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2016-19 Activities & Challenges
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2018 Fall Flurry of Holidays Challenge -- December Reviews and Discussion
Lady Osbaldestone and the Missing Christmas Carols by Stephanie Laurens - 4 starsI was intrigued by Theresa's review giving a Regency romance 5 stars, and after the disaster of the previous book I read decided to give hers a try. Except that when I went searching for the book I latched onto the first one I found with "Lady Osbaldestone" in the title, and only now that I'm writing this review did I realize I ended up with book 2!
But I don't care, because this book was delightful! I finished it in a day. And I will be reading book 1 next.
This being my first book by Stephanie Laurens, I was not familiar with any of the characters, who obviously starred in previous books. But I loved the character of Lady Osbaldestone, who just before Christmas welcomes her two grandsons and two granddaughters into her home to spend some time with her before the big family Christmas gathering. They get involved in the search for the church's missing book of Christmas carols, without which their new organist cannot perform for the annual traditional Carol Service. Along the way we have a romance on the side.
This was a fun read, exactly the kind of feel-good light Christmas read I was looking for. The characters were sensible and interesting, and the romance had a nice light touch and felt sincere. I'm not a big fan of romances, but I may check out other books by this author to get acquainted with the other characters introduced here in the background, after I finish book 1 of this series. And next year I hope to read book 3 when it comes out.
Lady Osbaldestone #2 - another fun read. Not quite up to the first one, but I’m still definitely in for 2020’s episode! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Lady Osbaldestone and the Missing Christmas Carols by Stephanie Laurens - 4 starsIn this 2nd charming addition to Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Chronicles, it is 1811 and we are back in Little Mosley at Christmas. Her grandchildren insisted on returning for the weeks prior to the holiday so that they could enjoy all the village's holiday traditions once again. Also joining them this year is their 14 year old cousin Melissa who is going through a very surly and awkward stage of adolescence. Of course she's been shipped off to grandma for that formidable lady to take her in hand and work miracles.
Alas! The village has misplaced its book of Christmas Carols, jeopardizing one of the highlights of the holiday season, the annual Carol Service at the church. Our intrepid band of cousins goes on the search, along the way helping foster a lovely romance between the somewhat mysterious church organist and a lovely visiting harpist, and leading to both a gain in confidence and the first gentle blush of sweet romance for Melissa.
This story is told mostly from the children's POV, and as a result is quite sweet - not even a hint of steamy sex! Some of the plot points are a stretch, but that's also part of the charm. I look forward to future visits to Little Mosley, Lady Osbaldestone and her grandchildren, and whatever drama disrupts the holidays.
I have a feeling that there will be a group of us reading the latest Lady O for this challenge every December!
Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose by Stephanie Laurens - 4 starsLady Osbaldestone has her three grandchildren (aged 9, 7 & 5) over for Christmas because their father has the mumps. Their rambunctious exploits have caused trouble in the small town so in an effort to keep them occupied, she enlists their help in finding out where the town's geese have disappeared to, an important undertaking as if they are not found, no one in town will have a goose for Christmas dinner. An inveterate matchmaker, she also recruits them in her attempt to throw the town recluse, Lord Longfellow, together with Miss Eugenia Fitzgibbon.
This Christmas adventure was a delightful read. The children were quite mature for their age (compared to today's kids!), learning quickly from their grandmother. The romance was sweet, with the wounded warrior and the strong, compassionate woman. The village people were all interesting characters, and the mystery of the geese plausible enough. I hope this series keeps going every year, though I wonder what will happen when the kids become too old to be cute. I imagine Lady O will have other grandchildren to keep her occupied every Christmas!
These Lady O books could be the most popular ones PBT has ever collectively read 😂
I read my 2nd Christmas Debbie Macomber and I didn't like this one as much, I need a break....Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Almost Midnight by Rainbow Rowell - 3.5 stars, rounded up.This is an illustrated collection of two of Rainbow Rowell's short stories. The first, "Midnights," is set on New Year's Eve and spans several years of best friends longing for each other and finally working up the moxie to do something about that midnight kiss. The other, "Kindred Spirits," is set in December and takes place in the lead-up to the release of The Force Awakens, with three enthusiastic fans forming the line outside the theatre several days before the movie comes out. I almost counted this for the geek read theme, but it feels a bit short for that.
