HOLIDAY STORIES

At this time of year, I get in the mood to read holiday stories. Here are some I am looking forward to reading this year.

    

   


   

NO PLACE LIKE HOME by Linda Lael Miller, Kat Martin, Mary Carter and Laura Florand

Samplers like this are a great way to enjoy holiday stories! Four stories in one volume means if one doesn't click for a reader, the others might - and you can discover new authors along the way!

I really connected with two of the stories in this volume - "The Christmas Carousel" by Mary Carter and "The 24 Days of Christmas" by Laura Lael Miller. In "The Christmas Carousel," Georgia is fighting to keep her home and her business as a group tries to buy her out. Georgia's past with one of the investors - a memory she holds dear, but doesn't connect with the handsome stranger right away - complicates the business transaction. Will Georgia be able to trust Adam and reconcile his place in her past and present - and maybe a future?

In "24 Days," two adults and two kids are sharing space and memories and hopes for the holidays. Frank and Addie had been engaged, once upon a time, but they went their separate ways. Now Frank is a widower with a daughter to raise on his own. Addie has come home to lick her wounds after a divorce and she finds her beloved step-son has been dumped on a bus to head her way for the holidays. She doesn't want to get too attached to having him around because she knows his father is fickle and manipulative. Can these two adults find love and create a stable home for the children in their lives?

I found both of these stories absolutely delightful - just the sort of holiday reading I am always looking for this time of year. I didn't care for either of the other stories enough to read more than a chapter or two, but I would read these two stories over again. 4.5 stars for each. Check them out if you are looking for sweet holiday romances this month!

* I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoyed. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

DEATH, TAXES AND MISTLETOE MAYHEM by Diane Kelly

Tara Holloway goes undercover to expose a case of tax and insurance fraud and meets Office Megan Lutz and her K9 partner, Brigit, on the job. Working together, Tara, Megan and Brigit may be able to bring down a criminal or two AND do some holiday matchmaking.

Always on the hunt for new holiday reading material, I jumped on the chance to read this novella for free on my Nook while sitting in Barnes and Noble. I enjoyed the writing so much after one chapter, I spent the $2 it took to buy the story outright.

This merges characters from Diane Kelly's Tara Holloway series (covers displayed below) with the characters from an upcoming series that will debut in June of 2014 (the first book will be Paw Enforcement). I had a couple of the tax series books already in my TBR pile (To Be Read), but I moved the series up on my reading list as I enjoyed this as much as I did. For the price, this is an excellent introduction to the author's writing style and the characters of these series.

4 out of 5 stars

Cautions: some language

       

A TIME FOR ME TO COME HOME by Dorothy Shackleford with Travis Thrasher

Heath Sawyer is a country music star trying to get home to Oklahoma for Christmas. In the airport, he meets Cara who is also heading to Oklahoma. They get stranded in Chicago when a blizzard hits the Midwest and their flight is canceled. They decide to try to get home together. Through a variety of travel joys and disasters, they learn about eachother and about themselves.

I tried a couple chapters of this for free at Barnes and Noble, a perk they provide for Nook readers in the story. I liked the writing and the character of Heath enough to buy the whole story so I could find out what happens. A nice mild romance with an emphasis on family relationships. Heath tells the story, so his journey and growth is the one readers get the best feel for. The main message is the importance of family and home at the holidays - and any other time we need to be anchored and loved and be ourselves.

4 out of 5 stars

DUCK THE HALLS by Donna Andrews

A prankster leaves a cage of skunks in the choir loft of the Baptist church just days before Christmas. As cancelling all of their regular weekly events and the Christmas ones isn't an option, Meg and her organizational skills are pressed into service to maintain the schedule at all the area churches that open their doors to help. But the pranks escalate to arson and eventually murder. Meg's on the case, asking questions and keeping her eyes and ears open as she juggles her scheduling responsibilities, her family, and their Christmas festivities. Hopefully she can get to the bottom of things before innocent people go to jail and Christmas is ruined.

