I love when a Christmas story focuses on the “true meaning” of Christmas. In The Christmas Blanket, we follow a young boy, EJ, as he learns that loving those around you is more important that gifts.
I thought this story was great! My daughter enjoyed it, and it is one that we’ll read again and again each holiday season. The illustrations were beautiful and fun to look at. They are colorful and really quite stunning!
Continue reading “The Christmas Blanket by Ed Damiano”
When we take all of our ornaments out each year, we have lovely memories of them. They are each special and bring something unique to our tree. In The Living Christmas Tree the special ornaments are more than a little special. They come to life at night!
This is a great Christmas story that brings personality and fun to the ornaments on the tree. My daughter enjoyed seeing what kind of trouble the ornaments got into, how they played and spoke to each other, and how they kept their secrets from the family.
Continue reading “The Living Christmas Tree by Kristin Sponaugle”
Oh my goodness, I just loved this one!! Right from the start, I enjoyed the characters. I loved Ivy, our MC. She’s a fast-moving city girl that spontaneously buys a run-down farm house, sight unseen! What?? I loved this! I kept being like, I can’t believe you didn’t go see the house, and so many characters have the same response. Now, of course, that’s an important part of the story, as we get so many surprises…delightful and not so delightful…because of her choice.
Continue reading “The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews”
Slothy Claus has instantly become a family favorite, and a book we will read over and over again! Christmas time has kids and adults alike excited and impatient for the big day to get here. We can FINALLY open our gifts and play! But what happens when Santa is a sloth? The speed and timing of delivering gifts is maybe not so fast. When Slothy Claus doesn’t make it to homes on Christmas Eve, families find the true meaning of Christmas.
Continue reading “Slothy Claus by Jodie Shepherd”
Night Night, Angel! is a short board book perfect for reading to children through preschool. This is a Christmas themed story with a strong focus on the Christianity of Christmas. It has beautiful illustrations that are fun for little ones to look at while enjoying listening to the story.
Continue reading “Night Night, Angel by Amy Parker”
This is such an interesting, and new view of the birth of Jesus story! My kids and I absolutely loved it, and it’s going to be a part of our annual Christmas book traditions now!
Amal is the a camel without a big hump. All the camels talk and make fun because he won’t ever be able to go on the long trips that the camels go on. He doesn’t have a hump large enough to hold all the water they need! When Amal is called to duty to be part of a caravan with three men baring gifts for a new baby, he and the other camels learn a valuable lesson about how the camel body really works as well as how important a small camel can be!
Continue reading “Amal the Thirsty Gamal by Robert A. Schorr”
This version of the Oliver the Ornament came in a wonderful gift box with a special Oliver ornament! It was such an exciting surprise, and the kids were so excited to open the gift box and see the ornament and book!
This was a lovely story about the origin of ornaments as well as one family’s journey from the beginning of their family formation. I especially loved the story’s focus on the value of older things and that something isn’t worthless because it’s not new. Having the ornament hang on our tree is a great reminder to our children of the message in this story!
Continue reading “Oliver the Ornament by Todd M. Zimmermann”
This Christmas is different than any of our children have experienced so far. There are so many questions that I know my children have about how Santa is going to make it to our home. Is he quarantined too? Will he have a mask? How will he keep from getting sick? Things that while I can say, yes, yes, it will all be fine, reading a book about it seems to help them feel better!
Will Santa Stop Here? was the perfect book to help alleviate my kiddos’ fears. The story features a little girl questioning how Santa is going to make it to her house this pandemic Christmas Eve. While her mother assures her, she still wonders. But then, she hears something, and creeping downstairs she gets to experience how Santa and his elves are handling their very important job of delivering gifts.
Continue reading “Will Santa Stop Here? by Christy Garnhart”
My family and I schedule an evening in December every year where we drive around and enjoy everyone’s Christmas lights and outdoor decorations. It has been a tradition for years and it is one I hope to continue for a long time. Reading this book got me excited to head out this December and enjoy the lights! I thought this was a wonderful celebration of the joy we all find in looking at holiday lights.
