“Beasley's Christmas Party” by Booth Tarkington // 12 DOC 2020

Beasley's Christmas Party

by Booth Tarkington

Synopsis: 

A melodramatic folksy Christmas story, a little like Dickens - with a Tiny Tim, but also with some romance. Tarkington's writings are very much set in his early 1900s American culture. 

(Arnold Banner;

from Goodreads)

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

 5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This is a hilarious and very sweet story. I loved seeing how the grown men played along with and humoured little Hamilton <33 and it was certainly very funny at times!! There was a few mentions of smoking, a few euphemisms, and absolutely no mention of Christ, but I still very much enjoy this story. I love David Beasley—he is such a nice man! And the ending is perfect. <3

A Favourite Quote: “Yet there was a gayety in this eager gale; the crowds pressed anxiously, yet happily, up and down the street in their generous search for things to give away. It was not the rich who struggled through the storm to-night; these were people who carried their own bundles home. You saw them: toilers and savers, tired mothers and fathers, worn with the grinding thrift of all the year, but now for this one night careless of how hard-saved the money, reckless of everything but the joy of giving it to bring the children joy on the one great to-morrow.”

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘...of all the idiotically romantic girls—‘

“‘But she’s a teacher,’ I interrupted, ‘of mathematics.’

“‘Yes.’ She nodded wisely. ‘I always thought that explained it: the romance is a reaction from the algebra. I never knew a person connected with mathematics or astronomy or statistics, or any of those exact things, who didn’t have a crazy streak in ‘em SOMEwhere. They’ve got to blow off steam and be foolish to make up for putting in so much of their time at hard sense.’”

Get this book.

Faith is doing a Christmas Pack Giveaway! The giveaway opens December 14th at 12am ET and closes Christmas Eve night. The winner will be announced Christmas Day. 

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a652fbb10/? 

~

Don't forget to swing by Faith's blog to see the other 12 Days of Christmas posts!

“In the Heart of the Christmas Pines” by Leona Dalrymple // 12 DOC 2020

In the Heart of the Christmas Pines

by Leona Dalrymple 

Synopsis: 

Jean Varian comes to the small town to fulfill a mission. But she has only been there a few hours before she meets crippled Aunt Cheerful, and the meeting bades fair to change all her plans and give her a revelation about the meaning of life and love. 

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This was such a sweet Christmas story!!! <33 It was just beautiful and happy and satisfying and sweet and... I loved it. A tiny bit of romance, a dear old woman, a sweet little boy, and some delightful setting, all wrapped up in a heartwarming plot. ^_^

A Favourite Quote: “‘There is ever a song somewhere, my dear; / In the midnight black or the midday blue; / The robin pipes when the sun is here, / And the cricket chirrups the whole night through. / The buds may blow and the fruit may grow, / And the Autumn leaves drop crisp and sere; / But whether the sun or the rain or the snow, / There is ever a song somewhere, my dear.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Mildly the Christmas moon rose over Westowe, silvering the snowy hill-gables to the north and the covered bridge; trailing a snow-white ribbon of light through Pine Tree Lane, and mantling the cottage among the pines with the peaceful moon-fire of a Christmas Eve.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘May I,’ [the little boy] queried politely—"may I—er—take you to my—er—bachelor 'partments for something to eat first?’ ...
“‘Let me thank your Lordship," [the young man] said gratefully, ‘but I've already dined. From now on, sir, my time is yours.’
“Lord Chesterfield grasped his arm in a spasm of excitement. “‘Oh, sir, Mr. Robert,’ he burst forth in great relief, ‘I am so awful glad, for there ain't a single minute to lose. Bill Flittergill, sir, he went and bust his arm a while back and oh, sir, will you come to the chapel and take his place[—]oh—sir, will you?’ ...“‘Old chap[,] I want you to understand that I leave everything, absolutely everything to you. I've managed things long enough and it seems to me I've made a most astonishing mess of it!’”

Get this book.

Faith is doing a Christmas Pack Giveaway! The giveaway opens December 14th at 12am ET and closes Christmas Eve night. The winner will be announced Christmas Day. 

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a652fbb10/? 

~

Don't forget to swing by Faith's blog to see the other 12 Days of Christmas posts!

“A Police Force for Christmas” by Rebekah A. Morris // 12 DOC 2020

A Police Force for Christmas

(Christmas Collection)

by Rebekah A. Morris

Synopsis: 

These weren't the Christmas surprises they expected... Christmas chaos at the Melson house usually involves wrapping paper and toys, not a broken window and a bare space under the tree. After a morning of questioning officers and chattering children, Amanda resigns herself to a very un-Christmasy day. But can the heroes on the Pineville police force find a way to save the family's Christmas?

