Tag Archives: Christmas

Book Review: The Christmas Dog

12 Dec

the christmas dogBetty Kowalski isn’t looking forward to the holidays. She just can’t seem to find Christmas in her heart. There’s church, of course. But who can she bake for these days? And who would care whether or not she pulled out the Christmas decorations?

Her new neighbor just adds to the problem. He’s doing home improvements that don’t appear to be improving much of anything. These days when Betty looks out the window, she sees a beat-up truck, a pile of junk, lots of blue tarps, and–horror of horrors–an old pink toilet.

But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn a very important lesson about what Christmas is all about. This contemporary Christmas story is a timely yet gentle reminder that God can work miracles through something as seemingly insignificant as a little brown dog.

 

m-carlson-oct-10Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the True Colors series and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody’s website at www.melodycarlson.com.

 

My Impressions:

Another day, another Christmas book! I am steadily reading my way through the Christmas category on my Kindle. And what better way to treat myself but with a novella by the Queen of Christmas Books! I think that Melody Carlson’s The Christmas Dog, just might be my favorite of her many titles. I loved this book, and think you will to.

Betty is tired and lonely and not really willing to get out of her ruts. But when her adult granddaughter and a lost little dog show up on her doorstep, Betty is challenged to look beyond the surface and challenge what she can see with her eyes. And with a belligerent neighbor, her pastor’s sermon to love her neighbor is really put to the test.

I loved that the focus of The Christmas Dog was on an older woman. Betty has had a lot of challenges in her life — an early widowhood and raising 2 children on her own. She believes her life is confined by her limited income and her circumstances. But a dog, a granddaughter and a neighbor work together to get Betty beyond herself. Not really selfish as much as self-focused, Betty’s character evolves within the story. The book also challenged my own fears, insecurities and rush to judgment.

A good choice for holiday reading, I recommend The Christmas Dog.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

Tags: , ,

Book Review: The Christmas Story for Children

10 Dec

735982Follow the events of Jesus’ birth as you read this lovely picture book written by Max Lucado with Randy Frazee and Karen Hill and illustrated by Fausto. The Christmas Story for Children tells readers about the birth of a special baby whose story is filled with love for us all. Young readers as well as their parents will appreciate the beautiful words and artwork that convey the message that we are loved and cherished.

A holiday companion book to the award-winning and bestselling The Story for Children.

 

 

max-grande2Max Lucado has the heart of a pastor and the pen of a poet. He is a preacher who writes and a writer who preaches, though none would call him preachy. This unique combination of gifts led Christianity Today to label him “America’s Pastor,” but he prefers to go by “Max” and leave the titles behind.

Since 1985 this Texas pastor has taken pen to paper, sharing his heart and his stories with readers around the globe. And readers have responded, snapping up more than 50 million copies of his 60 plus titles during the last two decades.

Max Lucado is one of the rare authors who can craft memorable books for readers of all ages, races and creeds. He has written bestselling books for both children and adults, from illustrated storybooks to nonfiction and biblical commentary. Though he is known best for his nonfiction books for adults, Max won Campus Life magazine’s “favorite author” designation so consistently that the category was deleted for many years from the teen reader’s annual awards.

Max’s gift of turning a phrase has turned into one of Hallmark’s most popular branded greeting cards lines, selling 6 million cards in just three years. His word and stories have been repackaged in just about every format imaginable, including DVDs, CD-ROMs, music CDs, apparel, giftware, calendars, study Bibles and even plush products. And his books have been translated into more than 28 languages worldwide.

Yet all these books and products find their wellspring in a single source: the pulpit at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. All Max’s books for adults have been birthed as sermons for the congregation at Oak Hills Church—perhaps one of the reasons Readers Digest dubbed him “America’s Best Preacher” in 2005.

Max and Denalyn Lucado celebrated 25 years of marriage in August 2006. They served as missionaries in Brazil before coming to San Antonio, where they have lived since 1998. Their three almost-grown daughters, (Jenna, Andrea, Sara) recall no other home. Both the heart and the pen of this pastor/writer have found fertile ground under the Texas sun.

61wpqjQZ43L._UX250_Fausto Bianchi was born on Lake Como and now lives and works in Varese, Italy. He lives with his wife, child, and a dog and cat. Fausto has done illustrations for several Italian publishing houses and advertising agencies. He especially enjoys working with watercolors and has begun to use digital formats to create the same watercolor effects.

