Christmas

Book Review: Fireside Reading of A Christmas Carol

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A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
Read by Gildart Jackson

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Classic Christmas fiction

Most everyone knows the story about Scrooge and the Christmas ghosts, even if they’ve only seen it portrayed by Mickey and Scrooge McDuck. I’ve never read the book, but when I found the Fireside Reading version on Hoopla, I knew it would be a perfect addition to my Christmastime reading. Hearing the source material for so many adaptations and parodies was really interesting. And hearing it read by Gildart Jackson by a fire, with his various extra comments in between sessions made it all the more enlightening.

As for the story itself, it’s a little difficult to gauge it on its own after knowing the story so much of my life, but I did enjoy the time spent listening. Though there were a couple of specific things I noted. One is that it seemed like Scrooge actually starts to think very differently after the second of the three ghosts, so why does he need the third one? I guess it sort of tipped him over. But also, during the Christmas-past section, his transition from a poor, lonely kid to a Gain-loving young adult was kind of sudden. It took me a little bit to follow the scene with the Belle, the woman he was engaged to, as she told him that he was putting his pursuit of wealth in front of her. I guess that was supposed be the indication to us that he had become so fearful and changed, but it was abrupt to me. Overall, though, I enjoyed listening to this story and especially liked the narration. It’s fairly short, so if you’ve never read the original and find yourself interested, I recommend it.

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Book Review: Holly and Nick Hate Christmas

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Holly and Nick Hate Christmas
by Betsy St. Amant

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Christian Christmas romance

Holly was born on Christmas Day and named for the holiday. Nick’s childhood was rigid and not very loving, and Christmas was when he noticed the coldness the most. Both are now adults that hate Christmas and all its trappings, so when Holly’s brother Ryan, who is also Nick’s co-worker, sets them up on a date for Holly and Ryan’s family’s big Christmas party, it seems like a match made in Heaven. Right?

What do you get when you stack childish people on top of secrets and lies? A happy ending, apparently. When Holly finds out that Nick had to be convinced to be her date, rather than agreeing with gusto, she decides he should be tortured. So she proceeds to force Christmas festivities on him, even though she’s been told he hates it as much as she does. Considering that she has some real pain and even trauma that has led to her dislike of Christmas and has every reason to believe he would have the same, she decides to twist the knife anyway. Why? Because he agreed to be her date. How dare he… Then, when Holly and Nick talk and maturely decide to bury the hatchet, Holly convinces Nick to turn around and prank Ryan with her, because he was in on the terrible plot to give Holly a date for the Christmas party too. So they pretend to be madly in love to annoy Ryan…who set them up in the first place. Then when that plan comes to its merciful end, there’s another plot hatched for an equally immature reason… you probably see the trend by now. Meanwhile, Nick has a secret about Holly’s own parents that they asked him to keep from the rest of the family (5 total adults children). And in a scene right out of A Very Brady Christmas, it turns out each of the other family members has been hiding a big secret too (except Ryan). 

Alongside all of this mess of deceit is a message that apparently many reviewers found too religious/Christian. But frankly, I was displeased at this having a Christian label on it. For one thing, the romance involves so much physical attraction, noticing of broad shoulders or muscles, heated touching, etc. for my taste, especially in a Christian book. For another, though the message of the true meaning of Christmas is mentioned near the end, it’s incredibly shallow and only really a reminder for characters to focus less on themselves and more on God and others. But frankly, I have no idea if any of these characters are actually Christians or if they just live the “Christian culture,” meaning that they try to live “good lives” but aren’t actually saved and following Jesus. There’s a tiny bit of conviction about all of the secrets and deception, but again, it all just felt so shallow. I don’t need a major Christian message in my Christian fiction, but this one felt like it was trying to have a message that didn’t really hit home for me. Maybe because it just felt shoehorned in near the end.