(from Amazon)

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. I loved the plot of this story! Such a good reminder about what the police force does for us. The kids were precious and I loved their interaction! ;)

A Favourite Quote: “She realized for the first time that the officers who had responded to her call had all been working on Christmas Day. They hadn’t been home enjoying the holiday with their families. And they weren’t the only ones helping keep the citizens of Pineville safe.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘And here comes Captain Reagan with your children.’
“Amanda looked up, and a slight smile crossed her face. The captain looked more like the Pied Piper than a police officer, as, with a twin in either arm and the other five children tagging along behind him, he stepped into the kitchen.”

Get this book:

Canada | America 

Faith is doing a Christmas Pack Giveaway! The giveaway opens December 14th at 12am ET and closes Christmas Eve night. The winner will be announced Christmas Day. 

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a652fbb10/? 

~

Don't forget to swing by Faith's blog to see the other 12 Days of Christmas posts!

“The Birds' Christmas Carol” by Mrs. Kate Douglas Smith Wiggins // 12 DOC 2020

The Birds' Christmas Carol

by Mrs. Kate Douglas Smith Wiggins

Synopsis: 

The Birds' Christmas Carol is a novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin printed privately in 1886 and published in 1888 with illustrations by Katharine R. Wireman. 

The story is about Carol Bird, a Christmas-born child, a young girl who is unusually loving and generous, having a positive effect on everyone with whom she comes into contact.... At about the age of 5, Carol contracts an unspecified illness ..., and, by the time she is 10, she is bedridden; physicians say that she does not have long to live. Most of the brief novel's plot involves Carol making plans for a Christmas celebration for the nine Ruggles children, a poor, working-class family living near the Birds.

(from Wikipedia)

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5+ stars & 6/10 hearts. This is my favourite Christmas story. It’s short, but oh, so beautiful!! It’s got some hilarious moments (the scene in the Ruggleses kitchen—oh my word!!) and some sad parts (the ending <33) and some beautiful parts (the last chapter ^_^) and it’s just so, so beautiful and Christmassy. I love it so much. <33

A Favourite Quote: “‘"Mamma, dear, I do think that we have kept Christ's birthday this time just as He would like it.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Suddenly a sound of music poured out into the bright air and drifted into the chamber. It was the boy choir singing Christmas anthems. Higher and higher rose the clear, fresh voices, full of hope and cheer, as children's voices always are.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘If yer tell me one more thing, I can't set up an' eat,’ said Peter gloomily; ‘I'm so cram full o' manners now I'm ready ter bust, 'thout no dinner at all.’ ...
“‘Well, I'm sorry for yer[,’] rejoined Mrs. Ruggles sarcastically; ‘if the 'mount o' manners yer've got on hand now troubles ye, you're dreadful easy hurt! Now, Sarah Maud, after dinner, about once in so often, you must git up 'n' say, “I guess we'd better be goin';” ‘n' if they say, “Oh, no, set a while longer,” yer can set; but if they don't say nothin' you've got ter get up 'n' go.—Now hev yer got that int' yer head?’ ....“‘Well,’ answered Sarah Maud mournfully, ‘seems as if this whole dinner-party set right square on top o' me! Mebbe I could manage my own manners, but to manage nine mannerses is worse 'n staying to home!’”

Get this book.

Faith is doing a Christmas Pack Giveaway! The giveaway opens December 14th at 12am ET and closes Christmas Eve night. The winner will be announced Christmas Day. 

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a652fbb10/? 

~

Don't forget to swing by Faith's blog to see the other 12 Days of Christmas posts!

“The Case of the Very Bad Cat” by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick

The Case of the Very Bad Cat

 (The Kitten Files Book 4) 

by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick

Synopsis: 

"I'm Mia.
I know how to write.
Why's that a big deal?
Because... I'm a cat."
After nearly being discovered by the scientists from Caput Laboratories and having to fake her own death, Mia has been lying low. As Christmas approaches, she gets herself temporarily adopted by College-Guy, also known as Tommy. 
Something is afoot in the neighborhood, though, and when Mia is accused of leaving dead mice and birds on the neighbors' doorstep, she's determined to get to the bottom of it. But even the mystery isn't what it seems.
Will Mia be able to solve the case of the Very Bad Cat? Will she be able to return home so Keith doesn't spend Christmas all alone?

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

4 stars & 4/10 hearts. Somehow I didn’t enjoy this story quite as much as the others. It was still quite humorous and cattish (and I love Mia’s opinion on Tommy’s slow waking up!!). It just fell a little flat to me somehow... I think perhaps I just missed Keith. ;)

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Tommy had barely made it through his first cup of coffee before a knock on our door made me duck back inside my box.
“‘Uh, hi, Mrs. Chandler,’ Tommy croaked when he opened the door.
“‘You look awful!’ she said by way of greeting.
“‘Still working on waking up,’ he said.
“The understatement of the century.”

Download this book:

Canada | America