#csreadathon and 2018 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

 As you can see I am signing up for both the Christmas Spirit Readathon and Reading Challenge at the same time. 

For the readathon, I am going to read A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny and Washington Black by Esi Eugyan and the new Christmas book by Debbi MacComber.

For the reading challenge I am to attempt the Christmas Tree level and Fa La La La Films

You can find more information at the Christmas Spirit blog.

The Mistletoe Promise - Richard Paul Evans

Title: The Mistletoe Promise
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Pages: 272
Published: 2014
Challenges: Christmas Spirit, I Love Library Books
Genre: Christmas
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Elise Dutton dreads the arrival of another holiday season. Three years earlier, her husband cheated on her with her best friend, resulting in a bitter divorce that left her alone, broken, and distrustful.

Then, one November day, a stranger approaches Elise in the mall food court. Though she recognizes the man from her building, Elise has never formally met him. Tired of spending the holidays alone, the man offers her a proposition. For the next eight weeks—until the evening of December 24—he suggests that they pretend to be a couple. He draws up a contract with four rules:

1. No deep, probing personal questions
2. No drama
3. No telling anyone the truth about the relationship
4. The contract is void on Christmas Day

The lonely Elise surprises herself by agreeing to the idea. As the charade progresses, the safety of her fake relationship begins to mend her badly broken heart. But just as she begins to find joy again, her long-held secret threatens to unravel the emerging relationship. But she might not be the only one with secrets.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  Picked up this book from the library because I have read a couple of his of other Christmas themed books in the past so I thought I would enjoy this selection.  And to a degree I enjoyed the read, as it was a nice break from the rather heavy reading between my regular reads and the Harry Potter Re-Readalong that I am engaged with.

Bottom line: It was a quick and enjoyable and romantic read that could be easily read amongst the hustle and bustle of the Christmas/Winter holiday season.  Recommended.

Rating: 3/5

Pages for 2014: 27,199

A New York Christmas - Anne Perry

Title: A New York Christmas (Christmas Stories #12)
Author: Anne Perry
Pages: 176
Published: 2014
Challenges: Christmas Spirit, I Love Library Books
Genre: Mystery
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: December, 1904. Jemima Pitt, now twenty-two, agrees to act as a “suitable companion” to her friend Delphinia, who is traveling to New York to be married to Brent Albright, toast of New York high society. Jemima is excited about the prospect of a Christmas adventure in a strange big city, but little does she expect to be enlisted on a top secret mission by Brent’s brother Harley, to track down Delphinia’s estranged mother. After some detective work and a little luck, they manage to locate her lodgings—but to their horror, they find Maria dead. Truly her parents’ daughter, Jemima is determined to unmask the killer, and enlists the aid of handsome young police officer Patrick Flannery to do it. And along the way she comes to learn an important lesson about staying true to oneself, no matter the cost. Once again, as only she can, Perry delivers a darkly suspenseful, ultimately heart-warming novel that truly captures the essence of the holiday spirit. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Felt that the book was okay, but also a bit simplistic and was able to finish within a couple of reads.  

Bottom line: It was a nice, light holiday read that required little or no thought.  Recommended.

Rating: 2.75/5

Pages for 2014: 26,927

Sunday Salon - Christmas Spirit Read-a-thon, Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge and Thankfully Reading sign-ups

I know that the Sunday Salon is a place to talk about one is reading and other bookish related things, not sign up for reading challenges/read-a-thons,  but it is also a space that I can do with what I like. So I am going to use that for those things for that reason.


Christmas Spirit Read-a-thon

I have done this for at least a couple of years and this will be my third time doing this read-a-thon.  The best part of this read-a-thon is that you only have to read at least one holiday tale during the read-a-thon and since it happens during Jenn's Bookshelves Thankfully Reading Weekend, its a nice way of easing into the holiday season.

Here are a few guidelines that Michelle has give for the Read-a-Thon:

• Read-a-Thon dates: Monday, November 24 at 12:00am CST until Sunday, November 30 at 11:59pm CST (adjust your time zone accordingly)
• You do not have to be signed up for the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge to participate (but I sure would love for you to join us!)
• I am not requiring that you read only Christmas/holiday books during the read-a-thon, but I hope you will pick up at least one holiday tale, even if it's just to read some children's books with your kids or some holiday short stories
• to check in on Twitter, we'll use hashtag #CSreadathon
• as usual, you do not have to have a blog to participate...feel free to link up and check in from Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

And in conjunction with the Christmas Spirit Read-a-thon, Michelle is also hosting The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge.  I think this is my fourth or fifth year participating, but at this point I don't know.