Cute stories! I think I liked "Midnights" better just because it had more longing in it, and friends-to-something-more is one of my favorite tropes. The motif of a New Year's Eve kiss (or near kisses) was handled so poignantly and almost painfully. But "Kindred Spirits" was also adorable, and I kind of want to hand it to every Star-Wars-loving friend I know and go "look, isn't this precious?" It also handled fandom and people's different entry points to fandom well, with much less toxicity than its internet fandom presence has been known for.
Honestly, I think I'd enjoy a book full of Rainbow Rowell romance short stories. Two just isn't enough, which is the main reason this isn't a five-star read for me.
annapi wrote: "I have a feeling that there will be a group of us reading the latest Lady O for this challenge every December!"Sign me up! 😅
Theresa wrote: "annapi wrote: "I have a feeling that there will be a group of us reading the latest Lady O for this challenge every December!"Sign me up! 😅"
Me too!
Charlotte, two Macomber’s in a row is BOLD
Starry Night by Debbie Macomber 
3 stars
In Starry Night, Debbie Macomber has written a novel about people who are opposites and if they can have a successful relationship. Carrie Slayton is a journalist looking to write more meaningful stories. She is from Chicago and enjoys city life. She has been given the challenge of finding the author Finn Dalton. He has written a successful book about Alaska and its wilderness, but declines interviews so not much is know of him or his whereabouts. Carrie is able to track Finn down and they are surprised to find that they get along well.
Carey must decide if she should write the interview to better her career or if she should respect Finn’s privacy and not turn in the story. Starry Night is a fun and quick read. The book is a bit predictable, but setting it around Thanksgiving and Christmas gave it more of a storyline.
This is the second time I've read Classified Christmas Mission. It's a typical Mills & Boon Love Inspired story, pretty fluffy and easy to read. Amber, a CIA agent, becomes good friends with her informant, the wife of the usual nasty man the CIA is investigating. Said nasty man naturally kills his wife so Amber, who was posing as a nanny, takes six year old autistic Sam and runs for home. With help from an old crush and her own family Amber manages to defeat the bad guys etc etc. I hope it's not a spoiler to mention a happy ending since they all have a happy ending?Unfortunately, this time of reading I noticed a glaring plot hole which I'd missed first time around. After all, how many CIA agents would investigate someone for four years before doing an internet search on him to find out what he was up to?! Still, I do like these stories as long as they're not too preachy and this particular author also writes longer and better romantic suspense novels outside of this brand.
Also for the Christmas theme and for another group I've just read The Cricket on the Hearth. This is a surprisingly sweet short story and much easier to read than many of Dickens' books. The story is about John Peerybingle and his young wife Dot, Caleb Plummer and his blind daughter Bertha and the miserly Mr Tackleton and his betrothed, May. As usual, it's a tangle of relationships and misunderstandings which, with the help of the cricket, somehow come good in the end.
ShazM wrote: "This is the second time I've read Classified Christmas Mission. It's a typical Mills & Boon Love Inspired story, pretty fluffy and easy to read. Amber, a CIA agent, becomes good fri..."Nah, I don't think happy endings are spoilers on romance. It's a requirement of the genre! That does sound like a pretty gaping plot hole though...
I finished my Geek Reads book so I am moving on to reading TWO cheesy Christmas romance books at the same time--one on audio and one in print. I think I may be enjoying this too much....and just wait until finals are over at noon on Friday!
ShazM wrote: "This is the second time I've read Classified Christmas Mission. It's a typical Mills & Boon Love Inspired story, pretty fluffy and easy to read. Amber, a CIA agent, becomes good fri..."I read a lot of these Harlequin/Mills & Boon Love Inspired Suspense publications because frankly they are just about the only regular publishers of suspense written by women, and I really like suspense written by women. Plus as you say, most of the authors also publish outside the brand.
I just ignore the preachy additions to meet brand requirements :-).
Will add this to my list as it is right up my alley -- and I invite you to read my contribution to the "My Year In Books" discussion - #48 - I think you will chuckle.
