Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi, #1.5 in Shatter Me series
I assume that Mafi wrote this novella to make the reader more sympathetic toward Warner, but it didn't work at all, at least for me. While it offered some more specific details about Warner's life and background, they all fit into the framework established in Shatter Me (which... good, in a way), so there wasn't anything that really made me like him better. And listening to his thoughts, in his own voice, about Juliette and about the civilians in his control made me less sympathetic to him, rather than more. As is the case in too many love triangles, he sees Juliette as a prize to be won rather than a person with agency, and he goes on and on about how painful her pain is to him. Um, probably pretty painful to her, too, dude. Way to make it all about you.
That said, it's always nice to get more information about a fictional world, and I'm still interested enough in general to read the next book. But this one made me firmly Team Anyone But Warner, and I think that was the opposite of the author's intention.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Felicity Reads: Reconstructing Amelia
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
This is Gossip Girl meets murder mystery - after her daughter Amelia dies, Kate tries to uncover the secrets and scandals going on at her daughter's exclusive private school. McCreight did a very good job of using blog entries, text messages, Facebook posts, etc. to show the kids' interactions, but the timeline jumped around a bit too much - there were at least three different periods of time when things were taking place, and the scenes within each of those were presented non-chronologically, so it was something of a chore to keep it all straight. And while this was certainly a page-turner, some of the plot "twists" were very predictable, while others were never sufficiently explained or felt unearned. But the two main characters (mother and daughter) were well-developed, and it was a mostly enjoyable read overall.
(I also have to mention that the book was rife with typos, especially misspellings of a character's name and mistakes with your/you're usage. I do NOT blame the author, but I expect/hope major publishers like HarperCollins use decent copy editors. I know a few things always slip through, but when it's frequent enough that it distracts the reader, it's a problem.)
This is Gossip Girl meets murder mystery - after her daughter Amelia dies, Kate tries to uncover the secrets and scandals going on at her daughter's exclusive private school. McCreight did a very good job of using blog entries, text messages, Facebook posts, etc. to show the kids' interactions, but the timeline jumped around a bit too much - there were at least three different periods of time when things were taking place, and the scenes within each of those were presented non-chronologically, so it was something of a chore to keep it all straight. And while this was certainly a page-turner, some of the plot "twists" were very predictable, while others were never sufficiently explained or felt unearned. But the two main characters (mother and daughter) were well-developed, and it was a mostly enjoyable read overall.
(I also have to mention that the book was rife with typos, especially misspellings of a character's name and mistakes with your/you're usage. I do NOT blame the author, but I expect/hope major publishers like HarperCollins use decent copy editors. I know a few things always slip through, but when it's frequent enough that it distracts the reader, it's a problem.)
Felicity Reads: Whiskey Beach
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore—and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home… A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of — but never arrested for — the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife. He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though. Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist, Abra is a woman of many talents — including helping Eli take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries — one that has ensnared a man intent on reaping the rewards of destroying Eli Landon once and for all...
Like most of Roberts's hardcover standalones, this was romantic suspense, and while the mystery itself wasn't my favorite, other aspects of the novel more than made up for it. I loved the setting (a small Massachusetts beach town), the characters (including the supporting characters, which are one of Roberts's particular strengths), and the way the romance developed - Roberts is one of the few romance authors I can think of who usually lets things develop naturally and has her characters deal with problems as they come up, which is so much more pleasant to read than the contrived Big Misunderstanding many romance authors use to keep their leads apart until the end. She's also very good at extended families (both blood and made) and creating a sense of place, and I'm ready to go pack my bags for a stay with the Landons at Bluff House, please.
For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore—and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home… A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of — but never arrested for — the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife. He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though. Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist, Abra is a woman of many talents — including helping Eli take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries — one that has ensnared a man intent on reaping the rewards of destroying Eli Landon once and for all...
