Christmas – Page 6 – …on the B.L.

Reading Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery with Beau in my favorite pajamas.

Read Yes
Length 320
Quick Review Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery is the last book in Jenny Colgan’s trilogy. It’s a giggle worthy story about love and morality.

Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan is an adorable book. I don’t think you can read this without smiling a little bit. It’s the right combination of sweet, funny, and sassy.

Polly is the owner and baker behind the bakery in Mount Polbearne, a teeny island in Cornwall. She has a hunky, American fiancé named Huckle. A puffin named Neil decided to stick around. They all live in a very, very cold lighthouse. It’s Christmastime and everyone is bustling about dealing with family and friend drama.

I don’t want to give too much away because Christmas at Little Street Bakery is adorable. Jenny Colgan has a way of making a sweet story not Hallmark ridiculous. She is funny and smart in her usage of language. There’s a certain amount of conversational tone in her writing, which draws in the reader. It’s very enjoyable reading her writing; it’s not overdone nor underdone. I like that she includes a few recipes at the end of the book.

It’s a great read for Christmas.

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Memorable Quotes
“Then he’d accidentally fallen madly in love with this strawberry-blond whirlwind of baking powder and capability”
“It sounds a thousand years ago, but it wasn’t really.”

Title: Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery
Author: Jenny Colgan
Publisher: William Morrow (HarperCollins Publishers)
Copyright: 2017
ISBN: 9780062662996

Books, Fiction

A Christmas Revelation by Anne Perry

December 6, 2018 RaeAnna

A Christmas Revelation | Sweater (so soft and cozy) | Shoes (so sparkly) | Jeans

Read Yes
Length 160
Quick Review Set in Victorian London, this mild mystery is a sweet story about the meaning of Christmas spirit and never giving up.

Victorian London is an iconic Christmas setting perfect for any holiday mystery. Anne Perry sets A Christmas Revelation in the middle of not-so-respectable London. It’s a short novel perfect for a busy reader this holiday season.

Worm is a nine year old orphan wandering the streets of London, when he sees a beautiful young woman abducted. He lives at a medical clinic with Squeaky, a brothel owner turned bookkeeper, and an assortment of other characters. Worm goes home with the woman on his mind. He confides in Squeaky, who tries to distract him with the Christmas story. Squeaky is an old grump with no holiday spirit, but as he describes the traditions and history to Worm, who’s never had a true Christmas, he begins to melt a little. What ensues is a scramble for decorations and to find the woman because no matter how much Squeaky tries, Worm can’t forget about the woman he saw.

Perry does a very good job of showing the situations of the characters in A Christmas Revelation. In short books, it is easier to tell rather than show the reader. Perry does not succumb even in the earliest pages, “He walked quite quietly, since his boots were very thin…” She writes in the third person narrative, which allows the reader to see the thought process of both Squeaky and Worm. They are on opposite sides of the age spectrum of age, but they bond over a common goal. Perry does a decent job describing the thought process of Worm, but does a better job of getting in Squeaky’s mind. She easily narrates the ways an adult simplifies and side-steps complicated issues for children.

A Christmas Revelation is a sweet Christmas novel under 200 pages. It is small and easy to read. If you’re looking for something light with a super sweet ending, this is a good one. Anyone can easily finish it by Christmas. I read it in two hours.

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Memorable Quotes
“It was a deep sin to ignite dreams in a child that you could not live up to.”

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Title: A Christmas Revelation
Author: Anne Perry
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780399179945

Books, Fiction

One Day in December by Josie Silver

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018 RaeAnna

One Day in December is the must read Christmas book of the year. | Dress (it’s perfect for all occasions) | Heels (they go with everything | Belt (It’s a great pop of color) | Watch (so dainty!)

Read Yes
Length 416
Quick Review One Day in December was a surprise. It has the happy ending you want in a winter/Christmas novel, but it was complicated the way life and feelings and friendship are. Josie Silver didn’t simplify it.

