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2016-19 Activities & Challenges
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2019 Fall Flurry of Holidays Challenge -- December Reviews and Discussion
***NOTE TO EVERYONE***I opened this thread a day early because I am heading out of town for the weekend and will not be back til late tomorrow. However, do not post any reviews until December 1. Any reviews posted today will not count.
Sorry for the teaser! But you can spend some time today thinking about what you want to start reading tomorrow!
Just finished my November Trim..squeaked under the wire!...and my hand is twitching to read a cozy mystery...or a romance...set at Christmas!I have a few to choose...including a Lady O just waiting for me. O Joy!
This Christmas by Jane Green3 stars - cross-posted to December tag 2005 - as my edition published (and each novella) in 2005.
These three novellas by differing authors were a gentle easing in of my traditional holiday reading, more about recognizing the romance and relationships you have at the holidays than finding love. And let's just say that sexy spicy scenes are not to be found.
Vacation by Jane Green -- Sarah and Eddie have been married for several years. Sarah left her journalism career and became a stay at home mom in the suburbs of NYC. Eddie continued climbing the ladder of success in real estate in NYC. The romance has definitely left the marriage -- so much so that Sarah is unhappy, resentful and angry that Eddie is disengaged so much that all he does the rare hours he is home is sit in front of the tv watching sports and drinking beer. Eddie too is unhappy, but doesn't seem as lost. Suddenly Eddie has to be in Chicago for work for several weeks, and while he thinks it's the jolt the marriage needs to be revitalized, Sarah considers it her chance to ease into the divorce discussion. Of course, Santa has other ideas... pretty good mature story of finding the romance in your marriage again in time for Christmas.
The Second Wife of Reilly by Jennifer Coburn -- One day Reilly's first wife reconnected with her high school boyfriend and decided she wanted out of the marriage, and to accomplish that she set out to find him a new wife. Sarah, the narrator of this story, is the result of this pretty odd and very funny search. Everything for Sarah is perfect as the first Christmas with Reilly approaches. Reilly and her son Hunter have bonded, all should be just perfect -- yet Reilly is convinced that the only way she and Reilly can be secure in their happiness is for Reilly's first wife, Prudence, to find the love of her life. Weird, for sure. But as the story progresses, and Sarah ropes her best friend into helping with her efforts to find Prudence her perfect mate, it becomes the story of a woman finally releasing the pain and grief she had suppressed from her first marriage so that she can embrace the joy and happiness of love, family and even taking a chance on a new career - all over the Christmas holidays just in time for New Year's Eve to mark a new start in her life. This one gets bonus points for the absolutely hilarious scenes where Sarah goes through an online dating service to find Prudence her perfect mate. Oh, and apparently the author wrote a novella called The Wife of Riley which I might need to read.
Mistletoe & Holly by Liz Ireland - I actually realized after the first few pages that I had read this one before -- probably when I first bought the book back in 2005! Holly, a school teacher living in NYC, is taking her new 'perfect' boyfriend Jason home to Arlington, VA for her family's traditional over the top Christmas. For once, Holly has a plus one, no longer the odd-sibling out (brother Ted, the successful CPA, has the perfect wife and 2 daughters, sister Maddie, the successful doctor in Boston, has a new 'perfect' fiance along every year wearing matching dorky holiday sweaters), no longer the one on the side. Things start to go awry before they even leave NYC as her friend Isaac, who also is from Arlington (Holly and Isaac's mothers are friends), hitches along for the ride. On arriving at her parents house, Holly discovers that the old-fashioned over the top Christmas she had led Jason to believe was in his future was not happening. At all. In fact, Holly ultimately realizes her true love is not Jason, and that only she can provide the spirit needed to make the holiday filled with joy.
These are all good writers - and all manage to tell complete stories under 100 pages - ones that touch on the mature emotions many grapple with at Christmas rather than on the fantasy romance.
Twelve Days of Christmas: Correspondence 4 starsMy library had this book sitting in the lounge area, so I picked it up just to browse, and ended up reading it, very short took only 10 minutes. It is a cute one-sided correspondence, from a young woman who is receiving all the gifts mentioned in the song of the same name.
