Christmas – Page 5 – …on the B.L.

The Adults by Caroline Hulse

January 18, 2019 RaeAnna

Worth a Read Meh
Length 368
Quick Review The holidays can be full of drama but nothing compared to the drama of The Adults. A novel about exes coming together for a child with a bit of an oopsies.

So I fell behind with my reading over the holidays, so this is the second to the last book before my holiday reading list is done. The Adults by Caroline Hulse is kind of a holiday nightmare come to life. It is vastly different from the other Christmas-themed novels I read all last month. It was breath of fresh air. I’m not sure if I totally love it, but it definitely made an impression and had me turning the pages.

The Adults starts off with a 999 (911 equivalent) call about an accident on Christmas Eve. The story jumps to a little bit before Christmas. Alex and Matt are together. Matt is the father of Scarlett a little girl whose mother is Claire. Scarlett has an imaginary purple bunny named Posey. Claire is with Patrick – he has his own minor family drama in the background. Other than divorced Claire and Matt, they don’t really know each other very well. They all want to spend Christmas with Scarlett, so they decide to go to Happy Forest, a resort, for Christmas as blended family. Also someone gets shot with a bow and arrow.

The only characters I like are Scarlett and Claire. Alex is judgy and a pain in the ass. Patrick is super judgy and thinks he is better than everyone else. Matt is irresponsible. They all have an honesty issue. None of them seem to be trying to enjoy the time very much. It’s kind of a strange family dynamic, but they all harp on it instead of working on getting along. In a world where divorce is common, I think families celebrating holidays together should become common as well. So in one vain, I like it. But I don’t like how the people are portrayed. They’re irritating. Claire is my favorite. She’s fun and responsible and truly means well. Scarlett is a little kid; you can’t blame her for anything she does because it is all beyond reasonable. It’s title The Adults, but they don’t really act like adults.

I don’t know if I love how the book was narrated, but it was an interesting take. It may be a little confusing at first. The book is told from three perspectives: Alex, Patrick, and Scarlett. It doesn’t follow a pattern of perspectives shifting every chapter; sometimes, it does, but sometimes, the same character will narrate for several chapters in a row. The book is also split up by days. So every new day there is a new section with a little excerpt from the Happy Forest brochure. Throughout, there are also interviews with various characters by the police giving a little more information about the bow and arrow incident.

As far as a Christmas book, I think The Adults is fun. The holidays can be chock full of weird family relationships and dynamics, so it’s fun to dive into another family’s drama. Like the vast majority of Christmas books, this does have a happy ending. I was pleased with it.

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Memorable Quotes
“All men want to be dads, really, Ruby had once said to her. None of them would want to be a mum. But everyone wants to be a dad. It’s parenthood, but semi-skimmed and pasteurized.”

Title: The Adults
Author: Caroline Hulse
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780525511748

Books, Fiction

An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor

December 23, 2018December 23, 2018 RaeAnna

Christmas Tree Hunting! | An Irish Country Christmas | Shirt | Watch

Worth A Read Yes
Length 657
Quick Review An Irish Country Christmas has all the trimmings for a long winter read to escape from the hustle and bustle of the holidays!

An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor combines Christmas spirit, historic setting, and the Irish countryside to provide a lovely escape from the hustle and bustle of present day yuletide. It’s a long way from my current situation. Another in the “series,” you don’t need to read the others to enjoy this one. Taylor gives enough back story along the way you’ll know who everyone is in the grand scheme of things.

Dr. Barry Laverty is spending his first Christmas in the fictional town of Ballybucklebo with his attending Dr. O’Reilly, the indomitable Mrs. Kinkaid, a flirty dog, and a slew of other familiar characters to the returning reader. Barry is ready for the weather and the holiday until he finds out his sweetheart, Patricia, won’t be coming home from university. A competing doctor is building a practice in one of the neighboring villages with some practices not necessarily supported by science or logic. As always, things are going wrong for the citizens of Ballybucklebo, and they call on their trusted doctors, Laverty and O’Reilly, to save their health and care for their souls.

I wouldn’t call An Irish Country Christmas a quick read because it is a lengthy book, but it is an easy read. The prose is lovely. Taylor is a doctor himself. The medical terms and treatments are accurate to the time and locale, but you don’t drown in ridiculous terminology. It’s a lovely picture of rural life in Ireland several decades ago. The characters are pleasant. With the exception of one, no one is unlikeable. It’s a great read for this time of year. A little action. A lot of heart. An ending you want to read by a cozy fire.

