And I Brought Some Corn For Popping...

Christmas cake, mince pies, candy canes, chocolate... food is endless at this time of year, what with work functions and family gatherings and drinks and nibbles with friends.  

I'm kind of glad that I don't cook and that I'm very fortunate to have such lovely people around me who do all the hard work.  

Thanks Mum.

If you're struggling for inspiration for yet another Christmas get-together then why not check out some - if not all - of the books above and below.  There's pretty much something for everyone, be you a vegan, a paleo or raw lover.

And if you more of a traditionalist then we've got you covered too.

There's books on cakes and desserts, both large and decadent; and vegetables from artichokes to zucchinis.

And last but not least books on how to make every kind of cocktail imaginable.

G & T anyone?

Deck The Halls...

Some years Christmas just seems a little blah.  It's either too hot or too wet and there's a serious lacking of snow and blazing fires and mulled wine.

Decorating your home and making your gifts to hand out is definitely one way to get into the Christmas spirit. 

Whether you want to make your own cards or get out the wool and make your very own Rudolph there is something for everyone among our huge range of Christmas books.  Even better you can make some Christmas cookies before you get stuck into the decorating and crafting and have a munch... or two as you go.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

As some of you probably know by now I have a thing for Christmas books.  Especially romance Christmas books.  And with covers like these who can blame me.

There is just something about the idea of a roaring fire and snow and mulled wine and snow and gingerbread and snow.... that makes me go all gooey and warm.

And did I mention the snow?  I did?  Oh good.

That I have currently got nearly all of these at home waiting for the holidays to start so that I can curl up on the couch and fall into a Christmasy romance hole will come as no surprise then.

Now someone hand me a glass of that mulled wine...

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Don't you just love books with pictures.  Big, glorious, colourful pictures that tell a story in a way that words often can't.

And with summer upon us there is nothing better than stretching out upon a comfy blanket under a shady tree with a pile of picture books to wile away a hot, sunny afternoon, all while eating strawberries and drinking ice cold lemonade.  Because you have to do these things right.

Personally I want to read them all

An Avalanche of Bookie Gifts

It's that time of year again.  You know the one.  Where you have to go out and face the hoards as you hunt for that exclusive gift.

If you're anything like me, the thought of facing it all has you heading for the hills with a good book and a ice cold frappe and ignoring it all.  This year though I have the absolute perfect solution: Online shopping.  Trust me it's the answer to everything. You can even do your shopping in your pyjamas. How awesome is that?

As always when I am hunting for gifts, I seem to find things that I want for myself and they seem to magically appear in my shopping cart before you know it.  Because of course you have to buy a few things for yourself.  Don't you?  And the wonderful thing is that all of these gifts are available right here in New Zealand.  Which means little to no shipping costs and super fast delivery.

First up is a colouring book.  For adults. Because yes that is a thing. A very big thing. And it seems there are colouring books of all kinds from Game of Thrones to Outlander to Sherlock. So how could you not check them out?

A notebook is always a necessity and this Penguin notebook featuring famous books seems like the perfect gift for any book lover.  Bookmarks are also another necessary thing and something you can never have enough off.  My current two favourites are this Owl paperclip type and this Winnie-The-Pooh one.

For something for the book or word lover who has everything, how about a set of fridge font magnets? Guaranteed to improve your spelling and your language.

Something that I treated myself last year was a Wonder Woman eyeglasses case.  Because how could I not?  And because it is just so perfect and also very handy as a safe place to put your sun glasses.

You can never have too many mugs.  Or at least you don't if you're me.  And these Christopher Vine designer mugs are absolutely beautiful,  Even better, they come in a variety of patterns and colours and there are bowls and plates and jugs too.  I'm very tempted to collect the entire lot.

Tote bags are another thing that I tend to have a lot of.  Mostly because I'm always breaking the handles on the things from overloading them with library books.  Luckily the tote bags I buy are only $2 so really you can easily buy 1 of every design.  I'm currently eyeing up this mosaic one as well as the pineapple one.

