Friday, December 7, 2012

Jolly Days of Reading

And now...
The Jolly Days of Reading
a special Hop with the clients of literary agent Linda S. Glaz, of Hartline Literary

December 7, the Day After St. Nick's...

I belong to two local book clubs because I need to keep my reading habits expanded beyond me...like, if given a choice, I'd probably just eat chocolate chip pancakes for the rest of my life (although there are a lot of things one can do with a pancake....) and need to read some classics and non-fiction instead of a steady diet of fiction that includes dragons.

So, in the month of December in each club we're reading a different holiday book.

Fannie Flagg's Redbird Christmas, and
Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child

The Snow Child is now out in paperback

I loved the Russian fable of the snow child, so I was excited to read The Snow Child, a story about Alaskan homesteaders in the 1920s who couldn't have children of their own, thier dreams and play, and the little girl, Faina, who shows up on their doorstep. It's new, published 2012 by Little, Brown, and Co.

And honestly, after I read it, this book is my favorite of the year. I read quite a lot...so that tells ya something. I don't generall recommend books, either: BUT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE.

Fannie Flagg has a different take on life, for sure...but we had a good discussion about her story, published 2004, about Oswald T. Campbell who leaves Chicago one winter after getting a stunning diagnosis, to head south to Lost River for what he believes will be his last Christmas. The book was sort of cute, probably set during the fifties, had nothing to do with Christmas and was rather two-dimensional. I liked it okay, don't get me wrong. It was okay to sit down and have someone tell me a story. There were not layers nor enchantment. It was just a little story.

Other favorites of mine include Charles Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol. I love all the different interpretations of it over the years on television and in the theater.

O Henry's Gift of the Magi is another one - irony, fable, warning...we're treating ourselves to a live performance of the play this year for our Christmas gift, to American Players Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

And finally, besides, of course, Luke's version of the birth in a stable, I think often of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Little Match Girl. I remember being absolutely horrified and weeping when I first read it as a little girl, and my mother having to comfort me, but now, I think of it fondly as a lesson in reality and comfort in knowing what comes after this life.


Enjoy a couple of chapters from The Map Quilt

Map Quilt 2 chapters


Merry Christmas!

Two of my books are on sale for the season for $2.99 each

http://tinyurl.com/kindlemeanderscar
http://tinyurl.com/kindlesummerinoakville

And my co-conspirator on A Summer in Oakville has a very, very sweet Christmas novella for .99:
Grudges Not Included

Visit these sites to learn about other favorites!

15 - Karla Akins http://envisionpublishing.tumblr.com
16
17
19 - Patty Wysong --http://www.pattywysong.com  
19 - Davalynn Spencer – http://www.davalynnspencer.blogspot.com
http://www.davalynnspencer.blogspot.com
 
20 - Tamara Lynn Kraft  - www.tamaralynnkraft.com

Posted by at
Labels: , ,

8 comments:

  1. Great Lakes RomancesDecember 7, 2012 at 7:01 AM

    Thanks for your list, Lisa. I'd wondered about THE SNOW CHILD, having seen it listed on goodreads. I just listened to the audio version of THE GIFT OF THE MAGI and we recently watched the DVD of A CHRISTMAS CAROL starring George C Scott. MRS. MIRACLE and CALL ME MRS. MIRACLE are two new favorites of ours for Christmas viewing.
    Merry Christmas to you and yours!
    Donna Winters

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lisa LickelDecember 7, 2012 at 7:31 AM

      Thanks, Donna! Glad you came by. You're an inspiration to me.

      Delete
  2. Linda GlazDecember 7, 2012 at 7:21 AM

    Oh, yeah. Almost forgot Gift of the Magi, one of my VERY favorites. And I love Gift of Love(though the acting and so much about it was horrible) the movie adaptation with Marie Osmond. Oh, that wig! Horrid! But the story still pulls me in and keeps me there. So sweet!. Yes, Donna, the Mrs. Miracle movies too. Sheesh, I guess there isn't a Cmas movie/book I don't like.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lisa LickelDecember 7, 2012 at 7:33 AM

      Yeah, confess to watching those ghastly mushy gushy way too old actor holiday channel movies too. Last year I even bought a tape with four of them on it...ug. Not enough romance will do that to a girl.

      Delete
  3. Davalyn SpencerDecember 7, 2012 at 10:17 AM

    Great suggestions, Lisa. Thanks for the reading tips. Here in Colorado we'd just settle for some snow this year - even without the girl!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lisa LickelDecember 7, 2012 at 11:38 AM

      I should have mentioned up front - Davalyn Spencer's endorsement is on the front of The Map Quilt...

      Delete
    2. Linda GlazDecember 9, 2012 at 5:59 PM

      Just bought Grudges, that will be my next read.

      Delete
    3. Lisa LickelDecember 9, 2012 at 6:07 PM

      Shell would make an awesome client

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)