(Image from Barnes & Noble)

What would you give to have a few more moments with a loved one who has passed?  What would you do for one more hug, one more conversation, one more chance to make things right?  At Ruby's Place—a family-friendly bar that was once the most elegant place in Sullivan, Missouri, and is being newly re-opened after being closed for decades—all those things are possible.  As crazy as it sounds, Ruby's has become a gathering place for Sullivan's restless spirits.  The ghosts are helping Angela, the new owner, bring the old restaurant to life again.  They all want the downhearted citizens of the small town to feel the magic of Christmas.  All they need to do is draw the right people inside.  A push here, a nudge there, and the ghosts of Christmas past will grant the impossible ...

Last year, Holly Schindler—a poet and novelist who pens books for all ages—published a novella called Ruby's Place.  It told a warm, sweet story about a special venue where people in small town Missouri used to flock on special occasions.  Christmas was an especially magical time there.  Over the years, as the economy changed, the restaurant/bar lost money and had to close.  Decades later, a woman stumbles upon Ruby's secret magic.  Helped by a bar full of ghosts, she determines to reopen the place that holds so many sparkling memories for her.  I Remember You picks up where the novella left off, chronicling Angela's journey to successfully bring back the magic of Ruby's Place.  Like the previous story, I Remember You is filled with warmth, humor, romance, and the tantalizing idea that the people we love who have died are never that far away—especially at Christmastime.  I love the premise as well as Schindler's ability to bring her setting and characters to vivid life.  If you're looking for a light, fun holiday read, you'll want to visit Sullivan for yourself.  You never know what's in store for you at Ruby's Place!

Ruby's Place and I Remember You are available for purchase at Amazon (e-books are only $1.99 right now) and Barnes & Noble.  You can also order signed copies of these titles and some of Schindler's other books at her Etsy store.

(Readalikes:  Ruby's Place by Holly Schindler)

Grade:

(Image from Amazon)

I haven't even put up my Halloween decorations yet, but I just finished a cozy Christmas read that put me right into the holiday spirit!  A Christmas Courting is a collection of four short Regency romances set at Yuletide.  Three popular LDS romance writers—Jennifer Moore, Chalon Linton, and Jen Geigle Johnson—are featured, as well as newcomer Heidi Kimball (her first novel, An Unlikely Courtship, came out in September).  

As you can imagine, the four short stories in this volume are warm, upbeat tales that offer the kind of swoony, light hearted entertainment you crave during the chaotic holiday season.  While I liked some of them better than others, all of the tales are clean, uplifting, and cheerful.  Some deal with more serious issues, but in the end, all the tales guarantee happy, satisfying endings:

Gardiner acknowledges the reality of busy, stressed-out families by encouraging each to do what works for them, when it works for them.  She emphasizes that Our Family Christmas is a collection of ideas, not a stringent program designed to make parents feel even more burdened during an already overwhelming season.  She does testify, however, that focusing on simple, Christ-centered activities like those suggested in the book during the Christmas season will bring families closer together while blessing them with a peaceful, more satisfying holiday experience. 

Beautifully illustrated with bright, whimsical Norman Rockwell (and Rockwell-ish) paintings, Our Family Christmas would make a lovely pre-holiday gift.  If you're already frazzled with Christmas anxiety, do yourself a favor and read through this lovely book.  The ideas within are reassuring in their simplicity.  Nothing elaborate is required in order to center your holiday more firmly on the things that really matter—honoring the Savior, generous service, family closeness, and spreading joy.  Our Family Christmas keeps it real with small, doable suggestions that can have a large, lasting impact on your family.  If you're wondering how to make your holiday more meaningful this year, start with giving this book a look-see.  At the very least, it will inspire you to remember the reason for the season.  

Readalikes:  Um, I can't think of anything.  Can you?

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Our Family Christmas from the generous folks at Covenant.  Thank you!

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Sixteen-year-old Dennis hates to see his mother so upset.  By taking extra shifts at the pharmacy where he works, he hopes to buy her a special present, something pretty just for her.  Dennis is unprepared for his father's harsh reaction to the gift, nor can he understand why his dad takes such exception to his youngest son.  

