Christmas Day Books

Three stories set in the old west that are heartwarming and the perfect read for the holiday season!

I'm a huge Cheryl St. John fan--she's an autobuy--and the anthology introduced me to Jenna Kernan and Pam Crooks...two authors I'll watch for in the future.

A Western Winter Wonderland

A Western Christmas Anthology written by three great western romance writers. Cheryl St. John, Jenna Kerman and Pam Crooks.

Not a fan of Anthologies to begin with, I rarely read them as prefer the meatier content of larger novels, but I admit that I truly liked these three, delightful short stories, set in simple western towns. The stories are sweet and lovely. No sex - just the lovely description of the characters as they get to know each other. My favorite - Kernan's Fallen Angel.

Americana at its best, for those who like a well told story set in the old west, you will definitely enjoy these, charming three short novellas.

This book is a beautiful way to start off the holiday season. These three touching stories filled with love and hope weave Christmas magic.

Christmas Day Family by Cheryl St. John is the moving story of Marvel and Seth. When Seth turns up with his children at her boarding house, Marvel gets more than she bargained for. Now Marvel must come to terms with the secret that has been haunting her for years. Wonderful!

Fallen Angel by Jenna Kernan grabs you right from the start. When Ford Statler accidentally shoots Abby March he sets off a chain of events that will change both their lives forever. Each must overcome their past in order to reach for a new future. Perfect!

One Magic Eve by Pam Crooks is the story of Chet and Sonja. Chet's young son has developed a friendship with Sonja, but can Chet trust Sonja considering all the gossip surrounding her? A little Christmas magic will help them along. Amazing!

Don't miss this anthology!

WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SOUNDTRACK I GREW UP WITH..INSTEAD GOT ROSEMARY CLOONEY SINGING THE SONGS FROM THE FILM BY HERSELF..AND PEGGY LEE WITH THE OTHERS IN THE FILM.....THERE MUST BE A SOUNTRACK SOMEWHERE OF THE ORIGINAL THEATER VERSION...!!!!

I have tried to find this album for years.

White Christmas is my all time faviorate movie and to find the CD that goes to the DVD.

It has all the songs and titles from the movie with some extras well.

I would suggest this to anyone who loves this movie.

For whatever reason, White Christmas never seems to get its due credit as one of the great Christmas movies of all-time. OK, so it may not be strictly a Christmas film, this story about two army buddies who help out their old General by putting on a show at his country inn is sparkling entertainment with great songs and all the glitz and glamour of classic Hollywood musicals. This little hardcover book commemorates the 50th anniversary of the film with lots of fun trivia and information about the film and it's stars.

Irving Berlin wrote White Christmas in 1941 for the film Holiday Inn. He was asked to write songs for different holidays and while the film had many great songs, White Christmas is the one that has become immortal. It has gone on to become not only the biggest selling Christmas song of all-time, but one of the biggest selling songs period. The book begins with a synopsis of the film and then presents brief bios of the cast: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger and Mary Wickes, as well as bios of Berlin, and director Michael Curtiz. You'll learn that Crosby was one of the original financers of the development of Audio Tape and that Kaye was a tireless volunteer for UNICEF.

Sprinkled like shiny tinsel throughout the book are little "Snow it all" fun facts and trivia about winter and snow, such as how to make snow cream, and how to make the perfect snowman or snow angels. This is accompanied by beautiful photography from this Technicolor extravaganza. Finally a CD is included with the book that features three rendition of White Christmas by Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and Vince Gill. It's a marvelous little Christmas collectible, one that anyone who loves the movie will treasure.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

I bought this book to read with my 10-year-old son, who has language-related learning disabilities. I'm a mystery addict, myself, and I was looking for a book that wouldn't be too advanced for him but also wouldn't be too childish for me, and "Who's Stealing ..." fit the bill perfectly. The mystery plot is just right (I wasn't sure whodunit, and I often can't help but know, even with adult mysteries), the narrator's voice sounded completely authentic, and the characters (both adult and child) were likable but not unrealistic. I also appreciated that the author has her characters make some unconventional choices (Mom is a cop, the boy narrator has chosen a best friend across race and gender lines, an older male character is a nurturing soup-maker) but then treats these things in a very matter of fact way -- none of them is the point of the story. My son liked the book, too, so I am off to collect the others in the series!