Here are the guidelines for the reading challenge:

• challenge will run from Monday, November 24, 2014 through Tuesday, January 6, 2014 (Twelfth Night or Epiphany).
• cross over with other challenges is totally permitted AND encouraged!
• These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and for the first time...a children's Christmas books level!
• Levels:

            --Candy Cane:  read 1 book

            --Mistletoe:  read 2-4 books

            --Christmas Tree:  read 5 or 6 books (this is the fanatic level...LOL!)

          Additional levels:

            --Fa La La La Films:  watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies...it's up to you!

            --Visions of Sugar Plums:  read books with your children this season and share what you read

          *the additional levels are optional, you still must complete one of the main reading levels above

I am going for the Christmas Tree level and will also be doing Fa La La La Films.

Thankfully Reading Weekend

Even though Thanksgiving Weekend is long gone in Canada, I can't give up an excuse to spend a weekend reading.  Here are the details for the reading weekend:

There are no rules to the weekend, we’re simply hoping to devote a good amount of time to reading, and perhaps meeting some of our reading challenges and goals for the year. 

You still have plenty of time to sign up and I hope that you will sign up for one or all of them.

Did not finish anything this past week nor did I post any reviews.  Happy reading.

Starry Night - Debbie Macomber

Title: Starry Night
Author: Debbie Macomber
Pages: 256
Published: 2013
Challenges: Christmas Spirit, Outdo Yourself,  I Love Library Books
Genre: Christmas, Fiction, Romance
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Carrie Slayton, a big-city society-page columnist, longs to write more serious news stories. So her editor hands her a challenge: She can cover any topic she wants, but only if she first scores the paper an interview with Finn Dalton, the notoriously reclusive author. 

Living in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Finn has written a mega-bestselling memoir about surviving in the wild. But he stubbornly declines to speak to anyone in the press, and no one even knows exactly where he lives.
  Digging deep into Finn’s past, Carrie develops a theory on his whereabouts. It is the holidays, but her career is at stake, so she forsakes her family celebrations and flies out to snowy Alaska. When she finally finds Finn, she discovers a man both more charismatic and more stubborn than she even expected. And soon she is torn between pursuing the story of a lifetime and following her heart. (via Goodreads)

Description: I picked this book basically based on the cover that I saw while roaming my library's OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog, if you wish to know what it means) and because it was a Christmas book that would qualify for the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge.  I was just coming off reading Ms. Macomber's book Call Me Mrs. Miracle and I thought I would give the author another chance.

For at least the first half of the book, the writing was pretty decent and the storyline was intriguing and had me flipping through the book at a pretty quick pace.  But as the story went along, the story got into a somewhat predictable storyline.  It was a pretty easy read and something that could be easily consumed in the couple of months prior to Christmas, as the story is light and not too heavy-handed.  I could have probably finished this book in a day, but if read in a short spurts, one could easily finish it in a few days.

Bottom line: If you are looking for something for next year's Christmas holiday season, this is something that you should possibly consider or something of a similar ilk.  Also if you are a fan of Ms. Macomber's other books, I would possibly recommend this to you as well.  Recommended.

Rating: 3/5

Rating 2014: 256

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Title: A Christmas Carol
Author: Charles Dickens
File size (Pages): 939 KB (104)
Published: 2010 (originally published 1843)
Challenges: Christmas Spirit, e-book, The Classics Club
Genre: Christmas, Classics, Fiction
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal

Description: The beloved holiday classic with illustrations by John Leech. A Christmas Carol is Dickens' haunting cautionary tale about Ebenezer Scrooge a miserly businessman who dismisses charity and holiday cheer with an icy "bah humbug!" One night Scrooge finds himself visited by the ghost of his late business partner Jacob Marley returned from the dead with a trio of spirits and a plea for his old friend Ebenezer to change his ways and open his heart to the true meaning of Christmas... before it's too late. (via kobobooks.com)

Thoughts: This is my second time reading this short Christmas novel.  And reading it the second time, I had new appreciation for the book.  Even though it is quite simple, it is also quite complex, in that I suppose we all have a bit of Scrooge in us and all need to be reminded from time to time we could easily become like him, due to our fallen nature.  And I suppose it is always a good reminder that being bitter and miserly does nobody any good.