KateNZ wrote: "Lady Osbaldestone #2 - another fun read. Not quite up to the first one, but I’m still definitely in for 2020’s episode..."Is that 2020 a guess or did you hear it from somewhere? I was hoping for another one in 2019!
annapi wrote: "KateNZ wrote: "Lady Osbaldestone #2 - another fun read. Not quite up to the first one, but I’m still definitely in for 2020’s episode..."Is that 2020 a guess or did you hear it from somewhere? I ..."
yes, there should be one in 2019...at least from her newsletter (yes, I'm on Laurens' email newsletter list. Laugh all you want. )
Season of Wonder by RaeAnne Thayne - 2.5 stars.This one was disappointing in many ways, although still a few aspects that charmed. One of the best is a return visit to Haven Point's Christmas festival with its boat parade on the lake. But oh RaeAnne! You let me down!
Dani is interning with the semi-retired vet in Haven Point, with the hope of buying the practice at the end. Dani, a struggling single mother with 2 daughters, a somewhat troubled yet appealing tween and a cute charming 6 year old, is terrified that this opportunity to provide a secure safe home in a welcoming community will be taken from her if Haven Point learns the dark secrets of her past.
This is where the book fell apart for me. Dani, her daughters, and their dog are cute and charming as can be. Even the tweenie who gets into trouble is a sweetie, and provides the opportunity for hunky Ruben, the local deputy, who lives next door and is the son of Dani's boss, to get closer to Dani, thus providing the requisite love interest. Ruben longs for a wife and family. He also has 2 cute dogs. Should all be smooth sailing, right? Lots of kisses and maybe even steamy sex.
But nooooooo! Dani has Trust Issues, and considers herself as incapable of making good choices where men are concerned. Then there's the closely guarded secret about her ex which if known will guaranty she and her daughters are run out of town! Dani spends until p. 155 of 215 page book internally hinting at these dark secrets and mistakes, cowering in fear and pushing Ruben away, before finally spilling it all then shutting the door is his face. Poor Ruben.
Of course it doesn't end there and I won't give it all away, but I found Dani's internal struggle irritating beyond belief, causing me to drag out finishing this. Sorry but any young woman who as a single mom with no resources who manages to put herself through college and vet school and land a cushy internship in a charming small town is not going to be such a wuss about a hunk like Ruben, or leaving her past behind!
Or maybe I am just cranky that an author I generally love has so disappointed me. Or maybe I need to get busy on my geek read, take a break from Christmas romances. Whatever, this one disappointed me. Not even adorable Mia or the dogs or even Cecil the oversized lop-ear rabbit with PTSD saved it.
Nooo!! I too am a fan of Thayne. I am still going to read this one but now with lowered expectations.
It took me 3 days to read it, and that could not all be the result of being busy.
A Christmas Carol by Charles DickensI aimed high, but realized I have too much on my plate, so decided to read this short novella instead...
Glad I finally read it. I think I prefer Dickens writing big thick tomes where he has million of characters and dozens of plot lines to sink my teeth in. Still. very xmas. and a good read.
There was a 13 year old reading this in a Christmas movie I was watching last night and it was a theme of discussion throughout. It piqued my interest because I have never thought to read it since I have seen SO many adaptations of it.
The Mistletoe Murder: and other stories - PD James3 1/2 stars
I liked this collection of short mystery stories. They were interesting and I appreciated twists that I did not see coming in a couple of the stories I felt a couple of the stories could have given us more insight into how the character figured everything else before the big reveal, but I realize this is not unusual in Christie style mysteries. I also wished that the holiday would have been more prevalent in the story. In most of them it was just an excuse to get everyone together in a big house. Overall, I liked the mysteries and I will definitely try one of the author's books featuring Adam Dalgliesh in the future.
Mr Dickens and His Carol, by Samantha Silva, 3.5 stars.Mr Dickens and His Carol is a fictional story (based on some facts) about Charles Dickens during the time he was writing A Christmas Carol. Dickens was under a lot of financial pressure that Fall. His latest book, Martin Chuzzlewit, wasn't selling well, and his publishers were pressuring him to write a Christmas book right away. His sixth child was just born, his wife was ordering things for an expensive Christmas party, his relatives and various charities were all asking him for money. The pressure was making him worried and miserly.