My 9 year old son said this book was very entertaining - he bought it in paperback. About a boy named Alex from PA who finds himself in the middle of crime spree... He read it over the Christmas Break last year and he even brought it to the supper table. I think that makes it a hit in my book!

Who is Stealing the Twelve Days of Christmas is a good story for readers comfortable with chapter books. Alex and Yasmeen live on Chickadee Court. Each Christmas, the neighbors decorate their yards with a Twelve Days of Christmas display. This year, someone is stealing the displays and returning them a few days later. Alex's mother is a police investigator trying to solve a set of robberies of collectible mouse figures. Alex and Yasmeen piece together clues from their neighborhood crime and end up helping Alex's mom with the other robberies. The reader learns to be more objective. Look at the facts. Use logic. The reader also learns not to make a judgment based on a person's appearance. A person isn't 'bad' just because they are different.

This is a well written fictional story which incorporates religious beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The story had most of the women in our book club in tears (regardless of religious affiliation). It is a quick read (took about one hour reading aloud). I don't listen to the Bob Lonsberry show enough to have even realized that he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS... I guess those who listen to him often don't have any trouble realizing it. He is very respectful of his multi-denominational audience.

The story is about U.S. soldiers in Iraq who are ambushed in their humvee. Two low ranking soldiers face what could be their final moments/hours together after their superior officers are killed. One soldier is a deeply religious man while the other is not very religious. In a crisis, the religious soldier is able to help his fellow soldier face the possibility of death by sharing his faith as well as helping him realize his worth to God.

It's a simple story and an easy read. It inspires faith in Christ and national pride. Although I can appreciate the earlier review, I think it is a little misleading. This is not a philosophical book, it's a short fictional story that does a good job of giving the reader some insights into the "Mormon" belief system.

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:11-12)

I begin with two preliminaries--

First, I'm not a fan of LDS fiction: think of U2's song "Even Better Than the Real Thing." Why do I need to read about fictitious Mormons evangelizing fictitious non-members, when I am surrounded by very real and very splendid strangers and fellowcitizens? What could be better than the real thing?

Second, we should review what C. S. Lewis said about cathedrals and corkscrews:

"The first qualification for judging any piece of workmanship from a corkscrew to a cathedral is to know what it is--what it was intended to do and how it was meant to be used. After that has been discovered the temperance reformer may decide that the corkscrew was made for a bad purpose, and the communist may think the same about the cathedral. But such questions come later. The first thing is to understand the object before you: as long as you think the corkscrew was meant for opening tins or the cathedral for entertaining tourists you can say nothing to purpose about them." (A Preface To "Paradise Lost," 1)

"Baghdad Christmas" is didactic religious fiction in the short story format. It can be broken down in the literary aspects of plot, theme, setting, characterization, style.

Plot:

The story revolves around two stranded Humvee monkeys during Christmas. They are caught in a brush fire, and discuss the meaning of Christmas as it relates to the war in Iraq. Essentially it is a "no atheists in foxhole" dialogue, with an emphasis on distinctive LDS doctrines.

Theme:

This book discusses the very real "War within a War" phenomenon. Lonsberry follows C. S. Lewis, who himself was a vet of WWI and wrote the essay "Learning in wartime." "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," for example, begins in London during the London Blitz, then moves to the blitz in Narnia. Lewis clinched this idea of dual warfare in the fifteenth Screwtape Letter: "I had noticed, of course, that the humans were having a lull in their European war--what they naively call "The War!""

As Ayn Rand explained, "The purpose of art is to concretize the artist's fundamental view of existence." Lonsberry affirms his own outlook that we are in a "two front war": the physical-temporal war that involves Iraq, North Korea, and terrorism, and the second spiritual-eternal front that involves sin, secret combinations, and our salvation.

