HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The holiday season is finally here and I am now officially very tired of shopping and shoveling, and bustling in the festive spirit. Bring on the turkey I say! Find me a couch corner, a blazing fire and a damn good book. It is high time to relax.

And with that I bring you My Little List of Holiday Reads. Most, I fear, are unoriginal selections and have been suggested many times over by others with far more critical skill than I. A few have even found themselves adorning big screens across the country at one time or another. However, all are entirely worthy of your attention and will certainly lend a literary hand in bringing in the holiday spirit.

So take a peak. Whether for inspiration, laughter, deep thoughts or simply for a few quiet relaxing moments these books are guaranteed to give you pause and calm during this busy time of year.

Happy holidays!

MY LITTLE LIST OF HOLIDAY READS...
1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3. Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman
4. The Gift by Richard Paul Evans
5. Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
7. The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore
8. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson
9. The Delaney Christmas Caro by Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen & Fayrene Preston
10. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Author: Charles Dickens
Published by: Dalmatian Press, 2007
(not the same publication as cover shown)

When I was 14 I read Charles Dickens for the first time. Reluctant at first, likely intimidated by the classroom vibe of what high school titled classic literature, I hesitantly cracked the spine of A Tale of Two Cities and was immediately rewarded for my actions. The language and incredible beauty of Dickens’ work glittered across the page like bright sun on a smooth watery surface. Every word was gorgeous, every sentence creative and every scene magnetic. I fell instantly in love.

Funny thing, though, I never once read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. In fact, until this day, I actively avoided his most famous Christmas story. Like many children, I was introduced to it through television and films before I could even read and my experience as a viewer was always disappointing. Unfortunately, I learned only as an adult how poorly some books translate from page to screen and therefore missed out on the opportunity of discovering the true delight of the written classic at a young age. Now, with the encouragement of my book club’s Christmas pick, it was time to set right this mistake.

During these past few weeks, curled up with my daughter and my husband beside a fire in our living room – I am a big believer in atmosphere – we read this book aloud together. The experience was as captivating and enjoyable as my first with Mr. Dickens.

Written with definite care and full attention to each word on the page, A Christmas Carol was entirely animated, humorous, eerie and joyful all in the same moment. It had my family and I both laughing and squirming throughout its telling and made real to me, as a reader, just why it has captivated audiences for over a century and a half. Once we were finished, we all wished there was more to be heard.

So, while it may not be an original suggestion, and common enough across television screens throughout the country this month, I strongly recommend Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to you during this Christmas season. Forget that remote. Set aside the DVD and pull out the real deal. You will certainly find yourself at once captivated by the adventure of such wonderfully written work and I promise you no disappointment will be found.

Favourite line from the book…

If I could work my will…every idiot who goes about with “Merry Christmas” on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Page 8

Favourite scene from book…

“You will be haunted,” resumed the Ghost, “by Three Spirits.”
Scrooge’s countenance fell almost as low as the Ghost’s had done.
“Is that the chance and hope you mentioned, Jacob?” he demanded in a faltering voice.
“It is.”
“I – I think I’d rather not,” said Scrooge.
(Scene from page 22. )

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING
Author: Phoebe Gilman
Edition published by Scholastic Canada, 1994

Adopted from a Jewish folk tale, Something From Nothing, was written by the award winning author and artist, Phoebe Gilman. It is one of my favourite children’s books and, while not truly a Christmas story, the theme of the book most certainly falls under the spirit of what I feel Christmas is all about; love, family, friends and self-discovery.

Young Joseph’s most prized possession is a baby blanket his grandfather made him. As Joseph grows up he outgrows the blanket and his mother suggests it is time to retire the special gift. Joseph refuses, insisting his grandfather can fix it and each time, using what little he has, Joseph’s grandfather does. Finally, though, the remnants of what is Joseph’s prized possession is lost and as Joseph must accept that even his grandfather cannot make something from nothing he also discovers his own talent for re-invention.

In sharing the inspiring account of Joseph and his grandfather, Phoebe Gilman has captured not only a tender moment in a little boy’s world but has embellished her story with fabulous paintings of soft hues and revealing activity. In gentle cartoonish fashion, the pages of Something From Nothing, will captivate the young audiences with a story in and of itself. While the words on the page tell of Joseph, the pictures share with the reader all that surrounds this little boy; his home, his family, his neighbours, his community, even the family of mice who live beneath his home. All of this is captured in a smooth layering of well thought out illustrations.

Borrowing upon the old adage “If there is a will, there is a way” and centering her story on an entirely huggable child and his very busy Jewish community, Phoebe Gilman has created a wonderful children’s story that is sure to become a classic. Sometimes, even the most simplest of stories contain the most compelling truths. Pick up Something From Nothing and discover for yourself the truth about Joseph and his blanket.

Favourite line from the book…

Grandpa can fix it. Page 4

THE DELANEY CHRISTMAS CAROL
Author: Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen and Fayrene Preston
Published by Bantam Books, 2004

The Delaney Christmas Carol is a collaborative effort by three separate authors, Iris Johansen, Fayrene Preston and Kay Hooper. Following the past, present and future generations of the Delaney clan, we are presented with the possibilities and influence of a magical gypsy mirror that was given to the Delaney family in their homeland of Ireland. The mirror is considered both a gift and a curse as it has a nasty habit of prophesying events in the future and doing so with an alarming accuracy that tends to affect the love lives of the closest family members.

A great fire side read, The Delaney Christmas Carol takes us on a light and enjoyably romantic ride. Carefully avoiding complicated characters and demanding plot lines yet offering us a wonderfully woven and colourful family history, Johansen, Fayrene and Hooper have blended three tender short stories into the perfect holiday pick. During a time of year when quiet reading opportunities are rare and the chaos of family and travel far too easy to come by, The Delaney Christmas Carol offers you a fine escape and a delightful get away moment from it all. Easy to read, easy to set aside and even easier to return to, I recommend The Delaney Christmas Carol to all fans of the romance genre. May it offer you a quiet moment during a not-so-very-quiet time of year.

No favourite line this time.