Short and Seasonal!

 

With all the bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to get burned out.  Reading can give one a chance to rest and recharge before tackling that “to do” list.  Here are some short books with seasonal themes that just might hit the spot:

Christmas Letters by Lee Smith is a novella built around one of my favorite Christmas traditions, the Christmas letter.  Those once a year, newsy letters that help people keep in touch with those far away. Smith’s novella tracks the lives of three generations of women through their correspondence, sharing joys, sorrows, fears, and recipes.  The letters begin in 1944 when Birdie writes home to West Virginia about her new life in North Carolina.  Readers follow her through the years until the torch is passed to her daughter and then granddaughter.  It’s a tale beautifully told.

Another Appalachian treat is Nora Bonesteel’s Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb.  Nora who has some psychic gifts is called to a home by its new residents who are disturbed some strange events, leading them to wonder if the house is haunted.  Meanwhile, Sheriff Spencer Arrowood is called upon to arrest an elderly man who lives up in a hollow, an unpleasant task made more unpleasant by a threatened storm.  Having two of McCrumb’s most popular characters appear in their own tales makes for a very festive treat.

If you fancy very old-fashioned tales, then look no farther than The Quiet Little Woman:  A Christmas Story by Louisa May Alcott, which is actually a collection of three stories written by Alcott in the 1870s for three little girls who were fans of her writing.  In the title story, Patty is a quiet, shy, industrious orphan girl who longs to be chosen by a family as the other girls and boys have been.  “Tilly’s Christmas” and “Rosa’s Tale” round out the collection.

Connie Willis is known for her science fiction and fantasy stories with a focus on the human aspect rather than technology. In Take a Look at the Five and Ten, a young woman is bracing herself for another boring holiday with her extended (very extended) family.  This is sure to include Grandma Elving, who only seems to talk about working at a dime store in the 1950s in excruciating detail over and over and over, not to mention pretty, popular, and self-centered Sloane who will be showing off her latest trophy boyfriend, Lassiter.  As it turns out, Lassiter is very interested in Grandma Elving’s story. 

On the other hand, if it’s a dark thriller you fancy, try The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson. As it opens, our narrator is cleaning her apartment when she comes across a diary written by an American college student named Ashley.  Ashley is going to spend time at the country estate of her British friend Emma, and is wondering if her story is going to be a romance or a murder mystery.

Of course, there are a number of authors who put out short holiday books for the enjoyment of their readers.  Check out books by authors such as Richard Paul Evans, Anne Perry, Donna VanLiere, or check out some of our short story collections!

Nevermore: The Count of Monte Cristo, No Ordinary Bird

 Reported by Rita

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. A huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s, Dumas was inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment when writing his epic tale of suffering and retribution.

Very interesting. I enjoyed the action. - VC 5 stars

 

No Ordinary Bird: Drug Smuggling, a Plane Crash, and a Daughter's Quest for the Truth by Artis Henderson

An exhilarating memoir by a daughter uncovering the secret of her father's rags-to-riches story, from poor farm boy to international drug smuggler, and the many mysteries surrounding his sudden death by plane crash.

Intriguing, informative, and the writing is good. -KM 5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

 

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer (S.C.Y.T.H.E. Mystery, #1) by Maxie Dara

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home by Stephen Starring Grant

The Crystal Cave (Arthurian Saga, #1) by Mary Stewart

 

 

New Books

 

Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal

The Silver State: A Novel by Gabriel Urza

One of Us by Dan Chaon

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

We The People: A History of the U.S. Constitution by Jill Lepore

The Twelve Jays of Christmas by Donna Andrews

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Decorative blacksmith Meg Lanslow’s Christmas plans have had a bit of a twist—Meg’s ankle, to be specific.  She sent husband Michael and the boys off to their planned ski vacation before the holidays, leaving Meg to rest up.  (Insert laughter here.) Meg is one of those ultra-organized people who has pages of “to-do” lists and makes sure every event runs smoothly—or as smoothly as it can, given the eccentric nature of their extended family.

Take this Christmas, for example.  Even before all the family arrives, Meg discovers there are wombats in the basement, an experiment being conducted by her zoologist grandfather and her nephew to document their biofluorescence. Yep, apparently they glow in the dark.

And that’s not the least of it.  Meg has an irritable and demanding artist in residence who is painting jays and mockingbirds for a book and who has allowed the birds to escape into the house where they seem to view people as delightful targets, moving statues if you will.  Fortunately, Meg has laid in a supply of hats for people to wear.

With the artists’ ex-wives staking out the house, a reporter trying to get a scoop, Meg’s brother and his fiancée trying to have a low key wedding at New Year’s and Meg’s mother plotting an extravaganza, a murder seems almost incidental.

