One Day in December by Josie Silver: My December Book Tradition

Have you ever read a book that sweeps you off your feet? That you've read over and over again and love it even more than you did the first time? For me that book is One Day in December by Josie Silver. I came across this gem when I was cramming for a certification exam back in December 2018. I was two weeks away from the biggest test I'd taken since my college days. It'd been a while since my time in college and I was struggling. Between working full time, and being a mom to two very energetic kids, I had zero desire to hit the books. I'd study during nights and weekends, and it made me realize I do not want to go back to school anytime soon to get that MBA!

Anyway, one of the days I was supposed to be reading my text book, but was scrolling social media instead, I came across Reese Witherspoon's December book club pick. A story about love at first sight called One Day in December. I figured it'd be a nice read with it being December after all. Plus, anyone who knows me knows that I love love! So, I downloaded it on my kindle and needed to only read the first two pages to know that I was hooked. I finished the whole thing in in just a few short days. Should I have been studying? Absolutely. Do I regret having read this instead? Not one bit! It was such a magical and lovely read that made me feel all the feels! Ever since then, I've made it a December tradition to read this book every year and I still love every word, every page.

The story starts off with our main character, Laurie. She's had a crappy work day and all she wants is to get home. At one of the bus stops, she locks eyes with a man and it's love at first sight. She wills him to get on the bus but he doesn't and her bus drives away! With no note and no name, she has absolutely nothing to go off of, except the memory of what he looked like that day. She then spends the next year of her life looking for him everywhere and her best friend, Sarah, even joins in on the search for 'Bus Boy'. The kicker, at their annual Christmas party, Sarah introduces Laurie to her new boyfriend, who is none other than 'Bus Boy' aka Jack. Relief and dread and all the emotions come over Laurie as she struggles with what she should do next. Does she tell her best friend that she should break up with her boyfriend because that's the guy she's spent the last year of her life searching for? Or does she pretend he's a complete stranger and do her best to move on? Decisions, decisions... It's a story that spans ten years, friendships, relationships, and life choices that lead us to where we're meant to be.

If I had to pick a book that inspires me to write, this would definitely be one of them. There are people out there who don't like this story, and to each their own. But to me, it was pretty close to perfect. It's something I hope I can accomplish as a wannabe writer myself. To create and write a story in a way I can make the reader feel as I felt. To be so engaged with the characters, you're sad the story is over because you don't want to say goodbye. To wonder whatever happened to them long after reading the last page. To love it so much that you'd recommend it to anyone who'll listen. And those who know me, know that I do just that.

She may never read this, but I want to thank Josie Silver for writing my favorite book. And here's hoping that someday my words can inspire and move others just as this book has done for me. Do you have any books you like to read every year and why? I'd love to read your recommendations below.

Also, to anyone wondering about my certification exam... I passed! Whew!

If you're interested in reading and would like to purchase, clink the image above and it will take you straight to good old Amazon!

See you on the next one!