Dickens was used to being treated like a celebrity, and he seemed to think of himself as very charming and generous, but he did not come across as very likable at this time. His wife got fed up with his attitude and took the kids to Scotland, and he was alienating his friends. He was beginning to think and act a lot like Ebenezer Scrooge, and I think that was the basic premise of the book. How could he write a happy Christmas story in such a negative frame of mind? In order for him to write a story about a positive Christmas transformation, he would have to go through an emotional transformation himself.
I really liked the ending of the book, but some of the earlier parts were a real chore to read (I was ready to give it 2 stars for a while). I wish the author spent a little less time on the set up, and perhaps more on the final days. The actions leading up the end were somewhat confusing and rushed. Still, it was a satisfying ending with a surprise or two.
I liked the parallel between his experiences and the book he was writing, even small things like the disagreeable man Dickens met named Ebenezer. Silva included many delightful details and clever nods to A Christmas Carol. She showed that Dickens liked to have fun with names and wordplay. I don’t think this book would be as enjoyable to someone who wasn’t familiar with the story he wrote. I knew the story fairly well but I still wish I read the carol just before reading this book - to catch more details and warm me up for Silva's book. A Christmas Carol might have given me a jump-start on the Christmas spirit.
I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis, for the Great American Read group. It was recommended for December because much of the book takes place during winter, and "the real" Father Christmas makes an appearance. This was the perfect time to read the book. 3.5 stars, bumped up to 4 on the gr scale. (I wish we had a 10 point scale.)This is a delightful classic children's fantasy book. It was the first book published in the Chronicles of Narnia series of 7 books. I somehow missed this series growing up. I would have liked it more as a kid, but it was an enjoyable short read. There is a clear good versus evil theme. There are some Christian elements in the story, but they are subtle enough that the story can be enjoyed equally well by readers of any religion or atheists (in my opinion).
This story is very empowering for children. The youngest character Lucy is the heroine in my view (or one of them), and the children are able to do extraordinary things without human adults.
Theresa wrote: "For your Christmas reading pleasure:https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/19......"
1956! A very good year. Thanks!
Christmas in Cooperstown by David A. Kelly.
Just in the place we (my 8 year old son and I) are in the beloved series - we hit the Christmas inspired episode . Cousins Mike and Kate have visited every ballpark of all of the national teams, and in each one they have solved a mystery that was endemic to the teams history or to the features and aspects of the parks themselves and the teams they house. In this book, they are having a sleepover at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown where they live. (Of course). They come to realize that a famous baseball card has been stolen, and naturally, they solve the case. There are some values thrown in there too, for a very nice Christmas/holiday season like ending.
We are two books short of having read every single one of the Ballpark Mysteries... Some of these last ones weren't even written when the older kids were younger. Lately, we have a literary crush on David A. Kelly. We are working our way through the Andy and Tamika Series, which let me tell you is just darling. And he has a new MVP series out that we just ordered from the library. He has been one of our top favorite early authors. Thank you David - there's been a lot of joy with your books.
A winter solstice book without a single mention of other holidays. 
Once Upon a River -Setterfield
Another 5 star audio performance by Juliet Stevenson
5 stars
"Along the borders of this world lie others. There are places you can cross. This is one such place."
Crossing into the world of this book is like a river journey. The river is one version of the Victorian Thames. You step into a boat and step out at an inn, The Swan at Radcot. The Swan is the place to go if you want to hear good stories. This story is about a little girl who drowned and came to life again. Or did she? Who is she? So many stories flow around the mysterious little girl who is washed up by the river on the eve of the winter solstice.
I loved everything about this book. The setting is so richly described, I feel like I’ve been there. There are so many characters entangled in the mystery of the ‘little girl’, and every individual has a full personality and an interesting backstory. There’s an active community going about it’s business, tending crops, digging gravel, manning the barges, attending church. And always returning to The Swan for the gossip and the stories. Setterfield uses the regular drinkers at The Swan to add a bit of comic philosophy to the story. They are like Shakespearean jesters adding opinions about everything from Darwin’s theory of evolution to the importance of exact word choice in telling a good story. (“But you can’t say she was ‘haring’ up the river.” “Whyever not?” “Have you ever seen a hare rowing a boat?”)
