The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Is Christmas really Christmas if you don’t watch The Snowman at some point during December? Well, how about this year, you cuddle up with the book the iconic movie was based on? Join a little boy in his wintry wonderful time building a snowman who comes alive in his dreams that very night. The illustrations are whimsical and will make you want to build your very own snowman who might just end up becoming your best friend (Olaf, who?).

The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher

The wholesome tale of little William who meets a dinosaur called Christmasaurus on Christmas Eve will make your heart flutter with excitement! With beautiful illustrations and the charming adventure the two of them embark on, you’re sure to leave this one with a grin that will last all winter long. The uplifting message that children have more power than they think because of their unerring belief in the goodness of the world (since us adults have already given up on it, hah) warms every heart, young or old!

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

Have you ever wondered how Santa became Santa? What was the man in the red coat and with a sled full of Christmas up to before he became Santa? In A Boy Called Christmas, you’ll follow the origin story of the man, the myth, the legend Father Christmas from the beginning. Read about young Nikolas embarking on a nearly impossible quest to save his father and instead lands himself in trouble in Elfheim, the magical homeland of the elves who aren’t too fond of humans anymore. Full of found family, adventure, and the search for what you’re born to do in this world, A Boy Called Christmas will leave you gasping and grinning! P.S:. Stephen Fry narrates the audiobook for this one and there is nothing cosier than listening to Stephen Fry narrate!

The Miracle on Ebenezer Street by Catherine Doyle

Ever since George’s mom died three years ago, his father has refused to celebrate Christmas – any mention of the feast gets George and his grandmother in hot water. Then George stumbles into Marley’s Curiosity Shop full of Christmas fanfare like Christmas crackers and beautiful snow globes, each item more curious than the other. When George discovers one that portrays his family, happy, together and no less celebrating Christmas, all he wants to do is make that snow globe scene reality. Follow along as his wish comes true and he finds himself on an epic adventure caught up in the past, present and future. This magical reimagination of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will show you that a little party never hurt nobody (eh, Christmas celebration, that’s what I meant) and that the real gift of Christmas is to be merry and thankful to all!

The Night I Met Father Christmas by Ben Miller

Another “Father Christmas Origin Story” (seriously, who needs the Avengers or Batman when you can read about how Father Christmas became the jolly-laughed, belly-protruding kind stranger that leaves presents under your tree?), The Night I Met Father Christmas follows young Jackson who finally gets to hear from the source itself how one becomes Santa! With unexpectedly malicious elves and a pinch of magic, this book will make you believe in Santa (again) and remind you that Christmas is only as wonderful as you make it yourself!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Another one that should not be missed! We all know and love the many adaptations of Dr. Seuss’s original How the Grinch Stole Christmas but few have ever read the classic that started it all?! Dive into the thoroughly entertaining and daunting rhymes about the Grinch that vies for Scrooge’s spot as grumpiest being alive regarding the festive winter days. But even the Grinch must learn his lesson and he’ll realise that Christmas is not about what you get but appreciating what you have…

Do you have any recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

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If you are like me, A Christmas Carol, which is based on the book by Charles Dickens, must be watched at least once in the lead up To Christmas. However, if you start to get bored by it, then we have the perfect alternative adaptations for you!

Firstly, let’s break down what the story is all about.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a businessman who hates Christmas. Seven years after his business partner, Jacob Marley, died, he gets visited by his ghost after he refused a dinner invitation from his nephew, turned down donating to the poor, and denies his clerk, Bob Cratchit, to have Christmas off to be with his family. Marley’s ghost warns Scrooge to not be selfish anymore, because he suffers from it in the afterlife. To avoid it, he will be visited by three ghosts of Christmas the night before Christmas – past, present, and future – who show him how his Christmases have been, are, and will be. The ghosts also show him how his behaviour affects those people around him and what kind of fates lie behind closed doors. If he does not change, he will end up alone and people will not remember him at all.

The story ends with Scrooge changing from the bitter man into a lovely person who, from now on, will make up for all his mistakes and bring joy to those who aren’t so lucky.

The most popular adaptation is Scrooged (1988) with Bill Murray portraying the main character.

