A Year in a Life: 2021... Sunrises, Sunsets, Socks and Snow Plus One Very Ginger Cat

The Viewing Files: Deck The Halls...

🎁I know right?  More Christmas movies. I seriously have a problem.  And would you believe I've still got even more to watch.  How awesome is that.  Then again my brain has probably turned to mush from all the snowy overload.  It's either that or all the Christmas cake I've eaten.

Christmas in Connecticut

Starring: Barbara Stanwyck

Original release: 1945

Synopsis: A Martha Stewart type journalist invites a soldier to her home for a traditional Christmas, only she's not quite the homemaker she makes out to be.

 

She can't cook, isn't that fond of children and has no want or need on how to be a housewife. (OMG it's me in a movie.)

 

Of course some man has to come along and ruin it all...

Surprisingly funny and good.

Holiday Affair

Starring: Robert Mitchum and Jamie Lee's mom.

Original release: 1949

Synopsis:  A young widow keeps running into the same man.

 

I never thought I would say cute and Robert Mitchum in the same sentence but can this movie be any cuter or Robert Mitchum more bad boy swoony.  I think not.

Christmas in Montana

Starring: That guy from Eureka

Original release: 2019

Synopsis:  A financial advisor goes to Montana to help a rancher save his ranch.

 

Colin Ferguson needs to make all the Hallmark movies. He's just so nice and charming. Extra points for being set in Montana and that house. Minus points for Kellie Martin whose just all kinds of boring.

Too Close For Christmas

Starring: The guy from One Tree Hill

Original release: 2020

Synopsis:  Two annoying people find each other

 

I like Chad MM in most of these kind of movies but his character in this one is beyond annoying. Then again so she is. So maybe a perfect pairing after all.

 

All the minus's for zero chemistry and annoying characters.

The Twelve Trees of Christmas

Starring: Who knows, who cares

Original release: 2013

Synopsis:  A library is threatened with closure

 

A Christmas movie about libraries. My idea of heaven. Sadly this movie isn't that. No chemistry, annoying female lead and totally unrealistic about libraries. I did however love her clothes so fashion bonuses for that.

Crown For Christmas

Starring: The blond guy from Spooks

Original release: 2015

Synopsis:  A struggling artist is hired as a governess to a princess.

 

Zero chemistry between the 2 leads but there's a ton of snow and the man from Spooks riding horses and looking all pretty so I'm fairly happy.

Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen

Starring: Smiley people

Original release: 2019

Synopsis:  A party planner clashes with her Scrooge like client. 

 

How is it possible for a Christmas romance movie to be so boring? I nearly had a nap it was such a snooze fest.

Angel Falls Christmas

Starring: One Tree Guy again

Original release: 2021

Synopsis:  A workaholic doctor is shown how to enjoy Christmas by a mysterious stranger.

 

I thought I had seen some bad Christmas movies and then I watched this.

Fir Crazy

Starring: Cute Guy

Original release: 2013

Synopsis:  In between jobs a woman helps to sell Christmas trees. 

 

I've changed my mind. Eric Johnson should do all the Hallmark movies. He's just so swoon worthy nice and cute. As for the rest... well the story was kind of okay despite the zero chemistry between the 2 leads.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

Starring: From TV shows I can't remember

Original release: 2015

Synopsis:  A DJ receives Secret Santa gifts

 

Love, love , love.

 

Just all kinds of perfect. Snow, chemistry and Secret Santa's. What more could you ask for.

A Dickens of a Holiday

Starring: Gravelly voice man

Original release: 2021

Synopsis:  A actor returns home to star in the local Christmas play.

 

I liked this more than I thought I would. Great chemistry between the 2 leads and a nice quirky story.

 

Of course I may have been swayed by Kristoffer Polaha's gravelly voice.

Dashing in December

Starring:

Original release: 2020

Synopsis:  Christmas and Cowboys

 

My kind of Christmas movie in every way. Just 2 guys who fall in love, face a few obstacles along the way (mostly themselves) and finally realise where they belong and with whom and all set in snowy. horsey mountains.

Love.

Book Talk: I've Been Reading...

Thrillers, crime, happy reads, Christmasy reads... it's a very mixed bag in today's post, which is just how I like it.  Lots of good books with good stories and interesting characters.

This year has been an amazing year for thrillers.  Even better I've discovered so many new authors that I now just have to follow and wait impatiently (very impatiently) for their next book.

 

The Push was one of those very hyped books that everyone was talking about and having read it I can see why.  The House of Killers was also brilliant and the 1st in a series of which I have currently got in my To Be Read pile.

 

Along with new authors there were also some old favourites.  Tim Weaver was very much back on form with his latest release (so good) as was Linwood Barclay.

Thrillers don't just come in their normal thrillerish packages either as these reads can attest with 2 of them being very dystopia but also scarily realistic and 1 that was just pure hunting monsters a-la Buffy the Vampire style with a heroine who very much kicked ass.  And don't you just love the title.

After all those thrillers it was definitely time for some happy vibe down time with a bunch of my usual chick lit.

Even better I finally made a start on my Christmas reading with 3 super wonderful Christmasy chick lit books.  And yes much cake and chocolate was had in the process.

 

Perfection.

The Viewing Files: You Better Watch Out

🎄Snow?  Check

🎄Gorgeous cute towns and villages that I just have to go to?  Check

🎄Swoony guys with perfect hair and teeth and smiles that belong in a toothpaste commercial?  Check.

🎄Christmas decorations that would make even Martha Stewart cry?  Check

🎄A dead relative or 2 or even better a dead spouse...

 

Yep it's Christmas romance movies Hallmark style.  Though sometimes it's hard to tell since other networks have jumped into the fray. Either way all of the above checklist will generally be on view and I can wallow in all their Christmasy goodness until my brain goes numb or I've eaten all the chocolate in the house. 

 

Hearts of Winter

Starring: He was in Continuum and she was in Teen Wolf

Original release:2020

Synopsis: An interior designer (aren't they all) helps a family turn their house into a home

 

Hallmark strikes again with their dead relative theme (this time he's a widower) and zero chemistry between the 2 leads.  Still the snow was nice.

The Mistletoe Promise

Starring: A cute guy

Original release: 2016

Synopsis: 2 strangers make a pact to help each other get through Christmas

 

Seriously love this.

 

It's cute and sweet and way less sappy and sentimental than so many other Hallmark movies.

 

And loved, loved, loved that both characters were independent, non family people.

Twinkle All The Way

Starring: Yet another cute guy

Original release: 2019

Synopsis: A wedding planner has to pull off the ultimate Christmas wedding

 

Sentimental as anything but it kind of works. Then again I was probably just distracted by the snow and Ryan McPartlin's smile.

A Castle for Christmas

Starring: Brooke Shields and the guy from The Princess Bride

Original release: 2021

Synopsis: A writer heads to Scotland to escape a scandal.

 

I should love this but OMG it was so bad in every way. The only thing that made this movie even remotely worthwhile was the castle and the Scottish wintry scenery.

 

Seriously disappointed.

The Christmas Contract

Starring: He's from iZombie and she's married to Sam and Dean's dad

Original release: 2018

Synopsis: A woman takes her friend's brother with her as her date at Christmas

 

The 2 leads were decent enough and yet somehow the story didn't grab me. Maybe I just like my Christmas with a little more snow.

Matchmaker Christmas

Starring: No idea

Original release: 2019

Synopsis: An editor has to work with her ex who is a best selling author

 

Zero chemistry and the male lead came across as a pushy stalker. So not the romance movie you want or need.

 

Emily Rose however was good and should seriously do more of these kind of movies.

A Golden Christmas

Starring: Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Original release: 2009

Synopsis: Two people fight over a house

 

I have no idea what they were thinking, except that they weren't.

 

Zero chemistry and the female lead character was just a horrible person. Big big pass.

Love Hard

Starring: the chick from Vampire Diaries

Original release: 2021

Synopsis: A dating and mistaken identity.

 

It tries hard. Really, really hard. And fails on pretty much most fronts. Not helped at all by having a romantic hero who looked like he was about 15 years old.

 

I'm really not having much luck with my Christmas viewing so far.

Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses

Starring: Teen Wolf and Vampire Diaries united

Original release: 2019

Synopsis: An interior decorator is hired to decorate a mansion for Christmas

 

A nice enough story and the lead actors were good (Matthew Davis was well suited in the role) but the spark to make this work just wasn't there.

 

And once again my Christmas viewing is lacking swoony romance vibes.

Hope at Christmas

Starring: And another really cute guy

Original release: 2018

Synopsis: A woman returns home to sell her grandparents house.

 

Pleasant enough though a different actress in the lead would have made it way better. Then again there was Ryan Paevey and he was a writer so I was happily distracted.

 

I also want one of those owl book bags.

Book Talk: Christmas Reads - The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

🎁 If there is something that I love better than chick lit books it's Christmas chick lit books.  My perfect dream books featuring snowy white Christmases AND romance.  What more could you ask for. 

Naturally I have an enormous - and I do mean enormous - To-Be-Read pile to get through this month.  So many books, so little time... so many cute covers and swoony feels.

Excuse me while I curl up with a hot chocolate, some Christmas music and a plate of candy cane marshmallow puffs (OMG so yum and so addictive) and get stuck in.