I’m not sure I could pick a favorite character out of so many. I even like the empathetic pig. I appreciated that the female characters stepped out of traditional Victorian roles without seeming anachronistic. Margot manages The Swan. It’s been in her family for generations. Rita Sunday is the country nurse and midwife. She’s a single lady and educated, but they are used to her. This allows Rita pursue a scientific answer to the child’s survival. (There must be a rational explanation.) Many of the male characters are just as unconventional. Robert Armstrong, the prosperous black farmer, overcomes negative first impressions with his educated voice and his consummate polite kindness. Joe Bliss is too sickly to help much with managing the inn, but he brings the customers in with his expert storytelling. The itinerant photographer, Henry Daunt, illustrates the year from one solstice to the next, focusing his camera on all of the major players as the season changes.
Of course the story has its evil characters, and they are very, very evil. In addition to the mysterious little girl there are other vulnerable characters; Lily White, the parson’s emotionally unbalanced housekeeper; Jonathan, Margot and Joe’s Down Syndrome son; and two impoverished runaway children who contribute to the satisfying ending. It felt like a slow, tranquil story in some ways, but there’s plenty of drama; kidnap and murder, drowning and flood, birth and death. And there’s romance. Setterfield has written some of the best romantic passages I have ever read.
“Then he looked beyond the ever-shifting alteration to study the stillness of her expression. He knew his camera could not capture this - that some things were only truly seen by the human eye. This was one of the images of his lifetime. He simply exposed his retina and let love burn her flickering, shimmering, absorbed face onto his soul.”
Given the evil events of the plot and Rita’s scientific investigations, the book’s plot is well grounded in realism. But the constant storytelling culture of The Swan’s customers leaves room for touches of magic. Where is the reality and where is the story? This book isn’t a fantasy. It is historical fiction, but with that perfect grace note of myth that is magical realism.
“There must be more to stories than you think.
Very well described! I can't wait to read this one!
Lady Osbaldestone’s Christmas Goose -Laurens
Audio performance by Helen Lloyd
3 stars
Predictable easy listening. I enjoyed the setting and the mystery of the missing flock of geese. The love story was predictable, but it’s nice to have a happily-ever-after for a damaged veteran and a 29 year old spinster. The children perked up the story line a bit, although their behavior was not age-typical. (I’ve known many, many 5 years olds, but I don’t think the author has.) I’m really not complaining about this story. It was exactly what I expected it to be. I enjoyed it.
How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare3 stars
Ah, I knew my Christmas reading needed something. It was regency romance. Stories that always have a late-20s/early-30s rogue who (often times unwittingly) deflowers a woman in her early 20s.
The rogues, of course, are not virgins as they are men and are allowed to sleep around. And, the women are considered ruined in society's eyes even though she is usually dying to have sex and then it all turns out for the best because the man who ruined her offers to marry her out of a sense of duty, but really they fall in love and are perfect for each other.
The stories in this anthology are short and exactly what you would expect for a regency romance. Though, the shortness forces the authors to put in some situations that break every norm of the regency era in often funny and head-scratchingly ways.
In Meet Me in Mayfair by Tessa Dare, the rogue/virgin combo wander the streets of London until 5AM, stopping by men's clubs in order to get some food before passionately making out in a park. FIVE AM?!? That seems extreme.
In The Duke of Christmas Present by Sarah MacLean, I love that the rogue was actually a virgin as was the virgin when they decided to not be virgins anymore. They then slept together for YEARS without getting caught. Or, even more improbable, without getting pregnant. That may be the true Christmas miracle.
The setup in Heiress Alone by Sophie Jordan was definitely my favorite. The virgin falls and hits her head in the snow and is perilously cold and needs to be warmed up. The rogue gets her back to his manor, the housemaids get her underdressed and in a warm bed next to a warm fire, and THEN the rogue decides the only way to truly save her life is to get naked and crawl in bed with her. Hahahaha! Funny.