If you don’t feel like watching a real-life adaptation or plan to watch an adaptation more suitable for children there are plenty to choose from! Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) in which Scrooge McDuck hates Christmas. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) is the fourth movie with the beloved puppets, in which Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge.

The 3D animation movie A Christmas Carol (2009) starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge, with Gary Oldman and Colin Firth lending their voices amongst others. The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol (2011) also did their interpretation of the famous classic as well.

My personal favourite adaptation is the one with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge (1999). For me, it is the adaptation which stays true to the book the most.

We cannot forget about the romantic comedy Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, and Michael Douglas. The womaniser Connor (McConaughey) attends his brothers wedding with his childhood friend Jenny (Garner), who was the only girl who he ever truly loved but messed up their relationship. After giving a speech at the rehearsal dinner, he sees his dead Uncle Wayne (Douglas) ghost. Uncle Wayne, who was the one who has taught Connor everything about becoming a womaniser, has shown himself to tell Connor that he will be visited by three ghosts who will show him his romantic past, present, and future.

A different adaptation is The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) which shows us the man behind the story, Charles Dickens himself. Dickens (played by Dan Stevens) is desperate to write a new book which hopefully will become a success. The movie shows how Dickens was inspired by his father (played by Jonathan Pryce) to create Scrooge (played by Christopher Plummer).

We hope you will spend a cosy December afternoon or evening with your loved one no matter which adaption or adaptions you choose to watch.

Do you have a favourite Christmas movie? Tell us in the comments below!

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Picking up right where The Guests on South Battery left off, Melanie Trenholm and the ghosts she communicates with in her historic home are involved in a new mystery related to the excavation of the old cistern in her garden. While she had hoped this would be finished before preparations began for Christmas, it’s still ongoing, and there still seem to be ghosts guarding…something. The cistern might instead be hiding secrets that are not of the paranormal variety, but instead a treasure that is very, very real.

As always, White’s characters are superbly written, though not always entirely likeable. Many readers (like myself) have begun to get a bit frustrated with Melanie and her seeming inability to mature or grow (it seems like several of her problems wouldn’t even be “problems” if she could grow up just a bit), but the various relationships between characters are always enjoyable.

White’s atmospheric writing is also top-notch. Whether describing something real-world and banal, or something truly super-natural, White has a talent for letting the reader see, hear, and feel so much of the world that Melanie lives in. Even when finding one’s self frustrated with one character or another, White’s writing can always pull the reader in, and time after time capture them into the world of the house on Tradd Street.

While the actual mystery in this novel starts out perhaps a bit convoluted, it is handled deftly and in the end wraps up in a satisfying way, while also providing hints at a future mystery. It provided a nice balance with Melanie and Jack and their personal lives.

My only genuine criticism of The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street, and perhaps with the series overall, is that Melanie and Jack are now parents of toddlers, and it becomes frustrating as a reader to still see their relationship seem to hinge on the tiniest things. They need to grow as a couple (and as parents) and hopefully we will stop seeing their relationship as this delicate little thing that whose fragility is used to move the plot forward.

Between the buildup in this book for the next mystery, and the cliff-hanger ending that we are left with, book number 7 in this series should be a must-read!

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Will you be picking up The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

The Christmas spirit is overtaking Tradd Street with a vengeance in this festive new novel in the New York Times bestselling series by Karen White.

Melanie Trenholm should be anticipating Christmas with nothing but joy–after all, it’s only the second Christmas she and her husband, Jack, will celebrate with their twin babies. But the ongoing excavation of the centuries-old cistern in the garden of her historic Tradd Street home has been a huge millstone, both financially and aesthetically. Local students are thrilled by the possibility of unearthing more Colonial-era artifacts at the cistern, but Melanie is concerned by the ghosts connected to the cistern that have suddenly invaded her life and her house–and at least one of them is definitely not filled with holiday cheer….

And these relics aren’t the only precious artifacts for which people are searching. A past adversary is convinced that there is a long-lost Revolutionary War treasure buried somewhere on the property that Melanie inherited–untold riches rumored to be brought over from France by the Marquis de Lafayette himself and intended to help the Colonial war effort. It’s a treasure literally fit for a king, and there have been whispers throughout history that many have already killed–and died–for it. And now someone will stop at nothing to possess it–even if it means destroying everything Melanie and Jack hold dear.

