Wednesday, December 14, 2016

My Christmas Reading Favorites

I'm still in the throes of a reading slump which has caused my reading to ground maybe not to a halt but definitely a slow crawl.  So since I'm not reading very much I thought this may be time to revisit some of my old Christmas-y favorites to hopefully get my reading back on track!  Here are a few of my favorites:

Middle Grade:

The Shepherd, The Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry  - This is such a funny book!  I enjoy some of Barry's humor but this one is by far my favorite.  While this is a fictional story I think he drew heavily from his own childhood and characters feel absolutely wonderfully real. There are so many laugh out loud moments in this one though I think my favorite is the Nativity scene wars between the Episcopalian and Catholic churches.  While this is appropriate for children it's a wonderful read for adults too.  Definitely worth picking up!

Christmas with Anne by L.M. Montgomery - This short story collection just makes me happy.  One of the stories is from Anne of Green Gables where Matthew gives Anne the dress with the puffed sleeves and is just wonderful. The rest are similar in terms of feel good type stories.  They do stray a bit over into sappy territory but I love them so much I don't mind!

Women's Fiction/Romance

The Christmas Wedding Quilt by Emilie Richards, Janice Kay Johnson, and Sarah Mayberry  - I had forgotten about this one until I stumbled upon the review but it was so wonderful!  Basically there are three cousins who are working on a quilt and each author writes the story for a different cousin.  I adore Emilie Richard and I loved Sarah Mayberry's story and while Janice Kay Johnson's wasn't my favorite it was still a nice read.  This is a book I'd love to revisit.

Christmas in Snow Angel Cove by RaeAnne Thayne - This was my first Christmas book by Thayne and I promptly fell in love.  Now I look forward to her new Christmas books every year!

Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere - I discovered VanLiere this year with this book and so enjoyed it.  So often the only way to get the warm fuzzy Christmas book vibe is a romance so I really enjoyed this story which was all about growth and fining family.

Christmas Comes to Main Street by Olivia Miles - I've come to really enjoy this small town romance series that tackles some pretty serious issues.  I enjoyed the main characters in this book and I loved all the talk about cookies!  There's one cookie that's mentioned called Red Velvet Cream Cheese Candy Cane Cookies that sounds absolutely amazing and I haven't been able to find anything even remotely like it!  I need them to be a thing!

Christmas in Eternity Springs by Emily March - The more of this series I read the more I love it.  March does a fantastic job of taking characters that feel so real with gut wrenching issues and making them feel like friends all with a dash of warm and fuzzy feelings.  This one was one of my absolute favorites!

Mystery:

Lowcountry Bordello by Susan M. Boyer - Because nothing says Christmas like a murder in a high end bordello!  This is such a fun series and such a great book.  I enjoyed spending Christmas in Charleston and getting a peek into both high end society and the seedier side as well!

What I'm Reading Now:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I know I attempted to read this as a kid and I at least read pieces of the end because I know how it all works out but while I read Jo's Boys and Eight Cousins dozens of times I don't think I ever revisited this book so I don't remember much about it.  So far I'm enjoying it though I'm not sure it'll become a favorite.

A Holiday for Murder by Agatha Christie - Her bloodiest book and one I always enjoy revisiting!

14 comments:

  1. Hope you get out of your reading slump soon!

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  2. I'm sad to say that I haven't read ANY of these! I used to read Dave Barry a lot. He is so funny. I should totally look into that one. Thayne has been on my TBR for awhile now, I just haven't gotten to her books. Shame on me. I recently read some of Susan Mallery's Christmas books and liked them. I read Yours for Christmas and Christmas on 4th Street.

    One of my favorite holiday reads, though, is Nora Roberts' The MacGregor Brides. I love that one! I love Daniel. He cracks me up so much.

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  3. Oh...I need to reread Little Women. Maybe next Christmas!

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  4. I haven't read The Christmas Wedding Quilt so I absolutely must do so. Loved Christmas in Eternity Springs and I must sample a Thayne Christmas book because so many talk about them.

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  5. I alwyas mean to read Christmasy books and never do. I will say my reading slows so much this time of year though. Hope you break out of your slump!

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  6. I only read Snow Angel Cove from these (this month, actually) but so many of yours look good! I like Dave Barry's humor most of the time and this sounds fun. Also I read the first in the Susan M. Boyer series and enjoyed it(based on a recommendation by you) but never got to this title. The Donna VanLiere could be a good one for me too. Thanks for sharing your list here. I wish I could recommend one back to you, but I can't think of a similar list for myself.

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  7. I love all of Macomber's Christmas books, the classics like Little Women and Christmas Carol, then newer ones like Christmas Shoes.

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  8. Love the Thayne books are really need to get started on the March series!

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  9. Yes to Little Women! When I first saw your post title that was the first book to pop into my head. I always liked watching the Susan Sarandon movie version at holiday time, too. I read A Christmas Carol last year and enjoyed it. I might reread it next year for Christmas. :)

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  10. I never think of Agatha Christie's as particularly violent or bloody so that has me curious! Must be a high body count? And Lowcountry Bordello sounds fun! Hopefully one or more of these will break the slump.

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  11. I hope your reading slump moves along and brings you to something spectacular. I am in the opposite part of the cycle where I am reading like mad and not wanting to spend as much time on the computer. I am reading Little Women now too, although very slowly through my Serial Reader app while I continue with my other books. Have you read Paper Angels? It's a lovely Christmas tale.

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  12. I haven't read any of these except (maybe) the Anne of Green Gables one. I love the list, and hope your slump ends soon :)

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  13. I hope your slump ends soon, Katherine. I feel like I was going through a brief one for awhile there. These all sound great. I love RaeAnne Thayne.

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  14. I think I have only ever read children's Christmas books and A Christmas Carol. Maybe someday I'll have to make time for one in December.

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