He also reaffirms a truth that President Joseph Fielding Smith taught:

"Satan has control now. No matter where you look, he is in control, even in our own land. He is guiding the governments as far as the Lord will permit him. That is why there is so much strife, turmoil, and confusion all over the earth."

"One master mind is governing the nations. It is not the President of the United States; it is not Hitler; it is not Mussolini; it is not the king or government of England or any other land; it is Satan himself." (Doctrines of Salvation 3:315)

I think in the space of 40-odd pages, Lonsberry does as well as Bill Bennett did in "Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism" and Ravi Zacharias in "Light in the Shadow of Jihad." His greatest asset in this discussion is that he comes from the Latter-day Saint point of view. He brings the panorama of the Three Estates, the centrality of the Atonement, and the importance of ordinances. Lonsberry omitted a detailed discussion of living prophets, but this may be a question of space and setting, however.

Setting:

His theme is the basis for setting: the lonely battlefield in Iraq corresponding to the lone and dreary world that is the frontline and trench of the greater, invisible war, or the silent chamber of our souls.

Characterization:

In short stories, space prohibits detailed characterization. Therefore Lonsberry's weakness in this area is not due to talent, but due to the constraints of format. A book like this could be expanded to include several chapters, akin to a Platonic dialogue, or Neal A. Maxwell's "We talk of Christ" or "Deposition of a Disciple."

The characters seem like placeholders, or Aristotelian essences. They get the information across at the cost of seeing them as complex human beings. They are rounded off, but do not have distinctive polish.

O. Henry had a gift of beginning with stereotypes, and then surpassing them. He is an essential model for characterization. In addition Henry, I suggest studying "The Screwtape Letters," some of Plato's dialogues, and three books by Peter Kreeft "Between Heaven and Hell, " "Socrates Meets Jesus" and "The Best Things in Life."

Style:

Lonsberry's style is smooth. He is straightforward, and conversational, which comes form his years in print and broadcast journalism. The military slang and banter is perfect, almost too perfect, since I had to review the military jargon and acronyms.

Conclusion:

I bought this book sight-unseen, although I must qualify that. I have listened to Lonsberry since day one in Utah, and am a devoted reader of his column. Therefore to say I bought the book with my eyes closed is not accurate. I had been exposed to his personal outlook, which as Rand said, is the basis for art. In other word, I knew full well the type and quality of book I was getting. The only variable was the specific nature of the particular work. After several reading, I can say that "Baghdad Christmas" is on par with all of his other work. If you know who he is, then you already know what you are getting.

This is a fantastic book for parents,teachers, or anyone who likes to make crafts. Moms and teachers especially are always looking for ways to make crafts that don't cost much. This book shows you how to make really cute and original projects out of things we would recycle (or throw away!). I recommend it highly!

I got this book for my 5 year old daughter and 5 year old niece. They both love to make things and loved the items in this book. My daughter wanted to make so many things for each holiday, we didn't come close to making all of them. There are some items that are a bit lame, but the others make the book worth it. I only had to buy a few low cost craft items like felt squares, pipe cleaners, ribbon, and the like to make the items in the book. Everything else we had in the house (egg cartons, construction paper, material scraps, ...).
If you have "crafty kids" this is a good idea book for them. It would also be good for preschools, elementary schools, and churches.

Our family has used her first edition of this book, The 25 Days of Christmas (1994), for several years. We're a young family with 4 kids under 10 years old and have really enjoyed using this book over the years... in fact, my oldest has begun looking forward to it every year... although it's begun to feel a bit dated (in that it was written before computers & technology became such a big part of our lives).

I bought this revised copy and have found that it's really not all that different and that it leaves out a significant aspect of the original... the daily entries in the original have a hymn or Christmas carol to go along with each devotion, but the updated version leaves the songs out. There were also more scripture references in the original.

However, if you don't have access to the 1994 copy, I recommend this book to anyone looking for daily devotions and activities to enjoy with your young children. Hymnals and Christmas carol books are available everywhere, any one of which would suffice to make up for the lack of song content! It is a very Christ-centered book that uses the whole Bible in its approach to Advent. We use it daily each December, along with a Jesse Tree. I appreciate having these resources to help the kids look forward to Christmas with daily activities leading up to the 25th.

We have used this book for years to focus our thoughts on Jesus Christ during this wonderful busy season! We really enjoy singing the Christmas hymns and carols that accompany each day's reading. Enjoying all the aspects of the season, it is great to have a resource that is fun for the whole family that redirects all of us to what is most important! Use this book and you will be blessed!

"Little Star's Big Day" is a children's book written by Martha Criklair Wohlford. I found this to be a very cute rendition of a Christmas story. As we all know, the star played an important part in the birth of Jesus, and this star senses that. There's a big contest among the stars to see who can shine the brightest.

This story was written in such a beautiful and eloquent manner. Children will delight in the star and all he goes through to be the brightest. Heather Leigh Schaefer has proven to be an excellent illustrator and her artistic talent is astounding. The illustrations literally leap off the page with their liveliness.

Children will be tickled by this book and parents will smile as they read along with their child. Of course, this story was written for Christmas but it would be wonderful for any time of the year. "Little Star's Big Day" serves as a perfect tool to teach children how to read and have a deeper appreciation for the stars. Furthermore, it's a unique way to teach children to accept themselves for who they are.

A wonderfully illustrated tale for young children "Little Star's Big Day" tells the story of how a hard working little star became the Christmas star. Although he is small and gives up easily he still always tries his best. This consistent attitude is what eventually causes him to shine above all the other stars. By being the best he could be he is surprised to find that he does win the competition and is selected to be the Christmas star. This is a great read for young children and young readers and a recommended purchase.

Just when I think Ms. Holbrook's writing can't be more amusing and/or touching, she comes through with another book, better than the one before. This is a delightful romance that doesn't let the reader lose sight of the fact that it's also a Christmas story.

A young woman is placed into a lord's household as his temporary ward. Her tendency to pick up stray people and animals totally upsets his life and he feels drawn to her compassionate ways. Again Cindy Holbrook comes up with a nice set of characters and lots of jokes, but somehow this book didn't draw me in like most of her previous books (My all time favourite book - "A Daring Deception" by the same author - makes me both cry and laugh aloud everytime I read it).

This is really an excellent explanation of Advent. The projects are a little more difficult than I really wanted to do, but I am thrilled with how detailed the book is. I would recommend it for anyone who wanted to understand what Advent is and what the symbols mean.

The book guides you through planning and creating an Advent calendar that interweaves the liturgy of the season with your everyday Christmas preparations, giving rich significance to such "menial" things as housecleaning, and serving as a reminder to do everything "as unto the Lord." You can choose from three different materials/levels of difficulty, and each one comes with step-by-step instructions and a shopping list! The book is written from a Catholic perspective, and the calendar is easy to adapt to other Christian traditions. Some days (like the 4 Sundays of Advent) have specific themes, but even the "doors" on those days can be personalized with different decorations and Scripture verses. Other days, you choose something that suits your family -- a school house for the last day of school or a Christmas tree for the day you decorate your tree. Each day's theme also comes with one or more Scriptures, a brief "lesson" and a prayer. For families used to starting the day with a devotional, this puts a different spin on it. For families that aren't, it's a great way to start. I've found a wonderful way of reducing the stress and reminding my family what's really important.

This is a great book because it has ideas for every time of the day you might cook on Christmas.

The Twelve Days Of Christmas Cookbook is an enduring popular holiday cookbook that is now in its eleventh printing and showcasing recipes particularly appropriate for celebrating the religious festival dining celebrations during Christmas Day and the eleven days that follow it and are traditionally considered as "party days" in Christian countries and communities. Each specific day begins with a complete dinner for either dinner or luncheon. A handy Index offers ready access to each and any of these classic recipes so that the experienced kitchen cook can "mix and match" beverages, breads, desserts, hors d'oeuvres, salads, entrees, and even prepare vegetarian mealtime celebrations. A very highly recommended addition to any family cookbook collection, there is an especially useful feature in the form of a comb binding that allows The Twelve Days Of Christmas Cookbook to lay flat upon the kitchen counter.