I love that they include a mix of books and products for the gifts. While I enjoy the stories and have mentioned many times that I would love to see them developed into longer stories, it is really hard around the holidays for me to carve out the time to read the stories in the advent-style that it is intended (yes, they do say, read it at your own pace), so that is why it took me until the middle of January to finish this time! :)
***Don't read this review if you are waiting to read the stories and open the gifts at a different pace than me and the OUABC postings on social media. Gift and mild story spoilers are included in my reviews of each story, which I post as I read so my reviews reflect the freshness of the story in my mind.***
Day One: If The Jootis Fit by Nisha J. Tuli: An Indian twist on the classic Cinderella story. There's a lot of Indian terminology (foods, clothing) that I am not familiar with used throughout the story. It's cute and very predictable. It definitely could have been longer with more development to expand on details of the story, but it was cute and fun as this short. (The gift associated with this story is a paperback copy of the book The Duchess by Wendy Holden, corresponding to her "book of fables" that Saidara loses and comes across the princess, Neelam, reading.)
Day Two: The Quarter Life Crisis of Eleanor Mitchell by A.L. Heard: I can see the basis for a more developed story with this short story. There needed to be some transitions between sections because it felt a little choppy when scenes changed. Predictable. I enjoyed Ellie's relationship with Auntie, which seemed to be the primary focus of this short story, with just a basis for a romance. (The gift associated with this story is a woven doormat that says "come back with books," corresponding to Auntie's.)
Day Three: A Place to Belong by K.R. Wieland: This one is more sad and sentimental, with the main character trying to heal from past hurts from her childhood. It needed a lot more development, background, details filled in, and clarification. The whole solution to the sticky tabs wasn't strong enough, in my opinion. I really don't know anyone who would know the dates mentioned by memory, so I found that connection a huge stretch, while the sentiment was beautiful. I personally needed more development and refinement to this story, but it's a good basis. (The gift associated with this story is a gray "to be read" ceramic jar with a wooden lid with a slit in it (I'm assuming to slide in slips of paper with the TBR titles on it) with a reproduction note (a wasted gift, sorry, my opinion, I hate these) from the story that Nora finds while reading the notes her grandma left (great for the story, but I just throw this away, so why even produce them in the first place??), along with a plastic tabbed bookmark (to add to a planner?) with sticky tabs on it, representing the TBR jar with the notes Nora finds from her grandma and sticky tabs her grandma left in books)
Day Four: Between the Lines by MacKenzi Dollins: Quite long with the back-and-forth and trying to figure out who the mystery writer is, which I figured out right away so this one dragged for me, but the writing itself is good. The build-up just took too long. I personally just didn't really connect with the story or the characters very well, but it was very descriptive and well done in other ways. (The gift associated with this story is the book One by One by Ruth Ware, tying in with the book that Ivy and Adler co-author during their mysterious back-and-forth that Adler gifts to Ivy. It is very cool that it is such a well-known book from an extremely popular author included.)
Day Five: Lost in the Threads by Maseeha Seedat: Super fun thief concept and I loved the quoting of books back-and-forth between Robin and Mateo, although not all of them were referenced from where they came from, so if you don't know, you have to look them up (I had to a few). It is a bit far-fetched, but really fun and I could see this being developed into a longer novella or a full book concept. Great potential for this writer!! A favorite of this anthology for sure!! (The gift associated with this story is a dark green, heavy table runner with all the book quotes Robin and Mateo quote, tying in with the magical object they steal from the museum. OK, that concept pushed the boundaries for me, but still very clever. I'm not sure if this is an item I will actually use, but I do love all the quotes used on it and that they were tied into this story.)
Day Six: Just Add Magic by Ranee Stemann: I really liked this one!! The reason for the rushed magic needing to be put into the cookies, but I'll come back in 3 days for it, was pushing believability for me, but the premise of the rest of the story and the setting and the bakery were excellent!! Great potential for a magical world and for more from this author! Definitely one of my favorites in this anthology! (The gift associated with this story is a set of two pink plastic book-shaped cookies cutters, representing the cookie cutters Martha asks Aislinn to use for the magic cookies. One is a hollow traditional cookie cutter; the other is a closed-in, impression-style cookie cutter, to add detail. Cute, but something I will most likely never use. Also, a reproduction of the letter from the story. Another wasted reproduction, in my opinion.)
