The Book Nook

Holiday Stories   This time every year libraries see increased demand for books about the holidays and I’m happy to provide several suggestions.  For adult readers I’d like to start with “mini-reviews” of a few modern Christmas books followed by other suggestions by genre.  Last but not least are holiday books for young readers.  Many thanks to Kirsten Rogers for adding to that latter list.  During her 10 years as the Youth Services Librarian at the Black Earth Library, she’s been a great resource to many families.  I appreciate her expertise when I need suggestions for children, teen and young adult readers. Let’s start with four Christmas novels published between 1998 and 2019.  All are short, have a minimal number of details to deal with and feature a happy ending. Looking for a clean, light read with a small cast of characters?  Try “A Mrs. Miracle Christmas” by Debbie Macomber.  The story centers on Laura and Zach, who have everything they want except a child. They live with Laura’s grandmother Helen, who has dementia.  They need to find a caregiver while they’re at work and they contact a local agency.  The couple is dismayed that no one is available and they must go on a waiting list.  Soon Mrs. Miracle is at their door, ready to help.  Within a short time, Helen is happier than ever, convinced her new companion is a real-life angel.  The couple is unsure what to make of this and wonder if they need to investigate Mrs. Miracle further. Readers who like this novel may wish to explore other novels in the Mrs. Miracle series, which all work well as stand-alone novels.  The author also has similar books in her “Angels Everywhere” series. Next up is a light-hearted romance - “Christmas on my Mind” by Janet Dailey, who is credited with introducing the Western romance. In the small town of Branding Iron, Texas everyone looks forward to the Cowboys’ Christmas Ball.  Sherriff Ben Marsden always volunteers to handle security duty so his colleagues with families can enjoy the fun.  He’s too busy keeping the town safe to think about finding a date, anyway. Jessica Ramsey arrives in town, seeking a relative she’s never met.  Ben can tell she’s hiding something in her past and wonders whether he really wants to know.  He has enough problems dealing with his ex-wife, with whom he shares custody of their son Ethan.  He and the boy are heartsick after learning changes threaten their future relationship.  Jessica has her own challenges to face and, like Ben and Ethan, is unsure happiness is within reach. For those seeking a holiday thriller and don’t mind adult language and violence, there’s “The Midnight Before Christmas” by William Bernhardt.  It’s Christmas Eve and attorney Meghan McGee is feeling a bit sorry for herself.  She dislikes her job and the only company she’ll have for the holidays is an ugly dog foisted on her by neighbors. The office is ready to close when a woman arrives, desperate for protection from her violent ex-husband and worried he’ll try to hurt their son Tommy.  Meghan promises to help, but it won’t be easy getting an emergency restraining order when nearly everyone has gone home for the holidays.  Then they learn Tommy’s father has taken the boy and no one has a clue where they are.  As Meghan digs deeper, some facts don’t add up and she’s racing to determine the truth and keep everyone safe. The last “mini-review” is for David Baldacci’s novel “The Christmas Train”, which focuses on a man’s self-discovery amid silly escapades and a mystery.  Journalist Tom Langdon needs to get to LA for the holidays but taking a plane is suddenly no longer an option.  His only other choice is a cross-country train trip and he decides to use the opportunity to write about train travel. He’s unhappy to discover his ex-girlfriend Eleanor is on the same train and dreads seeing her again.  While the plot is rather contrived, there are humorous moments and characters.  The scenes between Tom and Eleanor combined with train lore and decent writing are bright spots in this story about a disillusioned man. In addition to the above novels, there are still-popular Christmas stories from previous centuries, such as: “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry (a classic moral tale about gift-giving.), “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens (a cranky miser who is transformed into a kinder man), “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement C. Moore (a traditional Christmas Eve tale) Mystery lovers may like: Agatha Christie’s “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” “Blood From a Stone” by Donna Leon Reginald Hill’s “Red Christmas” “The Mistletoe Murders” by P.D. James “How the Finch Stole Christmas” by Donna Andrews If you’re in the mood for some humor, here’s a few suggestions: “Wishin’ and Hopin’ “by Wally Lamb John Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas” “in God we Trust, All Others Pay Cash” by Jean Shepherd “Holiday on Ice” by David Sedaris “The Stupidest Angel” by Christopher Moore Janet Evanovich’s  “Vision of Sugar Plums” And now we turn to books for younger audiences.  If you’re looking for Kwanzaa books suitable for children, some titles are: “My First Kwanzaa Book” by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate (about a young boy’s first Kwanzaa told from his perspective) “Seven Spools of Thread – A Kwanzaa Story” by Angela Shelf Medearis (a traditional folktale about the Seven Principles celebrated during the Kwanzaa holiday) “Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa” by Donna L. Washington (captures the meaning of helping others) For those seeking children’s Hanukkah books, try: “A Hanukkah Present” by Marc Binder (short story collection about the true meaning of Hanukkah) “All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah” by Emily Jenkins (heartwarming picture book) “Hanukkah Bear” (a humorous story where a bear is mistaken for a rabbi), or “Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins” (a twist on a traditional Hanukkah tale) by Eric Kimmel And for all winter celebrations regardless of belief, here are two more suggestions for the young: “The Joyful Book” by Todd Parr “Llama Llama Holiday Drama” by Anna Dewdney Finally, I hope these suggestions are helpful and wish you all a warm and safe holiday.