I've been in a bit of a Martha Stewart mode lately, trying everything from baking to home decorating, and the next two items are things I have been lusting after for absolutely ages - an ampersand light, perfect for that night time reading, and a chaise lounge chair, which is my idea of heaven.  Only thing is once I get this chair I may never want to leave it.

So that's my Christmas wish list.  What gifts have you been eyeing up?

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Christmas Is Over... Now What?

By now you've unwrapped the presents, eaten the food and are completely ready for the next stage: relaxation.

For me this is chipping away at my endless and every increasing To-Be-Read pile.  And trust me it's a pretty big pile.

I've been waiting for Visions by Kelley Armstrong the supernatural/crime sequel to Omens for what seems like ages.  Luckily I have finally got it and it's taking pride of place on top of my holiday reading pile.

Tucked underneath it is another sequel, this time Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop and yes it's a another supernatural/fantasy book.  Because yes I have a little weakest for them.  Okay maybe a big weakest.  Don't judge me.

And just to continue on with the theme also in the pile is Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne, a teen fantasy book that sounds like a cross between Graceling and Best Served Cold, two of my all-time favourite fantasy books, featuring kick-ass chicks.

Which leads me to Winterkill by Kate Boorman, whose cover reminds me of that movie The Village, which may or may not be a good thing.  It also sounds vaguely apocalyptic and if I have a big thing for supernatural/fantasy I have an even bigger weakest for dystopian/apocalyptic. Because angst and adventure is what it's all about.
 
The Rain by Virginia Bergin fits nicely into this theme and is another book I can't wait to read along with The One Safe Place by Tania Unsworth which has been described as the new Giver and which has already begun appearing on Best 2014 lists.

Of course my To-Be-Read pile is not all supernatural or end of the world goings on, I do have some lighter reads such as The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern, a book that I keep putting on the top of the pile then dropping back down because having read all of her previous books it's one I want to save until last... or at least until it's due back date.

There's also I Will Marry George Cloony By Christmas by Tracy Bloom and Unleashed by Rachel Lacey which are light and romantic and utterly perfect to read on sunny day, accompanied by a bowl of cherries to eat your way through as you do so.

And finally for a SyFyGirl like me the absolutely best book to round out a reading feast; one with aliens and the ending of humanity, Firefall by Peter Watts

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Christmas Wishes To You All

To All Our Wonderful Readers We Wish You A Very Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year

Have yourself a geekalicious Christmas!

This year, it seemed the universe was telling me I needed to make our Christmas an extra special geeky one. I kept stumbling across wonderful pins on Pinterest such as this post on how to geek up your Christmas, this rather impressive Darth Vader tree (which was shared to my facebook wall no less than 4 times!) and lastly this rather inspirational Dr Who tree tutorial.

It all took me back to my flatting years in the mid 90s, and the very untraditional awesomeness that was our Spice Girl Christmas tree. Scary, Sporty, Baby, Ginger and Posh made for some fabulous decorations and the tree was very much a sight to behold. I just wish I had some photographic evidence to prove it. Sadly those were not digital days, and I don't, so I'm going to have to leave it to your imaginations ;) (and hey, if I've made you a little nostalgic, you can request their Greatest hits here).

Feeling my own nostalgia, I decided we really needed a geektastic tree, and inspired by those fantastic pins above I settled on a Dr Who theme. My 3 and 5 year old sons fully embraced the idea. Whilst they have never actually seen the show, they are in love with all the STUFF. They think the Tardis, Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping angels (which they have renamed scary fairies) are just the best. I'm hoping they will forgive me when they look back in future years and realise just what they were playing with, ahem! Their Dad just said 'really?' and shook his head (but he is rather impressed with it now it is complete, I know he is).