Like most of Roberts's hardcover standalones, this was romantic suspense, and while the mystery itself wasn't my favorite, other aspects of the novel more than made up for it. I loved the setting (a small Massachusetts beach town), the characters (including the supporting characters, which are one of Roberts's particular strengths), and the way the romance developed - Roberts is one of the few romance authors I can think of who usually lets things develop naturally and has her characters deal with problems as they come up, which is so much more pleasant to read than the contrived Big Misunderstanding many romance authors use to keep their leads apart until the end. She's also very good at extended families (both blood and made) and creating a sense of place, and I'm ready to go pack my bags for a stay with the Landons at Bluff House, please.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Felicity Reads: Silent on the Moor
Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn, book three in the Lady Julia mysteries
In Grimsgrave Hall, enigmatic Nicholas Brisbane has inherited a ruined estate, replete with uncanny tenants and one unwanted houseguest: Lady Julia Grey. Despite his admonitions to stay away, Lady Julia arrives in Yorkshire to find Brisbane as remote and maddeningly attractive as ever. Cloistered together, they share the moldering house with the proud but impoverished remnants of an ancient family: the sort that keeps their bloodline pure and their secrets close.
Young widowed Lady Julia Grey and her sometime friend and partner Nicholas Brisbane are back for a third installment, this one set in Yorkshire. I love this series and these characters in general, and this third installment had the added delight of all the trappings of a traditional gothic - a decaying manor, a mysterious aristocratic family, secrets and murder and various mayhem.
Highly recommended, but start with the first book in the series, Silent in the Grave - the mysteries mostly stand alone in this series, but trust me, you want to see the relationships develop.
In Grimsgrave Hall, enigmatic Nicholas Brisbane has inherited a ruined estate, replete with uncanny tenants and one unwanted houseguest: Lady Julia Grey. Despite his admonitions to stay away, Lady Julia arrives in Yorkshire to find Brisbane as remote and maddeningly attractive as ever. Cloistered together, they share the moldering house with the proud but impoverished remnants of an ancient family: the sort that keeps their bloodline pure and their secrets close.
Young widowed Lady Julia Grey and her sometime friend and partner Nicholas Brisbane are back for a third installment, this one set in Yorkshire. I love this series and these characters in general, and this third installment had the added delight of all the trappings of a traditional gothic - a decaying manor, a mysterious aristocratic family, secrets and murder and various mayhem.
Highly recommended, but start with the first book in the series, Silent in the Grave - the mysteries mostly stand alone in this series, but trust me, you want to see the relationships develop.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
On Coliloquy & Its First Books
Hello! You may or may not have heard of Coliloquy, a publishing company that launched earlier this month and has its own Kindle-specific platform focusing on what they call "active fiction," which means that at various points in the story the reader is asked to choose between two or more options. (Example: The doorbell rang. Was it Hot Guy 1, Hot Guy 2, or Hot Guy 3?) Sort of like those old choose your own adventure books. They kindly sent me a Kindle so I could check out their platform and initial offerings.
Disclaimer: They sent me a Kindle! Obviously I am not going to claim that that doesn't give me some fuzzy feelings toward them. But I have done my best to not let that affect my feelings about the books, and the gift of the Kindle was absolutely not contingent upon giving them a good review, or any review at all.
So! My thoughts...
On Kindle reading in general:
This was the first time I read on a Kindle, and I liked it better than I expected! I'm not philosophically against ebooks or anything, but I just don't tend to find the experience as enjoyable. (I've read ebooks on my iPad and laptop before.) But reading on the Kindle was really not bad. I'm still not going to switch over any time soon, but it's fine and I've been using it for some library books, ebook only books, and NetGalley.
On the Coliloquy format:
Honestly, my feelings are mixed. I guess I concluded that they do a good job of what they set out to do, but it's just not my kind of thing. It's not them, it's me! Really! The way it works is that when you get to the decision points in the story, you get options presented on your screen, and you use your Kindle controls to pick which path to take. Afterward, if you want, you can go back to any of the points and pick other options and see how it affects the story. At least in these first four books, the choices don't make huge differences to the outcome of the story, which makes sense because that would make way more writing for the author. But it's definitely fun to see how your preferences affect things! Also, the author and publisher get information about how many people picked which option, which is an unprecedented amount of feedback for specific issues within a story, and it would be interesting to hear from the authors later about how that data affected their writing of the later books in the series.