Day Seven: The Lessons Carried Forward by Jamie Perrault: No, just NO! I did not like this one, at all, not one single thing about it. It was confusing, on multiple, multiple levels. I'm leaving it at that. (The gift associated with this story is the book She Wouldn't Change a Thing by Sarah Adlakha, representing all the books Faollan finds in "their" parents' things.)
Day Eight: A Recipe for Love by Angie Michaelis: Cute historical short story! I loved the setting. I loved the story development. I loved the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society vibes. I loved the recipe tie-in. I definitely could see this one with further development into a longer story. (The gift associated with this story is a spiral bound, hardcover recipe book titled "The Book Recipe Book" with blank pages to add your own recipes. The front page inside does tie in directly with the note from the story, so I was expecting a few recipes related to books/authors to start it off, so that was a slight disappointment, but it's a pretty book, well bound, good quality, and looks like fun to create yourself!! It just doesn't really justify the title of being a book recipe book or as tying in with favorite authors/books in my opinion.)
Day Nine: Through Thick and Thinby Jenna Marie Henley: Cute story, one of the longer ones. The plot isn't really realistic, in my opinion, a stretch. It's a YA story. It is fun and cute. I liked the library as a place of escape, but really her dad could have solved the problem about the theft he was accused of by himself and Cora wouldn't have known anything about the library tie-in in my opinion, so the little details needed refinement, but still a fun story. (The gift associated with this story is a canvas zippered bag/make-up bag designed to look like a library check-out/check-in card with two bar necklaces inside, one thick and one thin, as tied into the story and the story title.)
Day Ten: Bottling Sunshine by Zaynah Qutubuddin: Another YA story, with a story within the story with three siblings and their healing from the loss of their parents living with the grandmother in (it sounds like??) India. Lots of Indian cultural references. The bottling concept is interesting. I'm not sure if that is something in the culture or made up for this story. The tie-in between the book Yadira reads with her healing and their life is interesting and left extremely open-ended. Cute story. Another one I could see being developed even further. (The gift associated with this story is a copy of Heard It in a Love Song to tie in with the book Yadira is reading.)
Day Eleven: Sweet Expectations by Annmarie Boyle: Super cute story!! It moved too quickly for me, though. I definitely think this one could have been developed into a much longer at least novella, but it definitely could be a full-length contemporary rom-com. Loved the set-up to the story, Ireland (wanted so much more of that!!), the candy and food descriptions (recipes included in the book, anyone? Yes, please!!), and how it flowed. (The gift associated with this story is a folded pink yoga mat decorated with people in yoga poses, in a pink carrying bag decorated with the definition of self-care)
Day Twelve: An Old Red Cloak by Taylor Quinn: Interesting story. Another one I wanted more development from. When it turned into the fantasy, I was unprepared, because it didn't give those vibes right off the bat. The werewolf/curse thing also seemed to come from nowhere and needed more groundwork laid for me. Still, it was good, but I definitely could see this one being longer with a more developed story line. (The gift associated with this story is a hammock, representing where Roan finds Faelan when she goes home. Unfortunately, it seemed out of place with the story, which was a fantasy, but still a fun gift!! Can't wait to use this one!!)
Overall, this was a fun anthology (with the one completely awful exception). The editing for grammar was MUCH better than any of the previous four editions OUABC has put out, so thank you for that!! I enjoyed the stories and could definitely see great potential in the majority of the writers for longer stories or their future works. Some of them appear to already be published authors and some were actually young adults, so that was a fun addition too! The gifts overall are very very usable, although sometimes I struggle with very book-centered gifts, meaning the "come back with books" or "leave me alone, I'm reading" things printed all over a large portion of gifts that OUABC produces. I love books, but that doesn't mean I want everything in my home (where I live with kids and my not-book-reader husband) to reflect that. Just me personally, but it's a struggle I'm personally having with a lot of the gifts. :) I also do wish they wouldn't print page numbers/days on their packaging that is reusable. I love the decorations, but not the page numbers. If they would add a nifty little tag (yep, more work for them, but makes even the packaging worth my money instead of me just ending up chucking it in the trash/recycle). Sometimes I can reuse them for gifts, but mostly I can't.
