Christmas at the Ranch by Julia McKay

 

Julia McKay, also known as Marissa Stapley, is quickly becoming one of my new favourite authors no matter what genre she's writing in.  As you may not know, some authors write in multiple genres and then use pen names so they aren't judged by their other novels.  For example if someone is known for writing fantasy novels and then wants to write romance someone might be hesitant to pick up the title because they know their author for their other work.  Marissa Stapley's novels aren't drastic of a difference and I would say you might enjoy all her books.  I certainly have enjoyed all her novels that I have read.

Christmas at the Ranch reminds me of a winter version of Carley Fortune's novels.  The story starts in Toronto where Emory is working out at the gym and suddenly sees her father on television.  Not an unusual thing to see her father on tv - he's a wealthy businessman that is often in the news.  But this time the news isn't good news and she is just learning that her father has been arrested.

Shocked and upset Emory races out of the gym and just drives.  She needs to get away.  When she finally comes to her senses she realizes she's driven to the beautiful town of Evergreen.  It's a week before Christmas and the beginning of a blizzard. 

Emory has been to Evergreen before.  When she was 18 her parents rented a mansion to throw a large Christmas bash for all their friends.  Not really Emory's style she spends most of the time reading in her room.  But she's drawn out of the mansion when she hears noises and stumbles across 18 year old Tate. 

Christmas at the Ranch unravels in alternating chapters with the story of their quick 18 year old romance and now meeting again 10 years later.  Why did Emory drive to Greenwood?

The story takes place over the week before Christmas.  Christmas at the Ranch definitely has some Hallmark vibes to it but it's not a full blown Christmas story for sure.  I read it in September and I swear I felt the chill of the blizzard.

Book Tracking

 How do you keep track of what you've read and your to be read pile?  I have friends and family members that look at a book and debate whether they've read that book before or not.  They know they liked a certain book and would like to read more from that author but they don't remember anything about it.

I've track my reading for decades.  I can't wait to update my lists when I'm done and add the next book.  When I got some new shelving recently I took the time to update the lists with everything I own.  I used to be bad for buying multiple copies of a book because I didn't know what I had.  Now when I'm at my local bookstore I pull up my app and I know with certainty what I've read and what I own.

Back in the early 1990's I started a journal of sorts where I wrote down everything I've ever read.  I did one side by title and another entry by the author.  It was a three ring binder with lined paper.  Then around 2006 I transitioned to Goodreads.  

These days I consider myself obsessed with Goodreads.  I open the app at least once a day.  I love reading the reviews and entering the contests.  But most of all I love tracking my reading.  I love setting a reading goal for the year and Goodreads telling me that I'm ahead of schedule on my goal.

I also love having friends and family on  Goodreads so I can see what everyone is reading.  I often discover a book I don't know about this way.  But also, when we see each other I already know what they've been reading and we can chat about it or easily recommend another book I think they might like.

These days there's a lot of conversation around other apps like Fable or Storygraph and others.  I downloaded a few a year or so ago but I kept coming back to Goodreads.  It works for me and I don't see myself changing.

How do you track your reading?  Or do you just guess if you've read a book before?  Add me as a friend on Goodreads My Goodreads Profile