My issue was really just that I'm the kind of person who feels compelled to read a book from cover to cover, so I wound up spending a lot of time going backwards and forwards making sure I had read every possible option. You totally don't have to do this. I'm just insane. But a lot of people I know will LOVE this format, so if it sounds appealing, definitely give it a try! Personally, I'll probably read this kind of book occasionally as a novelty, or when authors I like use the format, but I won't be clamoring for everyone to switch over.
Now, the books! Actually, first, a note: All the books could have used a decent copy editor. I'm hoping that this was because I had review versions and the finished versions are cleaner, but I felt like I should mention just in case.
Okay, the books:
Witch's Brew by Heidi R. Kling: Lily and Logan are a teenage witch and warlock - but all their lives, they've been taught to hate each other. Now the big battle they've both been training for is approaching, but when they meet, they realize that their respective authority figures haven't been exactly truthful and start unraveling the mysteries of what's actually going on. Oh, and, of course, they fall in love, even though they don't quite trust each other. The forbidden romance is very swoony, and Kling is particularly strong when writing about high school social situations and the complicated friendships between teen girls. The magic was very nature-based, and I wished there had been more information on exactly how the magic system works in this universe, but perhaps that will come in later books. I would particularly recommend this one to fans of L.J. Smith.
(Disclaimer: Heidi and I know each other a little, and she's the one who asked Coliloquy to send me review copies.)
Arcania by Liz Maverick: Adia is from a magical family but has no magic herself, so she's trying to live more or less a normal life and take care of her little sisters - until her magical twin dies and Adia inherits her abilities. She's sent to a sort of boarding school for training, and she has to try to catch up with the others her age while figuring out all the interpersonal politics among her peers. The training is especially tense because of a war between Adia's people and a different magical people, and some of the "practice" situations are seriously dangerous, and it's all actually pretty terrifying. (Also: I'm a wimp.) At various points, this reminded me of both Divergent and the Vampire Academy series, so if you like either of those, you might want to try this.
Getting Dumped by Tawna Fenske: This is the one non-YA in this set of titles: it's an adult contemporary romance about a woman who loses her office job and takes a job driving equipment at the landfill, which causes her to rethink her relationships and a lot of things about herself. There are quirky coworkers, hot guys, and even a sort of movie not-quite-star. If that's not enough, she gets caught up in a mystery involving counterfeit purses; the mystery is better-done than many mystery subplots in romances, so that was a nice surprise. This was a quick, fun read, but it ended with a little too much of a cliffhanger for me, so be forewarned if that sort of thing bothers you.
Dead Letter Office by Kira Snyder: This is a YA southern Gothic mystery ghost story, and it was my favorite of these four books. When Celia's father dies, she and her mother go to live with her father's family in New Orleans, where Celia has to learn to fit in with the complicated social structure of old New Orleans families - and deal with the fact that ghosts are suddenly asking her for help. The world is extremely well-constructed, and Celia and the supporting characters were nicely complex. There are a few different love interests, and I got why Celia liked each one and couldn't decide which I wanted her to be with, so that was refreshing. And the ending definitely left things open for many more stories but wasn't too much of a cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to more of this series.
Disclaimer: They sent me a Kindle! Obviously I am not going to claim that that doesn't give me some fuzzy feelings toward them. But I have done my best to not let that affect my feelings about the books, and the gift of the Kindle was absolutely not contingent upon giving them a good review, or any review at all.
So! My thoughts...
On Kindle reading in general:
This was the first time I read on a Kindle, and I liked it better than I expected! I'm not philosophically against ebooks or anything, but I just don't tend to find the experience as enjoyable. (I've read ebooks on my iPad and laptop before.) But reading on the Kindle was really not bad. I'm still not going to switch over any time soon, but it's fine and I've been using it for some library books, ebook only books, and NetGalley.
On the Coliloquy format:
Honestly, my feelings are mixed. I guess I concluded that they do a good job of what they set out to do, but it's just not my kind of thing. It's not them, it's me! Really! The way it works is that when you get to the decision points in the story, you get options presented on your screen, and you use your Kindle controls to pick which path to take. Afterward, if you want, you can go back to any of the points and pick other options and see how it affects the story. At least in these first four books, the choices don't make huge differences to the outcome of the story, which makes sense because that would make way more writing for the author. But it's definitely fun to see how your preferences affect things! Also, the author and publisher get information about how many people picked which option, which is an unprecedented amount of feedback for specific issues within a story, and it would be interesting to hear from the authors later about how that data affected their writing of the later books in the series.
