Don't have much time to elaborate, but this was an unusual one. I loved the deep, detailed, descriptive writing, but the stories themselves were rather sad and depressing for what I would imagine in a Christmas book. Now, I know there are all kinds of sad around Christmastime, but I just wasn't in the mood to read all that sadness, even if they did find joy in the end.
Christmas is everywhere . . . even where you least expect it.
Join
award-winning author and storyteller James Calvin Schaap as he uncovers
the grace, joy, and love of the season through seven heartwarming tales
of miracle moments in a messy world. This beautiful and inspiring
collection of contemporary Christmas stories will remind you what grace
looks like--and where to find it. (picture and description at amazon)
Working on a lovely book now, can't wait to get back to it!!
O:)
Melissa
This was a sweet little breath of fresh air for Christmas stories. I really enjoy reading Colleen Coble and this did not disappoint.
She is mainly a series writer and while I have read one of them (Hope Beach Series) I have many more on my Paperwhite just waiting their turn.
This book is actually two Christmas novellas Colleen wrote previously combined into one book. One story, Silent Night, is from her Rock Harbor series and the other, Holy Night, is from her Aloha Reef series.
I would have to say Silent Night was my favorite. It combined a little mystery that is not typical in Christmas books I've read. And the snowy environment in Michigan really made me miss some serious snow.
Holy Night, on the other hand, takes place in Hawaii, and while the story itself was good, it is just still hard for me to imagine Christmas with hot weather. (Of course if my plan of retiring to a condo at the beach actually happens I guess I'll have to get used to it! :) )
Silent Night
As Christmas day nears, Bree Matthews and
her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a
troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor. Newlywed
Bree Matthews and her husband Kade are preparing for Christmas guests
when word arrives that a parachuter has disappeared in the North Woods,
along Lake Superior's icy shore. Bree and Samson plunge into the search. Will this snowy, silent night search lead Bree and Samson to the missing girl?
Holy Night
One sinister phone call has derailed their Christmas wedding. Will it keep them apart forever? Leia
and Bane are looking forward to their long-awaited Christmas wedding on
the beach. Everything is going as planned—until Leia's phone rings and
her world skids out of control. A muffled voice informs Leia that her
sister has been kidnapped and will be killed unless Leia calls off the
wedding without explanation—and no police. If she disobeys instructions
and tells Bane, she'll risk her beloved sister's life. But can she
handle this trauma without his help? And will he ever trust her again if
she lies to him now? Irresistible romance meets thrilling suspense in this holiday update to USA Today best-selling author Colleen Coble's Aloha Reef series. (picture and descriptions at amazon)
Of course, do you know what just happened? I just added about 10 books from her to my must read list!!!
Keep reading!
O:)
Melissa
Ok, this may be cheating to count one book as 4, but there were 4 short stories in it so I'm going for it.
Ahhh, Christmas, Amish, .... does it get any better? After the last few books that I have not enjoyed, this was a breath of fresh air. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every story, and in this busy season it made me long for this simple lifestyle!
“When Christmas Comes Again” by Beth Wiseman
Katherine knows the first Christmas without Elias will be hard for her and the children. But when a mysterious Englischer appears with photographs of her late husband, Katherine begins to wonder what other blessings Christmas could have in store.
“Her Christmas Pen Pal” by Ruth Reid
Joy
was expecting a wedding proposal from Henry; what she got instead was
news of another woman. But when her heartfelt letter to a cousin ends up
in the hands of a young cabinetmaker, an unexpected correspondence
between two strangers gets interesting fast. Totally my favorite!!!
“A Gift for Anne Marie” by Kathleen Fuller
Anne
Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now
things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But
when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne
Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it
begins.
“The Christmas Aprons” by Tricia Goyer
Vanilla crumb pie has been Esther’s mem’s
calling card for decades. But when Esther finally gets her hands on the
secret recipe, she discovers that vanilla crumb pie is more than just
dessert . . . it’s bachelor bait.
(picture and description at amazon)
Happy Reading!!
O:)
Melissa
Ahh, sigh. Started reading Christmas books and decided to knock this one off my Paperwhite list. I was hoping it was going to be better than the last book --- and indeed it was --- but there were still lots of problems with it. (I guess I'm just still reveling in my last good book and nothing is coming up to par.) It was billed to be an eccentric compliation of a crazy funny family and their adventures, and I suppose it was to an extent. It just seemed to me that the author was trying too hard. Some parts of the book they were crazy family, some parts they were just normal, and you just never know which way it was going to go. I will say, though, that Aunt Bert, was consistently my favorite!
