It's that time of year when I begin thinking of Christmas books. After I finish my current book, I'm going to do just holiday reading until the end of December. The books in this photo are the ones I am going to focus on. Two will be rereads - Dave Barry's The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog which I wrote about in the very early days of the blog, and The Story of Holly & Ivy by Rumer Godden and illustrated by Barbara Cooney, a favorite which I read every year to the kids when they were little.
A few are new-to-me books which I haven't read yet - Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl Buck, Comfort & Joy by India Knight, The Night Before Christmas by Alice Taylor, Christmas on the Farm, A Collection of Favorite Recipes, Stories, Gift Ideas, and Decorating Tips from The Farmer's Wife a gift from my friend Les, All Aboard for Christmas by Christopher Jennison which I bought for Tom ages ago, and neither of us has read yet, and a book that isn't strictly about Christmas but features the holiday, Winter - Five Windows on the Season by Adam Gopnik which I'll be reading for the Canadian Book Challenge because even though the author was born in the US, he was raised in Canada.
The last book is one I've had for a long time but have read only snippets from it - Robert Benchley's A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas. Benchley is one of my favorite people both as a writer and an actor. If you don't know him, you may go to YouTube and type in his name to see examples of his work in the movies.
Addendum - some people have mentioned that it is a little early for them to begin with Christmas books, but I'm quite a slow reader and if I wait till after Thanksgiving to begin my Christmas reading, I won't get much done. :<)
Addendum 2 - I gave up on Comfort & Joy. Though it is well-written, and though I really enjoyed her book, My Life on a Plate, I found I just wasn't that interested in the subject.
Also, I added a book to my collection called Happy Times in Norway by Sigrid Undset.
I also begin reading Christmas books in November. The only one you wrote about here that I've read is Rumer Godden's. I passed it along to my son who now has a daughter. By next year she should love to hear it read.
ReplyDeleteI have my stack of Christmas books sitting right here! I got them out yesterday to get ready for the season. I can't wait!
Happy reading,
Dewena
I can't believe you just got yours out yesterday! Great minds. :<) I hope you write about them.
DeleteLove your header photo. It really made me smile. We got a new dog...you will have to pop by my blog when you get a chance. :) This too makes me smile. It's that time of year...
ReplyDeleteYeah, first Esther got out. Well, she is always out, isn't she? And the next thing we knew there was Nebby. There was a gap in the fence and she took full advantage of it. And then they both decided to take a little walk over to the house. Never a dull moment around here. :<)
DeleteI just stopped by and saw Annie. Lovely. And I'm so happy for you.
Bit early for me - I belong to a bbok forum and first we have Halloween (ghost, mystery, etc), then we will move on to Remembrance reads for 11 November (anything around WW1 or WW2, not necessarily about the fighting). By the time I get to Christmas I will have sorted out a read for that! Good luck with the holiday reading!
ReplyDeleteI do understand. I think I enjoy the anticipation, and as I noted in the addendum, I am a slow reader and wouldn't get much read if I began in December. It would be fun to read holiday books with a group like that.
DeleteThe Story of Holly & Ivy is one I'll have to look for! I love Barbara Cooney's illustrations.
ReplyDeleteGreat header, my dear! Thanks for the chuckle. :)
It's a very, very special book.
DeleteOh Nan! I'm not quite ready to start thinking about Christmas, but I will save this post as unread for when I get ready! I am reading or re-reading through Dickens and I did download "A Christmas Carol" to my Kindle (that's a definite re-read as we used to read it every Holiday season to the kids (as my dad did for us when I was a child). But as you know I don't have many "real" books with me any more (I'm sure my daughter has that one). Most of the books you mention here are completely new to me, so it will be a fun adventure to pick a couple to get me in a Holiday mood!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many wonderful Christmas books. If interested, there are some I've noted here in my letters in the tab under the blog header.
DeleteToo early for me, but sometime around Thanksgiving will be perfect. Several of the ones you mention are new to me -- and now I am curious.
ReplyDeleteNew to me, too!
DeleteI want to read some Christmas themed mysteries and novels this year, but not sure when I will start. And I will see if I can find some Christmas children's books in our collection, since I have been wanting to re-read some children's books also.
ReplyDeleteThere are some wonderful children's books. I've written about a few here - if you want you could click on the Christmas books tab under blog header photo.
DeleteThe Rumer Godden book looks like one I'd love; when I was a kid, one of my favourite books (re-read several times) was "The Doll's House". I think shall go and look for that on my kindle, for the sake of nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteThere is one Christmas-themed paperback on my TBR pile, it was given to me in July by my mother-in-law, and I'm going to start on it probably in a week or two. There are also several Christmas books on my kindle which will be good company for those almost-daily train rides to and from work. It is, after all, less than two months away!
I'll check into The Doll's House. I'll be interested to read about your choices.
DeleteTom getting a little lazy with the weed whacker? Looks like a goat and a donkey doing his job.
ReplyDeleteWe laughed so much when we read this. :<)
DeleteI am so predictable at this time of year when it comes to reading! So often, I re-read my way through my Louisa May Alcott collection. I have already read An Old Fashioned Girl and am settling into Eight Cousins (I think it is my favorite of LMA's books - the house in the book is so fantastic!) Loved getting a glimpse of your feast of holiday reading!
ReplyDeleteI do like Eight Cousins!
DeleteCanadian Thanksgiving is over and November is the perfect month to begin cosy Christmas reading! You're going to love Christmas Day in the Morning - what a sweet story. The Story of Holly and Ivy is one of my favourite Christmas books. I'll have to check out your other suggestions. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLove your header!
I look forward to CDitM. I have one other book by her I haven't read yet.
DeleteOh, I must read The Story of Holly and Ivy as I love both author and illustrator. Have you ever read Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney?
ReplyDeleteI have the same edition of Christmas Day in the Morning, Nan. I go back to it each year, a little closer to Christmas. It is never to early to start reading Christmas. Enjoy.
Yes, to the kids, and how we all loved it. A perfect book.
DeleteOh, how I love Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl Buck. I have the same edition and read it to my children every year. Brings back wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteDebbie Z.
I look forward to it. Thanks for stopping by.
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