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Memorable Quotes
“The big Labrador still seemed obsessed with a desire to mate with Barry’s trouser leg at the slightest provocation.”

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Title: An Irish Country Christmas
Author: Patrick Taylor
Publisher: Forge
Copyright: 2009
ISBN: 9780765366856

Lifestyle

Christmas Movies

December 23, 2018 RaeAnna

**Enjoying White Christmas at home! | Christmas Book | Cozy Sweater | otk Socks | Throw Pillow | Bow | Comforter**

Happy Christmas Adam!

I’ve been binge watching Christmas movies for a month and a half now. Hallmark and Lifetime movies are the perfect mindless background noise as I work. There are several Christmas movies that are classics, which absolutely can not be background noise. They require my full attention because they are classics for me. They may not be for you, but these are the must watch of the season. I wish they were all on Netflix, but I will let you know when they are!

With only two days left until Christmas, I want to share my favorite seasonal movies! I have a lot, so I’ll keep it short-ish. If you have the time or need new movies, here’s my list:

White Christmas
*NETFLIX*
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I have watched it repeatedly throughout the season. I love the dancing, the singing, the fashion. It’s just an all around perfect movie.

The Muppet Christmas Carol
I loved this year round when I was a kid. As an adult, it’s still my favorite film version of Charles Dickens’ work. Don’t ask me why, but it’s perfect in its puppet glory.

Scrooged
Another rendition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This stars Bill Murray, and it’s hilarious. It’s an older movie and fabulous.

The Ref
How does a dysfunctional family plus kidnapping not say Merry Christmas? Also an older movie, it is full of laughs.

Home Alone
Do I need to say more?

The Christmas Chronicles
*NETFLIX*
This is a Netflix original from this year. Kurt Russell plays Santa, and I didn’t know I needed this in my life until I had it.

Prancer
This is a childhood favorite. There’s something about a girl rescuing a reindeer that speaks to my soul even as an adult.

The Grinch
I don’t know about the 2018 version, but the other two versions are classics. The Jim Carrey version is on Netflix.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town
This claymation classic is a classic. If you haven’t seen it… well, I just have no words. Mostly one question: How???

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Books, Fiction

The Nutcracker of Nuremberg by Alexandre Dumas

December 16, 2018 RaeAnna

The Nutcracker of Nuremberg | Fossil Watch (a favorite)

Worth A Read Yes
Length 142
Quick Review The Nutcracker of Nuremberg is not the ballet you’re probably familiar with, but it is just as entrancing.

Alexandre Dumas wrote The Nutcracker of Nuremberg; well, he retold it. E.T.A. Hoffman wrote the original Nutcracker, which is very dark and not necessarily the story you want to tell your children at bedtime. Alexandre Dumas reworked the story into something lighter and happier. It evolved and inspired a ballet that has inspired the imaginations of children and adults alike for generations.

Alexandre Dumas is famous for The Count of Monte Cristo and more. He is an exceptional writer. Even writing for younger audiences, he doesn’t abandon his style or pizazz.

The Nutcracker of Nuremberg has many of the elements we’re familiar with from the ballet, but there are many more storylines not included. It is darker than I expected, but that is in accordance with the times. Children’s stories were not completely happy way back when. If you don’t believe me, just read Grimm’s fairy tales.

The story begins when a father falls asleep. He wakes up to discover his children and their friends have tied him down. They refuse to let him up until he convinces them to with the promise of a story. He begins with a nod to E.T.A. Hoffman before diving into his own telling. The story consists of three parts I. The Story of the Nutcracker of Nuremberg II. The Story of the Nut Krakatuk and the Princess Pirlipate III. The story of Marie and the King of Toys. It’s a fun story to read at this time of year because of its impact on the season.

Some of the more interesting things about The Nutcracker of Nuremberg are the names. They all have meanings, which escape most of us who don’t speak German. Drosselmeier is a much stranger character in the story than the ballet. I love the language he uses. It’s beautifully written. There are so many literary and historical allusions. It makes it a little bit of an adventure trying to find and figure out all of them.

At only 142 pages, it’s a small time commitment to read a story that helped inspire an internationally iconic ballet.

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Title: The Nutcracker of Nuremberg
Author: Alexandre Dumas
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9781435154520

Books, Fiction

Mutts and Mistletoe by Natalie Cox

December 13, 2018 RaeAnna

Beau and I curled up in our jammies reading Mutts and Mistletoe | My Jammies | Beau Jammies

Should I Read It Yes
Length 320
Quick Review There’s dogs, love, personal injury, English countryside, mystery, hunky men with accents, and Christmas, what else do you need in a satisfying Christmas tale, or should I say tail?

Natalie Cox rights a puppy filled Christmas romance in Mutts and Mistletoe from P.G. Putnam’s and Sons. She fills the pages with everything a reader could possibly hope for in an easy going novel to curl up with by the fire or with your four-legged friends. As I was reading this, I realized four out of the five Christmas themed books I’ve read this month are set in England. Spoiler alert, but there are several more books coming set across the pond before the big guy lands on December 25th.

Charlie hates dogs. The only thing she likes less than dogs is Christmas. Mutts and Mistletoe begins with top ten list of things she hates about Christmas. To be fair, she does try to find a handful of things she enjoys about the season. She’s overworked, but suddenly finds herself with a bunch of time on her hands when the apartment above falls on her. Literally. Impermanently homeless, she visits her cousin, who owns a dog kennel, in the English countryside for a few days. Her cousins tech-aided, long-distance, lesbian relationship is made possible when Charlie agrees to watch the dogs for a few days. A hot but hard to read veterinarian makes an appearance. A dimpled, rich man drops off a Great Dane. A pregnant beagle. A scary white van. A reindeer dressed as an elf. So many wonderful little things to look forward to.

The bit with the white van is everything my nightmares are made of. I’m not kidding. It’s my greatest fear as a dog mom. There could literally be nothing worse in my life.

One of my favorite aspects of Mutts and Mistletoe is the witty dialogue. It’s definitely giggle worthy: “Better pack your wool knickers, then.” | “Who has wool knickers?” | “Sheep.” Cox has a talent for coming up with dialogue that is interesting and comical. I can imagine having these conversations with my best friends.

The plot is cute. I definitely appreciated all the dog personalities and appearances. I wish the puppies on the cover more closely imitated the pooches on the page, but I’m being nitpicky. The plot, though engaging, is very thinly veiled and highly guess worthy. I think that is a flaw of romantic comedies; the reader expects their happy ending.

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Memorable Quotes
“Sian has long maintained that Beatrice and Eugenie will single-handedly bring down the monarchy, simply through their choice of hats.”
“Admittedly they (dogs) are rubbish at housework, but then, so is every man I’ve ever known.”

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Title: Mutts and Mistletoe
Author: Natalie Cox
Publisher: P.G. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Random House)
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780525539193

Beau was chewing on a marshmallow, which I used to bribe her into posing so cutely behind the book!

Blog + Dog, Style

Christmas Jammies

December 12, 2018June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

2018121271521338462533314 — Beau and I are lounging by the Christmas tree in our pajammies. Her Fleece Jammies | My Jammies | Truck Throw Pillow | Plaid Throw Pillow

I live in jammies. Since I work from home, there is very little motivation for me to put on clothes or makeup.

I look forward to Christmas jammies all year long. Beau even loves her Christmas jammies. I don’t know about other dogs, but this one loves wearing clothes. I think she knows she look pretty. When the temperature dips below 60°, Beau NEEDS to wear a sweater or something. She’s a Houston dog. She also has really thin, white fur. So the layers are necessary, or she’ll shiver herself skinny.

I saw Beau’s jammies at Target one night for $9.99 and had to buy them. I’m not exaggerating, she loves wearing them. This morning when I grabbed them out of the closet, she did an excited hot lap around the house before sitting down at my feet and sticking her head through the head hole. She even picked up her paws for me. I would take the credit and say she’s well trained (she is), but she just loves wearing clothes. She’s kind of a diva that way. Even though they are around her back legs too, she still loves putting these on. They are fleece and fit her perfectly. They are so warm. She wears them outside and inside.

I’m also obsessed with my onesie. I almost never buy any one-piece items of clothing because I’m so tall. They never fit, and it ends up looking like a frontal and traditional wedgie. I’m in love with Old Navy right now because they have clothes in tall sizes. AND they fit. At 5’10” I can actually wear this waffled onesie comfortably with a little extra room. It also comes in a green stripe, but the buffalo plaid works for Christmas jammies and all year round!

Beau actually wears sweaters all year long inside. It helps her anxiety; it’s like a big hug. We have quite the assortment of puppy clothes because of it. I’m always on the lookout for a cute one to add to her collection. Of course, she doesn’t wear her clothes outside 90% of the year in Houston because it’s too damn hot.

Also the Christmas throw pillows in the background are on clearance! Hurry!!!

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xoxo,
Beau + RaeAnna