While I did feel that the chapters were a little on the long side, Dickens did a masterful job in showing how we as humans beings can easily become like Mr. Scrooge and that bitterness from a number of events can leave us in a similar position.  It is truly a book that should be read by most people at some point.

Bottom line: It is a book that I would recommend that people read at least once in their lifetime, but I think fans of either novellas or Dickens would probably appreciate this book a bit more.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.75/5

Pages for 2013: 19, 559

A Christmas Carol (1951)

Title: A Christmas Carol
Director: Brian Diamond Hurst
Running time: 86 min
Released: 1951

Description: An old bitter miser is given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by ghosts on Christmas Eve. (via IMDb.com)

Thoughts: This is probably my favourite Christmas movie and has been for some time.  I know for a lot of people its something else, but because my dad would often seek out this version of the film, we would usually watch it at some point during the Christmas holidays, usually Christmas Day or Boxing Day.  While I do like the Disney animated version, this is the version that I grew up with as a kid, mind you it was the colour version, but when we did watch the black & white version, it always creeped me out, especially since the shadows seemed more sinister, and it is always the one that I will have a special kinship towards.

The Dogs of Christmas - W. Bruce Cameron

Title: The Dogs of Christmas
Author: W. Bruce Cameron
Pages: 233
Published: 2013
Challenges: Christmas Spirit
Genre: Fiction, Christmas
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: While nursing a broken heart, Josh Michaels is outraged when a neighbor abandons his very pregnant dog, Lucy, at Josh’s Colorado home. But Josh can’t resist Lucy’s soulful brown eyes, and though he’s never had a dog before, he’s determined to do the best he can for Lucy—and her soon-to-arrive, bound-to-be-adorable puppies. 

Soon in over his head, Josh calls the local animal shelter for help, and meets Kerri, a beautiful woman with a quick wit and a fierce love for animals. As Kerri teaches Josh how to care for Lucy’s tiny puppies and gets them ready to be adopted through the shelter’s “Dogs of Christmas” program, Josh surprises himself by falling for her.

But he’s fallen even harder for his new furry family, which has brought incredible joy into Josh’s life. He barely has time to sit down, between chasing after adventurous Sophie and brave Oliver, but when he does, his lap is quickly filled by the affectionate Lola. And Rufus and Cody’s strong bond makes Josh wonder about his own relationships with his family.

With Christmas and the adoption date looming, Josh finds himself wondering if he can separate himself from his beloved puppies. At odds with Kerri, Josh isn’t willing to lose her, but doesn’t know how to set things right. Can a surprise litter of Christmas puppies really change one man’s life? (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I really quire enjoyed this book, even though I am not a dog person myself.   Its the sort of read that one can easily get through in a day or two, but for some reason it took me about 2 weeks to get through.  But that is besides the point.  Even though the book is a easy read, it isn't overly sappy; it has the right amount of sappiness that allows one to quickly get through the book.

Bottom line:  It's a nice light story that allows the reader to be engaged with the story through out the book and is appropriate for readers that wish to get some reading during the busy and chaotic holiday season.  Recommended.

Rating: 3/5

Pages for 2013: 19, 263

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Title: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Running time: 97 min.
Released: 1989

Description: The Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.  (via IMDb)

Thoughts:  I had never heard about this movie until about 10 years ago and about 3 years ago, I purchased a copy of the movie and ever since I have watched the movie at Christmas time; it is definitely one of my favourites and can see why it has become a modern Christmas classic.  Recommended.

A Christmas Story

Title: A Christmas Story
Director: Bob Clark
Running time: 93 min.
Released: 2003 (originally released 1983)

Description: Nine-year-old Ralphie desperately wants a Red Ryder BB-gun for Christmas, over his parents' objections. (via Fraser Valley Regional Library)

Thoughts: I had heard about this movie from several friends of mine and had seen a few scenes of this movie and when I finally sat down and watched this movie a few years ago, I got what they were talking about and definitely became one of my favourites.  If you are wondering what my favourite scene is, its the one with Ralphie in the pink bunny outfit.