While this may seem over the top and overwhelming, Donna Andrews juggles all the plot elements with the ease and assuredness of a master performer.  There are plenty of laugh out loud moments, but she never loses sight of the serious aspects of the story. She also handles all the characters with ease, so even if this is your first Meg Lanslow mystery you won’t have trouble keeping up.  I had read and enjoyed the first two or three a couple of years back, but had no problem even though there are a lot of new to me characters.  Most of all, Meg herself is a wonderful character.  I love that she’s not a wishy-washy heroine who gets bullied into doing things.  When her family tries to take advantage, she pushes back and offers other solutions.  Most of all I love that there is a warmth and love to the stories even under trying circumstances. 

If you’re looking for a light book to make the holidays bright, pick up one of the yearly Christmas themed books in the series. I’m very glad I did!

Death at a Castle Christmas by Veronica Bond

 

Death at a Castle Christmas by Veronica Bond (Dinner and a Mystery, book 3)

Reviewed by Jeanne

Nora loves working at Castle Dark, an American castle that hosts various forms of entertainment—murder mystery shows, music, etc.  Not only does Nora get to use both her singing and acting talents, but the close-knit castle troupe all pitch in with costumes, lighting, backdrops, and whatever needs doing.  They’ve become a family.

This Christmas is a special one indeed.  Nora loves the musical presentations and comedy skits, even though the schedule is a grueling one. There’s still time for Nora to spend with friends including her detective boyfriend, and Nora’s parents and siblings are coming for the holiday.

The first hint of trouble comes when two small children show up at the castle, claiming to be selling candy for their school.  They’re much too young to be out alone and the candy doesn’t look like anything a school would sponsor.  Nora and company discover the children’s mother Jenn is in the hospital and Charlie, the children’s guardian, left to go to the store and never returned.  All reports say that Charlie was responsible and loving toward Jenn and the kids. This is definitely out of character. Jenn is horrified to discover her young children have been left alone and files a missing person report on Charlie.

Things get even darker when the body of an unidentified man turns up on the Castle grounds after an attempted break in.  Could these two events possibly be connected?

I had read the first two in this series and enjoyed them very much.  The characters are likeable and there’s a strong sense of comradery that appeals to me.  I also love the descriptions of the various performances as told by someone who appreciates theatre and music.  The mysteries have been cleverly constructed too, but the emphasis is on characterization.  The fact that Nora has three kittens doesn’t hurt, either.

The writing is done with a deft hand; while “Veronica Bond” may only have three books to her credit, the author behind the series is really Julia Buckley, a long time mystery author of several series.  I especially loved her Hungarian Teahouse series because of the folklore she included.

While I think this could be read as a standalone, there are a lot of relationships in this story.  In fact, I began to have the feeling this was going to be the last in the series as couples paired off.  While I was glad to see well-deserving characters get their happily ever after, I was less glad to think that I might not see any of them again.

Usually I wouldn’t review this possibly last in series book here on the blog, but this book really feels seasonal.   It’s not just the Christmas carols sung by the troupe, though that is a part of it. I especially liked a section in which Nora meditates on one of the carols, “Good King Wenceslas” and its meaning.  The book felt very festive, and not in a superficial way.  Some books set at Christmas throw in a few seasonal details like shopping or tree trimming but don’t convey the feeling as much as this one does.

The books in the series are

1.       Death in Castle Dark

2.      Castle Deadly, Castle Deep

3.      Death at a Castle Christmas

Nevermore: Demon Copperhead, Martha Odyssey, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

 

Nevermore 10-7-25

Reported by Rita

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The teenage son of an Appalachian single mother who dies when he's eleven uses his good looks, wit, and instincts to survive foster care, child labor, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses.

I didn't like it enough to finish it on my first try, but the second attempt was much better and had me enthralled. - NH 5 stars

The Martha Odyssey by Bonny Gable
The campus is full of ghosts, they say. But are Beatrice's demons from the past or the present? It's 1915 and young Beatrice Damron burns to become a professional classical pianist. She leaves behind her meager mountain home and enters Martha Washington College to study at its well-regarded music conservatory, unaware of what lies in wait for her there. Thrilled to exhibit her prowess with Beethoven and Brahms, she wows students and professors alike. Yet a menacing presence lurks that bedevils her. Beatrice seeks solace beyond the college halls and discovers a simpler world with Jonah, the town outcast. Captivated with this newfound joy, she begins to lead two separate lives. But when tragedy strikes, her two worlds collide with life-threatening consequences-and Jonah is at the center of it all. To avert further disaster, Beatrice must take dangerous risks that may cost her everything.

