Tag: Christmas

REVIEW: The Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The origin story of Santa! A boy and his father, poor and struggling. An opportunity to change their fortunes. The abusive guardian. A dangerous journey. Good deeds. Hope. Loss. All of these elements – and more – make up the fairy-tale-like beginnings of Father Christmas!

Origin story of Santa

Review

I really enjoyed this middle grade Christmas story. I definitely felt like I was reading a fairy tale. There’s even a Disney-esque quality to it where some amount of personal tragedy spurs the hero on his journey.

All of the classic Santa bits are here – elves, flying reindeer, gifts in stockings. But the author does a great job of doling them out in the service of the larger story. They aren’t just dumped in. (The reference to Rudolph was especially fun.)

The end of the book shifts focus from the story of Nikolas the boy to the quest of Nikolas the man to find his purpose. It almost feels like an extended epilogue or a bonus story. It feels different in tone from the larger story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

I think this would make a great seasonal read for families to enjoy together!

REVIEW: The Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A fantastic Christmas story! Lauren grew up in a string of foster homes. At 20, she longs for a family – for a place to be known, a place to belong. On a whim one night, Lauren takes a drive and ends up in a town named Grandon. Little by little, the town and its people start drawing her in. But a nice town and nice people may not be enough to overcome a lifetime of pain and disappointment….

Christmas story about hope

Review

Oh, how I adored this book! Even now, a month after finishing it, I remember all the things that made this a special holiday read! This might be my favorite Christmas story ever (after the original, of course!).

Lauren is a fantastic character. I hurt for her past and hoped with her for the future.

I enjoyed how different threads of the book slowly worked together – the girl with a heart defect, the grocery store bagger (my FAVORITE character), the parks and recreation manager, the waitress – all the pieces with potential to help Lauren’s dream come true.

This story begs for an epilogue. Just to see how everything works out.  Just to spend more time with these characters. I think this book would be a perfect story to read each year to kick off my holiday season. I love the theme of hope and the message that God is at work even when we don’t see it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

REVIEW: Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A Christmas romance perfect for the Hallmark Channel! Julia’s neighbor, Cain, is a Scrooge if there ever was one. Terse, grouchy, and no holiday spirit. Julia’s so frustrated, she wants to throttle him! Her friend suggests that she “kill him with kindness” instead. She’s supposed to be building a blog following as part of a job interview anyway. This kindness project could be just what she needs to get the job she wants and survive the holiday season with her grump of a neighbor!

Christmas romance by Debbie Macomber

Review

This is a Hallmark Channel movie wrapped in a book jacket. I could see the movie playing in my head as I read. Maybe Candace Cameron Bure could pay Julia!

This is a sweet, simple Christmas romance. A bit predictable – like those Hallmark movies where things unravel at the 90 minute mark and resolve 30 minutes later. But I enjoyed the characters. I liked how the kindness project worked on both of the leads. It was just what I look for in a Christmas read – a touching story with characters I enjoy. If you saw my post about new Christmas books that came out this year, this was one of the books I wanted to try. I’m glad I did.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