My issue was really just that I'm the kind of person who feels compelled to read a book from cover to cover, so I wound up spending a lot of time going backwards and forwards making sure I had read every possible option. You totally don't have to do this. I'm just insane. But a lot of people I know will LOVE this format, so if it sounds appealing, definitely give it a try! Personally, I'll probably read this kind of book occasionally as a novelty, or when authors I like use the format, but I won't be clamoring for everyone to switch over.
Now, the books! Actually, first, a note: All the books could have used a decent copy editor. I'm hoping that this was because I had review versions and the finished versions are cleaner, but I felt like I should mention just in case.
Okay, the books:
Witch's Brew by Heidi R. Kling: Lily and Logan are a teenage witch and warlock - but all their lives, they've been taught to hate each other. Now the big battle they've both been training for is approaching, but when they meet, they realize that their respective authority figures haven't been exactly truthful and start unraveling the mysteries of what's actually going on. Oh, and, of course, they fall in love, even though they don't quite trust each other. The forbidden romance is very swoony, and Kling is particularly strong when writing about high school social situations and the complicated friendships between teen girls. The magic was very nature-based, and I wished there had been more information on exactly how the magic system works in this universe, but perhaps that will come in later books. I would particularly recommend this one to fans of L.J. Smith.
(Disclaimer: Heidi and I know each other a little, and she's the one who asked Coliloquy to send me review copies.)
Arcania by Liz Maverick: Adia is from a magical family but has no magic herself, so she's trying to live more or less a normal life and take care of her little sisters - until her magical twin dies and Adia inherits her abilities. She's sent to a sort of boarding school for training, and she has to try to catch up with the others her age while figuring out all the interpersonal politics among her peers. The training is especially tense because of a war between Adia's people and a different magical people, and some of the "practice" situations are seriously dangerous, and it's all actually pretty terrifying. (Also: I'm a wimp.) At various points, this reminded me of both Divergent and the Vampire Academy series, so if you like either of those, you might want to try this.
Getting Dumped by Tawna Fenske: This is the one non-YA in this set of titles: it's an adult contemporary romance about a woman who loses her office job and takes a job driving equipment at the landfill, which causes her to rethink her relationships and a lot of things about herself. There are quirky coworkers, hot guys, and even a sort of movie not-quite-star. If that's not enough, she gets caught up in a mystery involving counterfeit purses; the mystery is better-done than many mystery subplots in romances, so that was a nice surprise. This was a quick, fun read, but it ended with a little too much of a cliffhanger for me, so be forewarned if that sort of thing bothers you.
Dead Letter Office by Kira Snyder: This is a YA southern Gothic mystery ghost story, and it was my favorite of these four books. When Celia's father dies, she and her mother go to live with her father's family in New Orleans, where Celia has to learn to fit in with the complicated social structure of old New Orleans families - and deal with the fact that ghosts are suddenly asking her for help. The world is extremely well-constructed, and Celia and the supporting characters were nicely complex. There are a few different love interests, and I got why Celia liked each one and couldn't decide which I wanted her to be with, so that was refreshing. And the ending definitely left things open for many more stories but wasn't too much of a cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to more of this series.
Friday, December 30, 2011
My 10 Favorite YA Books of 2011
This is not - NOT - a list of the "best" YA books of 2011, because there are so many I did not read! There are a whole bunch I really wanted to get to and just didn't manage: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Anna Dressed in Blood, Shine, many more. I'm a book behind on both of Cassie Clare's series. Beautiful Chaos has been on my nightstand since the day it was released but I haven't managed to open it. I think I'm two or three books behind on Sarah Dessen. I have a whole list of books I didn't manage to read. Maybe I'll do a midyear update of my favorite 2011 books I read in the first half of 2012, or something. And I've compensated for this issue in past years below the main list, with lists of pre-2011 books I read and loved this year.