On the 5th day she is overjoyed with the 5 rings-day six of course brings more avian lovelies and this "I had hoped you had stopped sending me birds....let's call a halt, shall we?" Day ten brings the Lords -a -leaping, who followed the Nine Ladies Dancing..Most unfortunate that the ladies were naked and the Lords, disgusting old men.
Just a short, cute Christmas themed-for Fall Flurries. It made me giggle and laugh
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
3 stars
Becky Brandon is back for a fun holiday story. If you are a fan of the other Shopaholic series books then you will enjoy this as well. Becky is hosting Christmas for family and friends for the first time, so she has the pressure of trying to please everyone's requirements. She is also shopping for Christmas presents which leads her on some interesting adventures. Minor characters add humor. Her parents move to a trendy part of London, an ex-boyfriend makes an appearance and her sister is very secretive. Sophie Kinsella has written a quick read that is entertaining and witty.
Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay3 stars
Before Adam Kay became a comedian/author he spent 6 years as a doctor in obstetrics/gynecology. These short essays follow Adam through the 6 Christmases he spent working at a hospital in England. Interesting cases were apparently not in short supply even on a holiday. A few of the tales were terribly sad but most were quirky enough to hit Kay's funny bone: a foiled attempt to perform a cesarean on a mother expecting twins on New Year's Eve so that her babies could be born in 2 different years (too many other babies arriving got in the way); a young boy named Coyle, a lovely name stated Kay, until it was revealed he was named after the IUD that did not keep mom from pregnancy; a vending machine that dispensed surgical scrubs. I did get a bit weary of all of the stories of items placed in one's naughty bits but it was a short and easy read.
A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas2.5 stars
Dylan Thomas is reflecting on Christmases past when he was growing up in Wales. It isn't maudlin or anything, but appears to be seen through rose tinted glasses.
I read this for some classics read for the first time and this didn't click for me. The writing is good but I have read other memories of Christmas in times gone by and some of his pranks just sounded a bit mean to me--would have even back when I grew up, I think. Also, I didn't love the illustrations.
BUT for many this is a well loved book, so don't let my Grinchy attitude about this book deter you if you have it on your tbr.
In all honesty, this isn't Christmas, nor even necessarily Winter, but it is about the cold.The Right To Be Cold: One Woman's Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet / Sheila Watt-Cloutier
3.5 stars
Sheila Watt-Cloutier was born in a Northern Quebec Inuit community and raised by her mother and her grandmother. She was sent away to school in Churchill, and (mostly) enjoyed her time there. She later married, had kids, and went back and forth between her home in Northern Quebec and the southern part of the province.
Eventually, she would become an activist; she is most commonly associated with environmental activism, but really she is an activist for her Inuit culture, for education and health care, and yes, for the environment and climate change, and how it is currently affecting the Inuit culture and lifestyle. They are seeing the effects of climate change now, and they feel that they deserve “the right to be cold” – they need that cold – in order to sustain their traditional culture.
This was good. I expected more of the environmental aspect in the book (and a lot of that did come in the 2nd half), but actually ended up enjoying the biographical part of the book best. Much of the 2nd half of the book included her travels to various conferences and counsels to tell the story of the Inuit to put a “human face” on the environmental crisis in the Arctic. Surprising to me, I just didn’t find that part as interesting. Overall, though, I liked it.
by Josie Silver3 stars
This could be a 4 star book in terms of entertainment value, but I did find myself yelling at these characters often in exasperation of their choices and it was quite fun. But should that warrant an additional star or should that be a demerit? I am still unsure.
Lori meets boy on bus, immediately falls in love with boy, spends 1 year looking for boy when something happens you will have to read to find out...
I saw many readers complain about two specific points: (1) unlikable characters. When we meet our cast of characters they are very young, early twenties, so it is important to keep that in mind as the plot unfolds. I felt like they were making believable choices. So, while I did get frustrated with the characters often, they seemed like average, horny, young people. The dialogue could be cringe as well, especially with Jack ("fuck, you're beautiful," or "fuck, I love her legs") I still had fun with it.
Lori who proclaims "I never cry" spends a lot of time in this book crying. Annoying, but not too bad an offense.
Then (2), the complaint that the conflict could've been resolved by honesty, which I did not agree. For example, (view spoiler) And also, without the conflict there is no book or a totally different book.
This would be a great as adapted into a movie. So, all in all, it is basically a light romance with a refreshingly predictable plot that is all resolved and tied up in a pretty bow at the end. Perfect for this holiday season.