And so the decoration making commenced. It became a bit of an addiction, and this blog post was going to be shared much earlier in the month, but I kept needing to make just one more thing (needs another felt Dalek, just how hard can cross-stitching a Tardis be?) and so it all took a bit longer than expected. Lesson learned - start your geek tree decoration making as early as possible - I'm thinking I'll start on next year's tree in January ;) There were admittedly some fails along the way. I was going to make my very own Weeping angel topper, but it proved too hard for my crafting skills, so an actual Christmas angel was sacrificed for the cause, I think it was worth it :)

Where to from here? Must be time to borrow some Dr Who DVDs from the library (here are series Six and Seven in case you want to join me) and marathon some Christmas specials , as I wait for this years to come on TV *rubs hands*
And maybe while I'm waiting, I'll start researching next year's tree - the boys have put in a suggestion for a Minecraft theme, we'll see ;)

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Christmas But Not As You Know It

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without watching a least one Christmas movie.  Of course it helps that that Christmas movie is Die Hard.  Because Die Hard is THE only Christmas movie.

Just ask anyone.

After all it has everything that a person could want in a Christmas movie; witty one-liners, awesome villains in the form of the wickedly wonderful Alan Rickman and explosions.

How awesome is that.

There are of course a few other movies that are worth watching at Christmas time such as Die Hard 2 which manages to be almost as good as the first Die Hard movie.

Though I wouldn't recommend watching it if you're planning on flying anytime soon.

And since we're on a Christmas action kick you might want to follow these movies with The Long Kiss Goodnight which, once again, has explosions.

Then again you might feel like something a little more restful and maybe even romantic like While You Were Sleeping which is probably my second favourite Christmas movie.  And of course you can always follow it up with Serendipity starring John Cusack, who like Johnny Depp, never seems to age and maybe a screening of Bridget Jones's Diary.

And all I need to say about that movie is Colin Firth.

You could also combine romance with a little bit of history and Englishness and watch The Christmas Candle

Of course if action or romance isn't your thing then Home For The Holidays may be what you are looking.

And yes I know isn't exactly a Christmas movie.  Because yes it is set during Thanksgiving.  But watching this or The Family Stone might just make you appreciate how wonderfully normal your family is.

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Entertaining The Kids... Small and Big

Kids movies are the best.

And Christmas kids movies are even better.

There's laughter and adventure and cute little animals that make you go oo and ah.  There's old favourites and new favourites and movies just to wile away the hours.

So let your little and not so little kids loose with just a few of these.

The Naughty List

When Snowflake's mis­chief-loving brother Winter goes too far with a prank, they both get stuck on the Naughty List, doing a seemingly never-ending list of chores for Santa. Along with a spunky young reindeer named Sparkle, they try to make up for Winter's misde­ed.,Winter's i­nability to follow the rules put the North Pole in a serious jam. Suddenly Christmas needs to be saved and there's nobody else who's up to the task. It's up to the trio of mischief makers to save the holiday and make Santa proud.


The Christmas Bunny

The Christmas Bunny tells the story of a lonely foster child who finds a lost, injured rabbit in the woods on Christmas Eve. The rabbit is nursed back to health by the Bunny Lady, who runs a rabbit rescue in an old barn behind her farmhouse. The girl begins to help the Bunny Lady around the farm, and through her love for the rabbits, slowly begins to grasp the feeling of being loved.

Arthur Christmas

How CAN Santa deliver billions of presents to the whole world in just one night? With an army of one million combat-style Field Elves and a vast, state-of-the-art control center under the ice of the North Pole! So how could this incredible operation have MISSED one child?! To Santa's young son, Arthur, it threatens to end the magic of Christmas. With retired Grandsanta, a rebellious young elf, an old sleigh and some untrained reindeer, Arthur sets out in a crazy mission to deliver the last present!