During a Christmas season like no other, the struggles of the Hayes Family put a serious damper on what should be the happiest time of year.  When they get alarming news from the front, they'll have to pull together to mend the cracks in their family's veneer.  Can they fix what's broken?  Or will Christmas 1944 be the ruin of them all?

As you can probably tell from the book's plot summary, Home and Away is not a cheesy, sentimental holiday story.  It's sweet, yes, but it has a lot more depth to it than you would expect.  The Hayes' are not a perfect family and, not surprisingly, they don't get a perfect ending.  Still, the novel is a hopeful one.  Tender and nostalgic, it captures the uncertainties of life, the realities of war, and the blessing of family, however imperfect it may be.  More realistic than many Christmas tales, Home and Away is a heartwarming historical tale that can be enjoyed any time of year (even in February).

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

As much as I love Christmastime, with all its beautiful carols, heartwarming holiday movies, and tales of forgiveness and hope, there's one thing I can't abide:  sap.  Okay, I can take a little.  Just not a lot.  I'm not saying I don't enjoy inspirational Christmas stories (I'm not that heartless!), but I don't like holiday novels (or any other kind) that try too hard to be touching.  Give me a subtle lesson, not a saccharine one, you know?  Because I'm sort of Scrooge-y like that, I gave Jason F. Wright's first Christmas novel, Christmas Jars, a scathing review, calling it "the kind of book that sacrifices good storytelling for sentimental sermonizing."  Harsh, but true.  

Although I vowed not to, I have read more of Wright's books over the years and I have to give the man credit—he's getting better.  His newest, The 13th Day of Christmas, shows how far he's come since Christmas Jars.  Is his latest a perfect novel?  Not by any means, but at least (some of) the characters have personality.  And, although it's thin, there is a plot.  Coincidence still plays a major role in the story, which is (alas) filled with sappy moments.  Still, I enjoyed the book much more than other novels of its type (like, say, Christmas Jars).  

The 13th Day of Christmas tells a riches-to-rags story about a family who's going through some hard times.  Financially, they're in trouble.  Emotionally, they're spent.  As a unit, they're struggling.  Looking for a chance to start over, the Alexanders move into a double wide at the 27 Homes trailer park in a town where no one knows them.  None of them are happy about their new situation, but 9-year-old Charlee decides to see what the neighborhood has to offer.  Her explorations lead her to Marva Ferguson, an 81-year-old widow who lives in a real house on the edge of the trailer park.  Charlee's drawn to the elderly woman, with her kind smile and gentle ways.  She's entranced by Marva's expansive apron collection as well as her charming Christmas house (which the widow begins decorating in October).  Marva loves Charlee's enthusiasm, her sweet innocence.  Before long, the two are inseparable.  

Then Charlee receives a shocking diagnosis (okay, it's cancer—it's always cancer in these kinds of stories).  Faced with not just the threat of a critical illness, but also with the bleak prospect of spending the Christmas season in the hospital, the girl's spirit sags.  Until, on December 12th, a mysterious gift appears.  An accompanying note promises Charlee more gifts and letters to celebrate the twelve days leading up to Christmas.  The child perks up as she tries to figure out who's sending the secret messages.  She'd suspect Marva, except the widow is having serious problems of her own ... 

So, yeah, the story's another exuberant-child-and-elderly-person-ease-each-other's-pain kind of thing, but at least it's got a little spunk.  The characters are likable, if not unique, and the whole 12 Days of Christmas thing is sort of fun.  It gets silly fast, but yeah ... once again, Wright is offering up one of his own family traditions and encouraging his readers to adopt it as their own.  Will it catch on like the Christmas Jars have? Only time will tell.  As far as the actual story goes, it was pretty much what I expected—predictable, sentimental, tearjerker-y, etc.  Once I looked past all that, though, I found The 13th Day of Christmas to be a quick, enjoyable read that really did help me get into the spirit of Christmas.  My verdict, then?  Holidays novels will never be my cup of cocoa, but in small amounts, I can tolerate them.  Maybe even enjoy them.  Who knew? 

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other holiday novels like Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright)

Grade:  C

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for very mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The 13th Day of Christmas from the generous folks at Shadow Mountain (a division of Deseret Book).  Thank you!