There's Something about Christmas by Debbie Macomber3 stars
I had no clue what I wanted to read for 2005 but I knew I wanted easy since I'm trying to finish so many challenges during this last month of the year. Therefore, I googled Christmas 2005 Debbie Macomber and this is the outcome. I went with Macomber because her books are light and fun, basically a Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movie in book form. I can also usually finish these books in less than a day, so perfect!
This book did not disappoint. It was predictable and exactly what I was looking for. It follows Emma who is a writer at a small local newspaper in my area, and a pilot who becomes smitten with her. Hi-jinks ensue and the outcome is saccharine sweet. Very predictable but if you want and are expecting that, then no issues.
I recommend only to those that already know what they feel about Macomber and Nora Roberts more sappy, romantic titles.
A Marriage Carol by Chris Fabry and Gary Chapman1 star
Jake and Marlee are driving to their lawyer's to sign divorce papers on Christmas eve exactly twenty years after they got married when they are in a car accident. The book summary says that there are ghosts of Christmas past, etc, who visit Marlee, but really it's golden pots with melted snow, and, to be frank, had I read the description more closely I might have passed on this, but it's hard to say since I have read one book by each of these authors in the past and they were both 4 star reads for me.
Two authors I like have come together to write something I didn't care much for at all, so lesson learned. I will avoid novels that are collaborations between a novelist and a marriage counsellor in the future.
Lady Osbaldestone’s Plum Puddings by Stephanie Laurens - 4.5 starsI was delighted to find that this eagerly anticipated installment of the series does not disappoint - indeed, it's better than the previous two books! Lady Osbaldestone's five grandchildren all come for what now is their annual pre-Christmas visit to Hartington Manor. This year, I was glad to find that the mystery the children become involved in is not something "missing" in the same sense of the previous two books. A surfeit of plums has led Lady Osbaldestone to conceive the capital idea of gifting plum puddings to all the residents of the village. The villagers insist on contributing the silver pennies that are traditionally baked into the puddings for the diners to find. However, in the collection of donated coins the children find three unusual ones, which turn out to be ancient Roman denarii. The hunt is now on to find the hoard that they must have come from.
The romances that blossom among the characters seem to me to be much more mature and more engaging in this book, especially the bittersweet one of the teenaged Melissa. But the author in the afterword reassures readers that Melissa's story will continue in a book of her own, and I am keenly looking forward to that! As well, there are books planned for the characters of the other children when they become adults. I only hope that this does not mean the end of the Osbaldestone Christmas series, because there should still be a year or two left before the children become too old for this charming series to continue.
My rating is 4.5; I just can't give a full 5 stars to a frivolous romance despite my enjoyment of it so I will round down.
annapi wrote: "Lady Osbaldestone’s Plum Puddings by Stephanie Laurens - 4.5 starsI was delighted to find that this eagerly anticipated installment of the series does not disappoint - indeed, it'..."
Cheers for Lady O! This will be my treat when I catch up on Proust. I have a lot to go...probably a full week of reading.
Meli wrote: " by Josie Silver3 stars
This could be a 4 star book in terms of entertainment value, but I did find myself yelling at these characters often in exasperatio..."
Her new book comes in 2020 - The Two Lives of Lydia Bird
Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Yuletide Yahoos, Ho-Ho-Humblebraggers, and Other Seasonal Scourges by Jen Mann - 3 starsI can appreciate the joy that the Christmas season brings to people, but it's not my favorite holiday, in part because pop culture builds up a very saccharine bubble around it in most narratives. However, Jen Mann brings her signature irreverence to Christmas (and a few other holidays in the final section), which is a little more my speed.
Once again, I found this a fascinating glimpse into a particular slice of suburban culture--the Christmas-letter-writing, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses set that wants to make Christmas as magical for their kids as the other Pinterest moms seem to be doing. It's a glimpse of a world that isn't my own, for all we aren't many zip codes apart. Because of this, I think I got more out of the sections where she was reminiscing more about her own Christmases growing up, as well as her story about her husband's first Mother's Day gift for her (one word: yikes).