Happy December!!! It’s officially Christmas month, which means it is the month of all good and happy things. At least for me. If it’s not so good and happy for you, you should pick up this book. It’s the must read winter book of the year. One Day in December was picked by Book of the Month and by Reese Witherspoon for her book club. All month long, I’m reading winter and Christmas inclined novels because I can.

One Day in December is a great place to start with the Christmas novels. It’s not too cheesy, even though it is truly just a love story. I knew exactly what the ending would be from the very beginning, so it won’t leave you speechless.

I took pictures at Levy Park in Kirby because there are iconic London phone booths! It’s fitting.

Laurie and Sarah are best friends living in London. One December, Laurie is on a bus when a beautiful man catches her eye and she his. They aren’t able to make a connection, but they can’t stop thinking about each other. Laurie and Sarah spend a year looking for bus-dude until Laurie finds him as Sarah’s new boyfriend, Jack.

The story of One Day in December follows Laurie through pivotal moments over the next ten years. The narration is mainly told by Laurie, but Jack tells his side of the story occasionally throughout the novel. The characters are all well developed. None of them come off in a bad light. They’re easy to empathize with because Silver does a good job laying the foundation and explaining the situation and the motivation behind their actions or lack thereof.

The novel is written with British spelling and cultural references. I like that the editors kept this style for American publication. The references were hard to understand sometimes because they aren’t necessarily relevant to the American audience. I love it because it reminds us there are cultures outside of our own.

I really enjoyed that One Day in December is set in London. It’s hard not to enjoy a winter novel when you’re imagining you’re in London. I wouldn’t say it’s a great novel, but it is perfect for this time of year.

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Memorable Quotes
“But I love you,” he says, as if it’s a magic phrase that trumps any other.”

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Title: One Day in December
Author: Josie Silver
Publisher: Broadway Books (Penguin Random House)
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9780525574682

Books, Reading Lists

Christmas Reading List

December 3, 2018April 15, 2019 RaeAnna

A Christmas Treasury | Christmas Camp | Last Christmas in Paris |Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery | One Day in December | A Christmas Revelation | Alaskan Holiday | The Nutcracker | An Irish Country Christmas | Sweater (this is so soft and cozy)

Merry Christmas! Or Happy Holidays to all my non-Christmassers.

I have a whole bunch of books I’m going to read this month. I’m being optimistic because eleven books in 22 days is insane. Reading a new book every other day. I’m a Christmas nut, so I’m only reading Christmas related novels this month. Several are new releases this year. Here we go!

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Alaskan Holiday
by Debbie Macomber
I read this already, and it was awful. Feel free to read my review here.

One Day in December
by Josie Silver
A winter story about love in London. This month, it is a Book of the Month book and chosen by Reese Witherspoon for her book club.

The Nutcracker
by Alexander Dumas
The classic Christmas story brought to the stage throughout the world in ballet form.

A Christmas Revelation
by Anne Perry
I’m branching out to read a mystery, but not too much because it’s still a Christmas book!

Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery
by Jenny Colgan
I don’t know anything about this book, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Colgan in the past.

An Irish Country Christmas
by Patrick Taylor
Enter the fictional Irish town of Ballybucklebo for a Christmas season full of adventure with familiar characters.

Mutts and Mistletoe
by Natalie Cox
I don’t know anything about this, but there are puppies on the cover.

Last Christmas in Paris
by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
I’m looking forward to reading a historical fiction novel about Christmas in Paris.

The Adults
by Caroline Hulse
A novel about Christmas and family drama… It seems appropriate. The two tend to go together.

Christmas Camp
by Karen Schaler
I hear this is being turned into a TV movie.

A Christmas Treasury
This is an anthology of some of the greatest Christmas stories. If you buy one book this Christmas. I HIGHLY suggest this one!!!

Books, Fiction

Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber

December 1, 2018December 1, 2018 RaeAnna

Read No
Length 256
Quick Review Alaskan Holiday is a really good example of what I don’t like in a book. Sappy romance, a pretend strong female character, bad grammar, terrible plot, and over all not put together well. Upside: there is a dog.