The Holiday

Title: The Holiday
Director: Nancy Meyers
Running time: 138 min.
Released: 2006

Description: Amanda lives in Los Angeles and is a movie trailer editor. Iris lives in Surrey, England and is a journalist. The two live five thousand miles apart and have never met, but are dealing with the same problem: men. Amanda just broke up with her cheating boyfriend. Iris has pined for her ex. They both come upon a website that advocates home exchange and the two swap houses for two weeks at Christmas - both with a goal to forget their troubled love lives. Love ends up finding them anyways. Amanda starts a romance with Iris' older brother, Graham, a book editor and Iris starts a romance with a friend of Amanda's, movie composer Miles. With new found romance, both their lives change forever. (via fvrl.bc.ca)

Thoughts: I didn't know what to think of this movie, as I had heard that it was kinda formulaic, but after a discussion with friends at a Christmas dinner party on Saturday evening, I warmed up to the thought of this movie and thought it might be something that I would like.  And sure enough we did watch the movie and I enjoyed it immensely.  I honestly didn't know what to expect from the movie and by the time the final credits had rolled around, I actually could say that it was a movie that I would put on my favourites list.  While the last movie that I reviewed will always have a special place in my heart, this movie is perfectly sweet without being too sweet.

Bottom line:  If you enjoy watching romantic Christmas movies, but don't want them to be too sappy, I would recommend this movie.  Its good for a snowy/rainy afternoon/evening when all you want to do is curl up on the couch.   Its also good for a girls movie night as well.  Recommended.

Amanda lives in Los Angeles and is a movie trailer editor. Iris lives in Surrey, England and is a journalist. The two live five thousand miles apart and have never met, but are dealing with the same problem: men. Amanda just broke up with her cheating boyfriend. Iris has pined for her ex. They both come upon a website that advocates home exchange and the two swap houses for two weeks at Christmas - both with a goal to forget their troubled love lives. Love ends up finding them anyways. Amanda starts a romance with Iris' older brother, Graham, a book editor and Iris starts a romance with a friend of Amanda's, movie composer Miles. With new found romance, both their lives change forever. - See more at: http://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1472439021_the_holiday#sthash.vLf5POkg.dpuf

Amanda lives in Los Angeles and is a movie trailer editor. Iris lives in Surrey, England and is a journalist. The two live five thousand miles apart and have never met, but are dealing with the same problem: men. Amanda just broke up with her cheating boyfriend. Iris has pined for her ex. They both come upon a website that advocates home exchange and the two swap houses for two weeks at Christmas - both with a goal to forget their troubled love lives. Love ends up finding them anyways. Amanda starts a romance with Iris' older brother, Graham, a book editor and Iris starts a romance with a friend of Amanda's, movie composer Miles. With new found romance, both their lives change forever. - See more at: http://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1472439021_the_holiday#sthash.vLf5POkg.dpuf

Love Actually

Title: Love Actually
Director: Richard Curtis
Running time: 135 min
Released: 2004 (originally released 2003)

It's all about love and holiday cheer in London. The Prime Minister is smitten with his caterer; a widower's young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother copes with her potentially unfaithful husband; and a lovelorn American is desperately attracted to a colleague.

Thoughts: I reviewed this movie about two years ago and it still remains one of my favourite Christmas films.  Watched it with my mom last night and she had a blast watching it with me.  Like I said in the previous review, the thing I like about the movie is that its about different kinds of love, whether it be love that is unrequited or love that is starting out or love that comes from being a part of a family and so forth.  My favourite part of the movie are the opening and closing scenes of the arrivals lounge at Heathrow.  I also like how the characters cross paths with each other and how they are interrelated with each other, even if its very loose.


Bottom line: If you are a fan of Curtis' other films, Notting Hill or Four Weddings and a Funeral or a fan of any of the actors in the movie, I think you'll enjoy it (and yes at least three of the actors showed up in the Harry Potter films at some point).

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

I love Christmas, especially the lead up and with a re-injured foot from an injury suffered a few months ago, I will have lots of time for doing some reading, especially of the holiday variety.  And I have always loved this challenge and have participated in the last couple editions of this challenge and I encourage you to join up, especially if you like reading holiday-themed books.  You can find the sign up here or by clicking on the photo above.