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It’s the holiday season! Traditions are in abundance at this time of year, from country-wide to family-specific. If you’re religious, you might go to your place of worship. Or perhaps maybe you stay home drinking hot chocolate and watching holiday movies. Some people volunteer to bring food, drink, and companionship to the less fortunate. In my family, my sisters and I dress in matching pajamas and watch the 24-hour A Christmas Story marathon on TBS.

Like many other countries, Iceland has a holiday tradition of its own. It’s called “Jolabokaflod,” which can be translated as “Christmas Book Flood” or “Yule Book Flood,” and began during World War II. Each year, every Icelandic household receives a catalogue called “Bokatidindi,” or “Book Bulletin,” from which people can order from.

Friends and family then exchange books on Christmas Eve and spend the rest of the night reading and drinking hot chocolate or a non-alcoholic ale called “jolabland.” This is a fitting tradition for a nation that publishes and reads more books than any other Nordic country. In addition, Iceland is the third most literate country in the world (the US is seventh, Canada eleventh, Australia sixteenth, and the UK seventeenth), and Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, was named a UNESCO City of Literature in 2011.

Within this year’s Bokatidindi catalogue, recommendations include:

The Eight Mountains by Paolo Cognetti

“Pietro is a lonely boy living in Milan. With his parents becoming more distant each day, the only thing the family shares is their love for the mountains that surround Italy.

While on vacation at the foot of the Aosta Valley, Pietro meets Bruno, an adventurous, spirited local boy. Together they spend many summers exploring the mountains’ meadows and peaks and discover the similarities and differences in their lives, their backgrounds, and their futures. The two boys come to find the true meaning of friendship and camaraderie, even as their divergent paths in life—Bruno’s in the mountains, Pietro’s across the world—test the strength and meaning of their connection.” (Amazon)

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

“In Iain’s first deeply suspenseful and an unnerving novel I’m Thinking of Ending Things, a man and his girlfriend are on their way to a secluded farm.  When the two take an unexpected detour, she is left stranded, wondering if there is any escape at all.  What follows is a twisted unraveling that will haunt you long after the last page is turned.” (Simon & Schuster)

The Braid by Laetitia Colombani

“Smita, Giulia, Sarah: three lives, three continents, three women with nothing in common, but nevertheless bound by a rare expression of courage . . . like three strands in a braid. Through the story of one woman’s hair, three women’s destinies are drawn together.

India. Smita is an untouchable, married to a ‘rat hunter’, her job to clean with her bare hands the village latrines, just like her mother before her. Her dream is to see her daughter escape this same fate, and learn to read. When this hope is shattered, she decides to run away with the child, despite her husband’s warnings, sacrificing what is most precious to her: her hair.

Sicily. Giulia is a worker in her father’s wig workshop, the last of its kind in Palermo. She classifies, washes, bleaches, and dyes the hair provided by the city’s hairdressers. When her father is the victim of a serious accident, she quickly discovers the family company is bankrupt.

Canada. Sarah is a reputed lawyer. As a twice-divorced mother of three children, she ploughs through cases at breakneck speed. Just as she is about to be promoted, she learns she has breast cancer. Her seemingly perfect existence begins to show its cracks . . . But this is only if one ignores the incredible lust for life that keeps her going.

Laetitia Colombani’s The Braid is the powerfully moving story of three women’s courage in the face of adversity.” (Pan Macmillan)

No Honour in Crime by Lene Wold

“During the past three years, Lene Wold has spent a considerable amount of time in Jordan with a man who has killed both his mother and one of his two daughters in order to restore his family’s honour. Wold has travelled around Jordan and interviewed a number of people about honour killing. The author portrays the man’s upbringing, culture and dilemmas that shaped him as a person and the choices he made. Wold’s other important source is Amina. This daughter spent several years in prison after the failed murder attempt in order to protect her from her own family. In Jordan, it is the women, the survivors of attempted honour killings, who are imprisoned – not the perpetrators.