The essays were fun reading. I chuckled in some places, rolled my eyes in others, and raised a skeptical eyebrow in others (carolers? Really? What neighborhood does that?). It would honestly be a good collection to read on the go rather than in large chunks like I did, as different pieces reference things mentioned earlier, sometimes even as closely as one story back. It makes it easier to keep track if readers are dipping in and out, but a bit redundant otherwise.
Absolutely I need to read this! After all, Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris is an annual read. And the darkness of The Twelve Deaths Of Christmas makes it one of my favorite Christmas mysteriex.
Christmas with Tucker by Greg Kincaid 3 starsI picked up Christmas with Tucker expecting a warm and cozy tearjerker about a dog. It was not what I expected. Tucker is the dog, and he is a good dog, but he is not the focus of the story. George is. George is a 13 year old boy living on the family farm with his grandparents. His father died in a farm accident that June, and his mother couldn't stand being on the farm without her husband, and moved back to her family in Minnesota. George is a great help to his grandparents, they really need him to keep the farm going. His mother and sisters are coming back to the farm for Christmas and expect him to return to Minnesota with them. George isn't sure where he wants to be, the farm or with his mother. As he is trying to decide what to do he is asked to watch the neighbors dog Tucker while he is gone for a while. And then the winter storm hits, making it even more difficult that it already was for George and his grandparents to get into the Christmas spirit.
Overall a very pleasant read, warm and cozy but not at all a tearjerker.
Theresa wrote: "Meli wrote: " by Josie Silver3 stars
This could be a 4 star book in terms of entertainment value, but I did find myself yelling at these characters often i..."
Cool! I will read that 😈
One Day in December is flawed but I was highly entertained.
A Wedding in December - Anita Shreve 3 stars (cross posted for 2005 tag)I was in the mood for something light and found this on the 2005 shelf. It’s the story of 6 or 7 Maine high school friends who convene 30 years after graduation for the wedding of two of the group. The story is told by each character in chapters from their own POV, so there’s rather a lot of moving perspective (which Shreve does very well – it was always clear who was “speaking.”) One character is in process of writing a novel, so the protagonist of the novel also comes in with his POV, and I don’t think it added to or even fit in with the larger story. I don’t know why it was there.
I find Shreve’s books quite variable in quality (or at least in their appeal to me). I’ve loved a few of them, e.g., Light on Snow and The Pilot’s Wife, while others, such as this one, were less interesting.
Completed my book for the December Fall Flurries:The Holidays by Mike MacDonald
1 star
One of my favorite holiday movies is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, especially the part where Ellen Griswold says, “It’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.” Let’s just say I can relate. I usually read one holiday-themed book during December and had never read a “choose your own” story before, so decided to give this one a try. I thought it would be humorous, but the humor is crude and mean-spirited. For example, in one of the many options, the protagonist accidentally kills a family’s pet. I went through a number of scenarios, selecting different options, and trying to hit most, if not all, of the storylines. I kept trying, unsuccessfully, to find at least one to enjoy. Humor is obviously a matter of personal taste, and I rarely give out one-star reviews, but I truly disliked this book.
NicoleR! where are the cheesy Christmas romance reviews? I'm trying to live vicariously here as I need to read 300 pages of Proust by next Thursday and CANNOT fall down the rabbit hole of the pile of Christmas romances sitting by my sofa! I've been counting on you!
I know! I have only read one so far and haven't even written my review yet! It has been a busy start to the month with lots of parties, my mom visited, and I had my swearing in! I will definitely not be reading as many cheesy Christmas books as I did last year :(
Nicole R wrote: "I know! I have only read one so far and haven't even written my review yet! It has been a busy start to the month with lots of parties, my mom visited, and I had my swearing in! I will definitely..."
Clearly then since we are both letting down that side of Flurries, others need to step up!
Coming Home for Christmas by RaeAnne Thayne2 stars
I typically like RaeAnne Thayne Christmas books. She writes about this community in Idaho and everyone seems so nice and giving and lovely and then there is a minor disturbance that they have to work through before living happily ever after.
But the "minor disturbance" in this book was just too much. (This is not a spoiler, it is in the book blurb.) Elizabeth is suffering from postpartum depression and convinces herself that they are better off without her and she runs away. And is gone for seven years. Unbeknownst to her husband, Luke, who is raising their two kids and assumes she is dead, Elizabeth was in a car accident and lost her memories. When she finally gets her memories back, will Luke let her back into his and their kids lives?