As for me I will be attempting the Mistletoe level:
1. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (review)
2. The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron (review)
3. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (review)
4. Starry Night by Debbie Macomber (review)

And will also be doing the FaLaLaLa Films challenge as well.
1. Love Actually
2. The Holiday
3. A Christmas Story
4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
5. A Christmas Carol (1951)
I don't know if I will do reviews of the films, but if I do, I will link them here.

But to kick off this reading challenge, will be hosting a readathon for the first weekend of the reading challenge.  You can find more information about the readathon here or by clicking on the photo below.  Hope you can join me there as well.

A Winter Dream - Richard Paul Evans

Title: A Winter Dream
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Pages: 266
Published: 2012
Genre: Christmas
Challenges: Support Your Library, Christmas Spirit
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: The author of the bestselling phenomenon The Christmas Box presents a new holiday novel about family, fate and forgiveness.

Joseph Jacobson is the twelfth of thirteen siblings, all of whom are employed by their father’s successful Colorado advertising company. But underneath the success runs a poisonous undercurrent of jealousy; Joseph is his father’s favorite and the focus of his brothers’ envy and hatred. When the father seems ready to anoint Joseph as his heir, the brothers make their move, forcing Joseph from the company and his Denver home, severing his ties to his parents and ending his relationship with his soon-to-be fianceé. Alone and lonely, Joseph must start a new life. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I read this book a couple of weeks ago and so my thoughts about the book have been somewhat forgotten, but I can tell you that I thought the book was pretty good up until the final few chapters.  The story seemed to be fairly realistic, but it seemed that once I got into the final chapters, it got into the stereotypical way of making sure that a story wrapped up nicely and quickly.  But other than that, I enjoyed it.

Bottom line: If you have read the others books, you will probably enjoy this one as well.  Its a nice light read for those that don't have a lot of time to read, but would like something to read during the Christmas season.

Rating: 3.725/5

Pages for 2012: 22022

2011 Christmas Spirit Wrap-up Post

Based on the goals that I had posted, I fell short, but only by one on each one.  I consider that not to be a total failure, but I was a little disappointed.  But when I take into consideration that I got really engrossed with Order of the Phoenix for the last few weeks of December, then its a success.   Next year, I probably will plan a little better and try to get as many books read by December, so as to enjoy a little Christmas reading before the holidays.  Here are the reviews for the movies and books that I did manage to complete (you can click on the titles for a review):

Movies:
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. Disney's A Christmas Carol
3. A Christmas Story
4. Love Actually

Books:
1. The Christmas Scrapbook: A Harmony Story
2. Lost December: a novel
3. The Quiet Little Woman : a Christmas story 
4. The Christmas Wedding


Yes, I will participate next year and am already looking forward to it already.

The Christmas Wedding - James Paterson and Richard DiLallo

Title: The Christmas Wedding
Author: James Patterson and Richard Dilallo
Pages: 266
Published: 2011
Genre: Christmas Fiction
Rating: 2.5/5

The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married--and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day--she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays.

But the wedding isn't Gaby's only surprise--she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever.

Thoughts: After reading a number of reviews on this book and seeing that it has had mediocre reviews, I thought I would still give this book a chance and see if the book was better than what was being reported in regards to the book.  Honestly,  I like the stories of Gaby's children better than that of Gaby herself, who I thought was a bit odd in that she wouldn't reveal who she was marrying to anybody.  I honestly would have liked to see more of the journey's of her children to the wedding itself.  Did Claire have a conversation with Gus about his behaviour?  What was the conversation between Gaby's lawyer daughter and her husband as they came from New York?  I felt that the story was a bit disjointed and felt that the hype for the book was just that: hype. If you need to find something that you can quickly read during the Christmas/Holiday season, this book definitely fits that mold; I finished this book in a couple of sittings and found it okay.

Love Actually

Title: Love Actually
Director: Richard Curtis
Running time: 135 min
Released: 2004 (originally released 2003)

It's all about love and holiday cheer in London. The Prime Minister is smitten with his caterer; a widower's young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother copes with her potentially unfaithful husband; and a lovelorn American is desperately attracted to a colleague.