Incredible! I couldn't put it down. MH 5 stars

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

A very quick read filled with fascinating characters. I enjoyed it very much. GP 5 stars


Other Books Mentioned

The Association by Sharon Ann Ziegler
How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr
Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder from the World of Plants by Jane Goodall
Land of the Dead: How the West Changed Death in America by Terry Hamburg
Captivity of the Oatman Girls by Royal B. Stratton, Olive A. Oatman
The World Made Straight by Ron Rash
The Peculiar Gift of July by Ashley Ream
The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Christmas at the Women’s Hotel: A Biedermeier Story by Daniel M. Lavery

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Manhattan, the early 1960s:  the Biedermeier Hotel is home to a number of women of various ages, from the young and eager to the elderly and infirm.  All are just scraping by, so for some the Christmas season offers an opportunity to earn much needed extra money. Most are content to pick up extra jobs as window dressers or sales clerks. 

Lucianne has a better idea:  she’ll start a service providing male escorts for young women who want to attend various functions but who don’t want to go alone.  She knows several young men who can be trusted to behave like gentlemen and who will cut a respectable figure. Of course, Lucianne will get a cut of the fee. . . .

Katherine, the first floor manager, has been estranged from her family for years but is cautiously hopeful when she receives a letter from a younger sister.  It’s the first time anyone from the family has reached out.

And then there’s Josephine, a retiree whose methods of picking up some extra cash are definitely not legal.

Author Daniel Lavery uses his characters from The Women’s Hotel to good effect in this holiday novella.  While it can be read as a standalone, Christmas at the Women’s Hotel would be better appreciated if one had read the first novel.  I had not, so I admit I was a bit overwhelmed with all the characters.  What kept me reading was the writing: I love the author’s sense of humor and way that he phrases things.  Of Lucianne, who is from a socially prominent family, he writes, “She was not self-conscious about her age, but she was certainly aware that it could no longer benefit her socially, though it had not as yet begun to count against her.” Of another character he writes that she was “thought of as something better than a nuisance but less than a friend.”

He also makes the 1964 time period come alive, which I really enjoyed.  I liked that not all the problems were solved or that some resolutions were not what I would have hoped.  Perhaps those endings are for another book. It felt realistically festive instead of  saccharine.

If you’re looking for some nostalgia reading set in the Big Apple, this can be an entertaining choice.

You Only Live Nine Times by Gwen Cooper

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Rachel Baum came to Coacoochee, Florida to start over.  She landed a great job in a bookstore, and is enjoying not only selling books but creating events to promote the store.  She has an apartment above the bookstore that she shares with her three cats:  Scarlett, Vashti, and Homer, a blind black cat who doesn’t let a lack of vision hamper his fearless nature.

Coacoochee is an upscale community with a thriving social scene.  Rachel’s friends include Tommy aka “Mr. Nightlife,” who works for a magazine, reporting all the gossip and news on the beautiful people; Natalie, an investigative journalist who owns “Hot Mike,” a German shepherd who flunked out of police dog training school; and Daisy, a party girl who knows everybody who’s anybody.  Rachel finds herself rubbing shoulders with a celebrity chef, a wealthy real estate developer who owns at least half the property around, and a high profile newspaper columnist, all of whom have their own agendas. Still it all seems cordial enough—until someone turns up dead outside the bookstore right after an event Rachel hosted.  The police seem to think that it was natural causes, but Rachel isn’t so sure.

Her cats definitely think there is something wrong.  Unbeknownst to Rachel, the three felines have more interests than birds and catnip.  They think something is definitely amiss and they intend to protect Rachel. Unfortunately, Rachel doesn’t speak cat—or maybe that’s a good thing, or else she’d know what they have planned could be very dangerous.

Gwen Cooper is the author of the non-fiction book Homer’s Odyssey, which is the real-life story of her blind cat Homer, and Love Saves the Day, a novel about human relationships.  I knew I liked her writing based on those books, so I was interested to see what she’d do with a mystery novel.

As with many of the cozy mystery book series, the author throws out numerous characters all at once.  I was glad there was a list of characters in the front or I might have given up. Some don’t play a major role in the story and could have been skipped.  I understand that the author wants to build up her cast of characters for future installments, but overwhelming the reader with names is off-putting. As I said this is common in first in series books: the author is creating a setting she intends to return to so it seems that the reader is introduced to everyone in town, whether or not that character is going to play a significant role in this particular story.

Once I was past that, the book turned out to be as entertaining as I had hoped.  Part of the story is told from Rachel’s point of view as she tries to prove foul play, and part from the cats’ as they gather clues and enlist helpers including Hot Mike. Incidentally, Hot Mike is a fun character; his name comes from journalism, i.e. a “hot mic” and he adores his human, but he’s welcome to lend a paw or nose to help Homer and the gang.

The mystery was interesting and the cats are a hoot. There’s a good bit of sibling rivalry going on between them, and they all have delightfully distinct personalities.  I just decided to roll with all the characters and soon found the only ones I needed to keep track of.  There were well- placed clues, a bit of romance, and lots of feline frolics—or folly, depending on your point of view.

There’s a second book planned and I am looking forward to it.