And a disclaimer - I know almost all these authors to some extent. I work for one, obviously. I've worked with others at conferences. I've chatted with some on Twitter. I think the only one on the main list with whom I've had no contact is Deb Caletti (probably because she isn't on Twitter). I won't pretend that I managed to keep my feelings about the books completely isolated from my impressions of the authors, but none of them asked for good reviews or anything, and I would NEVER tell you I liked a book I didn't like.
So! Here we go! Instead of trying to write whole reviews of each book, because then I'd never finish, I will instead just give you a short list of elements that made me particularly like it.
1. The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan - Amazing sibling relationships, a hot lying older brother, urban fantasy, humor, the Goblin Market, a bookish boy, girls who are strong in different ways and both awesome and don't hate each other, and one of my favorite fictional couples EVER.
2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - A geeky love interest, GLBT characters whose sexuality isn't An Issue, boy next door love interest, basically PERFECT romance.
3. Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Classical music, a hot but angsty rock star, a perfect mix of heartbreak and tragedy and romance and hope.
4. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson - London, boarding school, humor, a really hot ghost, lots of murder.
5. Red Glove by Holly Black - A hot lying older brother (yes it's a theme), fascinating magical politics, organized crime, family drama, and a wonderfully conflicted, complex hero.
6. Stay by Deb Caletti - The ocean, sailor boys, a well-drawn father/daughter relationship, family secrets, and the best portrayal I've read of loving someone with mental illness.
7. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Mystery, a ridiculously hot love interest, and so much total insanity (in a good way) that I can't say more without ruining it.
8. The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson - Traveling around Europe, a mysterious hot guy, a nicely drawn portrayal of grief, non-hokey personal growth.
9. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab - Enchanting language, fairy tales, sibling love, a mysterious stranger, subtle social messages.
10. Past Perfect by Leila Sales - Historical reenactment villages, forbidden romance, imperfect but loving family relationships, lots of ice cream.
My Favorite 2010 YA Books I Read in 2011:
1. The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan
2. Jane by April Lindner
3. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
4. White Cat by Holly Black
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
6. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Earlier YA Books I Read for the First Time & Loved in 2011:
1. The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
3. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
4. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
And a disclaimer - I know almost all these authors to some extent. I work for one, obviously. I've worked with others at conferences. I've chatted with some on Twitter. I think the only one on the main list with whom I've had no contact is Deb Caletti (probably because she isn't on Twitter). I won't pretend that I managed to keep my feelings about the books completely isolated from my impressions of the authors, but none of them asked for good reviews or anything, and I would NEVER tell you I liked a book I didn't like.
So! Here we go! Instead of trying to write whole reviews of each book, because then I'd never finish, I will instead just give you a short list of elements that made me particularly like it.
1. The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan - Amazing sibling relationships, a hot lying older brother, urban fantasy, humor, the Goblin Market, a bookish boy, girls who are strong in different ways and both awesome and don't hate each other, and one of my favorite fictional couples EVER.
2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - A geeky love interest, GLBT characters whose sexuality isn't An Issue, boy next door love interest, basically PERFECT romance.
3. Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Classical music, a hot but angsty rock star, a perfect mix of heartbreak and tragedy and romance and hope.
4. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson - London, boarding school, humor, a really hot ghost, lots of murder.
5. Red Glove by Holly Black - A hot lying older brother (yes it's a theme), fascinating magical politics, organized crime, family drama, and a wonderfully conflicted, complex hero.
6. Stay by Deb Caletti - The ocean, sailor boys, a well-drawn father/daughter relationship, family secrets, and the best portrayal I've read of loving someone with mental illness.
7. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Mystery, a ridiculously hot love interest, and so much total insanity (in a good way) that I can't say more without ruining it.
8. The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson - Traveling around Europe, a mysterious hot guy, a nicely drawn portrayal of grief, non-hokey personal growth.
9. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab - Enchanting language, fairy tales, sibling love, a mysterious stranger, subtle social messages.
10. Past Perfect by Leila Sales - Historical reenactment villages, forbidden romance, imperfect but loving family relationships, lots of ice cream.