Christmas Lights! Christmas Lights! is an easy-to-read story with children taking them on a Christmas lights adventure. Each page introduces a new spectacular lights display to enjoy looking!
Continue reading “Christmas Lights! Christmas Lights! by “Aunt Sandy” (Sandra Hanson)”
There is a note at the end of this book where the author talks about how as a child, there were not holiday stories that showed children of the same color as her. So as an adult, she wrote one. I cried reading this. What a beautiful offering to the children of our world!
In the Nick of Time is a Christmas story about a boy that doesn’t quite understand how good of a life he has. He’s not aware of the hardships some others in his school are living through. And then, Nick Saint accidentally gets mail for Saint Nick. This letter opens his eyes and his heart, taking him on a last minute rush to save Christmas for another student in his school.
Continue reading “In the Nick of Time by Deedee Cummings”
I could not have loved this book more. Seriously, go buy this right now if you love Christmas and romance! The characters were amazing, the feel-good Christmas spirit was everywhere, and I’m honestly ready to start the holiday season immediately. This one put me into the holiday mood.
Successful romance author Riley Reynolds is not a grinch, but after the loss of her father as a child, her and her mother, chose Hawaii every year over celebrating Christmas. After a fabulous string of book releases, Riley has a book bomb, and her publisher is giving her one chance to make it right. She has to write a Christmas-themed romance novel. Her publicist creates a Christmas Camp idea hosted by Luke, who is trying to sell his family’s Christmas cottage resort, and Riley will be the Miss Christmas host. Fans of her books will be coming to the cottage to spend a Christmas weekend with Riley while she comes up with new ideas for her book. With her secret ignorance of holiday traditions, and a mistaken interview comment that makes three of her ex-boyfriends think they are “the one that got away”, Riley has her hands full at Christmas Camp. Her exes have all shown up to reignite that romantic spark, and she must balance them, as well as her fans during her Christmas Camp experience. All while trying to create the perfect book.
Continue reading “Christmas Ever After by Karen Schaler”
What I Loved:
Ahhh! I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have NEVER read a Christmas themed book at Christmas time, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read this book right before Christmas! This is the second book I have read by Holly Schindler and I am so impressed with her writing. She has a way of just drawing the reader in quickly and completely. It’s wonderful and I cannot wait to read more of her work!
How I Felt:
Christmas at Ruby’s was a quick read at just 106 pages, but I would have read so many more about this story…and guess what, I can. This is a series! I’m excited to read more about this cast of characters and Ruby’s Place.
While we get to meet a variety of characters in Christmas at Ruby’s the story is focused on Angela. As a child her favorite times were when her Aunt would take her to Ruby’s Place. Holly Schindler’s descriptions of this are fabulous. The way she wrote about Angela’s memories of Ruby’s, I could see everything happening through Angela’s eyes.
To Read or Not To Read:
Christmas at Ruby’s is perfect for readers that are looking for a little bit of Christmas magic. It is a quick read that introduces you to the characters and the backstory for the series. I highly recommend this book!
Where To Find This Book:
Amazon * Amazon Kindle * Goodreads
As a child, Angela would look forward to the nights her Aunt would take her to Ruby’s Place. Angela’s memories of Ruby’s are filled with wonder and awe, friendships and fun.
As a woman now in her 50’s, she still remembers those dinner dates with her Aunt with such love and nostalgia. Walking down the sidewalk, she is thinking how the world has changed during those decades. People don’t have the same friendliness and relationships they once used to. We are living in a more throw-away world, where friends lose touch and places are forgotten. Ruby’s Place is one of those places. Closed for decades now, the building is in a poor state and has yet to have an owner bring any life back into the place.
As Angela walks down the sidewalk with these thoughts, a man bumps into her and she happens to fall onto the stoop of Ruby’s Place, knocking the lock on the door loose. With fond memories floating through her head, she steps through the threshold into the empty building. The building isn’t empty though . . .Christmas Spirit fills the air, and maybe some Christmas Spirits too…
A story of Angela finding a way forward during one lonely Christmas. It’s a path that will lead to the second part of her life, just like her Aunt.
I received a copy of this advanced reader’s copy for free. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
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She Just Loves Books 