Reader, Welcome to the Friday Finds for January 3, 2025!

Welcome to the first Friday Finds of 2025—your weekly treasure trove of bookish delights, creative inspirations, and maybe even a little jello salad magic. 🥳

As we enter 2025, I’m tackling my goal of staying organized (wish me luck!). Whether it’s scheduling book tours or avoiding the chaos of a forgotten planner entry, I’m determined to keep all my ducks—and book reviews—in a row.

This week’s Friday Finds is packed with must-read books, creative ideas, and a sprinkle of personal traditions to kick off the year. Are you curious about the books on my January TBR? Or maybe you’re ready to try my family’s quirky New Year recipe for luck (yes, it involves marshmallows and cabbage—trust me, it works!).

There’s an exciting announcement for Independent Authors, so pop over to the blog post to learn how to snag a feature on the blog.

Let’s step into 2025 with peace, love, happiness, and maybe a few good books! 💖

—Gina

Want a quick rundown of today's blog post?

• Crimes After Hours by Daniela Alibrandi (Rome’s Multidimensional Crimes Book 1)
• Plenty by Kelly K. Lavender (Fifty Shades of Mystery, Moxie, and Suspense)
• 4 Books on my January TBR
• Independent Author Announcements
• Author of the Month Award Changes
• Aunt Betty’s Lime Jello New Year’s Salad recipe
• Personalized Valentine's Day Lego Gift
• Crocheted Pillow Pattern

If any of that sounds intriguing, you know what to do...Click Here!​

These exclusive finds are for email subscribers only:

Everyone I know used these as a child. A few of us still use them today! This is a fun, quick, relaxing way to continue a great tradition from Harrisville.

​Harrisville Designs Friendly Loom 50th Anniversary Traditional 7" Potholder Loom Kit with Black and Winter White Cotton Loops.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This one has been on my radar for far too long. I hope to get it read as part of my Beat the Backlist project.

In New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis's latest historical novel, a series of book thefts roils the iconic New York Public Library, leaving two generations of strong-willed women to pick up the pieces.

Dual Timeline ~ New York Public Library ~ Mystery ~ Books About Books

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This easy cabbage recipe's velvety cabbage melts in your mouth. As it simmers in broth in the oven, it picks up the flavors of caraway, cumin, and garlic. Serve it alongside roasted pork or chicken. (image and recipe courtesy of EatingWell)

Low Carb~Nut Free~Dairy Free~Soy Free~High Fiber~Egg Free~Gluten Free

Friday Finds | 01-03-2025 | Fun Time

I plan to stick with fun questions instead of trivia-type ones. I’m not great at creating questions that aren’t easy to look up on Google, so let’s keep this fun and entertaining while we get to know each other better.

Do you have any New Year traditions that you try to observe each year?

I’ve always adhered to the “so goes New Year, so goes all year” plan, which means I like to have all the chores caught up. No dirty dishes, laundry, etc., hanging over into the new year. A friend felt like their family had a tough year, so she opened all the windows and doors at midnight to shoo out the old and welcome the new. As an added bit of luck, I made my Aunt Betty’s famous New Year’s jello salad for the first time in ages. I’ll include the recipe below.

Share your traditions with us in the blog's comment section or reply to this email to be included in the next fun-time drawing!

This email contains affiliate links. You won't pay a penny more, but I might earn a small commission on approved purchases ... if I'm lucky!

​