What Light by Jay Asher

What Light by Jay Asher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a cute story about a family that migrates to California from their Oregon tree farm every year from Thanksgiving through Christmas to run a Christmas tree lot. The romance needed more time to be believable, and some of the side characters, particular the Oregon friends are 2D at best.

Still, it's a short charming read about getting fresh chances after making big mistakes. I wouldn't reread it, but I don't regret having read it. Just the unique setting alone made for an interesting read.

Book 8 read in 2019

Pages: 251

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I forgot how funny this is! I should reread it every year.

Pages: 128

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The last time I read 'A Christmas Carol' was when I was a teenager. Since then, I have seen the play and movie many, many times. I decided that since it was published in 1843, I could get the Christmas season started, and get credit for a 100 year old book if I read it over the Thanksgiving weekend.

And I'm glad I did. It was a completely different experience. For those of you who may not know the story, it is set in Victorian England. Ebenezer Scrooge is a parsimonious, unpleasant old man, whose only love is money. He hates any mention of Christmas. His partner, Jacob Marley, is undeniably dead; he was a kindred spirit with Scrooge. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by Marley's ghost, who implores him to change his ways while he still can, and not suffer his, Marley's, fate. Marley tells him he will be visited by three more spirits.

The first spirit is the ghost of Christmas past, and takes Scrooge back to his childhood and shows him what his life was like at that time. The next spirit is the ghost of Christmas present, and takes him to various celebrations of the upcoming Christmas day. The third spirit, the ghost of Christmas yet to come, shows Scrooge himself on his deathbed, a wretched soul despised by all those around him.

This experience causes Scrooge to change his ways, and become a better person, with love and kindness toward others.

Merry Christmas!


130 pages
Copyright over 100 years ago

The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge

I read this book every year just before Christmas. Isaac the clock maker accidentally puts a watch paper in the watch case of the Dean of the Cathedral, Adam Asycough. The watch paper is inscribed "I labour here with all my might, to tell the time by day or night, Then you a lesson take by me, and serve thy God as I serve thee." Inspired by the quotation, the Dean asks Isaac to teach him all about clocks and clock making.   Once he befriends Isaac, the Dean meets other people around the town-Polly a housemaid, Job a fishmonger's apprentice, Bella the headstrong toddler grand-daughter of the Dean's lawyer, and Emma, Isaac's emotionally stunted sister. The Dean's journey from isolation within the church to community with ordinary folk is a feel-good Christmas story! 383 pages.

Star Bright: A Christmas Story by Andrew M. Greeley

Jack Flanigan finds Christmas a trial to be endured - especially where his dysfunctional family is involved. Then he meets a lovely Russian woman, Odessa, who reminds him that Christmas should be a spiritually uplifting time bringing warmth and love with the focus on Jesus. Can Odessa bring that message and her calming influence into the Flanigan family? A gentle romance and spiritually uplifting Christmas story. 128 pages.

Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler

Posted for Paul Mathews

A well presented book by 12 mystery writers I didn’t know and 5 I did. Amusing, humorous, deductive, and even the cat helps to solve one, but I won’t say which story it was.  245 pages, listening time 8 hours.

The Christmas Garden Affair by Ann Ripley

A White House invitation at Christmas results in a roomful of native plants and plant and garden experts. Sounds kind of bland, some might even say boring. Enter flashy and power-driven Bunny Bainfield and the room becomes charged with animosity. Bunny clutches her throat as she writhes in agony in front of the crowd. Clearly death will swiftly follow. Who could have hated Bunny enough to kill her? It was a better book than I expected. I might even check into another title in the series. 304 pages.

"Hot for the Holidays" by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Anya Bast, and Allyson James

This is an anthology of four paranormal romances set around Christmas time.  I liked all four, which was unusual and a nice surprise.  The two stories by Leigh and Knight were set in the worlds that they've already created in other novels, but they were still easy to follow.  This book was a treat that went by quickly because all the stories were well-written.  344 pages.

"Santa Paws"

This anthology of Christmas stories revolves around dogs bringing together lonely people looking for love.  The first two, by Victoria Alexander and Nina Coombs, were the best and most enjoyable.  However, I had to force myself to get through the other two stories; the third one was especially boring with too much inner dialog of the characters and very little believable action.  389 pages.

Christmas in Cedar Cove

Guess the snowfall and cold temperatures still have me in a Christmas mood! In Christmas in Cedar Cove by Debbie Macomber we are presented with two Cedar Cove love stories to enjoy. The first, 5-B Poppy Lane, tells the story of Helen Shelton and her adventurous life during the Second World War where she met her first and second husbands. In A Cedar Cove Christmas, we hear how Mack and Mary Jo met one Christmas Eve in a story that has several allusions to the original Christmas story, the birth of Jesus. (304 p.)

I think the most interesting tidbit is about the author: Debbie Macomber has dyslexia and didn't learn to read until 5th grade--and now she is a bestselling author of heartwarming stories involving family life, friendships and small towns.