 

My Impressions:

The Christmas Story for Children is taken from the best-selling children’s book The Story for Children. It is a retelling of Jesus’ birth. I like that the story opens with the people of God anxiously awaiting their Messiah. The book makes it clear that the people had been waiting for centuries, but when the time was right, God entered into our world. The heart of the story is the nativity, but also includes Jesus’ early ministry. It definitely makes clear that the story from the Gospels did not begin and end in the stable. The illustrations are beautiful. The detail overlaying the watercolors creates a depth that draws the eye. The Christmas Story for Children would be a  wonderful addition to family story time.

Recommended.

Audience: children ages 5-12.

(Thanks to Zonderkidz for a review copy. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

Tags: , ,

Book Review: It Came Upon A Midnight Crime

9 Dec

Image-31-193x300Someone is intent on destroying the true meaning of Christmas—at least, destroying anything that hints of it. All around crime-scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire’s hometown, anything pointing to Jesus as the “reason for the season” is being sabotaged. The crimes become more twisted as dismembered body parts are found at the vandalisms. Who would go to such great lengths to dampen the joy and hope of Christ’s birthday? Someone’s determined to destroy Christmas . . . but Gabby St. Claire is just as determined to find the Grinch and let peace on earth and goodwill to men prevail.

of50480480-200x300Christy Barritt is an author, freelance writer and speaker who lives in Virginia. She’s married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado. She’s only won one contest in her life–and her prize was kissing a pig (okay, okay… actually she did win the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery for her book Suspicious Minds also). Her current claim to fame is showing off her mother, who looks just like former First Lady Barbara Bush.

When she’s not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.

My Impressions:

In my quest to whittle down my Kindle TBR List, I am reading through my Christmas category. I was in the mood for a little cozy mystery along with my Christmas fix, so I chose Christy Barritt’s It Came upon A Midnight Crime, book 2.5 in her Squeaky Clean Mystery series. This 8.5 book series features Gabby St. Claire, crime scene cleaner and forensic investigator wannabe. It is not necessary to read the first 2 books in the series, but it would be helpful to begin at the beginning to get all the relationships straight and clue in on Gabby’s faith journey.

Gabby is a seeker/sceptic. Science is what she trusts, not faith. But she is keeping her mind open, especially since her hunky neighbor is a believer. Called to clean up a Nativity massacre, Gabby embarks on a search for the person trying to sabotage Christmas.

It Came upon A Midnight Crime is a very quick read. The mystery is light and light-hearted, but there are glimpses of why opponents of Christmas feel the way they do. I liked that Gabby kept an open mind and heart to those injured by Christmases past. I didn’t guess just whodunit, but the clues are there for those as astute as Gabby. All in all, a good diversion for those seeking to escape the hectic holiday prep.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below. It is currently .99 for Kindle!

Tags: , ,

  • Categories Uncategorized

Book Review: The First Christmas Ever

2 Dec

740834A simple retelling of the Christmas story, from the angel’s visit to Mary to the shepherds’ joyful praise of the new born Baby, this small format paperback, The First Christmas Ever is sure to be popular with young readers. Using the vibrant and popular artwork of Dennis Jones, families can share this timeless story of God’s love each holiday season.

 

About Dennis Jones, illustrator.

aboutpictureBorn in Mountain Grove, a small rural town in the Missouri Ozarks, Dennis was the fourth of six children. He logged a lot of pew time at the local Baptist Church, honing his artistic abilities by drawing on church bulletins during Sunday morning sermons.

After high school, he attended Southwest Missouri State University and studied art. During the college years, he spent his summers working at amusement parks (Opryland & Silver Dollar City) where he drew caricatures. Dennis graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and stumbled blindly into a career as a freelance illustrator.

After spending the 90s in Texas, Dennis and family moved to Northeastern Indiana where his wife Karen is a professor at Huntington University. His two grown sons now live and work in the Oklahoma City area.

For fun Dennis plays in a recreational ice hockey league where he pretends to be Wayne Gretzky, but plays more like Wayne Gretkowski, the ninety year old store greeter at the local Wal-Mart. He also occasionally plays bass and guitar in the band at his church where he continues to insist that a pyrotechnics show and hydraulic stage for the band would really add a lot to the Sunday morning worship experience.

 

My Impressions:

The First Christmas Ever is a retelling of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus taken directly from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Written in a simple style, this book is perfect for young children ages 4-8. And unlike other books focusing on Christ’s birth, it continues the story allowing for children to connect the baby in the manger with the Savior of the world. Dennis Jones’ illustrations are wonderful. Highly detailed and colorful, they depict the story with scenes of Joseph knocking on doors in Bethlehem, the stay in the stable, and even the arrival of the Wise Men that took place a couple of years following Jesus’s birth. I especially loved the expressions on the faces of the people and animals. You do not want to miss the chickens! This book is a good choice to add to your family Christmas reading.