The book is billed as “enemies-to-lovers,” which doesn’t make much difference to me, but for those who might have been led to consider this book because of that—that really isn’t accurate. Holly might be angry at Nick, but he doesn’t see her remotely as an enemy. And frankly, she has to keep reminding herself to be angry at him, because she keeps getting distracted by his hotness. So clearly, there wasn’t much in this book that I’d recommend. I actually kind of liked some of the family dynamics, but overall, it was a miss for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Rediscovering Christmas

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Rediscovering Christmas
by AJ Sherrill

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Christian non-fiction

After being a Christian for many years, it’s nice now and then to attempt to slow down and take a look at a well-known, often-heard or portrayed account from the Bible in a new light. That’s what this book promises to do. And indeed, are were several different deep dives into historical context and translation in this book that give insight to aspects of the “Christmas story” that most people may never have heard before. Much of it I have, however, from various sources, including my own recently retired pastor, in his attempts to not preach the same sermons every year at Christmas time. This is not a fault of the book or author, of course, it only means the book is probably better for someone who is newer to Christianity or has simply only viewed the surface of the events surrounding the birth of Christ.

The author makes some assertions about the intentions of biblical writers (Luke in particular) that I have never heard before; he may have taken some liberties and made some assumptions, but he often states some of these things as fact. I couldn’t help but question some things as I read (which of course we’re supposed to do as Christians). As an example, this quote from chapter 1: “Jesus is brought into being by the creative breath of God’s Spirit.” It seems to imply that Jesus did not exist before Mary conceived, but of course that isn’t true. He was/is God and has existed for eternity. Giving the author the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he only meant to say that Jesus was brought into “earthly existence” by the creative breath of God’s Spirit, and I was nitpicking without intending to. Whatever the case, between this and my notes in the previous paragraph, this book did not quite resonate with me like it was intended to. Because of some of the uncertainties I had about some of what I read, I don’t know that I could, in good conscience, recommend this book to anyone, but I will say that if you do read it, be sure to go to the Scriptures to verify anything you’re not certain of (which, again, you should do with anything that a fallible human professes about God or the Bible).

Thank you to Netgalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor

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Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor
by Roseanna M. White

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

Though marriage to Cyril Lightbourne, a very distant relation that Mariah Lyons’s father’s estate will pass to someday, would be convenient, Mariah has to face the fact that he’s not the same kid she played with years in the past when he first visited Plumford. Their letters became strained over the years, and she’s heard that he’s set his sights on the flirtatious, malicious Lady Pearl, which lowers Cyril in her own esteem anyway. Still, she’s glad that their old friendship is rekindled when he comes to Plumford at Christmastime, and she has enough to deal with anyway, since a Danish lord is visiting Plumford at the same time, set on winning Mariah’s hand.

I’m always wary of romances set at Christmastime, since they’re often much more sappy and devoid of plot than other romances, but I recently fell in love with some of Roseanna M. White’s other works, so I was excited to receive an ARC of this novella. And it did not disappoint. It’s short enough that there aren’t any major surprises, but there are some lovely minor surprises, and I actually found myself cheering at some moments near the end of the story. I was confused at first when a 3rd POV popped up, that of the Danish Lord, Søren Gyldenkrone, but it really paid off in the end.

I’m a complete novice when it comes to what this book is based on—The Nutcracker—but that by no means lowered my enjoyment of it. The Christian element is mostly related to the characters clearly being Christ-followers themselves and some allowing their faith to change their thinking (for the better). The only downside to getting an ARC of a Christmas book in August is that I don’t get to read it while ensconced in a colorful, wintery environment myself (technically, I could have, but I don’t like putting off ARCs like that). I may have to re-read this one next December (only because this December would be too soon), just for the full effect. In case it’s not clear, I highly recommend this sweet, well-themed Christmas romance.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Publication date: September 3, 2024

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Book Review: A Royal Christmas

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A Royal Christmas
by Melody Carlson

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Christian Christmas fiction

Adelaide Smith is ready for a change in her life, but her plans didn’t include being found by the father she never knew, learning that he is the king of a tiny country in Europe, or being asked to travel there to meet him. Simply stepping foot into the country puts her in the crosshairs of someone who doesn’t want her there.

This was a short read, but I really liked it. Adelaide’s lawyer mind and down-to-earth qualities give her a level head (though to be honest, I have a hard time believing she isn’t goading the queen when she asks her father about the nativity scene, when she knows it was the queen who didn’t want it out). There is a bit of romance, but it doesn’t take over the story at all. The story doesn’t go the predictable route that it easily could, and I liked the common theme of “God’s plan in God’s time.” I appreciated Adelaide struggling with the darker traditions this small country has related to Christmas (though I really wish more people could at least see the possible problems with Santa Claus/St. Nicholas traditions, too). In fact, I think my favorite aspect of the story was the way Adelaide was sort of trying to put to rights the changes the queen had made away from Christian values more toward paganism. I may be exaggerating it a little, but I think that could have been expanded on into a larger story, and I would have been all for it.