As I've already mentioned, I love reading Christmas stories this time of year, and this was a delightful addition to my collection. I literally laughed out loud as I read it. Meg is one of my favorite mystery characters. She has an odd and eccentric family, but she is completely down to earth and relate-able. I was able to figure out the culprit right before Meg did and I enjoyed the sleuthing journey along the way.

Four out of five stars

If you've never read a Meg Langslow mystery, I think you can follow the story pretty well if you start here. Some of the family relationships and quirks might mystify you. If so, go back and read the whole series - it's a delight! You can read some reviews of other books in the series here.

SECRET SANTA by Fern Michaels, Marie Bostwick, Laura Levine and Cindy Myers

* I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoyed. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Four holiday stories!
"Mister Christmas" - An attorney gets summoned overseas by a client only to find out he is just trying to fix her up with a relative. She ends up with the relative anyway, but on her own terms. I found this story to be implausible. The main character accepts the buy too easily without any time or tension to build chemistry. He's over-generous with a stranger, which also made him suspicious to me. Finally, there's a hostage situation that seemed to come out of no where. I felt like this plot could have been great in a longer format where there was more time to fill in some of the gaps.

"Yellow Rose of Christmas" - An older woman has a secret admirer, although it might not be who she thinks it is. This was a lovely story. I enjoyed the fact that the main characters were older adults - something I don't read much in romance stories. The cast of characters was great in this story.

"Nightmare on Elf Street" - A freelance writer takes a job as Santa's Elf to get her foot in the door with a potential employer, then finds herself a suspect when one of the Santa's is killed. This mystery is from an author I haven't read much before, if at all; I really enjoyed the main character's voice. She's sassy and funny. I will definitely be looking at more by this author in the future.

"Room at the Inn" - Three groups are stranded in a snow storm and end up staying in some fishing cabins near the interstate and getting to know one another - and in some cases, themselves - in new ways. This story was mostly about the main character's evolution in how she viewed herself and her life, and that was very enjoyable. Some of the other characters grow and change, too, which just added to the main story. This one drew me to the internet to find out what else the author has written. This story has fringe ties to a series by the author that I will be checking out in the future.

4 out of 5 stars

I love reading Christmas stories this time of year, and I am glad I tried this one. Collections of short stories, like this one, can introduce readers to new authors, which is great for both the author and the reader. There is mild language in a couple of the stories, and the romantic elements are also mild making this a pretty safe bet for a lot of readers.

Do you have some favorite holiday stories? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

TIGER TALES: It's Holiday Time by Elizabeth Bennett

Beautiful board book with padded cover and embossed pages. Each page highlights a holiday activity. There's no reference to Santa so this works for families who don't do Santa. There is a Christmas tree and caroling, but no reference to a specific winter holiday. Frankly, this book put me in the mood for holiday movies and Christmas shopping! Lovely.

4 out of 5 stars.

FRIDAY: The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde

Summary
Sarah fled Twilight, Texas as soon as she could after embarrassing herself as a teenager in front of the man she had hoped would be her soul mate. She made a name for herself as a children's author by the name of Sadie Cool. She is summoned back to Twilight for a Christmas celebration and to meet a sick fan who wishes to meet her favorite author. Little does Sarah know, the girl is the daughter of her soul mate, Travis Walker, now a single father, who remembers Sarah and her teenage declaration of love.


Review
What a fun holiday romance! The author tells a great story in the acknowledgments about the inspiration for the story. While Travis doesn't know that Sarah is Sadie, he figures it out soon enough. I appreciated the author not drawing that out too long. Jazzy, the sick child, is delightful. Plenty of side plots and road blocks will keep readers turning pages. One road block toward the end seemed to come out of nowhere, but it was compelling enough to keep me reading.