Recommended.

Audience: children ages 4-8.

(Thanks to Zonderkidz for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below. At $1.99, it is a steal!

Tags: , ,

Page Turners’ December Selection

27 Nov

Page Turners will be reading Skipping Christmas by John Grisham in December. Have you read it? What did you think, especially how the book fares against the movie Christmas with The Kranks?

220px-SkippingChristmasImagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty, they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash, they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences—and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.

A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition.

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

Tags: ,

By The Book’s December Selection

20 Nov

JBM.Final_Christmas Eve is the time to be at home enjoying the warmth and laughter of family, isn’t it? A couple in their late 60s faces the prospects of a first ever Christmas with no kids or grandkids in the house … An emergency room nurse handles every crisis at work with calm, but inside her emotions are roiling because she can’t get hold of her husband or her youngest son … Over the past two years he has lost his job, his house, his wife, and it feels like his kids are slipping away … Her first baby is scheduled to arrive in a few weeks, but with her husband still on duty in Afghanistan, she’s never felt so alone in all her life … Four individuals and families are trying so hard to grab hold of the spirit of Christmas that they can’t see they are about to run headlong into each other … just before midnight.

 

We would love you to join us this December in reading Just Before Midnight. Have you already read it? Please share your thoughts with us.

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

Tags: ,

Book Review: The Littlest Christmas Kitten

18 Nov

LittlestKittenIn this re-telling of the Christmas story, children can experience the excitement of the animals in the stable. Here a mother cat is searching frantically for her little lost kitten. Before the night is over there is the crying of a baby and angels singing the praises of the birth of a Savior. The night’s events leave a lasting effect on all the animals, especially the cats. It’s a refreshing approach to the Christmas story, with a strong, smooth plot, and yet teaches a beautiful lesson.

 

LeeCropped2Lee (Leona) Novy Jackson taught family and consumer sciences in Missouri and Wisconsin schools for many years. She is the author of the children’s Christmas book, The Littlest Christmas Kitten and two apple cookbooks, From the Apple Orchard — Recipes for Apple Lovers, and Apples, Apples Everywhere — Favorite Recipes from America’s Orchards. All three books have received outstanding awards.

Jackson received a B.S. degree in home economics education from the University of Wisconsin – Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin and an M.S. degree in education from Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, Missouri. After having taught family and consumer sciences (home economics) for over 25 years, she now enjoys writing and publishing about subjects pertaining to home and family.

My Impressions:

It is no secret that I am a big fan of cats. I have a new kitten who is into everything. Her middle school stage is in full force! So when offered a cat themed book to review, I always jump at the chance. The Littlest Christmas Kitten by Leona Novy Jackson and illustrated by Kelly Dupre would be a sweet addition to your family’s Christmas reading.

The Littlest Christmas Kitten is an attractive children’s book targeted towards children ages 4-7. It tells the story of a momma cat frantically looking for her lost kitten. The story takes place in a stable filled with animals many, many years ago. But this book isn’t just about a lost one found, it is also about the birth of Jesus and the wonder of that night over 2000 years ago. The story is simple and the beautiful wood block illustrations enhance the feeling of a story from old. And while there is no mention of cats in the Biblical narrative, it isn’t so hard to imagine a momma barn cat and her kittens being present at the birth of Christ.

While I liked the simple story of a kitten as a backdrop to the Nativity, I really loved the author’s additional information on the many symbols of Christmas included in the back of the book. This offers another opportunity for parents to talk about the real meaning of Christmas. There is even an entry on cats with very important info on what is good and not so good for the cat members of your family during the holiday season. As the wife of veterinarian, I believe this is invaluable for all pet owners.

So if you are looking for a book to reinforce the true meaning of Christmas as well as please your special little cat lover, then definitely check out The Littlest Christmas Kitten.

Recommended.

Audience: children ages 4-7.

(Thanks to Book Crash for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

Tags: , , ,

Book Review: The Christmas Cat

17 Nov

719665After years abroad, Garrison Brown returns home to Vancouver to build a new life. When his beloved grandmother passes away a few weeks before Christmas, Garrison goes to her house to sort out her belongings, including six cats who need new homes. While Garrison hopes to dispense with the task quickly, his grandmother’s instructions don’t allow for speed. She has left Garrison with some challenging requirements for the future homes of her furry friends–plus a sizeable monetary gift for the new owners. Garrison’s job is to match the cats with the right owners without disclosing the surprise gift. Along the way, he may just meet someone who can make him stay.