Small things that bothered me were several repetitive spots that I noted and my utter bewilderment over the way the rulership turned out. It would probably be a spoiler to explain, so I won’t, but I think that either the author didn’t explain the way it all went down very well or this kingdom has some peculiar laws of succession. Overall, though, I was quite happy with this novella. It contains a lot of Christmas charm, and I think that anyone looking for a feel-good faith-based read this Christmas that isn’t too over-the-top sappy should pick up this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Revell for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: September 5, 2023

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Book Review: The Greatest Gift

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The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale
Philip Van Doren Stern
Read by Edward Herrmann

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Classic Christmas fiction

When I found out that the short story that inspired the movie It’s a Wonderful Life was narrated by the late, great Edward Herrmann, I tracked it down immediately to give it a listen. It’s difficult to give a rating and review that is unbiased and not compare the original story to the movie. The basic idea that Stern was going for came across easily enough—a single person affects more than they think in the lives of those around them. Not knowing what has George contemplating suicide and thinking the world would be better if he hadn’t been born, or even really knowing what kind of man he is, it’s a little difficult to be as connected to him as I would have wanted to be in a story like this. And in the end, while he is certainly affected by more than the loss of his wife to a rival, it could just as easily be missing her presence in his life and leads him to want his life back, rather than deciding his life is worth living after all. So bringing it back around to the movie, the extended version of this story does a much better job of first laying out the problem and then getting to the change of mind and heart. But the original story is so short, it might still be worth a quick read. The actual story part of the audiobook was about 25 minutes long, with an afterword that doubled the length, and Edward Herrmann an unsurprisingly great job with the narration.

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Book Review: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Barbara Robinson

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Children’s Christmas fiction

When the Herdmans, all six of the rowdiest, meanest, unruliest kids in school, volunteered to be in the Christmas pageant, everyone was sure it would be the worst pageant ever. One thing’s for sure—it will be unforgettable.

This is yet another well-known children’s book that was around when I was a kid, yet I didn’t read. I remember some of my sisters talking about it, though, and since I definitely read a lot back then, I don’t know why I didn’t read it. I picked it up this year because my daughter was looking for a Christmas-themed book to read for school, and I like to read what she does so we can discuss it. It’s a short read, but so very good!

After a chapter describing the antics of the Herdman children so we know how terrible they are, the book gets going with the narrator’s mom having the annual church Christmas pageant fall into her lap. The narrator, by the way, never has a name, which is quite uncommon, at least in my reading experience. As the Herdmans join the pageant and try to get a handle on their parts and motivations behind them, it’s clear that they’ve never been exposed to this (or probably any) biblical account. Though this is not specifically a Christian book, it presents a scenario that can really make you think. The Herdman children’s antics seem to me to be a cry for love and attention, and rather than turning up their noses and wagging their tongues, the people of the church should have taken the opportunity to teach them about God. I appreciate the patience the narrator’s mom has with them (though that did wane sometimes), even if it is only just so she can prove she can put on a great pageant.

I know these kids are fictional, but I found myself left with a profound feeling of hope that someone would take them under their wing and teach them more about Jesus. I suppose that that alone means that Barbara Robinson did a great job with the characters and emotions in the book. If your upper-elementary child, even a little older than that (my daughter is 12) it looking for a good Christmas book this season, consider checking this out. Some parents are concerned about their kids reading about the unpleasant things the Herdman kids do, but they’re definitely shown in a negative light. A conversation after reading to discuss the bullying is probably a good idea anyway. If you’re interested in the book, I say definitely read it (it won’t take long).

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Book Review: Merry Humbug Christmas

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Merry Humbug Christmas
by Sandra D. Bricker

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Christmas romance

Joss Snow has had enough of Christmas pageantry, so for the last few years, she and her best friend Reese Pendergrass have skipped the holiday together. But this year, Reese is newly engaged and spending a traditional Christmas with her future in-laws. Joss, left to go on her Bah! Humbug cruise alone, ends up on a 12 Days of Christmas cruise instead and Reese’s trip seems to take every bad turn possible. Will these two friends survive the holiday?