Mandie and the Forgotten Christmas
  
When Mandie is thrust into Miss Heathwood's School for Girls at Christmastime, she struggles to grasp the boarding school's new rules and the finer points of high society. As Mandie tries to stay out of hot water with Miss Heathwood, she stumbles upon a mystery in the school's forbidden attic. Will Mandie ignore the warning to flee or try to get to the bottom of the strange noises beyond the boarded-up doors? Uncovering the truth might unlock the memories of of a long-forgotten Christmas .

The Polar Express

Santa Claus does not exist. Or does he? For one doubting boy, an astonishing event occurs. Late on Christmas Eve night, he lies in bed hoping to hear the sound of reindeer bells from Santa's sleigh. When to his surprise, a steam engine's roar and whistle can be heard outside his window. The conductor (voice of Tom Hanks) invites him on board to take an extraordinary journey to the North Pole with many other pajama-clad children. There, he receives an extraordinary gift only those who still believe in Santa can experience.

And some not so Christmasy movies.  Just because.

The House of Magic

When housecat Thunder is abandoned by his owners he fights to stay safe on the strange and lonely streets. Just in time Thunder comes across a big, scary house occupied by an old magician. Making friends with the old man and most of his inventions, Thunder finally feels safe. When the magician is taken ill his nephew sees an opportunity to sell the house and cash in on the fortune. Hearing the news, Thunder and his new friends put their heads together to think of a way to save the old man and his magical house.

Frozen

When a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna, a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, Everest-like extremes and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

How To Train Your Dragon 2

It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. 

Postman Pat: The Movie

Like always, Postman Pat is happily going about his duty delivering letters and parcels around the fictional town of Greendale. One day, auditions for the TV talent show, “You’re the One”, are held in Greendale, which Pat manages to pass. With Pat required to be away from Greendale whilst participating in the contest, various Patbot 3000 robots are deployed to take Pat’s postal duties. This soon turns out to be an evil plot to take over the world, which Pat must now stop.

 
Rio 2

It's a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids after they're hurtled from Rio de Janeiro to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets his father-in-law.

Tinker Bell and The Pirate Fairy

Zarina, a smart and ambitious dust-keeper fairy, flees Pixie Hollow and joins forces with the scheming pirates of Skull Rock, who make her captain of their ship. Tinker Bell and her friends must embark on an epic adventure to find Zarina, and together they go sword-to-sword with the band of pirates led by a cabin boy named James who’ll soon be known as Captain Hook, himself.

The Twelve Posts of Christmas:Snow, Tinsel & Angst, In Other Words TV Christmas Specials

As you can probably tell by now Christmas is my thing.  And as with all things I have a special weakest for Christmas television.

Forgot about watching The Sound of Music for the 100th time or The Queen's Message.  Sappy, sentimental, angst filled is what it's all about.  The angstier the better, though I do enjoy some humour as well.

It will also come as no surprise that some of my favourite Christmas episodes come from some of my favourite TV shows.  How's that for perfection.

Supernatural: A Very Supernatural Christmas

My absolute all time favourite Christmas episode.

EVER.

There's angst and humour and things that go bump in the night and brothers being brothers.

I adore times 1000


Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Amends

Well if Supernatural has angst then this Buffy episode is even angstier.

If that's even possible.

There is also snow.  And that is reason enough to watch it.

It is also completely and utterly beautiful and romantic.


Gilmore Girls: Santa's Secret Stuff

I sense a marathon coming on because it's been ages since I've watched this show.

I love this because there's tinsel and peppermint chocolate and Christmas sweaters.

And of course Lorelai and Rory.  Being... well Lorelai and Rory.


The Mindy Project: Josh and Mindy's Christmas Party

1. It features my favourite Christmas song Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses.   2. It's funny,  And 3.  It's so relatable. Because yeah there's Christmas heartache.

Did I mention I liked angst.

Frasier: Miracle on Third or Fourth Street

Sometimes Christmas is just depressing.

Or at least it is in Frasier's world.

Especially when he works on Christmas Day.

I like the fact that he can turn up to work in his sloppiness clothes.

I wonder if I could do that at my work...

