I love stories set during Christmas! However, it can be difficult to settle into a cozy holiday novel when you're looking at a seemingly endless Christmas to-do list. With this in mind, I'm offering a list of highly recommended Christmas novellas, three of...
To round out this year of fiction by early twentieth century English women, I offer a holiday mystery! The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay -- Synopsis from the publisher: Aunt Mildred declared that no good could come of the Melbury family Christmas gatherings...
I've seen The Green Knight. It's a dark film, often bizarre and at times inscrutable. You'll find little of the pageantry or romance we often associate with Arthurian films. You'll also find little in the way of schmaltz or Hollywood sparkle. This adaptation is gritty...
One of the few positive things about this terrible pandemic is that it's forced us all to spend more time with ourselves. In our own heads. Dreaming, reading, planning, growing. I'll confess that I love being alone. I inherited this trait from my mother, and many of...
Lately I've indulged in reading holiday romance--a Christmas present to myself! Jenny Colgan's Mure Island series culminates in two delicious books set during Christmas. Though Mure is a fictional location in Scotland based on Highland islands like Orkney and...
Last week Steve had a conference at the Arizona Biltmore, and I was happy to tag along. The Biltmore is famous for its architecture, beautiful grounds, celebrity guests, and . . . afternoon tea! The hotel has a fascinating history and offers cozy elegance along with...
Does it seem like the holidays are rushing right past you? One way to slow time and enjoy this festive season is to sit down to a holiday-themed afternoon tea. Today I'm sharing a tea I hosted at home just last week, and in particular I'd like to highlight some of the...
I come to you with tidings of tea and holiday reads! For young (and young-at-heart) readers: Christmas with the Savages, by Mary Clive: Seen through the eyes of a prim little eight-year-old, and based on real events and people, this novel perfectly recaptures a...
It's that time of year when I crave cozy holiday stories! Here are three I enjoyed recently: For young (and young-at-heart) readers: Eleven-year-old Nikolas—nicknamed “Christmas”—has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. But he’s happy with...
Quick take: So COZY. (Special thanks to Laura B. for recommending it and to Glenda A. for gifting it!)Goodreads synopsis: Miss Quinn, who cherishes her privacy, intends to spend Christmas on her own as she likes it. But before the holiday, her brother telephones to...
The following is my first stab at an exhaustive list of December holiday-themed fiction for adults and kids. Books that I have read and recommend are indicated with an asterisk (*). I've linked each title to Goodreads so that you can see reviews and click through to...
You know me -- during this season I love to listen to Christmas music, watch Hallmark Christmas movies, and read Christmas-themed fiction. I have four books to recommend, two of which were intended for children (tho they certainly have appeal for adults, as well). The...
This month's "tea and a book" recommendation has such a Christmassy cover, doesn't it? Or perhaps it's just wintry, but that's almost as good. Angela Thirkell, granddaughter of Pre-Raphaelite phenom Edward Burne-Jones, published High Rising in 1933 and went on to...
In contrast to my craving for horror in October, I love a bit of holiday schmaltz at Christmas time. And Hallmark always delivers! Some of it is too sentimental and predictable even for my tastes, but this year I've encountered some very satisfying and poignant...
I've been on the hunt for a miniature Nativity set for a while now. The problem is . . . the human figures in most Nativity scenes have given me a mild case of the creeps since I was a little kid. I don't mean baby Jesus, of course. I'm just more interested in the...