The author has visited prisons and mosques, searched through newsprints and court archives and contacted imams, village heads and killers. Using a unique source material, Wold illuminates a hitherto unknown aspect of honour killings. The story is told from the perpetrator’s perspective, and Wold shows that honour killings are not about Islam, but about traditions and laws, which must be challenged and changed. No Honour in Crime is a shocking and illuminating tale of how a man chooses inherited culture over the lives of his own children.” (Hagan Agency)

Dancing in Odessa by Ilya Kaminsky

“Despite the fact that he is a non-native speaker, Kaminksy’s sense of rhythm and lyic surpasses that of most contemporary poets in the English language. This magical, musical book of poems draws readers into its unforgettable heart, and Carolyn Forché wrties simply ‘I’m in awe of his gifts.’” (Amazon)

Mortal Engines (Mortal Engines, Book 1) by Philip Reeve

“London is hunting again. Emerging from its hiding place in the hills, the great Traction City is chasing a terrified little town across the wastelands. Soon, London will feed. In the attack, Tom Natsworthy is flung from the speeding city with a murderous scar-faced girl. They must run for their lives through the wreckage — and face a terrifying new weapon that threatens the future of the world.” (Amazon)

These are just recommendations from this year’s 84-page bulletin (swoon). Now excuse me while I add these to my TBR list. If you’re interested in learning more, head to the website, and Happy Holidays!

Will you be participating? Tell us in the comments below!

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With Christmas just around the corner, you can’t help but feel a little carried away with all the festivities going on around you. From decorating the house, to preparing for holiday travels, and that last minute shopping. However, it is also a time to relax, and reading is an excellent way to do so!

We’ve compiled some young adult holiday reads to check out over the break, so either grab a cool drink or some hot chocolate and get reading!

Tell us what your favourite Christmas read is in the comments below!

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Set in New York, Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favourite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. Then Dash comes, accepts the dares, and begins their romance by a unique way of trading the book of dares across locations in New York. This is a favourite book in the YA community and it even has a sequel, Twelve Days of Dash and Lily.

Decked With Holly by Marni Bates

Holly is spending Christmas on a cruise with her cousins from hell, when she meets Dominic Wyatt—the drummer of one of the hottest bands in America. Their first meeting is more than awkward, but Holly’s face is already plastered all over the internet and the band wants to save their family-friendly image. So Dominic asks Holly to be his fake girlfriend for 2 weeks and turns her Christmas around. How bad could it be to be “fauxmantically” involved with a cute rock star? She’s about to find out…

What Light by Jay Asher

Sierra has two lives: one in her real home at a Christmas farm in Oregon, and another one in California, where the family always goes near the holiday season to set up their Christmas lot. Leaving one always means missing the other, until this year, when she meets Caleb. By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy, but Sierra sees beyond Caleb’s past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption.

My New Crush Gave to Me by Shani Petroff

Charlotte Charlie Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. She also has a plan to be Teo’s date to the Christmas ball: to rig the papers Secret Santa so that she can win his heart with five perfect gifts. In order to do that, she needs the help of J.D. Ortiz, Teo’s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas?

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Let It Snow contains 3 interconnected holiday stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle.

My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors, edited by Stephanie Perkins

This novel features is a collection of 12 different holiday stories, whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year, by 12 of New York Times bestselling authors.

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With only a few days left until Christmas, you can definitely feel the excitement in the air and what better way to enjoy the impending festivities than with a great Christmas movie?

Whether you just want to dip you toe in to give you some more holiday spirit or if you would prefer to go into a full Christmas frenzy, we’ve compiled a few great movies into three different categories for your viewing pleasure!

Read on to find out our picks and tell us in the comments  below what your favourite Christmas films are!

A Classic Christmas Marathon

There’s nothing better than pulling out a classic Christmas film to curl up and watch with your loved ones. From the beloved How The Grinch Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas, to The Polar Express and The Muppet Christmas Carol, these are guaranteed to occupy your time and fill you with some serious Christmas spirit!

Then you’ve also got It’s A Wonderful Life, Elf, Santa Clause and Home Alone, along with various adaptions of A Christmas Carol—including the recently released film, The Man Who Stole Christmas, focusing on the creator of the tale, Charles Dickens who is played by Dan Stevens (The Beauty and the Beast 2017).

An Unconventional Christmas Marathon

Are you on the fence when it comes to Christmas? A sometimes Grinch and a sometimes spirited Christmas elf? Worry not as we still have some recommendations for you.

Naturally there’s most films by Tim Burton, which fall into a gothic genre, but they will also give you some serious winter-y feels! From the obvious like Nightmare Before Christmas, to the quirky and bittersweet Edward Scissorhands, or to Sleepy Hollow—these films are incredibly fun to watch over the Christmas break. Or perhaps watch Casper or have a Harry Potter marathon to get you in the mood!

A Romantic Christmas

Looking for movies to cuddle up with someone or simply get into a fluffy mood? Hallmark movies are guaranteed to do just that, but if those aren’t your cup of tea, go for Love, Actually and The Holiday! 

Plus you’ve also got Serendipity, When Harry Met Sally, Four Christmases, and the recently released and much discussed Netflix film, A Christmas Prince.

What’s your favourite? Tell us yours in the comments below!

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If you throw a classic love story into a pot, add a few unexpected twists to the mix, and sprinkle it with some Christmas cheer, some familial angst, and some naughty bits, that’s pretty much what this book is all about.

Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa De La Cruz is as the title suggests a Christmas-themed spin on Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice. This novel however, also features some interesting gender-swaps and it is set in present time New York, within a fictional small town called Pemberley, Ohio.

Darcy Fitzwilliam, our heroine, is a beautiful, successful, and brilliant business woman who has never been in love. When she returns home to visit with her estranged family over Christmas, she bumps into her childhood rival Luke Bennet, and her life suddenly takes a dramatic turn for the romantic.

I appreciate the fact that Darcy Fitzwilliam was written as a strong, independent, and business savvy woman with an interesting inner life. I also liked Luke Bennet, the slightly antagonistic furniture carpenter who seems to be completely at peace with his small-town life. They are interesting opposites to each other, however, I found it hard to like Darcy. I also thought that the build-up to their romance was a little rushed and would have liked for some more back and forth between the two of them before they officially became an item. The relationship I ended up appreciating the most was that of Darcy and her gay best friend Bingley as it felt genuine. It was easy to picture the two of them sipping drinks together, making snide remarks about people in public and fussing over each other’s love lives.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I usually don’t enjoy straight up romance novels, so that is saying something. The romantic and sexy parts of the novel did not feel awkward or cliché. There were also some genuinely funny and emotional moments where I caught myself smiling along with the characters, or feeling upset on their behalf.

However, there were a few formatting and timeline issues in this novel that bothered me to such an extent that I completely lost the flow of the narrative, especially during the last chapter of the book. I also thought that the reason behind Darcy’s familial estrangement felt a little flimsy in such a contemporary setting. When I discovered why her relations with her father were so strained I felt disappointed, like there should be more to it.

In addition, the synopsis of the book is a little bit misleading. It mentions several things that never make an appearance in the book at all and paint a very different picture of who Darcy is as a character.

In conclusion, I found Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe to be an enjoyable quick read, and an interesting twist on the original novel, but I would clarify that it leans more towards being lightly “inspired by” the original, more so than being a modern re-telling of the story. Diehard fans of Jane Austen might not be the intended audience for this book, but if you like fun and light romance stories, and you are in the market for a laid-back Christmas read, this would be a book for you!

Will you be burying your nose into Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe? Or have you already? Tell us in the comments below!

SYNOPSIS | GOODREADS
Darcy Fitzwilliam is 29, beautiful, successful, and brilliant. She dates hedge funders and basketball stars and is never without her three cellphones—one for work, one for play, and one to throw at her assistant (just kidding). Darcy’s never fallen in love, never has time for anyone else’s drama, and never goes home for Christmas if she can help it. But when her mother falls ill, she comes home to Pemberley, Ohio, to spend the season with her dad and little brother.

Her parents throw their annual Christmas bash, where she meets one Luke Bennet, the smart, sardonic slacker son of their neighbor. Luke is 32 and has never left home. He’s a carpenter and makes beautiful furniture, and is content with his simple life. He comes from a family of five brothers, each one less ambitious than the other. When Darcy and Luke fall into bed after too many eggnogs, Darcy thinks it’s just another one night stand. But why can’t she stop thinking of Luke? What is it about him? And can she fall in love, or will her pride and his prejudice against big-city girls stand in their way?

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