The Big Bang Theory: The Maternal Congruence

I'm a fan of The Big Bang Theory... or at least of the earlier seasons which are so funny..

And their Christmas episodes are even better. 

Because Christmas and Sheldon.

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Just For Kids... And Maybe Adults Too

I almost wish I had kids just so I could buy all the lovely children's Christmas books that are around.  Because that way I would have an excuse to read them too.

Somehow I don't think my 6ft tall body building step son would appreciate a book called Bear Stays Up For Christmas.  Unless of course he's a secret children's book reader which I somehow doubt.

Luckily for me I work at a Library where I can freely get all the children's books I want.  All in the name of writing blog posts. 

The Angel Tree / Daphne Benedis-Grab.

Every Christmas in the small town of Pine River, a tree appears in the town square and people tie wishes to it, but nobody knows where the tree comes from--but this year four children are determined to solve the mystery of the Angel Tree.





The 12 screams of Christmas / R.L. Stine.

When "frenemies" Kate and Courtney need a quiet place to rehearse for their school's Christmas play, their teacher suggests an old house that might just be haunted.

The big fat Christmas book / Terry Deary

The Big Fat Christ Book is full of festive things that go bump in the night - the perfect read on a cold winter's night when you're waiting for Santa to bring a sleigh full of goodies.

Christmas will never be the same again.

   


The sheep that saved Christmas : a eweltide tale / written by Jason Page.

Cynthia LOVES Christmas. So much so that her flockmates send her off to the North Pole to help Father Christmas. But it turns out that there isn't much an enthusiastic sheep can do to help with Christmas - until one crucial moment.

Bear stays up for Christmas / Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman.

Bear's friends are determined that he's awake for Christmas and they get him up from his hibernation on Christmas Eve. Bear is excited to experience the holiday with his friends and tries very hard to stay awake, helping to find the right Christmas tree, making mint tea and singing carols. Finally, though, it's his friends who have fallen asleep - and Bear Stays Up! 

Rudey's windy Christmas / Helen Baugh & Ben Mantle.

Oh, dearie me! said Rudolph. Now I've done a windy pop! This is a bit embarrassing. I'll do my best to stop. Rudolph has eaten too many sprouts and the explosive effect is smelt all around the world as he and Santa delivers presents on Christmas Eve...The other reindeer have laughed so much, they're out of puff. How ever will they get the sleigh back home?

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Excuse Me While I Curl Up On The Sofa...

I'm a sucker for a good romance story and I have a special weakest for Christmas romance stories.  There's just something about these holiday themed books that makes me feel all warm and glowy and probably explains, at least in part, my addiction to all things Christmasy.

Luckily here at Auckland Libraries we have heap to choose from so I have no trouble in adding to my growing to-be-read pile which at this time of year can get rather... big.  It's a good thing I have a very large book bag to take them all home with.

Still it's worthwhile because I can then curl up on the sofa with a bowl of cherries, a mince pie... or two and a pile of books to work my way through.

The only problem is deciding which one to start with first...

Mistletoe on Main Street / Olivia Miles.

Briar Creek's quaint shop windows, cozy homes nestled in snow, and neighborly residents are what Christmas dreams are made of--for everyone except Grace Madison. She left her hometown years ago to pursue a writing career. But when her father's death leaves his bookstore empty, Grace must return to face why she fled Vermont in the first place: Luke Hastings, who still heats her up like a shot of smoky whiskey on a cold winter's night.

Where the heart is / Darcy Blake.

The simple life is all Chloe English hoped it would be until her house burns down, leaving her homeless. When a handsome firefighter swoops in to save the day, she can't believe her luck. He's laid-back and unassuming, everything she's looking for in a man - or so he seems. It turns out he's as ambitious as her ex, comes with a family who could be more stifling than hers, and harbors dark secrets he may never be able to share. Can she help him face his bleak past so they can forge a happy future?

The heart of Christmas / Brenda Novak.