 

 

 

bio_photo5Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the True Colors series and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

 

My Impressions:

I am a sucker for cats. We have two cat members of our family, and I would probably have more if I didn’t have my husband’s restraining hand and my children’s threats of calling me the crazy cat lady. So Melody Carlson’s latest Christmas offering, The Christmas Cat, really appealed to me. What’s better than a warm Christmas story filled with cats?! A quick read, this book is perfect for cat lovers everywhere.

Garrison is at loose ends since returning to the U.S. following nine years in Uganda. A bit culture-shocked and recovering from malaria, Garrison knows he needs to find his way in his new life, but just can’t seem to find the place to belong. His grandmother’s unexpected death leaves him even more lost, until he has to fulfill her final wishes in finding adoptive homes for her beloved six cats.

The Christmas Cat didn’t have that rushed feeling you sometimes get with a novella. Carlson takes her time developing her characters allowing the reader to connect and care about them. Carlson uses a clever plot device — finding the cats homes using an extensive checklist  – to develop the theme of finding a true home and purpose for life. And if you are like Garrison, allergic and a bit phobic about cats, you just may end up wanting a cat friend for yourself after reading this book! Recommended for anyone looking for a heartwarming Christmas read.

Recommended.

Audience: teens to adults.

(Thanks to Revell for my review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

Tags: , , ,

Merry Christmas from England!

25 Dec

My good friend Ruth’s daughter, Wendy, lives in England with her husband and daughter, Ella. A true southerner and an accomplished writer, she finds herself in the midst of British life and culture. Her blog, Mother in The Motherland is a wonderful treat. Please enjoy her Christmas post based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – A Christmas Cycle. 

Merry Christmas!

Screen shot 2013-12-20 at 12.23.24

I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little tale, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it…

IMG_0735Wendy Tarpley-Naylor — I’m from South Georgia, and I’m married to a Brit in “the Motherland,” which is how my family refers to the UK.

Tags:

Book Review: A Redbird Christmas

20 Dec

199532Deep in the southernmost part of Alabama, along the banks of a lazy winding river, lies the sleepy little community known as Lost River, a place that time itself seems to have forgotten. After a startling diagnosis from his doctor, Oswald T. Campbell leaves behind the cold and damp of the oncoming Chicago winter to spend what he believes will be his last Christmas in the warm and welcoming town of Lost River. There he meets the postman who delivers mail by boat, the store owner who nurses a broken heart, the ladies of the Mystic Order of the Royal Polka Dots Secret Society, who do clandestine good works. And he meets a little redbird named Jack, who is at the center of this tale of a magical Christmas when something so amazing happened that those who witnessed it have never forgotten it. Once you experience the wonder, you too will never forget A Redbird Christmas.

Fannie_Flagg_Author-Bio-200x300Fannie Flagg’s career started in the fifth grade when she wrote, directed, and starred in her first play entitled The Whoopee Girls, and she has not stopped since. At age nineteen she began writing and producing television specials, and later wrote and appeared on Candid Camera. She then went on to distinguish herself as an actress and a writer in television, films, and the theater. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man; Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe; Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!; Standing in the Rainbow; A Redbird Christmas; and Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven. Flagg’s script for the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was nominated for an Academy Award, and the Writers Guild of America Award and won the highly regarded Scripter Award for best screenplay of the year. Flagg lives happily in California and Alabama.

My Impressions:

A Redbird Christmas was my church book club’s December pick, and it was unanimous (an unbelievable feat!), we all liked it. Fannie Flagg took a small, south Alabama town and made it magical. The setting is wonderful with the river, the charming town and friendly people. But it is the characters that make this story. Flagg takes lost, wounded, lonely people and places them in a family in the little town of Lost River. When asked which character was our favorite, most of our group chose Jack, the surprisingly talented red bird or cardinal that claimed the hearts of the townspeople and healed the hurts of a little girl.

Flagg also achieves something special in her storytelling. She takes ordinary people, ordinary setting and adds a twist of the mysterious and magical. There is a fairy tale quality to her writing that changes the everyday into something special.

If you are looking for a sweet, definitely Southern tale that will make you laugh and perhaps cry, try A Redbird Chirstmas. (Please note: there is some mild profanity.)

Recommended.

(I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.

Tags: , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →