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...

Cats And Mice And Everything In Between

I just love this time of year because it gives me a chance to catch up on all the wonderful reading lists and to add to my every increasing to-be-read pile.  You the know the one. The one that is so long that it would probably take a whole year of dedicated reading to just get through it.  Still think of all the lovely books I could read...

Books like Firefly Hollow and Crenshaw, featuring both real... and imaginary animals.  And the fact that I am adding both of these to my to-be-read list as I type has nothing to do with my compulsive reading habit - okay it totally does..  I also want a cat name Crenshaw.  Because seriously who wouldn't.  An imaginary cat no-less. Now that is all kinds of awesome.  Just as all these books are. So check them out, share them with your kids, your friends kids and have a summery indulge of all things magical.

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?