Eve Harmon has always enjoyed Christmas, but this year it reminds her of everything she doesn't have.  A husband and kids of her own. But the B and B she manages, and even Whiskey Creek, the small Gold Country town where she was born and raised, suddenly seem confining. There's no one in the area she could even imagine as a husband until a handsome stranger comes to town. Eve's definitely attracted to him, and he seems to have the same reaction to her. But his darkly mysterious past could ruin Eve's happily ever after just when it finally seems within reach. 

All he wants for Christmas / Lisa Plumley.

Jason Hamilton is on thin ice with the board of his toy company. The young CEO may be a kid at heart, but his party boy reputation requires damage control. So, Jason's off to Kismet to inspect a model store and stick to business--no goofing around. Which is too bad, because the store manager, Danielle Sharpe, is the definition of what makes Naughty fun. Danielle is thrilled to show off her thriving little toy store. But if she'd known Jason was this hot, she wouldn't have offered to host him.

A Christmas to remember / Jenny Hale.

Carrie Blake loves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie’s spare time is spent with other people’s families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year’s resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life.  As Carrie starts her last job, she’s sure she’ll be going out on a high - the only problem could be her boss… single-dad Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he’s always working. 

Doesn’t he realise he’s missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter?

It must have been the mistletoe / Judy Astley.

Thea's parents have split up but still seem to be together. Both her younger sister and her brother are Smug Marrieds. But Thea is single and very much wishes she wasn't. When her mother and father plan a great family Christmas in a big house by the sea, the idea is to make it all great fun and tremendously civilised - not remotely complicated despite the fact that what they will really be celebrating is the final break-up of their marriage and the Moving On to new partners. And the new partners will also be there - and why not? It's what they do in Sweden, apparently, and it all works out fine. But will they move on? And will Thea manage to navigate her way through the forced jollities and family disasters to find some happiness for herself?

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Eat Until You Can't Or O I Feel Sick

Trying to stick to a diet or at the very least eat healthy is just about impossible at this time of year. Everywhere you go there is food.  It's almost like  everything yummy and bad for you has leapt off the shelves and is following you around, tempting you with seductive words.

Or maybe that's just me.

Still Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without at least having one it-taste-so-good-even-though-it's-bad-for-you morsel or two

In the meantime I'm avoiding all supermarket aisles, shops, cinemas... mmm maybe I should just stay at home.

Christmas on a plate

Edible gifts.

Who ever invented this should be shot.

Because seriously it's hard enough to avoid temptation without someone giving you a gift of food.

Then again...

Creative cookie swap cookbook: recipes and holiday inspiration

I've been looking for Christmas cookies.

Not for myself you understand.

No my search as been a purely gift giving idea.

The only problem is now I want to try each one.  All in the name of research of course

Primrose Bakery Christmas

I have no idea where Primrose Bakery is but if I did you would probably find me there...

... a lot.

I might even move in...

...if they let me

Gluten-free Christmas: delicious cookies, cakes, pies, stuffings and sauces for the perfect festive table
Of course if you're trying to be good this festive season then going gluten-free may just be the answer.

So it's certainly nice to know that there are heaps of recipes to choose from if you do decide to go that way.

Summer food: new summer classics

I just love this time of year.  And not just because of all the Christmas type food.  But because of all the even yummier summer food... like cherries.

Mmm cherries

They are my absolute favourite.  But I also love strawberries and blackberries and water melon and plums and...

Chocolate, chocolate & more chocolate!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a choc-alcoholic.

So as much as I'm going to try to be good and live on all the wonderful summer fruits and vegetables I will, more than likely - okay make that definitely - be having some chocolate at some stage.

Because chocolate is the answer to everything.

Cocktails for the holidays: festive drinks to celebrate the season

If you've had enough of the Christmas season and all the food and the shopping and all the other things that you just have to do at this time of year then you might just be tempted to have a drink or two.

Cocktails are the answer.

Bright and pretty and they'll make you feel happy too.