Oof. That is some heavy soap opera drama. I mean, SEVEN YEARS. And Elizabeth had some serious depression followed by serious physical and mental ramifications of her car accident. And, despite the FIRST PARAGRAPH of the book blurb laying out exactly what happens to Elizabeth, the author tries to be real mysterious and coy about revealing Elizabeth's story. Which was annoying at best.
Finally, about halfway through the book, Elizabeth finally reveals all to Luke and I will say the book improved from there. It picked up the pace and became more about the family and community dynamics, which I love.
Eh. Not coming into the cheesy Christmas romance with a great selection. And, I was not crazy about the audiobook either.
Nicole R wrote: "I know! I have only read one so far and haven't even written my review yet! It has been a busy start to the month with lots of parties, my mom visited, and I had my swearing in! I will definitely..."
Ah, clearly cheesy romances are not high enough on your priority list ;)
Right, Karin?!?ugh, I need to reassess my priorities 😉
ChristmasLandline / Rainbow Rowell
3 stars
When Georgie decides she needs to stay home and work over the Christmas holiday (she’s a script writer and she has a deadline to get multiple new scripts done for her dream show in a short time), her husband takes their two daughters to his “home” in Nebraska for the holiday. Georgie has trouble getting ahold of her husband on the phone, but does manage on her mom’s landline. BUT, it appears that the Neal she has gotten ahold of is not her current husband; the Neal on the other end of the landline is the Neal she knew before she married him… she is talking to the Neal from 15 years ago!
Both main characters were very unlikable. Neal did not come off as a nice person, at all, in my opinion, and Georgie was such a whiner and acted like she was still a teenager, all angsty over the holiday separation. I also had a hard time, at times, figuring out if we were in current day or flashing back to when they were both younger or if it was current-day Georgie talking on the landline to younger Neal. I listened to the audio, which was fine and held my attention, but overall I was disappointed. Even still, I’m rating it ok, but I think I liked the premise more than the execution of it.
Owl Be Home for Christmas: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews - 4 starsMeg's grandfather is hosting a conference on owls at the Caerphilly Inn, and Meg is coordinating it for him. A snow storm traps everyone at the Inn, possibly stranding them through Christmas, but at least Meg's family are all there to help out in one capacity or another. Then the most hated ornithologist in the conference drops dead in what looks to be a poisoning, but the bright side is they know the murderer has to be someone on the premises. Now they just have to find out whodunnit before the snow plows clear the roads and he or she gets away.
Another fun episode in a series that is still going strong. The regular cast of characters have become old friends of mine and provide the same droll amusement that keeps this one of my favorite cozy series, while the mystery is as clever as ever.
A Family for Christmas by Jay Northcote - 4 starsSweet Christmas read.
Rudy has had a crush on new coworker Zac since he showed up at the office, but Zac has always been closed off and avoids social gatherings. The ice finally breaks when Zac joins the rest of the office for after-work drinks, and after sharing a kiss, Rudy spontaneously invites Zac home for the holidays after learning his uptight coworker has no family to go home to. To both their surprises, Zac accepts, and what follows is just an adorable three days. Rudy's family assumes they're boyfriends, and when Rudy misses an opportunity to correct them, he and Zac decide to lean into the charade and pretend for a few days. It's a sweet country Christmas filled with family, games, a rescued kitten, and developing feelings. It's fairly low drama, and barriers to the relationship fall easily once they're acknowledged. Still, overall, a read that left me with a smile on my face.
annapi wrote: "Owl Be Home for Christmas: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews - 4 starsMeg's grandfather is hosting a conference on owls at the Caerphilly Inn, and Meg is coordinating it for..."
The very first in the series, Murder With Peacocks is still one of my favorite -- and funny - cozies. Somewhere along the way these dropped out of my reading. I do have 2 in the Christmas reading pile for post-Proust though!
No Cheesy Christmas romances, yet. But I do have 2 cozy mysteries to add to the pile. It would have been better if I could have read this in October or November, but at least I got it in before the solstice.