In Christmas in Central Park by Joanna Shupe, virgin homegirl just unabashedly wanted to get herself from from her rogue employer. But, apparently had to pretend to be married for that to actually happen....
All-in-all, entertaining short stories that fully embrace the eye-rolling regency themes but sets them against the backdrop of Christmas which makes them all more tolerable.
Jgrace wrote: "A winter solstice book without a single mention of other holidays. Once Upon a River -Setterfield
Another 5 star audio performance by Juliet Stevenson
5 st..."
Wow, this sounds great. I passed by this book before but now I really want to read it. I also really like Juliet Stevenson (going back to the film Truly Madly Deeply).
Jgrace wrote: "Lady Osbaldestone’s Christmas Goose -Laurens
Audio performance by Helen Lloyd
3 stars
Predictable easy listening. I enjoyed the setting a..."
Yay! Another Lady O fan!
I see these as fairy tales or fantasies -- just set in Regency England...
NancyJ wrote: "Jgrace wrote: "A winter solstice book without a single mention of other holidays. Once Upon a River -Setterfield
Another 5 star audio performance by Juliet..."
This sounds AWESOME! Now on my wish list...
From the description, I immediately thought of Chaucer's tales --- how this could be a contemporary version of Chaucer.
A Holiday by Gaslight by Mim Matthews - 3 starsUnder 200 pages, this is a very quick and rather charming Christmas romance set in England during the Victorian Era, right when Prince Albert dies (which throws the planned Christmas country house party into jeopardy). While a familiar trope is present - couple needing to marry in order to save an family impoverished by spendthrift irresponsible profligate parent - there are some refreshing twists, most of which I will not reveal because they are for sure what made this so charming a read last night.
Story opens with Sophie and Sharpe strolling together along the Serpentine as Sophie firmly and politely tells him that she does not believe they will suit and the courtship needs to end. The problem seems to be that Sharpe is too cold and remote -- Sophie just can't face someone so unresponsive across the breakfast table for the rest of her life. However, that of course is not the end, and we next see it all from Sharpe's POV, Sophie reconsiders, friends and family have their say, and voila, Sharpe remains on the list of invitees for the Christmas country house party planned by Sophie's parents to show off the ancestral pile and some improvements recently made.
Just who is or is not a virgin is not really dwelt on as there are only a few hot kisses exchanged - although I have my suspicions about the younger sister... Sorry NicoleR - I'm really letting you down with these tame choices in Christmas romances I'm reading!
A Will & a Way: A Holiday Romance by Nora Roberts - 3 starsGoodreads/Amazon are smart... they rebranded/retitled this 'A Holiday Romance' so I went with it for the fall flurry challenge since it's got the holiday theme and it's Nora Roberts.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Military K-9 Unit Christmas: Christmas Escape\Yuletide Target - 2 starsThese comprise the last volume of a Military K-9 suspense series that I pretty much panned, but these, because they are short, actually worked quite well - with reasonably believable dramatic life threatening situations, great trained K-9s, and are stand alone. Skip the rest of the series.
There are actually 2 novellas here. First is Valerie Hansen's Christmas Escape involves a Military K-9 Vet Tech Rachel who gets an emergency call to rush to her estranged sister's bedside after she has sustained life-ending injuries from her abusive partner, the father of her child. Within pages, Rachel has grabbed her 5 year old niece and with the help of her boss, spends the rest of the story evading the abusive boyfriend/father, falling in love with her boss (who has his own grief holding him back from relationships), the whole thing ending quite dramatically with a happy ever after for Rachel, her boss, and the little girl, and jail for the abusive boyfriend/father.
Second is Yuletide Target by Laura Scott - Senior Airman Jacey and her K-9 Greta are newly back stateside after serving in bomb detection in Afghanistan. She's back under a cloud because she brought sexual harassment charges against her superior in Afghanistan that he managed to turn against her, thus putting her career in jeopardy. Back stateside, Jacey believes she is being watched, followed and taunted, but when she files reports about missing items, she's perceived as a troublemaker and ignored. Story opens with Jacey being shoved in front of a truck, narrowly missing being killed. On the scene is Sean, newly assigned to the base MPs, and coincidentally a friend from high school. Sean of course believes her story, and as attempts on her life escalate, romance blossoms. Ultimately Jacey gets redemption, shows just how effective a weapon a cast iron skillet can be, and finds true love, but not before a whole lot of further efforts to kill her.
