Can You Keep A Secret???

The Christmas Scrapbook
Philip Gulley

Genre: fiction, Christmas novella, Faith
Pages: 89
Series: Harmony
Rating: ****
Favorite Quote: " And Sam's otherwise difficult day drew to a close in the warm embrace of his wife, whom he loved deeply, but seldom understood."

In case you were wondering I am reading Christmas books at the moment.  Most are very quick reads, which is good because I have quite a few in my TBR pile.  I sit in front of my twinkling, tinsel covered tree with a cup of hot tea and read sweet tales of Christmas.  HMMMMMM.  So relaxing.  OK there are a few that are not sweet, but those are for later.

The Christmas Scrapbook, is a very quick read.  It centers around a Quaker minister, Sam Gardner, as he attempts to make the greatest Christmas present ever  for his wife.  You guessed it a scrapbook.  He has 17 years of giving potholders to make up for.  He tires to keep it a secret, he started weeks in advance, but one thing after another happens and before you know it stories are circulating around town that Sam is deathly sick.  Small towns.

I loved this book.  Sam is a really down to earth minister with flaws, he has problems with his flock.  My favorite charachter is Frank the elderly secretary.  He tends to be blunt and can not keep a secret.  The small incidents that happen in this book are hysterical, they could only happen in a small town.  The charachters are genuine and real.  The writing is simple, meaning Gulley choses the right word without wasting time with extra glitter.  I really enjoyed it and plan on reading more about Harmony.  Sounds like a nice town.

- Caren

A Tangled Web...

A Christmas Journey
Anne Perry

Genre: Christmas, Fiction, Mystery
Pages:  180
Series: Christmas Series
Rating: ***
Favorite Quote: "And mercy, the gift to forgive, to wash away from the memory as if it had not happened, to accept the gift of God which is love and hope, courage to begin again in the faith that redemption is come into the world, is the meaning of Christmas."

I am ashamed to say....I have never read an Anne Perry book.  I know shocking.  I love mysteries, historical novels, and Christmas.  Anne Perry does all three in one.  I should have read one by now.

A Christmas Journey, is set in Victorian England ( I think).  A group of wealthy 'friends' have joined together for a long weekend before Christmas.  After dinner, and a few unkind words, Gwendolen Kilmuir is found dead in the pond.  It is determined to be suicide.  The result is a pact between the guests and the one they blame to be responsible for pushing Kilmuir to kill herself.  Isobel Alvie, with the help of Vespasia Cumming-Gould must hand deliver Kilmuir's last letter to her mother, who is in the farthest reaches of Scotland.  It is meant to be an ordeal, in return Alvie will be forgiven.

That's a bit larger than a nutshell, but a lot goes on in this little book!  I could have used a list of players, I got confused more than once on who was who.  I blame my lack of attention, not the writer.  I enjoyed the book, it was well written and had lots of detail.  I felt a shiver as they were plodding through the frozen bog of Scotland.  I had difficulty getting to know any of the characters.  They were not forthcoming in emotion, they all wore a mask to hide their inner self.  Of course with people as board as the super weatlhy of the time whose main sport was gossip, one had to guard themselves.  I just didn't like that aspect.  It was important to show that, it just wasn't my cup of tea and put me off from the start.  I will give another go at Anne Perry, maybe a bigger book.

- Caren

A Christmas Read...

The Christmas Pearl
Dorothea Benton Frank

Genre: Fiction, Christmas Novella, southern
Pages: 139, plus recipes
Favorite quote: "My poor dumbbells!"
Rating: ****

As I have mentioned before I am a Christmas Novella junkie.  I walk down the isles of the library, looking at book jackets, and these cute little books just jump out at me.  Not all of them are good but most are sweet with a side of morals on the side.  The Christmas Pearl is both.

The Christmas Pearl is set at Christmas in South Carolina. (Extra points for being southern!)  Theodora is the 90 something matriarch of a batch of misguided offspring.  She is distraught over their lack of interest in a traditional Christmas as well as their interest in hurting one another.  Her heart is breaking over her "knuckleheads".  Then in the most unexpected ways her prayers for a real Christmas with a loving family are answered.

I loved this book.  I loved the sweet Theodora as she tried to deal with her crazy family.  I loved reading about how Christmas was celebrated with such expectation and vigor in Theodora's youth.  I wanted to be at her house for the entire month of December.  Her childhood Christmas is classic Christmas.  Several foods of her youth are those of mine.  It was heaven.  But the jewel int he crown is Pearl.  The cook, and much more, of Theodora's youth was the fabric that held her family together.  She was a force of nature.  This force is bold, kind, and pure magic on the page.  I couldn't wait to read more about how Pearl was going to save the family from self destruction. 

This was a great read.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  I highly recommend it.


- Caren

Sweet, Little Book

Giovanni's Light
by Phyllis Theroux

genre:  fiction
pages: 114
rating: ***1/2

Sometimes you want to read a little book.  Something light, I usually tend to head for the small Christmas gift books.  That's what led me to Giovanni's Light.  I didn't read the blurb on the cover.  I could tell it was about Christmas and figured it would be a nice, easy read.  I write.

Giovanni's Light, is about a small town named Ryland Falls.  The town is in the process of getting ready for Christmas when a massive snowfall blankets the town.  This put all normal activity on hold, and forces people to stay inside.  Obviously, things no longer go as planned.

It is a sweet little book, a little sappy at the end.  But I really enjoyed it.  I don't want to give too much away.  The people in town are set in their ways, and do not see what they truly have.  The snowstorm makes them pause and notice what they have forgotten.  Each person learns something and in turn receives a "gift".  It's all very Norman Rockwell.

This is a great book to give at Christmas in a stocking for an avid reader.  It would also be a good book to read around the Christmas Season.

-Caren