Staff Christmas Picks

 

Everyone has their own favorite Christmas tales.  Here are some of the ones we think make the holidays bright!

Kristin:

Sandra Boynton is one of my favorite authors and humorists. Her children’s books are full of expressive animal characters that never fail to make me smile. Check out A Dance with Santa Claus, Snow, Snow, Snow!: A Christmastime Song, Merry Christmas, Little Pookie, Christmas Parade, Cows and Holly, Christmastime, Bob and 6 More Christmas Stories,  and my ultimate favorite: Moo, Baa, Fa La La La La!

Tonia:

I enjoyed One Day in December by Josie Silver, and I’m usually not a romance fan, but this book was unexpectedly good.

Jeanne:

My list usually is heavy on children’s books just because there’s a sense of wonder and excitement there. . . and sometimes trepidation.  Merry Christmas, Thomas by A. Vesey is one I love and not just because Thomas is a cat, though that helps. Thomas finds some presents Santa left early and he can’t resist taking a peek.  Will Santa visit Thomas even though he must be at the top of the naughty list? Having once been a child who peeked and then regretted it, I can totally identify with Thomas!

The Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair is another gem. Written in dialect, it begs to be read aloud.  Also, Santa has alligators instead of reindeer.

I would list A Christmas Carol but honestly at Christmas time I’m too busy to re-read it.  I do recommend the annotated version, though. I puzzled over Scrooge’s reference to a “lumber-room” until I found out that was an old term for a storage room.  I had visions of stacks of wood!

Finally there are some great short stories and novellas out there.  One of my favorite stories is “All Seated, On the Ground” by Connie Willis in which aliens land on Earth and do nothing.  They just sit silently and glare.  Desperate to communicate, some members of a commission take them around town while Christmas festivities are going on and they do indeed find something that elicits the aliens’ interest.

Laura:

I love the Christmas Joanne Fluke books. I like to try out at least one new recipe every Christmas and her books are full of recipes, as well as mystery! I have tried several of her recipes and none have ever disappointed. Her Christmas books include Sugar Cookie Murder, Plum Pudding Murder, Christmas Caramel Murder, and Christmas Cupcake Murder. I recommend them all!