These are all part of a specific subgenre that have little more than a relatively chaste kiss, and include references to faith and going to church (which I just skip over - it's usually very limited mentions anyway), but the suspense themes are usually quite serious, with the women holding their own against evil -- and the trained K-9 series are particularly appealing to me -- I've learned a lot about military, police and search and rescue dog training!
Sounds like y'all are enjoying many wonderful Christmas stories, but unfortunately I think I will have to abandon my Mrs. Miracle. It is just too saccharine for me ... even though I love to watch them on Hallmark and Lifetime this time of year, just don't like to read them.
Meli wrote: "Sounds like y'all are enjoying many wonderful Christmas stories, but unfortunately I think I will have to abandon my Mrs. Miracle. It is just too saccharine for me ... even though I love to watch t..."I'm the same way, with Hallmark type movies (also sci-fi and some others). I can tolerate many stories in movies that I wouldn't tolerate in a book. Perhaps it's because of the reduced time commitment, or because the visuals or acting make up for problems with the story.
I loved the movie Baby Driver, but I wouldn't have read the book.
Theresa wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Jgrace wrote: "A winter solstice book without a single mention of other holidays. Once Upon a River -Setterfield
Another 5 star audio perfor..."
I didn't think of that. There are some outsiders who come to the inn. They even have a room called 'the pilgrim's room' where the injured are accommodated on the first night. But, most of the book is a village story. The main characters are all neighbors.
Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose by Stephanie Laurens4 stars
Awww, this was just a feel good Christmas story!
Set in a small town in the early 1800s, Lady Osbaldestone is watching her three young grandkids for a few days before Christmas. But what will she do to keep them entertained? A flock of missing geese, a newly returned war hero who is a recluse, a little match-making for the "spinster" 29-year old woman, and participating in all of the cheesy small town Christmas celebrations should be enough!
Yes, the kids are too precocious. Yes, the story is dripping with stereotypes and cliches. Yes, you can see each development coming from a mile away. And yet....it was heart-warming. It was about friendship and community and opening yourself up to new people and places.
Dang, I am going to have to look for the other books in this series as well.
Nicole R wrote: "Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose by Stephanie Laurens4 stars
Awww, this was just a feel good Christmas story!
Set in a small town in the early 1800s, Lady Osbal..."
YES! I score another one for Lady O!
NancyJ wrote: "Meli wrote: "Sounds like y'all are enjoying many wonderful Christmas stories, but unfortunately I think I will have to abandon my Mrs. Miracle. It is just too saccharine for me ... even though I lo..."I didn't realize Baby Driver was a book.. I also enjoyed the movie.
Driver (with Ryan Goesling) was also a book, loved the movie, not sure I would read the book though.
Theresa wrote: "YES! I score another one for Lady O!."It may end up being the most read book on PBT this year! lol
Home for Christmas by Nora RobertsAnother quick Christmas Nora read, review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
A Town Called Christmas - Carrie Alexander - 3 starsLt Cmdr Mike Kavanaugh goes home with fellow Navy pilot Nicky York for Nicky's family Christmas in his home town of Christmas, MI. There he meets Nicky's pregnant sister, Merry and is strongly attracted before he finds out about the pregnancy. During the week long visit there is a lot of push and pull between the two and the question of can he commit after only a week. I found this story very unrealistic although I enjoyed the family traditions, the Christmas experiences portrayed, and most of the family interplay.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
A Season to Celebrate (other topics)The Winter Palace (other topics)
A Christmas Carol (other topics)
Robinson Crusoe (other topics)
Mr. Timothy (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Fern Michaels (other topics)Eva Stachniak (other topics)
Georgette Heyer (other topics)
Heather Horrocks (other topics)
Barbara Shook Hazen (other topics)
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4 stars
...
Compete with Jesus paining on the wall .."
Probably my favorite typos of the year ... ..."
Hahahaha! I missed that, too!