Thoughts:  One of my favourite Christmas films.  It is also one of my favourite films to just sit down and watch for a few hours on a night when I am felling somewhat gloomy and need a bit of a pickup.  One thing I like about the movie is that it shows love in the different ways that it can manifest itself.  While a lot of it deals with romantic love, there is also the love we have for family members and for those that we close to, whether it be through working relationships or through friendships.  Overall, its a good movie that can probably be viewed at any time of the year.

The Quiet Little Woman - Louisa May Alcott

Title: The Quiet Little Woman : a Christmas story
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Pages: 122
Published: 1999
Genre: Short stories, Fiction, Christmas
Rating: 3/5

Everything about The Quiet Little Woman: A Christmas Story by Louisa May Alcott is heartwarming, starting with the extraordinary tale of its origin. Alcott wrote the story for three girls who emulated Little Women's March sisters by founding their own literary publication, but the magazine was lost for many years; this story is now being published in book form for the first time. The Quiet Little Woman tells the story of Patty, a young girl living hopelessly in an orphanage, who is rescued at Christmas time by a kindly woman named Aunt Jane. Also collected in this small, beautiful (and not coincidentally, Christmas stocking-size) volume are two of Alcott's other holiday stories; one of them, "Rosa's Tale," is a really lovely fable about a horse who speaks at midnight on Christmas Eve. (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: It was a nice light read.  Granted the book was very short and the book only took me less than 12 hours of reading time to complete, but it was still a nice diversion from the heavier books that are awaiting me.  I find it interesting that these three stories were only discovered quite recently and that Ms. Alcott took the time to pen these stories for the Lukens girls and their little publication, which was inspired by the paper that the March girls made in Little Women, even though she was a well-known author at the time of these stories and was in the midst of her own busy writing career.  The stories are quite simple and while the first two stories in the collection were more entertaining, the last story was a little confusing for the most part.  Overall it was enjoyable and a nice read.

Recommended for fans of Little Women and Alcott's other work.

Lost December - Richard Paul Evans

Title: Lost December: a novel
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Pages: 346
Published: 2011
Genre: Christmas, Fiction
Rating: 4/5

When Luke Crisp graduates from business school, his father, CEO and co-founder of Fortune 500 Crisp's Copy Centers, is ready to share some good news: he wants to turn the family business over to his son. But Luke has other plans. Taking control of his trust fund, Luke leaves home to pursue a life of reckless indulgence.

But when his funds run out, so do his friends. Humbled, alone, and too ashamed to ask his father for help, Luke secretly takes a lowly job at one his father's copy centers. There he falls in love with a struggling single mother and begins to understand the greatest source of personal joy. (via jacket flap)

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one.  The story takes the story of the prodigal son and gives it a modern twist.  I found it to be a little too simplistic and a little too straightforward, but I guess if somebody is basing a fictional story on a biblical tale, it usually is a little more straightforward than if one is developing one's own storyline, but for some reason I never found East of Eden to be that straightforward, even though it is also based on the biblical story of Cain and Able.  But I digress.

One thing that I thought that could have been improved upon was that there could have been a little more conflict between Luke and Rachael and more time spent on it; felt that it was rather rushed and it felt as though they resolved whatever issues they had rather quickly and probably a little too quickly for my liking.  I realize that its supposed to be a book that is meant to be read fairly quickly and therefore doesn't go into much depth, but I felt that issues that they had was dealt with fairly quickly, even though it felt like it was a huge betrayal for Rachael to discover; just felt that he could have added a few more pages and dealt with the conflict in regards to the text message a little more and have them discuss it a little more than they did at the end, not that I didn't understand where the author was coming from.

If you have read the other Christmas books by Evans, you will enjoy this one and even if you haven't read his other books, you will also like this warm-hearted tale.

A Christmas Story

Title: A Christmas Story
Director: Bob Clark
Running time: 93 min.
Released: 2003 (originally released 1983)

Nine-year-old Ralphie desperately wants a Red Ryder BB-gun for Christmas, over his parents' objections. (via Fraser Valley Regional Library)

Thoughts: Definitely a favourite of mine.  What I love about the movie is the individual vignettes that occur throughout the film, with the connection that Ralphie wanting a Red Ryder BB-gun no matter what the situation.  Favourite moment is the pink bunny outfit that is sent by a family member for Ralphie.  Love the simplicity of the movie.  Will likely watch this one again before the season is out.