Overall, with that being said, I still enjoy the 12 days box. I love that they include a mix of books and products for the gifts. While I enjoy the stories and have mentioned many times that I would love to see them developed into longer stories, it is really hard around the holidays for me to carve out the time to read the stories in the advent-style that it is intended (yes, they do say, read it at your own pace), so that is why it took me until the middle of January to finish this time! :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2023
The book-club-mas advent box so much better than I thought it would be. All the stories were very different and diverse and the gifts were very good quality. I plan on ordering again. Loved it.
December 16, 2022
I am rating this one a four… five for the experience and gifts/three for the stories. Let me start off by saying, I am loving the gifts that are included with the Once Upon A Book Club advent calendar. They are wonderful and special bookish gifts. It’s also really fun to experience them as the characters in the stories are. The problem is, I just don’t love the stories. I think I was expecting them to be a little more festive and seasonal. The stories in the collection don’t really have anything to do with December at all. A few of them didn’t seem super engaging to me and definitely felt like they were written by novice authors. I think I would try the experience again, but hope there are better stories included next year.
December 25, 2022
Novellas are one of my favorite style of books to read and I especially love short stories. Something about the 10-15 pages each it makes me feel like I finished a bunch of books in a short amount of time. This book is just that.y favorite stories were 1,,3, 5, 6,7, and 11. 12 was nice but it reminded me of a shorter version of Beauty and the Beast. As for the gifts, I liked most of them but a couple I found unrealistic to give. The hammock is not a universal gift especially if you don’t live in a rural place, I already had a foldable mat but for those that don’t think is probably a good gift, and the cookbook would have been better with some recipes in it. I really did love the to be read jar that is cute to make little cut outs of books and put them in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2022
4.5 stars
This was my first experience with a book advent and it will not be the last! So far very impressed with Once Upon A Bookclub!
One of the novellas I did not care for at all. It was poorly written, didn’t make sense and really had no storyline. Very surprised it made the cut for this set of novellas.
This was my first experience with a book advent and it will not be the last! So far very impressed with Once Upon A Bookclub!
One of the novellas I did not care for at all. It was poorly written, didn’t make sense and really had no storyline. Very surprised it made the cut for this set of novellas.
December 24, 2022
This has been the best advent box so far. I really enjoyed all the stories even though a few could have been better with more development. Some would make great full length novels. Days 6 & 10 were my favorites!
December 25, 2022
I absolutely adored the advent calendar this year! I enjoyed the stories a lot and thought that the gifts were all beautiful this year. Once Upon A Book Club really outdid themselves this year and I will definitely be buying again next year! Thank you!!
December 30, 2022
Not very Christmas-y, but sometimes short stories are the best. A quick dive into a character's world, and seeing some progress or a big revelation in just 20 minutes, can be extremely satisfying! Haha!
December 31, 2022
Out of 12 stories, I really enjoyed 3, and have started following the authors to read more of their fantastical, magical works. A few others felt like excerpts from longer stories and just weren’t finished enough to even be a small story within a story.
January 15, 2023
I ordered this 12 days from OUABC late after a serious case of jealousy and I am so glad I did. The stories were mucj more enjoyable than last years. I especially liked the 2nd story because it had a connection to my own job, being a school counselor. The gifts were amazing too!
December 28, 2023
Short story anthology that took me over a year to read, I didn't like most of the stories - don't remember anything about majority of them, and only finished it to open the accompanying gifts & to finish a 2023 reading challenge.
December 24, 2022
The stories were just ok.
December 24, 2022
I'm giving 4 stars for the book alone, but the book/gifts combo is 5 stars all the way! My all-time favorite advent!
December 25, 2022
This is a fun book of short stories spanning different genres and settings.
December 27, 2022
Most of the stories were really good and engaging. There were a couple that just weren't for me.
Read
December 30, 2022I loved all the stories in this book
December 30, 2022
A fantastic collection of stories and gifts once again. Not all of the stories were for me, but I would love to read more like days 8 and 11.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews