I hope you enjoyed today's video. Thank you to Grüns for sponsoring! Start your New Year off right - Get up to 52% off by clicking my link bit.ly/DailyConnoisseur_GrunsJan25 Also, THANK YOU for your messages of concern regarding the California fires. We are safe. But thank you for your messages and please continue to pray for California ♥ Love, Jennifer
Hello Jennifer! I am truly sorry to hear you have been so sick! When I was living in Germany I had pneumonia twice, once while pregnant with my daughter. Please, please take care of yourself! While I absolutely love your content, I would happily wait know what a difficult recovery that can be. I listen to you talking about being highly efficient and you are obviously very motivated - qualities I share - and no full well how hard it is to take it easy the moment you start to feel better. Trust me when I tell you it takes you much longer with anything that’s respiratory, so please be gentle with yourself and know you have our full support!
Hello Jennifer! I am truly sorry to hear you have been so sick! When I was living in Germany I had pneumonia twice, once while pregnant with my daughter. Please, please take care of yourself! While I absolutely love your content, I would happily wait know what a difficult recovery that can be. I listen to you talking about being highly efficient and you are obviously very motivated - qualities I share - and no full well how hard it is to take it easy the moment you start to feel better. Trust me when I tell you it takes you much longer with anything that’s respiratory, so please be gentle with yourself and know you have our full support! 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻 for California and YOU!
I love that you shared your “guilt pleasure” books. I think that it shows that you can still have class even if you aren’t always reading classics or literary books.
Thank you so much for this video! Personally, I think that there is no such thing as a "guilty" pleasure in reading. Losing yourself in an enjoyable book is one of the best feelings in the world. So, please, keep recommending!
I have been praying for Southern California. I spent 5 years in my young childhood in Santa Monica and Long Beach. I hope you and your family are safe.
Im so so thankful you are not near the fires, not sure where you are but so glad to hear that. We are all praying for you all! Praying for rain to put them out.
Jennifer we are happy to know you are feeling better. We would totally understand if you ever don’t feel well and can’t upload a segment. We would understand and just pick up where we left off. We really appreciate all you do. Take care of you ok?
Big fan of yours, Jennifer! Definitely continue sharing your book interests. There are many people who judge others based on many things - books, movies & tv shows, religion, politics, parenting, what others eat, clothing attire, hair and makeup...you get my point! We are all unique and have different tastes in books and many things, and it can be so much fun expanding our interests and experiences by learning from each other. Let those who constantly judge and put others down continue to live in disgust and anger while others continue finding ways to enjoy life and embrace others for their uniqueness.
Thank you for your note confirming you and yours are safe from the wildfires ~ I was concerned. Praying for your continued safety and for all affected by the fires. 🙏
Dear Jennifer, I’m so happy to hear that you are steadily recovering. How are the horrific fires affecting you and your loved ones? I hope you are safe and the air quality is not compounding any breathing issues . ❤
I just put holds on The Housemaid and The House Across the Lake at my library. I look forward to reading them when they come in! Thank you for the suggestions!
You're going to love the "Co-worker", and I appreciate that you share what you are enjoying. Perhaps others would get less offended if they realize you are not necessarily 'recommending', but rather, 'describing what's holding your interest in the book world. I look at those as 2 different things. To recommend is to know the person well enough to say, "I think you'd like this", while simply sharing what you've enjoyed means the responsibility for determining whether to give that author a try is decidedly on the that person, not on you for simply stating your reading list. I for one like to hear what people are reading. I'll decide if it fits my style or not, without blaming the person sharing.' I'm glad you're feeling better too.
I am a seasonal reader in that I love reading books which are set in the season I am living in currently. This time of year I often return to a favorite of mine by Rosamund Pilcher . It is a fiction novel titled Winter Solstice. This story brings together five very different people ranging in age from teens to sixties each of whom are facing different challenges. I feel I really know and love each of these characters who show their own unique healing powers. This is a story of rebirth that for me makes perfect reading for this time of year. The main part of the story takes place in an old house in the north of Scotland which is one of my favorite places on earth. I am transported to a winter land with snow everywhere, shadows and sunlight !! I am looking forward to reading this again this weekend as I too am currently snowbound !
If you are in the mood for something more suspenseful , you may want to take a look at Before the Fact which is the book that Alfred Hitchcock based his film Suspicion on. The film and book have 2 different endings in my opinion. I think perhaps Hollywood wouldn’t allow the original ending !!
@ I am listening to the audio version of The Willows in Winter. I play my audio books on a speaker so I must always be mindful of little children who may overhear. This is a good choice for me. Some of The Willows animal characters remind me of some people I know ! 😆
My thoughts and heart are with you, your family, friends and everyone including the poor little animals being affected by the fires. I can't imagine how frightening and devastating this must be. Sending love and comforting thoughts and wishes. 💖🫶💖
I love seeing your garden in the winter! I grew up in CA but live in OR now. I miss the Orange tree and other fruit trees we had in our yard. I hope you're not near those fires that are happening! It's so sad to see the devastation!
Love hearing about what you are reading! Love guilty pleasure books too! I did read the last Riley sager book Middle of the night and I really liked that one more than the Only One Left. A thriller/mystery writer I also like is Catherine Ryan Howard - 56 days and The Nothing Man were both really good. The Unmissing by Minka Kent, The Stranger by Harlan Coben was really good too!
Hi Jennifer, its better to put the aluminum foil on an oven rack placed on the bottom rungs as believe it ir not the aluminum can melt if the oven is overheated. you must have great oven racks in the fact that they usually get ruined when left in the cleaning mode
I recently found the Freida McFadden books and have really enjoyed them! Some of my other favorites are Nita Prose (The Maid, The Mystery Guest), Gina Lamanna: Detective Kate Rosetti Mystery series, Nell Goddin: Molly Sutton Mystery series, Lynn Cahoon: Tourist Trap Mystery series. Hope you are feeling well!!
My mother told me, "books are personal, like religion and politics, best not to talk about it". This was when I was going through someone else's bookcase and negatively commenting. She was southern gentility and a lover of literature. She believed that insulting a well loved book would not only be rude, but possibly hurtful to a fellow book lover.
They are a very personal thing. I have a large home library and when family or friends were over to look through the shelves, it always felt tense. lol part “get away from my treasures” and part “ oh gosh, what will he/she think of my selections?”
Thank you. Someone once approached me- she had heard from others that I loved to read, and asked about good books that I had come across. I had recently given birth and was not up to "big stuff"... so I said that I really enjoyed the Mitford series by Jan Karon; and named a few other similar books. Her face fell and she said, "Oh, _that's_ what you are reading?!" - turned and never spoke to me again. 😳😢 I was hurt (postnatal hormones...). Yes, with a good night's sleep, I read "big stuff", highbrow books, too; but I was in deep brain fog at that time with a newborn after a traumatic birth. Just couldn't concentrate. And I still love Jan Karon. 😉 -- Ah well... Probably not a great loss of possible friendship. 🤷
I don't understand why people make negative comments about someone's choice for books?!🤔 it's a very personal thing. Upon Jennifer's sharing, I read the Amory Ames series by Ashley Weaver and loved them. BTW, the Mitford series is my favorite! During Christmas, I re-read "Shepherds Abiding"❤@@thekingsdaughter4233
@@thekingsdaughter4233 I wonder what someone would find objectionable about the Mitford books? For books about a priest, their theology is not that in your face, and seems to me to be more about loving and caring for our friends and neighbors. The Episcopal Church at its best. If only it could always be like Father Tim.
I appreciate all the book recommendations, including those from commenters. I'd like to read more fiction, but seem to gravitate to nonfiction. Glad to know you are safe amidst the wildfires and are getting your strength back after pneumonia.
The compote..what a beautiful idea. I will plan to make this next time I have some nearby spent berries. I bet it’s delicious too over yogurt. Thx for the tip 😊
My good book recommendations. Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten. Ina is a popular chef and her life story is very interesting and I enjoyed reading it. I am currently reading Wicked: The Inspiration for the Major Motion Picture by Gregory MacGuire, because I saw the movie Wicked and now I want to read the book. I enjoy getting library books so I don't feel so bad if I don't like the book, I can just return it.
Jennifer, I was told by my appliance expert to place the bottom foil or the foil catch trays on the very bottom RACK and NOT on the surface of the oven itself. There is a danger of eventual problems putting the foil directly on the surface of a running oven So, I now place my foil catch tray on the bottom-most rack. Whew...who needs a problem?!
I loved that you shared your guilty pleasure books!! I loved the first two books in the Housemaid series. They were real page turners. The Boyfriend was a fun read too.
I went to Shakespeare's home last October and saw the book, "By Any Other Name," by Jodi Picault in the gift store. It's a really interesting take on who really wrote Shakespeare's plays. You would enjoy it!
Thanks for sharing your book haul! I recommend all of Louise Penny’s books featuring her beloved Inspector Gamache as well as Martin Walker’s Bruno Chief of Police series- they are among my favourite mystery books,🧐🧐😊
Jennifer, your backyard is my winter dream!!! In ovens like your's where the heating element in under the bottom of your oven, I don't think you're suppose to put anything on the floor of the oven. I have one of the older ovens that has the metal heating element exposed and I use a silicone pad, made for oven floors, underneath the heating element - you might want to check with the manufacturer of your oven to see it it's safe to have the aluminum foil to catch spills. The oven pads are cheap and wonderful if you can use one - got mine at Walmart. So glad you are feeling better.
Thanks for the book recs!! I’m going to check those 2 authors out. Mysteries are out of my comfort zone which means I should try one! 😊 Glad you’re safe and starting to feel better!
My teen daughter has been reading my old Emily of the New moon books. I have a subscription to the Literary Book Club and this last box starred The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery. I absolutely enjoyed it.
I guess it's safe to assume that winters are mild in southern California. We live in Missouri and people think I'm strange that I love snow. I love cold weather and I have lanterns all around the house to provide ools of doft light and we use our fireplace a lot. I've been trying to incorporate hygge into our lifestyle.
My all time favorite writer of thrillers is Tana French. I’ve read one Riley Sager ‘Final Girls’ and liked it a lot. My guilty pleasure is anything by Lucy Foley. For mysteries I love Louise Penny and of course Agatha Christie. And for police procedurals Michael Connelly is the absolute king. I love Harry Bosch!!! And his Renee Ballard and Lincoln Lawyer series are also wonderful. True page turners. I have ‘The Housemaid’ on audio but have not started it.
Oh funny! Love Freida McFadden! Just finished The Perfect Son- her books are great because they are super quick to read and as you said, the twists are so unexpected. That is always fascinating to me after reading for so long. It would seem like we could figure it out!?!! Anyway, glad you shared. Love Elin Hildebrand too. I also read a F and NF book at the same time as well as a Christian book (with devotions as well). Love reading and love videos about reading :)
Last year I went through my Freida McFadden phase and read every single one of her books. She just came out with a housemaid short story that was a cute story ending. 😊
Thank you for the "guilty pleasure" book recs. How fun! I am in two book groups that enjoy rather serious books, and this is exactly what I need to round out my reading menu:)
So glad you’re feeling better! And you’re safe from the fires. I’m reading Well To The Core by Robin Long. She talks about moving, nourishing and listening to your body and resting, breathing and giving yourself grace. It’s about feeling good in your whole being.
I love Frieda McFadden. They are fun and I agree page turners. The Teacher was good and the twists were crazy. Riley Sager is great too. Just finished The only One Left. So happy you are feeling better. I love your videos!
Thank you for being yourself, and sharing your videos and book recommendations with us! I'm very interested in checking out those books because I enjoy those same genres and themes. I always look forward to your content/videos.
Someone on here mentioned “A Fatal Feast” a murder she wrote mystery and now, I am on a roll with other Jessica Fletcher books and I am watching the WHOLE series on Prime ( I never watched it as a young teen) it’s so fun! Glad you are well and safe. ❤ 📖
Hi Jennifer, after watching your video I went onto my audible app and bought The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden. After a morning doing chores and listening to it I discovered that I had already bought the book last week and had totally forgotten all about it!!😆 Honestly, I do worry about myself sometimes!! Anyway I am thoroughly enjoying listening to this book and wanted to say thank you for the recommendations and if these books are your guilty pleasure then good for you!! I love reading and some of my books are not at all intellectual but it sure makes a dog walk or housework more exciting!! Glad you are on the mend after being so poorly.
Jennifer, your description of The Housemaid was spot-on! Part of my self-care in 2025 is doing “something special for me” each month. This book is the first book club assignment of a group of us HS grads (decades ago). The group’s first meeting is in February! I read The Housemaid in one day! Thanks for the encouragement to read whatever sparks our interest! ❤ 📚
I have a feeling I will love Freida McFadden. I love a good page turner, the darker the better. I hope you share your thoughts on The House Across the Lake. I read it and don't want to spoil it for you - just curious what you think about it, especially the ending.
Jennifer, you wd prob enjoy the Richard Jury mysteries by Martha Grimes; British wit and fun! Much lighter than Frieda, but still a mystery to solve. I'm working my way through them now and having a good time. On another note, we're blown away by the fires. So glad you're safe. ♥
One of my favorite books is The Time In Between by Maria Duenos. It was made into a movie available on Masterpiece (I have on my Amazon Prime). I sew so the main character is a seamstress and I could just vision all the designs and fabric she was using in design/construction of garments. This is a suspense drama. In Spanish w English subtitles.
We were sick at our house over Christmas, too, and I spent days in bed reading. It was guilty pleasure, so fun! I love Donna Leon mysteries - have read them all, so well written. And my new love is Sharon Kay Penman - historical fiction. Pulls me into another world for 700 plus pages, and I love every minute of it! 2025 is going to involve more pleasure reading for sure. More play in life. Better balance. More rest & deep healing. Life is a marathon, not a sprint!
I enjoy the mystery genre and have been reading the Guido Brunetti series by Donna Leon ... this series is set in Venice, where Donna Leon's lives. I have been able to get them from the library.
I always love hearing what you’re reading! Reclaiming Quiet by Sarah Clarkson is a really beautiful Christian non-fiction that’s new. I just dove into mystery for the first time and read Sherlock Holmes “A Study in Scarlet”, Agatha Christie’s “A Murder at the Vicarage” (Miss Marple #1) and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and I get it now. I don’t why I held back from mysteries for so long!
I have a question for you dear Jennifer.. what do you do with the books once you’re done reading them.. I mean with your speed of reading you should have a giant library by now, my problem is the storage ..
So glad you're feeling better. I always have a serious book {one I have to pay attention to) and a fluffy, beach read kind of book going at the same time. I enjoy Freda McFadden and will try Riley Sager.
Loved your book haul! I'm all about mysteries and thrillers 💙A few thrillers and mysteries I recommend are Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis (it takes place on a train like the Orient Express!), the Lady Hardcastle Mystery Series (cozy historical fiction about a lady and her maid who solve mysteries), and Lock Every Door by Riley Sager (my favorite by him!).
you need to read The Housemaid"s Wedding, its a short story that fills in the gap between books 2 & 3. For a laugh try The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie by Frieda. Glad you are feeling better
They do it with mirrors, By Agatha Christie. The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The Bourne trilogy, Robert Ludlum. Are some of my favorite thrillers.
Hope you and your family are safe from the wildfires in Southern California! Thanks for the book recommendations. I too read mysteries as my guilty pleasure. Through Kindle Unlimited, I now have the three McFadden books ready for when I finish my current mystery.
I'm also reading the Court of Thorns & Roses series at the moment. It's such a good story. I'm on the 3rd book in the series. And, also, could you do an update to your Madam Chic series. I just love anything French for women. I'm from Australia. It's hard with the opposite seasons to you, but I take down notes for winter reipes, though. Take care.
A new favorite author of mine is TJ Klune. "Under the Whispering Door" is a delightful, thought-provoking work by this neuro-divergent author and was my intro to him and I have since read two others, both of which I also enjoyed.
How do you get roses to bloom in pots? Every time I have tried that, they will not grow or bloom at all. I’m in N California. The garden looks so lovely😊
I hope you enjoyed today's video. Thank you to Grüns for sponsoring! Start your New Year off right - Get up to 52% off by clicking my link bit.ly/DailyConnoisseur_GrunsJan25 Also, THANK YOU for your messages of concern regarding the California fires. We are safe. But thank you for your messages and please continue to pray for California ♥ Love, Jennifer
😊🙏
Hello Jennifer! I am truly sorry to hear you have been so sick! When I was living in Germany I had pneumonia twice, once while pregnant with my daughter. Please, please take care of yourself! While I absolutely love your content, I would happily wait know what a difficult recovery that can be.
I listen to you talking about being highly efficient and you are obviously very motivated - qualities I share - and no full well how hard it is to take it easy the moment you start to feel better. Trust me when I tell you it takes you much longer with anything that’s respiratory, so please be gentle with yourself and know you have our full support!
Hello Jennifer! I am truly sorry to hear you have been so sick! When I was living in Germany I had pneumonia twice, once while pregnant with my daughter. Please, please take care of yourself! While I absolutely love your content, I would happily wait know what a difficult recovery that can be.
I listen to you talking about being highly efficient and you are obviously very motivated - qualities I share - and no full well how hard it is to take it easy the moment you start to feel better. Trust me when I tell you it takes you much longer with anything that’s respiratory, so please be gentle with yourself and know you have our full support!
🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻 for California and YOU!
I love that you shared your “guilt pleasure” books. I think that it shows that you can still have class even if you aren’t always reading classics or literary books.
Also glad to hear you are safe from the terrible wildfires.
I'm so glad you left Santa Monica
I sincerely hope you are not too close to the horrible fires! Prayers to all who are affected. Thanks for a soothing video in these hard times.
Thank you so much for this video! Personally, I think that there is no such thing as a "guilty" pleasure in reading. Losing yourself in an enjoyable book is one of the best feelings in the world. So, please, keep recommending!
Don't you just love when you find an author you like & they have several books you can binge read! Happy reading!
It is the best feeling 😍
I have been praying for Southern California. I spent 5 years in my young childhood in Santa Monica and Long Beach. I hope you and your family are safe.
I've been praying too! When I was young, we lived in Redondo Beach and La Habra.
Im so so thankful you are not near the fires, not sure where you are but so glad to hear that. We are all praying for you all! Praying for rain to put them out.
Oh, my goodness these yellow/orange roses are just spectacular. It's good to hear that you and your family are safe 😊
I love seeing this garden in winter. Im in Illinois and our winter is vasrly different,! Definitely oatmeal weather.
I love seeing your “dead of winter” 🤩 I like living vicariously through warmer climate friends 😉
Jennifer we are happy to know you are feeling better. We would totally understand if you ever don’t feel well and can’t upload a segment. We would understand and just pick up where we left off. We really appreciate all you do. Take care of you ok?
Your garden feels like such a haven!
Big fan of yours, Jennifer! Definitely continue sharing your book interests. There are many people who judge others based on many things - books, movies & tv shows, religion, politics, parenting, what others eat, clothing attire, hair and makeup...you get my point! We are all unique and have different tastes in books and many things, and it can be so much fun expanding our interests and experiences by learning from each other. Let those who constantly judge and put others down continue to live in disgust and anger while others continue finding ways to enjoy life and embrace others for their uniqueness.
Thank you so much ♥️
Thank you for your note confirming you and yours are safe from the wildfires ~ I was concerned. Praying for your continued safety and for all affected by the fires. 🙏
Dear Jennifer, I’m so happy to hear that you are steadily recovering. How are the horrific fires affecting you and your loved ones? I hope you are safe and the air quality is not compounding any breathing issues . ❤
Thank you! The air quality is bad but we are hanging in there. We are safe from the fires. ♥
Praying for your family and all in California affected by the devastating fires!
Your California winter garden is a dream 🌸
I’ve read all of Frieda McFadden’s books. They are my guilty pleasure also. I very much enjoy her writing style and story structuring.
I just put holds on The Housemaid and The House Across the Lake at my library. I look forward to reading them when they come in! Thank you for the suggestions!
You're going to love the "Co-worker", and I appreciate that you share what you are enjoying. Perhaps others would get less offended if they realize you are not necessarily 'recommending', but rather, 'describing what's holding your interest in the book world. I look at those as 2 different things. To recommend is to know the person well enough to say, "I think you'd like this", while simply sharing what you've enjoyed means the responsibility for determining whether to give that author a try is decidedly on the that person, not on you for simply stating your reading list. I for one like to hear what people are reading. I'll decide if it fits my style or not, without blaming the person sharing.' I'm glad you're feeling better too.
Yes recommending vs what I recently read/liked provide appropriate connotations imo
I am a seasonal reader in that I love reading books which are set in the season I am living in currently. This time of year I often return to a favorite of mine by Rosamund Pilcher . It is a fiction novel titled Winter Solstice. This story brings together five very different people ranging in age from teens to sixties each of whom are facing different challenges. I feel I really know and love each of these characters who show their own unique healing powers. This is a story of rebirth that for me makes perfect reading for this time of year. The main part of the story takes place in an old house in the north of Scotland which is one of my favorite places on earth. I am transported to a winter land with snow everywhere, shadows and sunlight !! I am looking forward to reading this again this weekend as I too am currently snowbound !
I loooove Rosamunde Pilcher and Winter Solstice is one of my favorites of her books😍
@
Wonderful to hear !
I loved The Shell Seekers ♥
If you are in the mood for something more suspenseful , you may want to take a look at Before the Fact which is the book that Alfred Hitchcock based his film Suspicion on. The film and book have 2 different endings in my opinion. I think perhaps Hollywood wouldn’t allow the original ending !!
@
I am listening to the audio version of The Willows in Winter. I play my audio books on a speaker so I must always be mindful of little children who may overhear. This is a good choice for me. Some of The Willows animal characters remind me of some people I know ! 😆
My thoughts and heart are with you, your family, friends and everyone including the poor little animals being affected by the fires. I can't imagine how frightening and devastating this must be. Sending love and comforting thoughts and wishes. 💖🫶💖
I love seeing your garden in the winter! I grew up in CA but live in OR now. I miss the Orange tree and other fruit trees we had in our yard. I hope you're not near those fires that are happening! It's so sad to see the devastation!
Love hearing about what you are reading! Love guilty pleasure books too!
I did read the last Riley sager book Middle of the night and I really liked that one more than the Only One Left.
A thriller/mystery writer I also like is Catherine Ryan Howard - 56 days and The Nothing Man were both really good. The Unmissing by Minka Kent, The Stranger by Harlan Coben was really good too!
Hi Jennifer, its better to put the aluminum foil on an oven rack placed on the bottom rungs as believe it ir not the aluminum can melt if the oven is overheated.
you must have great oven racks in the fact that they usually get ruined when left in the cleaning mode
Jennifer please let us know that you and your family are all right
Jennifer are you safe from the fires!? Praying you are feeling better soon. Thank you for another lovely video.
I was wondering the same thing, but then I saw she had written above that they are safe.
Freida McFadden is my guilty pleasure author also😊 Easy reading, great storytelling without being too graphic. I just finished ‘The Boyfriend’.
On Amazon the sale oven liners love them
I recently found the Freida McFadden books and have really enjoyed them! Some of my other favorites are Nita Prose (The Maid, The Mystery Guest), Gina Lamanna: Detective Kate Rosetti Mystery series, Nell Goddin: Molly Sutton Mystery series, Lynn Cahoon: Tourist Trap Mystery series.
Hope you are feeling well!!
Oh man, the garden is so pretty
You would love the Cornorant Strike books by Robert Galbraith. Written in the literary tradition. Also recommend Dorothy Sayers detective classics.
My mother told me, "books are personal, like religion and politics, best not to talk about it". This was when I was going through someone else's bookcase and negatively commenting. She was southern gentility and a lover of literature. She believed that insulting a well loved book would not only be rude, but possibly hurtful to a fellow book lover.
Your mother sounds like a class act!
They are a very personal thing. I have a large home library and when family or friends were over to look through the shelves, it always felt tense. lol part “get away from my treasures” and part “ oh gosh, what will he/she think of my selections?”
Thank you. Someone once approached me- she had heard from others that I loved to read, and asked about good books that I had come across. I had recently given birth and was not up to "big stuff"... so I said that I really enjoyed the Mitford series by Jan Karon; and named a few other similar books. Her face fell and she said, "Oh, _that's_ what you are reading?!" - turned and never spoke to me again. 😳😢 I was hurt (postnatal hormones...). Yes, with a good night's sleep, I read "big stuff", highbrow books, too; but I was in deep brain fog at that time with a newborn after a traumatic birth. Just couldn't concentrate. And I still love Jan Karon. 😉 -- Ah well... Probably not a great loss of possible friendship. 🤷
I don't understand why people make negative comments about someone's choice for books?!🤔 it's a very personal thing. Upon Jennifer's sharing, I read the Amory Ames series by Ashley Weaver and loved them. BTW, the Mitford series is my favorite! During Christmas, I re-read "Shepherds Abiding"❤@@thekingsdaughter4233
@@thekingsdaughter4233 I wonder what someone would find objectionable about the Mitford books? For books about a priest, their theology is not that in your face, and seems to me to be more about loving and caring for our friends and neighbors. The Episcopal Church at its best. If only it could always be like Father Tim.
I appreciate all the book recommendations, including those from commenters. I'd like to read more fiction, but seem to gravitate to nonfiction. Glad to know you are safe amidst the wildfires and are getting your strength back after pneumonia.
You will love the Acotar series!
Thank you so much for the book recommendations! I am glad you’re feeling better and also safe from the terrible fires.❤❤❤❤❤
The compote..what a beautiful idea. I will plan to make this next time I have some nearby spent berries. I bet it’s delicious too over yogurt. Thx for the tip 😊
My good book recommendations. Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten. Ina is a popular chef and her life story is very interesting and I enjoyed reading it. I am currently reading Wicked: The Inspiration for the Major Motion Picture by Gregory MacGuire, because I saw the movie Wicked and now I want to read the book. I enjoy getting library books so I don't feel so bad if I don't like the book, I can just return it.
Sager and McFadden are also some of my favorite authors! Love love love their stories!
I love getting book recommendations!!
I love Freida McFadden, and I also love a good mystery!
I loved "The Housemaid"! I can't remember ever gasping that many times while reading a book. 🤣
It's shocking! 😅
I’m chiming in with both comments! I can often quasi-predict the storyline! Not so with this book!
Is it scary or just shocking/ unexpected twists?
Jennifer, I was told by my appliance expert to place the bottom foil or the foil catch trays on the very bottom RACK and NOT on the surface of the oven itself. There is a danger of eventual problems putting the foil directly on the surface of a running oven So, I now place my foil catch tray on the bottom-most rack. Whew...who needs a problem?!
I loved that you shared your guilty pleasure books!! I loved the first two books in the Housemaid series. They were real page turners. The Boyfriend was a fun read too.
I'm reading this séries of books also!!
I went to Shakespeare's home last October and saw the book, "By Any Other Name," by Jodi Picault in the gift store. It's a really interesting take on who really wrote Shakespeare's plays. You would enjoy it!
I love this controversy 😅
Thanks for sharing your book haul! I recommend all of Louise Penny’s books featuring her beloved Inspector Gamache as well as Martin Walker’s Bruno Chief of Police series- they are among my favourite mystery books,🧐🧐😊
Jennifer, your backyard is my winter dream!!! In ovens like your's where the heating element in under the bottom of your oven, I don't think you're suppose to put anything on the floor of the oven. I have one of the older ovens that has the metal heating element exposed and I use a silicone pad, made for oven floors, underneath the heating element - you might want to check with the manufacturer of your oven to see it it's safe to have the aluminum foil to catch spills. The oven pads are cheap and wonderful if you can use one - got mine at Walmart. So glad you are feeling better.
Thank you for sharing these! I ordered The Housemaid yesterday from your link. What a page turner! Wonderful you are feeling better!
Thanks for the book recs!! I’m going to check those 2 authors out. Mysteries are out of my comfort zone which means I should try one! 😊 Glad you’re safe and starting to feel better!
Lisa Gardner writes really good mysteries! One Step Too Far is a good one to try out.
Jennifer, I think you would love "Carry On, Mr Bowditch" by Jean Lee Leatham. ❤
I am also glad to hear you are not near the fires in LA!! How scary. Thinking of you my favorite V-logger!💗
Praying for your family's safety during these fires❤
My teen daughter has been reading my old Emily of the New moon books. I have a subscription to the Literary Book Club and this last box starred The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery. I absolutely enjoyed it.
I guess it's safe to assume that winters are mild in southern California. We live in Missouri and people think I'm strange that I love snow. I love cold weather and I have lanterns all around the house to provide ools of doft light and we use our fireplace a lot. I've been trying to incorporate hygge into our lifestyle.
What's hygge
My all time favorite writer of thrillers is Tana French. I’ve read one Riley Sager ‘Final Girls’ and liked it a lot. My guilty pleasure is anything by Lucy Foley. For mysteries I love Louise Penny and of course Agatha Christie. And for police procedurals Michael Connelly is the absolute king. I love Harry Bosch!!! And his Renee Ballard and Lincoln Lawyer series are also wonderful. True page turners. I have
‘The Housemaid’ on audio but have not started it.
Oh funny! Love Freida McFadden! Just finished The Perfect Son- her books are great because they are super quick to read and as you said, the twists are so unexpected. That is always fascinating to me after reading for so long. It would seem like we could figure it out!?!!
Anyway, glad you shared. Love Elin Hildebrand too. I also read a F and NF book at the same time as well as a Christian book (with devotions as well).
Love reading and love videos about reading :)
Last year I went through my Freida McFadden phase and read every single one of her books. She just came out with a housemaid short story that was a cute story ending. 😊
Thank you for the "guilty pleasure" book recs. How fun! I am in two book groups that enjoy rather serious books, and this is exactly what I need to round out my reading menu:)
So glad you’re feeling better! And you’re safe from the fires.
I’m reading Well To The Core by Robin Long. She talks about moving, nourishing and listening to your body and resting, breathing and giving yourself grace. It’s about feeling good in your whole being.
Beautiful video, love that lavender rose! I have a similar one in my garden!!💚💚
It's my second favorite rose!
Two of my favorite thrillers that I read last year are: Wrong Place, Wrong Time and First Lie Wins. Both are brilliant page turners!
I love Frieda McFadden. They are fun and I agree page turners. The Teacher was good and the twists were crazy. Riley Sager is great too. Just finished The only One Left. So happy you are feeling better. I love your videos!
Frieda McFadden's books are sooooo good!
Thank you for being yourself, and sharing your videos and book recommendations with us! I'm very interested in checking out those books because I enjoy those same genres and themes. I always look forward to your content/videos.
I sure hope you are safe with the fires out there! Prayers for Southern California and you!
Lilac girls- great book
Oatmeal is especially comforting to me this time of year, particularly now we're at 3°🥶. Nothing beats a good thriller, I'll have to check them out!
I have enjoyed the books by the author Lisa Scottoline. She writes a lot of mystery books. Keep getting better!
Are you safe from the Los Angeles wildfires?
We are safe. Thank you. I put an update in the community tab and on Instagram.
The shadow of the wind author Ruiz Zafon. Really good one. Sppedy recovery. GOD BLESS
Another lovely video Jennifer. Just looking up the books you recommend 😊
Someone on here mentioned “A Fatal Feast” a murder she wrote mystery and now, I am on a roll with other Jessica Fletcher books and I am watching the WHOLE series on Prime ( I never watched it as a young teen) it’s so fun! Glad you are well and safe. ❤ 📖
@@Rositasparks I started the series, too!! Just love it.
Hi Jennifer, after watching your video I went onto my audible app and bought The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden. After a morning doing chores and listening to it I discovered that I had already bought the book last week and had totally forgotten all about it!!😆 Honestly, I do worry about myself sometimes!! Anyway I am thoroughly enjoying listening to this book and wanted to say thank you for the recommendations and if these books are your guilty pleasure then good for you!! I love reading and some of my books are not at all intellectual but it sure makes a dog walk or housework more exciting!! Glad you are on the mend after being so poorly.
That’s funny! I thought I had read The Boyfriend but I actually read The Ex! Haha so I did something similar. The Boyfriend is now on my to read list.
Jennifer, your description of The Housemaid was spot-on! Part of my self-care in 2025 is doing “something special for me” each month. This book is the first book club assignment of a group of us HS grads (decades ago). The group’s first meeting is in February! I read The Housemaid in one day! Thanks for the encouragement to read whatever sparks our interest! ❤ 📚
I have a feeling I will love Freida McFadden. I love a good page turner, the darker the better. I hope you share your thoughts on The House Across the Lake. I read it and don't want to spoil it for you - just curious what you think about it, especially the ending.
Jennifer, you wd prob enjoy the Richard Jury mysteries by Martha Grimes; British wit and fun! Much lighter than Frieda, but still a mystery to solve. I'm working my way through them now and having a good time. On another note, we're blown away by the fires. So glad you're safe. ♥
Michael Connelly is one of my fav author.
I am almost finished The House Across The Lake, liking it.
I think I liked it too... I'm.not really sure 😂 so bizarre! But enjoyable reading experience!
Great idea with the aluminum foil placed at the bottom of the oven.
One of my favorite books is The Time In Between by Maria Duenos. It was made into a movie available on Masterpiece (I have on my Amazon Prime). I sew so the main character is a seamstress and I could just vision all the designs and fabric she was using in design/construction of garments. This is a suspense drama. In Spanish w English subtitles.
We were sick at our house over Christmas, too, and I spent days in bed reading. It was guilty pleasure, so fun! I love Donna Leon mysteries - have read them all, so well written. And my new love is Sharon Kay Penman - historical fiction. Pulls me into another world for 700 plus pages, and I love every minute of it! 2025 is going to involve more pleasure reading for sure. More play in life. Better balance. More rest & deep healing. Life is a marathon, not a sprint!
I enjoy the mystery genre and have been reading the Guido Brunetti series by Donna Leon ... this series is set in Venice, where Donna Leon's lives. I have been able to get them from the library.
I always love hearing what you’re reading! Reclaiming Quiet by Sarah Clarkson is a really beautiful Christian non-fiction that’s new. I just dove into mystery for the first time and read Sherlock Holmes “A Study in Scarlet”, Agatha Christie’s “A Murder at the Vicarage” (Miss Marple #1) and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and I get it now. I don’t why I held back from mysteries for so long!
I have a question for you dear Jennifer.. what do you do with the books once you’re done reading them.. I mean with your speed of reading you should have a giant library by now, my problem is the storage ..
So glad you're feeling better. I always have a serious book {one I have to pay attention to) and a fluffy, beach read kind of book going at the same time. I enjoy Freda McFadden and will try Riley Sager.
Loved your book haul! I'm all about mysteries and thrillers 💙A few thrillers and mysteries I recommend are Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis (it takes place on a train like the Orient Express!), the Lady Hardcastle Mystery Series (cozy historical fiction about a lady and her maid who solve mysteries), and Lock Every Door by Riley Sager (my favorite by him!).
you need to read The Housemaid"s Wedding, its a short story that fills in the gap between books 2 & 3. For a laugh try The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie by Frieda. Glad you are feeling better
They do it with mirrors, By Agatha Christie. The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The Bourne trilogy, Robert Ludlum. Are some of my favorite thrillers.
Oh, so sorry you have been so ill.❤ So happy you are feeling better.
I really liked the book tips. I would like to know if you intend to publish a new book.
Hope you and your family are safe from the wildfires in Southern California! Thanks for the book recommendations. I too read mysteries as my guilty pleasure. Through Kindle Unlimited, I now have the three McFadden books ready for when I finish my current mystery.
I'm also reading the Court of Thorns & Roses series at the moment. It's such a good story. I'm on the 3rd book in the series.
And, also, could you do an update to your Madam Chic series. I just love anything French for women. I'm from Australia. It's hard with the opposite seasons to you, but I take down notes for winter reipes, though. Take care.
Loving the book content!
I like FREIDA MCFADDEN too
Love Riley Sager! If I want a page turner, I get one of his books. But I also try to have something “high brow” to read as well. 😄
A new favorite author of mine is TJ Klune. "Under the Whispering Door" is a delightful, thought-provoking work by this neuro-divergent author and was my intro to him and I have since read two others, both of which I also enjoyed.
How do you get roses to bloom in pots? Every time I have tried that, they will not grow or bloom at all. I’m in N California. The garden looks so lovely😊