Wicked Autumn - Malliet
Audio performance by Michael Page
3 stars
This is the first of a cozy English Village mystery series. The aumatuer detective is a Church of England priest with the unlikely backstory of a previous career as an MI5 agent. Although it is a 21st century setting, there’s a deliberate mid-20th century retro feel to the village settings and the characters’ behaviors. (There are ‘mobile’ phones, but they never seem to be charged. One character is distracted by an outbreak of measles in her home …. Must be an antivaxer.) The story revolves around the preparations for a village Harvest Festival. (It’s all for charity, you know.) Noone is terribly grieved when the town’s most annoying busybody is murdered, but community suspicions and fears are on the rise. It’s a very predictable plot with an easily predictable conclusion. Michael Page was, as always, pleasant listening.
Fall of Angels - Barbara Cleverly Audio performance by Seven Crossley
3 stars
This is the first book of a series set in post WW1, Cambridge, England. The upper class, Detective Inspector, John Redfyre has a front row seat at a university Christmas concert. He is prepared for social disturbance as the featured soloist is, most shockingly, a female trumpeter. Attempted murder, actual murder, the misogeny of established academe, and a great deal of female solidarity follows. There were a good number of red herrings in this story, so I kept turning pages to follow the clues. The author did fill space with a great deal of costume description while character development seemed a bit shallow. I enjoyed the strident feminist campainers, even though some of the campainers behaved irrationally. I couldn’t decide if Steven Crossley’s humorously sarcastic tone helped or hindered the story. But, he is easy on the ears.
Fall Flurries - December-ChristmasNantucket White Christmas: A feel-good, small town, Christmas story- Pamela M. Kelley- 3 stars
In San Francisco, Angela Stark is having a really bad day. It is close to Christmas time and that is not her favorite time of the year, being born on Christmas but raised as a foster child has made this hard on her. And then like a fairy tale a miracle happens and she finds herself in Nantucket in a lovely old cottage.
Well of course there is a handsome successful man and we all know what is going to happen, but it was fun watching it happen and it was fun reading something light and lovely.
A Christmas Gathering: A Novel by Anne Perry - 3 starsAll of Perry's Victorian Christmas novellas are pretty much the same - okay, but nowhere near as good as her novels of the same genre. This one features Lady Vespasia and her new husband, Victor Narraway, as they spend a few days as guests at a friend's country home. Victor, however, is there for espionage, to receive altered documents he must then pass on to the Germans to aid in Britain's war efforts. Haunted by a failure in his past, he sees this as an opportunity to atone for the death of a young woman under his protection, and vows that his personal history will not repeat itself.
Perry writes a good tale, perhaps a trifle melodramatic, but it's Victorian after all. We get to see more of Lady Vespasia, a favorite character, as she enters a new chapter in her already storied life.
Lady O fans! This from Stephanie Laurens' Newsletter:And of course there will be another Lady Osbaldestone story, arriving in October, 2020. This will be the last in that series at the present time, as I have many other characters who need their story written, too. More information will be forthcoming in the latter half of next year.
A Christmas by the Sea by Melody Carlson 3 enjoyable starsBlurb is on the main book page, but suffice to say that Wendy, a widow, takes her son along to get a Maine summer home she has recently inherited ready for a quick sale to help her pay the debts she accrued when her late husband was ill. She spent every summer there as a child.
As this is a Melody Carlson book, it's a romance, but what I like about it is that it isn't fraught with some of the romance book writing that is not at all my cup of tea. I have to say that I rather enjoyed it, much like a romantic movie, but it isn't the kind of writing I like more than a solid three stars. That said, Carlson writes well if you like Christian fiction.
The Lost Child of Lychford - Paul Cornell3 1/2 stars
The Lost Child of Lychford is the second novella in the series about two modern day witches and their friend, the local minister, who live in the town of Lychford and try to keep evil forces away from their community. In this book, Lizzie, the minister is very busy with Christmas preparation and events when what seems to be the ghost of a young boy appears to her. It becomes apparent to the trio that something sinister is brewing in town and they have to try to stop it. I liked this novella, but not quite as much as the first one. It felt a bit rushed to me and not fleshed out as much as I wanted it to. While the first one felt like its story fit its novella length, this one felt like it skipped a lot of steps to keep it short. Despite that, I liked the characters and the story was interesting, even if rushed.
Half Spent Was the Night; A Witches Yuletide Tale by Ami McKay, 3.5 stars
Hebah is about to receive a holiday gift! Send me your address privately.....