Technically this is written as 2 separate novellas, “Once Upon a Jingle Bell” and “It Came Upon a Midnight Deer,” each following one of the two friends through their holidays. The story is mostly cohesive, though; it simply tells the 2 main characters’ escapades one at a time. Each chapter starts with a line from a “12 Days of Christmas” parody invoking Murphy’s Law, which I liked. And Murphy’s Law comes in heavily, especially in the 2nd story. While normally the “everything that can go wrong will go wrong” trope annoys me, I enjoyed the book and even liked the 2nd novella more than the first.

One great thing about this book is that, even though it’s a Christmas book, it’s not as sappy as Christmas books so often are. On the other hand, it’s billed as a Christian book, but the Christian content is incredibly light. And there’s a lot of emphasis on physical looks in both relationships. If you’re not looking for a faith-filled story, though, this is a nice light-on-the-syrup Christmas read with some romance and fun.

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Book Review: Remembering Christmas

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Remembering Christmas
by Dan Walsh

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Christian, Christmas fiction

Rick Denton likes his life as a high-powered accountant, living how he wants, with very few responsibilities. But when his step-father, who he never much cared for, has a stroke on Thanksgiving weekend, his mother asks him to come to Florida and help out at the bookstore the couple own and run together. Rick agrees out of obligation, not expecting to stay more than a few days…which stretches on past what he expected. Rick isn’t sure he can handle much more of the people who frequent the store, and worse yet, they always seem to have great things to say about his step-father, who Rick always saw as an interloper. Is it possible there’s more going on here than he would have thought?

I kicked off my Christmas-season reading a little late this year, but this was a great book to start it off. The story was a little predictable, as Christmas stories tend to be (especially those that involve romance, which this one does), but it was still sweet. I teared up during a particularly emotional scene with Rick’s mom (Leanne) and step-dad (Art) at the hospital, because it reminded me of being in my dad’s hospital room after his heart attack, while we were waiting for them to be able to do surgery on him. And at other times, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like if I were in Leanne’s place, where my husband was the one in the bed. It was well written, with Leanne’s perspective showing what a loving, long-term relationship can look like.

By the end of the book, I had a few issues, the most glaring being the incredible amount of typos and grammatical errors. I can’t believe this book was ever published by a traditional publishing house, as it seems to need a lot of polishing. There was also one moment that made me cringe a little, and later, I was surprised that no one in the story seemed to feel that Rick was trying to buy some of the characters’ love. But those things aside, I enjoyed reading this book; it’s a sweet, warm Christmas read.

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Book Review: Cupcakes for Christmas

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Cupcakes for Christmas
Return to Willoughby Close #1
by Kate Hewitt

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Christmas romance

Olivia has been living in the English village of Wychwood-on-Lea for a couple of years now, taking over her mom’s tea shop and bakery. She’s content in her single life, but with her friends all recently starting new families, when a friendly stranger begins to show up at the shop now and then, Olivia starts to wonder if she’s ready for a new chapter in her life. However, Simon is quite the enigma–buying cupcakes from her “12 Days of Cupcakes” promotion and not eating them, showing up places with a woman and child that may or may not be his wife and son, and simply disappearing for days at a time. He may be hiding some kind of secret, but he’s also funny, compassionate, and is there when she really needs someone, as her mom begins to show signs of health problems. What does Christmas have in store for Olivia?

As sweet, novella-length Christmas romances go, this one was decent. There were some things that happened that I found strange and weren’t really explained, and it was a little slow overall, but not in a way that bothered me. I began to suspect Simon’s big secret before it was revealed, but it turned out to be a lot worse and more involved than I thought.

There was a whole cast of side characters that I believe were all stars in their own romances in a series the author had previously written. I hadn’t read any of that, and I don’t think it’s necessary, though I’m sure readers of the Willoughby Close series will enjoy seeing these people. The big downside to me is that there are a lot of these ladies/families, and they basically all blended together without distinct personalities, at least in the space of this story. So it was a whole aspect to the story that fell flat.

If you’re looking for a light, fluffy Christmas story, this really isn’t it. There were some dark moments and difficult subjects, which the author did handle well. It was a bit heavy for the story length, but in the end, I appreciated what both Olivia and Simon were going through and the connection it helped forge between them. If you don’t mind some heaviness in your romance, whether at Christmas time or not, consider checking out this book.

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