My Favorite 2010 YA Books I Read in 2011:
1. The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan
2. Jane by April Lindner
3. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
4. White Cat by Holly Black
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
6. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Earlier YA Books I Read for the First Time & Loved in 2011:
1. The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
3. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
4. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Fortnightly Book Recommendations: Holiday Stories
Hello! Christmas is only a week away, so I thought you might need some ideas for books and stories to get you in the mood. Here are some of my all-time favorites!
Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle: Well, I had to start with this one, and obviously I'm biased, but I read and loved this well before I ever talked to Maureen (or John). These interconnected novellas detail what happens when one small town is hit with a Christmas snowstorm and a stuck train. It's the perfect read for when things in your life aren't going according to plan but you want a warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling anyway.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: I just read this for the first time this year, and it's another good one for when your Christmas feelings are a little mixed - especially because of the way the point of view alternates between the two characters. Lily's always been pretty into Christmas, Dash hasn't, and this year they're both at loose ends. There's some bonus awesome bookstore stuff, a lot of humor, and a nice dash - hah, I crack myself up - of romance.
This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy: Binchy is often a bit treacly for my taste, but this collection of short stories is shockingly un-treacly. Everyone's lives are messed up, and Christmas doesn't magically fix everything, but people get by and life goes on. It's sort of refreshing, really.
Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare: This Regency Christmas romance novella has spies and spinsters and a practical heroine and people who learn languages for the fun of it. It's a good time.
Christmas with Anne by L.M. Montgomery: If you grew up with Anne of Green Gables, you'll love this collection of Christmas stories (plus Christmas chapters from the Anne books) by the same author. Some were originally written for Sunday school magazines, so lay on the moral a bit thick, but they're sweet, old-fashioned stories that I, for one, find really delightful.
"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Christmas and Sherlock Holmes: Two great tastes that taste great together! It's in the public domain, so you can read the whole thing right here, and it's a pretty good entry point to the original stories.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: The obvious choice, yes, and you've probably seen a million adaptations and may be a little sick of the whole thing, but if you haven't actually read it, do yourself a favor and give it a try. This should go without saying, I guess, but what sometimes gets lost in the innumerable adaptations and variations and homages and spoofs is the actual writing, and Dickens is really freaking good. You can download the free ebook here.
Merry Christmas and happy reading!
Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle: Well, I had to start with this one, and obviously I'm biased, but I read and loved this well before I ever talked to Maureen (or John). These interconnected novellas detail what happens when one small town is hit with a Christmas snowstorm and a stuck train. It's the perfect read for when things in your life aren't going according to plan but you want a warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling anyway.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: I just read this for the first time this year, and it's another good one for when your Christmas feelings are a little mixed - especially because of the way the point of view alternates between the two characters. Lily's always been pretty into Christmas, Dash hasn't, and this year they're both at loose ends. There's some bonus awesome bookstore stuff, a lot of humor, and a nice dash - hah, I crack myself up - of romance.
This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy: Binchy is often a bit treacly for my taste, but this collection of short stories is shockingly un-treacly. Everyone's lives are messed up, and Christmas doesn't magically fix everything, but people get by and life goes on. It's sort of refreshing, really.
Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare: This Regency Christmas romance novella has spies and spinsters and a practical heroine and people who learn languages for the fun of it. It's a good time.
Christmas with Anne by L.M. Montgomery: If you grew up with Anne of Green Gables, you'll love this collection of Christmas stories (plus Christmas chapters from the Anne books) by the same author. Some were originally written for Sunday school magazines, so lay on the moral a bit thick, but they're sweet, old-fashioned stories that I, for one, find really delightful.
"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Christmas and Sherlock Holmes: Two great tastes that taste great together! It's in the public domain, so you can read the whole thing right here, and it's a pretty good entry point to the original stories.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: The obvious choice, yes, and you've probably seen a million adaptations and may be a little sick of the whole thing, but if you haven't actually read it, do yourself a favor and give it a try. This should go without saying, I guess, but what sometimes gets lost in the innumerable adaptations and variations and homages and spoofs is the actual writing, and Dickens is really freaking good. You can download the free ebook here.
Merry Christmas and happy reading!
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