So I go to order this book from Amazon, its the sequel to the Witches of New York, by Ami McKay. For some reason I was having trouble ordering it from the library. When it arrives in the mail, I immediately see why. Its teeny tiny, small little ditty. The size of a child's board book. Its all of 112 pages with little small pages, and its more of a novella. Like the afterthought to the first book. Which was excellent by the way.
So in this little ditty, we return to our three New Yorker historical fiction witches, and they get an invitation to a Masked Ball, and naturally, strange things are happening, and the young novice is in danger AGAIN. This little novella surrounds a tale of a Yuletide sorceress who comes and haunts in the days between Christmas and New Years, and naturally the Masked Ball is on New Years Eve. All the happenings take place in this cute little ditty of a tale.
I loved the Witches of New York. This one felt more like an afterthought. I would go with 2.8 rounded up to three - its main strength being that its a fall flurry Christmas winter Yuletide tale. I liked it, but it wasn't a not to be missed. Bordered on disappointing, except that I loved the prequel, and this was so cute. Great premise, not particularly well flushed. But a treat all the same.
Thanks to Theresa for pointing me in the direction of an essay that explains how I feel when watching kids in shows.eta
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
3 stars
This rating is sort of an average, since they ranged from extremely funny to very annoying to me, but then humour is subjective. I barely made it through the first two, but the third one had me laughing out loud because I could completely relate. The rest of the book varied, but by far I laughed the loudest at "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol" I kid you not.
Let me just give one example to show just why this essay was by far the funniest--when my kids did their few years of dance lessons I was happier dashing in to see their acts at dress rehearsals but volunteering in the back watching dance students. Let's be honest; many of these shows are best enjoyed by doting parents and grandparents and they are a fun experience for the kids who want to be in them.
There are some other essays/stories I enjoyed and I can see why others would laugh at tales I didn't.
Karin wrote: "Thanks to Theresa for pointing me in the direction of an essay that explains how I feel when watching kids in shows.."What's it called, Karin?
LibraryCin wrote: "Karin wrote: "Thanks to Theresa for pointing me in the direction of an essay that explains how I feel when watching kids in shows.."What's it called, Karin?"
Has to be
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
Karin...different ones appeal to me at different times. I try to reread a couple different ones every year. They aren't all funny to me either. But he does capture some things so well.
3 stars
I am going to keep this review short. This is a Sweet, Sad, heart pounding, travel adventure with a twist of a love story book. Not my usual type of book but I did enjoy this quick Christmas book. My only complaint is, I would have liked a little more background story on the main character Joy.
LibraryCin wrote: "Karin wrote: "Thanks to Theresa for pointing me in the direction of an essay that explains how I feel when watching kids in shows.."What's it called, Karin?"
I added the title--Holidays on Ice by David Sendaris. I was NOT at my best yesterday, but feel a lot better today.
Theresa wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Karin wrote: "Thanks to Theresa for pointing me in the direction of an essay that explains how I feel when watching kids in shows.."What's it called, Karin?"
Has to be
[book:..."
Yes, he certainly does! Another one I liked was "Jesus Shaves" but I didn't laugh as much :)
Well, I have finally picked up the reading pace and have read 5 more cheesy Christmas romance books! Now, to find time to write reviews...
And now I am starting my first cowboy romance of the season!
Nicole R wrote: "Well, I have finally picked up the reading pace and have read 5 more cheesy Christmas romance books! Now, to find time to write reviews...
And now I am starting my first cowboy romance of the se..."
You made me smile Nicole...waiting for those reviews!
I am on my way home for the holidays and should have time early next week to sit down and crank out some reviews!I may even finish my cowboy book by then!
I only have about 15 pages of Proust to read, then one Shakespeare play...then I can dive head first into Christmas romance and cozies. Nicole I am dying here without your cheesy romance reviews!
Nicole R wrote: "I am on my way home for the holidays and should have time early next week to sit down and crank out some reviews!I may even finish my cowboy book by then!"
Safe travels! and have some fun!
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Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days (other topics)The Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor (other topics)
The Cricket on the Hearth (other topics)
Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days (other topics)
Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Simon Brett (other topics)Charles Dickens (other topics)
Maisey Yates (other topics)
Donna Kauffman (other topics)
Stephanie Laurens (other topics)
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