I will confess, though, that this is the first in a series and it may be that even though I did not care for the book I may find myself reading the others simply to see what happens to these folks. Ready to move on ...
Three sisters who only come home for Christmas have always been the talk
of their small southern town but this Christmas they are going to start
talking back and what they have to say may just change lives,
especially their own.
It's beginning to look at lot like Romance in
this charming story of an unlikely minister, the woman he loved but left
behind, a special child and a town that might finally bring them all
home. (picture and description from amazon)
Happy Reading!
O:)
Melissa
I shall wait until I confer with my Book Club cohorts before I share my opinion. I may have missed something altogether here. It sounded good, but ......
Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong
Fashion
is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four year old model
Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she’s learned a sacred truth—appearance is
everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks
beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows—so when it
starts to unravel, she’ll do anything to hold on. Even if that means
moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be
the new face of her stepmother’s bridal wear line—an irony too rich for
words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white.
If only
her tenuous future didn’t rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her
mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of
success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats
her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the
façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other
characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty
and worth. Is it possible that God sees her—a woman stained and broken
by the world—yet wants her still? (picture and description at amazon)
Ready to move on to Christmas books!
Happy Reading!
O:)
Melissa
Finally, my friends, a book I can really sink my teeth into!! I mean, any book that starts out like, "March 1816 'We are going to die!' Rachel Gordon's young maid cried out."
Rachel and her maid, Maddy, are headed towards their new home in South Carolina. Rachel, now estranged from her family in England over her marriage to Tom, who was actually a really bad guy but she didn't know it when she married him, but Tom actually fell overboard the ship on the way over (in a drunken stupor) so now Rachel is alone, and did I mention 8 months pregnant? Rachel and Maddy are headed toward their glorious new plantation in the middle of this thunderstorm. All they have to do is make it to the house and it will be warm and cozy, with their servants waiting to attend to their every need. NOT!!!
But on the way the horses end up freaking out in the storm, breaking free of the wagon and sending Rachel and Maddy flying while the wagon goes tumbling. Luckily (as can only happen these books I read!) who should come by but a doctor (Nathan) -- a single man resolved to live the single hermit life because of his trauma and terrors in his earlier life -- and luckily he lives close to get the girls, take them to his cabin, and deliver the baby.
And that is just part of Chapter One!! I mean, who does not get fired up about a book like that?!? Throw in Nathan's grandfather, who practically raised him, who vehemently hates the English for killing his one and only son (Remember the Revolutionary War?) and kicks Nathan and Rachel off his land; George Butler the neighbor who nearly scared the beegeebees out of Rachel but ends up falling in love with Maddy; and, oh yeah, that grand mansion Rachel was going to? Just a run down farm with most of its land swampy bog ... and comes with a dead body for free!!
Needless to say, I highly recommend this!!
Penniless, pregnant, and newly widowed immigrant Rachel Gordon doesn’t
believe her situation could get any worse… until she meets her new
neighbors. Shortly after the War of 1812, Rachel and her husband set out
from England for a plantation in South Carolina, which he had purchased
sight unseen. However, while en route, Tom Gordon fell overboard and
drowned, leaving Rachel, frightened and alone, to make a home for her
and her newborn. Can a battle-scarred American physician who comes to
her rescue also heal her wounded heart? (picture and description from amazon)
Happy Reading!!
O:)
Melissa
Another book, another boring escapade. Ho hum. This is what I have learned is classified as Chick Lit, where it is written in first person from a young 20-something girl with typical adventures of that age.
In this one I had serious trouble trying to figure it out. There is Jake, who at first I thought lived with Jane (main character) and Gemma (roommate who I thought was Jane's sister but really she is her cousin). But alas Jake does not, there is a love triangle, a murder she is trying to solve after taking one criminal detective class, and she has a cleaning service on the side? and God is just thrown in there as an afterthought. Yeah, see how I got lost. Although I did just realize that this is book #3 in the Plain Jane series, so perhaps if I had read the other ones before it this one might make more sense.
Whatever. I'm moving on....
Homeless preschoolers, angry protesters, frozen yogurt, and murder.
Jane Adler is keen to try on her detective hat, and the dead lady at the Christmas fundraiser is her perfect shot.Timing is everything and this murder was timed perfectly to destroy
her best friend Jake's growing Fro-Yo business. He's a great
friend--just a friend, honest-- and she owes him a favor or two.But discovering who would want to kill the town’s favorite preschool
teacher is messy business, and Jane doesn't have a moment to waste! (picture and description from amazon)
I'm ready to keep reading to find something good again!
O:)
Melissa