4 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: fans of holiday romance stories


Cautions: some language and detailed romantic moments might bother more sensitive readers.

WEDNESDAY: The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts

Yes, it's another non-WAITING Wednesday. With Christmas coming, I wanted to get this review in now.


Summary
Ambrose the cat is in HUGE trouble. He is on his ninth life and barely hanging onto a thin tree branch in a storm, staring into the huge teeth of a hungry dog. Ambrose promises the powers-that-be that if he is rescued, he will use the rest of his final life to do something good for someone else. Who better to help, then, than the man who scares away the dog, saving Ambrose. It takes awhile to get the man, Zach, to let Ambrose into his home. And then Zach insists on calling him "Tom." How ordinary! And that woman Zach calls "Baby" is absolutely hideous. Ambrose must convince Zach to keep him and to find a much nicer lady-friend to spend his life with so Ambrose can enjoy the rest of his ninth and final life.


Review
This was a cute holiday story. Ambrose's perspective on the things and people in Zach's life gave a fun "voice" to parts of the story. The single adults in the story seemed a little over-focused on the physical parts of their relationships, rather than looking for a more well-rounded relationship, but the main characters are fun to read about. My favorite part was when one character goes shopping with her sisters. Their relationship was refreshing and their interactions were fun to read. The ending came together really quickly, but I enjoyed how it all came together.


4 out of 5 stars.


Recommended for: readers looking for a fun, light holiday story; readers who enjoy animal stories


Cautions: references to Ambrose's previous lives - and the ways he died in each one -- might weird out some more sensitive readers.

FRIDAY: Trading Christmas by Debbie Macomber

 

Summary
Emily decides to surprise her daughter for Christmas, so she swaps her home in Washington state with Charles in Boston. But her daughter has her own Christmas plans, leaving Emily stranded - alone - in Boston for Christmas.


Charles is not so lucky. He WANTS to be alone, but he's living in Christmas-central, surrounded by Emily's friends and Christmas cheer aplenty.


While it looks like Emily and Charles will have horrible holidays, love walks in.


Review
The general premise is like the movie, The Holiday, which is one of my favorites for this time of year (any time of year, really). You may have caught the Hallmark Channel movie of this book during this Christmas season. This book is actually a re-release for Macomber. This story was previously published as When Christmas Comes. This version comes with a bonus story called The Forgetful Bride. I did skim through some of the middle, but I actually enjoyed the bonus story even more than the original.


3.5 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: Macomber's fans, readers looking for a fun Christmas romance


Cautions: some language 

FRIDAY: The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson

Summary
At first it just seems like small town politics. An "outsider" buys up a prime piece of property out from under a councilman. When everyone thinks it's going to be a Christmas shop, it's no big deal. Instead, Matilda, the owner, fills the shelves with old "junk." The other downtown business owners are up in arms, ready to run Matilda out of town. One by one, though, people walk into The Christmas Shoppe and walk out changed - even some of Matilda's biggest challengers. What is really going on at The Christmas Shoppe.


Review
I went to the library before Christmas strictly to find holiday stories to help me get into the holiday spirit. This was a nice read, but nothing earth shattering. Nice Christmas message of forgiveness and redemption. Would make a nice Christmas gift.


3 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: readers looking for a comfortable Christmas novel to celebrate the season


Cautions: none

MONDAY: A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel

Summary
A holiday alphabet book, starring Bad Kitty. Bad Kitty trashes the family's Christmas from "crushed cards" to "ousted ornaments." And Kitty wanted more - an ape, a bear, a gecko, a  horse, etc. In a temper, Kitty hops out of the car while on the way to Uncle Murray's, and she runs away. A old woman takes Kitty in where she learns to be content with what she has, and she misses her family. Puppy finds Bad Kitty and helps her find her way home.


Review
I have GOT to stop buying picture books without reading them in the store. More than once I have gotten the book home and discovered a part of it that will keep me from sharing it at school. Bad Kitty's Christmas story is such a story. 


The story is sweet, with three different alphabetical sections, and a great lesson about holiday spirit and thinking of others. The final alphabet section occurs when the old woman tells Kitty about her family including a cousin, Nan, with a "partner" named Pam.


4 out of 5 stars
AR level of 3.0


Recommended for: Bad Kitty fans, folks looking for fresh holiday stories, readers looking for books that recognize a variety of family types.


Cautions: Some families and settings may wish to skip this holiday story because of the reference to Nan and Pam's relationship. 

FRIDAY: Making Spirits Bright (anthology)

  

Summary
Four stories in one book.
Making Spirts Bright by Fern Michaels - Melanie, wealthy yet lonely, contemplates adopting a child to share her life. Then she meets Bryce. She'd really like to get to know him better, but will he want to date a woman with adopted kids? And what if the horrible woman at the adoption agency won't let her adopt at all?
Runaway Christmas by Elizabeth Bass - While Heidi is pouring everything she has into making her New York City restaurant stay afloat, her sort-of-step-niece, Erica, borrows her step-mother's credit card to fund a trip from Texas to New York for Christmas. Heidi thought she'd be spending Christmas alone, but she finds love and family instead.
Home for Christmas by Rosalind Noonan - Jo lost her husband Shane in a tragic skiing accident. She and her daughter have stayed in Jo's home town, building a business there and staying close to Jo's family. When someone threatens everything Jo counts on, she takes action. Unfortunately, some of her decisions could ruin the fragile new relationship in her life.
Christmas on Cape Cod by Nan Rossiter - Maddie spends Christmas with Asa and his son, Noah, and Asa's parents. While she misses her own family, this Christmas is a special one, full of tree-trimming, Christmas surprises and love.


Review
This was a nice holiday read. Sometimes when I read a book like this, I will enjoy the first and maybe the second story, but will lose interest before reading the last ones. Not this time. I read and enjoyed all four stories (although, I had a hard time following the family relationships in the final story). My favorite was probably Runaway Christmas, followed by Home for Christmas. 


3 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: readers looking for romantic holiday stories, or novellas instead of full length novels.


Cautions: none that I recall

MONDAY: Phineas and Ferb Haunted Hayride

It's Halloween, and Phineas and Ferb have planned a spooky hayride for their friends. Dr. Doofenshmirtz has created a scary robot who gets loose and chases Candace through the boys' haunted maze.

Fun story. No real "surprises" for fans of the show in that it follows the usual pattern of the TV episodes. But fans would love to see this story on TV! 

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TUESDAY: Holiday Books for Kids

The Last Holiday Concert is a Christmas story in the usual style of Andrew Clements. I have made no secret of my love for his books geared to the 9-12ish age range, and this one is a great one.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a classic. No description needed.

The Christmas offering from the Magic Tree House series is part of the Merlin portion of the line, #29 in the series over all. My MTH reader has given it his stamp of approval as well.

Phineas and Ferb's Oh Christmas Tree is a stand alone Christmas story. I expected it to be a book version of the special that has aired on Disney XD and the Disney Channel, but it is not. If you have a P&F fan in your house, check out this Christmas adventure.

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MONDAY: Holiday Books for Young Children

Just a few Christmas title for young readers to kick off the holiday week.

The 12 Days of Christmas is a pop-up book. My son loves to look at it every year. The cut outs are simple and beautiful. The text will have you singing the song for weeks afterwards.

The Stable that Bob Built is a personal favorite. It works like The House that Jack Built, but it is all about a Christmas pageant that tells about the birth of Christ.

Auntie Claus is a picture book I fell in love with last Christmas, buying it for one of my nieces. Great pictures, fun story.

And you can't go wrong with a Christmas Mouse book by Laura Numeroff. This one is a circular story just like the others, but the trek to the movies leads to decorating trees and other Christmas time activities.

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