Another great thing about my Christmastime birthday is the traditions surrounding it.  I can't remember how old I had just turned (11, maybe?), but one year, my mom gave me a wonderful gift—she took me to see a professional production of The Nutcracker in Portland, Oregon.  I still remember how sophisticated I felt sitting in a plush theater seat, watching the ballet.  The magic of the performance just carried me away.  To commemorate the occasion, I was given my very first nutcracker (seen above).  My parents didn't have the money to take me to the ballet every year, but they did give me a nutcracker on all subsequent birthdays.  Still do, in fact.  And I carry on the tradition started by my mom by seeing The Nutcracker each December with my husband, my daughters, my sons, or whoever else will go with me.  It simply wouldn't feel like Christmas if I didn't—at the very least—place my collection of nutcrackers around my house.  They remind me of my childhood, my family, and all the happy memories I associate with both.  

Many people love The Nutcracker; now you know why I do, too :)

Considering my love for all things Nutcracker, I was thrilled when the folks at Crown Publishing Group offered me a new book on just this subject.  I knew it would be a perfect Christmas read for me.  And it was.  Sort of.  I had never thought much about where the story behind the ballet came from, but it was inspired by a "long short story" written by a German man named E.T.A. Hoffman in 1816.  A director of the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg adapted the story (using a French version written by Alexandre Dumas) for the stage in 1891.  Tchaikovsky then wrote the famous score.  The result is a narrative that bears little resemblance to Hoffman's original tale.  The aim of this new book, then, is to give modern readers the real story, the authentic story, the story that Hoffman gifted to the world, never knowing that, one day, it would be the inspiration for a beloved ballet known as The Nutcracker. 

If you ever thought the story of little Clara receiving a nutcracker from her creepy godfather was a little, well, strange, you're going to think it doubly so after reading Hoffman's version.  Because, let's face it—the story's a bit odd.  Translated from the German by Ralph Manheim (now deceased) and illustrated by the late Maurice Sendak (who also designed costumes and sets for the Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of The Nutcracker), the story told in Nutcracker goes a little something like this:  Seven-year-old Marie Stahlbaum (her doll is the one named Clara) and her siblings receive Christmas gifts from their godfather, a celebrated clockmaker who crafts elaborate toys for them every year.  Because these creations are so fragile, they're locked away in a glass cabinet so that the children cannot break them.  So, while the children are amazed by this year's offering—a magnificent castle with figures that walk and dance—they quickly lose interest, knowing it to be another look-don't-touch kind of present.  Then, Marie notices another of Drosselmeier's gifts—a nutcracker.  She loves the "droll little man" the moment she sees him and vows to care for him always.  Unwilling to leave him, Marie settles near the toy cabinet instead of going to bed as she's been told to do.  As the clock strikes midnight, the girl begins to hear noises.  First, she hears shuffling, giggling and squeaking.  Mice pour into the room, squeezing through every hole in the woodwork.  A battle between the hideous rodents and an army of toy soldiers, led by Marie's nutcracker, ensues.  

When Marie wakes up the next morning, she's sure she dreamed the whole thing.  Then, Godfather Drosselmeier tells her a tale about a beautiful princess, a cursed prince and the mouse monster who vows to bring them down.  Now she knows the truth: the battle wasn't a dream.  Or was it?

I'll tell you the truth right off:  I wasn't as charmed by Hoffman's story as I wanted to be.  It's unique to be sure, but it also struck me as ... well ... weird.  The stage version makes more sense to me.  Still, Sendak's illustrations lend the original version a whimsical air, even when the tale turns dark, as if often does.  I don't see kids actually reading this one, as it's not just scary, but also confusing.  I do, however, think Sendak's artwork will fascinate them with its bright, dreamlike interpretations of the text.  

So, overall, what did I think of Nutcracker?  Meh.  Even though I enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the story, I think I'll stick with the stage version.  To me, it's less confusing and more entertaining.  'Cause, you know, nothing says Christmas better than a soldier slaughtering a bunch of mice in front of a little girl and then taking her on a trip through a magical Wonderland, all of which turns out to be nothing more than a magical dream.  Well, it does to me, anyway.     

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:  C

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for violence and scary images

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Nutcracker from the generous folks at Crown Publishing Group.  Thank you!