Don’t waste your time reading *Alaskan Holiday* | Pants (I wear these A LOT) | Shirt (truly one of my favorites) | Shoes (you need) | Watch | Hair Bow

Happy first day of December!!! I’m starting off my holiday reading with a real low point. It’s not the worst book I’ve read all year, but it’s in the top three! Which means, in all hopefulness, that the reading quality can only go up the rest of the month!

I pretty much began reading Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber feeling that it would be awful. It was. It was not good. It’s like a Hallmark movie in book form so a more painful time commitment.

The two main characters are Josie and Palmer. They’re in the middle of nowhere Alaska. A place so remote almost everyone leaves during the winter months and is only reachable by plane. Josie was the chef during the season, and Palmer lives there permanently. Palmer falls in love and asks her to marry him. The rest of the novel unfolds to the exact ending you know is going to happen.

Alaskan Holiday is incredibly sexist. There is the effort of having a strong, career oriented woman as the lead, but the whole novel falls into the trope of ‘need to calm this wild, career woman down to get her to settle into a small boring life.’ The woman gives up everything for the man. This is bolstered by the fact that there are several other women trying to convince Josie she can be happy in the middle of nowhere because love. Palmer is awful. I really hated his character. He oozes the quiet, toxic masculinity that is a total turn-off to any actual strong, career oriented woman I’ve ever met. His machismo was irritating after page 2. His jealousy is beyond aggravating. I couldn’t take it.

There is a lot of telling and very little showing, so the storytelling is Alaskan Holiday is as bad as the characters. The story spends 130 pages, out of 220, setting up a story that could have been easily summed up in 25 pages. The story reads like a teenager’s diary, but not an insightful, wise teenager. There are also a lot of grammar errors.

I was really unimpressed by Alaskan Holiday. It was pretty much a waist of my time. Luckily it was so bad and easy to read, I was able to read it in a less time than a Hallmark movie takes.

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Memorable Quotes
“I’m a man who needs to work with his hands, not just his brain.”

Title: Alaskan Holiday
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Copyright 2018
ISBN: 9780399181283

Books, Fiction

The Autobiography of Santa Claus

January 15, 2018 RaeAnna

Read: Yes
Length: 289
Quick Review: Santa Claus wants to tell his side of the story, so he chronicles his life and the events he’s seen through the centuries.

The first book in the Christmas Chronicles trilogy. Santa asked Texas journalist, Jeff Guinn, to commit to paper for posterity the true story of how Santa Claus came to be the celebrated, beloved, and mythical figure he is today.

Santa was born a few centuries after the death of Jesus in modern day Turkey. He became a highly revered bishop in the Catholic Church. As he grew to an old age, he wanted to end his days helping the under served populations of the world. He left his church one night with money in his pocket to help those in need. He soon realized he did not age and could travel at heightened speeds. He spent his years giving gifts and gathering close friends he met along the way to help with his mission. Nicholas was eventually canonized and became known as Saint Nicholas.

Guinn is an acclaimed journalist and author with an eye for history. He uses Saint Nicholas as an avenue to discuss major aspects of world history focusing on Christian and Western European history.

Santa Claus is a beloved figure known for kindness, love, and generosity. Throughout much of history, there are examples of intolerance and cruelty made in the name of God. Santa is an observer of history, who comments about how saddened he is by the unfortunate choices people make around him. The Autobiography of Santa Claus is not only an amusing history review but a lesson in tolerance and acceptance.

Santa is known by many names throughout the world and time. Notable names are Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Père Noël, and more. These names all originated from Saint Nicholas in one way or another. Guinn makes sure to mention the history behind the linguistic evolution of Santa. Another thing he makes sure to cover is why Santa doesn’t visit every house throughout the world.

It’s a quick read and perfect for the Christmas spirit or post Christmas spirit, in my case. The narrative is sweet, well informed, and interesting.

I highly suggest it. It would be a wonderful read for family time with kids.

Memorable Quotes
“Life is never as uncomplicated as we’d prefer.”

Title: The Autobiography of Santa Claus
As Told To: Jeff Guinn
Publisher: Jeremy P. Tarcher / Penguin Group
Copyright: 1994
ISBN: 9781585422654